Hong Kong: SZ port virus testing streamlined The Government today announced that it has enhanced its rapid nucleic acid testing capacity and will launch an online booking arrangement within next week for the special nucleic acid testing service at Shenzhen Bay Port. This will facilitate travellers trip planning and allow them to depart through Shenzhen Bay Control Point in an orderly manner, the Government said in a press release. Under the upcoming booking arrangement, travellers must first obtain a quota at a Shenzhen quarantine hotel and then reserve a timeslot for the special nucleic acid test on the day of departure through an online booking system. They should arrive at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point for the special nucleic acid test as scheduled. Those without bookings will not be allowed to enter the control point for nucleic acid testing and immigration clearance. The arrangement will help further shorten the processing time of the special nucleic acid test, reduce the waiting time and refine the crowd management at Shenzhen Bay Control Point, the Government said. To avoid overcrowding, the Government urged travellers not to use the Shenzhen Bay Port during peak hours from 9am to noon. It will also announce the daily peak hours and expected waiting time at the port for travellers reference. Before implementing online booking, the Government will consider adopting crowd control measures as appropriate if there is overcrowding, it added. This story has been published on: 2022-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. France, Germany to help Vietnamese court system with personnel training Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh has suggested the French Court of Cassation make judges and experts involved in online training sessions for Vietnamese judges. At a recent talk with first president of the French court Christophe Soulard, Binh briefed his host on Vietnams judicial reform strategy by 2030 with a vision towards 2045, with priorities given to organisational reform, juvenile justice and personnel training. Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh (left) and French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti (Photo: VNA) Binh also invited the French official to visit Vietnam in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. For his part, Soulard reviewed the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in 2013, and the cooperation programme for the 2020-2022 period. The first president expressed his hope that the two sides will step up collaboration in the time ahead through the exchange of judges at national, regional and international levels. While in France from July 4-9, Binh also had a meeting with French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti who emphasised that Vietnam is Frances leading partner in the region. The French side wished to provide technical assistance in the legal field for Vietnam. Binh said his visit aims to learn from Frances experience to develop the judicial reform strategy by 2030, and build a juvenile law for Vietnam, calling for Frances support in this regard. On this occasion, the Vietnam Court Academy and the French National School for the Judiciary signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for a five-year period, during which the two sides will cooperate in judge training and exchange. Before the trip to France, Binh visited Germany to learn about the countrys experience in judicial reform. He told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that apart from experience sharing, Vietnam signed documents on personnel training cooperation with the two countries. Accordingly, Vietnam will send experts, lecturers and judges to France and Germany for training, and invited experts from the two countries to Vietnam to give lectures, especially those on stock market and digital economic crime, among others. News Details Semiconductor material news update: Entegris, ShinEtsu, Globalwafers Date: 10-07-22 The Leading vendors in the semiconductor manufacturing material industry benefiting from the growing demand in semiconductor chips investing into acquisitions, technology innovation and new manufacturing plants. Along with the demand for basic silicon semiconductor material, the demand for compound semiconductor materials, metals and alloys, and processing chemicals is growing. Below are the some of the latest happenings in this industry: Entegris has completed its acquisition of CMC Materials, an expert in planarisation solutions. Entegris acquired CMC paying $6.5 billion. The company said in its release it will operate in four divisions. The four divisions named by Entegris are: Microcontamination Control (MC), will continue to include the Liquid Microcontamination Control, Gas Microcontamination Control and New Markets business units; Specialty Chemicals and Engineered Materials (SCEM), will include Entegris Advanced Deposition Materials, Specialty Chemicals, Specialty Materials and Gases and Surface Prep and Integration business units (all of which were part of the SCEM division). It will also include CMC Materials International Test Solutions (ITS), as well as Performance Materials operations, Pipeline and Industrial Materials (PIM) and QED; Advanced Materials Handling (AMH), will continue to include Wafer Handling, Fluid Handling, Sensing and Control, Liquid Packaging and Life Sciences business units; And the new Advanced Planarization Solutions (APS) Division, which will include an end-to-end suite of CMP solutions, including CMC Materials CMP Slurries, CMP Pads and Electronic Chemicals businesses, as well as Entegris Post CMP Cleans, Pad Conditioners, CMP Slurries and Brushes business lines. Its expanded executive leadership includes: Bertrand Loy, President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Besnard, Senior Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer Olivier Blachier, Senior Vice President, Business Development Joe Colella, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Greg Graves, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Clint Haris, Senior Vice President and President, Microcontamination Control Jim ONeill, Senior Vice President, Chief Technology Officer Sue Rice, Senior Vice President, Global Human Resources Neil Richards, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Supply Chain and Quality Bill Shaner, Senior Vice President and President, Advanced Materials Handling Stuart Tison, Senior Vice President and President, Specialty Chemicals and Engineered Materials Dann Woodland (formerly of CMC Materials), Senior Vice President and President, Advanced Planarization Solutions Leading semiconductor wafer vendor GlobalWafers has announced that it will invest $5 billion 2 billion semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant in Texas in United States. The new plant to start producing 300 mm silicon wafers by the end of 2022. Another wafer supplier Shin-Etsu announced some technology innovations for different markets. Shin-Etsu and Taiwan based Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) have jointly developed an encapsulant material for Mini LED displays, where this encapsulant material is adaptable for use in various types of Mini LED displays developed by ITRI. Shin-Etsu has already started sampling this product to the market. In another technology innovation announcement Shin-Etsu said it has developed a high-strength inorganic thin-film coating liquid with excellent antibacterial and antiviral properties suitable for surface functionalization of building materials, particularly exhibit high antiviral activity against a novel coronavirus. The new material commercially named as Tersus Series uses Shin-Etsu Chemicals own unique silicate as an ingredient, is a coating liquid that forms a transparent thin film of natural finish that does not interfere with the building materials design. Since it is water-based coating liquid , it does not produce any offensive odors or adverse effects on the human body at the time of application operation, which in the case with an organic-solvent-base becomes an issue, Said in the release. Metro Railway Kolkata on Sunday night said it has invited Chief Minister for the inauguration of the Sealdah metro station of the East-West Line, amid the controversy over it. The station is scheduled to be inaugurate by Union Minister Smriti Irani on Monday virtually from Howrah. A formal invitation has been sent to the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), and local TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay and TMC MLAs Nayna Bandyopadhyay and Paresh Pal, a Metro Railway spokesperson told PTI. A source at state secretariat Nabanna said, the invitation has been received but the chief minister would be travelling to northern West Bengal on Monday. Hitting out at the BJP-led government in the Centre, the ruling TMC said the "last-minute" invitation was prompted by public pressure. "This is nothing but last-minute realisation by the Metro of its mistake in the face of mounting public criticism. They knew about the CM's planned trip to north Bengal, but still they organised the programme so that she is not able to attend," TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy claimed. "We want the service to commence as scheduled in the interest of the people," he said. The Metro Railway Kolkata, the oldest in the country, is a part of the Indian Railways, unlike the metro systems in other parts of India where state governments have stakes in the operating companies. The BJP said the TMC made a hue and cry over the issue despite knowing that such official invitations do take time to reach the invitees. "Still, none of our MLAs or MPs get invitations to official functions of the state government. The TMC should hold a mirror to itself," BJP's national vice-president Dilip Ghosh said. Commercial services at the swanky Sealdah metro station, connecting the IT hub of Sector 5, will begin on July 15. It is a part of the East-West corridor, a part of which is built under the Hooghly river. The new station will not only increase the ridership of the line, but also it will be a boon for people living in the suburbs to reach the IT hub easily after getting down from local trains at Sealdah. When completed, the corridor will connect Howrah to Kolkata and Salt Lake. The foundation stone for the project was laid in February 2009 by then chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in presence of then Union minister Pranab Mukherjee. It was initially scheduled to start operations in October 2014, but has missed several deadlines. (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 fresh trouble for the opposition in Goa, the party on Sunday said five of its 11 MLAs in the state have gone "incommunicado", and accused two of these legislators - Michael Lobo and former chief minister Digambar Kamat - of "conspiring" and "hobnobbing with the ruling BJP to engineer a split" in the grand old party's legislative wing. The party also removed Lobo from the post of Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, which has 40 members. The announcement about the legislators going incommunicado and the sacking of Lobo from the post was made by the party's desk in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao here late Sunday evening, on the eve of the assembly session. The development comes amid speculation that some MLAs may cross over to the saffron party. Exactly three years ago on this day, a group of 10 MLAs from the had left the party and switched over to the BJP. The development also comes close on the heels of the political turmoil in neighbouring Maharashtra, where the ruling Shiv Sena split following a rebellion by senior leader Eknath Shinde, who became the chief minister after Uddhav Thackeray resigned from the top post in the last week of June. Shinde and his supporting MLAs had gone "incommunicado" on June 20-21 before moving to Surat and then to Guwahati. Addressing a press conference here, Rao said, "Five Congress MLAs - Michael Lobo, Digambar Kamat, Kedar Naik, Rajesh Faldesai and Delialah Lobo - have gone incommunicado." However, five other legislators - Altone D'Costa, Sankalp Amonkar, Yuri Alemao, Carlose Alvares Ferreira, Rudolf Fernandes - are with the party, he said. These five MLAs were even present at the press conference addressed by Rao. "Sixth MLA, Aleixo Sequeira, is in touch with the Congress leaders and is very much with the party," he said. "Lobo and Kamat were hatching a conspiracy by hobnobbing with BJP to engineer a split in the Congress. Therefore, the party has decided to remove Lobo from the post of the Leader of Opposition. Action will be taken against both Lobo and Kamat," Rao alleged. In the Pramod Sawant-led dispensation, the ruling BJP has 20 MLAs, and the government also enjoys the support of five others - two from the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and three Independents. The grand old party had won 11 seats in the assembly polls held in February this year. The Foward Party (GFP) and Revolutionary Goans Party (RGP) had won one seat each, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had bagged two seats. Rao said that if the five MLAs defect, they will have to face elections again as the group does not enjoy the two-thirds majority of the party's legislative wing. He recalled that before the assembly polls, all the Congress candidates had taken a vow before God that they would not defect to any other party if they get elected. "These MLAs have broken that vow," Rao 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.) Muthuvel Karunanidhi stayed party president for more than 50 years and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam informed the Election Commission of India that it had changed the party constitution, appointing Karunanidhi president for life. Using that as precedent, at its plenary meeting at Guntur over the weekend, the Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) appointed Andhra Pradesh (AP) Chief Minister (CM) and party chief Yeduguri Sandinti Jagan Mohan Reddy president for life. This means he can lay claim to chief ministership after all elections (if his party has the numbers) for at least the next 30 years. He is only 49. Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor Delhi Chief Minister and AAP national convenor will visit this week to participate in a Tiranga Yatra organised by his party's state unit in Palampur in the run up to the assembly polls in the hill state. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will also visit the state to join Kejriwal in the event scheduled to be held in the assembly constituency on Tuesday, the party said on Sunday. This will be second visit of the AAP supremo and Mann to the poll-bound state within a month. "AAP's national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal will visit on July 12 to participate in Tiranga Yatra in Palampur on July 12. Punjab Chief Minister Mann will also participate in the event," the party said in a statement. The Delhi chief minister and his Punjab counterpart had on June 11 participated in a town hall meeting organised in Hamirpur district to deliberate on the state of education in . While addressing the gathering, Kejriwal and Mann had urged the voters give (AAP) a chance in the upcoming assembly elections, promising to overhaul the education and healthcare system in the state, currently ruled by the BJP. "If you want the 8.5 lakh students studying in Himachal Pradesh government schools to have a bright future, give a chance to the AAP," Kejriwal had said. Having tasted success in the the assembly elections earlier this year, the BJP and the AAP are looking to repeat their strong showing in the Himachal Pradesh polls as well due later this year while the Congress, having swept the 2021 state bypolls, is hoping for a turnaround after a string of poll losses. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hopes to retain power in the hill state, as it did in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. Riding high on its stupendous victory in Punjab assembly polls, the AAP is looking to make inroads into Himachal Pradesh, projecting itself as an alternative to the BJP and the Congress both. To woo the voters in the hill state, the party has been showcasing Kejriwal's Delhi model of governance, promising to form "an honest government" in the hill state and overhaul the education and healthcare sector if voted to power. The (AAP) has announced that it will contest all 68 seats in the upcoming assembly elections in the state. (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.) president has called a meeting of the party MPs on Monday to take a decision on the next week's presidential election. Talking to PTI on Sunday, Vinayak Raut, Sena MP from Sindhudurg, said the meeting will be held at 12 noon. "The agenda is to discuss the party's stand on the presidential election slated to be held on July 18," he said. Some MPs had earlier asked the leadership to support Droupadi Murmu, the National Democratic Alliance's (NDA) candidate. In the past, the Sena had broken ranks with the NDA and supported the candidatures of Pratibha Patil and Pranab Mukherjee (both Congress leaders). The Sena left the NDA in 2019 as the party formed government with the Congress and NCP in Maharashtra after ditching the old ally BJP. Last week, Sena MPs Rahul Shewale and Rajendra Gavit 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.) SAD chief on Sunday stepped up attack on Punjab Chief Minister for his statement seeking land for Vidhan Sabha, saying has surrendered Punjab's right over Chandigarh by making such a demand. Notably, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday had announced land for setting up an additional building for Haryana Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, Mann, in a tweet, had also demanded a similar allotment to his state, which drew sharp reaction from the political leaders of Punjab. Even, Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra has said, "if Haryana wants to build its own assembly it may do so in Panchkula, Faridabad or Kurukshetra but not in Chandigarh". Badal said his party will not allow the Centre to allot land to Haryana for setting up an additional building of Haryana Assembly here. Mann had also said Punjab and Haryana high court be separated and the Centre should also provide land for the same in Chandigarh. Addressing the media here, Shiromani Akali Dal president Badal trained his guns on Mann for his statement and said, by making such a statement, the Punjab CM surrendered the right of Punjab over Chandigarh. It is a betrayal with Punjabis. Why he is asking land for Vidhan Sabha, when "we have the assembly here in Chandigarh, Badal asked, stressing Punjab has inalienable right over its capital, Chandigarh. The SAD president said he initially thought that Mann had commented inadvertently. But it seems that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got Mann making this statement under a "conspiracy, said Badal while calling Mann a rubber stamp. Badal asked Mann to withdraw his statement. Reacting to the Union Home Minister's statement, Badal said Chandigarh is part of Punjab and will remain so. Under no circumstance, the SAD will allow allotment of land to Haryana for Vidhan Sabha or high court in Chandigarh, said Badal. At present, the Punjab and Haryana governments share the Vidhan Sabha complex which is next to the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Union Territory of Chandigarh. Haryana came into existence on November 1, 1966 and Chandigarh is the common capital of both states. The two states also have common buildings for the secretariat, Vidhan Sabha and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Meanwhile, the SAD chief Badal has convened an emergent meeting of his party's highest decision making body on July 12 to deliberate Mann's statement and plan the party's further course of action to "safeguard the interests of the state". (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 on Sunday said he feels the three Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies - Shiv Sena, and Congress - should fight the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections together, but a decision on it will be taken only after the issue is discussed with the leaders of his party as well as the alliance partners. On the decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts taken in the last cabinet meeting of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government, Pawar said the issue was not part of the MVA's common minimum programme, and he came to know about the decision only after it was taken. Pawar, who is on two-day tour of Aurangabad, was speaking to reporters here. Responding to a query whether the MVA parties should fight the next assembly elections in the state together, Pawar said, "It is my personal wish that the MVA constituents should contest the future polls together...But this is my personal opinion. I will first have a discuss the issue with my party leaders and talks can then be held with the alliance partners." The MVA government led by Thackeray collapsed on June 29, days after his party faced a rebellion launched by senior leader Eknath Shinde. On June 30, Shinde took oath as the chief minister, while BJP's Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy. Shinde enjoys the support of 40 rebel Sena MLAs. Taking a dig at the rebel Sena MLAs over the reasons cited by them for their revolt, Pawar said, "The dissident legislators don't give any fixed reason. Sometimes they talk about Hindutva, sometimes about funds." Following their revolt, the rebel MLAs have been saying that they went against the Sena leadership as the party was going away from the cause of Hindutva. Some of them also talked about not getting funds for their constituencies. "All reasons - Hindutva, and lack of development funds - given by the rebel Sena legislators as explanation for their decision holds no meaning," the NCP supremo said. Pawar claimed that he was absolutely unaware of the decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad as Sambhanjinagar and Dharashiv respectively. "Renaming these places was not part of the common minimum programme of the MVA. I came to know only after the decision was taken. It was taken without prior consultation. Opinions were expressed by our people during the cabinet meeting over the proposal. But the decision was that of the (then) chief minister (Thackeray)," Pawar said. Had any decisions about Aurangabad's welfare been taken, people would have been happy, he added. Talking about the speculation that some Congress MLAs in Goa may cross over to the ruling BJP, the former Union minister asked how can one forget what happened in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and in Maharashtra. "According to me, it took a long time for Goa," he said. When asked about the delay in the formation of the Shinde-led government's cabinet, he said it could be because of the Supreme Court's hearing scheduled on Monday. The Supreme Court will hear the plea of chief whip Sunil Prabhu seeking suspension from assembly of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 15 rebel MLAs against whom disqualification pleas are pending. The vacation bench of the court had on June 27 granted interim relief to the Shinde faction by extending the time for replying to the disqualification notices sent to 16 rebel Sena MLAs till July 12. But Pawar declined to speculate on the apex court's verdict on the petitions of disqualification of rebel MLAs and the Thackeray-led Sena challenging the floor test. "I have faith in judiciary. The court will decide tomorrow to whom the belongs," he said. He also refused to predict how long the Shinde-led government will last. "Let's see how the government takes decisions," he said. Replying to a query about the proposal to appoint twelve members to the Legislative Council pending with Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Pawar said, "The MVA government kept persuading the governor for allowing speaker's election for a year. On the contrary, he took a decision about the new government within 48 hours," he said. "The governor will now appoint the twelve members. In fact, discussion on it is also taking place," Pawar added. Responding to a query about Uddhav Thackeray 's leadership qualities, Pawar said his ill-health put restrictions on his movement. "I don't think Uddhav Thackeray will go with the BJP," he said when asked about reports of Milind Narvekar, Thackeray's close aide, meeting Fadnavis. (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 Trinamool Congress has cautioned the Central government against the Agnipath scheme, pointing to the fact that Japan's former Prime Minister was assassinated by a short-service ex-serviceman. The party claimed that the killing underlined the possible pitfalls of the controversial defence recruitment programme. The state BJP, however, rejected the apprehension saying no Indian ex-servicemen had ever been involved in any such incident. "The death of Abe at the hands of an ex-serviceman has only validated the fears of the people over the Agnipath scheme," the TMC's mouthpiece Jago Bangla' (Wake up, Bengal) said in an article on Saturday. The attacker lost his job in the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force after three years of service and he was not getting any pension, it claimed. Agniveers too would not get any pension after their four-year service period is over, the article pointed out. "The BJP is playing with fire in the name of Agnipath scheme. We have seen what has happened in Japan. An ex-serviceman killed the former Prime Minister," TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said on Sunday. The BJP said that such apprehensions are baseless. "We have never heard of any such incident in which an ex-serviceman of our country is involved. The TMC is just trying to politicise the matter," state BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya 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.) India has given a boost to self-reliance in safeguarding its space assets with System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operation and Management (IS4OM). Union Minister of State for Space would inaugurate the IS4OM here on Monday, in the presence of Secretary in the Department of Space and Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation S Somanath. IS40M is a system conceived with a holistic approach towards ensuring safety and sustainability of the space environment while reaping the benefits of sustainable utilisation of outer space for national development, according to . "It's part of the space situational awareness (SSA) programme to identify space debris and monitor them", an official told PTI. "It's to identify the potential collision of our active satellites with other space objects and avoid collisions with proper maneuvering to save our space assets (satellites)," he said. Sources in the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said concurrent processing of data from the observational facilities for space objects' orbit determination, correlation and catalogue generation will take place here. In addition, as part of IS4OM, dedicated labs have also been set up for space debris mitigation and remediation, compliance verification of UN/Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC) guidelines and various R&D activities. The R&D activities encompass space object fragmentation and break up modelling, space debris population and micrometeoroid environment modeling, and Near Earth Objects, among others. "IS4OM will boost our self-reliance ('atmanirbharata') in protecting our own space assets and also meeting UN directions on Debris management", a top ISRO official said. Sharing its "Space Situational Assessment 2021" in global perspective in March this year, ISRO said growing collision threats of space objects including orbital debris with the operational space assets have become a perennial problem for the safe and sustainable use of outer space. "These threats restrict the unhindered access to space and prompt all space actors to take appropriate measures to mitigate them", it had said. Currently, millions of pieces of space debris together with thousands of operational satellites are orbiting the Earth at different altitudes above the Earth. Space debris consists of rocket bodies that are used to launch satellites, defunct satellites, materials released during mission operations, fragments from on-orbit breakups of space objects, and fragments from Anti-Satellite (ASAT) tests. These space objects move with an average speed of 27,000 km per hour in Low Earth Orbits; therefore, a collision with even a centimetre sized tiny fragment can be catastrophic to an operational space asset. These orbiting space debris pose a threat to about 3,000 operational satellites presently in orbit, used for critical modern communication, commerce, travel and security systems. Any damage, even minor, to the operational space assets will have cascading impacts on many vital systems including communication, finance, power, transportation, time scheduling and critical defence-related aspects, it had said. Many state-of-the-art defence technologies such as drones, guided missiles, intelligence data collections, encrypted communications and navigation would be limited or can become inoperable with functionally crippled satellite systems, it was noted. In December 2020, ISRO inaugurated a dedicated control centre forA activities, aimed at monitoring, tracking and protecting India's space assets. ISROA Control Centre, 'NETRA' (NEtwork for space object TRacking and Analysis), envisaged to function as a hub of allA activities within India, was set up within the ISTRAC (ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network) campus at Peenya here. ISRO had taken up the establishment of Space Surveillance and Tracking network with radars and optical telescopes under the project NETRA. "To analyse and assess the potential threats to operational spacecraft and to attain self-reliance in safeguarding the valuable space assets, it is essential to augment and expand the network of observational facilities," it had said. "This (SSA) control centre is the building with other facilities", the ISRO official said. "Control room/ lab with consoles, software, displays which is the operational system, which is realised within the control centre, will be inaugurated on Monday. (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.) Dear Reader, Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance. We, however, have a request. As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed. Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard. Digital Editor This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. 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: Contributed UPDATE 3:49 p.m. The fallout from a massive network outage at Rogers Communications that shut down mobile and internet services across much of Canada continued to come into focus on Saturday, even as the company restored most services and began offering an explanation as to what happened. The widespread disruption, which got underway early Friday morning, paralyzed communications across sectors including health-care, law enforcement and the financial industry. Many 911 services couldn't receive incoming calls, several hospitals reported impacts to their services, and debit transactions were paused when Interac was knocked offline. Small business owners were among those hardest hit by the outage, which left them unable to process debit card payments. Rogers Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri issued a statement on Saturday afternoon saying service had been restored and the companys networks and systems are close to fully operational. He said the company is continuing to monitor its network for problems and investigate the root cause of the issues. We now believe weve narrowed the cause to a network system failure following a maintenance update in our core network, which caused some of our routers to malfunction early Friday morning, he said. Staffieri apologized for the outage, adding that were particularly troubled that some customers could not reach emergency services and we are addressing the issue as an urgent priority. Richard Leblanc, a professor of Governance, Law and Ethics at Toronto's York University, said the outage presents a learning opportunity for threat actors such as Russian state-sponsored hackers. He said such parties can now see how vulnerable Canadian industry, financial institutions and health-care systems are to an attack on a telecom provider. "This could have been catastrophic for the country if this was a threat actor," he said in a telephone interview. Leblanc said the outage Rogers' second significant one in 15 months makes it clear that the federal government cant just rely on telecom companies to do the right thing. "I think it's time that regulators, and this includes Industry Canada, the (Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission) and the Competition Tribunal begin to insist on proper, robust, independently-audited internal controls so that you don't have an outage like this," he said. While Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has described the outage as unacceptable, Leblanc said that kind of talk needs to be followed up with action. ORIGINAL 7:19 a.m. Rogers Communications says it has restored mobile and internet service for the vast majority of customers after a widespread network outage affected many and caused trouble for 911 services and debit transactions. The Toronto-based telecommunications company says some customers may experience delays in regaining full service as its network comes back online and traffic volumes return to normal. In a statement posted to the company's social media channels, Rogers apologized for the disruption the outage has caused to its customers and said it will be proactively crediting all customers. The company says its technical teams continue to work hard to ensure that the remaining customers impacted by the outage are back online as quickly as possible. Tony Staffieri, chief executive and president of Rogers, said in an open letter that the company apologizes for the service interruption but offered no explanation for the outage or how many customers were affected. Staffieri says Rogers is committed to understanding the cause and would make changes to meet and exceed expectations in the future. The outage began early yesterday morning and stretched into the evening, pushing businesses and organizations to notify customers that their operations were being affected by Rogers and that delays and service interruptions should be expected. Photo: The Canadian Press Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne speaks during an announcement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, June 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang Canada's industry minister will convene a meeting with the leader of Rogers Communications in the wake of a massive outage that paralyzed the company's network and hampered several crucial services, his office announced on Sunday, even as some customers continued to report service disruptions. A statement released from the office of Francois-Philippe Champagne said he plans to meet with Tony Staffieri and other telecom leaders to discuss the importance of improving "the reliability of networks across Canada." The statement said Champagne found last week's widespread service disruption which lasted at least 15 hours and knocked out access to numerous law enforcement, health care and banking services "unacceptable," adding he has expressed that view directly to Staffieri. "These services are vitally important for Canadians in their day to day life and we expect our telecom industry to meet the highest standards that Canadians rightly deserve," the statement read. Staffieri released a statement on Saturday attributing Friday's widespread outage to a network system failure following a maintenance update, adding that the "vast majority" of customers were back online. But many continued reporting service disruptions into Sunday, including Courtice, Ont. resident Paul Platt, who said his home wireless network was only restored after being down for more than 48 hours. Platt said many of the appliances in his home, including some lights, locks and smoke detectors, depend on an internet connection to function. "Nothing was working in my house at all," he said. Platt said he checked in on his elderly neighbours one with Parkinson's disease and another who recently had heart surgery every few hours over the weekend, noting they also rely on Rogers service and wouldn't be able to call 911 if needed. "That's where that's not OK," Platt said. Platt said he made numerous attempts to contact Rogers through support lines and social media but was unable to reach any staff. He said he's frustrated both with the lack of communication from Rogers for customers still affected by outages and Staffieri's Saturday statement in which he said the company's network and systems were "close to fully operational." "That's the most frustrating thing to me," said Platt, who said he has worked in IT his entire life. "I understand that things happen, I understand that they're very complicated. But there's just no feedback to the customers at all and... no support available for the customers that are still having problems." Rogers declined to comment on continued outages when asked by The Canadian Press, but referred to Staffieri's previous statement in which he said technical teams are continuing to monitor for "any remaining intermittent issues." The company did not immediately respond to request for comment on the pending meeting with Champagne. Downdetector, a website tracking outages, showed the number of people reporting problems with Rogers' service was significantly higher than usual on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. There were more than 2,200 outage reports on the site at 5 p.m. on Saturday, up significantly from the baseline of 38 usually seen on the site at that time. Sunday morning's logs showed 1,479 reports at 8:30 a.m. compared to a baseline of 18. Montreal, Toronto and neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., and the Ontario cities of London and Kitchener were among those logging the most reports on the website, with the majority of reports being related to issues with Rogers' landline internet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that be it Adi Shankaracharya from hundreds of years ago or Swami Vivekananda in modern times, the saint tradition of India has always been proclaiming 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'. The Prime Minister made this remark while addressing the centenary celebration of Swami Atmasthananda via video conferencing. PM Modi paid his tributes to Swami Atmasthananda by reminiscing the time he spent with him. Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said, "This event is filled with many feelings and memories. I have always been blessed by him, there was an opportunity to be with him. It is my good fortune that I kept in touch with him till the last moment." The Prime Minister expressed happiness over the release of a photo biography and documentary to take Swami ji's mission to the masses. He remarked that Swami Vivekanand moulded the great tradition of 'sanyasth' into a modern form and Swami Atmasthananand also retired to this form and lived and implemented it in life. He also highlighted the tremendous relief and rescue operations that were carried out not just in India but also in Nepal and Bangladesh under his directive by Belur Matt and Ramakrishna Mission. PM Modi also remarked on the institutions created by Swami ji for helping the poor in employment and livelihood. PM Modi highlighted that the ideals of the Ramakrishna Mission are to work in mission mode, to create new institutions, and to strengthen the institutions. "Wherever there are such saints, the centers of service to humanity come up on its own, Swami ji proved this by his sanyasa life," PM Modi said. "Be it Adi Shankaracharya from hundreds of years ago or Swami Vivekananda in modern times, the saint tradition of India has always been proclaiming 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat'. The establishment of Ramakrishna Mission is also associated with the idea of 'Ek Bharat, Shrestha Bharat'," he added. While highlighting the contributions of Swami Vivekananda, the Prime Minister said that he lived this resolution in the form of a mission. "His influence was seen in all parts of the country and his travels made the country realize its ancient national consciousness in the era of slavery, and also infused new confidence in it. This tradition of Ramakrishna Mission was carried forward by Swami Atmasthananand ji throughout his life," the Prime Minister said. While remembering the time he spent with Swami Atmasthananda, the Prime Minister said that he was fortunate to talk to him in Gujarati. The Prime Minister also remarked on the time during the Kutch earthquake when relief work was carried out under the guidance of Swami ji. PM Modi said, "everyone knows the saints of Ramakrishna Mission as the conductors of national unity in the country. And, when he goes abroad, he represents Indianness there." The Prime Minister remarked that Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa, was one such saint who had a clear vision of Maa Kali, who had surrendered his whole being at the feet of Maa Kali. "This whole world, this variable and constant, everything is pervaded by the consciousness of the mother. This consciousness is seen in the Kali Puja of Bengal. A beam of this consciousness and power was illuminated by Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa in the form of Yugpurushas like Swami Vivekananda. The spiritual vision that Swami Vivekananda felt about Mother Kali, had infused extraordinary energy and power within him," he said. He further said that a mighty personality like Swami Vivekananda would get excited like a small child in the devotion, in the memory of Jaganmata Kali. The Prime Minister remarked that he could see the same sincerity of devotion, and the same power of Shakti Sadhana within Swami Atmasthananand. While paying tributes to the life of Swami Atmasthananand, he said, "Our sages have shown us that when our thoughts are broad, we are never alone in our endeavours! You will see the life journey of so many such saints on the earth of Bharat Varsh who fulfilled the resolutions like a summit with zero resources. Shri Modi saw the same faith and dedication in the life of Atmasthananand Ji." The Prime Minister remarked that when a person from India, a sage, can do so much, then there is no goal that cannot be accomplished by the collective resolve of 130 crore countrymen. While addressing the gathering of revered saints, the Prime Minister said that 75 Amrit Sarovars are being made in every district as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. PM Modi urged everyone to inspire people and also join in the noble work of human service. (ANI) Also Read: Coronavirus: Over 10.357 crore COVID vaccine doses available with states, UTs: Centre With Mother Nature drowning out racing Saturday all around the Tennessee Valley and southern region, Georgian Brandon Overton of Evans pocketed $50,000 Saturday night at Deer Creek Speedway with the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series presented by Napa Auto Parts, MavTV and Floracing. Swapping the lead three times with New York's Tim McCreadie and Tennessean Mike Marlar, the "Overton Crossfit" Longhorn pilot held off a hard charging Chris Madden of South Carolina thanks to a late race caution with three laps remaining. Madden, going for an additional $25,000 payday for agreeing to start 12th instead of 2nd, fell one position shy finishing in the runner-up spot. McCreadie would finish third and regain the LODLM points lead, heading in to Missouri next Thursday with the series. Marlar and Canadian Ricky Weiss rounded out the top five finishers. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville also took the $25,000 challenge, giving up his pole position starting spot to start 11th in the feature race. Unfortunately the "Million Dollar Superman" could only gain two spots, finishing 9th overall. Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tn. raced to third, before dropping off the pace due to a flat tire. He'd finish 16th overall. Lucas Oil points leader heading into Saturday's race, Brandon Shepard of Illinois finished 20th, allowing McCreadie to top the standings. Monday and Tuesday the XRSS series host a pair of $20,000 to win Super Late Model races in Stuart, Ia. For complete details of the race visit LucasDirt.com. MavTV will be reairing the broadcast of the Gopher 50 race Sunday. In 2017, police in South Carolina, during a routine traffic stop, discovered military grade machine guns stolen from a National Guard Armory. (WSOC TV, 12/21/2017). As far back as 1974 what was described as enough armaments to outfit a full Army company was stolen from a Guard Armory in Compton, CA (NYTimes, 07/06/1974). Some stolen military weapons, according to the AP, have been used over the years to commit violent crimes in Boston, MA, 2016 and Albany, NY, June 15, 2021. In Dec, 2021, a Pecos, NM man was charged with stealing and selling military weapons from an armory near Santa Fe. He was also arrested on drug charges including fentanyl. As we have seen, gun running and illegal drugs go hand in hand. I say all of this to show with all the regulations and difficulties securing weapons, we can see criminals still get guns. Case in point: the ease in which the alleged Highland Park shooter, even with a troubled background, got guns. Add to that how progressive DAs, in states with very restrictive gun regulations, release violent, repeat offenders even when guns are involved in the crime. Progressives wont address the criminality of crossing the border illegally, wanting instead to focus on the causes. But when it comes to mass shootings, they never want to address the causes, only the fact a gun was used. Call Bidens election illegitimate or say Hunters laptop was not Russian meddling and you get suspended from social media. That same crowd then expects us to believe they cant detect a social media trail leading to mass shooters. That is pure progressive bunk. Crimes committed with guns must carry the full sentence and violent felons not released back on to the streets only to repeat the crimes. Until then, all the political talk of new gun laws which only restrict the people who obey the law will just create more violent crimes. Ralph Miller * * * Once again, I believe Ralph Miller's opinion is incorrect. I do not dispute the facts he cited about armory thefts. Or that gun running and drugs go hand in hand: after all, if you can smuggle two high profit items for the same cost, why not do it? I agree with the ease with which the last two mass murderers obtained their weapons. It's the last paragraph of his letter with which I disagree. "Crimes committed with guns must carry the full sentence and violent felons not released back on to the streets only to repeat the crimes. Until then, all the political talk of new gun laws which only restrict the people who obey the law will just create more violent crimes." He advocates gun crimes carry the full sentence as a deterrent to gun crimes. A reasonable man would be deterred by the likelihood of prison time for his actions. However, to date, that likelihood has not been a deterrent. I do not believe the perpetrator thinks that because he may get a shorter sentence, he commits the crime. Nor will a longer sentence will deter him from committing that crime. He has already made up his mind. In the second phrase (violent felons not released . . .), Mr. Miller appears to be advocating life sentences for violent felons (presumably gun crimes). But has the prospect of not being released been a deterrent. Supposedly, those that murdered with guns were aware of the possibility of life imprisonment or a death sentence before the crime. Did that deter them? No. Some had a death wish. Solving this nation's gun problems cannot be solved instantaneously. Because of the Second Amendment, there will always be gun crimes. What must first be addressed is the availability of AR-15 type weapons allowing the firing of shots as quickly as one can pull the trigger. We must stop the most heinous of mass murders first. We may not prevent all deaths, but will prevent many just by limiting the speed of firing and reloading. If that means people who otherwise obey the law believe they are burdened without that type of weapon, we already have a precedent: automatic weapons have been banned. They are already imposed upon. As for banning, we are also banning books despite the First Amendment ( . . . or abridging freedom of speech, or of the press; . . .). So there is precedent. Second, ammunition that is manufactured for war should be banned. This type ammunition not only kills violently, but if not killing, wounds violently. A coroner should never have to resort to DNA for gunshot victim of identification. Nor should anyone suffer the agony of knowing their loved one was violently ripped apart. Joe Warren * * * Joe Warren, I think your opinion has many holes in it, and not from gunfire. The Constitution, as you have noted, does guarantee many rights, but all of those rights "end" when you trespass upon the rights of someone else. For instance, "the right of the people to keep and bear arms," ends for someone when they use "arms" to kill (other than special circumstances like self-defense, military action, etc.). If they choose to "kill", this infringes upon another's right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, just as abortion "kills" someone that has not trespassed against another and is denied their right to life. The "methods" that can be used to take the life of another are endless; car, knife, bomb, hammer, fist, pipe, etc. Just a note, a semi-automatic 9mm handgun can be "shot as quickly as one can pull the trigger" and ARs come in 9mm also. There were roughly the same amount of deaths each year caused by auto accidents and guns here in the U.S., so would you ban "fast cars" in order to curb auto related deaths? I deal with many people that are inconvenient, costly and I just don't want to have that "burden" of them in my life, but that does not give me the right to "kill" them. To sum this up, the right to bear arms is a Constitutional right, abortion is not. The right to "life" is also given in the Constitution and abortion denies that. Simply, I do not see the relationship between these two at all. Patrick Lee I received an email from a friend this week. She wanted to let me know that a local parents group is hosting two non-partisan school board candidate forums where all school board candidates have been invited. It's my understanding that these two forums are the only ones where the public will have an opportunity to meet face-to-face with all the candidates. (All of the other forums/debates are virtual.) I plan to attend both forums. I urge you to do the same. I've had the opportunity to attend several school board meetings over the past school year. Public trust should increase as people observe their elected school board members in action. That has not been the case for me. Forum #1 Monday, July 11, at Red Bank High, 6-8 p.m. for Districts 3, 6, 8 and 11 Forum #2 Monday, July 18, at Ooltewah High, 6-8 p.m. for Districts 5, 9, and 10 If you are unsure of your district, contact the Hamilton County Election Commission or go to their website. The county's school board members are entrusted with overseeing the education of some 45,000 students and with reviewing how to spend more than $430 million every year. If I counted correctly, HCDE has 91 public schools listed on their website, with (give or take) 2,500 teachers, 161 administrators and more. Total positions hover somewhere around 4,500 employees. According to the Public School Review website, Hamilton County public elementary schools have an average math proficiency score of 44 percent, and reading proficiency score of 35 percent. The county school budget is almost 1/2 billion dollars, with almost 80 percent going to salaries and benefits. The HCDE budget overview can be found at the Hamilton County Department of Education website. Hamilton County Schools General Purpose Budget - Expenditure by Type Fiscal Year 2022 Expenditure Type FY 21 Amended Budget FY 22 Proposed Budget Salaries $246,368,280 56.77% $255,541,567 58.82% Benefits $83,129,190 19.15% $84,398,928 19.43% Student Transportation (Contracted) $17,417,200 4.01% $18,139,957 4.18% Charter School Transfers $14,375,622 3.31% $16,936,487 3.90% Utilities/Telephone/Internet $12,406,939 2.86% $12,408,976 2.86% Custodial Services (Contracted) $11,150,000 2.57% $11,150,000 2.57% Hardware/Software and Equipment $10,205,337 2.35% $6,626,457 1.53% Maintenance/Repairs (Nonpersonnel) $5,583,929 1.29% $5,774,586 1.33% Other $5,383,422 1.24% $4,855,566 1.12% Mandated (Trustee, Storm Water, Debt) $4,275,000 0.98% $4,731,767 1.09% Insurance, Dues, Legal Services $3,184,003 0.73% $3,171,568 0.73% Special Education Contracted Services $3,170,000 0.73% $3,170,000 0.73% School Instructional Supplies $3,460,215 0.80% $3,152,406 0.73% Textbooks and Materials $6,024,404 1.39% $2,278,113 0.52% Contract Substitutes $2,000,000 0.46% $2,000,000 0.46% Transfer to Unassigned Fund Balance $5,901,347 1.36% 0.00% Total Expenditures $434,034,888 100.00% $434,336,378 100.00% Only nine out of the 21 high schools in our county rank in the top 100 of our state; HS rankings can be found at Best High Schools in Tennessee - TN School Rankings (schooldigger.com) State Ranking (of 347) School District # Students Per Pupil Expenditure 5 Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State Hamilton County 198 $5,304 7 STEM School Chattanooga Hamilton County 283 $9,110 24 Sale Creek Middle / High School Hamilton County 548 $9,996 29 Signal Mountain Middle/High School Hamilton County 1,314 $9,580 32 East Hamilton High School Hamilton County 1,053 $9,270 37 Soddy Daisy High School Hamilton County 1,076 $9,490 42 Chattanooga School For Arts And Sciences Upper Hamilton County 676 $9,583 44 Chatt High Center For Creative Arts Hamilton County 644 $9,893 63 Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy Hamilton County 367 $12,423 118 Hixson High School Hamilton County 880 $10,344 151 Ooltewah High School Hamilton County 1,306 $8,986 199 Ivy Academy Inc. Hamilton County 410 $9,811 202 Red Bank High School Hamilton County 794 $10,242 210 Central High School Hamilton County 763 $10,324 253 Sequoyah High School Hamilton County 242 $12,953 276 Lookout Valley Middle / High School Hamilton County 361 $13,156 280 East Ridge High School Hamilton County 864 $9,889 297 Tyner Academy Hamilton County 531 $11,033 308 Hamilton County Virtual School Hamilton County 710 $6,383 310 Brainerd High School Hamilton County 644 $13,330 322 The Howard School Hamilton County 1,212 $11,051 Around 60 percent of the county budget goes toward our local public school system. That's $6 out of every $10 dollars that you pay in property taxes. I think the return on our investment should be better, don't you? I will be interested in seeing which candidates will take time out of their busy schedules to show up to the forums and I look forward to joining other civically engaged citizens to hear what the candidates have to say. Robert Day With several great movies thus far, Taika Waititi has proven to be one of the most exciting directors in Hollywood. Many will know him because of his work on Thor: Ragnarok, where he reinvented Chris Hemsworths Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, Waititi is a director with several other projects showcasing his talents as a writer, actor, and director. Taika Waititi | Neil Mockford/FilmMagic Each movie shows his versatility as a director. He is able to blend goofy humor with more realistic and troubling subject matter. These traits are shown in Thor: Love and Thunder and in his other movies. Here are 3 Taika Waititi movies to check out if you loved Thor: Love and Thunder. Hunt for the Wilderpeople Hunt for the Wilderpeople stars Julian Dennison as a foster kid who bonds with his new caretaker, played by Sam Neill, after the two disappear into the New Zealand woods and are on the run from authorities. The bond between Neill and Dennisons characters is charming, heartwarming, and hilarious. These two have conflicting personalities, but there is a need in both of them to find companionship. It does have devastating dramatic moments but Waititi knows how to balance it with heart and humor. The sidekick characters along the way continue to give the movie a good sense of humor while never straying from its focus on the leading duo. It does have goofy humor and some fun action, but it always remembers to keep you invested with likable characters and meaningful stakes. What We Do in the Shadows What We Do in the Shadows is just a straight comedy. It isnt doing anything except delivering a laugh-out-loud mockumentary with vampires. The movie is a collaboration of Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement and focuses on three vampires living an urban life in New Zealand. What makes What We Do in the Shadows so clever is its ability to make the extraordinary seem ordinary. The vampires are relatable even though they are dealing with violent and horrifying situations, many of them created by themselves. It is a bloody movie but its all treated for laughs and it never takes itself seriously. Its a dark comedy that brilliantly satirizes horror movies along with the popular mockumentary format. If you enjoy this movie, also make sure to check out the equally-as-funny FX TV series which is about to begin its fourth season. Jojo Rabbit Jojo Rabbit is Taika Waititis most acclaimed movie to date and for good reason. Jojo Rabbit tells the story of Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), a German boy growing up under the Nazi regime. Jojo is programmed to think and act like a Nazi in order to support his country. He even has an imaginary version of Hitler, played by Taika Waititi, that talks to him every now and then. Things become complicated when Jojo discovers his mother (Scarlett Johansson) is harboring a Jewish girl (Thomasin McKenzie) in his home. Jojo Rabbit has comedic elements and many devastating moments that capture the evil many experienced during this time. Jojo has to learn to let go of his bigotry, and the relationship he builds with the Jewish girl is heartfelt and inspiring. Its a movie that can find the light in the dark and encourages people to find empathy in everyone, even in those who are believed to be their enemy. Jojo Rabbit was praised by critics and earned Waititi his first Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. RELATED: Thor: Love and Thunder: Taika Waititi Explains Why He Was Anxious About Working With Christian Bale and Russell Crowe In a preview for the July 10 episode of 90 Day Fiance, Emily Bieberly thinks she may be pregnant with Kobe Blaises child, again. Both of them blame each other for not taking precautions. Kobe and Emily, 90 Day Fiance Season 9 | TLC Kobe and Emilys 90 Day Fiance journey 29-year-old Emily met 34-year-old Kobe while she was teaching English in Xian, China. They met at a nightclub, and they fell in love. During the end of her stay in China, the couple got engaged. Then, Emily found out she was pregnant with Kobes baby. Unfortunately, her visa in China was up, and she had to return to Salina, Kansas. She left for the US, and Kobe returned to his family in Cameroon, Africa. Despite applying for a K-1 visa, Kobe ended up missing the birth of his son due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic causing delays. Two years later, Kobes K-1 visa was finally approved. During 90 Day Fiance Season 9, Kobe met his 17-month-old son for the first time. Now, with only a couple of weeks left on their K-1 visa, Kobe and Emily have to race against the deadline and get married. Emily thinks she might be pregnant with Kobes baby In the July 3rd episode, Emily reveals some worrying information to Kobe about the possibility she might be pregnant again. She tells her fiance, Im just late like my period is late. Kobe is in disbelief and says, Oh my God. Kobes son, Koban, is still being breastfed by Emily and all currently live with Emilys parents. Earlier in season 9, Emilys dad warns her that his only rule is not to have another unplanned pregnancy. In the preview for the upcoming episode, Emily and Kobe go to a pharmacy to get a pregnancy test. She tells the cameras, My dad only has one rule for us, and thats not to get pregnant. Of course, Kobe, who is trying to make a good impression on Emilys family, is worried about the consequences if Emily is pregnant. He says, I dont know how Im going to be able to face your family if youre pregnant. Kobe and Emily blame each other for the pregnancy scare Emily and Kobe are not prepared for having another child, and neither of them wants to take responsibility for the possible pregnancy. Kobe is in denial. He tells Emily, No, you cant be pregnant. Emily retorts, Why cant I be pregnant? He insists they took many precautions so she wouldnt get pregnant, but Emily disagrees. She says, Precautions? Kobe, youre the one who told me you didnt want me to take birth control. She argues, Not taking birth control can obviously lead to a birth. In the interview, Emily asks Kobe, What did I say, babe, when I told you I was going to take my birth control. What did you say? Kobe said, I refused. I give you a reason why. Ive seen women who are on birth control. When they are ready to conceive, it was very difficult. Kobe insists he was planning on the pull out method until Emily told him its OK because shes not ovulating. The couple argues all the way to the pharmacy, where they buy pregnancy tests to take. They decide to take the tests at the pharmacy to avoid questions from Emilys family. It takes two to tango and clearly, to make a baby. If Kobe and Emily are pregnant, it will be hard for him to get back into her familys good graces. Will Emily and Kobe end up married with a baby on the way? Fans will have to keep watching 90 Day Fiance Season 9 to find out whats next for this couple. New episodes of 90 Day Fiance Season 9 air Sundays at 8 pm EST on TLC and to stream on discovery+. RELATED:90 Day Fiance: Shaeeda and Bilals Ex-Wife, Shahidah Disagree Over Prenup Sweetheart, Youre Lecturing the Wrong Person Recent Josh Duggar news notes the Duggar family member finally moved into federal prison. Duggar has to spend over 12 years in prison after he was found guilty of downloading child sexual abuse material on a computer at his workplace. Even more recently, a legal expert weighed in on whether Duggar can make a successful appeal. Heres what they said. What are Josh Duggars crimes? Hes sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison Josh Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images The latest Josh Duggar news regarding his move to federal prison has Duggar family followers wondering about his crimes. So, what exactly was he charged with? According to The New York Times, a police detective from Little Rock, Arkansas, found an IP address attached to a computer located at Duggars workplace. The IP address was sharing files of child sexual abuse images. After days of jury deliberations, the judge announced Duggars guilt. They included one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The crimes carried a maximum prison sentence of 20 years and up to $250,000 in fines. Josh received a sentence of 151 months in prison, and the judge dismissed the charge of child pornography possession. Duggars lawyer, Justin K. Gelfand, felt grateful for the judges dismissal, but they noted they still planned to appeal. Josh Duggar news: A legal expert says he doesnt have a good defense for an appeal Josh Duggar's legal team files notice to appeal his child pornography conviction https://t.co/N0dOfJSvl2 Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) June 6, 2022 The latest Josh Duggar news surrounds his appeal. We look forward to continuing the fight on appeal, Duggars lawyer Justin K. Gelfand said in a statement. But legal expert Neama Rahmani, former Federal Prosecutor and President of West Coast Trial Lawyers, spoke to Us Weekly about the situation. Rahmani doesnt think Duggar has any good legal standing to appeal. He continued by stating Duggar doesnt really have a good defense for the appeal due to the amount of evidence stacked against him. I mean, these images were on his HP laptop computer, theres a digital paper trail that shows that hes on the internet downloading these images, he added. I dont think he has a very good argument on appeal, Rahmani continued. These possession cases are tough. When theyre on your computer and there is that digital footprint, both in terms of the actual guilt and in terms of the sentence, hes very likely gonna lose. The Duggar family member has conditions he must follow upon his prison release #ICYMI: #JoshDuggars life in prison will most likely be the same for the next 12 years. Find out what he has to do now that he is fully checked into the Texas prison. https://t.co/I1MwHiOVx0 OK! Magazine USA (@OKMagazine) July 10, 2022 Duggar family followers dont know what will happen with Josh Duggars appeal just yet. If Duggar has to continue his stint in jail, he has several special conditions he has to follow even when released. KNWA Fox24 reports Duggar can have no unsupervised contact with minors during his 20 years of supervised release after prison. He also cannot gain access to a computer or electronic device with internet or photo storage capabilities without approval of the U.S. Probation Office. Additionally, he has to have internet-monitoring software installed. Duggar must also attend a sex offense-specific treatment program. If theres any suspicion that Duggar violated any of his conditions, he must submit his person, residence, place of employment, vehicles, papers, computers and any other electronic devices or storage media for search. How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support. For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to Showbiz Cheat Sheets YouTube channel. RELATED: Josh Duggars Sentencing: What Is Anna Duggars Age When Josh Leaves Prison? While Scott Disick isnt technically a member of the Kardashian-Jenner family, the reality star is so closely associated with the group that, for many fans, he might as well be. Disick is Kourtney Kardashians ex-partner and the father of her three children. Although Disick and Kardashian have long separated, they remain close friends and co-parents. Recently, the Kardashian family debuted a brand-new show on the Hulu network, and Disick is along for the ride, meaning he is firmly back in the spotlight. Some fans on Reddit recently discussed a photo of Disick, comparing his looks to that of another high-profile personality. What did fans say about Scott Disick resembling Jared Leto? Looking good in my new Talentless Desert Hues hoodie, get yours now https://t.co/h2RkdxioSg pic.twitter.com/MsCVZuhD5M Scott Disick (@ScottDisick) October 11, 2021 In a recent Reddit thread, fans discussed a photo of Scott Disick enjoying a plate of pasta while on vacation in Italy. Jared Leto lookin ass, one fan joked, while others compared Disick to sad Keanu (Reeves) and even late rock star Jim Morrison. This is giving me, The Final Days of Jim Morrison, look, a fan wrote, while another detailed how much Disicks longer hairstyle suites him, writing, He always looks so much better with this hairstyle. Many fans pointed out that Disick looks depressed in the photo, commenting that he seems sad. Hes giving Rob in his depression so energy lately. I hope hes okay, one fan noted. Certainly, Disick has a lot on his mind these days, with his ex-girlfriend, Kourtney Kardashian, marrying her boyfriend, Travis Barker. Disick is focusing on raising his 3 kids Talentless hoodie season is back with our most popular core hoodies! Go follow https://t.co/YgnAyHcigz to get info on all the newest drops! pic.twitter.com/s2bMIjaH8N Scott Disick (@ScottDisick) September 8, 2021 Even though Scott Disick and Kourtney Kardashian broke up years ago, Disick has publicly claimed that he will always love Kardashian and that sentiment seems to be true to this day. After Kardashian and Travis Barker got engaged in October 2021, Disick seemed to struggle with the news. According to She Knows, Disick was very sad about the news and opted to focus on his three kids rather than dwell on the fact that Kardashian had found a new love. All Scott talks about is his kidsHes always bringing them up in conversation when hes not physically with them, a source told the publication. Hes definitely a very good father and cares and loves them so much. He wants to be a good role model to them. Disick has been open about his experiences with substances and depression over the years, but its clear that the reality star wants to set a good example for his kids. Who is Scott Disick dating? Scott Disick and Sofia Richie | Presley Ann/Getty Images Kourtney Kardashian might be married to Travis Barker, but Scott Disick has been on his share of dates since he and Kardashian split. In 2017, Disick started dating Sofia Richie, the daughter of music legend Lionel Richie. While many criticized the age difference between the pair, Disick and Richie dated for about three years before breaking up in 2020. After the breakup, Disick was linked to Amelia Hamlin. They dated for around a year before breaking up in late 2021. Most recently, Disick was rumored to be dating Scottish model Rebecca Donaldson. According to Newsweek, Disick and Donaldson made their debut as a couple at the premiere of the Hulu show The Kardashians. Although they walked arm-in-arm at the event, neither Disick nor Donaldson has confirmed their romance. In recent weeks, the two have been spotted on vacation in Miami, Florida. Donaldson, who primarily works as a model, is also the founder of an activewear brand and is seen on Instagram, where she occasionally partners with brands to post sponsored content. RELATED: Kourtney Kardashian Told Scott Disick He Was Despicable For Message to Younes Bendjima, The Kardashians Reveals How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357. FILE - An electronic cigarette from Juul Labs is seen on on Feb. 25, 2020, in Pembroke Pines, Fla. Juul has asked a federal court, Friday, June 24, 2022, to block a government order to stop selling its electronic cigarettes. Federal health officials on Thursday, June 23, ordered Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the U.S. market, the latest blow to the embattled company widely blamed for sparking a national surge in teen vaping. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Catholic MP, ex-faith minister vying to be next UK PM as race kicks off to replace Boris Johnson Conservative lawmaker Tom Tugendhat, a Catholic, and former Tory Member of Parliament Kemi Badenoch, who describes herself as a cultural Christian, are among those running to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who announced his pending resignation last week. I am putting together a broad coalition of colleagues that will bring new energy and ideas to government, wrote Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, in a piece for The Telegraph. My view is clear the Conservative Party must be a broad church that anyone can find their home in, whether young or old, northern or southern, renter or owner, writes the MP for Tonbridge and Malling. We must show leadership and conviction on our Conservative values and their ability to enrich lives across every part of the country. In November 2017, Tugendhat, who has studied Christian and Islamic theology, appealed to Johnson on behalf of British-Iranian mother Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held in an Iranian prison on the false accusation of plotting to overthrow Irans government, Premier Christian News noted. Tugendhat had urged Johnson to ask either the U.K. heads of the Anglican or Catholic Church to negotiate her release at the time. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was finally released in March this year, as The Christian Post reported. In a debate about the EU referendum and Catholic values in 2016, Tugendhat urged the faithful not to lose sight of the foundational beliefs that united citizens ahead of the Remain versus Leave vote that was subsequently won by Brexit supporters. The MP previously served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and as the military assistant to the chief of the defense staff, according to his bio on the website of St. Augustines College of Theology. When the Iraq War broke out in 2003, Tom was mobilized as an Arabic-speaking intelligence officer to serve with the Royal Marines." Tugendhat also went to Beirut as a journalist where he wrote about the conflict as well as regional politics and economics. Badenoch, the former MP for Saffron Walden, who was brought up in Nigeria and once worked at McDonald's while studying for her A-levels at school, also announced her candidacy in a piece for The Sunday Times. Im putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth. Its the truth that will set us free, wrote the former Minister for Local Government, Faith and Communities, which included being the governments liaison for the countrys faith leaders. The mainstream right has too often become detached from its voter base, and rather than seeking to understand the new challenges voters faced, ignored them, leading to electoral failure and paving the way for populism in desperation. We cannot allow that to happen here, the 42-year-old politician added. We need strong but limited government focused on the essentials, she wrote. Lower taxes yes, but to boost growth and productivity, and accompanied by tight spending discipline. Badenochs maternal grandfather was a Methodist minister and her paternal grandfather was a Muslim who converted in later life, according to a 2017 interview with Conservative Home. She is married to Hamish Badenoch, a Catholic, with whom she has two children. My familys sort of Anglican and Methodist. My maternal grandfather was a Methodist reverend, she said in the interview. Im an honorary or associate member of the Catholic Church Im agnostic really, but I was brought up with cultural Christian values. She also said, Im not really left-leaning on anything. In May, the prime ministers sister, journalist Rachel Johnson, interviewed Badenoch on her Difficult Women podcast where she was described as having a fearsome reputation as a woman of color who takes a machete to the narrative of victimhood" based on one's gender, color or class. Badenoch, who was already being talked about as a future prime minister, discussed the issue of racism from the perspective of growing up in Nigeria and why she's fighting back against wokeism and movements that seek to dismantle society. In March, Badenoch joined London church leaders in a demonstration at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral in London to express support for the Ukrainian people and the role the Christian church can play in welcoming Ukrainians who were arriving in the U.K. at the time. Since the conflict began, people in this country have been in awe of the determination and courage Ukrainians have shown, she said, according to a government press release. It has sparked a wave of support across the U.K. with people up and down the country making donations to help the humanitarian effort and attending vigils to show solidarity. She added, As ever, the church and other faith communities have been at the heart of these humanitarian efforts, and I stand together with faith leaders in calling for peace and offering our full support. The field of Conservatives vying to be selected as the next prime minister is crowded, with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Attorney General Suella Braverman, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, who also previously served as home secretary, chancellor and other government departments being among the long list of names entering the race. By 5 p.m. local time on Monday the 1922 Committee will release a timeline for ministers in the Tory Party to vote on who will be the next prime minister. It's expected that the U.K. will have a new prime minister by early September, ahead of the first Prime Ministers Questions in Parliament. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier asks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky why the Kyiv visit did not push through. An outlet, Der Speigel Magazine, mentioned it was not acceptable to the German leader. Ukraine Cancels German President's Visit According to the media outlet's statement on Friday, the two leaders spoke by phone for 45 minutes in May, reported RT. The Ukrainian head of state reportedly apologized for Steinmeier's treatment by Ukrainian officials at the beginning of the session and mentioned a significant misunderstanding. President Zelensky indicated his willingness to invite his German colleague to Ukraine for ceremonies like those honoring the end of World War II the same week after expressing gratitude to Berlin for all its help. Steinmeier is claimed to have declined the invitation given the short notice, with a response that another date may be arranged later. Der Spiegel alleged the German president was not appeased by the offer, insisting that before consenting to any future events, past problems must be addressed first, noted Sekimo. Based on reports, the German leader claimed that canceling his invitation was a "historic affront" to a head of state, unprecedented in peacetime. He reputedly noted that such an unforgivable breach of a diplomatic protocol called for an answer from Ukraine. There was an attempt to claim ignorance regarding the facts in mid-April, as the article says. Still, the German president had the entire diplomatic exchange in writing on his desk, sternly rebuked the Ukrainian leader, and stated that there was nothing to gain from the Kyiv visit. Read Also: Donald Trump Net Worth 2022: Did Trump Get Richer Since Leaving the US Presidency? The Ukrainian leader resisted the German leader's pressure until he was met with an "evasive, but probably bruised reaction" from his counterpart after one more attempt by the Ukrainian president to placate his colleague. Der Spiegel reports that many employees in President Steinmeier's administration are still shocked by the extreme severity the typically cautious president had shown during the phone discussion. According to reports, some employees are "a little proud" that their boss did not simply accept the insult. When the media outlet contacted his office for an official response, it responded that it does not divulge the details of private discussions. Germany Expressed Support for Ukraine Following the phone chat in May, German authorities stated that the discussions were "extremely crucial" for both presidents. Steinmeier, according to the report, voiced support for Ukraine and was invited to Kyiv. Steinmeier planned to visit Ukraine on April 13, together with his Polish counterpart and the presidents of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Ukrainian authorities have already chastised the German head of state for his relations with Russia. According to German media, the "Steinmeier formula," a 2016 attempt to execute the Minsk agreements in Donbas, is still connected to his name. Additionally, he favored the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that would have connected Germany and Russia but was scrapped by Berlin after Moscow invaded its neighbor. German chancellor Olaf Scholz said the snub of Kyiv was perplexing and irritated many government officials. Zelensky slighted the German president by canceling the Kyiv visit was not very polite, especially since Ukraine has criticized Germany for not giving arms, unlike other EU states. Related Article: Zelensky's Aide Throws Massive Tantrum Due To Germany's Failed Promise To Send 5,000 Helmets to Ukraine @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. China is more dependent on US and our technology than you think The Biden administration has been wrong to frame U.S.-China competition as a technological competition. This is because, in most areas, there is no technology competition between the two countries. There is only Chinas reliance on the U.S. a far more technologically advanced nation with far more technologically advanced allies and trading partners. And its in the U.S. interest to keep it that way and maintain and even expand Americas tech advantage. The lack of technological superiority means Chinas economic advancement is subject to other countries supplying it with critical chips and capital equipment. Thats why China has been making efforts to reduce its reliance on foreign suppliers and produce more technology domestically. Apart from economic reasons, the ability to produce key technology of its own would allow China to further pursue its geopolitical ambitions without restraint, such as its self-declaration of sovereignty over Taiwan and the South China Sea. In contrast, reducing reliance on foreign technology is not an issue for the U.S. Instead, given many countries reliance on U.S. technology, the priority for America is to improve its current technology to always keep other countries lagging behind. Chinas late start is the main reason for its inferior level of technology. The communist regime didnt start actively promoting the industrys development until the 1980s. Drawing lessons from the experiences of the East Asian Tigers the four highly developed economies of Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan China had stepped up its efforts by encouraging foreign direct investment in assembling products such as smartphones, laptops, computers, etc., in China. Despite getting itself inserted into the global production network to make these goods, China did not profit much from being the global assembler and low value-added provider. Instead, Chinas export-oriented economic development, based on using and assembling foreign countries capital equipment and industrial components, has trapped the nation into technology reliance on foreign countries. Chinas reliance on foreign industrial goods with high technology intensity is evidenced by its growing trade deficit in electrical machinery (including semiconductor chips) from $15 billion in 2001 to $217 billion in 2021, according to data from the Economist Intelligence Unit. The U.S. was Chinas fourth-largest import source of electrical machinery in 2021, after Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. This reliance can also be seen in Chinas rush to stockpile equipment from the U.S. last year before new U.S. export restrictions took effect. In addition, the U.S.s dominant role in the upstream side of the technology production network has enabled it to restrain the sales of high technology goods to China from its midstream partners. A typical example is the U.S. ban on Taiwans TSMC and South Koreas Samsung from exporting semiconductor chips to Chinese technology manufacturer Huawei. The U.S. was able to do so as the two companies use U.S. technology in making their chips. Chinas heavy reliance on foreign technology is also evidenced by the huge amount it pays for the use of intellectual property over the past few years, according to Chinas Ministry of Commerce. The U.S. has been Chinas largest source of intellectual property. Data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis showed that the U.S. exports of intellectual property to China tripled in the last decade, making China the largest buyer of U.S. intellectual property in the Asia-Pacific region. For comparison, U.S. imports of Chinese intellectual property was a mere $3 million in 2020, a fraction of the nearly $8.3 billion of U.S. exports to China. And the U.S.s expansion of licensing requirements in 2020 did not discourage China from purchasing licensed technology from America. According to the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security, the number of license applications from China for purchasing tangible items, software, and technology increased from 3,747 in 2020 to 5,923 in 2021. The total amounts paid for those applications increased from $106 billion to $545 billion. As a result, the licensing amounts per application went up from $28 million to $92 million. In addition, the average processing time in 2021 was 19 days longer than in 2020. In other words, the U.S. export restrictions have made it more costly and lengthier for Chinese companies to acquire license approvals from the U.S. In trying to reduce Chinas reliance on foreign suppliers and produce more technology domestically, the countrys leadership believes that money can solve anything. Although its research and development expenditures as a percentage of its gross domestic product have been notable over the past year, the government-dominated R&D expenditures, including R&D spent by state-owned enterprises, have not yet resulted in significant technology breakthroughs for China. Obviously, money is not the only means available. But Chinas weak regulatory environment to protect intellectual property and authoritarian way of governance have discouraged innovation in the private sector there. Chinas attempts to acquire foreign technology by either theft or coercion show it is unsatisfied with its current technological progress. It understands that slower technological advancement means slower economic growth, which might challenge the Chinese Communist Partys political legitimacy in the future. It also means the suboptimal development of a military directly competing with the U.S. and of an internal surveillance infrastructure indispensable to the Communist Partys grip on power. For a latecomer to the high tech world like China, the direct transfer of technology from more advanced countries is the most efficient way to elevate its level of technology. However, due to declining foreign investment in manufacturing and fewer joint ventures there, China nowadays is less able to rely on foreign investors alone to climb the technological ladder. As such, the government has stepped up its intervention to help Chinese companies acquire technology from the U.S. Chinas rapid economic growth over the last few decades has been based on its joining of the global supply chain network, where the U.S. and its allies hold the technology high ground. Chinas direct political confrontation with the U.S. has only exposed its weakness in this solid technological hierarchy and its unbreakable dependence on the U.S. Thats something for the U.S. to build upon and leverage to our strategic advantage. Originally published at The Daily Signal. Fewer than half of Evangelicals believe Bible is literally true: study While biblical literalism has long been held as the most dominant method of interpreting Scripture among Evangelicals, results of a new poll released by Gallup show that fewer than half of Evangelicals and born-again Christians believe the Bible should be taken literally. Biblical literalism holds that except in places where the text is obviously allegorical, poetic or figurative, it should be taken literally as Gods Word, according to Got Questions Ministries, which holds this view of the Bible. The poll, conducted through telephone interviews from May 2-22 with a random sample of 1,007 adults, found that just 40% of respondents who identify as Evangelical or born-again view the Bible as the actual word of God, while 51% see the Bible as the inspired word of God, meaning that men were inspired by God to write the collection of books now referred to as the Bible. In general, among all U.S. adults, only 20% say the Bible is the literal word of God, which is a historic low according to Gallup. In 2017, the last time the research firm asked Americans about their views of the Bible, 24% of respondents accepted it as the literal word of God. A record 29% of Americans say the Bible is a collection of "fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man." This marks the first time significantly more Americans have viewed the Bible as not divinely inspired than as the literal word of God. The largest percentage, 49%, choose the middle alternative, roughly in line with where it has been in previous years, Gallup said. In 2015, just under 60% of Evangelical churches espoused a literal interpretation of Scripture, data from Pew Research showed. In 2019, Pew Research also noted that some 61% of Southern Baptists, who tend to express higher levels of religious commitment than Americans overall, accepted the Bible as the literal word of God. This share exceeded the share of those who hold this belief among all U.S. adults, 31%, and among other Evangelical Protestants, which had fallen to 53%. The recent Gallup data show that only 30% of Protestants say the Bible is literally true, while just 15% of Catholics do. Almost two-thirds of Catholics view the Bible as the inspired word of God. As was the case in 2017, belief in a literal Bible is highest among those who are more religious and among those with less formal education, Gallup said. Americans who identify as Evangelical or born again are much more likely than others to view the Bible as literally true, although even among this group, the percentage believing in a literal Bible is well less than 50%. The data from the Gallup poll comes less than a year after, a study from Arizona Christian University found that of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them actually hold a biblical worldview. The study found, in general, that while a majority of Americas self-identified Christians, including many who identify as Evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit. Strong majorities also errantly believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study further showed that majorities dont believe in moral absolutes; consider feelings, experience, or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance; and say that having faith matters more than which faith you pursue. In Canadas New Brunswick, a British New England New Brunswick looks and feels like New England had the British won the American Revolution or the war never happened in the first place. While Canada has obviously evolved and developed its own distinct national identity since New Brunswick was founded in 1784 by Americans loyal to the British crown some 15,000 loyalists fled here from the newly independent United States I could feel the influences of New England and Britain everywhere I went on my summer road trip across the province. The Britishness was mostly little things; think places or streets with names linked to the monarchy or statesmen. Some may find this a little ironic since New Brunswick is legally the only bilingual Canadian province. Meanwhile, the oldest towns and cities had a distinct New England feel. Over the course of four nights and five days, I visited the somewhat sleepy provincial capital of Fredericton and explored the streets of Saint John, the oldest incorporated city in Canada, before driving along the Bay of Fundy. Fredericton Named after Prince Frederick, brother of King George III, the smallish city (population 58,220) is the seat of New Brunswicks government. Dominating the downtown, which is situated a block or two off the St. John River, are two landmarks: the Gothic revival Anglican cathedral and Second Empire-style building housing the New Brunswick Legislature. A nearly identical copy of a 14th century church in England, Christ Church Cathedral owes its existence to the patronage of the Right Rev. John Medley, who in 1845 became the first Anglican bishop of Fredericton. While smaller than more famous Anglican and Roman Catholic cathedrals, it punches well above its weight and is actually one of the best examples of Gothic revival an architectural style that became synonymous with churches anywhere in North America. The Legislature, which consists of a single or unicameral house, is in a building that feels familiar to anyone who has visited state capitols. Of course, like just about everything else in New Brunswick, the British influence is omnipresent. This includes the Legislative Assemblys chamber, where a portrait of George III by Sir Joshua Reynolds hangs next to a throne that sees use when the lieutenant governor, as Queen Elizabeth IIs viceregal, opens the provincial parliament in a ceremony comparable to the presidents state of the union or a governors state of the state speech. Other sights include the old British military buildings of the Historic Garrison District. Here, a community market is held every Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. through Sept. 8. When I visited, the city band was performing a concert that included a tribute to the queens platinum jubilee. Then there is Government House, a kind of palace where the lieutenant governor lives and works. Those more interested in old churches will also want to see St. Annes, an Anglican chapel-of-ease from the same period as the cathedral. Saint John As one might expect from its location in Canadas Maritime provinces, Saint John (population 68,895) has long been a port city. Downtown (locals call it uptown) is a mix of various periods and styles, thanks to a fire in 1877 that destroyed most of the city. Ignoring some of the hideous 1960s architecture, including one of the ugliest city halls I have ever seen, the older brick buildings have the same character as the Rust Belt cities back home. Walking around, you get a sense that Saint John is very much an underrated destination yes, a little tired, but also poised for urban revitalization. While the provincial museum is sadly closed with no announced reopening date, there are a number of other things to do and see, including the park-like Loyalist Burial Ground, Kings Square with its Edwardian-era bandstand, and Loyalist House, where five generations of a family that sought refuge in New Brunswick after the British lost the American Revolution lived. Another stop on the self-guided Loyalist Trail is Trinity Church, an Anglican church that contains the royal coat of arms taken from Bostons Old State House. There is also the newish Place Fort LaTour, a small recreated French trading post from the 17th century that stands as a visible reminder of the Acadians who settled here in the years after Samuel de Champlain claimed this part of North America for France. About 40 minutes away near the loyalist-founded village of St. Martins is the west entrance to the Fundy Trail Parkway. The 18-mile parkway parallels the coast along the Bay of Fundy at the western side of Fundy National Park. Separating New Brunswick from sister province Nova Scotia, the bay is known for twice-daily tides that are the highest anywhere in the world. Besides scenic views that must be even more spectacular on a foggy morning or during fall colors, the slow-paced drive features 21 roadside lookout points as well as seemingly endless opportunities to hike, picnic or enjoy isolated beaches. If you go I flew into Fredericton, which has daily flights to hubs in Montreal and Toronto making New Brunswick reachable from most major U.S. airports with just one connection. Canadas two big airlines, United partner Air Canada and Delta partner WestJet, serve the recently renovated airport. With rental cars expensive and hard to come by this summer, you may want to consider driving to New Brunswick. The drive from the closest U.S. airport in Portland, Maine, is less than five hours. From Boston, its about six hours, depending on traffic. In Fredericton, I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Lord Beaverbrook. While it has the best location, the upscale chain-branded hotel didnt deliver the expected standard. A better alternative might be an Airbnb rental. For dinner, try Isaacs Way inside the former county courthouse or Wolastoq Wharf. For Saint John, book a room at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites. The hotel is a short walk along the harborfront from everything to do and see. Eat at Billys Seafood Company, a local favorite in the historic City Market, or East Coast Bistro. Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post. 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. Americans Who Believe the Bible Is the Literal Word of God Are Not in Decline, Says Expert Contrary to a recent Gallup poll, another survey shows that the percentage of Americans who believe the Bible is the literal word of God has remained remarkably stable over the past several decades. Ryan Burge, professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, recently examined the data from a General Social Survey looking into how Americans viewed the Bible. The three answers a respondent could choose from were that the Bible was the literal word of God, inspired by God but not literally true, or a book of myths simply written by men. Burge noted in a piece posted online by the Religion in Public blog last Friday that contrary to a recent Gallup Poll, "the number of Americans who believe that the Bible is literally true has stayed remarkably steady since the mid-1990's." Burge found that on the issue of biblical inerrancy, like many other issues, those in the conservative camp remained stable while moderates moved to the liberal position. Burge went to examine and found that while the number of those who support the literalist view are fairly stable and the number of those who support the fables view is growing, the moderate view of inspired but not literal is shrinking. "Recent research published indicates a significant number of individuals left their churches over politics in 2016 and that was driven by political disagreements," wrote Burge. "The GSS paints a picture of an American religious landscape where the conservatives are holding steady and the number of religious liberals is on the rise, with fewer and fewer being stuck between. This cannot help but exacerbate social and political tensions," he concluded. In a follow-up piece posted Monday morning, Burge examined political alignment for seven different categories of religious affiliation: "Evangelical Protestants," "Mainline Protestants," "Black Protestants," "Catholic," "Jewish," "Other Faith," and "No Faith." He found that biblical literalism among evangelicals was high in the 1980s, dropped in the 1990s, then rebounded such that in 2016 the level was about as high as the 1980s (around 60 percent). Biblical literalism declined among mainline Protestants over the same period. Burge notes that the decline, with the increase among evangelicals since the 1990s, could be because a number mainline Protestants who believe the Bible is the literal word of God left mainline protestantism for evangelicalism, but since the GSS surveys new people each year there is no way to know from that data. Among Bible literalists, Burge found little change in recent years when surveyed about their partisan identification, even as each group varied in whether they considered themselves Republican or Democrat. "Evangelical literalists have become about 10% more Republican, but the entirety of that shift occurred between 1984 and the mid 1990's," observed Burge. "Since that point, there has not been a shift among evangelicals, nor has there been one in Mainline Protestants in the entire time span. Literalist Catholics became slightly more Republican, but that trend has reversed in the last decade." Burge's work came partly in response to a recent Gallup Poll which indicated that belief in the authority of the Bible was in decline in America. "Over the past three decades, Americans' view of the Bible as the literal Word of God has been declining, while their view that the Bible is a collection of fables, myths and history recorded by man has been increasing," concluded Gallup in a poll released last week. Bob Saget, Norm Macdonald, Betty White and the afterlife We were all shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of Bob Saget at age 65. To the generation who grew up watching "Full House," Bob was a father figure they came to love. Yet another generation discovered him as the host of "America's Funniest Home Videos." Bob Saget was found dead in his hotel room in Florida following a show on his comedy tour. This tragic event happened right on the heels of the death of beloved comedic actress Betty White, who died at 99. Bob Saget made this statement on Instagram after Betty passed: "She always said the love of her life was her husband, Allen Ludden, who she lost in 1981. Well, if things work out by Betty's design in the afterlife, they are reunited. I don't know what happens when we die, but if Betty says you get to be with the love of your life, then I happily defer to Betty on this." He honestly added, "I don't know what happens when we die." Death is something we all think about almost every day some more than others. We should think deeply about death, but more importantly, the afterlife. In older times, people commonly wrote a Latin phrase on the top of documents: "Memento Mori." It means "Think of death." The phrase sounds morbid on the surface, but it's not. It served as a reminder to be aware that life ends, eternity is close and there is an afterlife. Betty White and Bob Saget were not the only comedians to think about the afterlife. In Sept. 2021, Norm Macdonald died of cancer at age 61. Macdonald quietly fought his cancer battle and continued in his comedy work. He often spoke about the afterlife and Heaven. Larry King asked Macdonald about his "religious views" in an interview. "I'm a Christian," Macdonald replied. "It's not stylish to say that now." Larry King then asked, "Are you devout? ... You believe in the Lord?" "Yes, I do," Macdonald said. Larry did not know he was interviewing a man facing death every day in his fight with cancer. He then asked Macdonald, "You think that you're going somewhere when (life) ends?" Norm said he did. Larry said he could not believe in an afterlife because of all the evil in the world. Norm responded, "It sounds like you have a God-shaped hole in your heart." Larry did. We all do. Norm Macdonald once posted these words: "Scripture. Faith. Grace. Christ, Glory of God. Smart man says nothing is a miracle. I say everything is." That sums it up perfectly. I am not an expert on the afterlife, but I am a student, not only because I am a Christian and a pastor, but also because my son, Christopher, died in 2008. I have thought deeply about what happens when we leave this life and enter the next one. Here is what has brought endless comfort to me: There is a Heaven, and Jesus has made a way for us all to go there. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying" (John 11:25). My son believed in Jesus as I do. He is now in Heaven. For the Christian, the moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our next breath in Heaven. Because Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again, I have hope for the afterlife. And I know that I will see my son again. King David, who also lost a son too soon, wrote, "I will go to him, but he will not return to me" (2 Sam. 12:23). My son is not just a part of my past; he is also a part of my future. Jesus promised me that. It is not a bad thing to think about these things deeply. Renowned author and theologian C.S. Lewis said, "A continual looking forward to the eternal world is not . . . a form of escapism or wishful thinking, but one of the things a Christian is meant to do." Think about death, eternity, and the afterlife. But think on it with the knowledge that death is not the end. There is an afterlife, but you need to be ready for it. Heaven is a prepared place for prepared people. Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, you may be also" (John 14.2). Only those who are prepared to die are genuinely ready to live. Now Norm, Larry, Betty, and Bob are in the afterlife. And one day, you will be too. You decide in this life where you will spend the afterlife. Choose well. 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. Abortion is slavery Since the Dobbs decision was released, supremely correcting a supremely wrong Roe decision, the Left has become even more unhinged. Sadly, not unshackled. The amount of mental and rhetorical contortions one must go through to justify the commercialized slaughter of millions of human beings is astounding. And Planned Parenthood is leading the charge. Unsurprisingly, the activist arm of the Democrat Party, is throwing every absurd charge of racism it possibly can at the pro-life movement. You know, the same movement that fights to save every human life regardless of color? The mere fact that Planned Parenthood now calls itself an anti-racist organization when its the leading killer of black lives would be funny if it werent so fatal. For years, the nations leading abortion plantation I mean, federation has claimed that abortion abolition is slavery. No. Abortion is slavery. If America was built on the backs of slaves, then Planned Parenthood was built on the backs, lungs, brains, livers, and wanted severed body parts of the unborn. It was built upon the unceasing exploitation of womenwait, pregnant peoplewait, menstruating peoplewait, birthing people. Ahhhhhhh, non-prostate owners? Anyway, mother and aborted child have made the abortion behemoth a $2.3 billion business, whether Planned Parenthood cares to acknowledge them or not. Thankfully, the Dobbs decision set the record straight with the 14th Amendment, which finally recognized that people of my complexion were citizens and could not be deprived of Life, Liberty or Property. Here, we celebrate the ratification of the most abused amendment in history. Troubled minds think alike Planned Parenthood versus Casey led to another conjured up right: reliance. The majority opinion opined that women, over decades since Roe, have formed a reliance on the availability of abortion in the event that contraception should fail.The three dissenting justices in Dobbs(Breyer, Kagan, and Sotomayor) exclaimed: When Roe and Casey disappear, the loss of power, control, and dignity will be immense. Without any evidence, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen claimed that ending Roe would have damaging effects on the economy and would set women back decades. Pro-slavery politicians thought the exact same thing, fearing the end of slavery. John C. Calhoun, a Democratic Senator from South Carolina opined: Be it good or bad, [slavery] has grown up with our society and institutions and is so interwoven with them that to destroy it would be to destroy us as a people. The same political party that went to war to protect slavery has announced, through its surrogates, that it will be ungovernable during its Summer of Rage. President Joe Biden, who once said that Roe went too far, sadly hyperbolized that the overturning of Roe set us back 150 years. No. It actually took us back to 1972 when abortion was illegal in the majority of states. But if you ask pro-abortion activists or the historically-challenged president of Planned Parenthood (Alexis McGill Johnson), it takes us back to slavery. Bodily autonomy Ahhh, the religious dogma among those who believe the sacrifice of another body is the highest virtue. MSNBCs Zerlina Maxwell claimed that abortion and bodily autonomy were added in later to the Constitution. Hmmm. Didnt read that version. Her guest, law professor Michele Goodwin, then claimed that slavery was explicitly the denial of bodily autonomy and liberty. What so-called reproductive justice activists get completely wrong about bodily autonomy is that our humanity is first. No one is going to care about your body if they dont regard you as human. Your body has no rights when youre viewed as property. Slavery was the denial of personhood, refusing to recognize that every person is a human, and every human is a person. Throughout history, heinous treatment of fellow human beings wasnt the result of failing to see they had rights over their bodies but that those somebodies had no inherent right to live. Slavery. Abortion. Same wrongs. Different century. The many comparisons Slavery violently removed millions of human beings from their natural home, treating them as salable or disposable chattel. Abortion violently removes millions of human beings from their natural home, treating them as chattel that is salable (in wanted body parts) or disposable. Slavery separated children from their mothers in order to profit the slavemaster. Abortion severs children inside of their mothers in order to profit abortionists. The institution of slavery prospered by implementing systemic rape and forcing pregnancies. The industry of abortion prospers by inciting systemic promiscuity and ending pregnancies. Seven men in black robes decided that a group of humans were mere property and not protected by the Constitution in the 1857 Dred Scott decision, denying millions their God-given humanity. Seven men in black robes decided that a group of humans were mere property and not protected by the Constitution in the 1973 Roe decision, denying millions their God-given humanity. Slavemasters tried to use the Bible to justify the brutal inhumanity of slavery. Even though the Bible speaks of being made in the image of God, pro-slavery advocates denied it. Even though the Bible denounced the kidnapping and sale of people into chattel slavery, pro-slavery advocates denied it. Even though the Bible commands You shall not murder, pro-slavery advocates denied that people were being killed. Abortionists try to use the Bible to justify the brutal inhumanity of abortion (e.g. Willie Parker who claimed the parable of the Good Samaritan inspired him to become an abortionist). Even though the Bible speaks of being made in the image of God, pro-abortion advocates deny it. Even though the Bible denounces the shedding of innocent blood, pro-abortion advocates deny it. Even though the Bible commands You shall not murder, pro-abortion advocates deny that people are being killed. Slavery caused American society to turn its back on the most marginalized and accept the status quo. A remnant, though, refused to be silent or intimidated. They fought peacefully to abolish the evil so that created equal applied to every member of the human family. Abortion caused American society to turn its back on the most marginalized and accept the status quo. A remnant, though, refuses to be silent or intimidated. We fight peacefully to abolish the evil so that created equal applies to every member of the human family. The late Dr. Mildred Jefferson, the first black woman to graduate from Harvard Medical School, the first female surgeon at Boston Medical, and cofounder of the National Right to Life, had this to say about abortion: I would guess that the abortionists have done more to get rid of generations and cripple others than all of the years of slavery and lynchings. Im with her. Another year, another bloody summer The surge in violent crime that began a few years ago continues. It will abate only when Americans demand and get action from local and national leaders. The crime numbers weve seen already this year highlight the problem. A serious upswing in violent crime often follows significant anti-police protests and less aggressive policing. Researchers call this the Ferguson Effect or the Minneapolis Effect. The events of the summer of 2020 created a perfect storm. After George Floyd was killed at the hands of Minneapolis police, many protests occurred across the country, some turning to riots. Cities defunded police departments and pulled back from aggressive law enforcement. It didnt help that the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent aggressive lockdowns seriously eroded institutions of civil society. To throw fuel on the fire, rogue progressive district attorneys refused to prosecute all kinds of crimes, including serious or violent ones. Put this all together and its easy to see why crime is out of control. Anarchy has led to a cycle of violence and mayhem. What was billed as a larger movement to increase fairness in the justice system and bring about a racial reckoning instead has produced a bloodbath one that affects black Americans most. Now we seem to be settling into a new normal of violent criminality. The warm summer months reveal the depth of the problem. Fox News reported in late June that at least six major cities were on pace to exceed last years totals for violent crime: Baltimore; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; and New York City. New York has been hit hardest by this spike, with a 25.8% jump in violent crime at this point in 2022 compared to the same time in 2021, Fox reported. Although the total number of murders is down in New York compared to 2021, other crimes have spiked alarmingly. A total of 189 murders have been tallied in New York City as of Sunday, the latest date of available data, the New York Post reported June 22. Thats down more than 13% from 218 on the same date a year ago, but rapes, robberies, and felony assaults are all up: 15.4%, 39.7% and 19.6%, respectively. Fourth of July weekend saw 21 people shot in 14 separate incidents in the Big Apple, according to NBC New York. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg notoriously called for ending enforcement of a whole host of serious crimes in the city when he was elected. It appears, though, that Braggs office intends to rigorously go after one crime: self-defense. Manhattan bodega owner Jose Alba used a knife to defend himself Friday from an ex-convict who violently assaulted him in his shop. Alba stabbed and killed his assailant, but now faces murder charges filed by Braggs office. A hard-working Manhattan bodega clerk who was forced to grab a knife to fend off a violent ex-con, now finds himself sitting behind bars at the notorious Rikers Island jail charged with murder and unable to post $250,000 bail.https://t.co/nhJU6XjbCJ Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) July 7, 2022 Predatory criminals go free, since they are victims of society, but those who now must desperately defend themselves get the harshest possible treatment. The fruit of social justice, in a nutshell. In the District of Columbia, violent crime generally is up since this time last year, particularly homicides and robbery. In fact, the city recently hit 100 murders, the earliest in a year that it has reached that mark since 2003. That number includes homicides committed with or without a gun. Clearly, its not firearms themselves that are triggering the increases in crime. Looking at the Districts data[,] the number of homicides has gone up every year since 2017, and that trend is on track to continue for 2022, WUSA9, a CBS television affiliate, reported. The mass shooting that left seven dead at an Independence Day parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park grabbed headlines. However, violence in Chicago itself over the Fourth of July weekend included 71 shot, eight fatally, ABC 7 Chicago reported. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a Democrat, backed the defund the police movement in 2020, cutting $80 million out of her citys police budget. Her leadership has left much to be desired. On July Fourth, parts of Chicago appeared to be in total anarchy. BREAKING: Crowd of people in the Loop attack Chicago police after some civilian cars do donuts in an intersection. Crowd shoots fireworks and physical hit CPD vehicles. pic.twitter.com/cDTqExvgLz Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) July 4, 2022 Predictably, such violence and mayhem are causing businesses to pack up and leave town. In New Orleans, progressive political leaders have relentlessly pursued a platform of criminal justice reform to end what they call mass incarceration. How is it working out? New Orleans has the highest murder rate in the country, by a wide margin. The city is experiencing homicide rates that recall the crime-ridden early 1990s and the post-Hurricane Katrina chaos of 2007. New Orleans had notched 145 homicides as of June 30, according to data compiled by Jeff Asher, public safety analyst for the City Council, NOLA reported, adding: That sets the murder rate at 36.8 per 100,000 residents. In second place is Baltimore, with a murder rate of 29.1 per 100,000 residents. Birmingham takes the third-place spot, with a rate of 28 per 100,000 residents. Although its clear that some cities are in far worse shape than others, this new normal of crime and violence hurts everyone. Cities that defunded the police and experienced significant riots got hit hardest, but rural America has seen a spike in violent crime, too. The crime problem is a national epidemic. Globally, violent crime dropped in 2020. This was so even in countries with generally high murder rates and lots of guns, as writer Scott Alexander wrote on Substack. The problem isnt guns; its a damaged culture and poor policy. Its political leaders caving to the woke mob in populous cities, along with anti-law enforcement rhetoric pushed by our most elite institutions the media most notably. It took decades to get crime, especially violent crime, under control in America. Much of that work was undone in a few months. The picture looks bleak. Nevertheless, some positive signs indicate that the American people, even in the bluest cities, are waking up to the problem and hitting it at the source. Maybe, with the recall of some high-profile rogue prosecutors and the total discrediting of the defund the police movement, weve reached the end of the beginning of this crime epidemic. It will take strong leadership, however, to reestablish the rule of law in our cities and other localities. Originally published at The Daily Signal. Lincoln down the memory hole? Just about every week seems to bring some new attack on American history. Now at Cornell, an Ivy League School, a bust of Abraham Lincoln has been removed from the library, along with a display of his Gettysburg Address. Writing for The College Fix, editor-in-chief Jennifer Kabbany notes, Someone complained, and it was gone. A biology professor who visits the library often was surprised to notice the display was missing. Kabbany writes, He asked the librarians about it, and they had no details to provide, except to say it was removed after some sort of complaint, he said. Its been replaced with, well, nothing, Wayne said. The walls are white, according to photos Wayne took for The Fix. The bust and plaque had been on display in the library since at least 2013. With the rise of cancel culture, this is becoming a pattern. There is a war on American history, a war on America as founded. A few years ago, Jarrett Stepman of the Heritage Foundation wrote about a book on this ongoing phenomenon. Its called, The War on History. I have often interviewed Jarrett on the radio about this ongoing quest to purge our heroes or historical figures. He told me: "Unfortunately, it should come as no surprise to see an Ivy League school remove a bust of Abraham Lincoln after receiving a complaint. And he added, Its hardly just Confederates who are in the crosshairs of woke social justice warriors. It's Lincoln's legacy and the whole history of the United States that's on trial too. Our country's greatest heroes and achievements have been judged and deemed wholly insufficient by the nation's institutional pseudo elite. Of course, this new 'elite' has accomplished little other than leading the country into a cultural morass while kicking countless great Americans off their pedestals. Karl Marx is reported to have said, Take away a peoples roots, and they can easily be moved. His followers on college campuses, both among the faculty and students, and Marxists in the media, and other major American institutions today are doing a much to try and separate us from our history. Ive been re-reading George Orwells 1984 recently. This nightmare vision shows a future under a full Communist regime. Big Brother, patterned after Stalin, controls everything and everybody. In this totalitarian society, history is constantly being re-written. To maintain the present demands a continuous alteration of the past. Winston, the chief protagonist of 1984, has a job in which he is given stories from the past which must be rewritten (telling a different story). The old documents needing to be rewritten he must stuff through a pneumatic tube down the memory hole, into a huge furnace in the bellows of the building. If you make the criterion that the only statues that can stand should be for those who dont offend anybody, then there would be very few such icons. With the First Amendment, including the freedom of speech, how can there be a supposed constitutional right not to be offended? But as The College Fix noted of the Lincoln bust and speech, Someone complained, and it was gone. In his End of Day report, Gary Bauer opined on why the number U.S. military recruits are down so much these days: [O]ur academic, cultural and political elites are constantly telling our youth how terrible America is. America has never been great, they say. They claim America was founded on genocide and slavery. In fact, America is so evil, they insist it must be fundamentally transformed. You dont fundamentally transform something you love. Young people wont fight and die for a country that they are taught is evil. Why does American history matter? It matters because we can learn from the past. We can avoid mistakes made by previous generations. And we can also be inspired by their brilliance and wisdom, even if they, like all of us, had blind spots. American history is flawed. The founders didnt get it all right, but they set up the framework by which our errors could be corrected. Above all, they gave us self-rule under God. Meanwhile, isnt it fascinating that Marxists are behind the ongoing attempts to jettison American heroes from our past? Meanwhile, look at their track record. Harvard Universitys Black Book of Communism (1999) documents the incredibly bloody record of the Communists in the 20th century alone. At least 100 million human beings were killed by a system that always fails because it goes against human nature and against God. In contrast, in his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln pointed the way to what we need so desperately, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. The president and prime minister of Sri Lanka announced their resignation on Saturday after the chaos prompted by angry protests against government leadership as the country suffered severe economic convulsions for months. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said he would step down from his post once a new administration gets in charge. Then, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced that he would resign on July 13, according to a government official hours later, as reported by AP News. Sri Lanka has been suffering from severe shortages of essentials brought on by the economic collapse, which made it difficult for individuals to purchase food, fuel, and other necessities. Such a situation mounted pressure on both officials to leave their positions. Authorities Fail To Stop Raging Protesters Police had imposed a curfew to prevent the planned protests, but after it was criticized as illegal by law experts and opposition legislators, they lifted it. Protestors taking a dip in the pool at Presidents House. pic.twitter.com/7iUUlOcP6Z DailyMirror (@Dailymirror_SL) July 9, 2022 Thousands of demonstrators stormed Rajapaksa's guarded home in Colombo, the country's capital. According to Wickremesinghe's office, protesters later broke into the prime minister's home and set it ablaze. There were no initial reports of fire-related injuries. Earlier in the day, a government source told Reuters that Wickremesinghe had relocated to a secured area. Government spokesperson Mohan Samaranayake said he has no information on the whereabouts of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Read Also: Shinzo Abe Shooting: Joe Biden "Stunned," "Outraged" Over Assassination of His Friend Earlier, police and military used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had assembled in the streets to march on the presidential mansion while carrying signs, drumming, and waving flags. But they failed to hold back the protesters from advancing. In total, the chaos on Saturday injured more than 39 individuals. Crisis Won't End Soon Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, a researcher at Amnesty International, believes that Sri Lanka would have to endure the crisis "for some time." She said: "There is a lot of wait and watch and that is affecting the people. We have not had fuel for days ... Just imagine running out of fuel. People cant get to work. Kids can't get to school. The whole economy is at a standstill," she told Al Jazeera. As per the news organization's correspondent in Colombo, the "tens of thousands" of demonstrators have stormed train stations and "forced" laborers to join the protests in the country's capital. They underscored that "they are taking their country back" and insisted that Gotabaya Rajapaksa should leave the presidency. Since March, mostly peaceful demonstrations have called for his resignation. As a result of Sri Lanka's worst financial turmoil in recent history, millions of people are unable to afford necessities, including food, medicine, and fuel. In recent months, thousands of people have protested in the streets, urging the nation's leaders to step down amid claims of mismanagement of the economy. In major cities, large crowds had to wait in line for hours to get fuel, occasionally feuding with law enforcement and the military in the process. According to Wickremesinghe, as per a CNN report, the government has started discussions with the IMF to restore its economy. He told parliament on Tuesday negotiating with the IMF was problematic because they initiated the talks as a "bankrupt" nation rather than a developing one. Related Article: IBT Media Fires Back: IBT 'rightful and legal' Newsweek Owner, States Lawyer; Dev Pragad as Supposed Owner a 'fiction,' 'facade' @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Once again, 'Christian' anti-Semitism Last month, Rev. Jerry Pillay, former general secretary of the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa was elected to lead the World Council of Churches. This is a prestigious and influential position. Yet Rev. Pillay has compared Israels treatment of Palestinians to apartheid, even speaking of the exclusionary and violent character of the Israeli Zionist project back in 2016. This should raise concerns for Christians from all backgrounds. Has the Church not learned by now that antisemitism does not mix well with the teachings of Jesus? And that anti-Zionism often masks an underlying antisemitism? This is all the truer with Rev. Pillay, the dean of the University of Pretoria, who should really know better. After all, as a black South African he understands the real nature of apartheid and how evil it is. Blacks under South African apartheid had no equal rights at all. Such is not remotely the case among Israeli Arabs. They represent 20% of the population and have full legal rights. They are elected and selected as leaders throughout Israeli society at the highest levels, including members of the government. There are two Arab parties in the Knesset, Israels Parliament, while Arab judges serve throughout the Israeli court system, from the Supreme Court all the way down to local labor courts. Arab Israelis are present in all sectors of media and are active in the healthcare system as well as almost every business sector. They even serve in Israels army and security services. Where is the apartheid? Sadly, by elevating Rev. Pillay to this senior leadership role in the World Council of Churches, the WCC has also elevated his anti-Zionism and antisemitism. Rev. Pillay could reply that he was speaking only of the treatment of the Palestinians living in Gaza Strip and Judea-Samaria (commonly called the West Bank). But there, too, the charges are false, since the Israeli government has sought to find fair and equitable solutions for the people living there, but the Palestinian leadership has consistently let their own people down. And even still, charges of apartheid do not apply. Ironically, but not surprisingly, within days of the announcement that Rev. Pillay would lead the WCC, The US Presbyterian Church voted to declare Israel an apartheid state and establish a Nakba Remembrance Day, as well as passing two other resolutions highly critical of Israel on Tuesday at the American religious body's 225th General Assembly. They declared that Israels laws, policies and practices regarding the Palestinian people fulfill the international legal definition of apartheid, alleging that Palestinian Arabs are systematically oppressed with the goal of racial domination. The PCUSA claims that Arabs living in Israel and biblical Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) have an inferior status and Palestinian Arabs are unable to participate in the political, social, economic and cultural life of their country. Disregarding the fact that Israeli law applies to all Israeli citizens Arabs and Jews and that Palestinian Arabs are governed by laws within the Palestinian Authority, the PCUSA claims that two sets of laws exist for Israelis and Palestinian Arabs, asserting that they oppress and discriminate against the latter. It also alleges that Palestinian Arab land and water were stolen by Jewish-only settlements and that Palestinians were denied freedom of residence and movement, living in separate reserves and ghettos. These allegations are as inaccurate and exaggerated as they are ugly, with the vast majority of Palestinian Arabs living in and under the autonomous Palestinian Authority. Yet not only that there is no basis for comparison to the allegations of apartheid, but Rev. Pillay and the PCUSA seem to disregard Palestinian Arab delegitimization of Israels very right to exist. And what of the steady stream of attacks against Israeli Jews, often spurred on by the rhetoric of the Palestinian leaders. Is there no other side to the story? Remarkably, despite its extreme biases and, one could argue, heretical beliefs, the PCUSA wants to use its position to be peacemakers. They state their position is pursued with the hope it will lead to a peaceful reconciliation for the people of Israel and Palestine similar to that which occurred in South Africa when apartheid was internationally acknowledged. So, just Christians spoke out in the 1950s against segregation in the United States and later against apartheid in South Africa, today, They must again raise their voices and condemn Israels discrimination against Palestinians and give a name to the crime against humanity that this discrimination represents, the crime of apartheid. Crime against humanity? Really? One of the elements of antisemitism is the holding of Jews to a different standard than others. So, we ask, where are the PCUSA resolutions decrying actual crimes against humanity rather than ascribing this hateful allegation only to Israel? If it wasnt enough to misrepresent what apartheid was and how it does not apply to Israel, the PCUSA resolution went even further by evoking the Holocaust. After World War II when the horror of the Nazi Holocaust was revealed, Jews around the world said never again. And this is now being used against the Jewish people in Israel, who are still in a daily fight for survival? The statement continued, Christians too vowed that never again would they be silent if a government passed laws establishing and maintaining the domination by one ethnic group over another ethnic group through systematic separation, oppression and denial of basic human rights. Silence in the face of evil was wrong then, and it is wrong now. So, today, it is the Israeli Jews who are the Nazis and the Palestinians who are the innocent Jews. Does the PCUSA have no shame? Is this denomination that tone deaf to historical and contemporary realities? And yet there is more. In order to counter charges that the PCUSA is antisemitic, the leaders recommended that the Church replace references to antisemitism with anti-Jewish, asserting that antisemitism encompasses other people groups in addition to our Jewish siblings. But as we all know, the term antisemitism was coined with reference to Jews alone, not all Semitic peoples (such as the Arabs today or the Babylonians of old). There is no ambiguity here at all, but rather than be charged with antisemitism (certainly a fair charge), they want to rewrite the dictionary. Seriously? What would Jesus say? 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." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine - Father Vitalii Kester's Sunday routine is not what it used to be, before war drove most of his congregation away and he started wearing Army pants beneath his robes and splitting his day between one Mass at church and another with soldiers on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine. But on this July Sunday, the sabbath started out as normally as life can be for a war-zone priest leading a front-line church. Kester, 46, greeted the trickle of parishioners coming for the 10 o'clock service at St. Mykolai the Miracle Worker, a log church topped with onion-shaped domes. The sound of artillery is nearly constant in this mostly abandoned city 11 miles from the nearest Russian troops. "Glory to Jesus Christ," he said to Igor Ryzenko, adding, "Do you have any fuel containers I can borrow?" because scrounging gasoline and water has also become normal here. "I think so. Let me look at home," said Ryzenko, a fighter in a local militia. Inside, Kester began to say the Mass for a crowd of just half a dozen, nothing close to the 20 or 30 who would have been there before two-thirds of the city fled to safety. In the midst of their "Hallelujahs," a distant explosion sounded that, unlike most of the booms, caused several of them to look up. Residents here have learned the difference between outgoing Ukrainian artillery fire and an incoming Russian strike. Something had hit close, as was evident by the plume of smoke rising a half-mile or so north of the church. Kester didn't pause. The sunlight fell across his robes in stripes because boards have been nailed over the windows, not to protect the church from the Russians who are steadily closing in on the town, but from the Russian-sympathizing neighbors who already surround them. "Some people would break in," Ryzenko said after the service. He said he helped build the Greek Catholic church several years ago, despite a petition opposing construction by local Russian Orthodox priests who dismissed the rival denomination as a "cult." The tension reflects a larger split between Christian factions that has led many to accuse the churches still affiliated with Moscow as siding with Russia in its fight to take over the entire eastern Donbas region. In this heavily Russian-speaking part of the country, attending a Ukrainian church can feel like worshiping behind enemy lines. "I have never set foot in a Russian Orthodox church and never will," said Ryzenko, who has the Ukrainian trident symbol tattooed on his biceps. "I know the lies and propaganda they spread." Of those who have remained in Kostiantynivka, many are the "waiters," Kester said, those who will be happy to welcome the foreign troops. He took off his embroidered gold robe and left the church in an olive drab cassock, marking his shift from parish priest to army chaplain. He was preparing to take the sacrament to the troops. "There are two wars going on here now," he said. "The fight for our land and the fight for the soul." Kester made a stop as his house, where he and his wife, Natalia, ate a quick lunch of sandwiches and coffee. (Greek Catholic priests can be married.) She tries to go with him on his Sunday trips to the front - "It is easier to go than to not know that he is OK" - but today she had to stay behind to collect water. After days of dry taps, a muddy trickle had begun running the night before. The couple was filling the bathtub and every container they could find while the system was functional. "Without electricity, we can manage, but without water, it's going to be a catastrophe," Natalia said. The couple have been determined to stay through four months of war, but she is watching the Russians approach. Referring to a town 24 miles away, she said, "If they take Avdiivka, that will be our last call to leave." Kester gathered the kit he needs to celebrate Mass in a combat unit: the flask of wine, Communion bread, a wooden-handled brush to sprinkle holy water. Also body armor and a helmet. He has been a priest since 2005 and a military chaplain since 2015. In one of his first engagements, he was with troops fighting for control of the Donetsk airport. On a shelf, he keeps a statue of Jesus that was nicked by bullets in that battle. "I blessed the soldiers going in and coming out, but they wouldn't let me into the airport itself," he said. "A chaplain's job is to reassure them, not give them someone else to worry about." He tailors his preaching and his counseling to a range of soldiers at the front, those who are fierce nationalists and those who just needed a job, the believers and the nonbelievers. His experience with spiritual dynamics in wartime tells him that "many more of them will be believers by the end." Kester loaded his Renault wagon and set off on the semi-ruined roads of the eastern front, a crucifix swinging wildly from his rearview mirror as he swerved around shell craters and roadblocks. Ukrainian military authorities asked that the precise location of the unit he was heading for this week not be revealed. It was a mechanized regiment that had been involved in the fighting around Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, both front-line cities that have fallen to the Russians in recent days. "We've been praying for God to protect us," said Oksana Vorobiova, a medic, greeting Kester like an old friend. "How are you? How is your flu?" "I'm OK now," he said. "My knees are bothering me a bit." "Hello, Father," said Mykhailo Skorbach, an ambulance driver. "Since you blessed our vehicle at Easter, we have had no accidents. Only some dents." Four service members arrived to help set up a wooden table under a tree, out of view of Russian targeting drones, and prepare it as an altar. Kester pulled his bright vestment over his military cassock, and Skorbach placed a brand-new green helmet on the table beside the candle. A Ukrainian friend shipped it from the United States. "Will you bless my new helmet, Father?" And, with the smell of frying onions drifting over from the big iron camp stove, the priest raised his hand and began his second Sunday mass. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MAASLAND, Netherlands (AP) Bales of hay lie burning along Dutch highways. Supermarket shelves stand empty because distribution centers are blocked by farmers. Then, at dusk, a police officer pulls his pistol and shoots at a tractor. Dutch farmers are embroiled in a summer of discontent that shows no sign of abating. Their target? Government plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia that they say threatens to wreck their agricultural way of life and put them out of business. The reduction targets could radically alter the Netherlands' lucrative agriculture sector, which is known for its intensive farming, and may also foreshadow similar reforms and protests in other European nations whose farmers also pump out pollutants. That turmoil seems a long way off Friday at Jaap Zegwaard's dairy farm, which occupies 80 hectares (200 acres) of grassland close to the port city of Rotterdam, whose chimneys and cranes form a backdrop to his fields. Most of Zegwaard's herd of 180 cattle, mostly black and white Holstein-Friesians, graze in meadows close to a traditional Dutch windmill and large white wind turbines. And even if the farm has been in Zegwaard's family for five generations, some 200 years, he doesn't know if he would recommend the farming life to his a 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old twin boys. If you ask me now, I'd say, please don't even think about it," the 41-year-old said. There are so many worries. Life's much too beautiful to deal with what's going on in the agriculture sector at the moment. Ask the average farmer: it's profoundly sad, he said. At the heart of the clash between farmers and the Dutch government are moves to protect human health and vulnerable natural habitats from pollution in the form of nitrogen oxides and ammonia, which are produced by industry, transport and in the waste of livestock. The Netherlands, a nation of 17.5 million people inhabiting an area a little larger than Maryland, has 1.57 million registered dairy cattle and just over 1 million calves being raised for meat, statistics show. The country's farms produced exports worth 94.5 billion euros in 2019. Nitrogen oxides and ammonia raise nutrient levels and acidity in the soil, leading to a reduction in biodiversity. Airborne nitrogen leads to smog and tiny particles that are damaging to people's health. When the Council of State, the country's top administrative court and legislative advisory body, ruled in 2019 that Dutch policies to rein in nitrogen emissions were inadequate, it forced the government to consider tougher measures. Unveiling a map detailing nitrogen reduction targets last month, the Dutch government called it an unavoidable transition. It said the coming year would finally bring clarity for Dutch farmers, whether and how they can continue with their business. The minister sees three options for farmers: become (more) sustainable, relocate or stop. The Dutch government aims to slash nitrogen emissions by 50% by 2030 and has earmarked an extra 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to fund the changes. Provincial authorities have one year to draw up plans for achieving the reductions. Nitrogen expert Wim de Vries, a professor at Wageningen University and Research, doubts that deadline is realistic. It seems to be very fast and there is a legacy, already for 40 years, because the problem was much bigger in the 1980s. We then called it acid rain," he said. "Considering that legacy, it doesnt make so much difference if we do it in 7 or 10 or 12 years. We anyhow have to wait for decades for nature to improve seriously. Farmers have been protesting for years against the government's nitrogen policies, but the emissions targets unleashed new demonstrations, with tractors clogging highways and supermarket distribution centers that led briefly to some shortages of fresh produce. Farmers also clashed with police outside the home of the minister in charge of the government's nitrogen policies. And this week an officer opened fire on a tractor driven by a 16-year-old. After initially being held on suspicion of attempted manslaughter, the young driver was released without charge. The Dutch government has appointed a veteran political negotiator to act as a middleman, but the gesture was immediately rejected by activist farmers and the nations largest farming lobby group. The government does not offer any space to enter into a real conversation, said the farming lobby group LTO. Under these conditions, speaking with the mediator is pointless. The LTO, which represents about 30,000 farms nearly a half of the Dutch total described the nitrogen reduction target as simply unfeasible. Dutch farms produced exports worth 94.5 billion euros in 2019. The group says the government is focused on reducing livestock and buying up farms and not paying enough attention to innovation and sustainable farming practices. Environmentalists say now is the time to act. You rip a plaster off a wound in one go," said Andy Palmen, director of Greenpeace Netherlands. Painful choices are now necessary. Zegwaard's farm is in an area where the government is seeking only a 12% cut in emissions, yet he also demonstrates out of solidarity with others and supports the protests. The average person currently sees the Netherlands as a nitrogen polluter, while we are also a food producer. It seems like people have forgotten that," he told The Associated Press. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate. MACKINAC ISLAND, Mich. -- Sherry was asleep. She was home from college for the summer. It was barely 10 a.m. Her door swung open and light filled up the bedroom. Then she saw her mother bounding in. She groaned, "Are you kidding me right now?" "Roe v. Wade was overturned," her mother said. Then she rushed out. Sherry's younger sister, Sydney, was at her summer job not far from the house. She got a call from her mom with the news: "Roe v. Wade was overturned." At home in Lansing, Mich., Sherry and Sydney's mother dialed into a call with her senior leadership team. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had been planning for this day since early last summer, not long after the Supreme Court agreed to take up a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization. It was April of this year, early enough to appear alarmist to some, when she had moved to file a lawsuit seeking to overturn an old abortion ban in Michigan, a law on the books from 1931 that would suddenly become viable again without the protection of Roe. Because of a temporary injunction issued in a separate lawsuit challenging the 1931 law, abortion in Michigan remained legal that morning in June -- for the time being. As she sat down in her home office, the governor's legal team prepared a motion urging the court to expedite her lawsuit. Her press team booked interviews on as many networks as they could. CBS, NBC. I'm thinking about my daughters, she said. CNN, MSNBC. They now have fewer rights than I've had my whole life, she said. Almost every Michigan market, 12 local interviews from her home office. I'm incensed, she said. From the Lansing house, a low-slung ranch-style home granted to the governor, Whitmer, a Democrat, was becoming the face of an existential battle for abortion access playing out across the states. Sherry got up to brush her teeth. She was awake now and felt her stomach drop. "What can we even do," she thought. Sydney was angry. "Like, what is going on?" They had known it was coming, talked it though with their mother again and again. In their family's house, the Michigan abortion ban -- which would prohibit the procedure even in the case of rape or incest -- was referred to simply as "the 1931." Just two months earlier, after a draft of the Supreme Court opinion leaked on May 2, Whitmer told the girls to delete their period tracker apps. She said she believes it's important to be "just totally blunt and honest" with her kids about politics and their life at the center of it. She asked if they wanted to pursue long-acting birth control. Sydney said yes. Sherry said no, she didn't think so. The girls are close, with birthdays only 19 months apart. Both are students at the University of Michigan. They'd had difficult conversations with their mother before. They were 11 and 10 years old when, amid a fight over abortion in the state legislature, Whitmer first decided to publicly share the story of how she'd been raped as a freshman at Michigan State University, in 1989. They were 14 and 13 when she started running for governor. They were 18 and 16 when, together with their mom and their stepfather Marc and their dog Kevin, they huddled as a family into the guest bathroom, the only area of the governor's mansion with a good view of the street, to peer at protesters outside the house, waving signs objecting to Michigan's strict stay-at-home order. They were 18 and 16 when just a few months later at dinner one night, their mom told them that, "just so you know," there was going to be a story coming out soon about "some people plotting to kidnap and kill me." Now Sherry is 20 and Sydney is 18. Six days after the Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs, the Whitmer family gathered at the governor's summer residence on Mackinac Island, a three-hour drive from Lansing, plus a 15-minute ferry ride. The conversations here were different, more immediate and personal. Yes, Whitmer was leading one of the nation's most precarious political and legal battles over reproductive health care. She was a woman, a star in the Democratic Party defined as much by her bold executive action as by the pique it provoked in state Republicans, aggravated by her use of executive power during the pandemic years. She was a pro-abortion rights governor of a pro-abortion rights state, now in danger of reinstating a law enacted by men more than 90 years ago. But she was also a mother to two young women, navigating the consequences of America's new reality inside her own home. When she talked about abortion access, Whitmer was also talking to and about her daughters. Whitmer is one of just nine women governors. At 50, she is also among the youngest. Roe v. Wade had been in place for as long as she was old enough to know the word "abortion." When she was in school, kids did tornado drills and learned about the ozone layer. Sherry and Sydney have grown up with active shooter protocols and the threat of political violence. Now, sitting on the porch overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, Whitmer heard the girls consider possibilities that frightened her. Sydney said she wasn't even sure she wanted to have kids anymore. Sherry said she had changed her mind about the birth control. She thought no at first, because she didn't need it, really. "To be fair, I was hesitant because I am gay," she said. The risk of unwanted pregnancy "is not a thing that's on my mind all the time." Sherry is out to family and friends but not on "the national scene," as her mom puts it. That Friday, reading the majority ruling from Justice Clarence Thomas, she'd seen the language suggesting the court review other precedents, including the right to use contraceptives and for two women to be married. These were conversations she was having in private, but she recently told the family she was ready to share them in public, too, though Whitmer didn't know she was going to do it here on the island. Like thousands of other women, Sherry now felt she had to imagine, to account for, even make plans for, the nightmare possibilities of the unimaginable. "I live on a college campus," Sherry said. "There are people out there who would force me into conceiving. It's a scary thought, but I've made the decision." Inside the Mackinac Island residence, a three-story house that sits at the top of a steep hill, the Whitmer family looked accustomed to some measure of crisis. Sherry sat on the couch in the sunroom watching television. Sydney had just come in from an afternoon ferry, brow wet from the uphill summer walk. Their stepfather Marc Mallory, a dentist who recently retired, brought out a cardboard granola bar box containing the rocks he'd been collecting around the island, a new hobby. Granite, pumice, quartz, feldspar, dolomite. He held up each one, looking for glimmers in the light. Marc had been reading books about rocks from the pre-Cambrian age Canadian shield. They were 4.03 billion years old, he said. Sherry rolled her eyes. Mackinac Island is small -- a strange and beautiful place, eight miles round, with about 400 year-round residents. Cars are forbidden. Everyone rides bikes and horse-drawn buggies. The island smells like manure and chocolate. Fudge shops line all of Main Street. At the top of the hill, just beyond an 18th-century French-Canadian fort, tourists lingered outside the residence. In a room just off the kitchen, Whitmer's security detail monitored a grid display of the scene out front. A pantry room to the side held stacks of card games, a Ouija board, sets of Tupperware. Around the corner, the governor was back from a health policy conference on the island, watching as caterers set up a spread of food and drinks for a reception on the porch. The family's two merle-colored Aussiedoodles, Kevin and Doug, ran outside behind the governor and her daughters. "Marc?" Whitmer said. Marc came out holding a slim paperback: "Great Lakes Rocks: 4 Billion Years of Geologic History in the Great Lakes Region." "What?" he asked. "How'd they get out?" "I don't know. Who let 'em out?" "We did," Whitmer said, sitting down with Sherry and Sydney. "But you're in charge, so get them in." "All right." All week long, Whitmer had been getting questions about the abortion fight. She told her daughters she saw Gina Raimondo, the commerce secretary and a former Democratic governor from Rhode Island, a few days earlier in Washington. "Why do you seem so calm?" she said Raimondo had asked her. On the porch, Whitmer shrugged. "What are my options? To light my hair on fire or to crawl under a rock? No." "We are stoic people," she said. The name Gretchen Whitmer, if it's known outside Michigan, is set against a story of upheaval and unrest. It begins with the pandemic, when the caseload and fatality rates in her state ranked among the highest in the nation. She was one of the first governors to criticize then-president Trump's management of the outbreak. And she was among the first to implement a far-reaching state lockdown, setting off armed protests at the Michigan Capitol just 16 months into her tenure as governor. Even then, her view of politics wasn't particularly ideological. She would denounce Republicans in her state, and do it sharply, but the fights inside her own party didn't seem to hold her interest. Her father, Richard Whitmer, was a Republican, an aide to moderate, pro-business governors George Romney and William Milliken. Her late mother, Sherry Whitmer, was a Democrat, an assistant attorney general serving under Frank Kelley. Whitmer's husband Marc, who has three sons from a previous marriage, has historically voted Republican. He now identifies as a fiscal conservative and social liberal. (Sherry and Sydney's father, Gary Shrewsbury, is still close with Whitmer. A photographer, he occasionally helped take photos during her 2018 campaign.) Politics was a kind of family trade, and Whitmer described it as one might a business passed down from one generation to the next, with an eye toward the process itself. When she came into office in January 2019, she wrote a one-page "Values Outline" to her staff, instructing them to "do less and obsess about doing it well" and "move deliberately and quickly in all things." No department, division, or person, she wrote, would take credit for an achievement. "It is always given to the S.O.M.," i.e. the state of Michigan. Meetings were to be held without phones and according to her rules of "Pathological Punctuality," meaning, "If you're on time, you're late. Seriously." Be present, she wrote. "Don't waste time. No distractions." The abortion fight was another process, to be tackled with all the "tools" of government available. She was leading litigation to challenge the 1931 law, asking the Michigan Supreme Court to rule on whether the state's constitution protected the right to an abortion. She was urging volunteers to collect signatures to put the issue to voters in a ballot measure this fall. She was instructing all department and agency officials -- from education to transportation -- to present her with new ideas for protecting abortion and contraceptive access. And she was pushing President Joe Biden to be more aggressive in his preparations. On a call with a few other governors and health secretary Xavier Becerra, Whitmer said, she told him Biden needed to think through "what it would take" to help Canada set up abortion clinics just across the border. If abortion were banned in neighboring Michigan, a state to which women from Ohio and Indiana also travel to receive abortions, Canada would see in influx of patients seeking care. When she raised the idea, Whitmer recalled, she heard the governors of Oregon and Maine, both women and Democrats, gasp on the other line. "Right now, their states are fine on this issue. They don't have to think about things like this," she said. "I hope like hell it doesn't come to that -- but if it does, you got to have a plan." This week, Whitmer again called on the administration to account for women seeking care across the border. There was "conflicting guidance" from the federal government as to whether Americans are allowed to bring medication from Canada into the United States, including pills that abort a pregnancy, she wrote in a letter to Becerra and Biden's homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas. "Americans deserve to know all their legal options as they seek vital health care," she wrote. "We must lead." There was already confusion and alarm in Michigan about the status of the law. On the night of the Dobbs ruling, the state's largest health system, Beaumont-Spectrum Health, said they would no longer administer abortions for fear of legal action, only to reverse the policy later that weekend. At least two conservative prosecutors in the state have already threatened to bring cases against providers. An antiabortion state representative, Steve Carra, has introduced a bill to outlaw plan B and penalize abortion providers with prison time. In the Republican primary to challenge Whitmer for reelection this fall, the candidates describe her tenure as a time of "draconian" pandemic restrictions that closed schools and, they argue, discouraged businesses and families from settling in Michigan. The 1931 lawsuit, according to Carra, the lawmaker behind the abortion bill, was another example of Whitmer's "tyrannical type of government." Whitmer is an exasperating political rival in the Republican-controlled legislature, particularly among men. At the height of the pandemic, she recalled, a fellow Democratic governor said to her, "Gretchen, why do you take so much more heat than anyone else? We're all doing the same thing." As soon as he said it, he cut himself off, the reason suddenly obvious. "Don't answer that," he told her. Whitmer is a woman, but she is also an attractive woman, and her use of executive power, when wielded broadly, seems to deeply trigger her male antagonists. The Republican leader of the state Senate, Mike Shirkey, bragged on a hot mic that he had "spanked her hard on budget, spanked her hard on appointments," and also contemplated "inviting her to a fistfight on the Capitol lawn." Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Ed McBroom, complained that Whitmer had been "neutering" him and his colleagues, the cause of the legislature's "emasculation." "I don't talk about gender," she said. "But I am treated differently." At the start of the pandemic, Whitmer urged the federal government to supply more equipment to Michigan. On live television from the White House press briefing room, Trump dismissed her as "the woman from Michigan." She was in national headlines. Democrats called it a political gift. Joe Biden thought about making her vice president, inviting her to Delaware to talk about the job in secret. But that's also when the threats started. Hundreds that don't make it into the media, she said. And then there were the armed protests. And then there was the hit list with her name on it, belonging to a man who shot and killed a former Wisconsin judge. And then there was the kidnapping plot, a saga that began in the fall of 2020 and stretched on into a trial this year. Four men were charged, their plans and fantasies spelled out in public court filings: hogtying the governor, laying the governor out on a table, shooting the governor in the skull, shooting the governor in her doorway. She tried not to follow the trial coverage, but the headlines always passed by on Twitter and in push alerts. How could she not look? "Like, for weeks that this trial was going . . . every day," she said. "So even if I wasn't reading those articles, I couldn't get away from them." The hardest moment came on April 8, 2022, the day the jury delivered its verdict: two men acquitted, two granted a mistrial. "It was awful," said Whitmer. "It felt like my life's not worth . . ." She didn't finish the thought. "We're supposed to expect this now? People plot to kidnap and kill a governor?" And this was something else that bothered Whitmer. Why did people always call it a "kidnapping" plot? "The man who turned himself in outside of [Justice] Brett Kavanaugh's house, they said it was an assassination plot," Whitmer said. "Does anyone think these kidnappers wanted to keep me or ransom me?" she asked. "No. They were going to put me on a trial and then execute me. It was an assassination plot, but no one talks about it that way. Even the way people talk about it has muted the seriousness of it." Sherry and Sydney listened in silence. "No one thinks about it," their mother said. "I do!" Whitmer's position and accompanying fame is now bigger than anything the girls remember from her years in the state legislature. It can be frightening, knowing their mom is vulnerable in public. "But then again, I never feel out of control," Sherry told her mother. "You're always safe." "When the kidnapping plot was announced, it was summer. And people were blowing up your phone, right?" Whitmer asked. "Oh, yeah," said Sydney. By then, Whitmer's daughters had already known about it for a month or so. Friends and teachers emailed and texted. "I hope you're OK," they said. "I know this is really terrifying," they said. "It must be really scary." Sherry laughed. "By that time, I'd already processed it." This is the running conversation between Whitmer and her daughters. The unimaginable possibility that Sherry felt she had to imagine in the days after the ruling -- a rape on her college campus -- was a horrible one. But she knew it could happen because it happened all the time. It happened to her mother. Whitmer was the state Senate minority leader in late 2013 when she shared the story for the first time as a public official. It was a last-minute decision, amid a debate over a bill that would require women to purchase additional insurance coverage for elective abortion, without exceptions for rape or incest. Whitmer had urged a colleague to share the story of his family's fertility journey. After multiple IVF treatments, the colleague's wife had required an abortion because the fetus posed a threat to her health. But the colleague said he wasn't ready to talk about it. It was too raw. Before she was set to deliver a speech about the bill on the floor of the Senate, Whitmer felt the sting of hypocrisy: How could she ask him to share his story if she wasn't willing to do the same, she thought. So she did. "I am not enjoying talking about it," Whitmer told her colleagues. "It's something I've hidden for a long time. But I think you need to see the face of the women that you are impacting." Now, after Dobbs, Whitmer was talking about it again, and this was difficult. "It's traumatizing. Every time a woman shares her assault story with me, I get teary because I go right back to that place. But I've gotten to a point where I can talk about it," she said. Her staff put together roundtables with women this summer, and it was usually here that Whitmer recalled that feeling in the days after the assault -- "coming to terms with, 'Oh my God, what if I'm pregnant.'" She wasn't, but if she had been, she would have had access to care. Now her daughters would be the ones to bear the impact. The Whitmer family has been in Michigan for five generations. But if her daughters don't have the same choices -- if they don't have full reproductive rights, the governor said; if Sherry doesn't have full marriage rights, she said -- they will probably settle their lives elsewhere. "And it breaks my heart to even say that." They didn't want to leave, they said, but they would. "I always see myself coming back here and settling down. It's where my family is," Sydney said. "I want to be here with you," Sherry said to her mother. "I would be really sad if I couldn't -- if I would have to make that choice." Seated between the two girls, Whitmer put an arm around each daughter. As a governor, she said, "I want them to consider Michigan." "And as a parent -- not as a governor -- I would encourage them to go where they can live their fullest, truest lives." SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea appeared to have conducted artillery firing drills on Sunday, South Korea said, days after the United States deployed sophisticated fighter jets to South Korea for joint training. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected multiple trajectories presumed to be North Korean artillery on Sunday afternoon. It said South Koreas military maintained a firm readiness in close coordination with the United States. South Koreas presidential office said the suspected launches occurred off the Norths west coast. It said presidential national security director Kim Sung-han reviewed South Korean military readiness and that his office closely monitors possible additional launches by North Korea. This year, North Korea has carried out an unusually large number of weapons tests, including nuclear-capable missiles that place both the U.S. mainland and its allies including South Korea and Japan with striking distance. Some experts say North Korea attempts to perfect its weapons technology and boost its bargaining chip in future negotiations with the United States to win sanctions relief or security guarantees. Last week, six U.S. F-35 aircraft from Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska arrived in South Korea for their first temporary deployment in South Korea in about 4 years for joint training with South Korean fighter jets. South Koreas Defense Ministry said the jets deployment is aimed at demonstrating the allies combined defense posture and strong deterrence against potential external aggression while improving the interoperability of the two air forces. A U.S. military statement said the U.S. aircraft planned to operate over South Korea and surrounding waters during the scheduled 10-day training mission. North Korea typically views joint exercises between U.S. and South Korea as an invasion rehearsal and responds with its own weapons tests. U.S. and South Korean defense officials have repeatedly said they have no intentions of attacking North Korea. North Korea has said it was forced to develop nuclear weapons to cope with U.S. military threats. Despite its torrid run of missile tests earlier this year, North Korea hasnt conducted its expected first nuclear bomb test in five years, and Seoul officials said thats likely because of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and opposition by China, its last major ally and aid benefactor. KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) Nebraska Republicans fired their longtime party chairman at a tumultuous state convention that highlighted divisions within the party driven by activists who support former President Donald Trump and want to take the party further to the right. After convention delegates voted to remove Chairman Dan Welch on Saturday, most of the other state party leaders, including Executive Director Taylor Gage, resigned, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Republicans were sharply divided during this spring's gubernatorial primary battle between two conservative candidates: the eventual winner, Jim Pillen, and businessman Charles Herbster, who was endorsed by Trump. The race to replace Gov. Pete Ricketts, who couldn't run because of term limits, became more controversial after eight young women accused Herbster of groping them. Herbster denied the allegations, describing them as a politically motivated attack. He filed a defamation lawsuit against one of his accusers, state Sen. Julie Slama, who responded with a lawsuit of her own accusing Herbster of sexual battery. Herbster has refused to endorse Pillen, who is still expected to win in November over Democratic state Sen. Carol Blood because the state strongly favors Republicans. The divisions within the party were exacerbated in the days before the convention after the party refused to issue credentials to six activists who had been critical of Pillen or Ricketts. One of those delegates, Matt Innis of Crete, was arrested for third-degree assault and second-degree trespassing after he tried to enter the meeting Saturday morning. But he was allowed to participate later in the day after he and most of the other activists were reinstated. The debate over the credentialing issue was tense at times, with some delegates criticizing the decision to withhold access to the activists as an attack on free speech. Welch, who led the party for eight years, said he thought the disputes were related to the hard-fought gubernatorial primary that saw Ricketts and many established Republican leaders endorse Pillen. Welch said many in the party seemed to believe the state GOP sided with Pillen during the primary, but he maintained that the party remained neutral even though Ricketts spent aggressively to support Pillen. The only thing I wish you knew was the real information, Welch told the convention before he was removed. Welch was replaced as chairman by Lancaster County GOP Chairman Eric Underwood, who had introduced the motions that led to Welch's firing. Underwood asked delegates for the opportunity to earn your trust as he leads the party through the rest of this year. The state GOP will elect a chairman to a full term near the end of this year. Not long after electing Underwood, the delegates voted in favor of a conservative resolution calling for election ballots to be counted by hand under video surveillance. BETHESDA, Md. (AP) Investigations are underway into several weekend incidents of apparent arson and vandalism at churches in Maryland, authorities said. Montgomery County authorities said the incidents took place at three churches of different denominations a short distance away from each other in Bethesda, TV station WJLA reported. REED CITY Pere Marquette is a catering business and bistro in Reed City that has made a name for itself as a source of community engagement and collaboration. Started in 2004 by Deb Ahlich, the business was originally advertised as just a catering service, despite also being a sit-down restaurant, so Ahlich added "bistro" to the storefront in 2014. "The community is very important to us. Because it's a community that I grew up in," Ahlich said. After 49 years in the food business, and 18 years at Pere Marquette, Ahlich still loves what she does and appreciates the fact that there's "never a dull moment." "You take care of the community that you work with, because the community that you work in also takes care of you," Ahlich said. "We try to be involved with the city as much as we can." Ahlich is part of the Downtown Development Authority for Reed City and wants to see the community grow, as growth in the community will help her business, and vice versa. Pere Marquette supports other small businesses in the area, and Ahlich hopes that they will support them in return. They try to look locally for products before they look elsewhere. Any time the Reed City Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an event, Pere Marquette is usually the one to cater. Ahlich hopes that Pere Marquette leads more people to settle down in the Reed City area, and open local businesses of their own. "It's a great place to work. It's a good way to support the school system, and the health care, Spectrum. It goes back to, the Spectrum staff supports us and we support them," Ahlich said. Ahlich hires lots of young people from the area community and tries to instill life skills in them, so whether or not they pursue a career in food service or catering, they will have learned something valuable from their time at Pere Marquette. "We try to instill with them the values of pleases, and thank you. So yes, ma'am. No, ma'am," Ahlich said. "We try to instill that team aspect in life," she said. Ahlich said the restaurant sees a lot of business people, usually dressed nicely, but wants people to know that they don't necessarily have to wear fancy clothes to come in and eat, as the dress code is casual despite the higher end vibe of the restaurant and fancier decor. "All are welcome," she said. Seeing different parts of Michigan, which Ahlich thinks is a beautiful state, is one of her favorite parts of the job. Despite being situated in Reed City, the catering business goes all across West Michigan, to places like Pentwater, Traverse City, Lansing, and Ludington. "We have a lot of what we call extended family," Ahlich said about the expansive community she's become a part of since catering for events all across West Michigan. Ahlich wants people to know that Pere Marquette's doors are always open for all customers. "Everybody should be made to feel like they're part of the party," Ahlich said. MANISTEE Rolling Thunder Michigan Chapter No. 1 held the 12th annual Thunder at the River event Friday and Saturday in Manistee to honor and fundraise for military veterans. Friday saw over 100 motorcycles escort the Michigan Vietnam Memorial Wall from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Walsh Post No. 4499 to the Little River Casino Resort. Rolling Thunder, AMVETS Riders, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 73, law enforcement and others were part of the procession. The Pure Thunder Escorted Veterans Memorial Ride, Thunder at the River's feature event, took place Saturday afternoon. Riders staged at the casino and, after a flyover from a pair of U.S. Coast Guard helicopters, traveled to Crystal Mountain, around Crystal Lake, through Frankfort and Elberta before returning to the casino for the rest of the festivities. State senators Curt VanderWall and Jon Bumstead were in attendance Saturday to pay tribute to the nation's veterans and wish the riders a safe journey. VanderWall said the sacrifice veterans have made for the country cannot be overstated. "Thursday I was able to visit with a group of veterans in Ludington and one of them was a 97-year-old World War II vet," VanderWall said. "He never left the ship for two full years. ... Holy tamale! Can you imagine being put on a boat for two full years, never leaving that boat for any extended period of time? You guys gave all." Sawyer Hendrickson, of the 501c3 nonprofit Miss Sawyer's Kids with a Cause, was also on hand to honor veterans. More photos Visit manisteenews.com for more photos from Thunder at the River. See More Collapse "The reason we are here is because Rolling Thunder has a mission to never forget that we still have over 82,000 service men and women who have not come home," she said. "... We need to make our government accountable to these families who have suffered the greatest sacrifice for our nation. Each year that goes by, more of our (prisoners of war and service members missing in action) are returned, but it's still not enough." Upon the riders' return Saturday, the band BVO provided live music and there was a cornhole tournament, vendor booths, silent auction and 50/50 raffle. For more than a decade the local Rolling Thunder chapter has held Thunder at the River to help veteran organizations in need, and this year's event marked another successful effort. "We are a nation of liberty and freedom and we cannot let the sacrifices of our heroes be forgotten," Hendrickson said. "We owe all of our brave men and women our selfless gratitude and so much more." The Pentagon will add $400 million in assistance to Ukraine despite the US recession, which is a concern for many Americans. After this, the Biden administration will send more in the coming months and years, with no end to the mounting Ukrainian losses. US Neocons Intend To Drag Out the Conflict in Ukraine US President Joe Biden announced the new arms shipment to Kyiv with four more HIMARS, even more hardware for the Azov and Nationalists, and conscripted army to use, reported RT. In a briefing to reporters on Friday, a Defense Department official talked about planning efforts to address weaponry needs. The most recent wave of assistance comes after an individual who spoke on the requested anonymity, that the funding would not require congressional approval, noted Azerbaycan 24. The new batch of eight HIMARS units, wherein two were destroyed by Russians. These platforms can hit 80 kilometers away. The new batch includes the $400 million military aid in the 15th package for Kyiv since August, along with 1,000 rounds of howitzer ammunition. This HIMARS has more accuracy than ordinary ones, which can hit Russian assets or other targets. Despite losing the LPR to Russian forces, which the Pentagon downplays, claims these weapons can improve loss of morale, units destroyed or abandoned by the Azov and nationalist units running away. The Pentagon is convinced this $400 million aid will help as Kyiv is losing on the battlefield, despite Americans' concern that these shipments will make the US recession worse. Read Also: Donald Trump Children: What You Need to Know About the 5 Trump Kids The US has no oversight, Biden can send all the arms without limit. Some shady business with delivered weapons presumed to be Ukrainians selling it, not getting to combat units was in the news. The Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said they are in black markets overseas this week, per Oacoree. Members of Congress doubt how Zelensky is upfront about the weapons deliveries sent by Joe Biden's official powers. Defense officials claim they know where arms are in Ukraine. The West Downplays the Russians Are Winning Andrey Yermak, chief of staff for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, is sending mixed messages that Ukraine is winning, but reports say otherwise. The US defense department deflects the considerable losses suffered by Ukraine forces against the Russian army, saying Russia is paying a lot in men and equipment, but the recent news says otherwise. Some pundits say that the Biden administration will not admit Zelensky is losing, and Russia is achieving goals better than US and NATO thought possible. On February 24, Vladimir Putin approved the special mission to assist the Donbass after acknowledging the Donetsk and Lugansk Republics. Ukraine dumped the Minsk Agreement in 2014, which former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko used to build up forces. Officials of the Pentagon announced the $400 million in military aid that does not need the approval of congress despite a US recession. The media is now revealing what the Defense Department wants to deny, and Ukraine uses these weapons to attack civilians despite saying they won't. Related Article: Pentagon Says US Congress Could Suspend $40 Billion Spending Package for Ukraine @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD The city is seeking $9 million in funding through congressional earmarks for projects that include installing thousands of LED streetlights in Stamford and building a Ferguson Library branch location on the East Side. Mayor Caroline Simmons told the Board of Representatives about the effort to direct federal money toward five specific projects during a State of the City presentation last week. U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, whose district includes Stamford, and U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal, have requested the earmarks for the city as part of the annual federal appropriations process. Himes and Blumenthal are both up for reelection this year. Among their requests was $3 million in funding for the design and construction of a Ferguson Library satellite building on Courtland Avenue. Stamfords disadvantaged East Side currently experiences a book desert, Himes said in a letter to House Appropriations Committee leaders. While the Ferguson Library manages a bookmobile that makes scheduled stops throughout the community, East Side residents face challenges accessing the main library branch in the downtown core. Himes said the new building which would serve as a community center as well as a library would replace a dilapidated structure on Courtland Avenue that has been deemed unsafe and must be torn down, referring to the long-vacant Hunt complex. The citys Historic Preservation Advisory Commission is expected to discuss plans to demolish the structure, which is roughly 150 years old, during a meeting Tuesday. The building was named the Edward J. Hunt Recreation Center in the 1970s in honor of a longtime superintendent of recreation. Alice Knapp, the head of the Ferguson Library, has described the spot as an ideal location for a branch because it is within a park and residents would be able to walk to the building. Himes joined the House in 2009. A couple years later, earmarks were banned in both chambers of Congress. Now, theyre back: The $1.5 trillion spending package that President Joe Biden signed into law in March included almost 5,000 earmarks totaling about $9 billion, The New York Times reported. As part of that spending bill, Himes secured $2 million for Stamford to improve sidewalks around schools and bus stops, while Murphy and Blumenthal got $513,000 for pre-apprenticeship career training services in the city. With a new fiscal year set to begin Oct. 1, lawmakers have submitted a fresh round of earmark requests. They are required to post their requests on their official websites and attest that neither they nor any immediate family members have a financial interest in the projects. In addition to the $3 million for the library, Himes, Murphy and Blumenthal requested $1 million for Stamford to build up to 50 bioswales to reduce contamination of the Long Island Sound. This green infrastructure will filter pollutants (including motor oils, gasoline, antifreeze, brake dust, fertilizers, pesticides and sediment) from runoff before they reach the storm drain, Himes said in a letter requesting the funding. Both earmarks have made it into House spending bills. The Senate is still in the process of drafting its bills. Blumenthal and Murphy requested three other earmarks for the city. They asked for $2 million for Stamford to upgrade its network of inefficient, high-pressure sodium-based streetlights to energy-saving LEDs and another $2 million for sidewalks near several schools. Finally, they requested $1 million to help the city open a regional police academy. In addition to their asks for the city, Himes and the two senators requested millions of dollars in funding for nonprofit projects tied to Stamford. For-profit entities cannot receive money through earmarks. For instance, Murphy and Blumenthal asked for $2 million for the Stamford-based Womens Business Development Council to open new offices across Connecticut. Himes separately requested $500,000 for the Womens Business Development Council, saying in a letter that the nonprofit would use the money to expand its grant programs. Himes also requested $1 million for Family Centers, which would use the funding to expand its School Based Health Centers at Stamford High School and Turn of River Middle School. This project would be an appropriate use of taxpayer funds because it would open more doors for underserved children living in Stamford to access medical, dental and mental health services, Himes said in his request letter. Murphy and Blumenthals other requests include $1,751,000 for renovations to Liberation House, which offers inpatient addiction treatment; $1,121,000 for Kids In Crisis to expand its TeenTalk program in Stamford and Norwalk; $361,000 for after-school and extracurricular programs at SoundWaters; $300,000 for an after-school program at the Stamford YMCA; and $298,000 for mental health programs through Stamford Health. brianna.gurciullo@hearstmediact.com BANGKOK (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay a brief condolence visit to Japan next week following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the State Department said Sunday. Blinken will travel to Tokyo on Monday to pay his respects to the former leader and meet with senior Japanese officials before returning to Washington from an Asian tour that he is now wrapping up. Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger. Blinken is in Thailand on a pre-scheduled visit and had been in Indonesia on Friday attending a Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali when Abe was shot and killed. He will be the most senior U.S. official to visit Japan in the aftermath of Abes death. On Saturday in Bali, Blinken said Abe's killing was a tragedy for the world and, like many other current and former U.S. officials, lauded the former prime minister for his vision. Prime Minister Abe was a transformative leader, a statesman, someone of truly global stature, Blinken told reporters. He added that Abe's death had shaken the G-20 meeting with many of his foreign minister colleagues expressing shock and distress at the news. Shortly after Abe was pronounced dead, Blinken met in Bali with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin to review strategy mainly related to North Korea. In that meeting and again on Saturday, Blinken underscored the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship. The alliance between Japan and the United States has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy for decades and as I said yesterday, Prime Minister Abe really brought that partnership to new heights, he said. The friendship between the Japanese and American people is likewise unshakable, Blinken said. So were standing with the people of Japan, with the prime ministers family, in the aftermath of a truly, truly appalling act of violence. Five years into Uber's war to supplant the taxi industry, executives at the ride-hailing app were in danger of losing a crown jewel in their global conquest: Paris. The San Francisco start-up was flush at the start of 2016, valued by investors at more than $50 billion, and was racing to expand into Africa, India and Asia. But Uber's first international outpost - the French capital - had become the center of a bloody battle over the company's ambition, a trove of documents from inside the corporation shows. In the previous year, more than 80 Uber drivers had been physically attacked across Europe, and dozens of their cars destroyed, in clashes with taxi drivers who were fearful of losing their livelihoods as Uber's low fares upended their industry. When protests against the company erupted in Paris, managers began working from an unmarked office and for safety reasons were ordered not to wear Uber-branded clothing in public, the documents show. In a series of text messages on Jan. 29, 2016, Uber's then-chief executive, Travis Kalanick, pushed his top lieutenants to mount a counterprotest. Kalanick wanted a peaceful sit-in or march in the city's center. "Civil disobedience" "15,000 drivers" "50,000 riders," he wrote in a burst of unpolished, often abbreviated messages. One executive in response raised concern "about taxi violence against" Uber drivers, and another said the company could "look at effective civil disobedience and at the same time keep folks safe." Kalanick shot back, saying that if the crowd was big enough, Uber drivers would be safe. And if clashes did occur, he appeared to suggest, that could benefit Uber, too: "I think it's worth it," the chief executive wrote. "Violence guarantee success." The text exchange is among more than 124,000 company documents obtained by the Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit newsroom in Washington that helped lead an examination of those records. Reporters from The Washington Post and more than 40 other news organizations around the world collaborated over four months to mine the trove of corporate emails, instant messages, company presentations, briefing papers, invoices and other documents. The documents provide a vivid, insider account of how from 2013 to 2017, Uber used bare-knuckle tactics to expand rapidly around the globe as it became one of the most-used transportation companies on the planet. The company launched operations on four continents in rapid succession, often without seeking licenses to operate as a taxi and livery service, casting itself as merely a technology platform that connected willing passengers and drivers. To try to rewrite laws to recognize its position, Uber exported sophisticated American lobbying methods, the documents show, and it leveraged violence against its drivers in its efforts to win sympathy from regulators and the public. In some instances, when drivers were attacked, Uber executives pivoted quickly to capitalize, the documents show. If a driver had been stabbed or beaten, or bricks had been thrown at his car, company officials behind the scenes provided details to the media if they thought the violence would result in negative attention for the taxi industry, the communications show. Uber would simultaneously activate its lobbyists, using attacks on drivers to secure meetings with politicians and push for regulatory changes, the documents show. In the case of the demonstration in Paris, Kalanick and Uber managers helped arrange for a public show of support for the company at a time when taxi drivers were already clashing with police over Uber's growing presence in the country. The night after the counterprotest in the city's center, police said they intervened to prevent serious injuries as some 50 taxi drivers clashed with Uber drivers on the outskirts of Paris. Two former Uber executives who spoke on the condition of anonymity said that company officials saw potential utility in the violent clashes and sought to capitalize on such incidents for public relations and political benefit. One said that the company would have been foolish not to do so. "Why can't we be as fierce competitors as they are, so long as we are doing it in a reasonably legal way?" the person asked. The other former executive, who had knowledge of Kalanick's push for the Paris counterprotest, said the episode fit a pattern. "It was considered as beneficial to weaponize Uber drivers in this way, to get them to stand up for what they wanted - and of course, that served Uber's purposes," the former executive said. In response to questions from The Post, Jill Hazelbaker, Uber's senior vice president for marketing and public affairs, acknowledged past mistakes in the company's treatment of drivers, especially under Kalanick, who was forced out as chief executive by investors in 2017. But she said no one, including Kalanick, wanted violence against Uber drivers. "There is much our former CEO said nearly a decade ago that we would certainly not condone today," she wrote. "But one thing we do know and feel strongly about is that no one at Uber has ever been happy about violence against a driver." Devon Spurgeon, a spokeswoman for Kalanick, said in a statement to The Post that any suggestion he acted inappropriately was false. "Mr. Kalanick never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety," the statement read. It said the company's expansion initiatives were "led by over a hundred leaders in dozens of countries" and were carried out "with the full approval of Uber's robust legal, policy, and compliance groups." It continued: "Uber became a serious competitor in an industry where competition had been historically outlawed. As a natural and foreseeable result, entrenched industry interests all over the world fought to prevent the much-needed development of the transportation industry." The documents shed new light on how Uber's arrival in Paris and around the world drove taxi drivers to desperation. Uber burned through investor money, suddenly and radically altering the ride-hailing market with artificially low fares when it entered a new foreign city, especially in Europe, where some of the most violent protests unfolded. In Madrid, the documents show, the company at one point was paying incentives of $17.50 an hour to each driver - accounting for almost two-thirds of their pay. In Hamburg, Uber drivers would have made $2.20 per hour under market conditions, minus a small commission, but the company paid each driver an additional $15 per hour - giving away rides almost for free. Uber was spending heavily to influence the levers of power in countries it entered. Globally, the company's budget for policy and communications work was $90 million in 2016, according to one draft budget document. Uber confirmed that the figure was accurate and that about 45% went to public affairs work overseas. To press its case with foreign governments, the company was also spending heavily to hire big names such as David Plouffe, a senior White House adviser under President Barack Obama. As it operated in some countries despite court orders to desist, Uber maintained a 24-hour, multicountry emergency-response system that was used to keep company information out of the hands of investigating authorities, the documents show. The "kill switch," as the company's chief executive and others called it, was used at least a dozen times to sever connections to Uber's internal computer networks as investigators moved in, sometimes with employees using stall tactics to keep detectives away from screens until they went dark, records show. Hazelbaker said Uber does not employ such tactics today. She said "mistakes" made under Kalanick led five years ago to "one of the most infamous reckonings in the history of corporate America. That reckoning led to an enormous amount of public scrutiny, a number of high-profile lawsuits, multiple government investigations, and the termination of several senior executives. It's also exactly why Uber hired a new CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, who was tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates." "We have not and will not make excuses for past behavior that is clearly not in line with our present values. Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what we've done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come," Hazelbaker said. The statement provided by Kalanick's spokeswoman said there are legitimate business purposes for companies operating overseas to use tools to restrict access to their computer networks, including protecting "intellectual property and the privacy of their customer," as well as ensuring "due process rights are respected in the event of an extrajudicial raid." It continued, "These fail-safe protocols do not delete any data or information and all decisions about their use involved, were vetted by, and were approved by Uber's legal and regulatory departments." Plouffe said in a statement that Uber and governments had to find a way forward in a legal landscape that was at times unsettled. But Plouffe said that, internally, he sometimes protested the company tactics. "During my time at Uber, there was a very public, global and sometimes fierce debate about how and whether ridesharing should be regulated," Plouffe said. "Sometimes those debates and negotiations were straightforward, sometimes they were more challenging, and sometimes there were people within the company who wanted to go too far. I did my best to object when I thought lines would be crossed - sometimes with success, sometimes not." Today, Uber has abandoned its ambitions to dominate markets such as Germany and India. It is winding down its operations in Russia and has pulled out of China altogether. In some countries, Uber has begun to work with the taxi industry it couldn't replace, allowing passengers to book cab rides on its app. Nonetheless, Uber is growing. The company operates in 71 countries and books some 19 million trips over its app each day - a testament to its convenience for customers and to the weakness the company rightly identified in the taxi industry's ability to meet demand. In the wake of that success are altered lives and livelihoods. Taxi drivers from Cape Town to Connecticut have been plunged into financial hardship, according to records and interviews, strapped by falling fares and in some cases encumbered by debt from mortgaged taxi licenses that have plummeted in value. As the Uber subsidies waned, many of its drivers also have struggled to make ends meet. From New York to New Delhi, a handful of taxi and Uber drivers have died by suicide, citing deep debt and disgust with the company. Moments of candor tucked in the gigabytes of leaked internal records show that some Uber executives knew early on that the phone app was on a collision course with hard realities. "Get some sleep when you can," the company's head of communications, Nairi Hourdajian, wrote to one of the company's top European lobbyists in December 2014. "Remember that everything is not in your control, and that sometimes we have problems because, well, we're just f------ illegal." Hourdajian declined to comment. - - - In the 15 years after he dropped out of UCLA in 1998 to start a file-sharing company, Kalanick knew only the scrappy world of Silicon Valley start-ups. He went without a paycheck for years at a time, living with his parents and putting everything he had into one venture after another, each seeking to strike it big by using computers to disrupt an antiquated market. After launching Uber in San Francisco in 2010, Kalanick enjoyed increasing celebrity and wealth, and millions in seed funding was ballooning into what would eventually be billions in venture capital. But he could not shake the start-up mind-set, the sense that he was the challenger taking on Goliath. "I'm still the David," Kalanick told an audience at a tech conference in 2014. "The opponent is an a--h--- named Taxi," he said. "Nobody likes him, he's not a very nice character," he said, adding that "we have to bring out the truth about how dark, and how dangerous and evil the taxi side of things is." Domestically, Uber had faced pushback from taxi unions, and challenges from other start-up ride-hailing apps, not the least of which was Lyft. Kalanick recognized that feuding with up-and-coming competitors could quickly become a race to the bottom, to outsubsidize riders' fares. To keep ahead, he sought to push Uber into new markets where its prime adversary would be the legacy taxi business. Kalanick set a goal of operating in 500 cities worldwide by 2017. In some of those places, there were no laws governing Uber's business model, and cities embraced it. But in many others - as had been the case across much of the United States - the laws were complex and unsettled, and the question of how they applied to Uber and similar companies was in dispute. In early 2014, the company heavily promoted the hashtag #UberEverywhere, highlighting dozens of cities worldwide where it had launched operations. In a memo to Uber managers in India that August, Allen Penn, whom Kalanick had tapped to lead Uber's expansion across Southeast Asia, summed up his view of the company's approach: "Embrace the chaos." The company had started there with a luxury-car offering but was drawing objections from regulators as it pressed into what was expected to be a much bigger market of low-cost ride hailing. "We will likely have both local and national issues in almost every city in India for the rest of your tenure at Uber ... so get used to this," Penn said. "We will generally stall, be unresponsive, and often say no to what they want. This is how we operate and it's nearly always best." To be clear, Penn wrote, echoing his boss, Uber's troubles were the fault of the taxi industry and jealous upstarts: "Competitors apply this pressure to govts to f--- with us because they want to disrupt our business growth." Penn did not respond to emails and messages seeking comment. It wasn't just India and France. Taxi drivers on three continents were protesting during the summer of 2014, calling on officials to clamp down on Uber's ride hailing for allegedly violating local laws. Authorities from Thailand to the Netherlands were investigating. In Germany, courts in Hamburg and Berlin were asked to decide if Uber was legal. Frank Horch, Hamburg's senator for economic affairs, said in an interview on Aug. 11 that he wanted to ban Uber for not having permits to operate. Inside Uber, Horch's comments drew immediate attention. A network of employees monitored threats and comments made about the company around the clock. Uber's communications teams had built 89 databases, spanning five continents and containing a combined 2,000 names of people the company saw as threats or points of opportunity for influence or lobbying, according to the documents. In response to the German lawmaker's comment, an Uber lobbyist wrote: "Horch needs neutralizing politically as well as in media terms." - - - With investors, including Google, voicing concerns, Kalanick set in motion a newly focused effort to win over politicians needed to rewrite laws around the globe to facilitate Uber's operations. He announced on Aug. 19, 2014, that the company was hiring a campaign manager with name recognition among leaders worldwide - Plouffe, who had led Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. Kalanick boasted that Plouffe would be senior vice president of policy and strategy and Uber's "field general," in charge of messaging and beating the "big taxi cartel." Plouffe was more diplomatic, writing on the company's website that Uber had a chance to be a "once in a decade, if not once in a generation company," and telling Politico his job would be to "change the point of view of established politicians." Plouffe began promoting positive aspects of the company. Driving for money gave people freedom and flexibility to make extra cash, he said. The online app connected neighborhoods that were underserved by taxis. Sober Uber drivers would mean safer roadways, as drunk drivers would be kept off the road at night. If Uber were broadly used, people wouldn't need to own cars at all, reducing roadway congestion and emissions. Plouffe's staff began coordinating with Jim Messina, Obama's former deputy White House chief of staff, records show. Messina was already on board as an Uber consultant. A spokesman for Messina said in a statement to The Post that Uber was one of many companies Messina advised over the past decade. His work for company executives "involved helping them understand the political landscape in certain European countries where the company was seeking to grow its business," the statement said. Plouffe was also enmeshed in high-stakes regulatory fights in dozens of countries. "URGENT Berlin," read the subject of an October 2014 email relaying news that Uber had received a cease-and-desist letter and was facing fines of $25,000 per day. Soon, emails from Plouffe's aides and others in the company were going out to officials from Berlin to Brazil seeking to set up meetings to head off regulatory actions. If Plouffe's name wasn't immediately recognizable, Uber staffers left little doubt about their negotiator's calling card in many of the messages: "Plouffe (Obama White House)." Plouffe was also soon exposed to the depths of the company's struggles with regulators and police, the documents show. In November 2014, he was copied on an email with the subject line "Re: Kill Paris access now." The forwarded message recounted how officers from France's General Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control had just raided Uber's Paris location and company officials had shut down access to company data. Plouffe responded, inquiring about the authorities who raided the company. "They report to Macron, correct?" he wrote, referring to French President Emmanuel Macron, then the economic minister. Plouffe did not provide detailed responses to The Post's questions. He did dispute that he had traded on his name recognition from working for Obama to advance Uber's goals. "Let me tell you, you get in the room with a transportation minister, I don't care where it is, state capital, city council, European capital, African country, they don't care what I or anyone else did before," he said, adding that the negotiations "tended to get very specific about a whole set of issues around ride-sharing." By December 2014, Plouffe and Uber were facing a new crisis. A woman who hailed an Uber to take her home in New Delhi was raped by a driver who had a history of sexual assault allegations. The company initially cast some blame on the Indian government for failing to mandate background checks on drivers. Facing public outrage and a suspension by Indian authorities, Uber said it would conduct stricter background checks on all drivers in the country. But the fallout did not end there. Uber's hoped-for year-end headlines about the speed of its global expansion instead read like a rap sheet: Uber offices in Bangalore, India and Chongqing, China were raided by authorities. In Bangkok and Madrid, the company was served with orders to cease operations. And in South Korea, authorities issued an indictment for Kalanick's arrest, for allegedly running an illegal taxi ring. A headline on NBC News read: "Uber's Wild 2014: Can Lawsuits and Protests Bring it Down?" - - - By the start of 2015, discussions were intensifying inside Uber over how to highlight violence against its drivers to win sympathy from the public and government officials, documents show. "We need to use this in our favour," Uber lobbyist Cristian Samoilovich in Amsterdam wrote to a colleague in March of that year, after an adviser to the European Commission wrote on Facebook that an Uber he was in had been attacked by a gang of taxi drivers in Brussels. At the time, Brussels officials were considering changing ride-hailing laws to legalize rides booked over smartphones. That same week, taxi drivers in the Netherlands were protesting to demand that authorities enforce a court ruling from three months earlier that UberPop, the company's service using nonprofessional drivers, was illegal and punishable by fines of up to 100,000 euros per day. Four Uber drivers were attacked in one night. In one of those incidents, masked men surrounded an Uber car and held a weapon to the driver's throat while taking his license plate and slashing his tires. In another, an Uber driver was "seriously injured," according to the documents. Niek Van Leeuwen, the company's general manager for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, recounted the deteriorating situation in a March 11, 2015, email to Kalanick, Plouffe and others. The company's response plan involved pushing the story of violence to try to get politicians to speak out against it, "while dragging out the enforcement process as long as possible," Van Leeuwen wrote, referring to the court-ordered fines and the possibility that authorities might take other action to stop Uber from operating. Days later, van Leeuwen provided an update: "police reports on violence have been shared with De Telegraaf newspaper and will be published without our fingerprint on the front page tomorrow." Company lawyers were also drafting a proposed emergency law change, he wrote. Van Leeuwen wanted to wait for the right moment to present it to lawmakers. "We keep the violence narrative going for a few days, before we offer the solution," he wrote on March 16. Mark MacGann, Uber's head of public policy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, replied the next day with praise for the publicity the violence story had received: "Excellent work. This is exactly what we wanted and the timing is perfect." MacGann forwarded images of the news coverage to his boss and to Plouffe that same day, writing: "Step one in the campaign, get the media to talk about Taxi violence against" Uber drivers. More than 10 additional Uber drivers were attacked in the city over the next two nights. On March 19, Uber urged lawmakers to approve its emergency rule change allowing UberPop to operate legally, according to internal company communications. "We strongly condemn the use of violence and the damaging of vehicles of our drivers," the company wrote to lawmakers. "Violence can never be the answer to innovation, and should not be a basis for regulation." Samoilovich told The Post he did not remember writing that the company should use the violence to its favor but remembered the confrontations. "I was of the opinion that politicians should take their responsibilities and regulate a hre zone and legal vacuum that was building up frustration and anger," he wrote in an email. Van Leeuwen did not respond to multiple requests for comment. MacGann said in statement: "There is no excuse for how the company played with people's lives. I am disgusted and ashamed that I was a party to the trivialisation of such violence." By mid-2015, attacks on Uber drivers had become so frequent that the documents show the company had set up an internal "Taxi intimidation Tracker," the documents show. Uber had identified at least 80 physical attacks on its drivers, which had sent more than 10 people to the hospital. "The reaction to Uber in Europe has seen some of the worst violence and sinister union opposition in our five year expansion to 58 countries and 6 continents," MacGann wrote in July to a communications executive. He ticked through the toll it had taken on drivers: "Dozens of cars destroyed, people deprived of what is often their most expensive, and only asset," he wrote. "Increasing and credible intel of taxi entrapment and ambushing of Uber drivers." MacGann went on to describe the threats Uber managers were facing in Europe. Managers "frequently" required bodyguards when speaking in public, he wrote. One had around-the-clock protection, and another had a device with a panic button in case of a serious incident. That July in Portugal, taxi drivers committed "acts of violence" against Uber drivers on three occasions, sending at least one to the hospital, Rui Bento, a general manager for Uber's Portugal office, said in an email to colleagues. One of the country's largest taxi associations, ANTRAL, had succeeded in getting a court to temporarily ban use of the Uber app. ANTRAL's president, Florencio Almeida, had spoken out against the ride-hailing service, which he considered illegal. In his email, Bento said the company was "considering leaking" information about the attacks to local newspapers. The benefit, he wrote, would be to drive a story that "creates a clear link between the public declarations of violence of the president of ANTRAL and these actions (degrading their public image)." In an emailed response, Yuri Fernandez, an Uber communications manager, proposed investigating Almeida's background to "see if we have enough intel to make it sexy for Media." It's unclear whether Uber went through with investigating Almeida or planting stories about the attacks. Bento and Fernandez did not respond to requests for comment from The Post. In late January 2016, a Geneva taxi driver attacked an Uber driver with a screwdriver, nearly killing him, according to an email that Steve Salom, a general manager for Uber in Switzerland, sent his colleagues. "Most importantly: the driver partner is fine," Salom began the email, before kicking off a debate about what the company should do with the information about the attack. "Do you have talking points to speak to it in the media or to politicians?" Uber policy staffer Maxime Drouineau asked, adding that the incident "happens really at the worst moment" for taxi drivers who opposed legalizing Uber in the country. Salom later mentioned the attack during an interview with a Swiss publication, saying it was an example of how taxi drivers are acting on their fears about Uber's expansion. Drouineau declined to comment when reached by The Post. Salom said he believed it was right to draw attention to the violence. "Uber drivers were beaten up a number of times, and threats by taxi drivers were happening and reported to us several times a day," he wrote in an email. "I had team members that were threatened and I personally received a number of threats. By discussing such events with the press, we were trying to show drivers' day-to-day reality as well as ours. ... We believed that visibility on such events would provide balance and show another side of the story taxis were giving." In March 2016, on a tour of the Middle East, where Plouffe was introducing Uber executives to elites from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he was asked about the violence targeting Uber drivers. Plouffe acknowledged the violence and nodded to the belief that is spelled out in greater detail in the internal company documents: There was a potential upside. "We have seen some violence around the world, but that usually ends up expediting regulatory engagement with the government," he told a crowd at the American University in Cairo, according to a report by the Egyptian news organization Mada Masr. According to the news report, Plouffe added that riders and drivers are Uber's "most important ally" to get regulation reform moving. - - - In Paris, the city where Kalanick claimed he had partly thought up the idea for Uber years earlier while looking for a cab on a winter night, the government's stance on Uber had hardened by 2016. In fact, the company was in a fight for survival there. Police had raided its Paris office. Two of its top officials had been charged with complicity in operating an illegal transportation service and briefly taken into custody. Government officials had repeatedly urged Uber to shut down UberPop, which had a base fare of just one euro, cheaper than any taxi in the city. That year, the aggressive strategy Uber deployed in entering the French market had led to chaotic scenes across the country: Taxi drivers blocked vital intersections and airport access roads, chanting anti-Uber slogans as the black smoke of burning tires billowed around them. Tensions quickly escalated. Mobs of enraged taxi drivers chased their Uber competitors, stopping their cars and damaging or toppling some of them. Emails and text messages from that period document the extent to which Uber's executives were aware of the escalation. Ahead of a major taxi protest in January 2016, Thibaud Simphal, then-Uber France's general manager, shared "intel" with his colleagues that the demonstration would become "big and potentially violent." Uber took the threat so seriously that it abandoned its own premises the day of the protest, renting a nondescript office in the center of Paris, where it set up a guarded "situation room," according to the documents. Other staffers were instructed to work from home or from cafes. Early on the morning of Jan. 27, Simphal told colleagues that the team in Paris reported 53 incidents overnight, three of which were "relatively serious cases involving taxi violence including 1 badly damaged car and 2 beaten up drivers." Though police were out in force, he wrote, "we're afraid that some driver assaults will happen overnight." Two days later, when Kalanick pushed for a counterprotest, Rachel Whetstone, a senior communications executive, responded to him by noting that MacGann had raised concerns about violence against Uber drivers. "Unions being taken over by far right spoiling for a fight," she wrote, adding in another text, "One to think through." MacGann then added that "extreme right thugs" had infiltrated some taxi protests, and that the company would have to keep people safe, probably by calling on contacts with the Paris police. "We'll be smart," he wrote. Kalanick responded with the "violence guarantee success" text. In another message he added: "These guys must be resisted, no? Agreed that right place and setup must be thought out." Simphal texted MacGann and Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty, head of Western Europe at Uber. As the officials rushed to set up the counterprotest for Feb. 3, Simphal appeared to make light of the legal challenges the company faced, saying that "we have officially become pirates." MacGann wasn't amused, particularly because Simphal and Gore-Coty were the two officials who had been charged by French authorities. "You both need to speak this morning to your personal lawyers so that you don't screw your criminal case," he responded. Less than six months later, Simphal and Gore-Coty would be convicted of complicity in operating an illegal transportation service. At sentencing, they avoided jail time but were fined 20,000 euros and 30,000 euros, respectively. Uber was also found guilty of that offense and others and was fined 800,000 euros. Half of the fines were suspended. After Kalanick was forced out, Uber said it welcomed being regulated and would work with governments in France and elsewhere to find compromises. The company has continued to appeal the 2016 verdicts, saying they raise troubling legal issues. The matter is now pending before the French Supreme Court. Whetstone told The Post that she "consistently pushed back on Uber's more aggressive business practices" and resigned after 18 months because of "significant, ongoing concerns about the company's culture." In a statement, Simphal said he should have chosen his words at the time more carefully and did not wish violence on any of the company's drivers. "In a context of confusion and violence, my words were sometimes hasty; but my intention was never to fuel violence," Simphal wrote. "These crises as well as the trial I faced were very difficult experiences, but also real learnings that have taught me a lot." Reached for comment, Gore-Coty also expressed remorse, writing in an email: "I joined Uber nearly ten years ago, at the start of my career. I was young and inexperienced and too often took direction from superiors with questionable ethics. While I believe just as deeply in Uber's potential to create positive change as I did on day one, I regret some of the tactics used to get regulatory reform for ride sharing in the early days. I have personally experienced the consequences of these decisions, including an ongoing trial in France." As Feb. 3, 2016, quickly neared, a group called AMT, which described itself as an association of non-taxi drivers, appeared to be arranging the protest. In public, AMT presented itself as an independent organization. But many drivers suspected Uber to be behind the group and its members. AMT's critics had good reason to be skeptical, the documents show. In internal messages, Uber executives described AMT as "our drivers union" and wrote that it would be "very useful for the next hours and weeks... ;)". Uber executives said they were preparing a logo for AMT's use, providing "political and media training" to the group's leader and helping to coordinate the protest Kalanick had pushed for. In text messages, Simphal and others debate the time and location that was later promoted by AMT. Uber's role in helping to organize the protest was not reflected in its public communications. In a text on Jan. 31, Alexandre Quintard Kaigre, an Uber public-policy official in France, wrote to a colleague in French that Simphal "is aligned with our idea of Uber being the most absent" organization in the protest and communications in the days that followed. AMT's director at the time did not respond to a request for comment. Kaigre also did not comment when reached by The Post. When the counterprotest got underway, there were far fewer than the "15,000 drivers" and "50,000 riders" Kalanick had hoped for in his texts days earlier. Only a few hundred drivers showed up, according to media reports at the time. After dark the next night, on the outskirts of the city, police intervened as taxi drivers and Uber-aligned protesters clashed. - - - Noack reported from Paris. Contributing reporting from: The Washington Post's Alice Crites in Washington; Joseph Menn in San Francisco; The Guardian's Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington, Johana Bhuiyan in New York and Felicity Lawrence in London; The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Sydney Freedberg in St. Petersburg, Fla., and Nicole Sadek in Durham, N.C.; and Damien Leloup and Adrien Senecat of Le Monde and Elodie Gueguen of Radio France in Paris. BALTIMORE (AP) After securing a new state permit, a Johns Hopkins University researcher will be allowed to continue medical experiments on barn owls that have been criticized by a leading animal rights group. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has campaigned for years to end the researcher's experiments it calls cruel and worthless, The Baltimore Sun reported Sunday. The group has lodged complaints with state regulators about the legality of Hopkins' testing practices. Catherine Falls Commercial/Getty Images CLEVELAND, Texas (AP) Authorities have arrested a woman in the killing of a Texas couple who was found beaten to death in their home more than 17 years ago. Shelley Susan Thompson, 41, has been charged with capital murder in the April 2005 deaths of Antonio Rodriguez, 80, and his wife Luz, 77. The couples daughter found them in their home in Cleveland, located about 45 miles (70 km) northeast of Houston. UVALDE, Texas The first shots came from the hallway outside the classroom. Arnulfo Reyes, a fourth grade teacher at Robb Elementary School, quickly remembered the active shooter training he had rehearsed so many times and told his 11 students to lie under their desks and act like you are asleep. A black shadow appeared at one of the classroom doors, and a plume of fire flared from the tip of what looked like a rifle. Reyes felt a bullet piercing his arm, tearing off a chunk of flesh and bone. Then the gunman turned on the children. The rampage was so brutal and so swift, the teacher said, that he did not hear a single whimper from them as their bodies were shredded. Reyes lay in a pool of his own blood for what seemed like an eternity until he heard police officers gathering in the hallway just outside the classroom door. His students lay silent, dead or dying; a few other children in an adjoining classroom were still alive, faintly calling for help. The officers will burst through and save us any minute now, he told himself. But the minutes ticked by, and no rescue came. About a half-hour later, the gunman, sitting near where Reyes was sprawled on the floor, seemed to be taunting him. He leveled his gun at the teachers back and fired again. I think about it more and more. What could they have done differently? Reyes said in an interview recounting the events of May 24, when a mass shooting at the school left 19 students and two teachers dead. He described the agony that victims felt as police who were gathered in the hallway postponed entering the classrooms where the gunman was holed up waiting some 78 minutes in a delayed response that a preliminary law enforcement investigation suggests was complicated by a search for a key and a decision to try to protect the lives of the responding officers. I kept waiting for someone to come, Reyes said. But when I didnt see anyone coming in, I just thought, nobodys coming. More than a month after the tragedy, as Reyes tries to recover from the severe wounds he suffered, the memories of that day play repeatedly in his mind. The day began with a jovial year-end award ceremony, after which nearly half of Reyes 18 fourth grade students had gone home with their parents. Eleven stayed because they wanted to watch The Addams Family movie. It was supposed to be an easy day, just before the summer break, he recalled. Out of nowhere, Reyes and his students heard what they now know were gunshots coming from the hallway. The powerful blasts sprayed debris into his classroom. There were pieces of wall flying, he said. The gunman first entered room 112, which was connected to Reyes classroom through another door. He shot indiscriminately, police said, fatally wounding two teachers, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, and several of their students. Reyes turned to his students. All right, weve already practiced this. Get under the desks, OK? Just close your eyes and act like you are asleep, he remembered saying. I didnt want them to see anything. Reyes does not remember if the gunman entered through the door that connected the two rooms or if he stepped back into the hallway. But the next thing he recalls is seeing a ghostly figure wearing a black hoodie over his head and what looked like a black medical mask that obscured half of his face. I just see this shadow and his eyes, he said. Then came two sparks from a rifle, aimed at him. He shot me first, he said. The impact sent a burning shock through his left arm that felt like hot lava, he said. A large chunk of his forearm was missing. The gunman quickly turned his rifle on the students, unleashing a rain of fire that was so fast and merciless that it was over almost as soon as it began, and there was nothing but silence in the room. They were probably instantly killed, Reyes said, though he said some of them might have died during the long wait. Maybe, he said, they were silent because they were in shock. The first police officers arrived outside the classroom door about three minutes after the gunman entered the school, according to a preliminary timeline. After the initial attack, Reyes said, he could hear them talking to one another in the hallway just outside. At one point, he heard one of the officers yell at the gunman: Come out, we want to talk to you! The gunman did not answer, though police have said that two officers suffered grazing wounds when he fired a burst at the classroom door. The chatter from police went quiet. You didnt hear anything anymore, Reyes said. Most of his students were probably beyond saving, Reyes said. But at least one surviving child in the classroom next door must have heard the officers too, he said, because he heard someone cry for help. Officers, come in, he heard a small voice say. We are in here. For several minutes, the gunman paced around the room, then perched on the teachers desk as Reyes lay sprawled face-down on the floor below. In what he believed was an attempt to taunt him or to make sure he was dead the gunman let a cup of water drip from a desk onto Reyes back. The gunman then smeared some of Reyes own blood on the teachers face and placed the teachers phone, which kept ringing as desperate relatives tried to reach him, on his back. He seemed to be trying to elicit a reaction, Reyes said. He was going to make sure I was dead, too. I mean, he had nothing to lose. Some 30 minutes after entering the room, apparently unsure whether Reyes might still be alive, the gunman shot him a second time, this time in his lower back. Reyes said he became certain at that point that he would not survive. Im not going to make it, he told himself. Im going to bleed out. Then he heard the gunman return to room 112. More shots were fired. He later heard the gunman closing the blinds on a window facing the outside. Reyes does not remember how much more time passed, but he suddenly heard tables sliding and loud stomps in the room next door. There was more gunfire. Then silence. A man who was part of a Border Patrol team that had breached the classroom next door and killed the gunman approached Reyes, urging him to get up if you can. When he could not, the agent dragged him by the tip of his pants out of the carnage. He asked for help carrying me. I was too heavy, he said, sharing a rare smile. Another agent, he said, suddenly shouted an expletive. Theres kids under here! A few of them were still alive in the adjoining classroom. The school was suddenly a swarm of police officers, medics, ambulances and, outside, hysterical parents. Reyes was flown to a hospital in San Antonio, where he underwent several surgeries. Doctors placed a metal plate about 6 inches long on his arm for his gaping wound, covering it with a skin graft from his right leg. A pair of drainage bags still collect fluids coming from his lower back and arm. He will not regain full movement in the arm, doctors have told him. He is back now at his modest home in Uvalde, a city where he has lived since he was a young child. It is decorated with antiques and inspirational signs. All You Need Is Love, one of them reads, and: It Takes A Big Heart To Help Shape Little Minds. He had dreamed of becoming a lawyer, he said, but 18 years ago he found his calling as an elementary schoolteacher, the last 10 of them at Robb Elementary. After a difficult year of teaching remotely because of the pandemic, Reyes was happy to see his all of his students return to class in 2022. This year was different; I could just feel it, he said. They had a tight bond. They wanted to learn. When he thinks about the students who died in his classroom that day, most of them barely 10 years old, he finds himself remembering them not in death, but in life. There was Rojelio Torres, who had suddenly become serious about learning his multiplication and division. He was very ambitious. He wanted to be good at everything. There was Jose Flores, who lived for lunch and recess and was a corajudo, meaning he would get flustered each time he failed to understand a lesson or math problem. He would shut down, and I would tell him, Dont do that. And he did; he learned how to control his frustration. Josecito, as his family called him, was named to the honor roll for the first time on the day he was killed. And who could forget Jayce Luevanos? He was the popular class clown who reminded Reyes of the flamboyant movie character Ace Ventura portrayed by Jim Carrey. Jayce liked to wear a T-shirt with the image of an ice chest that read, Im a little bit cooler than you. On a recent afternoon, Reyes sat next to a blue folkloric cross given to him by the mother of Tess Mata, one of the victims, and a block of granite engraved with photos of all the victims. A cousin, Belinda Aguilera, stopped by to check on him. Hes doing better, thank God, Aguilera said as she studied Reyes, who was sitting alone on a couch. Aguilera, who lives near the school, said she was one of the people calling Reyes phone in a panic after hearing several gunshots. You popped on my head because I knew you were there, she told him, fighting back tears. Im so sorry, she said. I feel like my phone call made him do that to you. No, no, Reyes said, trying to reassure her at a time when practically everyone has lost any sense of assurance. This is not on you, he said. She didnt seem convinced. She talked about the long road he had ahead of him. Not just the wounds healing but everything else. The pain will never go away, she said. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. OKLAHOMA CITY - Jurors and others in Judge Donald Thompson's courtroom kept hearing a strange whooshing noise, like a bicycle pump or maybe a blood pressure cuff. During one trial, Thompson seemed so distracted that some jurors thought he was playing a hand-held video game or tying fly-fishing lures behind the bench. The explanation, investigators say, is even stranger than some imagined: The judge had a habit of masturbating with a penis pump under his robe during trials. The lurid allegations have led to criminal charges against Thompson, brought an embarrassing end to a solid career and shocked many of his colleagues. The case could also lead to a wave of appeals from defendants claiming that the judge was not paying attention while presiding over their cases. Thompson, 58, a married father of three grown children, has denied the allegations, and said the pump was just a gag gift received from a hunting buddy on his 50th birthday. He retired in August after being threatened with removal from the bench, but still faces indecent-exposure charges brought against him last month. "We're certainly saddened by the thought that the prosecutor filed charges," said Clark Brewster, Thompson's attorney. "We thought all this was dealt with when he resigned. We didn't feel like anything that was alleged rose to the level of criminal charges." The trials during which he allegedly used the pump included murder cases as well as a libel suit in which a jury ordered the company that publishes The Oklahoman, a Web site and a TV station to pay $3.7 million. Police built a case against the judge after one of Wall's officers testified during a 2003 murder trial. From the witness stand, the officer saw a piece of plastic tubing disappear under Thompson's robe. During a break, officers took photographs of the pump under the desk. Investigators later collected carpet samples, Thompson's robes and the chair from behind the bench, and found semen, according to court records. Thompson was a former state legislator and a judge with more than 20 years on the bench in Creek County in eastern Oklahoma. Thompson's court reporter, Lisa Foster, told authorities that she saw him use the pump at least 10 times during trials. She said the first time in court was in 2000, but she did not tell authorities. "I didn't want to be found dead in a ditch somewhere," she said. Foster and a bailiff were fired by Thompson after giving statements against him. Republicans across Connecticut are now deeply involved in the kind of election-year truth evasion, insults and general political stunts that turn people off to earnest public policy debate instead of engaging them and allowing them to see the benefits of smart, thoughtful legislation. The lectern-pounding, made-for-TV outrage that the Connecticut GOP is now engaged in is a dangerous game to play, and their cynicism needs to be exposed. Connecticut Republicans are barnstorming around the state right now, demanding that diesel prices be cut to help the 1 percent of Connecticut motorists who likely drive a diesel-powered car. The diesel tax, which lately has been at its lowest rate since 2011, increased slightly on July 1 to a rate thats still lower than it was in 2015. But if Connecticut Republicans are so concerned about fuel prices, the public should ask: where were they a few weeks ago when Democrats voted for a state budget that cut 25 cents off the price of gasoline from now until December? That Democratic budget is saving Connecticut motorists $150 million this year alone in gasoline taxes. So, despite the lectern pounding, the public might well ask: who really cares about cutting fuel prices in Connecticut? The answer is obvious: Democrats do. Republicans overwhelmingly voted No. The same can be said of Republicans new demand that Connecticut not make any extra payments toward our 70 years of built-up pension debt that has hung like a lead weight around our state economy for decades. Instead, Republicans who havent proposed a state budget in five years, by the way want to reject the Democrats budgeted debt payments and instead put that money toward an election-year income tax cut. Disgraced former Republican Governor John Rowland did the exact same thing back in 1998 when he was seeking re-election: he mailed out over $100 million in income tax rebates rather than put the money toward paying down state pension debt. Eliminating the pension payment will not only cost Connecticut now, but it will result in tens of millions of dollars in extra costs each year for the next quarter-century. This is a truly surprising proposal from Connecticut Republicans, because for the past 15 years theyve been pounding their fists on lecterns in front of TV cameras and demanding that Connecticut get its pension debt under control so businesses can flourish and our great-grandchildren wont have to pay off their great-great grandparents pension debt. Again, the public might well ask: who really cares about fiscal responsibility? The answer is obvious: Democrats do. Republicans overwhelmingly voted No. And it gets much, much worse. Connecticut Republicans claim theyre now concerned about the high price of traveling, but they voted No on free public bus transportation in Connecticut until December. Republicans claim they want to provide middle-class tax relief, but they voted No on a $250 per-child tax credit for Connecticut families. Republicans shake their fists at taxes, but they voted No on capping local car tax rates at a maximum 32.46 mills (the benefits of which are arriving in mailboxes right now for many Connecticut residents) and they voted No to raising the property tax credit for homeowners. Republicans claim they want to help struggling elderly and low-income citizens, but they voted No on phasing out taxes on pensions and annuities and No on increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families. In short, everything Republicans are now barnstorming around the state claiming theyre for, they overwhelmingly voted against just a few weeks ago. Now, if this sounds odd to you that someone can claim to be in your corner but is really undermining you with every vote they take consider this: Last year (not an election year), half of the Republicans in the Connecticut General Assembly voted for a two-year state budget that was written and negotiated by Democrats. This year (an election year), only two Republicans in the entire General Assembly voted for a modified version of that very same budget, which now also provides two-thirds of a billion dollars in tax breaks for many Connecticut families. Crazy? Yes. Call it election year posturing. But when you see all those TV images of pounding fists on lecterns, you might want to ask yourself one very important question: Where were these people a few weeks ago? State Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, of New Haven, represents the 11th District. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, of Norwalk, represents the 25th District. WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Northwestern Johnson County in north central Texas... * Until 730 PM CDT. * At 651 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Godley, or 8 miles northwest of Cleburne, and is nearly stationary. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Cleburne, Joshua and Godley. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southern Coleman, northwestern McCulloch and northeastern Concho Counties through 730 PM CDT... At 650 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Rockwood, moving west at 5 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Gouldbusk, Rockwood, Doole, Ivie Reservoir Near Concho Park Marina, Voss, Stacy, Waldrip, Leaday, Trickham, Mozelle, Whon, Fisk, Shields and Us-283 Near The Mcculloch-Coleman County Line. If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. LAT...LON 3174 9921 3146 9920 3138 9945 3139 9972 3166 9972 TIME...MOT...LOC 2350Z 074DEG 5KT 3154 9934 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ 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 Charles Dickens' The Personal History of David Copperfield adaptation in HBO Max might result in the streaming platform dropping its best literary adaptation honor. HBO Max may Lose Best Literary Adaptation of Charles Dickens' Work Only William Shakespeare can rival Charles Dickens in people's lives, especially if they grow up in the UK. His books are everywhere, and his phrases are commonplace. When you say "The Creeps" or "butterfingers," you're quoting Dickens. They'll be on reading lists for centuries. Dickens' work tends to make adaptors stick to the source's original setting, and even the Muppets Christmas Carol is set in Victorian London. It goes beyond setting. Dickens' words seem to bind screenwriters and directors to their chosen tone. These are dark, dank, cruel dramas about the worst of humanity. The Personal History of David Copperfield is a 2019 revelation. It's the best literary adaptation of the 21st century. Watch it before it leaves HBO Max at the end of the month. The following are the reasons why: It's Director The Personal History of David Copperfield was written and directed by Armando Ianucci, known for The Thick of It, VEEP, and Alan Partridge with Steve Coogan. Dickens' book follows Copperfield from birth to adulthood, through fortune and famine, love and loss, and complex love life. Ianucci gives the story a madcap spirit and exploits eccentric characters. The movie radiates kindness and warmth even when the subject is harrowing. The casting is mainly responsible for that. The Great and the Good Despite a $15 million budget, Ianucci assembles a solid cast. Dev Patel plays the title role superbly. Since it's his life story, he's in every scene and guides us through every life change. But the cast is impressive. Tilda Swinton is a quirky marvel as Betsey Trotwood, and Hugh Laurie is a mystical scene-stealer as his eccentric cousin Mr. Dick. Ben Whishaw is a dastardly Uriah Heap, the man who will plot to steal Copperfield's inheritance, Benedict Wong is a coarse, but hilarious Mr. Wickfield and Morfydd Clark's Dora Spendlow is a shrill, but strangely. The cast is vast, and Ianucci chose every role well. Read Also: Tesla's Starlink Satellite Installation Expands at Supercharger Locations Taking in New Life Somehow, Ianucci condensed a 624-page book that many scholars interpreted as Dickens lecturing on the injustices of British society into a light, funny, kind, and utterly heartwarming comedy-drama into a neat two-hour package. HBO Max's to Change European Originals Strategy On July 4, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a change in strategy for its streaming business in Europe. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, it would stop producing original content for HBO Max in the Nordics and Central Europe and had already contained its early development work in the more recent territories of the Netherlands and Turkey. The media behemoth announced at the beginning of the week that it had stopped producing original content in some European countries in the wake of the merger that gave rise to the new market leader and in the midst of its efforts to combine HBO Max and Discovery+. According to sources, the company is also evaluating shows produced or edited in the Nordics, Central Europe, and the Netherlands. This is to determine whether they will be made available on HBO Max's streaming service or if a separate licensing agreement needs to be made for them. According to those sources, the company's original programming initiatives in France and Spain are unaffected by the change in strategy. Warner Bros. Discovery's management has promised profitable streaming subscriber growth and $3 billion in cost savings. CEO David Zaslav emphasized his team's focus on creating fewer, better shows on Tuesday (July 5) at the Allen & Co. gathering in Sun Valley, Idaho. Related Article: HBO, HBO Max Subscribers Increase by 13 Million - Still Lower Than Netflix, Disney+? Americans with at least one Canadian parent can get Canadian citizenship by applying for Proof of Citizenship. Americans can get Canadian citizenship if at least one parent is Canadian Americans can get Canadian citizenship if at least one parent is Canadian Americans with at least one Canadian parent can get Canadian citizenship by applying for Proof of Citizenship. Americans can get Canadian citizenship if at least one parent is Canadian Americans with at least one Canadian parent can get Canadian citizenship by applying for Proof of Citizenship. Americans can get Canadian citizenship if at least one parent is Canadian Americans with at least one Canadian parent can get Canadian citizenship by applying for Proof of Citizenship. Daniel Levy Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Americans born to first generation Canadian citizens may be eligible for Canadian citizenship by descent. In order to prove that you are eligible for citizenship, you need to apply for a Proof of Citizenship. You can apply at any age, and you are still eligible if your parents are deceased. It costs about $75 to apply. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires proof of citizenship applicants to demonstrate their biological or legal parent was in fact a Canadian citizen at the time of your birth. You can provide evidence such as your parents birth certificate, Canadian citizenship card, or citizenship certificate. Get a Free Legal Consultation on Applying for Proof of Canadian Citizenship You can apply online for a proof of citizenship if your Canadian parent was: granted citizenship on or after April 17, 2009, or born in Canada on or after February 15, 1977. Otherwise, you will have to submit a paper application. Once you submit the Proof of Citizenship application and government fee, IRCC will then review it to make sure it is complete. After that, you will get an acknowledgment of receipt. If your case is complicated, IRCC may need to contact you to get more information or documents. IRCC may also need more time to process complicated cases. Once IRCC approves your application, they will send you a Canadian citizenship certificate. With the proof of citizenship document you will be able to call Canada home. You can get a Canadian passport, vote in an election, and enjoy the host of privileges that come with being Canadian such as universal health care. At the same time, you do not have to forfeit your U.S. citizenship. An experienced Canadian immigration lawyer can help you submit your application to ensure you meet all the requirements and can get Canadian citizenship without delay. Get a Free Legal Consultation on Applying for Proof of Canadian Citizenship CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. How to sponsor your spouse or partner through inland and outland sponsorship. What is the difference between inland and outland spousal sponsorship? What is the difference between inland and outland spousal sponsorship? How to sponsor your spouse or partner through inland and outland sponsorship. What is the difference between inland and outland spousal sponsorship? How to sponsor your spouse or partner through inland and outland sponsorship. What is the difference between inland and outland spousal sponsorship? How to sponsor your spouse or partner through inland and outland sponsorship. Julia Hornstein Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Canadian citizens and permanent residents who are in a relationship with a foreign national may sponsor that person to join them in Canada and become a permanent resident. You may sponsor your spouse, common-law partner or conjugal partner. There are two main options to choose from when sponsoring your spouse or partner: Outland Sponsorship and Inland Sponsorship. Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration Outland Sponsorship Outland sponsorship is an option for couples who are not living together in Canada. This application is for foreign nationals who are residing abroad and are to be sponsored by their Canadian spouse or partner. If your spouse or partner is unable to apply from inside Canada or does not legally live in Canada at the time of the application, outland sponsorship is likely the only option available. To be eligible to sponsor a spouse or partner under the Outland application category, the sponsor and sponsored person must meet the following criteria: The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident; The sponsor and the sponsored person must be at least 18 years of age; The sponsor and the sponsored person must be in one of the following types of relationship: Spouse: you are legally married, and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law; Common law: you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months; Conjugal partnership: you have been in an ongoing and committed relationship for at least 12 months but due to significant factors beyond your control, such as an immigration barrier or marital status, you cannot live together. The sponsor must not have sponsored a spouse in Canada in the five years preceding the application. The sponsor or sponsored person must not be in prison, charged with a serious offence or bankrupt. It is important to note that if you are in a conjugal relationship, the Outland Sponsorship application is the only option available to you as conjugal relationships are not eligible under Inland Sponsorship. If the sponsored persons work or personal situation requires them to travel outside the country, Outland Sponsorship may be the better option as it allows for travel to and from Canada during the application process. Inland Sponsorship Inland sponsorship is an option for couples who are living together in Canada. This application is for foreign spouses or partners who have valid temporary status in Canada, either as a worker, student or visitor. The sponsored person will be able to continue to live, work or study in Canada while the inland sponsorship application is being processed. To be eligible to sponsor a spouse or partner under the Inland application category, the sponsor and sponsored person must meet the following criteria: The sponsor must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident in Canada; The sponsor and sponsored person must be at least 18 years of age; The sponsor and the sponsored person must be in one of the following types of relationships: Spouse: you are legally married, and your marriage is valid under the law of the jurisdiction where it was registered and under Canadian law; Common-law: you are cohabiting or have cohabited with your partner in a marriage-like relationship for at least 12 consecutive months. The sponsor must not have sponsored a spouse in Canada in the five years preceding the application The sponsor or sponsored person must not be in prison, charged with a serious offence or is bankrupt One of the main benefits of Inland Sponsorship is that the sponsored person may be eligible for an open work permit, which allows them to work full-time in Canada while their permanent resident application is being processed. It is expected that the sponsored person stays in Canada while their application is being processed. If the sponsored person does not plan to stay in Canada or needs to be able to travel while the application is being processed, Outland Sponsorship may be a better option. Where do I submit my spousal sponsorship application? Applications to sponsor a spouse or partner may be submitted outside Canada at a visa office or in Canada at a local immigration office. Sponsorship applications for conjugal partners can only be submitted through an outside of Canada application process. How long does it take to process Outland and Inland Sponsorship applications? Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)s target processing period for spousal sponsorship is around 12 months. Sponsor your family for Canadian immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. From left, actors Kwon Hae-sung, Lee Hwang-eui, Jeong He-in and Kim Ah-ra and director Lim Chang-jae pose during a press conference for the comedy drama series "DMZ Daeseong-dong," held in Seoul's Dongjak District, Wednesday. Courtesy of D'Live By Park Han-sol A poster for the upcoming four-part drama series, "DMZ Daesung-dong" / Courtesy of D'Live The logo of Kakao T, the nation's largest taxi-hailing app, is seen on top of a cab in front of Seoul Station on June 28. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung Kakao investors are feeling increasingly frustrated by a steep fall in the price of the company's stock after the mobile platform operator decided to sell the management rights of its mobility subsidiary. Kakao shares had shown signs of a rebound up until early last week. The stock price dipped below 70,000 won in June, hit hard by sagging stock market sentiment here and abroad. But it recovered to 73,500 won as of July 6 after extending a winning streak for four consecutive trading days from the start of this month. But the company lost its momentum for an additional rally afterwards. Major large-cap stocks here bounced back on July 7 in tandem with the benchmark KOSPI's 2-percent rebound. But this was not the case for Kakao, the stock of which ended down amid rumors that the company plans to sell a stake in Kakao Mobility to a Seoul-based private equity fund (PEF). Kakao also confirmed that it would become the second-largest shareholder of the subsidiary by selling a double-digit stake to an investor rumored to be MBK Partners. According to data from the Korea Exchange, the combined market capitalization of Kakao and its four other subsidiaries reached 59.7 trillion won as of July 8. The figure more than halved from the end of November of last year. Kakao's share price once topped 170,000 won in June 2021 during a stock market boom, but nosedived to below 72,000 won on Friday. This fall has put Kakao investors in a dilemma at a critical time when the firm's top management has been mired in a series of ethical controversies. The latest decision to relinquish management control over Kakao Mobility also hampers efforts to rev up Kakao's stock value. Kakao is the largest shareholder of the subsidiary, with a 57.5-percent stake, but it is considering selling possibly more than a 10-percent stake to the local PEF due to falling profitability. In response, Kakao's labor union expressed strong opposition to the decision. The union will hold a press conference on July 11 to protest its management's latest move. "No one will understand the top management's move to sell the subsidiary to the PEF, as they have so far pledged to fulfill their social responsibility," the union said. "Kakao's employees and executives will join hands to urge management to make the right decision." IDAHO Forest Service testing new aerial fire retardant BOISE U.S. officials are testing a new wildfire retardant after two decades of buying millions of gallons annually from one supplier, but watchdogs say the expensive strategy is overly fixated on aerial attacks at the expense of hiring more fire-line digging ground crews. The Forest Service used more than 50 million gallons of retardant for the first time in 2020 as increasingly destructive wildfires plague the West. It exceeded 50 million gallons again last year to fight some of the largest and longest-duration wildfires in history in California and other states. The fire retardant cost those two years reached nearly $200 million. Over the previous 10 years, the agency used 30 million gallons annually. The Forest Service said tests started last summer are continuing this summer with a magnesium-chloride-based retardant from Fortress. Fortress contends its retardants are effective and better for the environment than products offered by Perimeter Solutions, which says its ammonium-phosphate-based retardants are superior. The main ingredient in Fortress products is extracted from the Great Salt Lake in Utah, a method the company says is more environmentally friendly and less greenhouse-gas producing than mining and processing phosphate. Perimeter Solutions, which has facilities and equipment throughout the West, has dominated the market for more than two decades and produces world's most used fire retardant. Two Forest Service watchdog groups contend both types of retardant harm the environment, and that the agency should be spending less on retardant and more on firefighters. MONTANA First oil sales on public land under Biden bring $22 million BILLINGS Energy companies bid more than $22 million to secure drilling rights on about 110 square miles of public lands in the western U.S. on June 30, during the first onshore oil and natural gas lease sales since President Joe Biden took office. Leases on about 90 square miles went unsold in the U.S. Bureau Land Management online auctions that included parcels of federal lands in seven states. Oil and gas produced from the leases will be subject to a royalty rate of 18.75%. That's up from 12.5% and the first royalty increase since the 1920s. About 200 square miles of federal lands had been offered for lease in eight western states. Most of those sold were in Wyoming, where companies paid more than $13 million for parcels totaling about 105 square miles. The auctions came as federal officials try to balance efforts to fight climate change against pressure to bring down high gas prices. Critics of the leasing program pointed to unsold parcels in Wyoming, Colorado, Montana and Nevada as further evidence oil companies have enough leases and drilling permits already stockpiled to last them for years. But with several prior lease sales still tied up in court challenges from environmentalists, some companies had concerns going into the sale that they might not be able to drill on leases they acquired, said Ryan McConnaughey, vice president of the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. Oil production increased in the U.S. in recent months, but it's still well below pre-pandemic levels. Companies have been hesitant to expand drilling too quickly because of uncertainty over how long high prices will continue. NEW MEXICO State inks land leases for massive wind project ALBUQUERQUE New Mexico's public land commissioner on June 27 signed nearly a dozen leases that will clear the way for a major renewable energy developer to erect wind turbines across 230 square miles of state trust land. Officials are billing Pattern Energy's planned development in Lincoln, Torrance and San Miguel counties as the largest wind energy project in the western hemisphere. The company at the end of 2021 brought online four wind farms in central New Mexico totaling more than a gigawatt of capacity for utility customers in California. The new leases will be part of the larger SunZia project, which will ultimately have a capacity of 3,000 megawatts to power homes in more populated markets in the West. New Mexico Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said that together, the 11 leases signed on June 27 mark the largest leasing of state trust land for renewable energy development in the state's history. Pattern Energy has said it plans to invest $6 billion in upcoming wind energy and related infrastructure projects in the state over the next decade. The company had a total winning bid of nearly $9.3 million for the parcels. State officials said they expect revenue from the planned project to bring in at least $196 million over its lifetime to benefit public schools and other state institutions. WYOMING Grand Teton may add visitors amid partial Yellowstone closure JACKSON There is a mix of good and not-so-good news for visitors to Grand Teton National Park, as well as to the Jackson area. After being closed for about 11 weeks to accommodate runway construction, among other things, Jackson Hole Airport was open again on June 28, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported. Nearby Grand Teton National Park could see increased visitors as a result, said a public affairs specialist for the park, who speculated that visitors could also increase due to the temporary, flood-related closure of Yellowstone National Park. Statistics available online show that recreational visits to Grand Teton in May fell by about a third to 235,020 from the same month last year. Now for the not-so-good news. Teton County's community-level assessment for COVID-19 has again climbed into the high zone, triggering a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all people wear facial coverings indoors to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. For Grand Teton, this also means masks are again required to be worn in indoor spaces within the park. NEVADA World War II-era boat emerges from shrinking Lake Mead LAS VEGAS A sunken boat dating back to World War II is the latest object to emerge from a shrinking reservoir that straddles Nevada and Arizona. The Higgins landing craft that has long been 185 feet below the surface is now nearly halfway out of the water at Lake Mead. The boat lies less than a mile from Lake Mead Marina and Hemingway Harbor. It was used to survey the Colorado River decades ago, sold to the marina and then sunk, according to dive tours company Las Vegas Scuba. Built by Higgins Industries in New Orleans, around 1,500 "Higgins boats" were deployed at Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944. The boat is just the latest in a series of objects unearthed by declining water levels in Lake Mead, the largest human-made reservoir in the U.S., held back by the Hoover Dam. In May, two sets of human remains were found in the span of a week. Experts say climate change and drought have led to the lake dropping to its lowest level since it was full about 20 years ago. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said last month that the agency would take action to protect the system if the seven states in the Colorado River basin don't quickly come up with a way to cut the use of up to 4 million acre-feet of water more than Arizona and Nevada's share combined. Farmers use a majority of the river's supply. 100% Website canberratimes.com.au uses latest and advanced technologies. It is very popular on the web, it's within the 1 million most visited websites of the world at position 27729 by Alexa. It supports HTTPS and GZIP compression. The main html page has a size of 593397 bytes (579.49 kb uncompressed) and 98511 bytes (96.20 kb compressed). This CoolSocial report was updated on 2022-07-10, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. Wang Yi co-hosts 2nd meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism in Indonesia Xinhua) 10:06, July 10, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosted the Second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism here on Saturday with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Luhut said Indonesia-China relations bear strategic significance and global influence, and the two countries have conducted all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered cooperation with a commitment to building a community with a shared future. Indonesia supports and is willing to actively participate in the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, he said. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who was also attending the meeting, said Indonesia highly values its close coordination with China and stands ready to join hands with China to focus on current pressing issues including peace, food and energy security, so as to contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and the world at large. For his part, Wang said the two sides have set the direction of building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, and forged a new pattern of bilateral relations featuring "four-wheel drive" of political, economic, cultural and maritime cooperation. The two sides comprehensively reviewed the progress of practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields and reached a broad consensus. Both countries are satisfied with the fruitful outcomes of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, especially with the highest increase in bilateral trade among ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members last year, and will continue to promote more balanced and high-quality development of economic and trade cooperation. The two sides spoke highly of the progress made in development financing cooperation and will take a multi-pronged approach to carry out more financing cooperation on conventional infrastructure and new infrastructure projects. Both sides will continue to build the Belt and Road with high quality, deepen the integration of industrial chain and value chain, and jointly build a highland for regional development, so as to boost post-pandemic global economic recovery. Both sides will accelerate cooperation on major landmark projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, the regional comprehensive economic corridor and industrial parks, expand cooperation on digital economy and green development, and strengthen cooperation on agriculture, poverty alleviation and food security. China will expand imports of quality agricultural and fishery products from Indonesia. Regarding anti-COVID-19 cooperation, China supports Indonesia in building a regional vaccine center, and is ready to help Indonesia increase vaccine production capacity and advance the construction of a joint research center for vaccines and genes. Both sides will also strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Kazuteru Osako, a Korean-Japanese potter of Satsuma ware, speaks to the descendants of the Cheongsong Shim clan at Cheongsimjae in Gimpo's Daegot Village, July 9. Yonhap By Ko Dong-hwan GIMPO On July 9 at Cheongsimjae, a shrine in the remote countryside of Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, near the well-kept tombs of ancestors of the Cheongsong Shim clan, Kazuteru Osako, the 15th Chin Jukan, stood before more than 100 descendants of the clan who gathered to see him. Chin Jukan is a pseudonym handed down from generation to generation of potters in his family. Kazuteru had already met some of the descendants in May this year when he was invited for President Yoon Suk-yeol's inauguration at the National Assembly in Seoul. It was then that he decided to return in July to learn more about his roots. Kazuteru, a Korean-Japanese potter who is a descendant of the Shim clan, was the first among the clan's descendants in Japan to visit the shrine in Korea after Shim Dang-gil, the origin figure of the clan's Japanese branch, was taken to Kagoshima Prefecture by the Japanese military as a prisoner of war in 1598. "My father used to remind me in Japan that I need not feel lonely because I always have Korea watching my back," the master craftsman, 59, told the crowd in Japanese through an interpreter, getting emotional. "At last, I have one thing to report to you all. During the 424 years my ancestors have lived in Japan, not once did they disgrace the Cheongsong Shim clan deliberately," Kazuteru said, bursting into a sob. The crowd responded with applause. Kazuteru was born and raised in Japan but, like his forefathers, he didn't hide his Korean roots from the public. Making ceramics and handing down the craft from generation to generation, their Korean surname has always been behind their products that became one of Japan's best-known types of ceramics, Satsuma ware. Being identified for his Korean heritage sometimes served Kazuteru bitterly, leading to some Japanese treating him disparagingly. His father and forefathers suffered the same. But in the late 1800s, the 12th Chin Jukan brought international prominence to his clan's craftsmanship, making Satsuma ware into a well-known Japanese ceramic style by winning awards at international expositions in Vienna, Chicago, Paris, Hanoi and St. Louis, and the clan took on a new task: to bridge Korea and Japan through their proud craft heritage. Kazuteru Osako stands with his relatives from the Cheongsong Shim clan in front of an ancestral tomb in Daegot, Gimpo. Korea Times photo by Ko Dong-hwan In 2018, one of the Korean Cultural Centers in Japan held an exhibition of ceramic works that had been made by Kazuteru's clan over the past 420 years in commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. Kazuteru, who represented the clan back then, was the key figure behind the event. Later that year, Kazuteru joined a special committee of Japanese experts promoting cultural exchanges between Japan and Korea in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the joint declaration of reconciliation by former Korean President Kim Dae-jung and former Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. "I am Japanese, but my blood is Korean," Kazuteru said in 2018 in an interview with a Korean news outlet. "If Japan is my mother's country, Korea is the country of my father and grandfather." He said his efforts for Korea are like the addition of a ladle-full of water to the ocean. It sounds silly to argue that his efforts have increased the volume of water in the ocean by any degree, but it would be false to say otherwise, according to him. "The important thing is that a ladle-full of water was added to the ocean. It's just like my efforts for Korea. It would be hard to say that my insignificant work has actually improved the Seoul-Tokyo relationship. But as long as I carry my name and my ancestry with me, I believe Japan's interest in and understanding of Korea will keep improving." The clan's prominence shined most brightly in 1998 in terms of bilateral relations. The Ilmin Museum of Art, run by Korean daily newspaper DongA Ilbo in central Seoul in front of Gwanghwamun, hosted an exhibition of generations of works by the clan's potters. It was the first time the works had been exhibited outside Japan. The event was titled "Nostalgia in 400 years: the Shim Sugwan Family's Ceramic Art." The event was a huge success, drawing some 50,000 visitors during the five-week exhibition. But the most epic bilateral initiative involving the clan was when the 14th Chin transported a live fire from Namwon, North Jeolla Province, to his base in Miyama, Kagoshima, to use it for making his ceramics. It was a project reminiscent of the Japanese descendants' original forefather, Shim Dang-gil, who had everything needed to start his legacy as a potter brought from Korea, including earth. The only thing required in his works that he had to produce in Japan was fire. The very first ware Shin made was a tea bowl he named "hibakari," meaning the "only thing that's Japanese is the fire." In 1998, the 14th Chin, marking the 400th anniversary of Shim Dang-gil's arrival in Japan, decided to repeat his ancestor's process in the inverse: making pottery using materials and skills from Japan everything except fire from Korea. In this photo from June 2019, Kazuteru, second from left, presents a Satsuma plate he crafted to then Korea President Moon Jae-in during a meeting of ethnic Koreans in Japan held at a hotel in Osaka. Korea Times file They put a fire started at Mount Gyoryong in Namwon in a kiln, and, with the help of the Korean police who escorted the transportation of the fire to Busan by road, successfully shipped the live flame to Kawauchi Port in Fukushima Prefecture. Later in 1998, the 14th Chin made a tea bowl using the fire and presented it to Prime Minister Keizo. The same year, the prime minister presented the same tea bowl to U.S. President Bill Clinton when he visited New York. Kazuteru, who accepted his historical destiny in 1999 and was officially given the name Chin Jukan, learned a lot from his father about commitment to improving Seoul-Tokyo ties. The 14th Chin, who started representing the clan in 1964, was appointed an honorary ambassador of the Korean government to Kagoshima in 1989 in acknowledgement of his efforts for bilateral cultural exchanges. He was also awarded the Korean government's second-highest cultural badge of honor in 1999. After his death, Japanese daily newspaper Asahi Shimbun said that he "passionately took on the role of bridging the culture of Korea and Japan through Satsuma ware." "Our clan in Japan suffered a lot because of our Korean ethnicity, especially after Japan turned to imperialism following the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Many families whose roots go back to Korea hid their ethnic identities but we didn't. When I accepted my clan's transcendental legacy, I also had to embrace such weighty, grave historical accounts as well. It was such a heavy pressure on me," Kazuteru said. "But culture is actually something transportable rather than fixed. Satsuma ware is the result of how a Korean custom that had arrived in Japan 420 years ago adapted to the country's local society and environment. To borrow the terms of evolutionary theory, it didn't last this long simply because it was strong. It was strong because it lasted this long through ceaseless adaptation. The seeds of Korea kept blossoming in Japanese soil." When Keith Howard was appointed the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) CISO, he inherited what he described recently at the Gartner Security Summit as five different teams within cybersecurity. It had taken CBA more than a year to find a permanent replacement for their CISO, following the sudden departure of their external recruit Yuval Illuz at the end of 2018. The search ended with appointment of Howard, who had already been with CBA for four years, and at the time was the banks CIO for product and marketing and general manager of its customer engagement platform. Howard explained that due to the lack of final authority for the substantial amount, it meant roles and responsibilities within cybersecurity teams became blurred. I think when there isnt precision on that, it can cause teams to occasionally step on each others toes, things can fall between gaps, and weve got to remember in cybersecurity there are not many black and whites, but lots of greys, he tells CSO Australia. In a bid to bring cohesion back to the disparate teams, Howard took a three-fold approach: setting a mission statement that clearly outlined roles and responsibilities inside and outside of cybersecurity; reorganising the teams; and defining their purpose and strategy. Culture ultimately is made up of four things: people, tech, process, and policies. The easier you can make it for people through the processes, through the policies, through the technology, it is easier for them to get the job done, Howard says. He acknowledges that the role of a CISO is no longer concerned with just technology, but people and culture too. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Oprah Winfreys father, Vernon Winfrey, has died at the age of 89. Oprah confirmed in an Instagram post that her father died in Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday. Yesterday with family surrounding his bedside I had the sacred honor of witnessing the man responsible for my life, take his last breath, the media mogul wrote. We could feel peace enter the room at his passing. Details about funeral plans were not immediately released. Earlier this week, Oprah surprised her father by throwing him a surprise barbeque in Nashville on the Fourth of July. The event was called Vernon Winfrey Appreciation Day, which included a barber chair to honor his long career as a barber and owning his own shop in Nashville for nearly 50 years. Vernon served as a member of Nashville's Metro City Council for 16 years and was a trustee for the Tennessee State University. Oprah spent her early childhood at her father's hometown of Kosciusko, Mississippi, and in Milwaukee with her mother, Vernita Lee, who died in 2018. However, she also lived with her father in Nashville, between the ages of 7 and 9 and during her teens. If I hadnt been sent to my father (when I was 14), I would have gone in another direction," Oprah told the Washington Post in 1986. "I could have made a good criminal. I would have used these same instincts differently. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BRIDGEPORT Eighteen acres of vacant waterfront property is hard to come by in Connecticut, so the Bridgeport-Port Jefferson ferry companys lot along Seaview Avenue on the harbor stands out. Based on prior announcements, that prime land is supposed to house a staging area for the construction/maintenance of the off-shore Park City Wind project while the ferry, located across the harbor, prepares to eventually build a new terminal on a portion of the site. But as the ferry companys environmental cleanup of its acreage dubbed Barnum Landing drags on, the two sides have yet to finalize a lease agreement, even though one was announced in spring, 2021. And in a recent statement for this report, Avangrid Renewables, which owns Park City Wind, declined to reaffirm its plans to utilizing the Seaview site or divulge if it is eyeing alternative locations. AVANGRID is committed to making Bridgeport a centerpiece of the Park City Wind project while delivering significant economic benefits to the state and continues to work with the mayors office, the City Council, and local business owners to optimize our operations in the port, Craig Gilvarg, Avangrid Renewables director of communications, said in an email. But as of Friday the Park City Wind website continued to state it was partnering with the ferry company to redevelop an 18.3-acre waterfront industrial property in Bridgeport that is currently underutilized and undeveloped. Im fairly confident that we will at some point have a deal, Fred Hall, the ferry companys general manager, told Hearst Connecticut Media. We continue to talk ... to try to define what exactly the relationship is going to be between the two entities in terms of space utilization. Hall added, We cant let them use it until we clean it up. Were still in clean-up mode. Were still getting the contamination squared away, Hall said. Were a year out on (finishing) cleanup. How does that fit AVANGRIDs timeline? According to a document forwarded by Gilvarg, the offshore wind project remains in the permitting stage, with state approvals on track but federal permits delayed by nine months. The revised timeline shows manufacturing is now scheduled to begin in early 2024, versus mid-to-late 2023, pushing installation and commissioning of Park City Wind from mid 2024-25 to early-mid 2025-26. Meanwhile another harbor front neighbor of the ferry site, Bridgeport Boat Works, a shipyard operator located at 731 Seaview Ave., is looking to get into the offshore wind business with its own staging area. In May U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy and U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, all Democrats, signed a letter to the U.S. Maritime Administration in support of an effort by the city and Bridgeport Boat Works to obtain $11 million in federal aid to help fund ground improvements and construction of a seawall and service dock to facilitate component transfers to offshore wind vessels, and related services. The letter does not mention Park City Wind by name, and Gilvarg was unable as of Friday to answer a question about whether Bridgeport Boat Works could be an alternative staging area. He did in an earlier email state, AVANGRID is providing support to a local Bridgeport company, Bridgeport Boat Works, which has applied for federal infrastructure funding to enhance its ability to provide services to the offshore wind industry. Himes in an interview acknowledged the Park City Wind project is absolutely slow going. The amount of permitting and work its a massive project with all kinds of potential pitfalls along the way, he said. (But) theres only a couple of ports up and down the Northeast where youve got unobstructed access to Long Island Sound. Bridgeport is one of them. Bridgeport has a real competitive advantage. STRATFORD Stratford Police are investigating an early morning shooting at the Platinum Gentlemans Club on Barnum Avenue Cutoff. Just after 1 a.m. Saturday, police responded to shots fired at the club. Upon arrival one male victim was identified, suffering a non-life-threatening gunshot wound to the thigh. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. The assault occurred in the parking lot of the business, according to police. The investigation is active. Connecticuts paid leave program came in for all kinds of criticism as it was proposed, enacted and came online. People will abuse it, naysayers said. Lazy workers will put in for leave and then hang out at the beach, or maybe theyll use their extra time for something they shouldnt be doing. In any event, critics said, it wont work. Its early yet, but indications are that critics were wrong. Connecticuts paid leave program is providing people with help they need and not hurting the economy. Its fund to pay out benefits is robust, organizers say, and the average length of time people are taking away from work has been lower than expected. The programs early success should be a model for the rest of the nation, and for other public benefits programs. They can be done right, and in the process provide a major service. As of the end of May, the state of Connecticut had approved 19,700 claims out of about 44,000 applications. Some $81 million in benefits has been paid out. And while applying is a simple process, not just anyone can be approved. The most common reasons for approval are an employees illness or injury, a new child or care of a family member. The United States is virtually alone on the planet in not offering any kind of paid family medical leave. While people are allowed to take time off and hold onto their job, its not paid at the national level. Connecticuts policy is aimed at filling in that gap. Like any new public benefit, it was introduced to a chorus of doubts. But those doubts have started to fade as employers have seen evidence that the system works and is not subject to widespread abuse. There are safeguards in place, and the cost is not onerous. The benefits, however, are significant. The ability to care for a family member in a time of need without a loss of income is something that shouldnt be rare, but too often is. Today, in Connecticut, its becoming part of the expected package of benefits, which is as it should be. There is still work ahead, including in outreach to people who are eligible for the program and may not know about it. That including the smallest businesses and the self-employed, people who have just as many needs but sometimes less flexibility in terms of time off. Often if they dont work, they simply dont get paid. But everyone deserves the right to care for a newborn, bond with a new child or take time off in the event of a sickness or injury, and no one should have to worry they wont be able to pay the bills if they do. As U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro said in defending the program, if members of Congress have that benefit, so should everyone. Theres a broader lesson, too, and its worth bearing in mind as members of Congress search for a way to extend the expanded child tax credit that DeLauro has long championed. When a benefit is offered to people struggling to get by, dont assume theyll misuse it. People need a hand. If we have the chance, we need to give it to them. North Korea fired artillery shots Sunday, presumably from multiple rocket launchers, South Korea's military said, in what would be yet another show of force by the regime. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a text message to reporters that it had detected "trajectories" believed to be artillery shots from around 6:21 p.m. to 6:37 p.m. It gave no additional details, such as the exact number of shots launched and the origin of the firing. The South Korean military detected a total of two trajectories, according to an informed source. "While bolstering our military's surveillance and vigilance, South Korea and the United States are working closely and maintaining a thorough readiness posture," the JCS said. North Korea also fired shots from multiple rocket launchers, on June 12, a week after the reclusive regime fired eight short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea. The latest launch came amid growing concerns that Pyongyang could conduct what would be its seventh nuclear test or other provocative acts. It also came after six U.S. F-35A radar-evading fighters arrived in South Korea last week to conduct allied drills, in the first public deployment of American stealth warplanes here since late 2017. (Yonhap) Days before the curtain fell on Boris Johnsons premiership, on the other side of the Atlantic it rose to welcome on to the stage the latest star of American politics: 36-year-old Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-American congresswoman, representing a district in southern Texas. So is she a young Democrat, inspired by Joe Bidens vehement rejection of Trumps racist immigration policies, demonisation of Mexicans and climate denialism? No. Flores is a Republican. Her message is simple, clear and conservative. Faith and family are the most important things in her life. Taxes should be cut, the government kept in check, the border secured to stop illegal immigration. She is a mother of four and proudly working class. Born in Mexico, shes the daughter of migrant farm workers and is married to a border patrol agent. Her message is simple, clear and conservative. Faith and family are the most important things in her life. Taxes should be cut, the government kept in check, the border secured to stop illegal immigration Mayra Flores political trajectory, unlikely as it may sound, in part explains Johnsons untimely political demise and could hold the key to his successors chances of living up to the promise of the massive electoral mandate the Prime Minister ruefully referenced in his resignation speech. To understand why, we need to remember the historic significance of the election victory that Johnson delivered in 2019. It wasnt just the scale of it the largest Conservative majority since Margaret Thatchers heyday it was the nature of it: the type of places that voted for a Conservative MP and the type of people being elected as Conservative MPs. Up and down the country, Britain had its own versions of Mayra Flores unlikely new champions of the Conservative cause, fresh faces with diverse backgrounds representing working-class areas and working-class interests. They were swept into Parliament on a wave of enthusiasm for Johnson and his message. But what exactly were those voters hoping for? Higher taxes and bigger energy bills? More red tape in their lives? Did they want net zero emissions? Of course not. They voted for a Conservative Prime Minister to get Brexit done. The problem is, they ended up with a not-especially-Conservative Prime Minister who failed to deliver what Brexit was supposed to do. The idea was to use the opportunity provided by leaving the EU to make the UK the worlds most dynamic and enterprising major economy, replacing the bureaucratic, risk-averse mindset of Brussels with the vim and zip of an ambitious, can-do British powerhouse (and not just a northern one). Days before the curtain fell on Boris Johnsons premiership, on the other side of the Atlantic it rose to welcome on to the stage the latest star of American politics: 36-year-old Mayra Flores, the first Mexican-American congresswoman, representing a district in southern Texas Instead it was endless tax increases, bucketloads of the green crap that David Cameron allegedly wanted to get rid of when he was Prime Minister, and bizarre Covid rules about who could sit on park benches when and with whom. None of this is to say that fiscal responsibility doesnt matter, that we shouldnt protect the environment and fight climate change, or that we should have been cavalier about the pandemic. But if youve been elected on a platform of high-energy liberalisation, there are far better ways of achieving those important goals than anything the Johnson Government seems to have come up with. The best way to lift public finances is to boost the economy with an unashamedly pro-growth economic agenda. It is possible to decarbonise industry without impoverishing consumers. And as for the pandemic, the biggest mystery about Partygate is why freedom-loving Johnson joined Team Lockdown when we knew very early on that the particular characteristics of the Covid virus meant that protecting the vulnerable would have saved far more lives, and avoided far more collateral damage, than broad, society-wide restrictions. Now, of course, its true that the immediate reason the herd moved against him, as Johnson put it last week, was nothing to do with high-minded policy disagreements. But I am convinced that if he had led and delivered the kind of positive, practical, energising agenda that he campaigned on three years ago, he would now be planning his own party conference speech as Prime Minister rather than preparing to watch someone elses. Why did he do it? Why did he throw away the enormous opportunity of 2019, with its historic electoral realignment, Labours Red Wall bulldozed as thoroughly as the polystyrene blocks in that Get Brexit Done election stunt thats been replayed on TV so often in the past few days? Funnily enough, I can relate to this strategic mistake directly. While I remain enormously proud of the work we all did under David Camerons leadership to make the Conservative Party relevant and electable after three successive General Election defeats, a fair-minded and self-reflective analysis would surely come to the conclusion that there was too much focus on the concerns of metropolitan elites and not enough attention paid to the needs and aspirations of working families. And this is where the example of the Republican Party in the US is so instructive. Why did he do it? Why did he throw away the enormous opportunity of 2019, with its historic electoral realignment, Labours Red Wall bulldozed as thoroughly as the polystyrene blocks in that Get Brexit Done election stunt thats been replayed on TV so often in the past few days? Not long ago, in the Obama era, Democrats and their allies in the media were complacently patting themselves on the back that they were in command of a new coalition of the ascendant; that demographic change would give them increasingly secure political victories while Republicans would be left as an ageing rump of mostly white voters in declining parts of the country. But the demographics seem to be moving in the opposite direction. Bizarrely and no doubt unintentionally, as he is not exactly renowned for long-term strategic thinking it was Donald Trump who helped to upend the Left-leaning establishments smug assumptions about their future hegemony. Far from embracing the kind of elite-friendly agenda advocated by some Republican Party insiders Tone down the rhetoric on immigration, theyll say were racists!... Dont talk about tax cuts, it will make us sound selfish! Trump went all in on strong borders, low taxes and many other staples of traditional conservative fare. But there was something else, something fresh. A questioning of globalist ideology on issues such as trade with China and the primacy of Wall Street. A rejection of rigid fiscal dogma if that was the only way to cut taxes across the economy. A direct and respectful appeal to blue-collar workers and their interests. The economic outcome was an innovative mix: pro-business on tax and regulation but pro-worker on trade and immigration. The political outcome has been even more interesting: a steady and growing class and race realignment, to the point where the Republicans appear to be building a multiracial, working-class coalition while the Democrats seem to be becoming the party of the rich, white and woke. And there certainly arent enough of them to sustain a permanent governing majority. In particular, Latino voters are deserting the Democrats in droves, turned off by what they consider to be extremist policies on crime and climate change, and the Lefts embrace of woke cultural values that are utterly alien to their traditions and beliefs. Hence, Mayra Flores elected as the first Mexican-American congresswoman in US history. Of course it is always a mistake to try to draw parallels too precisely between different countries politics. But its clear that the 2019 General Election contained strong elements of the political realignment thats now happening in America. The big difference is that the Republican Party is trying to encourage these trends while the Conservative Government in Britain seems to have been running away from them. The danger in that approach is that the Tory Party ends up losing its newfound working class support without winning over the elites. Indeed, it becomes ever clearer that the Conservative Partys pursuit of establishment approval is a task as fruitless as looking for that oft-promised Boris Johnson reset. Who could possibly imagine that the Left-leaning, pro-Brussels elitist consensus represented in the higher echelons of Britains ruling class the civil service, the BBC, the universities, the self-righteous virtue-signallers on Twitter could ever contemplate anything but contempt for Conservative ideas, Conservative politicians and, frankly, though few of them would admit it publicly, Conservative voters. The good news for the next Tory leader, whoever she or he may be, is that there are more people who identify with the values and aspirations of many working-class voters than with the anti-human ideology of the elite, with its disdain for the building blocks of a strong society: family, community, love of country. Because the great lesson of the often unsettling and divisive upheavals of recent years is that sustained economic dynamism needs a strong social foundation. Free market economics wont, in the end, command public support if the social fabric has frayed. But you cant repair the social fabric without a strong, dynamic economy. Ironically, it seems to be the Left that endlessly denigrates the social institutions that have held fast for years and the opportunity for the Conservative Party is to fight back and protect them, while setting out a much more robust set of ideas for how to get the economy moving fast. This task is particularly urgent as the Left flirts with radical constitutional vandalism whether thats lowering the voting age or introducing proportional representation designed to keep them in power for ever, able to impose an ideological agenda that is rejected by the mainstream. So theres a lot riding on the choice that Conservative MPs and members will make over the summer. Character, charisma, competence, the ability to communicate: candidates to replace Boris Johnson must be evaluated for all those essential attributes. But there really shouldnt be much of a debate about the partys overall direction. Its possible indeed, essential to combine the best of the modernising approach with the requirement to focus on the everyday, practical needs of working families. Thats how to recapture the momentum that produced an 80-seat majority. No more talk of raising business taxes or introducing new regulations. Instead, cut them so Britain becomes the best place in the world to start and run a business. Explain how that creates more jobs and higher earnings the real purpose of leaving the EU. Rather than taking more and more money from taxpayers to pour into public services that dont perform well enough, lay out plans for improving them. People respect directness. Dont get bogged down in grandiose plans for saving the world that only a handful of academics and activists understand: offer simple, practical solutions to the immediate problems we face today. Above all, forget about pandering to the woke establishment and the sneering elite, and remember that most people arent on Twitter, dont care about politics, and just want a government that helps them protect the things they actually do care about: their family, their community, pride in their country. Thats what the voters meant by a Conservative government that gets Brexit done. Despite a short tenure in No 10, the historical weight of Boris Johnson's reign will not be forgotten, writes ANDREW ROBERTS. Mr Johnson's fellow Churchill biographer writes directly to the ousted prime minister in this letter for the Mail on Sunday. Dear Boris, Your place in the annals of this country is secure. Despite being only the 34th longest-serving PM out of the 55, the sheer import of the events of your premiership will mark out your time in ways that are not true of premiers who were in No 10 for far longer. Several Prime Ministers such as Lord Wilmington, Lord Goderich and Alec Home arent remembered for anything. Sir John Major will be associated with introducing a traffic cones hotline and suffering the worst electoral defeat since the Duke of Wellington. By contrast, you took Britain out of the EU after the entire Establishment had mounted a three-and-a-half-year campaign to try to frustrate the will of the British people. You restored sovereignty over our laws to Parliament, wresting it from the clutches of Brussels. No longer are we subject to the thousands of regulations that continue to emanate every year from Brussels, which used to have primacy over our own domestic laws. Ousted PM Boris Johnson is pictured with a constituent during a visit to Ruislip yesterday For that alone, youll be considered a rainmaker post-war prime minister in the manner of Clement Attlee, Edward Heath (who took us into the Common Market), Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair. Truly consequential Prime Ministers are surprisingly rare; most premiers barely register when it comes to actual achievements. It was partly because Britain was not in the EU and thus tied to the European Medicines Agency that your Government initiated the incredibly swift and efficient rollout of the best Covid vaccines AstraZeneca and Pfizer thus saving an estimated 10,000 lives. History has an uncanny way of differentiating between the important and the trivial, and the chaotic scenes in Westminster of last week will slip away as the underlying facts about your premiership are appreciated in the light of what really matters. There was the furlough scheme that saved tens of thousands of businesses and millions of livelihoods. It was a textbook example of what statesmen need to do in a once-in-a-century crisis. True, the cost will profoundly affect Britains economy for years but it was the right thing to do. Similarly with the war in Ukraine, your immediate, instinctive, open-hearted decision to fling this country onto the side of democracy and against Putin is something you can be proud of for the rest of your life. Your eloquent advocacy of the Ukrainian cause was echoed by the Biden administration, further strengthening the special relationship, especially in view of the French and German propensity to promise much but deliver little. Small wonder that the Russian media is celebrating your downfall. These great events are what history will ultimately concentrate upon, rather than the footling trivialities of Partygate and your imperfect recollections about a bottom-pinching MP three years after being told of the mans predilections. Prime Ministers used to be brought down over great and historic events. Neville Chamberlain fell over the Allied defeat in Norway; Anthony Eden was crushed by the Suez Crisis; Margaret Thatcher over the great issue of Britains relationship with Europe. It is a sign of our pettiness, and perhaps also our decadence, that you were brought down over a few leaving parties for civil servants in Downing Street. The truth is that you have an unusual ability to get people engaged with politics which I suspect well not see again for some time in British politics, where charm, humour and charisma are in desperately short supply. You created unity at a difficult and dangerous time for the country during Covid. You are also one of those rare public figures who not only believes that things such as knowledge of the past are important, but is willing to persuade people that this is so. Future historians will study your two mayoral victories in Left-wing London, your governments post-Brexit trade deals and the setting up of freeports. They will also recognise that you saved Britain from having an anti-Semitic Marxist-Leninist as Prime Minister and the way you and Priti Patel took steps to end the horrific scourge of people-smuggling. Then there were the genuine efforts to level up areas of the country that had fallen terribly far behind. Although you have never taken yourself too seriously, youll go down as one of the serious and substantial Prime Ministers. You struggled manfully for three years against the Blob at its most sanctimonious; against ranks of broadsheet newspaper columnists; Nicola Sturgeon; the Rejoiners (such as Lord Adonis who tweeted If Boris goes, Brexit goes); a Civil Service that constantly leaked against you; Dominic Cummings; and relentless sledging from BBC Radios Today programme and the Church of England (the Labour Party at prayer). The chaos of last week will probably be an interesting footnote to history because of the sheer number of resignations, but it will only ever be that. In the implacable way that history has of sorting the wheat from the chaff, I believe you will be remembered for so much more than the way you agreed to resign harried and damaged as a result of the absurd Tory Party rule whereby just 15 per cent of MPs could trigger a leadership vote. Indeed, there is almost always that proportion of has-beens, malcontents, unpromotables, troublemakers, narcissists and people whose (usually unreasonable) ambitions have been disappointed on the backbenches of every political party at all times. As for your future, you have a vast hinterland compared with most politicians. So youll be able to enjoy life rather than obsess about the events of July 2022. Youll be able to make a great fortune from your pen and on the international speaking circuit. Unveil some statues of yourself in a future free and peaceful Ukraine. The best form of revenge against your detractors would be you and Carrie living well and happily. Yours, Andrew Boris Johnson has said his favourite film scene is the multiple retribution killings at the end of The Godfather, where Mafia boss Michael Corleone takes revenge on his enemies as he rises to power. However, Johnsons time in office has been more reminiscent of The Godfather Part III and its final scenes that mark the mobsters downfall and death. As capos Sunak and Javid knifed their boss on Tuesday evening, Theresa May was at the Royal Opera House settling in for Cavalleria Rusticana, which provides the backdrop for Corleones last scenes. The former PM was among the great and good, including Tory donor Sir Rocco Forte and ex-BP boss Lord (John) Browne. Michael Gove was briefly there but left as soon as he heard of the Chancellors and Health Secretarys resignations. Johnsons time in office has been more reminiscent of The Godfather Part III and its final scenes that mark the mobsters downfall and death The next morning, Gove phoned Johnson and told him he should quit, before going to Downing Street to help him prepare for Prime Ministers Questions. He advised Johnson on lines to rebut Sir Keir Starmers predictable calls for him to quit but with soldiers deserting in droves, Johnson finally fell on his sword and retreated to his Downing Street flat and its granny-chic hideousness of Lulu Lytles 112,000 refurbishment. Now we await a Resignation Honours List for those who kissed the ring of Godfather Boris as he bows out and seeks opportunities to feather his nest. On the day after Johnson announced his resignation, Lytle shut her shop for the day to have a party. The interiors boss, who attended Boriss infamous lockdown birthday event was celebrating 25 years of her company, Soane Britain. Not exactly a Levelling Up business: it flogs 7,000 rugs and 6,000 lampshades. Its not clear whether a 25th birthday cake was involved. The drinks were on Sunak as he began his bid to unite the warring Tory families as the boss of bosses. His campaign website is promoted by Lord Smith of Hindhead, the self-declared king of clubs after the death of Peter Stringfellow in 2018. Smith heads the Association of Conservative Clubs, which lobbies for clubland interests, and chairs Best Bar None, a drinks industry awards scheme. The Tory peer is also vice-chair of an All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for Beer as well as Betting and Gaming. The Beer APPG accepts regular funding from drinks giant Diageo, which, by complete coincidence, featured in Sunaks launch video with shots of a Diageo trainee and Sunaks trip to the companys Guinness HQ. Surrounding the famously teetotal Sunak with associates from the drinks and gambling world is hardly the squeaky-clean image his allies want to promote. Last night his team said its totally irrelevant. Now we await a Resignation Honours List for those who kissed the ring of Godfather Boris as he bows out and seeks opportunities to feather his nest Boris Johnson has said his favourite film scene is the multiple retribution killings at the end of The Godfather, where Mafia boss Michael Corleone (second from left) takes revenge on his enemies as he rises to power Kemi Badenoch says she has thrown her hat into the ring because I want to tell the truth. Its the truth that will set you free. Unless youre a journalist. When HuffPost reporter Nadine White went to Badenoch with questions pre-publication, as is standard and good practice in our trade, the Saffron Walden MP responded by tweeting that White had been creepy and bizarre. Another truth-teller in the making. Much mirth over Government jobs for arch-loyalists including Peter Bone and Andrea Jenkyns in the zombie Cabinet. But its also worth noting who didnt get a promotion. Conor Burns, despite his key role in Operation Save Big Dog, being one of Johnsons oldest allies and fierce lobbying for a seat at the table, was not picked for any of the many vacancies last week. Its certainly nothing to do with what one Cabinet Minister described as Burnss complicated relationship with propriety. They put him in place. They supported him. They defended him. They found reasons to stay in office even though they knew and told us all privately that he was a wrong un [..] Theyre tainted. And they all have to go. So said Labour MP Chris Bryant about the Cabinet yesterday. A comment equally applicable to Sir Keir Starmer and most of his front bench, who are now so keen to attack Jeremy Corbyn. Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will likely send a delegation led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to a government memorial service for Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week, according to his aides Sunday. Han is likely to visit Japan to pay his respects to Abe as a "special presidential envoy," heading the delegation also involving a deputy speaker of the National Assembly and probably a vice foreign minister, they said. A family funeral is expected to take place on Tuesday followed by a formal memorial service later in the week. (Yonhap) To a private mini-festival in rural Wiltshire over a bank holiday weekend to celebrate a friend's 56th birthday. The setting is idyllic a large, tumbledown country house with barns and outbuildings. Sheep, horses and shabby-chic decor. Fairy lights, a big marquee, a spit-roasted pig and premium tequila on ice. No neighbours for miles. After a quiet and mostly horizontal afternoon in the sun adults and teenage children all mucking in together on a languorously boozy picnic a spectacular sunset has shifted the mood to naughty, raucous, upright and a bit lawless. Later, with the host's 23-year-old daughter now behind the decks and pumping house music to a busy dancefloor, it becomes clear that complimentary tablets of ecstasy have been distributed among the guests and that the huggy, heady euphoria induced by the drug is beginning to take hold. With her 56-year-old father throwing wild shapes at the centre of the throng literally getting down with the kids daughter clocks his contorted rictus grin and makes a damning observation. 'Oh no,' she says. 'Dad's gurning.' Simon Mills says today's over-50s are partying more than ever and certainly harder than their Generation Sensible kids On this freaky Friday night, the generational roles have been reversed. The kids are all right they are mostly straight, sensible and sober. It's the boomers who are behaving badly. Again. At last month's Glastonbury, nearly every shot of the crowd featured a 50-something clutching a cider (or sitting on the shoulders of their millennial offspring). Over in West London, a couple of rock stars are hosting a weekly music night at a small backstreet pub. Every Thursday, starting at a very civilised 8pm, they take turns to play dancehall reggae CDs, a bit of American punk-pop, some weird Japanese Muzak and an interlude of twanging rock'n'roll. People dance and get drunk and a bit rowdy. The crowd at this scuzzy, glam-slum is quietly star-studded think Kate Moss, Courtney Love, Damon Albarn and mostly over 50. In fact, many of the revellers are knocking on 60. And it is all over by 11pm. Plenty of time to get home and top up with a shot of bedtime vodka in front of Kirsty Wark on Newsnight. If a more rave-tastic experience is desired, then the badly behaved baby boomers let's call them the B4s have plenty of options. Superstar DJ Annie Mac, a former Radio One staffer, recently announced a new club series called Before Midnight aimed squarely at the 40-plus audience. Mac explains her 'Cinderellas' are older girls who still wanna have fun and boomers who are prone to behaving badly but also want to 'be able to get a good night's sleep at the end of it all'. Simon says that at last month's Glastonbury, nearly every shot of the crowd featured a 50-something clutching a cider (or sitting on the shoulders of their millennial offspring) Mac, 43, and a mum herself, said the idea for Before Midnight came from the ageing section of her audience. 'People who adore the clubbing experience but don't want to wait until 1am to see me play, who need to be sharp and useful at the weekends and just can't afford sleepless nights.' Everything about it is the same as a typical nightclub, Mac insists. 'Except for the time it starts and the time it ends.' Lucy Temple, 54, had a similar idea ages ago, back when she was still a callow 50-year-old. Frustrated that there was nowhere for her B4 friends to dance, flirt and get a bit frisky of an evening, she got together with a couple of DJ pals and a business partner, found a working men's club near West London's Portobello Road, and started her own party night. The inaugural 40 Something Disco for empty-nesters and naughty boomers was an instant hit. 'Absolutely packed,' says Lucy, who counts TV's Davina McCall as one of her regulars. 'We keep the door policy strict,' she says. 'Only 40-year-olds or over. No ID, no entry. And definitely no kids. The idea was to have a place where we could all behave a little bit badly, where the drinks weren't ridiculously expensive, where we wouldn't be in danger of bumping into our children, and we certainly wouldn't have to worry about dancing next to some sexy 23-year-old girl in hot pants.' Not that the over-50s aren't feeling sexy. Far from it. A nationwide study published last month by over-50s dating service Ourtime found that 53 per cent of this age group say they feel friskier now than ever before. A study by Eventbrite conducted before the pandemic found that more than 3.7 million Britons aged 45 and over were now going clubbing once a week The older disco phenomenon, meanwhile, seems to be part of something properly zeitgeisty, catering to a genuine demand all over the country and even across Europe. A study by Eventbrite conducted before the pandemic found that more than 3.7 million Britons aged 45 and over were now going clubbing once a week. Statistics that were rubber-stamped last year by a 54-year-old Michael Gove. The cabinet minister was spotted 'letting loose' on the dancefloor at Aberdeen club Bohemia's techno and jungle night, arriving alone at around 1am and waving his hands in the air like he just didn't care until after 2am. On a Sunday. Or, as badly behaved boomers like to call it, 'a school night'. What is happening here isn't nostalgia, nor a hoary old tribute act or throwback to better, more carefree times, but a blurring of the generations. With life expectancy now on a wonky, Benjamin Buttoning arc, a vibrant new stage in between middle age and geriatric decrepitude has been added.Dancefloor-ready Youth 2.0, if you will, arrives when parental responsibilities are receding, bank balances slowly recovering and divorces reaching epidemic levels. 'My crowd of 50-somethings are definitely more badly behaved than their kids,' confirms Temple. In contrast, the new vice-free, under-25 Generation Sensible not only doesn't smoke, take drugs nor even have much sex, it hardly drinks either (in England, the number of 16- to 24-year-olds who consume alcohol has fallen from 67 per cent in 2002 to 41 per cent in 2019). Meanwhile, Generation B4 is there minesweeping the half-sunk glasses. More than four million over-50s in the UK were reported to be binge drinking at least once a week during lockdown, while an Age UK survey found drinking over 14 units of alcohol per week is most common among adults aged 55 to 64. The report doesn't, however, mention anything about a sudden drunkenly induced affinity for Detroit techno or nu-disco. Don't worry, it's not a school night: Stella McCartney's backstage crew at her dad's Glasto gig, from left: Rosemary Ferguson, Bruce Springsteen, Kate Moss, Noel Gallagher With post-pandemic summer raving now back on, there will be plenty of boozed-up and behaving badly B4s on display during the next few months. And they will be dressed in very silly clothes and accessorised with feathers. We're talking 'glamping', something that has become big business among the boomer generation at blue-chip music festivals. In fact, glamping is now a byword for a certain type of middle-aged, middle-class experience that promises the luxuries of a hotel stay but in a clifftop meadow and with enough security to ensure that what goes on between the 50-somethings in the yurt, stays in the yurt. Over in Oxfordshire, for example, next month's Wilderness Festival on the Cornbury Park Estate (previous attendees include David and Samantha Cameron and former Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney) has sold out of its deep breath 4,299 luxury suites-for-two packages. Here, on the little wooden patio, Mum will go all Alexa Chung, wearing hotpants and wellies. She will put her hair in pigtails, apply glitter where eyeshadow normally goes and be sloshed by 3pm. Husband will don face paint, a tailcoat (worn sans shirt), lilac harem pants and a top hat adorned with feathers and will follow his kids down to the Wilderness valley for late-night dancing to DJ Peggy Gou. If he's lucky, a selfie with David Cameron will be bagged. He will be back at his job, as an investment banker, on Monday: woozy, bleary eyed and around eight grand poorer. Ibiza is, of course, a badly behaved boomer's bacchanal. Older people have been frugging around the Balearics like teenagers since Roman times but it's only recently that the recession-defying boomer buck has been successfully monetised. At the island's swanky Ushuaia super club, older female ravers are now offered a Divorce Package to celebrate their marital break-up and to usher in Youth 2.0 while listening to DJs such as 54-year-old David Guetta. About to mark its 20th birthday, Serena Cook's Ibiza concierge business Deliciously Sorted organises private parties many of them in purpose-built subterranean, curfew and noise pollution-defying clubs beneath luxury villas for wealthy celebrities and super-rich financiers, all of whom are in their 50s or older. Her eldest client is 83. I've been to a few Ibiza shindigs like these: Pete Tong on the decks, dancefloor mums Kathy Lette, Kelly Hoppen, Yasmin Le Bon in attendance. Even the drug dealers have got wise to the older, badly behaved boomer demographic. Last year it was reported that a new brand of cocaine, targeted squarely at the super rich, older caners, was in circulation. 'Woke coke' purported to be 'fairtrade', 'ethically sourced' and therefore much more expensive. This drug of choice costs 200 a gramme (more than double regular cocaine) and like all illegal substances is, of course, a terrible con. Then again perhaps the old saying is right: youth is wasted on the young. A few years back a friend told me about a famous actor he had known who had decided, quite pragmatically, to acquire a gentle drug habit in his late 80s. This national treasure of a man, who had been respectable and immaculately well behaved all his life, now found himself still lively, compos mentis, dry-witted and socially mobile but cruelly wheelchair bound. One day, on a whim, the old fella, with his aching bones and bad circulation, asked his 48-year-old son if he could 'get a tablet of that ecstasy stuff to try'. After all, knocking on 90, what's the worst thing that could happen? Choosing to micro-dose MDMA from that day on, the terminally ill actor spent his last few years being wheeled around in a state of mild but very contended delirium, delighting in the fact that all his stuffy thespian friends were oblivious to the fact that he was quietly and elegantly trollied. Oh no. Grandad's gurning. Bring your hands to heart centre, return to the ujjayi breath and hang on. Are you sure you want to do that? It might be interpreted as cultural appropriation of a Sanskrit word. Probably safer to just stick with ocean breath. Yoga, you see, is having a bit of an identity crisis. If you want to take a deep dive into the situation, Nadia Gilanis The Yoga Manifesto will provide it. Gilani, whos been practising for 25 years and is herself a teacher, is unimpressed by non-inclusive, overpriced classes and the (mis)use of Sanskrit. She is not alone. Alongside the multitude of Sanskrit-for-yoga posts to be found online, there is now a growing body of Why I wont use Sanskrit material, too. Namaste, its worth noting, is foremost among the trigger words for this group. In a nutshell, they argue, it doesnt mean what Western yoga teachers think it means (something along the lines of the divine light in me bows to the divine light in you), but more like plain old hello. This may not sound like an egregious mistranslation but, says the back-to-yoga-basics camp, it is part of a pseudo spirituality pushed by a soulless wellness industry. Illustration: Eynon Jones. Yoga is having a bit of an identity crisis with non-inclusive, expensive classes. Then theres been an explosion in specialist clothing and misuse of terms This is the same malaise, they say, that has given rise to a lexicon peppered with meaningless oms, starring the cringe-inducing love and light sign-off. Its got little to do with the original teachings of yoga and everything to do with making privileged Westerners feel as though theyre doing something more spiritually adventurous than toning their abs. Then theres the explosion in specialist clothing depending on which type of yoga you favour. So interwoven has the kit become with the practice, I heard a friend call the class she attended Gymshark yoga. She was referring to a vinyasa flow class, but we knew exactly what she meant. Illustration: Eynon Jones. Anna Pursglove has created a specialist guide to yoga etiquette that will help you understand the different types and how to conduct yourself appropriately in each class This proliferation of niche yogawear has been reflected in the sales figures, with recent research (including data from big players such as Lululemon and Nike) estimating that a market worth 15.5 billion in 2020 will more than double to 32.5 billion by 2028. All this said, however, the majority of yoga devotees still appear to be perfectly happy with classes that borrow from an ancient tradition in order to create something new with kit to match. These are also the people you will find signing up for Broga (aimed at men), Roga (aimed at runners) and Slackline/Aerial (aimed at those with extra toes). It has become more gymnastic than mystical Furthermore, say these fans of high-tech yogawear and hybrid classes, many of the yoga asanas (poses) cant be traced back with any degree of certainty to before the early 20th century. Its all pretty modern when you dig into it. This is true of the sun salutations and warrior poses. In fact, none of the oldest postures were performed standing. The poses most devotees practise regularly are more to do with gymnastics and bodybuilding than anything Eastern or mystical. You cant bastardise something thats already a cultural mishmash. So as yoga becomes more popular and complicated how do you navigate the etiquette? If youre trying a class for the first time, which red flags tell you namaste is frowned upon or that your leggings arent the right brand? Heres our handy guide to avoiding a mid-pose faux pas Vinyasa Yoga (rules also apply to ashtanga and rocket yoga) Also known as power yoga. power yoga. Most popular get-up Kit by brands such as Gymshark, Nike, Under Armour and Lululemon. Kit by brands such as Gymshark, Nike, Under Armour and Lululemon. Watch your language Teachers may use Sanskrit or English words and even switch within a class. Teachers may use Sanskrit or English words and even switch within a class. Expect to be joined by people with high-tech mats and well-defined triceps. people with high-tech mats and well-defined triceps. Killer pose to impress Scorpion. Scorpion. Do say Chaturangas are so much harder than press-ups when you do them properly. Chaturangas are so much harder than press-ups when you do them properly. Dont say Shall we finish early and open a packet of Hobnobs? WHAT YOUR YOGA TEACHER SAYS and what they mean If its in your practice If you arent too rubbish to do it If its available to you (see above) Breathe into the possibility Stop the audible panting, were trying to concentrate See what comes up in this pose Put up with the pain, dig fingernails into palms if necessary Option to take childs pose Shouldnt you be in the beginners class? Shine your heart forward Stop slouching Imagine a golden thread pulling you upwards I said stop slouching! Advertisement Yin Yoga Also known as slow yoga. slow yoga. Most popular get-up Something loose by Free People. High incidence of harem pants, too. Something loose by Free People. High incidence of harem pants, too. Watch your language Sanskrit is usually acceptable but some teachers prefer to give an animal pose description plus a postural description to make it clear what you are supposed to be doing. So Caterpillar might also be called Seated Forward Fold. Sanskrit is usually acceptable but some teachers prefer to give an animal pose description plus a postural description to make it clear what you are supposed to be doing. So Caterpillar might also be called Seated Forward Fold. Expect to be joined by beginners as well as super-flexible octogenarians with zero body fat. beginners as well as super-flexible octogenarians with zero body fat. Killer pose to impress Camel held for what feels like decades. Camel held for what feels like decades. Do say Im really into deep fascia release. Im really into deep fascia release. Dont say Can we hurry up a bit? Bikram yoga Also known as hot yoga. In fact, it probably will be called hot yoga since its namesake Bikram Choudhury faced sexual assault and harassment lawsuits in the US and fled to Mexico in 2017, making his name less of a draw. It is also sometimes referred to as 26-2. hot yoga. In fact, it probably will be called hot yoga since its namesake Bikram Choudhury faced sexual assault and harassment lawsuits in the US and fled to Mexico in 2017, making his name less of a draw. It is also sometimes referred to as 26-2. Most popular get-up With its sequence of 26 poses plus two breathing exercises performed in a room heated to more than 40 degrees celsius and 40 per cent humidity, workout gear with sweat-wicking properties is essential. Although you may be tempted to wear as little as possible, leggings are generally best as they give you more grip than wet skin. Alo Yogas Airlift leggings are designed for this and are very popular. With its sequence of 26 poses plus two breathing exercises performed in a room heated to more than 40 degrees celsius and 40 per cent humidity, workout gear with sweat-wicking properties is essential. Although you may be tempted to wear as little as possible, leggings are generally best as they give you more grip than wet skin. Alo Yogas Airlift leggings are designed for this and are very popular. Watch your language Hot yogas poses are described in both Sanskrit and English. Hot yogas poses are described in both Sanskrit and English. Expect to be joined by the very fit working out in high temperatures is extremely physically demanding. the very fit working out in high temperatures is extremely physically demanding. Killer move to impress Simply getting through a 90-minute class without taking a break. Simply getting through a 90-minute class without taking a break. Do say Body odour? I cant smell a thing. Body odour? I cant smell a thing. Dont say Can somebody please open a window? Iyengar yoga Confused by all the products on the market? A science-backed new book claims that less really is more when it comes to perfect skin. According to the book Skintelligent by dermatologist Dr Natalia Spierings, the average British woman spends 570 a year on skincare and 19 minutes on a skincare routine every day. For Spierings, though, a less-is-more approach is best. And I concur. Our obsession with skincare has led to what she calls 'Fomoos' (fear of missing out on skincare) as we reach for endless products hoping for a miracle. As I write so often on these pages, skincare can only do so much it isn't a magic time machine. As far as the good doctor is concerned, you should buy the products you like and that you can afford: all you really need each day is an oil cleanser, a moisturiser and an SPF. She's a big fan of Vaseline as an ointment-based moisturiser, which is interesting as I've felt recently that Vaseline is set for a resurgence. Edwina Ings-Chambers, pictured, says the doctor is a big fan of Vaseline as an ointment-based moisturiser, which is interesting as she has felt recently that Vaseline is set for a resurgence She also debunks a few beauty myths: drinking water won't hydrate your skin, there's no need to double-cleanse, you don't have to avoid fragrance in skincare (unless you have an allergy), there's no reason why cleansing with a flannel is any different from using a face wipe (though wipes are not environmentally friendly) and there's no such thing as a skin 'type'. But it's her information about prescription-only skincare (products that can be classified as drugs so are more efficacious than over-the-counter goods) that many find most intriguing as these can give the best results. She talks in depth, for instance, about hydroquinone for topical treatment of pigmentation (aka dark spots) including melasma (larger patches of darker pigment on the face), which can only be treated by a dermatologist. However, it's tretinoin (aka vitamin A) that she declares to be the best anti-ageing option out there and it's for that reason we have an extract from the book (opposite) to explain more about it. Brand names for tretinoin include but are not limited to: Acretin, Renova, Retin-A, Retin-A Micro, Avita, Atralin and Avage. While it can be used on all skin tones, there are different strengths of this potent treatment and, should you want to try it, you are best advised to see a dermatologist, who will prescribe it at the right strength for you as well as giving you your own tailored application system. As for those three basic daily skincare needs of SPF, moisturiser and an oil-based cleanser, I recommend the following La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF 50+, 18, lookfantastic.com Avene Tolerance Control Cream, 17.50, boots.com Pai Rosehip Cleansing Oil, 33, paiskincare.com IS THIS THE WONDER PRODUCT EVERY WOMAN NEEDS? In an exclusive extract from Skintelligent, Dr Natalia Spierings explains the rejuvenating effects of prescription-only vitamin A. My mother turned 70 in 2020. She has beautiful skin, like a plump apple. Her secret? She started using topical tretinoin when she was 30. My mum has never had Botox, fillers or a facelift. Shes never had microneedling, a laser facial or any other intervention. But she does use 0.1 strength tretinoin and a moisturiser from Neutrogena religiously every single night. So what is tretinoin? It is a prescription-only form of vitamin A. Many will think of that as taking the form of retinol, found in many over-the-counter creams, but tretinoin is a far more powerful version of biologically active retinoic acid that is the most investigated retinoid in the treatment of ageing skin. In less sciencey words, this is a form of vitamin A that is really effective and backed up by trials. Its the real deal when it comes to improving the appearance of fine lines. How does it work? Essentially, it helps to boost the production of new collagen in the skin as well as helping to prevent it from being broken down. It encourages the formation of new healthy cells in the epidermis, and helps to clear sun-damaged cells. Studies show it can partly reverse some of the structural damage to skin caused by ageing and the sun. In my view, its the best weapon in our anti-ageing arsenal. In an exclusive extract from Skintelligent, Dr Natalia Spierings explains the rejuvenating effects of prescription-only vitamin A Is it true it can irritate skin? Yes, you can develop red, itchy and flaky skin. I recommend starting on the lowest concentration (0.025%) and using it just three times a week, then gradually building up from there. How should you apply it? Always use it at night (it is degraded by sunlight). Cleanse with an oil cleanser, making sure to remove all make-up, then pat dry. Apply tretinoin as per your doctors instructions, then add a greasy moisturiser on top. I suggest keeping your routine this simple for a few weeks. If your skin becomes excessively dry or irritated, you can apply moisturiser or a bland emollient such as Vaseline before the tretinoin at bedtime. You can also stop using tretinoin until your skin returns to normal, then try again. When applying be aware that it can collect in the creases around the nose and eyes and cause irritation, so only apply a small amount to those areas and avoid the eyelids. How does it work with the rest of my skincare routine? Dont exfoliate with a scrub retinoids are powerful exfoliators so any more could cause irritation. Similarly, Id recommend stopping any acid products at the beginning as these might dry out your skin too much. Steer clear of any hot treatments such as wax or lasers. If you use vitamin C or serums, use them in the morning. Should I avoid the sun or stop using it on sunny holidays? You should always use an SPF50 anyway and wear a hat in the sun. But theres evidence to suggest that tretinoin not only prevents collagen from sun damage but also repairs already damaged collagen, so keep using it. There is a risk of burning in the first six months of tretinoin treatment so be extra careful. How long does it take to see results? You should notice improvements in the look of fine lines and in softer and smoother skin within a few weeks. Where can I find it? Its prescription-only, so talk to your GP or your dermatologist. You can also find it on websites such as dermatica.co.uk, but they will call you for a consultation before agreeing whether or not to prescribe it. Skintelligent is published by Ebury, 16.99* In this series, famous food lovers talk to You restaurant critic Tom Parker Bowles about all matters culinary, from earliest memories and favourite dishes to things they can't bear. This week journalist and TV presenter Anne Robinson shares her stories. My life in food- Anne Robinson My mother ran a market stall in Liverpool, then a poultry-importing business which supplied the restaurants and ships. In those days, there was only one smart place you could eat in Liverpool and one in Manchester the Adelphi and The Midland. We supplied all the chickens, so we used the restaurant at the Adelphi Hotel as our canteen. It was very grand old-fashioned French food. The sisters at my Catholic boarding school were quite horrid but knew how to cook. The food was surprisingly good for the 1950s. Fresh rolls every morning, plenty of butter. Lots of corned beef and Spam. Though I never liked the pilchards in tomato sauce. Anne was brought up on 'old-fashioned english cooking'. Her favourite meal is still lamb chops with mashed potatoes Scrambled eggs with smoked salmon- a favourite of Anne's for Sunday brunch I can dress a pheasant and skin a rabbit. When my brother and I came home from boarding school in the summer, we had to do four weeks on the market stall, which my mother always retained. There was also a section of the business where they dressed the poultry. Once we'd done our month we'd then spend the rest of the summer at the Carlton hotel in Cannes. It was the hotel, and you saw the most amazing people Sugar Ray Robinson, King Farouk [of Egypt]. I suppose you don't know at that age that this was quite a grand way to go on holiday. We were very much new money. My mother always cooked. She ran a business and was the main breadwinner but in those days, as a woman, she still came home and cooked in the evening. We ate old-fashioned English cooking. Lamb chops, fried onions and mashed potatoes would be a very typical supper. Along with mashed carrots and turnips, which you never get now. We also had calf's liver and duck, as well as game. We always had goose at Christmas. The first time I had Chinese food I felt like a lumpy Northern girl. I'd never been to any Asian places in childhood, although my mother's business supplied all the Chinese restaurants in Liverpool. At home, we'd never had Asian food of any kind. I remember it was my first month on The Sunday Times and we all went to Soho to one of the best Chinese restaurants. Of course, I had never used chopsticks before (which was embarrassing). When I worked at The Mirror newspaper, lunch was often shared with the likes of Alec Guinness and Mick Jagger. There was a corporate dining room. The editor would whistle when lunch was ready and the most amazing people would be there. People didn't have PRs in those days, so you'd walk in and think, 'This is like Madame Tussauds.' It was grand food, as money was no object in those days. I'd given up drinking by the time I went there at the end of the 70s (but others hadn't), so nothing really happened until about 3.45 in the afternoon. But we still produced brilliant newspapers. Anne said the first time she had Chinese food I felt like a lumpy Northern girl . She'd never been to any Asian places in childhood, although my mother's business supplied all the Chinese restaurants in Liverpool My canteen now is Clarke's in Kensington. I've been living near Sally Clarke since she started that restaurant. I remember 30 years ago when she'd take the pans out of her Ford Anglia at the start of the day. It's wonderful food, but occasionally she has something with a bit of chilli in. I really can't stand things like coriander or lemongrass and definitely not chilli. She always cooks it for me without the chilli. Sally is brilliant. She's there every day and even takes your reservation what other well-known cook does that? She's my heroine. When you look at one of her menus, you want to eat everything. She displays the food so well, too. I'm not a bad cook. I gave up Latin the term before O-levels and switched to cookery. I then went to finishing school in Paris and we had a day a week at Le Cordon Bleu [cooking school]. Anne ate lots of corned beef and spam at her Catholic boarding school Because we're new money and we're Irish, it's embarrassing in my house if the food isn't groaning on the table and there isn't enough for twice as many people who are sitting around it. I entertain quite a lot. And I'm quite fond of Sunday brunch friends tend to come Saturday morning and stay for the weekend. I do brunch at about 11.30 on a Sunday a huge mix of smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, burrata and tomatoes the whole lot. I only go to restaurants now if I can bring my dog. I have to have my spaniel Hattie with me. So there's Clarke's, The River Cafe in Hammersmith, Lucio on the Fulham Road and Le Colombier in Chelsea, where I sit in the conservatory with Hattie. I've known that crew since they were in a brasserie in Yeoman's Row in Knightsbridge. It's a proper old-fashioned restaurant. And I think it's probably mostly used by old-fashioned people. I didn't like the food at Media City [in Salford] when I was doing Countdown. So I would head back to my hotel the Dakota in Manchester and they'd always make me lunch: soup and some poached salmon. The last meal I'd eat before I die is mashed potatoes, grilled onions and lamb chops cooked rare. I like everything rare. Advertisement What was once an empty 'blank canvas' apartment has transformed into an eccentric space filled with unusual but creative pieces of furniture that leave you looking twice. Jemma Alyce, 28, and Trent Bartlett, 35, moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in March 2021 and took the opportunity to decorate the two-bedroom flat during lockdown. The young couple have no experience in interior design and stepping into their apartment seems like walking through a fun art exhibition. Jemma is a Campaign Strategist and Trent is Content Manager who call their home 'Wally Parton', inspired by Dolly Parton. 'Wally Parton is our passion project that we work on outside of our nine-to-fives - it's is our five-to-nine,' the couple told FEMAIL. Scroll down for video Jemma Alyce, 28, (right) and Trent Bartlett, 35, (left) moved from Adelaide to Melbourne in March 2021 and took the opportunity to decorate the two-bedroom flat during lockdown The young couple have no experience in interior design and stepping into their apartment is like walking through a fun art exhibition. The blue living room couch is one stand-out piece with the word 'nice' spelt out in cushions Perhaps one of the quirkiest, eye-catching pieces of furniture are the orange dining chairs that embody a minimalist design In every corner and space there's something to look at - from the blue velvet couch to orange dining table chairs, plant pot with Converse sneakers and a cat clock. The apartment is filled with colour, flair and overstimulating pieces of furniture that you can't help but look at. The huge floor-to-ceiling walls welcome in natural sunlight that elevates the apartment and highlights the staple pieces. 'Finding furniture and DIYing became more of a creative outlet and hobby during lockdown,' Jemma and Trend said. Perhaps one of the quirkiest, eye-catching pieces of furniture are the orange dining chairs that embody a minimalist design (left). The pot plant from Bunnings was painted black and the tiny shoes were removed from the Converse keyring (right) Perhaps one of the quirkiest, eye-catching pieces of furniture are the orange dining chairs that embody a minimalist design. In a TikTok video, Jemma said the chairs are replicas of the Big Game / Moustache 'Bold' Chair - which retails for $179 each online. The chairs are made from two metal tubes, foam patting with a suede-like finish and are said to be very comfortable. Luckily the retailer offered customised colours and they chose a bright orange. The blue living room couch is another stand-out piece with the word 'nice' spelt out in cushions. The pot plant from Bunnings was painted black and the tiny shoes were removed from the Converse keyring. 'Maybe having our pot plant wear shoes isn't the best idea we've ever had but it's fun,' the couple said. The trendy wave mirror is reflects onto the living room, making the space look larger When out and about, the couple are always looking for unique pieces to add to their collection When asked what their 'weirdest' DIY project to date would, the pair said it would undoubtedly be the pool noodle mirror (pictured, right). 'We upcycled an old Target mirror with a pool noodle covered in red spandex and wrapped around the frame of the mirror,' they said When asked what their 'weirdest' DIY project to date would, the pair said it would undoubtedly be the pool noodle mirror. 'We upcycled an old Target mirror with a pool noodle covered in red spandex and wrapped around the frame of the mirror,' they said. 'The results aren't bad for $10, although it was difficult to explain to the dance shop we bought the spandex from what we were using the material for.' 'We've also tiled plinths that we found on Marketplace, made an enormous green stegosaurus-shaped pillow that sits on our bed and jazzed up our old white IKEA cabinet with handles made from plant stakes. 'We know how weird that sounds, but it's nice to be surrounded by the stuff we imagined up and made.' Other unique items include a tortoise bookcase (left) and a cactus which turns into glasses (right) When they first started the home project, Jemma and Trent spent most of their time browsing Facebook marketplace to secondhand treasures When they first started the home project, Jemma and Trent spent most of their time browsing Facebook marketplace to secondhand treasures. Since then they often shop on Etsy for unique pieces they're willing to splurge on. It seems that the only plan is to have no plan - and it's worked splendidly for the couple. The most expensive purchase to date was the round dining table, and though the pair didn't reveal how much they paid similar designs can retail from anywhere between $500 to $2200. As the pair are currently renting, they have to be incredibly conscious about what they purchase to ensure it can fit in another space. Tentatively, I open the smart red Tommy Hilfiger case. I paid 42 for it, sight unseen, at a lost luggage auction, and am about to lift the lid on a strangers holiday wardrobe. Theres a fluffy jumper with metallic trim, plenty of warm tops including a soft Abercrombie & Fitch body, shirts, jeans, pleather leggings, a drawstring bag of underwear and, carefully folded at the bottom, a black Zara coat. I rifle through gingerly, picturing a young woman dressing for a smart city break and then standing distraught at the luggage return carousel back in the UK as her case fails to materialise. It is a deeply uncomfortable feeling, made 100 times worse by the thought that someone somewhere might be doing the same to my own lost case For in this summer of travel chaos, with mountains of mislaid luggage piled high at every airport, my own bag is languishing somewhere between Malta and Gatwick. Its not just guilt I feel as I peer voyeuristically into the young womans case; its fury its her bag and not mine Im holding. Not my bag: Charlotte Kemp with her lost luggage auction-winning bid. The UK-based writer discovered that lost luggage often ends up at auction houses We have all seen the recent pictures from Heathrow vast seas of unclaimed suitcases and bags like a scene from a disaster movie, as one traveller arriving at Terminal 3 from the U.S. put it last week. But the mayhem isnt confined to the UKs busiest airport tales of snaking passenger queues and carpets of abandoned luggage have also come from Bristol, Gatwick and Manchester, where one pilot left the cockpit to load them onto his plane. And this, we are warned, is just the start. With post-pandemic staff shortages biting at all UK airports, the mess weve seen so far is only set to worsen as the peak summer holiday period hits. Never has that ritualistic checking of baggage into the hold felt more like spinning a roulette wheel and praying not to lose. I pay 42 for a bag at Greasbys, a graveyard for lost luggage The problem existed pre-pandemic, too, of course a whopping 25.4 million bags were mislaid in 2019 during air travel globally, roughly equivalent to 5.6 bags going missing for every 1,000 passengers. Losing mine was the final indignity at the end of a nightmarish journey from Malta to our home in Kent in half term last month. My husband Tom and I were woken at 4.30am on the day of our return to discover easyJet had cancelled the flight. I felt a flutter of panic. We had to get our two daughters back to school but easyJet could offer only a flight six days later. What ensued was a mad scramble to get home by any means: we ended up flying from Malta to Barcelona for an overnight stay, and then on to Dublin with Aer Lingus before the final leg to Gatwick. A complicated itinerary that meant taking bags on and off planes six times. I last saw my red holdall at Barcelona check-in I recall tucking in the straps, worried they might catch on the conveyor belt, and seeing it trundle off. Case in point: Charlotte at the auction viewing day. She found the lots included 40 or so suitcases At Gatwick, hours later, we retrieved our main case from the carousel, though ominously it was one of the last out, and then waited... One by one the other passengers disappeared. Still nothing. Nerves began to fray. The one chap on duty told us to wait a little longer it might still turn up. But a horrible feeling of inevitability set in. Was it sitting in Spain? Dublin? All my lovely clothes! We were joined by another traveller whose case was also lost, distressed at the prospect of flying home longhaul the next day without her stuff. And so began that heart-sinking traipse around the airport from one desk to another, asking for help from people who were perfectly pleasant but knew nothing remotely useful. The man at the Aer Lingus desk cheerfully suggested waiting at the airport until 9pm it was by now 5pm but the girls were shattered. We called it a very long day and filled in an online lost luggage form. A week later, despite daily calls to Aer Linguss lost luggage helpline, there was still no sign of the bag, but there was a record of it arriving at Gatwick. Into the black hole it had gone. I shuddered to think of my sweet red holdall in one of those mountains, squashed and split by the weight of hundreds of big cases. And as I recovered from the stress of the journey, the anger built, too. How could they just lose it? It wasnt like losing a pound coin down the back of a sofa it was a bag full of clothes I loved. Bidding on a strangers case is unsettling, not least because someone else might soon be rifling through mine Each day, we kicked ourselves as we discovered yet another thing wed packed in there. My daughters school trainers, for instance, which Id shoved in a compartment at the bottom. A little pouch of holiday jewellery. A dress Id bought at the airport on the way out, and worn just a few times. My favourite sandals. Nothing of huge financial value but things I wheel out year after year; clothes that signal its time to relax. Outfits that conjure memories of previous holidays. Things I feel happy wearing. I began to feel bloody-minded about it. If they couldnt find it, then I would turn detective and do it myself. Which is how I came to find myself bidding for someone elses missing case. Its worth saying that most people will get their lost suitcases back though 23 per cent will be damaged or missing items thanks to a barcode system. All major airlines use a process called the World Tracer System to track luggage, using information you provide what it looks like, whats in it and where its been. But 6 per cent of the lost bags are never returned. This year the figure will be far higher. What becomes of those bags? As I discovered, after three months they often end up at auction houses such as Greasbys, a graveyard for lost luggage in Tooting, South London, which regularly receives unclaimed cases from Heathrow and other airports. Unclaimed baggage at Heathrow last month. This year there has been chaos at airports, with many passengers losing their luggage Before the pandemic, these were sold at live auctions with other goods, from furniture to bikes and electronics. Now its all carried out remotely using a system of Left Bids where the buyers fill out a detailed form, listing the lots they are interested in and declaring a maximum bid for each. When I turned up on one of the viewing days before a June sale, the lots included 40 or so suitcases. I imagined the owners outrage at the undignified flogging off of their stuff and felt a pang of sympathy. Some bags still had bright scraps of fabric tied to the handles, attached by people who assumed theyd need to pick them out on the carousel. Two or three still had name tags. The phone numbers were all American and, for a minute, I daydreamed about calling them. Hey, guess what? Ive found your case. I could then travel halfway across the world to reunite case with owner like some lost luggage vigilante. (I assume the airline tried to ring the numbers but the owners had given up on them, perhaps claiming on insurance instead.) Although I knew it was way too early for my lost bag to end up here, my eyes still scanned the racks for red. That was how I settled on the Tommy Hilfiger case. Auctioneer and Greasbys owner Christine Sachett says a goodquality case is a good bet as you can often sell it on at a profit. Brands to look out for include Samsonite and Tumi, but its not always a guarantee the clothes inside will be good quality. Youd be surprised, she said. Sometimes we will open a rather battered case and find designer clothes in there. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU By Mark Palmer, Daily Mail Travel Editor 1. Ask at check-in for a fragile sticker to put on your case and they will handle it with more care. 2. Attach a label that says First Class even if youre in economy. 3. Choose a brightlycoloured or distinctive suitcase to make it less likely someone else will walk off with yours. 4. Attach a GPS tracker to your case. An Apple Airtag (29, johnlewis.com) can be placed inside your case and linked to the FindMe app on your phone. 5. Remove old airline tags. 6. Take a photograph of your bag. Advertisement Christine and her team go through all the cases, taking out any jewellery, tech items such as phones and iPads, cosmetics and shoes, and auctioning these off separately to maximise profits. The clothing is then returned to the case, though better-quality pieces or new garments are likely to be removed and others may be added so each case is full. The premium items are kept in glass cabinets at the back of the sales room. When an item or a case is sold, Greasbys take a commission and the rest is returned to the airline, which seems rather ironic given they lost the bags in the first place. In the salesroom I notice a Smythson notebook embossed with Travels and Experiences. More irony! Whoever owned that never saw it again. Theres a new Burberry scarf and cabinets full of jewellery, mostly silver with semi-precious stones the kind of thing you wear to dress up a summer outfit and often has huge sentimental value even if its not worth much. Then there are the lost pushchairs, the handbags and rucksacks, glasses cases and coats. As for the bags, most contain holiday paraphernalia. The one I bought, and two others I also successfully bid on, are full of wellworn pieces that have probably taken the owners to many farflung places. A favourite jumper, a dress worn for an engagement party perhaps. Each item will be imbued with memories. When we pack a suitcase, we curate a version of ourselves and it feels unsettling to look on somebody elses choices. Occasionally well get a case with workmans tools in it. And there was a wedding dress once, remembers Christine. But generally, its holiday clothing which is clean if lost on the way out and not clean if lost on the way back. Either way, its sold exactly as it is, meaning you might end up bidding on a case of dirty laundry. Prior to this summers airport blip, Christine had seen a decrease in the numbers of lost cases turning up here. I have been at Greasbys for 50 years it was my dads business and we get very little luggage now compared to back then. These days the airlines tracking system is very effective. We used to collect lorry loads of lost luggage. Now, they reunite almost everything that goes astray, which is incredible when you consider the amount of suitcases going through these airports. Greasbys does get email enquiries from owners. But they dont deal with these directly and instead refer them to the carriers. As for my lost bag amazingly it did turn up. Not at the auctioneers but unannounced on the doorstep, ten days after our nightmare flight. I heard a knock at the door and there it was, in the arms of a courier. I was so delighted, I almost hugged him. Where had it been? Im still none the wiser. I gleefully opened the zip, glad that it was me looking through it, not a stranger on the scout for a bargain amid my dirty laundry. An Australian trio are changing the fashion industry with their ingenious clothing business that creates 'perfect' made-to-order T-shirts - and they've made $3.5million in just a few years. Zoltan Csaki and Eric Phu co-founded Citizen Wolf and with the help of engineer Rahul Mooray and developed a unique technology, Magic Fit, that precisely predicts a person's t-shirt measurements based on just their age, height and weight. Since launching Citizen Wolf in 2016, the trio have sold more than 50,000 t-shirts and creating the algorithm has set a new bar for the sustainable fashion industry. Eric Phu, Zoltan Csaki and Rahul Mooray (pictured L-R with their dog Maggie) are the brains behind sustainable fashion brand Citizen Wolf that uses advanced technology to create made-to-order t-shirts 'There are no appointments, no measuring tapes, no body scans, and there are no embarrassing photos you have to upload in your knickers (yes, there are websites that ask you for this),' Ms Csaki said. 'Everything is made within seven days in our own, ethically certified factory right here in Sydney, which is open to the public.' One third of all clothing created each year ends up in landfill unsold which Mr Csaki claims is an 'indirect result of companies incorrectly guessing what they think people might want to buy in the future'. In Citizen Wolf's early days, Mr Cski and Mr Phu spent 18-months measuring people by hand and manually cutting out more than 2000 t-shirts to build up their data set Mr Phu and Mr Csaki used their expertise to come up with a zero-waste solution to the fashion industry's impact on the planet. In Citizen Wolf's early days, the pair spent 18-months measuring customers by hand and manually cutting out more than 2000 t-shirts to build up their data set. Their tireless and tedious work helped set up the foundation for Magic Fit which was developed by Mr Mooray in 2017 and uses 196 million data points and measurements to tailor to any body type. 'The first layer of it is a statically average data set of lots of bodies throughout the world then on top of that, the data Eric created helped us know how a T-shirt should fit on different shape bodies,' Mr Mooney told FEMAIL. 'The final layer is that we always ask for notes from each person who buys a t-shirt from us because they know themselves best. That input is important because you can be same height and weight and age but if someone says they swim five times a week we know to adjust the measurements.' The result is incredibly precise tailoring with a 94 per cent accuracy all by knowing only a person's height, weight, and age. Mr Csaki however says the concept is often met with skepticism from potential customers. Their tireless work helped set up the foundation for Magic Fit, a technology creates incredibly precise made-to-order t-shirts for customers just by knowing their age, height and weight 'People dont want to imagine they can be reduced to three or four variables,' he said. 'We're standing on the shoulders of giants and proper scientific research. We've taken that, then turned into something, converted it into a garment and it became special.' Citizen Wolf has a short supply chain, with 86 per cent of its fabric knitted in Melbourne and all garments produced at its Marrickville factory and store which keeps its clothing at accessible prices starting at $79.95. While Mr Csaki acknowledges that may be steep for some for a t-shirt, he hopes customers can see the value in their sustainable business model. The t-shirts are made by seamstresses at Citizen Wolf's store and on-site factory in Marrickville, Sydney which customers are welcome to visit seven days a wekk Citizen Wolf has a short supply chain, with 86 per cent of its fabric knitted in Melbourne and all garments produced at its factory which keeps its clothing at accessible prices starting at $80 'Everyone wants to do the right thing and shop sustainably and ethically but you get to the check out and a t-shirt is $250 and there are not many people who can spend that,' he said. 'So many clothes are incorrectly priced in the first place at say $10 - their supply chain is exploited, there are people not getting paid correctly and the planet is paying an environmental cost.' Clearly striking a chord with Aussies in the market for sustainable fashion, Citizen Wolf has made $1.3million of its $3.5million overall sales in the last 12 months. The company also offer free repairs for life, believing fashion should last a lifetime and not end up in landfill. The trio have started crowdfunding on Birchal as they have now ambitiously set their sights on creating more shirts as well as knits and even jeans to order with its accurate algorithm and expanding Citizen Wolf globally. 'Citizen Wolf has been a t-shirt only brand basically but it was never about the t-shirt. They were only ever the first concept for the technology and system we created and to prove without shadow of a doubt made-to-order is not only viable for the customer but as a business,' Ms Csaki said. 'Australian businesses punch above their weight in terms of innovation and we're really keen to continue that story and ultimate change the fashion industry for good.' One of Britain's top energy bosses faces a revolt this week over excessive pay at a time when many Britons are struggling to pay their energy bills. National Grid boss John Pettigrew landed a 6.5m payday for the year to the end of March 2022, a year which has seen the country plunged into an energy crisis. Excessive pay: National Grid boss John Pettigrew landed a 6.5m payday for the year to the end of March 2022 His package was up 1.1m on a year earlier and was boosted by nearly 4m handed out as part of a three-year plan to incentivise executives. Shareholder advisory group Pirc advised National Grid investors to vote against the pay report at the AGM today. National Grid is a FTSE 100 company charged with transporting the nation's energy and receives about 20 a year each from consumers through bills as part of an electricity transmission charge. Earlier this year National Grid posted an 11 per cent rise in profits to nearly 4bn in the 12 months to the end of March, boosted by an increase in revenues from subsea cables connecting electricity supply with Europe. The company has seen revenues from the cables improve because of volatility in the energy market. Pay campaigners said that the company's end consumers had little choice over where to receive their energy from, meaning the bumper pay packet was not justified. A law enforcement crisis is unfolding in Australia with police forces struggling to find new recruits amid claims that officers are being treated 'worse than suspects'. New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia police unions and officials have complained about mistreatment, staff shortages and excessive work expenses as an 'exodus' of officers walk out on the job. The problem is so serious that Queensland Police announced last week it will drop the minimum age of applications to just 17 as the state embarks its largest ever recruitment campaign to stem the spiralling crime rate. Queensland Police announced last week it will drop the minimum age of applications to just 17-year-old. Pictured: 129 new recruits were sworn in at the Oxley Academy which is the largest group of recruits brought in over the past decade The overall crime rate in Queensland has shot up five per cent in the past year with robberies up 33 per cent, assaults jumping 69 per cent, sexual crime increasing 14 per cent and break-ins surging 23 per cent. Pictured: Queensland Police recruits graduating Poll Is 17 years of age to young too be a cop? Yes No Is 17 years of age to young too be a cop? Yes 864 votes No 82 votes Now share your opinion A recent spike in theft and violent crime has stretched the Sunshine State's law enforcement resources to the brink. The overall crime rate in Queensland has shot up five per cent in the past year with robberies up 33 per cent, assaults jumping 69 per cent, sexual crime increasing 14 per cent and break-ins surging 23 per cent. Queensland also accounts for one quarter of all grand theft auto cases, making it the car theft capital of Australia. To tackle the surging crime rate a massive recruitment drive is underway with the Queensland Police force inducting it's largest-ever number of rookies in a single swearing-in ceremony in more than a decade. The Queensland Police Service have denied the drop in age is related to the state's recent crime wave telling Daily Mail Australia the change will 'enable more young Queenslanders to kick-start an exciting career in policing'. The lowered age limit has been met with criticism with Queenslanders calling for the police force to recruit more officers with 'life experience' amid claims the force has mishandled domestic violence situations Not old enough to vote or buy a beer but okay to be a cop...' - an online commenter said. But the decision caused a major backlash with many community members calling for officers with more life experience to be hired following accusations of police are mishandling domestic violence situations. 'Only thing I can imagine that's more terrifying than a Queensland cop is a 17-year-old Queensland cop,' one person wrote on Twitter. 'Not old enough to vote or buy a beer but okay to be a cop...' another said. 'Policing is a job for sensible, mature people. Not someone whose brain hasn't finished growing,' another wrote. Applicants will still be required to pass required cognitive, physical and psychological tests, meet the security, integrity, medical and interview selection standards, and have successfully completed Year 12 certificate (or equivalent). The state's new recruitment drive is hoping to drum up 1,450 new officers and 575 staff members by 2025. Earlier this year, a submission for a state inquiry into Queensland Police culture accused male officers of widespread misogynistic behaviour, sexist comments and sexual harassment. A recent spike in theft and violent crime has stretched the Sunshine State's law enforcement resources to the brink (pictured, thieves who used a stolen vehicle to smash their way into a Goondiwindi supermarket captured on CCTV) Shortages of officers have led to concerns there soon won't be enough police to respond to crimes amid accusations from former officers they were treated 'worse then suspects' 'We're missing out on quality potential police officers in this state because people simply can't afford the application process' - NSW Police Association of NSW President Kevin Morton The Guardian detailed some of the allegations including male officers calling the area where female detectives sat as 'c*** corner', a male officer saying a female investigator was 'a good operator until her arse got fat' and another officer asking if 'this a real rape or is she looking for a free pap smear?'. Meanwhile, Police Association of NSW President Kevin Morton slammed the state's recruitment system for charging potential officers about $17,000 for its training program - a major barrier driving potential recruits away. 'We're missing out on quality potential police officers in this state because people simply can't afford the application process,' Mr Morton said at a press conference in May. NSW is the only state where aspiring cops have to spend thousands of dollars and months of their lives to join the force. Candidates first have to complete a university certificate course in workforce essentials before they can apply to join the force. Successful applicants then have to pay for an almost nine-month training course at Goulburn Police Academy where they are restricted to the facility and separated from their families. The WA Police Union said claims by the force and Premier Mark McGowan that officers are being 'lured' away by high-paying mining jobs is untrue 'They're not even getting paid for it - in fact, they're paying out of their life savings to do it,' Mr Morton said. NSW Police was forced to postpone its June training course due to a lack of applicants and schedule conflicts. On the other side of the country, more than 300 officers walked out on the WA Police force in the last financial year - with 60 in June alone. The WA Police Union said claims by the force and Premier Mark McGowan that officers are being 'lured' away by high-paying mining jobs is untrue. 'More than three-quarters of survey respondents, 77.4 per cent, said dissatisfaction with WA Police Force management and culture was a reason they resigned,' WA Police Union President Mick Kelly said last Friday. 'Only one of them has referenced swapping a police station for a FIFO gig on a mine site, whereas dozens have explained how working for the agency decayed their mental health, demolished their personal relationships and destroyed their work-life balance. 'The WA Police Force's poor human resources practices are what's powering the accelerating exodus of officers from the agency, not rich resources sector jobs.' NSW Police was forced to postpone its June training course due to a lack of applicants and schedule conflicts. Pictured: Forensic police examine the scene of a shooting in Sydney 'I participated in an internal interview in which I was treated worse than how we're expected to treat suspects. The whole system is broken' - one anonymous WA officer said. Aside from new job offers, a survey by the union found the top five reasons officers left the force were dissatisfaction with management and culture, long working hours and/or high workload, lack of career development or promotion opportunities, family circumstances and poor pay and conditions. Five devastated former officers described working with 'a lack of support'. 'The WA Police Force management doesn't care about its people. The value placed on experience, particularly frontline, is non-existent,' one former officer said. 'The minister's comments about the culture problem show how out of touch the hierarchy are. It saddens me to know how many experienced officers are leaving because they are so fed up with sub-par treatment. 'I participated in an internal interview in which I was treated worse than how we're expected to treat suspects. The whole system is broken.' Another ex-officer said after five years working 'critically understaffed' regional WA, the situation had become 'dangerous'. WA Police Union President Mick Kelly said an 'exodus' of officers leaving the force was due to 'poor human resources' and lack of support in 'confronting' work conditions 'The workload was extremely excessive, expecting us to do more with less and sending us probationers to make up numbers. It was very dangerous at times,' the officer said. 'For me, the benefits weren't enough to continue to put my own safety at risk. The culture wasn't positive and the last few years I dreaded going to work.' A third said: 'The job itself is hard work. Throw in the office politics and it's a lose-lose. Fighting with the people on the street then coming back in and fighting with the office politics.' Mr Kelly addressed the survey findings during a press conference on Friday. 'Our people have said enough is enough, my mental health and family relationships are breaking down,' he said. 'They're going to situations, crime scenes, which are extraordinarily confronting. They need some support. 'Can I suggest to the premier he comes back from his jaunt overseas and talks to police at the coalface?' WA Police told Daily Mail Australia it is now considering hiring police officers from overseas to help manage staff shortages. One former WA Police officer said: 'The WA Police Force management doesn't care about its people. The value placed on experience, particularly frontline, is non-existent' 'Given the current circumstances, WA Police is canvassing a range of options to attract future recruits,' a spokesperson said. 'This includes possible interstate and overseas recruitment campaigns, however decisions are yet to be made in relation to any proposed extension of the current recruitment campaign.' Two weeks ago South Australia's police union called for the state's police and recruitment systems to be reviewed as officers struggle to cope with dwindling force numbers. 'For more than 12 months now we have been telling commissioner Grant Stevens that his district policing model is failing,' Police Association of South Australia president Mark Carroll told ABC. 'It's failing front line officers and investigators and it's failing the community of South Australia.' South Australia's police union have called for the state's systems to be overhauled as officer numbers dwindle and crime rates rise Mr Carroll said SA Police are 'struggling to maintain numbers'. 'We find it a staggering indictment on SAPOL's recruiting systems that in a state of a million and a half people, we can't get 90 people to fill the recruit courses,' he said. Delegates from the union planned to meet on Wednesday to further discuss the problems facing SA Police. The shortage coincides with an 'enormous jump' in SA crime rates with 5,100 more crimes than average committed in April alone, leading to fears there soon won't be enough officers to respond to crimes. The largest baby formula plant in the U.S. has resumed production after two lengthy shutdowns that fueled a nationwide infant milk shortage. The Abbott Nutrition factory in Sturgis, Michigan resumed operations on July 1 and has started producing specialty baby formula, a spokesman confirmed Saturday. The company - which has been at the center of a baby formula shortage - first shut down the plant in February and recalled its infant formula products after reports of fatal bacterial infections in two babies who had consumed products made at the facility. The plant restarted production with additional sanitizing and safety protocols last month but was forced to halt operation just two weeks later the plant suffered damage from severe thunderstorms, including flooding. Before February's recall, Abbott controlled 40 percent of the infant formula market. The plant closure, coupled with supply chain disruptions and stockpiling during COVID-19 shutdowns, led to a country-wide baby formula shortage. The Abbott Nutrition factory in Sturgis, Michigan has resumed production of baby formula after two lengthy shutdowns that fueled a nationwide infant milk shortage Production of EleCare, a specialty formula for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems, was restored at the Sturgis plant following a July 1 reboot. 'We are working to restart Similac production as soon as we can. We'll provide more information when we have it,' Abbott spokesman John Koval said via email. Abbott recalled several leading brands of formula in February, including Similac. That squeezed supplies that already been strained amid the pandemic. The shortage was most dire for children with allergies, digestive problems and metabolic disorders who rely on specialty formulas. Abbott is one of just four companies that produce about 90 percent of U.S. formula. Koval declined to say how much of Abbot's overall U.S. supply of infant formula is produced at the Sturgis plant. The Biden Administration has since eased import rules for foreign manufacturers, airlifted formula from Europe and invoked federal emergency rules to prioritize U.S. production. Production of EleCare (left), a specialty formula for infants with severe food allergies and digestive problems, was restored at the Sturgis plant following a July 1 reboot. Abbott says officials are working to resume Similac (right) production 'as soon as we can' The FDA announced Friday that officials secured 4.875 million cans, or about 121 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles, of Australian infant formula. United airlines crews are pictured unloading pallets of infant formula transported to Texas on a June 17 flight from London, UK The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced plans on Wednesday to help overseas makers of infant formula that have sent supplies, under emergency approval to address the shortfall, secure long-term authorization to market their formula in the U.S. The plan is to provide American consumers with more choices and make supplies more resilient against current or future shortages. FDA commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf, and Susan Mayne, the director of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in a statement that the Sturgis plant shutdown 'compounded by unforeseen natural weather events, has shown just how vulnerable the supply chain has become.' The federal health authority also announced Friday officials secured 4.875 million cans, or about 121 million full-size, 8-ounce bottles, of Australian infant formula. The product will be shipped starting the first week of August to 20,000 retailers across the nation. Despite the government's efforts to curb the formula crisis, many Americans are still feeling the heavy impacts of the shortage. More than 20 percent of infant formula merchandise, including powder, ready-to-drink and liquid products, have been out of stock for the last month. Data collected by IRI Worldwide revealed the latest in-stock figure for powdered formula was at 70 percent for the week ending July 3 - a seven percent decrease from rates on June 5. The hardest hit states - with inventory levels below 60 percent - include Utah, Wyoming, Kansas and Colorado. Stock in Alaska saw the largest shortfall, dropping from an in-stock rate of 65 percent last month to 51 percent last week. The state with the best in-stock rate is New York at 81 percent, also a decline from June's rate of 84 percent. IRI says the shortage has primarily impacted powdered formula which accounts for more than 80 percent of the infant milk market. Experts say ready-to-drink formula hasn't been as heavily impacted by the situation. More than 20 percent of infant formula merchandise, including powder, ready-to-drink and liquid products, have been out of stock for the last month. A Texas resident shared a picture taken at their local Walmart on July 8 that shows empty shelves meant to house formula A South Carolina wholesale club had a fully stocked formula shelf on July 2, one resident reported Abbott's Michigan plant was closed in February after the Food and Drug Administration began investigating four bacterial infections among infants who consumed powdered formula from the plant. Two of the babies died. The company says its products have not been directly linked to the infections, which involved different bacterial strains. FDA inspectors eventually uncovered a host of violations at the plant, including bacterial contamination, a leaky roof and lax safety protocols. Late last month the FDA revealed it had launched an investigation into another infant death that occurred in January. The agency was alerted about the death in a consumer complaint filed June 10. The FDA didn't specify which Abbott product the child allegedly consumed or where the baby formula was produced, but did note the investigation was still in the preliminary stage. An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com on June 22 the company received 'limited product and clinical information' to evaluate the case and, at this time, there are 'no conclusions' and 'no evidence to suggest a causal relationship' between Abbott products and the reported infant death. A locked-up supply of infant formula at the Food Lion grocery store in Wilson Grove, Connecticut is pictured on July 9 Food Lion in Wilson Grove, Connecticut also saw nearly empty formula shelves on July 9 The probe comes after the FDA had previously investigated nine reports of infant deaths, including seven that had not been made public prior to early June, between December 2021 and March 2022 that had allegedly been linked to baby formula. The most recent case would mark the 10th alleged death. The infant death reports were included in a list of consumer complaints issued to the FDA. The complaints were made public by eFoodAlert on June 8. Two of the deaths listed in the complaints were numbered among the four confirmed cases of Cronobacter sakazakii identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The FDA reportedly discovered Cronobacter bacteria at the Sturgis plant. An Abbott spokesperson told DailyMail.com in May that 'thorough investigation' by the FDA and Abbott revealed 'infant formula produced at our Sturgis facility is not the likely source of infection in the reported cases and that there was not an outbreak caused by products from the facility'. The other seven deaths were reported to the FDA its consumer complaint system and two mentioned Salmonella in the complaint description. The FDA has said that 'despite extensive investigation' it could not find enough evidence to 'not rule in or rule out a definitive link' between the seven infant deaths and Abbott's product. To date, the FDA has reviewed and investigated 129 complaints associated with Abbott formula products, the federal agency confirmed to DailyMail.com. The majority of complaints, a total of 119, were reported after Abbott voluntarily recalled its products on February 17. The FDA has previously reported its review of complaints related to nine infant deaths. Only two were associated with the Abbott Nutrition Sturgis plant investigation, and despite extensive investigation the evidence does not rule in or rule out a definitive link between these infant deaths and the product produced at Abbott Nutrition's Sturgis plant. New U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport, Sunday. Goldberg will lead the U.S. mission in Seoul by taking the post that had remained vacant for more than a year since the inauguration of U.S. President Joe Biden. Yonhap By Jung Min-ho Philip Goldberg, the new U.S. ambassador to South Korea, arrived in Seoul, Sunday, at a critical juncture for peace on the Korean Peninsula. Goldberg, who vowed to pursue the comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization of Pyongyang at his Senate confirmation hearing in April, will lead the U.S. mission in Seoul by taking the post that had remained vacant for more than a year since U.S. President Joe Biden was inaugurated. "I'm honored to represent the American people and President Biden at this very important moment in our relations," Goldberg, 65, told reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport in Incheon before heading to his office in Seoul. "Relations between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea (South Korea) were forged in conflict, a great alliance, and now we're moving, thanks to agreements between our two presidents, to a global partnership." Goldberg added South Korea is admired around the world for its excellence in technology and culture and the two countries can "do a lot" together to accomplish "even more security and more prosperity for our two countries and peoples." The career diplomat, who worked as coordinator from 2009 to 2010 for the implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea after its nuclear test, is now tasked with coordinating security and military efforts for peace between Seoul and Washington amid North Korea's increasing nuclear and missile threats. "Comprehensive, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization those are difficult goals, but they fit very well with our non-proliferation goals," he said during the hearing before the Senate Foreign Services Committee. "They fit with our policy of deterrence, building, broadening, deepening our alliances with the Republic of Korea, and doing all possible to defend against a rogue regime in North Korea that is violating at every opportunity U.N. resolutions, their own commitments, international agreements." Goldberg begins his job two months after South Korea started to alter its conciliatory approach to the North under the newly inaugurated President Yoon Suk-yeol, who pledges firm responses to Pyongyang's military provocations. South Korean policymakers and security experts, including the foreign and unification ministers, believe North Korea is now set for another nuclear weapons test. This North has fired 31 missiles so far this year, including the launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) for the first time in nearly five years. Asked about the efficacy of the existing sanctions on North Korea during his hearing, Goldberg said sanctions are "an important element," even though they alone may not be sufficient to change North Korea's behavior. "North Korea wants those sanctions lifted, which is a reason to keep pressing because they want them lifted for a reason They are an important element but they're not an element that will necessarily do the trick by themselves," he said. Goldberg also underscored that "a solid alliance" with Japan is important for a more effective deterrence against the North. Goldberg, who served as ambassador to Colombia from September 2019 to June 2022, is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, the highest diplomatic rank in its foreign service. Before his stint in the South American country, Goldberg served as the U.S. ambassador to Cuba (February 2018 to July 2018) and to the Philippines (December 2013 to October 2016) and assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research (February 2010 to November 2013). Advertisement Sandra Lee was seen packing on the PDA with fiance Ben Youcef on the balcony of of their Lake Como villa this weekend, on a romantic getaway meant to ring in the TV chef's 56th birthday. The former Food Network star and her shirtless beau put on an amorous display during the love-fest early Saturday, with the 43-year-old actor pictured passionately kissing Lee's neck while holding her close. It was the latest exhibit of love from the happy couple, who have been unable to keep their hands off of each other since Youcef proposed to Lee last August. Lee dated disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for 14 years before shacking up with Youcef, who has starred. For the past week, the pair have embarked on a steamy summer holiday at Lee's Villa d'Este property. Sandra Lee was seen packing on the PDA with fiance Ben Youcef on the balcony of of their Lake Como villa this weekend, on a romantic getaway meant to ring in the TV chef's 56th birthday The former Food Network star and her shirtless beau put on an amorous display during the love-fest early Saturday The 43-year-old Algerian actor - who emerged from the villa only in his underwear - was pictured passionately kissing The TV chef's neck while holding her close Photos showed the pair getting particularly handsy Saturday, on The Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee star's balcony. Lee donned a black night gown and enjoyed a mug of some sort of breakfast drink during the excursion, walking out onto the wooden terrace alone before being joined by her hubby-to-be. Youcef, meanwhile, emerged from the villa shirtless, in his underwear, grabbing his future wife from behind in a warm embrace. Lee looked to enjoy the encounter, craning her neck as she welcomed her beau's advances. Enjoying a mug of some sort of breakfast drink, Lee donned a black night gown during the excursion, which saw the TV chef first walk out onto the wooden terrace alone, before being joined by her hubby-to-be Lee donned a black night gown and enjoyed a mug of some sort of breakfast drink during the excursion, walking out onto the wooden terrace alone before being joined by her hubby-to-be Youcef, meanwhile, emerged from the villa shirtless, in his underwear, grabbing his future wife from behind in a warm embrace Lee looked to enjoy being caressed, and craned her neck as she welcomed her beau's advances The pair shared a passionate smooch in front of photographers who captured the early-morning love-fest The happy couple have been unable to keep their hands off of each other since Youcef proposed to Lee last August The couple went on to share a passionate smooch in full view of a DailyMail.com photographer, while continuing to clasp each other. The pair proceeded to playfully converse on the balcony, before retiring back into the sprawling home. Earlier this week, Lee was spotted sharing a kiss with the actor - who hails from Algeria and has starred in films like The Algerian and X-Men Apocalypse - after leaving the villa in a vintage 1956 Porscher Speedster. According to People, friends of the couple are known to affectionately refer to the pair as 'Bendra.' The couple resides in Malibu, with Lee taking up residence there after splitting with Como in 2019, when the then-New York governor found himself at the center of a heated sex scandal. The pair proceeded to playfully converse on the balcony, before retiring back into the sprawling home According to People, friends of the couple - who live in Malibu and have been engaged for 11 months - are known to affectionately refer to the pair as 'Bendra' The pair flew to Lee's Lake Como Villa last week to celebrate the TV chef - who dated disgraced New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for 14 years before splitting in 2019 - her turning 56 on Sunday The pair flaunted their relationship for all the world to see during the steamy encounter Last week, they flew to Lee's Lake Como Villa to celebrate her turning 56 on Sunday. She gushed about the birthday celebrations with her 11-month fiance on a post to Instagram. 'Romantic Sunset cruise on Lake Como pre-party with my Ben,' she captioned a photo of herself passionately kissing Youcef... so romantic and special for my birthday!! Happy birthday everyone- may your kisses be filled with love and passion. Loving 56 so far! So gratefulXoxo Sandy.' On Saturday, she posted a photo of herself passionately kissing Youcef on a balcony in Verona, the setting for Shakespearian romantic tragedy Romeo and Juliet. 'So lots to share from today on!! ' she wrote. 'First and most importantly I am making my years count instead of counting the years. Yesterday my Pre-birthday day, a Magical day in Verona was spent at Juliet's balcony (the Romeo and Juliet balcony) with my Ben. Earlier this week, Lee was spotted sharing a kiss with the actor - who hails from Algeria and has starred in films like The Algerian and X-Men Apocalypse - after leaving the villa in a vintage 1956 Porscher Speedster LADIES FIRST: The Algerian-born actor opened up the door to the driver's seat of the vintage Porsche like a true gentleman WHEN'S THE WEDDING: The couple looked as if they had just gotten married, with Lee wearing a white, laced outfit and Youcef wearing a blazer Lee was spotted earlier in the week wearing a daring see-through white dress as she celebrated her birthday with a romantic cruise around Lake Como in Northern Italy with her fiance Youcef The happy couple was spotted kissing passionately while vacationing in Lake Como They couldn't keep their hands off each other as they smooched in a boat while taking a spin around Lake Como on Sunday The couple gazed into each other's eyes as they sailed around the lake in Italy on Sunday Lee and Youcef held hands as they strolled aroundVilla d'Este over the weekend They both wore white and looked relaxed as they went for a walk in Northern Italy The happy couple held hands and smooched as they enjoyed their holiday in Italy 'After this past year of health struggles, I know that life is too short not celebrate every single chance I can get. So looking forward to Ben's next surprise! Yay Birthdays, what a gift they are!! Xo Sandy'. Earlier this year, Lee opened up about undergoing a hysterectomy, saying at the time that the surgery was a 'bit rough' and she had a 'long road of recovery ahead.' Lee, who turned 56 on Sunday, took to Instagram to gush about the man by her side 'Romantic Sunset cruise on Lake Como pre-party with my Ben,' she captioned a photo of herself passionately kissing Youcef' On Saturday, she posted a photo of herself kissing Youcef on a balcony in Verona Lee's ex, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was by her side when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy in 2015 She has praised him for being incredibly supportive during her cancer battle and subsequent reconstructive surgeries, although they split up in 2019, leaving Lee heartbroken. Lee developed an infection from her double mastectomy and was rushed to the hospital in August 215. 'I did my very best to avoid this (when I tell you I did everything, I mean everything modern, Eastern and holistic) but infection is an incredible monster,' she wrote in a Facebook message to fans at the time. 'I am a long way from where I was and a long way from where I need to be, but at this point I understand that right now I just need to complete this unexpected phase of a tough journey.' Lee started her reconstructive surgeries in 2016, and it took four years for them to be completed due to complications. 'It's a really intense thing, having that operation,' she told People in June 2016. 'Being put out, it's lights out. You go, 'Oh God, please sweet Lord, take care of me while I'm here.'' They couple shared a passionate kiss as they spent time in Northern Italy on Sunday Youcef steals a kiss from Lee as they walk around the in Lake Como at Villa d'Este The two strolled cobblestone streets while enjoying the sights of the area - and each other - as they celebrated Lee's 56th birthday on Sunday The couple shares an intense moment while in Northern Italy over the weekend Lee who was dubbed 'First Girlfriend' while she was with Cuomo kept a low profile during most of his first two terms as governor, but she emerged as an advocate for cancer screening after her own diagnosis. 'Early diagnosis just gives you the opportunity to be the most aggressive that you can be,' she told People in 2018. 'It's the best treatment.' Lee also opened up about her cancer diagnosis in the 2018 HBO documentary 'RX: Early Detection, A Cancer Journey with Sandra Lee.' She moved to Malibu after she and Cuomo split in September 2019. They dated for 14 years and lived together, but they never got engaged in their decade and a half as a couple. Cuomo was by her side when she underwent a double mastectomy in 2015 and started reconstructive surgery a year later Lee, pictured with her ex, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in 2012, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 Lee and Youcef are believed to have met at a charity event in Santa Monica back in March 2021, with him making the first move. He is a father to five-year-old twins with his soon-to-be ex-wife, California-based realtor Apryl Stephenson. Though the pair are still legally married, they separated in 2019 and they filed for divorce in January 2020. Youcef proposed to Lee in August during their whirlwind trip to France that coincided with the sexual harassment scandal surrounding Cuomo. 'Ben really wanted to distract Sandra from all the news, so he whisked her away to Paris,' an unnamed source close to Youcef told the New York Post. 'He knows how hard this has been on her and he wants to make sure she feels loved and supported.' The source added: 'Ben is incredibly protective of Sandra. They're soulmates and head-over-heels in love.' Cuomo, 64, resigned from office in August after investigators working for New York Attorney General Letitia James authored a report concluding he had sexually harassed 11 women. Lee, meanwhile, couldn't be happier with Youcef, whom she praised in a gushing Valentine's Day post last month. She shared a carousel of photos of them together, including snapshots of them kissing. Lee's fiance, Ben Youcef, was by her side when she underwent the procedure to remove her uterus Lee moved to Malibu after she and Cuomo split in September 2019, and she met Youcef nearly two years later in March 2021 'So this happened! Ben happened! Love happened! Happiness happened!' she wrote. 'I was certain it never would again. I was shocked when it did. I swore I would never fall again, trust again, love again or open myself up again. 'On our one year anniversary I shall share the story of how we met but until then, my wish for you is that no matter where you are, how old you are or what has happened, you can welcome hope back into your life again.' Police-worn body camera footage shows the moment a state trooper pulls over the head of the Louisiana State Police for speeding before turning off his camera and letting his boss go free. On Thursday, the Louisiana State Police released the unnamed trooper's body camera footage and a snippet of video from the trooper's dashboard camera showing the trooper stopping Col. Lamar Davis on June 28 just before 1pm. In the video, obtained by WAFB, the trooper is seen pulling an unmarked black van over on the shoulder of the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, and walking over to the car. As soon as the trooper notices the driver is Davis, who steps out of the van, the driver says 'Well I'll be,' in apparent surprise, just before the body camera footage cuts off. The remainder of the encounter was caught on a dashcam on the trooper's car, which showed the trooper shaking his boss's hand, before letting him go. That footage doesn't have any audio, meaning it's unclear what the two men said. Capt. Nick Manale, the head of public affairs for the Louisiana State Police, said it appears the responding officer stopped his body camera recording as soon as he recognized Davis. Body camera footage shows an unnamed trooper pull over a black van along the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge for speeding, but shuts off when the trooper recognizes the driver as the head of the Louisiana State Police The driver was identified a Col. Lamar Davis, the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police Department (pictured) But dash cam footage, which does not have audio, picks up the rest of the confrontation. It shows the trooper walking over to Davis and talking to him for a few seconds between their two vehicles, before the two shake hands. Within 30 seconds of him exiting his vehicle, Davis could be seen stepping back inside and preparing to drive off. State Police say the officer did not make any notes about how fast Davis was driving in the 60mph zone on Atchafalaya Basin Bridge along Interstate-10, and Manale said the responding officer 'utilized his discretion and did not issue a citation.' An investigation into the confrontation is ongoing, and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, who oversees the Justice Department's civil rights division, said Davis and Gov. John Bel Edwards have pledged to cooperate with authorities. Dash cam footage picks up where the trooper's body cam footage left off, showing the unnamed officer walking toward Davis The two are seen talking to each other for a few seconds and shaking hands The officer then walks back to his car as Davis could be seen getting back into his black van just about 30 seconds after he exited the vehicle Davis has now said he accepts responsibility for speeding on the dangerous interstate - which has recorded more than 200 crashes each year for the past three years - but said he does not remember how fast he was driving. He was headed to a meeting in Lake Charles when the trooper pulled him over, WAFB reports, and an unnamed source familiar with the matter told WBRZ he was 'going at least 90mph.' The source noted that the traffic stop came shortly after Davis gave his department an urgent assignment to stop speeding drivers on the bridge. 'I was wrong. I admit that. I take full responsibility,' Davis told WBRZ on Friday. 'I try to do too much in a day. 'I need to practice what I preach, and don't want to put anyone in a position to stop me or any other troopers,' Davis added. 'I was wrong. There's no excuse. I don't believe in excuses.' Still, he told WAFB the trooper's actions fell within Louisiana State Police policy. 'I know everybody wants to see everything that we do. But, were not putting body cameras on doctors or lawyers or anybody else that is interacting with the public,' Davis said. 'I ask that people trust that we are doing the right thing for the right reasons.' Davis became superintendent of the Louisiana State Police on October 30, 2020. Col. Lamar Davis, superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, said he takes full responsibility for speeding on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge There have been over 200 crashes on the bridge (pictured) each year for the past three years, and Gov John Bel Edwards has recently signed legislation increasing fines for speeding on the bridge and adding speed cameras. It goes into effect next month The confrontation came just one month before a new law goes into effect targeting speeding along the bridge. The law calls for speeding fines along the stretch of the interstate to be doubled to $350 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second offense. It also calls for the addition of speed cameras. Over the past three years, there have been hundreds of crashes involving speeding drivers along the bridge. According to data obtained by WAFB, there were a total of 235 crashes on the bridge in 2019 - five of which were fatal. Then in 2020, when fewer people were driving due to pandemic-related shutdowns, there were 206 crashes resulting in two deaths. And by 2021, the total number of crashes jumped to 276 and resulted in two deaths. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Justice announced last month that it was opening a civil rights investigation into the Louisiana State Police amid evidence that the agency has a pattern of looking the other way in the face of beatings of black men, including the deadly 2019 arrest of Ronald Greene. The federal 'pattern-or-practice' probe followed an Associated Press investigation that found Greene's arrest was among at least a dozen cases over the past decade in which state police troopers or their bosses ignored or concealed evidence of beatings, deflected blame and impeded efforts to root out misconduct. Grace Tame's charity has finally been granted tax-free status after the advocate publicly blamed Scott Morrison for delaying the decision. The Grace Tame Foundation, which advocates for the rights of sexual assault survivors, was recognised as a charity by the new Albanese government on July 1. Ms Tame, who is CEO and executive director, had to wait almost a year for approval as a charity after she put in her application on July 14, 2021, and blamed the former prime minister for the delay. Speaking at Adelaide Writers' Week in March, Ms Tame said she had been called by a senior member from a government-funded organisation on the night before the 2022 Australian of the Year Awards. 'I didnt share this at the National Press Club but do you know what the threat was, from that person who phoned me? It was that they wouldnt support the [Grace Tame] foundation if I said something about the prime minister,' she claimed Mr Morrison, who had a strained relationship with the 2021 Australian of The Year during his time as prime minister, has previously denied this was the case. Grace Tame's charity has been granted tax-free status as the advocate publicly blamed Scott Morrison for the delay (pictured, the former PM and Ms Tame in January) Ms Tame, who is CEO and executive director, waited 44 weeks for her foundation to be approved as a charity, and blamed the former prime minister for the delay New Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth and Assistant Charities Minister Andrew Leigh were able to approve the foundation's tax-free status in six weeks. The Grace Tame Foundation was granted deductible gift recipient (DGR) status after a 'rigorous approvals process' under the register of harm prevention charities, the Daily Telegraph reported. Ms Tame's foundation applied for DGR status in December 2021 and only received approval in a process that is supposed to usually take 'a few months'. The website states donations over $2 are now fully tax deductible. Mr Leigh claimed the delay in approving the charity was 'politically motivated' and described the recognition of the foundation as 'long overdue'. Ms Tame pictured with her partner Max Heerey, who is an executive director of her foundation 'It is just one of multiple harm prevention charities that should have received deductible gift recipient status months ago, yet was blocked by Liberal ideologues,' he said. The minister later tweeted: 'Under the Liberals' war on charities, many charities that met the criteria for tax deductibility were left in limbo'. Ms Rishworth said the charity was an 'incredibly deserving foundation' and that she was committed to working closely with victims, like Ms Tame, in developing policy. The foundation aims to 'campaign for and help fund initiatives which work to prevent and respond to sexual abuse of children and others,' according to its website. The charity last month announced a new campaign that aims to stop convicted paedophiles from avoiding paying damages to victims by hiding their assets in their superannuation. The Grace Tame Foundation aims to 'campaign for and help fund initiatives which work to prevent and respond to sexual abuse of children and others,' according to its website In several cases, victims whose lives were ruined by 'heinous' child sex abuse have been unable to receive full damages because their perpetrators moved assets to the safety of their super accounts. In some cases, convicted offenders who have protected their wealth from compensation actually return to living 'opulent lifestyles' after short jail terms, Ms Tame claimed. At present, the law prevents a damages claim on superannuation, meaning victims exist in poverty even after a successful claim. The Super for Survivors Campaign, launched by Ms Tame, calls on the Albanese Government to introduce a change to the Bankruptcy Act to shut the loophole. It would mean convicted paedophiles' super accounts would be used as a source of funds to pay compensation to their victims. Boris Johnson tried to secure a job for a young woman, who has claimed that he abused his position to begin a sexual relationship with her. It is said to have happened when Mr Johnson was London mayor and Conservative MP for Henley in 2008. He tried to help her get a job in City Hall weeks after they met, but Kit Malthouse, then deputy mayor of London, said they seemed to have an inappropriately close relationship and blocked the appointment, according to a report in The Sunday Times. It follows reports that Mr Johnson has helped women while having a private relationship with them, including his now wife Carrie Johnson becoming chief of staff at the Foreign Office during their 2018 affair, and American graduate Jennifer Arcuri taking tax-payer funded trips following their 2011 affair, which Mr Johnson has not publicly accepted. The woman, who remains unnamed, confronted Mr Johnson in 2017, when women across the world began sharing their experiences of sexual harassment and abuse under the #MeToo hashtag. Boris Johnson tried to secure a job for a young woman, who has claimed that he abused his position to begin a sexual relationship with her, when he was London mayor and Conservative MP for Henley in 2008. Pictured in 2008 She said that she regretted the relationship becoming sexual, telling Mr Johnson that what had happened between them left her 'really shaken and upset'. At the time, Mr Johnson was 43, married and had four children, and the woman was in her 20s. She was volunteering for the Conservative Party after moving to London. The woman recorded their conversation on November 7, 2017, and said that young women who step into the building are considered 'fair game', and are 'leered at' by men in positions of power. The woman, who is now a married mother-of-two working as a legal professional, shared the recording with The Sunday Times. In it Mr Johnson is reported as admitted suggesting the woman for the role, adding that he was 'very disappointed' when she did not get it. He said: 'I suggested you for the job and I was very keen for Kit to interview you and I remember Kit interviewed you. 'I asked him about it afterwards, repeatedly, why he hadnt given you the job and I was very disappointed he hadnt. I remember. And Im afraid one of the reasons he gave was that he thought you were too friendly with me.' Mr Johnson also insisted that he did not act abnormally by recommending her for the role, adding: 'You cant just machine friends into jobs. You cant. Not in City Hall.' The woman's panel interview, led by Mr Malthouse, came three weeks after she visited Mr Johnson's parliamentary office. She was not qualified for the role and did not secure the job. Later that year, Mr Johnson sent her a text, saying he needed her as his speechwriter. It is not clear if these conversations progressed. Last week, Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: 'I abhor ... abuse of power anywhere in parliament, in this party or in any other party'. Pictured, Mr Johnson as he declares the need for a new prime minister In the recording, he added: 'I dont believe that I was malicious and I dont believe that I would have been aggressive or anything like that. I think that would be not fair. 'Whatever happened, I dont remember myself that I behaved in any way improperly ... I really dont. I think in all conscience youd accept that.' He also apologised for the woman's 'unhappiness', saying that he had been 'very insensitive'. The woman said that she had considered reporting the matter to then Prime Minister Theresa May, having spent many years thinking about what happened. Mr Johnson replied, saying that there were 'lots of solutions'. 'You can go to Theresa May and say Boris Johnson is a b*****d and all the rest of it and fine, and I would say nothing, um, I will,' he added, before suggesting that they kept in touch. Last week, Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: 'I abhor ... abuse of power anywhere in parliament, in this party or in any other party'. The Cabinet Office requires anyone involved in public appointments to act with 'integrity', consider candidates with the relevant 'experiences and qualities' and declare relationships. The Liberal Democrats have called for an immediate investigation into claims Boris Johnson lobbied for a young woman to get a City Hall job while he was London mayor. But the appointment is said to have been blocked because his colleague, Kit Malthouse, now a minister in the outgoing PM's caretaker Cabinet, said the pair appeared to have an inappropriately close relationship. The Sunday Times reported that the woman was upset by what happened, confronting Mr Johnson about it several years later. Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dems' deputy leader, called for an investigation into the matter. She said: 'The woman's account is deeply distressing to read and it's clear this must be investigated immediately, either by a parliamentary body or City Hall authorities. 'British politics has been repeatedly dragged through the mud in recent weeks. 'It is utterly depressing that not only has another politician in high office been accused of abusing their power, but that it is now the sitting Prime Minister who faces serious questions.' Labour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said: 'These awful allegations add to the lies, the law breaking and the security breaches this man is not fit for office and should go now.' A Downing Street spokesperson told MailOnline: 'This not about his time as PM and no public interest as I see it. And we dont talk about his private life.' A New Orleans woman is facing murder-for-hire charges after she inadvertently tried to book a hitman to take out a love rival on a website that is linked to the FBI. Zandra Ellis, 33, was taken into custody by the feds this week in the parking lot of a Waffle House in Louisiana after discussing the hit with an undercover agent, according to the criminal complaint in the case. Ellis made contact with Rent-A-Hitman.com on June 30 using a fake name, Jasmine D. Brown, the documents state. In her inquiry, Ellis said that she wanted a woman identified only as B.H. dead. Ellis said: 'I would like her dead since she is trying to kill me.' The operator of the website, Robert Innes, said that he contacted Ellis 24 hours later to see if she wanted to go through with the hit. Ellis responded within a minute to say she did. Innes, a graduate of the Napa Valley police academy, started the website in 2005 as an internet security company. Rent-a-Hitman was founded by Robert Innes in 2005 and was originally meant to be an internet security company The fake customer testimonials on Rent-a-Hitman.com were not enough to warn Ellis away Ellis met with an undercover FBI agent posing as a hitman with the name 'Ace' at this Waffle House The Rent-a-Hitman homepage includes a disclaimer promising that potential clients' information is protected under the fictional Hitman Information Privacy and Protection Act of 1964. Documents in Ellis' case say that the website is linked to the FBI's Internet Criminal Complaint Center. When Innes did a background check on Ellis and discovered her real name, he challenged her why she used a false name. Ellis said: 'I didnt want my real name out just in case this isnt real or if it comes back to me or so I wouldnt go to jail for wanting something like this done. I just didnt want it to fall back on me.' Innes reported Ellis to the FBI National Threat Operations Center on July 3. Two days later an undercover agent going by the moniker Ace contacted Ellis. According to the documents, there was a brief haggle between Ellis and Ace via text messages over the price for the hit. Eventually, they settle on a $1,000 fee with Ellis coughing up $100 up front. Innes reported Ellis to the FBI National Threat Operations Center on July 3. Two days later an undercover agent going by the moniker Ace contacted Ellis Documents in Ellis' case say that the website is linked to the FBI's Internet Criminal Complaint Center From there, Ellis said that she would pay the hitman $250 in installments until the debt was paid off. When the pair met up in a Waffle House, Ellis brought her child in a stroller. During the meet up, Ellis explained that she wanted BH dead because she believed that BH was trying to kill her and her unborn child. Ellis explained that she and BH had children with the same man. He was not named in the complaint. The pair also agreed that a code word would be used to confirm that the kill had taken place. When Ace asked Ellis is she had a weapon to protect herself with, '[She] glanced at her backpack and told the [undercover agent], When you see me with this Im always strapped, When Ellis exited Waffle House she was arrested and found to be in possession of a Ruger .308 pistol containing live rounds.' Ellis is charged with the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. She faces 10 years in prison if found guilty. Speaking to the Daily Beast about Ellis' arrest, Robert Innes said: 'When a life is in jeopardy, I want [the case] to get into capable hands. Fortunately, a life was saved in this process.' Innes also told the website: 'I get requests every single day. Despite the attention in the news media, podcasts, online videos, people still see this as a place where they can attempt to hire a hitman. Its mind-boggling. I just dont get it.' Following Ellis' arrest, Robert Innes tweeted: 'It happened again, this time in New Orleans. Over 150 lives saved!' Robert Innes, pictured here, said of Ellis' arrest: 'When a life is in jeopardy, I want [the case] to get into capable hands. Fortunately, a life was saved in this process' When asked in a separate interview with the Washington Post about why so many people contact the site, Innes said: 'I don't get it. People are just stupid Innes' career was covered in an October 2020 Rolling Stone feature in which he told the magazine that he was a repo man who operated the website on the side. Innes, who goes by the moniker Guido Fanelli, said that his website has been used at least 12 times to trap murder-for-hire suspects. Although on his Twitter page, Innes said that his website has saved the lives of 150 people. The Rent-a-Hitman website brags of having 17,985 'US based field operatives.' That just happens to be the number of law enforcement agencies in the United States. A customer testimonial from 'Phil M. Florida' says: 'Guido and his public relations crew at were able to resolve a five year dispute in a matter of days. Highly recommended!' 'Laura S. Arizona' writes: 'Caught my husband cheating with the babysitter and our relationship was terminated after a free public relations consultation. I'm single again and looking to mingle.' While 'Fernando Kansas' said: 'My business schedule is too busy to get my hands dirty with Human Resources issues, so I consulted with and they handled my disgruntled employee issue promptly while I was out of town on vacation.' In the Rolling Stone interview, Innes said that the first serious inquiry he got came around 2010 when a woman from the United Kingdom named Helen said that she wanted members of her family killed because she had been left out of an inheritance. Helen was living in Canada at the time. Innes said that he contact authorities, who contacted the relevant police who in turn performed a welfare check on the suspect. In turned out that Helen was wanted in the UK on a number of outstanding warrants. She was extradited shortly after making contact with Innes. When asked in a separate interview with the Washington Post about why so many people contact the site, Innes said: 'I don't get it. People are just stupid.' Heavy rainfall has ended a brief two days of sunshine in NSW with warnings more downpours, freezing temperatures and snow are on the way. More than 30mm has fallen in parts of the state over the last 24 hours with Sydney's north hit with heavy downpours - Mona Vale and Terrey Hills recorded 32mm of rain while Allambie copped 28mm. 'Very wet morning in Sydney with significant rain,' the Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday morning. 'The showers should ease during the day with longer dry breaks, but it will remain cold and windy.' The Illawarra district is expected to cop the most rain with between 20mm and 40mm predicted in the region throughout Sunday. Sydney and Newcastle are forecast to receive between 10mm and 20mm. Weatherzone meteorologist Andrew Schmidt said the wet conditions were the result of a low-pressure system lingering in the Tasman Sea and southerly winds. The rain is set to move away from the coastal region on Monday but could return as early as Wednesday. Freezing temperatures are also on the way with the mercury tipped to dip below 10C in the morning. Heavy rainfall has ended a brief two days of sunshine in NSW with warnings more downpours and freezing temperatures are on the way (pictured, flooded house along Hawkesbury River) The Illawarra district is expected to cop the most rain with between 20mm and 40mm predicted in the region throughout Sunday (pictured, graphic illustrating path of downpour in NSW on Sunday) Camden is forecast to hit 4C and Richmond will drop to 6C while Parramatta will experience 6C or 7C starts to the day. Sky News Weather meteorologist Alison Osborne said a blast of cold polar air would bring snowfall to parts of Tasmania stretching all the way up to the northern ranges, on the Queensland-NSW border. 'Now that cold frontal system is actually bringing up a burst of some very cold polar air,' she said. 'This means while snow showers will fall over the usual areas like the Tasmania central plateau and the Australian Alps, Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning could bring a light dusting of snow to the central and even the northern ranges.' Ms Osborne said Aussies across most of the country - except WA - should brace for icy conditions from next week. 'There'll be widespread frost as the mercury chills right down again to below five degrees and in some cases below freezing through southern Queensland, the central parts of the Northern Territory, eastern and southern Australia and across parts of Victoria's high country,' she said. 'Frost warnings are likely to be in place again for growers and road weather alerts in Tasmania.' The bleak forecast comes as flood victims begin to return to their inundated homes following the latest floods in NSW. The bleak forecast comes as flood victims begin to return to their inundated homes following the latest floods in NSW (pictured, floodwaters at Windsor, north-west Sydney) Recovery efforts in the state will be overseen by former detective Dean Betts and fellow Resilience NSW director Mel Gore, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said on Saturday (pictured, Windsor resident in a canoe on Wednesday) Flood-affected residents returning to properties should wear PPE, boots, gloves and have sanitiser handy. Adam Jones, from the SES, also urged people to mentally prepare to see their homes significantly damaged, and to reach out for community support. 'Everyone's going to be a bit stressed under these circumstances,' he said. Recovery efforts in the state will be overseen by former detective Dean Betts and fellow Resilience NSW director Mel Gore, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said on Saturday. 'These appointments will help to ensure flood-affected communities receive support in a timely and efficient way,' Ms Cooke said. Flooding continued in the Hunter and lower Hawkesbury regions on Saturday, with more than 1,000 government personnel kept on standby to assist. Some 37 Victorian emergency personnel also travelled to NSW to help with the rescue and clean-up, taking the total number of crew from the state to 94. Flooding continued in the Hunter and lower Hawkesbury regions on Saturday, with more than 1,000 government personnel kept on standby to assist (pictured, Hunter River near Hinton in the Hunter Region of NSW) Ms Cooke said the immediate priorities were damage assessments and making sure displaced residents could access emergency accommodation. Of 2,285 premises already examined, 239 have been deemed not habitable and a further 973 require repairs. In the Hunter, lower Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains regions, roads were cut in multiple towns and train services affected. The T1 Western, Blue Mountains and Hunter train lines were not operating between some stations, and the Parramatta River ferries were offering replacement transport between some stops. Boris Johnson is reportedly being lined up as a special envoy to Kyiv to maintain the anti-Vladimir Putin alliance. The Prime Minister has been a strong supporter of the Ukrainian president since war first broke out in the country following the invasion by Russia in February of this year. Former senior government advisers have allegedly suggested the idea due to his close relationship with Volodymyr Zelensky and his key knowledge of the situation. A source told The Sun: 'There is an international need for Boris Johnsons services. 'These are exceptional circumstances and an exceptional person is required to deal with them.' 'The PM has been laser focused on ending this abhorrent war. He will continue to support Ukraines security, protect its sovereignty, deter any further aggression and return to its peaceful existence,' another source added. Boris Johnson is reportedly being lined up as a special envoy to Kyiv to maintain the anti-Vladimir Putin alliance. Pictured with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in June According to the newspaper, Mr Johnson could be an intermediary between Ukraine and the West for both supplying military assistance and future peace talks. Mr Johnson has secretly visited Ukraine several times in the last few months, most recently and controversially cancelling a trip to a conference with northern Tories on June 17 to fly to Kyiv instead. The move did little to calm northern and rebel MPs, especially those who are in traditionally-Labour held seats - but he has consistently won praise for his support of the Ukrainian military. After resigning as UK PM following 59 ministerial resignations in the space of 48 hours, Mr Johnson held a phone call with President Zelensky to assure him of his continued support for the country ahead of a Conservative leadership contest. Mr Johnson is pictured after arriving at RAF Brize Norton, west of London, having returned from Kyiv Mr Johnson phoned President Zelensky a matter of hours after resigning as head of the Conservative Party Downing Street says he discussed the UK's 'unwavering cross-party support' in the wake of political events over the last few days, adding that the UK will 'continue to supply vital defensive aid for as long as needed.' He added he will continue to try and end the grain blockade in the coming weeks - a reference to the war's contribution to rising food prices due to Ukraine being unable to export as much grain safely. It comes as The Telegraph reported that Mr Johnson is considering his political future at Chequers. Two insiders have said that he is deciding whether to remain in the Commons or to give up his seat altogether at the next general election. One source said: 'He's taking this weekend to think about it. I dont think he's decided yet.' 'He is taking stock and seeing where we are. He is not standing down now, but that's not saying he will stand again,' another said. Dreamworld will likely cover the private school fees of two children after they lost their biological dad when he was killed in the theme park's Thunder River Rapids disaster that claimed the lives of four people. Roozbeh 'Roozi' Araghi, 38, was killed alongside his partner Luke Dorsett when the ride's water pump malfunctioned on October 25, 2016, causing their heavy raft to flip when the water levels dropped dangerously low. The tragedy, which rocked the theme park city of the Gold Coast, also claimed the lives of Mr Dorsett's sister Kate Goodchild and Sydney mother Cindy Low, while the women's two young children miraculously escaped physically unharmed. Now, it has been revealed Mr Araghi was the biological father of two children, Zachary Araghi-Dawson, 8, and Harrison Araghi-Dawson, 4, after he donated sperm to his cousin's partner to help them have a family. The children could be awarded damages if their claim as his 'dependants' is settled in court, The Courier-Mail reported. Roozbeh 'Roozi' Araghi, 38, (pictured) was killed when Dreamworld's Thunder River Rapids ride malfunctioned in October 2016 High-flying Sydney software executive Sarah Dawson, 46, who is in a same-sex relationship with his cousin Nicola 'Nicki' Araghi, was gifted the sperm prior to Mr Araghi's death. Ms Dawson gave birth to Zachary in 2013 and was pregnant with Harrison when Mr Araghi died, giving birth to the boy in 2017, eight months after his death. Last month, and more than five years after the tragedy, Ms Dawson lodged an application in the Supreme Court in Brisbane for the children's dependency claim to be settled. The claim against Dreamworld's parent company Ardent Leisure was provisionally resolved for $300,000 at a meeting in October last year. However, the settlement needs the court's approval to be finalised. Ms Dawson told the court the proposed payment was reasonable 'particularly with a claim involving a novel family arrangement like ours'. Ms Dawson, who is the chief customer officer at software company PropertyMe, said the settlement mitigated the costs and risks of taking the case to trial. Lawyer Merridy Gordon, representing the boys, said in an affidavit tendered to the court that Ardent Leisure's liability over the tragedy is 'not really in doubt, given the damning findings of the Coroners Court'. Pictured: Nicola 'Nicki' Araghi (front) and Sarah Dawson (back) with their two sons, Zachary and Harrison In September 2020, Ardent Leisure was ordered to pay $3.6million in fines after pleading guilty to safety charges over the Thunder River Rapids ride tragedy. The Coroner's Court said there had been a 'systemic failure by Dreamworld to ensure all aspects of safety' and the ride posed a 'significant risk' to patrons. The coronial inquest into the four deaths heard how there was 'ample evidence of the potential for a disaster' and the coroner blasted Dreamworld for its 'frighteningly unsophisticated' systems. In her submission last month, Ms Dawson told the court Mr Araghi was a 'very involved uncle' who spent time with Zachary and was willing to contribute to the costs of child care and education, agreeing that his sons should attend a private school. 'Roozi intended that the children would be raised by Nicki and me, but that he would support the children nonetheless. We welcomed his involvement,' Ms Dawson wrote in her affidavit. Ms Dawson said Mr Araghi wanted the boys to attend International Grammar School in Sydney's CBD because it supports same-sex relationships. The trust fund would be split 60 and 40 per cent between the boys, Ms Dawson added. Kate Goodchild (pictured left) and her brother Luke Dorsett (right), the partner of Mr Araghi, were also killed in the Dream World tragedy Queensland Emergency service personnel are seen responding to the tragedy at the Gold Coast amusement theme park in October 2016 Harrison will receive the higher portion as he has not yet started his schooling, the court heard. The case is due to be heard on September 12. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Dawson, Ms Araghi and their lawyer for comment. Ms Dawson and Ms Araghi, an IT executive, have been together for 12 years and live in a $2million home in Marrickville, in Sydney's inner west. Mr Araghi, who lived in Canberra, worked at the Australian Bureau of Statistics, while his partner Mr Dorsett also worked in the public service as an employee for the organ donation register. In 2018, Simon Araghi paid tribute to his younger sibling as a loving brother and beautiful uncle who was the life of every party. 'He is such an amazing uncle to my 13-year-old son,' Simon told The Canberra Times. 'He was all of these things and so much more. No words can even begin to describe him. His presence spoke for itself.' A masked bandit has shot dead four horses 'at close range' in separate incidents at a dude ranch just outside of Las Vegas over the last seven months. In the most recent attack on July 4, , the suspect was caught on surveillance video creeping onto the property of the family-owned Cowboy Trail Rides stables on the Red Rock National Conservation area minutes from main the strip in Sin City. 'You gotta be a sick individual to shoot a horse in the pen,' ranch manager Michael Flood told Fox 5 Las Vegas after a mule was killed in January. The group Friends of Red Rock Canyon is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest He said that he had confronted a man who was sabotaging the trails because the stranger didn't approve of the business. 'We had a guy who was destroying our own trails out here,' Flood told the TV station. 'He was putting rocks on the horse manure and sprinkling ajax on the trail and he said he doesn't believe horses should be out here.' Someone tried to release all 50 of the horses that are stable on the ranch in January, but the animals herded together and did not wander off the ranch, according to the news report. Ranch manager Mike Flood said that a man had been sabotaging trails because he didn't approve of horses on the conservation area The family-owned Cowboy Trail Rides stables on the Red Rock National Conservation area minutes from main the strip in Sin City. Two men are seen on the Cowboy Trail ride, a privately owned ranch which provides horse rides in the Las Vegas area Since January three more animals have been killed, in March, June and on Independence Day, according to Las Vegas Metro Police Lt. David Valenta, who is working with the federal Bureau of Land Management on the case. 'These crimes have all occurred at night,' Valenta said in a video released on Twitter. 'These shootings are intentional and the suspect is actively concealing his identity.' Night surveillance footage shows what appears to be a man wearing a ski mask, ear protectors and gloves wandering around the fence line of the ranch. Lt. David Valenta said that the suspect is actively concealing his identity and should be considered armed and dangerous The man parks near the ranch and walks onto the property on foot to murder the animals. In one grainy shot, the man can be seen holding a handgun. 'Each horse has been shot at close range,' Valenta said. 'The suspect should be considered armed and dangerous.' Investigators released the videos to the public so that the could see if they recognize any identifying characteristics. PETA is offering a $5000 reward for any tip that leads to the suspect's capture. 'Red Rock's gentle horses are in danger, and they need the public's help,' PETA senior vice president Colleen O'Brien said. 'PETA urges anyone with information to come forward so this killer can be held accountable and stopped from shooting more animals.' The group Friends of Red Rock Canyon is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Health Minister Mark Butler says Australians over 70 who test positive to Covid-19 will be able to access antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from Monday. Access will also be expanded to people over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease and Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people over 30 with two or more risk factors. Anyone 18 or over and immunocompromised may also be eligible. Two antivirals are on the PBS - Lagevrio and Paxlovi - with the announcement on Sunday expanding access and lowering cost for many more Australians. The pills normally cost more than $1,000, but will be available from Monday for $6.80 for concession card holders and around $40 for everyone else. The move comes with Australia's Covid-19 death toll surpassing 10,200 and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urging people to consider a fourth vaccine dose. Australians over 70 who test positive to the virus will be able to access antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme from Monday (pictured, pedestrians in Sydney) Normally costing more than $1000, the pills will be available from Monday for $6.80 for concession card holders and about $40 for everyone else (pictured, a Covid-19 treatment pill) 'Covid cases and hospitalisation numbers are climbing, particularly with the new variants,' Mr Butler said on Sunday. 'These oral antivirals dramatically reduce the risk of severe disease particularly for older Australians and will help keep people out of hospital.' The oral pills - Lagevrio and Paxlovid - were listed on the PBS in March and May of this year respectively after the treatments were granted provisional approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in January. More than 73,000 Australians have already benefited from the medicines. The Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee recommended the changes in response to the latest evidence on the effectiveness and safety of the medicines, current usage and the changing epidemiology of Covid-19. Antiviral treatments, taken as a tablet or capsule, help stop infection from becoming severe but need to be started early after testing positive. Mr Butler says the former government bought hundreds of thousands of antiviral doses 'that have been sitting on a shelf instead of being used to help people who are at risk'. Antiviral treatments, taken as a tablet or capsule, help stop infection from becoming severe but need to be started early after testing positive (pictured, queues outside a Sydney chemist) More than 37,000 new infections and 77 deaths were reported across the country on Saturday with Omicron variants BA.4 and BA.5 now the dominant strains of the virus. Almost 42,000 cases were also announced nationally on Friday, the third 40,000-plus day in a row. The number of Australians hospitalised with the virus tops 4,000, up by more than 1,000 in the past fortnight. From Monday, Australians over 30 will be able to get a fourth Covid vaccine dose or second booster. A TV screen shows former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was shot dead during a campaign speech in Nara, Japan, Friday. Yonhap Yoon to visit Abe memorial altar in Seoul By Kwon Mee-yoo Until earlier last week, optimism about Korea-Japan relations after the upper house elections in Japan had dominated in foreign policy circles. Although President Yoon Suk-yeol was unable to sit down with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for a bilateral summit on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Madrid, Spain in late June, many experts here predicted that the two leaders would eventually meet for a summit after the July 10 upper house elections in Japan. Kishida's reluctance to sit down with Yoon in Spain for a summit before the election was understood as a diplomatic sign that the Japanese leader was feeling pressured by domestic public opinion against Korea. That optimism for a post-election Korea-Japan summit is about to change after the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead on Friday. There have been no changes in President Yoon's enthusiasm to sit down with the Japanese leader as soon as possible to mend ties, but the ball is now in Japan's court and Abe's sudden death will complicate the domestic situation in Japan, according to experts. With Abe's death, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan is expected to gain sympathy votes. According to NHK's exit polls, the LDP and its coalition partner the Komeito party are likely to win between 69 and 83 seats out of the 125 seats that went to polls Sunday, keeping a majority in the upper house. Choi Eun-mi, a research fellow at the Seoul-based think tank Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said Abe's unexpected death gave Japan's LDP stronger support. "The turnouts for Japan's elections are generally low, but the assassination of Abe is likely to bring centrist voters out to polling stations to cast their votes for the LDP, while unifying the supporters of the conservative party," Choi told The Korea Times, Sunday. The LDP was already expected to win the July 10 election, but Choi said its win is now likely to be by an even larger margin. Donald Trump's revenge rallies made a stop in Alaska on Saturday as he stumped for the candidate taking on moderate Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski. 'Get Murkowski out of here, because she is not a Republican. She is not a Republican,' the former president insisted to a crowd of around 5,000 supporters in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday. Trump said he was fulfilling a promise to supporters in the Last Frontier State by holding his rally there on Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center. 'You have a lousy senator don't you?' Trump added of Murkowski. 'But we're going to do something about that.' 'You're going to fire your RINO senator she's worse than a RINO Lisa Murkowski. She is the worst. I rate her No. 1 bad,' he said. Trump has made clear that his goal in the 2022 election is to boot from office all incumbents he considers RINOs, which has become a moniker for anti-MAGA Republicans and stands for 'Republican In Name Only.' Murkowski is one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial after the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, which a select committee is still investigating in Congress. Donald Trump said Saturday that 'lousy' Senator Lisa Murkowski is 'worse than a RINO' as he traveled to Alaska to stump for her competitors and House candidate Sarah Palin The visit Saturday was Trump's first time holding a campaign rally in Alaska. The Alaska Airlines Center was nearly filled to its seating capacity of 5,000 people another 1,000 people can stand in the arena Palin (pictured at the rally Saturday, July 9 in Anchorage) is running to take the u.S. House seat left vacant by Representative Don Young with his death in March 2022 This vote and her status as a moderate GOP senator makes her a RINO in Trump world. He called Murkowksi 'one of the most destructive two-faced senators' of all those who he feels turned against him. Now, Trump has made it a point to rally against those Republicans who voted for his impeachment and conviction and has backed their competitors in the 2022 midterms. This includes Kelly Tshibaka, who is taking on Murkowski in the primary. He is also supporting Sarah Palin in her bid for the U.S. House seat left vacant by late Representative Don Young. 'You're going to send the great, legendary Sarah Palin to the U.S. House of Representatives. Incredible woman,' he said before thanking Palin for endorsing him back in 2016. 'I'm here to say I like you best. I know your opponents and I like you way better,' Trump said of the former Alaska governor. Kelly Tshibaka (pictured speaking at the rally Saurday) is the Trump-backed candidate taking on Murkowski as she runs for her fourth term in the Senate Trump said of his visit to Anchorage: 'I'm here for two reasons, to support great candidates and fulfill my promise to Alaska that I was going to come here. You know that.' 'You voted for me twice and I won in a landslide both times. And now I'm voting for you. That's why I'm here,' he added. The Alaska Airlines Center has a capacity of 6,000 people 1,000 standing and 5,000 sitting. Nearly all seats were filled, except for many that had obstructed views behind the press risers. Just minutes before Trump's arrival, the ticker for a crowd count showed nearly 5,000 people had been admitted. 'I like Alaska,' Trump said during one of many 'U-S-A' chants shouted Saturday afternoon. The former president's supporters in Alaska expressed a general sense of disenfranchisement with Murkowski, one of those most moderate Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate. 'She doesn't represent Alaskans anymore what we want,' a woman, who traveled from a town around Seward, Alaska told DailyMail.com as she waited to gain entrance to the rally. Trump jetted to the Last Frontier State directly from Las Vegas, Nevada after holding a rally there Friday evening to stump for Tshibaka, Palin and Governor Mike Dunleavy in his bid for reelection to the governor's mansion. Several other rally goers and Alaskans from all over the state dining in Anchorage over the weekend agreed that Murkowski was not representative of the Republican Party. Palin received a slew of warm welcomes from the pro-Trump crowd on Saturday, July 9, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska Trump jetted to the Last Frontier State directly from Las Vegas, Nevada after holding a rally there Friday evening to stump for Murkowski's primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka (left) and House candidate Satah Palin (right) Masked-up Trump supporters are seen waiting to get into the rally in Anchorage My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell poses with a Trump supporter ahead of the rally One Democratic Anchorage resident who identified himself as only Dan told DailyMail.com while dining at Snow City Cafe Saturday morning that he would cast his ballot for Murkowski now that the state has switched over to an open election system. The 47-year-old said that it's better to have an 'anti-Trump' Republican in Congress than risk wasting his vote on a Democrat who would likely go on to 'lose the general election.' Alaska went red for Trump in 2020 by an exact 10 percent margin and in 2016 by a 14.7 percent margin. A handful of voters, most of whom did not want to identify themselves, told DailyMail.com that while they support Trump and Palin, they would still cast their ballot for Murkowski in the primary election. An Alaska Survey Research poll taken July 2-5 shows Murkowski with 52 percent support to Tshibaka's 48 percent. But an average of the polling in the state shows the two slightly closer with just 3 percent separating the two. The same polling group shows Palin consistently trailing Republican primary candidate Nick Begich, who is also vying to fill Young's seat. The competitor ties or pulls ahead of Palin by 1-2 percentage points. Begich has capital among Alaska Republicans. He served as a co-chair for Young's final reelection campaign in 2020. Supporters in the stands of the Alaska Airlines Center on the campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage cheered wildly for Palin as she entered the arena a few hours before Trump's arrival time. Trump supporters in Alaska expressed to DailyMail.com and in their jeers a general sense of disenfranchisement with moderate U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski People at the 'Save America' rally on Saturday wait as the auditorium fills up Trump supporters waited in long lines to enter the arena in Anchorage Trump backed Palin in her special election run to replace late Representative Young, who was the U.S. congressman for Alaska's at-large House district from 1973 until his death in March 2022. The former president is finally making a trek to the 49th state now that the House, one Senate and the governor's seat are all open simultaneously. The move also comes as part of his revenge tour as he pushes his 2022 midterm candidates especially hard against incumbents who voted for his impeachment. Current junior Senator Dan Sullivan was reelected for a second term in 2020. Trump supporters in Alaska are trying to once again propel Palin to office she served as governor from 2006-2009 and mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996 to 2002. The Alaska primary election will be held later in the summer on August 16 before November's primaries will decide who will serve Alaska's at-large House district as well as if Murkowski will continue to represent the state in the Senate and if Dunleavy will keep his seat in the governor's mansion. Murkowski is the second-most senior Republican woman senator falling behind only fellow moderate Susan Collins of Maine. Both hold crucial swing votes in the upper chamber, especially with a 50-50 split Senate with a Democrat tie-breaker. The daughter of former Alaskan governor and U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski, the senior senator was controversially first appointed to her seat in December 2002 by her father when he resigned to become governor of the state. She completed her father's term in January 2005 and started her first full term, which she was elected for in November 2004. Despite the perceived nepotism, Murkowski, 65, is a widely popular name in Alaska and she likely would have risen to the Senate even if her father did not appoint her to the post. She is only the second ever U.S. senator, after Strom Thurmond in 1954, to be elected by write-in vote in the 2010 election. Murkowski is now looking to earn a fourth term in office but it's looking increasingly likely that she could be booted from her seat. August's primary elections are the first Murkowski has to face since she voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. This led to Murkowski's censure by the Alaska Republican Party. Boris Johnson must find a place to live now he can no longer live at Downing Street The end of Boris Johnsons tenure as Prime Minister leaves him with a rather pressing problem finding somewhere to live. When he leaves office he may not be able to return to his previous home, because it and another property owned by him and his wife Carrie are let to tenants. Their 1.2 million house in Camberwell, South London, was remortgaged in 2020 apparently to help cover the cost of their controversial Downing Street renovation. It was being offered for rent last year at 4,000 a month. Meanwhile, their Grade II-listed cottage in the market town of Thame, Oxfordshire, also worth 1.2 million, was similarly put up for rent for 4,250 a month for a minimum of 12 months. Both are likely to still be in their initial one-year contracts. Mr and Mrs Johnsons home in Camberwell is currently occupied But even if they are not, the couple will have to give at least 28 days notice to the occupants and possibly up to three months. As Prime Minister, Mr Johnson has become accustomed to having a Central London flat and vast countryside retreat in the form of Chequers plus transport and most living costs paid for by the taxpayer on top of his 155,376 salary. However, he will have to start paying the bills for his properties again not to mention how to get around, as the couple do not own a car. Mr Johnson and his wife purchased their four-bedroom, semi-detached home in Camberwell in July 2019 with a mortgage from Santander. It was remortgaged with Clydesdale Bank in August last year, according to Land Registry documents. The Oxfordshire home known as the Old Farm House is unfurnished, so the Johnsons would need to put in their own dining table, couch, beds and chairs once the renters move out. FULL HOUSE: Mr and Mrs Johnsons home in Oxfordshire is also being rented It was bought by him and his then wife Marina Wheeler in 2003 for 690,000. Mr Johnson sold a home he shared with her in Islington in 2019 for 3.75 million. Other former PMs were luckier. David Camerons friend Sir Alan Parker lent him his 17 million Holland Park house in Central London, Theresa May went back to her constituency home in Maidenhead, Berkshire, and Tony Blairs 3.4 million house in Connaught Square, Central London, was empty. Meanwhile, Mr Camerons former spin doctor Andy Coulson has said that Mr Johnson will write the fastest prime-ministerial memoir in history to fund his next move. A clifftop tin shack that boasted incredible ocean views has been mysteriously destroyed as a millionaire real estate neighbour blasts the 'very dangerous' homes. A month ago, Barry Robertson, 65, discovered his one-bedroom shack on the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia, had been demolished without his permission. A neighbouring shack, which was owned by a syndicate of eight people, had also been partially destroyed on June 6, the same day the Robertson family shack was levelled. The shack, which has sweeping views of Kangaroo Island, had been in Mr Robertson's family for almost 60 years when it was stripped bare, with only the concrete slab left. South Australia Police detectives tracked down a tradesman who was spotted tearing down the structures but have yet to identify the person who hired him. The local council also confirmed both the shacks are on Crown land - not private land - as they sit in Deep Creek National Park. A tin shack that boasted views of Kangaroo Island was mysteriously destroyed (pictured, the shack at Deep Creek) Mr Robertson's shack is located next to a piece of land that is owned by US real estate agent to the stars Julian Galbraith Johnston (pictured) Mr Robertson's shack was located next to a piece of land that is owned by US real estate agent to the stars Julian Galbraith Johnston, The Advertiser reported. Mr Johnston bought the private land for $900,000 in July 2021 and has plans to build a $2million house and gift it to his elderly parents. He had previously contacted shack owners in the area and complained the structures were 'illegal'. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting Mr Johnston is connected to the demolition of the shacks. 'I did not ask anyone to go on June 6th and take down the tin storage shed,' he told The Advertiser. 'I was advised by builders and contractors that the tin storage sheds were very dangerous to anyone walking on the property and any Sir Hans Heysen Trail walkers.' Mr Johnston said the area was very windy and he feared a piece of corrugated iron could come loose from one of the shacks and 'badly injure someone'. In January, Mr Johnston said he wanted to resolve things 'amicably' with the shack owners and did not want to take legal action. Mr Johnston is a big time real estate agent who has helped find properties for Hollywood A-listers including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. Mr Johnston said the area was very windy and he feared a piece of corrugated iron could come loose from one of the shacks and 'badly injure someone' (pictured, Mr Roberston's shack at Cape Jervis) Mr Johnston is a big time real estate agent who has helped find properties for Hollywood A-listers including Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez The destroyed shack has been in the Robertson family for four generations and was brought by Mr Robertson's late father Jack after he purchased it from the Coopers brewing family in 1964. The shack was 12sqm and comprised of one-bedroom, a kitchen, ensuite and wood fire. Victor Harbor Council said Mr Robertson will only be allowed to rebuild on the site if the structure meets current building standards - which is expected to cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Johnston for comment. Like many of his male friends, Serhiy no longer leaves his home in western Ukraine for fear of being sent to the front line to replace soldiers killed or injured in the fight against Russia. The construction worker spends his days hiding from military officials serving call-up papers at bars, beaches, checkpoints, malls and even church services. As casualties mount on both sides, there was anger last week after Ukraines military revealed plans to bring in permits prohibiting men eligible for conscription from leaving the region where they are registered under martial law. This restriction of movement for men aged 18 to 60 was criticised by President Volodymyr Zelensky and revoked, but it highlights the struggle for a nation suffering more than 20,000 casualties a month officials admit up to 200 troops are killed and 800 wounded daily. But there are mounting concerns about Kyivs recruitment tactics, with almost one million men already in uniform, amid fears that the true scale of losses is being understated to keep up morale. One woman complained that officials even chased an 18-year-old riding his bicycle to serve his call-up documents. Its like some kind of wild boar hunt, she said. Ukrainian police officers serve conscription papers on a man they found relaxing on a beach in Odesa Serhiy, 42, wants to take care of his elderly parents, his wife and daughters rather than risk death or serious injury on the front line and despite serving in the military two decades ago, worries he would receive minimal training before being sent into battle. Why do you need to send to war a person who doesnt want to go there if, like me, they arent motivated or properly trained? he said. Yes, I served in the military 20 years ago, but didnt learn much and dont remember anything. I dont really care about myself its more about my family. If I were single, Id go but not when I see my wife crying. My daughter saw a soldiers funeral on TV and asked if I was going to die. This just breaks my heart. Men have been served call-up documents at the entrance to a church in Lviv, reportedly sparking protests from priests. Others have been summoned while walking on the beach in Odesa and beside a Kyiv lake. Witnesses said one man who had been drinking on Tuesday jumped into the lake to escape recruiters who were accompanied by police. Maksym Kozytskyi, head of Lviv regional administration, criticised the use of churches as places to serve enlistment papers. When a person goes to church, he goes first of all to God, he said. Instead, he said conscription papers should be distributed in shopping centres, recreational places and at checkpoints. Another group of men were issued with call-up papers while detained by police at a Kyiv nightclub after the 11pm curfew. Officials claimed 219 received conscription notices. Last week there was an outcry after Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraines armed forces, published rules for men to obtain permits from their local enlistment office to leave the region where they were registered. Members of the Ukrainian armed forces are seen being taught how to operate multiple-launch rocket systems above Ivan, 35, a computer specialist, said that every day he sees messages on social media about people in his sector being handed call-up papers in the most random places, adding: These are all very talented professionals who could benefit the country but now might go and die. I wish they would leave alone the kids who have only seen weapons in video games. Ivan, who dislikes guns and did his national service in a fire-fighting unit, supports the war through taxes and donations to buy vehicles. I dont see anything wrong with me not going to the battlefield and helping from Kyiv, he said. Last week there was an outcry after Valerii Zaluzhnyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraines armed forces, published rules for men to obtain permits from their local enlistment office to leave the region where they were registered. The next day he cancelled the order after President Zelensky spoke of misunderstandings and anger sparked by the declaration. All men between 18 and 60 are liable for military service and forbidden from leaving Ukraine under martial law imposed after Russia invaded five months ago. The only exceptions are those in poor health, full-time carers or fathers with at least three children. Yet even Zelenskys comedian friend Yevhen Koshovyi has refused to fight on the front line. He said: I dont have any skills. On the first day, a sniper shoots me. And how did I help the country? I did nothing. Before the war, Ukraines army had about 125,000 troops with another 102,000 as border guards or national guards. On Friday the defence minister said there were 950,000 people in the army, police and border guards. Ukraine has responded with remarkable fortitude against an onslaught by the worlds second biggest army, refusing to crumble as predicted by some experts and inflicting substantial losses. But there is growing alarm that Russias relentless assault in the eastern Donbas regions with intensive bombardment destroying cities and making incremental advances is grinding down Ukraines outgunned forces. Since the end of April, several videos have been posted on social media by frontline soldiers saying they lack the right leadership, training or equipment and in some cases refusing to fight. More than 20 soldiers from the 101st Brigade said they were ready to perform tasks of territorial defence such as running checkpoints or protecting buildings but their unit was unprepared for operations in the combat zone. Thirty soldiers from another brigade said they had retreated because they did not have a leader and were dumped as unprepared people with no military experience in a combat zone. Another group of 60 in a rifle battalion said they were thrown on the front line without suitable training and then attacked with phosphorus weapons by Russians. We began to fall behind. Now they make us deserters because we could not dig trenches under fire. Phillips OBrien, professor of strategic studies at St Andrews University in Scotland, said history showed the number of volunteer recruits usually diminished in wars. There is a rush to colours then after a few months the volunteers dry up and armies rely on conscripts. he said. It is a natural human self-preservation, he said, for some men to dodge the draft. People dont want to die. And if you are Ukrainian, youre hearing terrible stories and may know people who have been killed or badly wounded. He added that the key issue for Ukraine was not an overall shortfall in military numbers but the lack of well-trained and equipped troops to serve along such a sprawling front line, protect long borders and launch counter-attacks. President Joe Biden's claim that a 10-year-old rape victim was forced to travel across state lines to get an abortion after last month's Roe Vs. Wade ruling has come into question, after a Washington Post fact-checker found the story to be largely unsubstantiated. It has also emerged that the doctor who first shared the story with an Indiana-based news outlet is a prominent abortion advocate - placing further doubt on its credibility. The one-source story was provided to an Indiana news outlet by Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard last week. She claimed a child abuse doctor in Ohio contacted her about the case seeking aid from the doctor. The account asserts the unnamed girl, who lives in Ohio, was forced to seek an abortion in Indiana after her home state banned abortion under its trigger law after Roe v Wade was overturned. The dramatic anecdote has been widely shared since - primarily as a talking point by the left to lambaste last month's ruling. On Friday, the president himself referenced the story, using it to help push an executive order that would protect abortions in the wake of the decision - spurring the Post journalist to eventually weigh in. On Friday, the president himself referenced the story, using it to help push an executive order that would protect abortions in the wake of the decision - spurring the Post journalist to eventually weigh in 'This isn't some imagined horror,' Biden said. 'It is already happening. Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim - 10 years old - and she was forced to have to travel out of state to Indiana to seek to terminate the pregnancy and maybe save her life.' Biden, 79, raised his voice as he recounted the story, grasping the podium with both hands as he railed about the trauma the girl would have faced, and the presumed unfairness of the situation. 'Imagine being that little girl,' he added, in another appeal to the crowd. 'Just imagine being that little girl. Ten years old!' The account was given by Bernard to the Indianapolis Star on July 1 - but has since been called into question by a flood of critics who have deemed the claims as dubious. The one-source story was provided to an Indiana news outlet by Indianapolis obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Caitlin Bernard, who said a child abuse doctor in Ohio contacted her about the case seeking aid from the doctor. She has since declined to provide more details about the story Detractors cite how Bernard did not name the doctor who contacted her about the incident, nor the city where the child was located, while others pointed out that Bernard is a prominent abortion advocate, citing a slew of posts on her social media. On Saturday, Washington Post fact-checker Glenn Kessler threw further cold water on the claims after watching the president's speech, calling the story 'very difficult' to verify. 'This is the account of a one-source story that quickly went viral around the world and into the talking points of the president,' Kessler - usually a proponent for the president - wrote of his doubt's over the tale's certainty. Kessler began writing, 'The Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, which had guaranteed a right to abortion, has led a number of states to quickly impose new laws to restrict or limit abortions. 'Ohio was one of the first, imposing a ban on abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape and incest,' he went on, reiterating claims in the article, which was titled, 'Patients head to Indiana for abortion services as other states restrict care.' Kessler noted how Bernard was the only source for the story - and revealed the OBGYN declined to provide details to the Post about the location of the alleged rape, or whether it was being investigated by authorities. Bernard's account, given to the Indianapolis Star days after last month's Supreme Court ruling, asserts the unnamed girl was forced to seek an abortion in Indiana after her home state of Ohio barred abortion following the decision 'The only source cited for the anecdote was Bernard. She's on the record, but there is no indication that the newspaper made other attempts to confirm her account.' Kessler then mentioned how that one claim from Bernard soon went viral, making its way into headlines of publications all over the world - with other outlets in the process failing to investigate the doctor's claims. 'The story quickly caught fire, becoming a headline in newspapers around the world. News organizations increasingly 'aggregate' - or repackage - reporting from elsewhere if it appears of interest to readers. So Bernard remained the only source.' He added that when asked to verify her reporting, the story's author, Shari Rudavksy, 'did not respond.' The paper's executive editor, meanwhile, Bo Krift, defended the piece, but provided no facts or sourcing to support his or Bernard's claims. 'The facts and sourcing about people crossing state lines into Indiana, including the 10-year-old girl, for abortions are clear,' Krift reportedly wrote. 'We have no additional comment at this time.' It has since emerged that Bernard is a prominent abortion advocate, with several posts on her social media showing her support for the cause. She has refused to provide any details to the press that would substantiate her claims regarding the 10-year-old rape victim Bernard, meanwhile, declined to identify to Kessler the name of her colleague or the city where the rape transpired. Bernard wrote in an email: 'Thank you for reaching out. I'm sorry, but I don't have any information to share.' The fact-checking website Snopes.com earlier this week said Bernard had refused to provide further information about the incident to the outlet as well. DailyMail.com reached out to Bernard's office Saturday, but did not receive a response. By law, both physicians and reporters are mandated to disclose evidence of child abuse to police - however, in the days since, no arrests in such a case have been reported. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine's office said this week that it was 'unaware of any specific case' that met the claims' criteria. President Biden signs an executive order protecting access to reproductive health services on July 8. The president - like many other pro-abortion advocates - used the anecdote to push his political stance on the issue White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre has since refused to say if Biden had confirmed that local law enforcement was seeking the child's attacker, while seeming conceding the president used the anecdote to push a political agenda. 'The President spoke to that -a young woman -just to show how extreme the decision on... the Dobbs decision was, and just how extreme it is now for American public, the American families,' Jean-Pierre said at daily press briefing Friday. Kessler concluded his report on the story by giving his 'Bottom Line,' in which he said the case would be impossible to substantiate until more information is provided. 'This is a very difficult story to check,' the fact-checker wrote. 'Bernard is on the record, but obtaining documents or other confirmation is all but impossible without details that would identify the locality where the rape occurred.' He added that in the absence of the charge, US citizens should take Bernard's claims with a grain of salt. 'With news reports around the globe and now a presidential imprimatur, however, the story has acquired the status of a 'fact' no matter its provenance,' he wrote, adding, 'If a rapist is ever charged, the fact finally would have more solid grounding.' 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. Sir Keir Starmer was accused of rank hypocrisy last night over claims Labour tried to cover up sexual harassment allegations by gagging the women involved. He faced claims that lawyers asked ex-party staffers Laura Murray and Georgie Robertson to sign confidentiality agreements that would have stopped them speaking out about the alleged inappropriate behaviour. Embarrassingly for Sir Keir, the cover-up accusation came days after the Labour leader boasted of how he believed honesty and integrity mattered. It also comes after he gloated last week over Boris Johnsons resignation, branding him unfit to be Prime Minister for promoting sexual predator Tory MP Chris Pincher. Tories seized on the gagging claims, with Cabinet Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg saying it is rank hypocrisy for Sir Keir to play this priestly holier-than-thou figure in public but for his party to seek to use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to cover up sexual harassment in this way. Ex-Labour staffer Laura Murray, pictured outside the High Court in May 2021, was reputedly asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) by the Labour party after making a claim Labour denied the claims yesterday and insisted that no NDAs have been proposed to any member of staff alleging sexual harassment since Starmer took over as leader. The party added that it took sexual harassment claims extremely seriously. Starmer allies also hit back by pointing out both women had been accused of being involved in leaking an internal report about Labours handling of anti-Semitism complaints claims they have both denied. The row centres on sexual harassment claims made against a senior male official by Ms Murray, Labours former head of complaints, and ex-press officer Ms Robertson. Earlier this year, it emerged that shortly before Sir Keir succeeded Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader in April 2020, the two women reported the official for inappropriate behaviour. Geoffrey Robertson poses with daughter Georgie, who also filed a complaint against one man The man, who has not been named, was temporarily suspended but is understood to have strongly denied the allegations. However, Ms Murray daughter of trusted Corbyn aide Andrew Murray told the BBC that his overbearing and possessive behaviour included pressuring her to go for drinks with him. She said he had been constantly messaging at all hours of the night and made inappropriate comments about her love life. Ms Robertson claimed the official had also pressured her to go for drinks. She said that after rebuffing his advances, he then spread false rumours that I was sleeping with a married man at work. The women submitted formal grievances but claimed the complaints were never dealt with seriously. And they say that when they came to negotiate their severance terms in November 2020, party lawyers asked them to sign a settlement agreement with a broad confidentiality clause. It came days after Sir Keir Starmer pledged 'honesty and integrity' after he was cleared of Beergate claims by Durham Constabulary Both refused and left without payouts on the basis it would have stopped them speaking out and bringing any claim against the party or the official. Ms Robertson told the BBC: I refuse to be silenced. It could encourage the party to use those agreements with other women. The two womens lawyer, Mark Stephens, was quoted in April as saying the proposed contract violated Labours own policy on NDAs. At the time, 12 women serving on either Labours National Womens Committee or the partys National Executive Committee issued a statement saying that trying to persuade women to sign NDAs to cover up abuse is a gross betrayal of Labours values. Ms Murray and Ms Robertson declined to comment. But a friend of the women said: Georgie and Laura were asked to sign agreements containing clauses amounting to NDAs and preventing them from taking legal action against their harasser. Labour should apologise for trying to cover up what happened to them.' Thefts of petrol from forecourts have soared to record levels after the cost of filling the tank rocketed above 100. Incidents involving fuel not being paid for leapt 22 per cent last month compared with the previous month and by 39 per cent since January. The British Oil Security Syndicate (BOSS), which represents a third of the UKs 8,300 petrol stations, warned that forecourts will lose more than 100 million of fuel to thieves this year. On average, the annual losses are 88 million. 70 per cent of petrol thefts involve motorists filling their tanks and driving off without paying Petrol prices rose steeply following Russias invasion of Ukraine in February, with Britain seeing a record monthly rise in June. The average pump price of unleaded last week was 1.91 a litre, and the cost of filling a 55-litre tank rose from 80.05 in January to 105.29 last week. As for diesel, the average pump price has risen from 1.48 a litre to 1.99 this year, with the cost of filling a tank rocketing from 81.81 to 109.55. Claire Nicholl, the executive director of BOSS, said: There is no doubt that there is a link between rising fuel prices and increased incidents of forecourt fuel crime. Reported incidents have been rising steadily by around 5 per cent each month, but last month there has been a noticeable increase. Driving off without paying for petrol is a criminal offence, punishable with two years imprisonment and a fine. But declaring you have no means to pay for fuel is treated as a civil offence, with retailers having to take people to court to recover their money as a non-payment of debt. The average pump price of unleaded last week was 1.91 a litre, and the cost of filling a 55-litre tank rose from 80.05 in January to 105.29 last week Traditionally, 70 per cent of petrol thefts involve motorists filling their tanks and driving off without paying, but now 70 per cent of thefts involve customers who say they have no means to pay, according to BOSS. When that happens, retailers have no choice but to get the customer to fill in a form where they make a promise to pay the debt within seven days. Industry experts said hard-up motorists were deliberately filling up their tanks when they had no money, and then settling the debt to the forecourt when they get paid. A couple is embroiled in an expensive court battle to restore the reputation of their plant business after they were bombarded with more than 100 negative reviews following their feud with a removalist company. David Eden and Georgina Oxley sought the services of Melbourne Movers in September 2018 to transport stock for their small business Designer Plants, which sells decorative artificial greenery for businesses and homes. They were given a fixed quote but the move, which involved transporting the contents of their warehouse, was not finished after an argument ensued over the job's cost. Since the fight, the pair - who are also councillors at the City of Kingston in Melbourne - claim in court documents they have copped more than 100 fake negative google reviews, spanning several years. Since 2018, the couple has spent more than $100,000 in legal fees as they take search giant Google and the removalist company's owners to court for defamation. 'We feel very stressed and exhausted by the whole saga. It's been very stressful,' Ms Oxley told Daily Mail Australia. '[But] we want to ensure that this doesn't happen to other people. 'We are just the latest [alleged] victims - but the issue is a national crisis.' David Eden and Georgina Oxley (pictured) are suing Google and removalist company Melbourne Movers for defamation The pair went to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the months after their moving dispute to try and recoup their lost funds, where they won an order for the removalists to repay them $3327.50. They were paid the few thousand a year later but now the couple claim they are out of pocket more than a $1million as they sue Google and those allegedly behind the reviews for damages, including lost sales. Court documents state the first fake review on Designer Plants' business page was posted in May 2019, with the couple's statement of claim saying the name of the reviewer was the same as a staff member at Melbourne Movers. 'Very poor quality products. Please save your money shop somewhere else,' the review said. Eden and Oxley sought the company's services in September 2018 to move stock for their small business, Designer Plants The move (not pictured) did not go ahead due to an argument over the cost, despite the couple paying more than $3000 on a fixed quote (stock image of a removal) The employee also posted a five-star review on Melbourne Movers' Google business page the same day, according to Mr Eden and Ms Oxley's statement of claim. In court documents, the couple say their business page has since been flooded with bad reviews, which often feature the same repeated typos, like spelling dodgy incorrectly as 'dogie' or 'doggy'. Among the accusations have been claims the couple rip people off, sell poor quality products, have rude staff, and do not offer refunds. Mr Eden and Ms Oxley sought an intervention order against the removalists in July 2020 through Melbourne Magistrates Court to prevent them from posting more reviews. According to civil court documents, they were granted that injunction. However, a day later, the couple claim in their court documents they were hit with another 32 damaging reviews across 24 hours, despite the court order. Google was handed court-issued subpoenas in a bid to identify the reviewers, but the couple say the tech giant has refused to comply and only deleted some of the posts. The couple claim they have been bombarded with more than 100 fake reviews (two pictured) over the past three years The bad reviews have a similar writing style, the couple claims, and repeated typos The couple are now suing Google and the owners of the removalists company, Udari Achichi and Rangika Abeyweera, in the Victorian County Court for defamation, court documents show. Google is being pursued for damages for publishing of five of the reviews, while Achichi and Abeyweera are also accused of injurious falsehood for posting the allegedly fake reviews. Court documents show Victoria Police made unsuccessful requests to Google for information to reveal the posters, with the search engine claiming it could not accommodate the request as it had limited data about the reviewers. The company also claimed it was 'not under any legal compulsion' to produce the documents listed in the subpoena. Achichi and Abeyweera have denied telling the couple they would 'regret crossing them', posting reviews after the intervention order was served, or that they or any of their associates were involved in the first fake review, according to defence documents. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Melbourne Movers and Google for comment. The case will be presented before a judge-alone trial in January 2023. The couple started a petition calling on the Federal Government to launch a Royal Commission into cyber bullying, online abuse, and the conduct of big tech companies. The couple say they have spent more than $100,000 so far in legal fees as they take Google and the owners of Melbourne Movers to court Last year, Scott Morrison's government unsuccessfully tried to usher in new 'anti-trolling' laws that would unmask anonymous social media users. However, the controversial legislation - which would have required social media platforms to hand over name and contact details of posted who defamed others online - sparked fears it could make bullying worse and did not make it to parliament. Critics argued the bill was too focused on altering defamation laws, and could backfire by making it harder for victims to have defamatory comments removed if the owners of those pages were not liable. Historically, social media companies have been able to avoid responsibility for what is posted on their sites by arguing they are platforms and not publishers. In a very timely insight into the back-stabbing and betrayals that often stain Tory leadership battles, Andrea Leadsom wrote in yesterdays Daily Mail about her brutal experience as a candidate in 2016. Here in our final extract from her memoir Snakes And Ladders, she tells of other occasions she felt humiliated in the Westminster hothouse. As I slipped out of the House of Commons chamber, the Speaker muttered: Stupid woman. To be honest, I wasnt even aware that John Bercow had just publicly insulted me, but soon after I returned to my office, a colleague dropped me a note saying he had seen the Speaker mouth those words. Whats more, a constituent of his whod been watching on TV had called in to report the same thing. Well! As Leader of the House, I wasnt about to let this go lightly. I returned to the chamber, went up to Bercows chair and told him that an MP had noticed what hed mouthed at me. His face contorted with fury as he launched into a stage-whispered rant, saying that he would not be challenged by me, that it was up to him how to manage the chamber and that he would continue to behave as he wished when, in his opinion, the Government had done something wrong. I asked how he could justify the words hed used. I challenged him again, but instead of replying, he turned away, leaving me seething. As I slipped out of the House of Commons chamber, the Speaker muttered: Stupid woman. To be honest, I wasnt even aware that John Bercow had just publicly insulted me Later that day, as I was about to get into my car, the Speaker suddenly materialised by my side. Ah, good evening, Leader, he said. You wanted to speak to me earlier? I looked at him in astonishment. Yes, I did, and you shouted in my face, then turned your back on me. Well, he said, he was happy to speak to me now so what was it I wanted to discuss? Words almost failed me. Well, I wanted to discuss the fact that you mouthed stupid woman at me, but actually I now find I have absolutely nothing to say to you. And with that I got into my Government car, to the great amusement of the driver. This episode had a postscript. Some months later, at Prime Ministers Questions, Jeremy Corbyn mouthed what looked very much like the words stupid woman at Theresa May, then Prime Minister. There was uproar, with the Labour leader insisting hed said no such thing, and everyone with halfway decent eyesight pointing out that no other interpretation was possible. When MPs called on Corbyn to apologise, the Speaker pitched in. MPs who uttered unwelcome remarks, said Bercow, should apologise for them though as he hadnt witnessed Corbyns insult, hed have to be taken at his word. This gave me just the opening I needed. With the PMs ready agreement, I called a point of order and asked Bercow why it was that when he himself had called me a stupid woman, hed never apologised. The Speaker was momentarily speechless. He stood up, his face turning red. No, no, no, no, he spluttered. He obviously didnt know what to say. Eventually, he managed: Ive dealt with that issue separately. In fact, all hed done was to reply to a letter Id written complaining about the incident saying he may have been frustrated in the heat of the moment. To this day, however, John Bercow has never apologised. And, as Ill later recount, his appalling behaviour towards me was by no means an aberration. It was Theresa May who gave me my first job in the Cabinet as Environment Secretary. Id been called in to see her at No 10 when I was at a pretty low ebb, having withdrawn just days before from the Conservative leadership contest. From a two-horse race, thered been just one candidate left to become PM: Theresa May. Arriving in Downing Street to see her, I examined the portraits hanging in the staircase of all the people whove had the honour of serving our country as PM. It was hard not to be conscious that my image could have been up there. It was Theresa May who gave me my first job in the Cabinet as Environment Secretary As I waited in a splendid state room upstairs, I took a quick selfie, which I texted to my husband, with a laughing emoji and the words: This might have been our home. Then I was shown into the Cabinet Room to see our new Prime Minister. It was the first time wed spoken since Id called her to concede, and I felt quite emotional. Ill help you in any way I can to deliver on the referendum, I told her. Theresas manner in Cabinet, I discovered, was very collegiate. Shed introduce a topic briefly, tell you what she thought, then go around the table allowing everyone to have their say. This felt like a strength at the beginning, but within a year the meetings became too long, and sometimes heated but actually more often dull. There were some big characters in the room David Davis, Boris Johnson, Philip Hammond and Michael Fallon. And as the months passed, I began to feel some of the men were quite overbearing in their attitude towards her. After the disastrous 2017 General Election that resulted in a hung Parliament, Theresa made me Leader of the House of Commons not the easiest of tasks during those long days of trying to steer her Brexit withdrawal deal through a hostile Parliament. The tense atmosphere was exacerbated by the behaviour of the Speaker, who was as capricious as any Roman emperor. Soon after I became Leader of the House, I was leaving the chamber when I noticed another MP behind me; it was immediately apparent she was in tears. When I asked why, she muttered something about being on the end of a particularly unpleasant jibe from the Speaker. Later, Id witness him putting down other colleagues, leaving them angry, humiliated or otherwise upset. For instance, I vividly remember the Speaker snapping at one MP that he was looking even more peculiar than usual. A number of them approached me to complain about the way theyd been treated. Some hed clashed with felt he was deliberately never calling on them to speak. Yet according to the rules, the Speaker was responsible for behaviour in the chamber including, extraordinarily, his own. So I couldnt complain about his unbelievable rages, nor ask anyone else to step in. When his manner towards me was particularly intimidating or aggressive, I would simply ignore him because that was all I could do. Hed be on his feet, berating me at top volume for anything from policy to procedure, and Id just smile beatifically then turn to ask the whip at my side if theyd slept well. This would infuriate Bercow, whod then become even more aggressive. So Id ask the whip if he preferred tea or coffee. Yes, OK, it was a petty response, but, bizarrely, there wasnt much else I could do. Soon the chamber became an intimidating place in which to ask a question or make an intervention. If your sentence was too long or if you werent as succinct as the Speaker considered desirable, you could suddenly find yourself the target of a humiliating taunt. Clerks were also treated to explosive outbursts. Once, while waiting outside the Speakers grand office, I heard swearing and shouting through the door. When a female member of staff emerged, she looked shell-shocked. Unfortunately, I had to have many meetings with Bercow, as the Leader and the Speaker were supposed to have a fortnightly catch-up about Commons matters. Sometimes hed be spitting with rage and shouting at me from a distance of three feet: hed been the Speaker since before I was elected; I didnt know what I was talking about; I was wet behind the ears; he was in charge, he would decide what happens. On a couple of occasions, I simply walked out. Following one of these rants, Bercow sent a note round saying I was so difficult to deal with that, in future, hed have an assistant at our meetings in order to protect himself from me. I laughed. From then on, I took my own senior official with me to meetings but even with witnesses present, his behaviour was unbelievable. Why did I infuriate the Speaker so much? I think hed lost the ability to deal with anything other than total compliance and fear two responses he never got from me. As we battled to get Brexit through the Commons, there was an almost farcical rate of departures from Government. During 24 turbulent months, 16 Cabinet Ministers handed in their resignations, along with 60 junior Ministers. My response to this regular drumbeat was to support the PM as much as I could. I felt that was my duty, so long as Theresa remained committed to delivering Brexit. At the same time, there was never any doubt in my mind that if she stood down, Id once again stand for leader to deliver Brexit myself. And this time around, I was determined my campaign would be full throttle from the start. Back in the 2016 leadership contest, other candidates had spent months, even years, working on their campaigns, and I hadnt. Indeed, Theresas assured performance had shown that if you want to be leader, you cant simply wake up one day and say: Lets enter the race. You must be prepared. So as far back as September 2017, a group of colleagues and I secretly set up what we called the Forward Look group. We put in hours of work to draw up everything from a full set of policies to a media strategy and campaign schedule. We even decided on which music wed play at my campaign launch, and regularly revised my launch speech. As a member of Theresas Cabinet, however, I didnt feel comfortable professing loyalty to her while pursuing my own campaign. So after the no confidence vote, I told her that if she decided to stand down, Id be entering the contest to replace her. At the time, it felt wrong to tell any other MPs about my plans, but other would-be candidates were less circumspect. They were already courting potential supporters, which meant I lost the chance to secure a number of votes. Boris Johnson, then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, leaves Cabinet meeting with Andrea Leadsom, then Leader of the House of Commons, Lord President of the Council, in 2018 The beginning of the end for Theresa came in July 2018, when she called Cabinet at Chequers to approve her EU withdrawal agreement. A group of Cabinet members, including Boris Johnson and David Davis, met the night before. All agreed that while it wasnt the Brexit we wanted, it was still Brexit, so we would support the PM. Just a few days later, Davis resigned from the Cabinet. Then Johnson. With hindsight, these departures can be seen as the moment when the desire of some Brexiteers to see Brexit done became an ambition to destabilise the Government to get rid of Theresa and do it themselves. Despite enormous pressure from other Brexiteers to resign, I remained loyal to Theresa. It was a period of great tension and hostility, when previous friends and good colleagues threw around some pretty spiteful and personal remarks. Loyalties and friendships are so difficult where political priorities are involved. In the end, the withdrawal agreement came to nothing when the Commons voted in March 2019 to extend our membership of the EU. It was a terrible day for democracy. Two months later, members of the Cabinet were each given two hours in Downing Street to read through the latest version of the agreement. And that ended up being the final straw for me. Buried away in the voluminous document was a clause effectively stating that if the House voted for a second referendum, then the Government would bring forward the necessary legislation to facilitate it. This was totally unacceptable. As our largely Remain Parliament would almost certainly vote for a second referendum, this clause meant that, in my opinion, it was certain to happen. And that could mean the end of Brexit. What had been the point of the past two years if we were going to give up now? I knew Id have to resign. When I phoned Theresa to explain why, she said: Let me go away and talk to others about this. This seemed astonishing. Surely she must be aware of the impact of the clause! In a sense, my departure was the straw that broke the camels back. Two days later, the PM announced she was stepping down. I think history will be kinder to Theresa than her colleagues and the media were at the time. By the end, she was exhausted as we all were. Exhausted by the rage from MPs, from our constituents, from everyone, Leave and Remain, who thought they were being betrayed. I admired her determination to do the job properly in the face of a truly impossible situation in Parliament. At all times she was willing to talk: to her Cabinet, to the (hard Brexit) European Research Group, to the DUP, to the Leader of the Opposition, Brussels anyone, if it would help her find a way through. Her failure was never about a lack of commitment. Indeed, it was her careful, methodical work and patient willingness to negotiate that achieved 75 per cent of the Brexit deal which meant that when Boris Johnson became PM, he was able to walk in, restructure certain key elements and get Brexit done. As for me, Id started reaching out openly to colleagues just a few weeks before my resignation, but it was too late. I was entering what was already a crowded race, with most potential supporters already aligned to other candidates. Even people whod been urging me for months to stand were no longer interested. There was lots of Sorry, Ive already pledged to support Jeremy, or Saj is an old friend, or Ive already committed to Gove, or, most often, Boris is the only one who can deliver Brexit. This was, of course, painful on a personal level. These were MPs I considered to be allies, friends even. A number never returned my calls and texts, including several Cabinet colleagues with whom I thought I had a good relationship. Again, the lesson of politics at the highest level is that it overrides normal friendships and loyalties. Another is that there are few second chances, particularly when it comes to a tilt at the top job. On July 24, 2019, Boris Johnson became Prime Minister. Soon afterwards, he made me Business Secretary a role that brought me into contact with his chief adviser, Dominic Cummings. I didnt take to him. There were certain policy issues on which he had strong views, and a number of these fell under my remit, including executive pay, science funding and space technology. Yet hed go directly to the Civil Service teams, instructing them to do what he wanted. In my experience, Doms approach was to bully, not to lead. And I cant stand bullying. So Id ask my officials not to respond to his aggressive demands, assuring them: Ill speak to him. And that set us up for a number of confrontations. In private, I thought of Dom as a bit like the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings: if his gaze fell on your particular policy area, it was in trouble. One conflict, for example, was over his desire to create a research agency providing billions of pounds for scientific projects. There was just one problem: Dom wanted to set up this new fund without any checks and balances. I could see, of course, that no strings would be a superb way to free brilliant scientists and inventors to create new ideas. But value for taxpayers money is at the heart of all government expenditure, so I insisted on a proper audit trail. This became a sore point with Dom, who was becoming a feared figure in Whitehall, open in his apparent contempt for elected MPs. At the same time, I was falling out of favour with the Head of No 10 Communications, Lee Cain, whod once been my own special adviser. It soon became apparent that being in No 10, his dream job, gave Lee a powerful stick and he wasted no time in wielding it. One day, I was due to deliver a market-sensitive statement to the Commons at 5pm about the foreign takeover of a defence company. Id informed Downing Street and got the go-ahead. Then, at 4.50pm Lee called to say: You have to pull the announcement. I told him this was impossible: a couple of defence journalists had already been briefed to expect an announcement, and any delay could have an impact on the share price. Lees response was furious he ordered me to stop the announcement, then hung up on me. Pretty much from then on, my relations with Lee and Dom were poor. As someone in the know confided to me afterwards, they both told Boris: You have to get rid of Leadsom. Having upset this powerful duo, I probably should have realised that my days in Government were numbered. The end came on reshuffle day in February 2020, when I was called to the Prime Ministers Commons office (never a good sign). Boris came straight to the point: Youve been in Government for a long time, and youve had a really good innings, and now I would like you to take a step back for a while. For me, there was no choice but to take this crushing blow on the chin. Yet to this day, it still feels extraordinary that I was sent to the back benches at a time I was making fast and positive progress in many areas. Politics, of course, is a giant game of snakes and ladders, and it was my turn to tumble back down to the bottom of the board. It was a horribly public and painful experience. Ironically, only a few months later, it was Doms and then Lees turn to slide down that snake, and both left No 10 under a cloud. Before I left Boriss office, there was one thing I wanted as my price for stepping down with good grace. I asked Boris to make me his special adviser on early years to let me pursue my passion for ensuring every baby gets the best start. Yes, you can definitely do that, he said. Nearly a month later, nothing had happened. Thats when I decided I wasnt going to leave anything to chance. As a departing Cabinet Minister, I was due to give a personal statement shortly to the Commons. Yes, that would do nicely. I approached the Chief Whip. Look, just to warn you, I told him, Ive written two versions of my personal statement. One is light-hearted. The other points out: I was promised I could take forward my early-years agenda. Several weeks on, why has nothing happened? I later discovered that the Chief Whip had informed Boris Id be making my personal statement that day. You may not like what she has to say. Shes saying she isnt getting anywhere with the promise she could be your early-years adviser. At which Boris apparently leapt to his feet, saying hed made me a promise and it had to be fulfilled. Sure enough, later that morning I received a phone call from Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, saying: Its fantastic youre going to be doing this early-years development review. How can I help? With that sorted, I was delighted to give a light-hearted personal statement, instead of the rebuke Id been fully prepared to give. Since July 2020, Ive been the Governments early-years healthy development adviser This work has been the greatest privilege of my career. Its only after tumbling down a snake that you find your way to the next ladder. Who knows where the next roll of the dice will take me? Andrea Leadsom 2022 lAdapted from Snakes And Ladders, by Andrea Leadsom, published by Biteback on Tuesday at 20. To order a copy for 18, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937 before July 23. Free UK p&p on orders over 20. Keir Starmer has repeated demands for a general election to oust the 'zombie' Tory government, taunting 'bring it on'. The Labour leader accused Boris Johnson of 'squatting in Downing Street', following his announcement on Thursday that the country needed a new prime minister. Sir Keir said that the country needs a 'fresh start' and called for an urgent general election. Keir Starmer has repeated demands for a general election to oust the 'zombie' Tory government, taunting 'bring it on' 'Every one of the main candidates to replace him has spent the last year touring the TV studios parroting his lies and propping up his reign,' Mr Starmer wrote in the Sunday Mirror. 'They can't now attempt to wash their hands of him.' He said that the government has fallen to infighting as politicians declare their candidacy for the premiership, with a backbencher calling it 'Nightmare on Downing Street'. It has also been compared to the horror world of Stranger Things' 'Upside Down'. Sir Keir argued that a fourth new Conservative Prime Minister in the last six years will not bring the country a fresh start, calling it a 'recipe' for more of the same. 'Its time for proper change,' he wrote. 'Not a new captain of the sinking Tory ship, but a Labour government ready to re-energise Britain.' He pledged to make a difference on crime, pay and the NHS, arguing that his party has 'practical solutions' and not 'slogans'. 'We are going to govern for the whole country, not put its future at risk,' he added, rebuking any 'pact' or 'negotiation' with the SNP. The Labour leader accused Boris Johnson of 'squatting in Downing Street'. Pictured, Mr Johnson on a constituency visit 'While the Tories and the nationalists work in lockstep to sew divisions, Labour is the party of a more United Kingdom,' he wrote. Sir Keir argued that a new Prime Minister will not 'clean out the rotten culture' in the Conservative Party. 'Only by booting out the lot of them will Britain get the fresh start it needs,' he added. 'Thats why we need a general election now. My message to the Tories is simple: bring it on.' Any form of violence should not be tolerated The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sent shock waves through not only Japan but also the entire world. It is a clear reminder that any form of violence cannot and should not be tolerated under any circumstances as it poses a grave threat to democracy. On Friday, Abe, 67, was shot to death by a gunman while he was delivering a campaign speech at a train station in Nara. His speech was in support of a local candidate just two days ahead of an upper house election. The gunman reportedly had no political motive for the assassination. Japanese media reported that the suspect had a grudge against the country's former leader over his mother's obsession with a religious group. It was all the more shocking that the tragic incident took place in the broad daylight in Japan, a nation of 125 million which is well-known for its strict control on firearms. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel described it as a "cowardly and vile assassination." All Japanese as well as people around the world should condemn the killing as an attack on democracy. We express shock, sadness and anger for the loss of Japan's longest-serving prime minister. President Yoon Suk-yeol joined world leaders in extending condolences and consolation to the bereaved family and the Japanese people. He denounced the shooting as an "unacceptable crime." The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed grief and delivered condolences. The sudden and unfortunate death of Abe is seen as an incident that can have a great impact not just on Japanese politics, but also on the geopolitical order and security situation in East Asia. Abe had long been a symbol of Japan's growing nationalism and right-wing politics. He served two stints as prime minister for eight years and nine months before retiring in 2020. Now he has left a tremendous legacy, both good and bad, behind. It is necessary to assess both his achievements and blunders in a fair and objective manner. He deserved credit for strengthening Japan's alliance with the United States. Yet he cannot avoid criticism for steering the country toward the right. He had sought to revise the postwar pacifist constitution to make Japan a normal country that can wage war. He had also pushed for a sizable increase in defense spending for a military buildup. Despite his retirement, he had continued to wield powerful influence in Japanese politics as chief of the so-called Abe faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). What is somewhat worrying is that his death could help raise voices for a constitutional revision amid growing security concerns following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. A big win in the upper house election Sunday could also tilt the country further to the right. In that case, Seoul will find it more difficult to mend ties with Tokyo, which have worsened due to disputes over Japan's wartime forced labor and sex slavery. The Yoon administration needs to watch developments in Japan closely. Both countries should try to minimize any potential adverse effects of Abe's death on bilateral relations. Kemi Badenoch has launched her bid for the Conservative leadership with a pledge to 'tell the truth' and overhaul the Government's 'wrong' approach. Setting out her pitch for the top job, Ms Badenoch, who last week quit as Equalities Minister, called for 'strong but limited government focused on the essentials'. Ms Badenoch, who has been vocal over culture wars, also hit out at 'identity politics'. She wrote: 'Exemplified by coercive control, the imposition of views, the shutting down of debate, the end of due process, identity politics is not about tolerance or individual rights but the very opposite of our crucial and enduring British values.' Her backers include MPs Ben Bradley, Tom Hunt and Lee Anderson. Kemi Badenoch has launched her bid for the Conservative leadership with a pledge to 'tell the truth' and overhaul the Government's 'wrong' approach Ms Badenoch, MP for Saffron Walden, wrote in The Times: 'Without change the Conservative Party, Britain, and the Western world will continue to drift. Aggressive and assertive rivals will outpace us economically and outmanoeuvre us internationally' Ms Badenoch, MP for Saffron Walden, wrote in The Times: 'Without change the Conservative Party, Britain, and the Western world will continue to drift. Aggressive and assertive rivals will outpace us economically and outmanoeuvre us internationally.' In an interview with The Sunday Telegraph, Ms Badenoch, 42, said Boris Johnson's Government has been 'doing many things badly and doing things in the wrong way'. The ex-Treasury Minister said the Government has 'never actually really drafted a very clear economic policy', adding: 'We're often reactive, led by events.' She also criticised former Chancellor Rishi Sunak's council tax rebate and said: 'Would it have been simpler just to let people keep their money in the first place rather than giving them rebates on council tax?' Launching her bid, Ms Badenoch said: 'I'm putting myself forward in this leadership election because I want to tell the truth. It's the truth that will set us free.' Last night, a source close to another leadership contender said MPs are concerned Ms Badenoch could end up splitting the party's Right-wing vote. A suspect has been arrested hours after Jewish community leaders in San Antonio, Texas placed synagogues and other facilities on high alert on Saturday after they were informed by the FBI of a potential threat. All formal religious gatherings in the city including at Temple Beth-El San Antonio were canceled on the holiest day of the week, the sabbath, due to security concerns. 'After communicating with all local synagogues and organizations, it was recommended that all formal Jewish gatherings be suspended until further notice. All security personnel at the local synagogues and agencies have been notified and are on the highest alert,' the synagogue stated. 'We have received information from our experts that the safety situation for the Jewish synagogues in San Antonio today is not optimal for us to conduct our regularly scheduled Shabbat Services,' officials with Temple Beth-El stated online. All formal religious gatherings in the city including at Temple Beth-El San Antonio were canceled on the holiest day of the week due to security concerns The threat led to the cancellation of sabbath services at all Jewish community facilities The Anti-Defamation League revealed how a suspect was arrested at about 7pm On Saturday evening, the Jewish Federation of San Antonio said the FBI had informed it there was no longer any 'known imminent threat' for the local Jewish community revealing that an arrest had been made in relation to the scare. 'Although we recommend staying vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times, we are pleased to share that the urgency of concern has been lowered,' the Federation said in a Facebook post. 'The Jewish Federation of San Antonio received information from the FBI identifying a potential threat to an unconfirmed Jewish community facility in the San Antonio area. In an abundance of caution, we are taking all appropriate steps to ensure the safety of the community,' a statement earlier in the day stated. The FBI in San Antonio gave few details except to say that it have been investigating 'a potential threat targeting an unidentified synagogue in Texas.' The information was shared with the Anti-Defamation League who also revealed similar information revealing how there had been warnings for the past three days. 'ADL has been in close contact with federal, state, and local law enforcement in Texas for more than 72 hours around a series of threats targeting a Texas synagogue. In the past 24 hours, we received notice of a more specific and credible threat. The FBI in San Antonio said they had received details of a threat against the Jewish community in the city three days ago 'With the immediate threat brought to a resolution, ADL will continue to be in contact with law enforcement, as we have been over the past few days, monitoring the situation. Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, said he urged all communities to have a heightened sense of awareness, particularly in the wake of the deadly Independence Day parade shooting in suburban Chicago. 'We urge all communities to maintain a heightened sense of awareness and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement,' he wrote. In January, a British man held four hostages for more than 10 hours at a North Texas synagogue, Congregation Beth Israel. One of the hostages was released during the standoff while the rest were rescued when authorities entered the building and killed the hostage taker. Jodie Haydon has lifted the lid on the emotional moment she shared a teary goodbye with Anthony Albanese before he left for war-torn Ukraine. Ms Haydon broke down as she tightly embraced her partner in Paris before the pair parted ways and Mr Albanese set off for the country in eastern Europe last Sunday. The 44-year-old revealed she had been preparing to say farewell to the prime minister all day but became overwhelmed with emotion during the final moments. She made the revelation as she opened up on her relationship with Mr Albanese and the moment she could have lost him after he became involved in a car crash - in an interview with 7 Spotlight that will air at 7pm on Sunday. Jodie Haydon has lifted the lid on the emotional moment she shared a teary goodbye with Anthony Albanese before he left for war-torn Ukraine Ms Haydon broke down as she tightly embraced her partner in Paris before the pair parted ways and Mr Albanese set off for the country in Eastern Europe last Sunday 'That was really hard. Id been doing so well all day in preparation for him going,' she told Spotlight. 'I think it was the moment that we got down into the foyer and the team was lined up to say goodbye to him. 'And there were some hugs and some embraces, and we get outside and the car's waiting, and suddenly it hits me, he's going to a war zone.' Ms Haydon was left so upset she had to be comforted by nearby staffers, describing the whole ordeal as 'overwhelming'. She confessed it was not the first time she had been left fearing for his safety after Mr Albanese was involved in a car crash in January 2021. The then-opposition leader was driving in his car when a Range Rover veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with his vehicle on Hill Street at Marrickville, in Sydney's inner-west. Mr Albanese suffered internal and external injuries and stayed in hospital overnight before he was discharged the following day. 'When I got to the accident and I saw the car before I saw Anthony, and I remember thinking at the time, "this can't end well",' Ms Haydon said. 'And that overwhelming sense of "what if I lose him?" And I knew then that, yeah, I love him. And I love him deeply.' She made the revelation as she opened up on her relationship with Mr Albanese and the moment she could have lost him after he became involved in a car crash - in an interview with 7News that will air at 7pm on Sunday Ms Haydon met Mr Albanese in Melbourne in March 2020. She said she had heard about Mr Albanese in the newspapers and became glad after quickly learning he was the type of man portrayed on television. Ms Haydon recalled accompanying Mr Albanese to his trip to Paris where the prime minister tried to heal wounds with President Emmanuel Macron after Scott Morrison dumped the $90billion contract to buy French-made submarines. She said she had received a very warm welcome from both Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte who held her hand. She made a cheeky dig at Mr Albanese who said he could learn a thing or two from the pair. Mr Albanese left Paris to travelled to the Ukraine with at least a dozen armed Australian Special Forces soldiers escorting him. The party's vehicle convoy carried weapons, body armour and medical provisions in case of an emergency. Ukrainian special forces, in full battle kit, also shadowed the prime minister's every move. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese toured damaged residential areas on the outskirts of Kyiv during the top secret visit Mr Albanese travelled first to Bucha, to pay his respects at a mass grave where 416 civilians were buried by Russian forces after being executed. 'Bucha is now a notorious name,' local council head Tars Shaprovskiy told him. 'This is a very sad place. 'Every one of them shot. This was not collateral damage, this was intentional. 'One of the slaughterhouses was a summer camp. There were four volunteers there. They were all shot.' Mr Albanese told him: 'Australia shares your desire to seek justice for these war crimes, and we will continue to do so'. The grave, behind the town's Church of St Andrews, has become a pilgrimage site for visiting dignitaries. In a chapel underneath the church, Mr Albanese joined the congregation, lighting a candle for the victims of the massacre. Mr Albanese travelled in an armoured LandCruiser. Local traffic was blocked wherever his party went, with soldiers and police stationed along the route. Armed Ukrainian troops kept a vigilant guard as Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese toured Maidan Square in the war-torn capital of Kyiv last Sunday The PM pledged an extra $100million in military aid to Ukraine and will provide 34 additional armoured vehicles. The $99.5million boost is on top of a previously announced $285million in military assistance, which included 40 Bushmasters and artillery pieces and $65million in humanitarian assistance. Australia's aid to Ukraine now totals about $390million. Mr Albanese also announced a ban on imports of Russian gold and sanctions and travel bans on 16 more Russian ministers and oligarchs, bringing the total number to 843 individuals and 62 entities targeted. The PM has also promised an extra $100 million in military aid to Ukraine and will provide 34 additional armoured vehicles (pictured in Irpin, Ukraine) Meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the prime minister reaffirmed Australia's support for Ukraine and promised to back the nation. 'I pay tribute to the courage, resilience, bravery and determination of you as the leader of Ukraine, of your defence force, but importantly as well of your entire population who are determined to stand up to a bully which is breaching international law without any provocation or any excuse,' Mr Albanese said. 'Australia stands ready to continue to support the government and the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes for Ukraine to emerge victorious in defence of your national sovereignty and your homeland.' Australia is the largest non-NATO contributor to the effort to support Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia in February. 'Airbus Albo' divides Aussies as critics slam him for staying overseas as NSW grapples with deadly floods - but supporters say there's NO comparison to when ScoMo went to Hawaii during bushfires Anthony Albanese has faced criticism for being overseas while NSW suffers deadly floods - but his supporters defended his absence as he made an historic visit to war-torn Ukraine. The prime minister has been away since last Sunday on official trips to a NATO leaders' summit in Spain, a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron in Paris and a high-security trip to Kyiv to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Despite all the trips being official business and in the national interest, some Aussies took to social media to say they would have preferred him to be at home as the hashtags 'Airbus Albo' and 'Where's Albo' trended on Twitter and others labelled him 'Anthony Overseasy'. Since winning the election on May 21, Mr Albanese has travelled more than 45,000km on trips to Japan, Indonesia, the UAE, Spain, France, Poland and Ukraine where, on Sunday, he announced a further $100million in aid for the nation's defence against Russia. Anthony Albanese (pictured in Kyiv) has faced criticism for being overseas while NSW suffers deadly floods - but his supporters defended his absence as he visited war-torn Ukraine Since winning the election on May 21, Mr Albanese has travelled more than 45,000km overseas Poll Should Albo have come home instead of going to Ukraine? Yes No Should Albo have come home instead of going to Ukraine? Yes 709 votes No 509 votes Now share your opinion Shadow Immigration Minister Dan Tehan said Mr Albanese, who will travel to Fiji for a Pacific Islands forum later this week, was too focussed 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. The Prime Minister's office said he was being briefed on the NSW floods and will consider a trip to flooded areas after he returns late on Tuesday night. Angry Australians compared Mr Albanese's absence during the floods to Scott Morrison's infamous holiday to Hawaii during the December 2019 bushfires. Critics dredged up a tweet Mr Albanese made in March saying: 'If I'm Prime Minister, I won't go missing when the going gets tough - or pose for photos and then disappear when there's a job to be done. 'I'll show up, I'll step up - and I'll work every day to bring our country together.' Some also criticised the PM's decision to give more of taxpayers' money to Ukraine, although the move was supported by politicians across the aisle. Mr Albanese's critics said they would have preferred him to be at home as the hashtag 'Airbus Albo' trended on Twitter - but not everyone agreed Anthony Albanese (right) and Ukrainian Ambassador to Australia Vasyl Myroschnychenko (left) take a selfie as they visit Maidan square in Kyiv on Sunday But others said the Hawaii comparison was not fair because Mr Albanese was on key foreign policy trips while Mr Morrison had been sipping cocktails by the beach. At the NATO summit in Spain, Mr Albanese said it was highly beneficial for Australia to be there to discuss China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. The group declared China a 'security threat' for the first time. He then had a successful meeting with President Emmanuel Macron to repair frosty relations after Mr Morrison dumped a $90billion submarine deal with a French company and then leaked private texts between him and Mr Macron. Mr Albanese was also warmly received on his high-security trip to Ukraine. He is the first Aussie Prime Minister to visit the country and his important trip showed that the western world - beyond just Europe - is united against Russia's aggression. Australia is the largest non-NATO donor to the country's war effort after Moscow invaded in February. Others said the Hawaii comparison was not fair because Mr Albanese was on key foreign policy trips while Mr Morrison had been sipping cocktails by the beach Opposition leader Peter Dutton went on leave on Sunday and will not return to work until July 19. Heavy rain over the weekend has seen more than 32,000 people across NSW - mostly in Greater Sydney - urged to leave their homes while another 6,000 are on alert on Monday. One man, a kayaker, died after being pulled from Sydney's Parramatta River. Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt has been actively responding to the floods and has sent 200 ADF troops to help out. Donald Trump said Saturday that Elon Musk previously told him that he voted for him despite the Tesla CEO claiming last month that his ballot for Mayra Flores was the first time he ever voted GOP. 'You know he said the other day, 'Oh, I've never voted for a Republican.' I said, 'I didn't know that. He told me he voted for me,' Trump said at his Alaska rally when speaking about Musk's Twitter deal falling through. 'So he's another bulls*** artist,' the former president said. 'But he's not gonna be buying [Twitter]. Although he might later, who the hell knows what's going to happen,' he added in the midst of his hour-and-a-half remarks in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday. Musk, who now lives in Texas, said that he voted Republican for the first time in June's special election when he cast his ballot for Flores in her bid for the 34th congressional seat against Democrat Dan Sanchez. 'I voted for Mayra Flores first time I ever voted Republican,' Musk tweeted June 15. Massive red wave in 2022.' When a Twitter account called Tesla Owners Silicon Valley asked Musk if he was voting Republican in the 2024 presidential election, the Tesla CEO replied 'tbd.' Trump, however, suggested that Musk is a liar, saying that the SpaceX CEO told him that he cast his ballot for him before. Donald Trump suggested that Elon Musk told him that he voted for him Tesla CEO Elon Musk (left) said in June that he cast his first ever Republican ballot for Mayra Flores (right) in a Texas special election The former president almost promoted his social media site Truth Social when slamming Musk for letting his bid to buy Twitter fall through. 'Another one of our highest priorities under a Republican Congress will be to stop left-wing censorship and restore free speech in America,' Trump said to his supporters at the Alaska Airlines Center on Sautrday. 'Elon is not gonna buy Twitter,' he said. 'Where did you hear that before? From me,' he said. One supporter yelled: 'Fake accounts.' 'He said fake accounts,' Trump said. 'A lot of them. No, he's got himself a mess.' Trump's revenge rallies made a stop in Alaska to stump for the candidate taking on moderate Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski, as well as Sarah Palin and the incumbent Governor Mike Dunleavy. 'Get Murkowski out of here, because she is not a Republican. She is not a Republican,' the former president insisted to a crowd of around 5,000 supporters in Anchorage, Alaska on Saturday. Trump said he was fulfilling a promise to supporters in the Last Frontier State by holding his rally there on Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center. 'You have a lousy senator don't you?' Trump added of Murkowski. 'But we're going to do something about that.' 'You're going to fire your RINO senator she's worse than a RINO Lisa Murkowski. She is the worst. I rate her No. 1 bad,' he said. Trump has made clear that his goal in the 2022 election is to boot from office all incumbents he considers RINOs, which has become a moniker for anti-MAGA Republicans and stands for 'Republican In Name Only.' Murkowski is one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial after the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, which a select committee is still investigating in Congress. Trump's visit to Anchorage on Saturday was his first time to hold a campaign rally in Alaska to stump for Sarah Palin and the candidate taking on moderate GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski Palin (pictured at the rally Saturday, July 9 in Anchorage) is running to take the u.S. House seat left vacant by Representative Don Young with his death in March 2022 This vote and her status as a moderate GOP senator makes her a RINO in Trump world. He called Murkowksi 'one of the most destructive two-faced senators' of all those who he feels turned against him. Now, Trump has made it a point to rally against those Republicans who voted for his impeachment and conviction and has backed their competitors in the 2022 midterms. This includes Kelly Tshibaka, who is taking on Murkowski in the primary. He is also supporting Sarah Palin in her bid for the U.S. House seat left vacant by late Representative Don Young. 'You're going to send the great, legendary Sarah Palin to the U.S. House of Representatives. Incredible woman,' he said before thanking Palin for endorsing him back in 2016. 'I'm here to say I like you best. I know your opponents and I like you way better,' Trump said of the former Alaska governor. Kelly Tshibaka (pictured speaking at the rally Saurday) is the Trump-backed candidate taking on Murkowski as she runs for her fourth term in the Senate Trump said of his visit to Anchorage: 'I'm here for two reasons, to support great candidates and fulfill my promise to Alaska that I was going to come here. You know that.' 'You voted for me twice and I won in a landslide both times. And now I'm voting for you. That's why I'm here,' he added. The Alaska Airlines Center has a capacity of 6,000 people 1,000 standing and 5,000 sitting. Nearly all seats were filled, except for many that had obstructed views behind the press risers. Just minutes before Trump's arrival, the ticker for a crowd count showed nearly 5,000 people had been admitted. 'I like Alaska,' Trump said during one of many 'U-S-A' chants shouted Saturday afternoon. The former president's supporters in Alaska expressed a general sense of disenfranchisement with Murkowski, one of those most moderate Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate. 'She doesn't represent Alaskans anymore what we want,' a woman, who traveled from a town around Seward, Alaska told DailyMail.com as she waited to gain entrance to the rally. Trump jetted to the Last Frontier State directly from Las Vegas, Nevada after holding a rally there Friday evening to stump for Tshibaka, Palin and Governor Mike Dunleavy in his bid for reelection to the governor's mansion. Several other rally goers and Alaskans from all over the state dining in Anchorage over the weekend agreed that Murkowski was not representative of the Republican Party. Palin received a slew of warm welcomes from the pro-Trump crowd on Saturday, July 9, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska Palin received a slew of warm welcomes from the pro-Trump crowd on Saturday, July 9, 2022 in Anchorage, Alaska Trump jetted to the Last Frontier State directly from Las Vegas, Nevada after holding a rally there Friday evening to stump for Murkowski's primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka (left) and House candidate Satah Palin (right) Masked-up Trump supporters are seen waiting to get into the rally in Anchorage My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell poses with a Trump supporter ahead of the rally One Democratic Anchorage resident who identified himself as only Dan told DailyMail.com while dining at Snow City Cafe Saturday morning that he would cast his ballot for Murkowski now that the state has switched over to an open election system. The 47-year-old said that it's better to have an 'anti-Trump' Republican in Congress than risk wasting his vote on a Democrat who would likely go on to 'lose the general election.' Alaska went red for Trump in 2020 by an exact 10 percent margin and in 2016 by a 14.7 percent margin. A handful of voters, most of whom did not want to identify themselves, told DailyMail.com that while they support Trump and Palin, they would still cast their ballot for Murkowski in the primary election. An Alaska Survey Research poll taken July 2-5 shows Murkowski with 52 percent support to Tshibaka's 48 percent. But an average of the polling in the state shows the two slightly closer with just 3 percent separating the two. The same polling group shows Palin consistently trailing Republican primary candidate Nick Begich, who is also vying to fill Young's seat. The competitor ties or pulls ahead of Palin by 1-2 percentage points. Begich has capital among Alaska Republicans. He served as a co-chair for Young's final reelection campaign in 2020. Supporters in the stands of the Alaska Airlines Center on the campus of the University of Alaska Anchorage cheered wildly for Palin as she entered the arena a few hours before Trump's arrival time. Trump supporters in Alaska expressed to DailyMail.com and in their jeers a general sense of disenfranchisement with moderate U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski People at the 'Save America' rally on Saturday wait as the auditorium fills up Trump supporters waited in long lines to enter the arena in Anchorage Trump backed Palin in her special election run to replace late Representative Young, who was the U.S. congressman for Alaska's at-large House district from 1973 until his death in March 2022. The former president is finally making a trek to the 49th state now that the House, one Senate and the governor's seat are all open simultaneously. The move also comes as part of his revenge tour as he pushes his 2022 midterm candidates especially hard against incumbents who voted for his impeachment. Current junior Senator Dan Sullivan was reelected for a second term in 2020. Trump supporters in Alaska are trying to once again propel Palin to office she served as governor from 2006-2009 and mayor of Wasilla, Alaska from 1996 to 2002. The Alaska primary election will be held later in the summer on August 16 before November's primaries will decide who will serve Alaska's at-large House district as well as if Murkowski will continue to represent the state in the Senate and if Dunleavy will keep his seat in the governor's mansion. Murkowski is the second-most senior Republican woman senator falling behind only fellow moderate Susan Collins of Maine. Both hold crucial swing votes in the upper chamber, especially with a 50-50 split Senate with a Democrat tie-breaker. The daughter of former Alaskan governor and U.S. Senator Frank Murkowski, the senior senator was controversially first appointed to her seat in December 2002 by her father when he resigned to become governor of the state. She completed her father's term in January 2005 and started her first full term, which she was elected for in November 2004. Despite the perceived nepotism, Murkowski, 65, is a widely popular name in Alaska and she likely would have risen to the Senate even if her father did not appoint her to the post. She is only the second ever U.S. senator, after Strom Thurmond in 1954, to be elected by write-in vote in the 2010 election. Murkowski is now looking to earn a fourth term in office but it's looking increasingly likely that she could be booted from her seat. August's primary elections are the first Murkowski has to face since she voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial. This led to Murkowski's censure by the Alaska Republican Party. Patricia Castillo, 48, of Sanger, California, has been charged with attempted murder after setting a man alight This is the shocking moment a California woman douses a man with gasoline as he sits in a park, and sets him on fire. Patricia Castillo, 48, is accused of setting the man on fire on Thrusday night in Sanger, near Fresno, about 9pm. She was arrested together with her 43-year-old accomplice, Leonard Hawkins, who is accused of providing her with the gasoline. Officers from the Sanger Police Department were called to the park and found the man with severe burns to the upper half of his body. In surveillance video of the attack, Castillo can we seen walking up to the man as he sits on the grass, and then throwing a cup-ful of gasoline over him. The pair are then seen arguing, at which point Castillo is seen taking a lighter out of her pocket. The man is seen backing away from her, but moments later Castillo places her lighter close to his shirt and he is instantly engulfed in flames. It's unclear whether Castillo knew the man. Two people have been arrested after setting a woman could be seen setting a man on fire in a California park Sanger Police Department reviewed footage from security cameras which allegedly saw 48-year-old Patricia Castillo walking up to the victim and throwing liquid on him before sparking a lighter and setting the man alight The pair were arrested and booked for attempted murder, arson and conspiracy. The man was immediately taken to hospital and is expected to survive after suffering upper body burns Leonard Hawkins, 43, is accused of providing the gasoline to Castillo. He is also facing attempted murder charges 'Investigators used video surveillance and witness statements to identify Patricia Castillo and Leonard Hawkins as the suspects,' the Sanger Police Department said in a statement released on social media. 'The video shows Castillo approaching the victim and throwing a liquid from a cup onto him, and she and the victim appear to argue before Castillo sparks a lighter and lights the victim on fire. 'Further investigation revealed that Leonard Hawkins had provided the accelerant used to light the victim on fire to Castillo.' The man was immediately taken to hospital and is expected to recover from his injuries. Both Castillo and Hawkins were taken into custody without incident and face multiple felony charges including attempted murder, arson and conspiracy. A young jockey who is fighting for life after being kicked in the head by a horse had married the love of her life just a few months ago before the freak accident occurred. Juana Andreou, 28, was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition on Monday after suffering a severe injury while clipping a horse at Flemington. The incident marked the end of a horror week in the racing industry which saw Ms Andreou become the third female jockey to be hospitalised within the space of two days. Shattered friends have rallied to support Ms Andreou, who is now stable but remains in an induced coma, having undergone two surgeries to stop the bleeding and reduce pressure on her brain. On April 22, the athlete exchanged vows with her husband Jesse Hemmens at an intimate vineyard ceremony in Victoria's Yarra Valley in front of family and friends. Juana Andreou, 28, (pictured) is fighting for life after she was kicked in the head while grooming a horse Photos posted on social media show the couple beaming as they walked down the aisle hand-in-hand - the new Mrs Hemmens clutching a bouquet in her right palm while her husband gripped their wedding certificate. But less than three months on, the couple's lives have been rocked by tragedy as Ms Andreou fights for her life and her husband also receives treatment for a long-term medical condition. 'Juana is everything to me, my best friend and the most generous caring person you could want as a wife,' Mr Hemmens told Daily Mail Australia. 'I've had my own health issues for a long time and had surgery 12 months ago that went sideways and I nearly died. 'I was in the exact same intensive care unit myself and she never left my side and I'll never leave hers.' Devastated friends have jumped online to pay tribute to the athlete and send their well wishes as she and her family brace for the long road to recovery ahead. Bulla Adult Riding Club said Ms Andreou was a fairly new member, but had been 'a wonderful asset always volunteering her time'. Ms Andreou married her husband Jesse Hemmens at Immerse Winery just three months ago on April 22 Members of the racing industry have jumped online to share their well wishes for the 28-year-old jockey Mr Hemmens is also currently unable to work as he battles with a long-term illness which has seen him repeatedly hospitalised over the past few years The club said she has also been very successful competing, recently winning level 1 at their horse trials. 'She has an awfully long road to recovery and her beautiful Thoroughbred, High Valley, will be missing her greatly,' the club wrote on Facebook. 'Please keep her in your thoughts.' Osborne Racing said Ms Andreou rode for the stable in both races and jump outs since she moved into the Macedon Ranges area. 'In more recent times Juana has also done plenty of pre-training for Osborne Racing. Horses also spent a few days at Juanas following a race to "chill out". 'She has also provided plenty of support to many of the trainers at Kyneton,' they said. 'We wish Juana all the best in her recovery.' 'This is a horrific time for Juana's family and friends,' friend Daniel Deleo wrote on her GoFundMe page. 'Her husband has also struggled with his own medical issues, which have consistently seen him in and out of hospital over the past few years. 'Jesse is by Juana's side, supporting his wife. [But] unfortunately, Jesses medical condition will not see him working for the next 2-3 months at a minimum.' The GoFundMe page was set up by Mr Deleo on Thursday to raise money for Ms Andreou's surgery, treatment, and other living expenses for the couple during this time, which has already garnered more than $36,000 of its $40,000 goal. Mr Hemmens said the support they have received was 'beyond everythings that I could have ever imagined'. Leah Kilner (pictured) was placed into an induced coma after the horror fall in Grafton on Sunday 'The fact I can take time off to care for her and not worry about the finance side has been such a weight off my shoulders,' he said. Ms Andreou's injury comes after two back-to-back shocking falls in NSW which left apprentices Leah Kilner, 24, and Elissa Meredith, 27, in critical conditions. Ms Kilner was placed into an induced coma at Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital after suffering brain injuries when she fell from Stella's Turn at the third track race in Grafton, her home track, last Sunday. The two-year-old horse had to be euthanised after its fetlock was completely dislocated during the fall. Ms Kilner, who also suffered a broken collarbone, ribs and leg injuries, gave her family and friends a 'wave of hope' on Tuesday after she squeezed her mother Siobhan's hand. On Sunday, a week after the incident, her manager Brad Glendenning announced doctors are gradually bringing her out of sedation as they assess for any potential head injuries. 'Leahs breathing tube has been removed and she will be leaving the ICU and going to the High Dependency Ward,' Mr Glendenning told the Herald Sun. 'She will be monitored closely during this time.' Ms Meredith was taken to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital with brain injuries and placed into an induced coma after her mount Starlink fell at the Gunnedah races on Monday. Scans revealed she had suffered two contusions on her brain, but later tests cleared her of other significant injuries including fractures. In good news, Racing NSW revealed in an update on Tuesday she was improving, saying 'Elissa is comfortable and remains stable at John Hunter Hospital'. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has defied President Joe Biden and ordered the Texas National Guard to start arresting migrants in Texas, and returning them to the Mexico border. On Saturday, Abbott slammed the president, saying: 'Biden's border policies are crushing local communities up and down the border.' He added that the Texas Department of Public Safety has already started making arrests after his executive order came into effect on July 7. It's unclear how many migrants have been arrested since then, but photos posted by Abbott and the Texas DPS show a handful of illegal immigrants being rounded up and loaded into a waiting bus before being taken back to the Mexico border. Members of National Guard and the Texas DPS have been charged with implementing the policy, according to the governor's office. In total, around 10,000 officers and soldiers have been deployed. Texas shares a more than 1,200 mile long border with Mexico. Abbott has also criticized Biden for 'refusing to do his job' and said that the he was failing to 'enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress.' The governor added: '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.' Officials began posting photos such as this one on July 9 apparently showing illegal immigrants being rounded up by authorities Abbott HAS accused President Biden of refusing to do his job and said that the president was failing to 'enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress Governor Abbott also posted this photo on Twitter apparently showing a bus ready to transport migrants The migration crisis continues to surge under the current administration as CBP encountered 239,416 migrants in May the highest since Biden took office and a two-decade high Abbott's anti-illegal immigration plan, named Operation Lone Star, was first unveiled in March 2021. On his official website, Abbott lists the apparent achievements of Operation Lone Star in fighting illegal immigration in his state. Among those, Abbott lists securing $4 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts, signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas and creating 'strike teams and establishing' new vehicle inspection checkpoints targeting semi-truck.' 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. On Thursday, the White House criticized Abbott's latest plan, with spokesperson Abdullah Hasan saying: 'Governor Abbott's record on immigration doesn't give us confidence in what he has cooked up now. 'His so-called Operation Lone Star put national guardsmen and law enforcement in dangerous situations and resulted in a logistical nightmare needing Federal rescue, and his secondary inspections of trucks crossing into Texas cost a billion dollars a week in trade at one bridge alone without turning up a single case of human or drug trafficking,' White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said in a statement. 'President Biden is focused on real policy solutions to actually secure our border,' the statement added. Abbott's decision to enact the policy comes a week after 53 migrants were found dead in a sweltering tractor-trailer in San Antonio in 103F heat. The incident is one of the most deadly human smuggling tragedies along the US-Mexico border. A San Antonio Fire Department official said they found 'stacks of bodies' and no signs of water in the truck, which was discovered next to railroad tracks in the city's southern outskirts, close to Interstate 35 which runs to the Mexican border. Sixteen survivors, including four children, were rushed to nearby hospitals for heat stroke and exhaustion. They were found by a local worker, who investigated the scene after hearing a faint cry for help emanating from the truck. This tweet from Abbott on Saturday announced that authorities in Texas were being deployed to catch illegal immigrants Abbott's extreme anti-illegal immigration plan, named Operation Lone Star, was first unveiled in March 2021 Operation Lone Star has been described as a 'centerpiece' to Gov. Abbott's reelection campaign. The governor will face off against former US representative Beto O'Rourke in the November election Earlier in July, the Department of Justice announced that it was actively investigating Abbot's policy as a possible violation of civil rights, reports ABC News. The DOJ said in a statement that the department had received information indicating that the Texas Department of Public Safety was 'discriminating on the basis of race and/or national origin in its activities related to Operation Lone Star by targeting certain individuals for arrests for misdemeanor trespass violations and traffic stops based on their perceived or actual race or national origin.' In a reaction to the DOJ's announcement, Abbott's spokesperson Renae Eze accused the Biden administration of 'attacking the only state taking unprecedented actions to do the federal government's job,' according to ABC News. Speaking to KRGV, Bill Piatt, a constitutional law professor at St. Mary's University said of the policy: 'The states don't have the power to enforce immigration law. A law enforcement officer can't look at somebody and say, 'I think you look like you don't have authorization to be here,' and make an arrest, which is a constitutional violation.' Operation Lone Star has been described as a 'centerpiece' to Abbott's reelection campaign. The governor will face off against former US representative Beto O'Rourke in the November election. Speaking on WFAA, Republican political consultant Matt Mackowiak cited 'border politics' as the reason why polling shows that O'Rourke has closed the gap on Abbott to six points. Mackowiak said that he didn't feel like the gun control issue was going to be enough to unseat Abbott saying: 'It just doesn't work in Texas. I'm sort of dubious that Uvalde is going to somehow change decades and decades and decades of public opinion on that issue, at least voter opinion on that issue.' Abbott's decision to enact the policy comes a week after 53 migrants were found dead in a sweltering tractor-trailer in San Antonio in 103F heat. The incident is one of the most deadly human smuggling tragedies along the US-Mexico border On Thursday, Abbott's plan received a lukewarm message of support from conservative think tank the Center for Renewing America. The group acknowledged Abbott's assertiveness but criticized him for not calling illegal immigration an 'invasion.' The statement read: 'We acknowledge Governor Abbott's recognition that the facts on the ground along the border comport with the Constitution's understanding of invasion.' It continued: 'However the governor does not appear to formally declare but an invasion nor direct the National Guard and Department of Public Safety to remove illegals across the border directly to Mexico. That is critical. Otherwise this is still catch and release.' The deployment of further law enforcement to aid in Texas' battle against illegal immigration comes as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joined other Republicans in calling for prominent Democrats, including the president, to apologize to four border patrol agents who were cleared of whipping migrants. In September 2021, four border patrol agents were falsely accused of whipping a group of Haitian migrants at the southern border. A 500-page report released by the Customs and Border Protection this week found that the narrative surrounding the whipping allegations that were perpetuated by the White House was false. During an appearance on 'Hannity' on Friday, Paxton said: 'There's no doubt this was political. And it's really unfortunate for these border agents who've given their lives to securing our border and defending Americans.' The attorney general continued: 'And here they are being punished, they should be rewarded. They should be taken care of. Instead, their careers may be ruined, and they've been humiliated in front of the entire American public.' Paxton told Greg Jarrett, who was standing in for Sean Hannity: 'And I just think it's really wrong. I would expect instead that Joe Biden and some of these political leaders should come out and actually apologize to these guys for what they've been through.' The images 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. A country woman has pleaded with Aussies holidaying in Bali to think of the dire consequences of bringing a 'horrific' disease back to Australian shores. Catherine Marriott, from Mulwala in NSW's Riverine district, has shared the best way travellers can prevent foot and mouth disease (FMD) from entering the country. Ms Marriott posted a short video to Twitter in which she advised those returning to Australia to 'wash everything' they bring back - or, if they really wanted to be completely safe, to buy all of their clothes and shoes over in Bali and then leave it there. Catherine Marriott, from Mulwala in NSW's Riverine district, (pictured) has shared the best way travellers can prevent foot and mouth disease (FMD) from entering the country Indonesia, which was free of the disease from 1986 until May this year, confirmed foot and mouth disease had spread to Bali, with more then 230,000 cases detected across the country. Ms Marriott started the video by expressing her sympathies to Indonesian farmers whose animals were being impacted by foot and mouth disease. 'This disease is horrific, it's extremely cruel and it's massively important that we keep it out of Australia,' she told her 10,000 Twitter followers. 'Foot-and-mouth disease essentially scabs up and rots off the mouths and feet of livestock so they have to be euthanised. 'The ramifications if this gets to Australia will be immense, it will destroy families, rural communities, but importantly it will also destroy your ability to eat safe Australian-grown meat.' Ms Marriott (pictured) has pleaded with travellers to 'wash everything' they bring back from Indonesia and leave their potentially contaminated shoes and clothes behind Ms Marriott pleaded with travellers to 'wash everything' they bring back from Indonesia or to 'support the local economy' and buy their clothes over there and leave their potentially contaminated items behind. 'Buy clothes over there and then leave them over there, it's how we're going to keep your capacity to eat beautiful Australian meat safe,' she said. A widespread outbreak in Australia could cost the economy up to $80million, according to modelling from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. The contagious viral disease kills goats, sheep, cattle and pigs and can be spread animal-to-animal, through animal products or contaminated equipment or clothing. The Australian Government has also warned it can spread 'by the wind' with symptoms including fever, depression, reduced appetite and lameness. FACTS ABOUT FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE (FMD): Foot and mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral disease of cloven-hoofed (two-toed) animals FMD causes painful sores and blisters on the feet, mouth and teats of animals. The disease occurs in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America, but has been eradicated from North America, Australia, New Zealand, Greenland, Iceland, and most of Europe. Foot-and-mouth disease is spread by direct contact, such as when a healthy animal touches, rubs, or licks an animal that is sick. Animals may also become infected from eating contaminated feed or by contact with contaminated objects. FMD virus can be carried on clothes, shoes, vehicles and even in the nasal passages of people that have had contact with infected animals. Infections in humans are extremely rare but mild blister like lesions can occur. Source: Iowa State University's Centre for Food Security and Public Health Advertisement The disease is very rarely spread from animal-to-human unlike the similarly named hand, foot and mouth disease - which is a different virus. If an outbreak occurs in Australia, it is likely other countries would stop buying Australian livestock and livestock products until the disease is fully eradicated. The warning comes as Aussies travelling to Bail could be faced with strict biosecurity restrictions upon return to prevent (FMD) disease from entering the country. Fears foot and mouth-disease (FMD) could be transported back to Australia by tourists have sparked calls for stricter biosecurity measures for returning travellers. Bali-based veterinarian Dr Ross Ainsworth said travellers should be asked to declare whether they had visited a farm, and said airports should implement mandatory shoe disinfection. Fears foot and mouth disease (FMD) could be transported back to Australia by tourists has sparked calls for stricter biosecurity measures for returning travellers (pictured, medical team evacuating a sick tourist in Bali) Aussies travelling to Bail could face strict biosecurity restrictions upon return to prevent foot and mouth disease from entering the country (pictured, Canggu beach in 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. 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. These warnings are being issued in the wake of Aussies expected to take a trip to the famous tourist hotspot in coming days, as the school holidays begin in Western Australia (pictured, tourists at Canggu Beach in Bali) '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. Dr Ainsworth advised returning travellers to ensure their shoes are clean and suggested they walk over a disinfected sponge before boarding the plane. Federal Agriculture Minister Murray Watt will visit Indonesia this month as Australia helps to contain the spread of FMD and lumpy skin disease. Mr Watt said 'biosecurity officers are operating with increased vigilance across all flights arriving from Indonesia' and ensured Aussies there are 'well-established plans in place should FMD be detected in Australia'. Livestock exhibiting symptoms should be reported to the national Emergency Animal Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888. 2019: Australian intelligence services conclude that China was responsible for a cyber-attack on Australia's parliament and three largest political parties in the run-up to a May election. April 2020: Australian PM Scott Morrison begins canvassing his fellow world leaders for an inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic. Britain and France are initially reluctant but more than 100 countries eventually back an investigation. April 15: Morrison is one of the few leaders to voice sympathy with Donald Trump's criticisms of the World Health Organization, which the US president accuses of bias towards China. April 21: China's embassy accuses Australian foreign minister Peter Dutton of 'ignorance and bigotry' and 'parroting what those Americans have asserted' after he called for China to be more transparent about the outbreak. April 23: Australia's agriculture minister David Littleproud calls for G20 nations to campaign against the 'wet markets' which are common in China and linked to the earliest coronavirus cases. April 26: Chinese ambassador Cheng Jingye hints at a boycott of Australian wine and beef and says tourists and students might avoid Australia 'while it's not so friendly to China'. Canberra dismisses the threat and warns Beijing against 'economic coercion'. May 11: China suspends beef imports from four of Australia's largest meat processors. These account for more than a third of Australia's $1.1billion beef exports to China. May 18: The World Health Organization backs a partial investigation into the pandemic, but China says it is a 'joke' for Australia to claim credit. The same day, China imposes an 80 per cent tariff on Australian barley. Australia says it may challenge this at the WTO. May 21: China announces new rules for iron ore imports which could allow Australian imports - usually worth $41billion per year - to be singled out for extra bureaucratic checks. June 5: Beijing warns tourists against travelling to Australia, alleging racism and violence against the Chinese in connection with Covid-19. June 9: China's Ministry of Education warns students to think carefully about studying in Australia, similarly citing alleged racist incidents. June 19: Australia says it is under cyber-attack from a foreign state which government sources say is believed to be China. The attack has been targeting industry, schools, hospitals and government officials, Morrison says. July 9: Australia suspends extradition treaty with Hong Kong and offers to extend the visas of 10,000 Hong Kongers who are already in Australia over China's national security law which effectively bans protest. August 18: China launches 12-month anti-dumping investigation into wines imported from Australia in a major threat to the $6billion industry. August 26: Prime Minster Scott Morrison announces he will legislate to stop states and territories signing deals with foreign powers that go against Australia's foreign policy. Analysts said it is aimed at China. October 13: Trade Minister Simon Birmingham says he's investigating reports that Chinese customs officials have informally told state-owned steelmakers and power plants to stop Aussie coal, leaving it in ships off-shore. November 2: Agriculture Minister David Littleproud reveals China is holding up Aussie lobster imports by checking them for minerals. November 3: Barley, sugar, red wine, logs, coal, lobster and copper imports from Australia unofficially banned under a directive from the government, according to reports. November 18: China releases bizarre dossier of 14 grievances with Australia. November 27: Australian coal exports to China have dropped 96 per cent in the first three weeks of November as 82 ships laden with 8.8million tonnes of coal are left floating off Chinese ports where they have been denied entry. November 28: Beijing imposed a 212 per cent tariff on Australia's $1.2 billion wine exports, claiming they were being 'dumped' or sold at below-cost. The claim is denied by both Australia and Chinese importers. November 30: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lijian Zhao posted a doctored image showing a grinning Australian soldier holding a knife to the throat of an Afghan child. The move outraged Australians. December 12: Australian coal is added to a Chinese blacklist. December 24: China suspends imports of Australian timber from NSW and WA after local customs officers say they found pests in the cargo. January 11, 2021: Australia blocks $300million construction deal that would have seen state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation takeover Probuild. The bid was blacked over national security concerns. February 5, 2021: China confirms Melbourne journalist and single mother Cheng Lei has been formally arrested after being detained in August, 2020. February 23, 2021: China accuses Australia of being in an 'axis of white supremacy' with the UK, USA, Canada and NZ in an editorial. March 11, 2021: Australia is accused of genocide by a Communist Party newspaper editor. March 15, 2021: Trade Minister Dan Tehan announced he wants the World Trade Organisation to help mediate discussions between the two countries over the trade dispute. April 21, 2021: Foreign Minister Marise Payne announces Australia has scrapped Victoria's controversial Belt and Road deal with China using new veto powers. May 6, 2021: China indefinitely suspends all strategic economic talks with Australia, blaming the Morrison Government's attitude towards the relationship. The move cuts off all diplomatic contact with Beijing under the China-Australia Strategic Economic Dialogue, freezing discussions between key officials below a ministerial level. June 22, 2021: China tries to 'ambush' Australia with a push to officially declare the Great Barrier Reef 'in danger' September 15, 2021: Australia, the UK and the US announce the AUKUS security pact which will give the Australian military nuclear-powered submarines to counter China growing aggression in the Indo Pacific. The move is met with seething anger in Beijing. March 24, 2022: Details of a Memorandum of Understanding emerge which could allow Beijing to station warships on the Solomon Islands, just 1,000 miles off the coast of Australia. Canberra warns it is 'concerned by any actions that destabilise the security of our region'. April 25, 2022: Defence Minister Peter Dutton warns on Anzac Day that Russia and China's resurgence means Australia must be on a war-footing. 'The only way you can preserve peace is to prepare for war, and to be strong as a country,' he said. 'We're in a period very similar to the 1930s.' April 27, 2022: Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrew says China is likely to send troops to the Solomon Islands, and was using the row to derail Australia's Federal Election. She said Beijing was 'clearly very aware we are in a federal election campaign at the moment.' May 13, 2022: Defence Minister Peter Dutton announces Australian military are tracking a Chinese spy ship 250 nautical miles northwest of Broome in WA near the Harold E Holt naval communication station. The sighting was mostly written off as a pre-election stunt. June 5, 2022: A Chinese fighter jet intercepts an Australian spy plane with a 'dangerous manoeuvre' on May 26 and the details are revealed weeks later. Nadhim Zahawi is 'under investigation by HM Revenue & Customs over his tax affairs' after Downing Street officials 'flagged concerns' to Boris Johnson before his appointment as Chancellor. Offshore tax specialists 'launched a probe' into the finances of the Tory leadership candidate after they were handed information by the National Crime Agency (NCA) - known as 'Britain's version of the FBI'. Following the NCA investigation in 2020, 'no evidence was found that met the criteria to bring criminal charges'. Experts from the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) are also believed to have investigated the newly appointed chancellor's finances, reports The Independent. Mr Zahawi, 55, denied any wrongdoing and promised to fully co-operate with any HMRC queries, following a report in The Sunday Times. A spokesperson told the newspaper: 'All Mr Zahawi's financial interests have been properly and transparently declared. 'Mr Zahawi is not aware of any formal investigation by HMRC. His taxes are all fully paid and up to date. He will provide full information to any queries that HMRC have about his tax affairs.' A senior Whitehall source also told The Independent the investigation, under the control of the Treasury which Mr Zahawi began running just three days ago, is currently 'unresolved'. HMRC told MailOnline they 'cannot comment on identifiable taxpayers'. The PM, home secretary Priti Patel and the Cabinet Office were all informed of the investigations prior to Mr Zahawi's appointment. The inquiry comes after civil servants in the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team reportedly told Boris Johnson about a HRMC 'flag' before he was appointed as chancellor, The Observer reports. The newly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) is 'under investigation' by HM Revenue & Customs over his 'tax affairs' after a 'flag' was raised by officials to Boris Johnson HMRC offshore tax specialists 'launched a probe' into the finances of the Tory leadership candidate after they were handed information by the National Crime Agency (NCA) - known as 'Britain's version of the FBI ' (file image) A source told the newspaper: 'It's extraordinary that flags were raised ahead of Nadhim's appointment by the Downing Street proprietary team. 'These sorts of concerns would stop someone receiving an MBE or OBE. The idea he could be chancellor or even prime minister is unbelievable'. A Cabinet Office spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Under the Ministerial Code, Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their Ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise. 'The Chancellor has followed the process set out in the Ministerial Code and complied with those requirements to the satisfaction of the previous Independent Advisers.' Meanwhile, Mr Zahawi launched his pitch for the Conservative leadership last night with a thinly veiled swipe at his rival Rishi Sunak, saying that 'we cannot tax our way into prosperity'. He previously served as Education Secretary, which he took over from Gavin Williamson last September. Mr Zahawi appeared to take aim at the man he replaced as Chancellor in dramatic circumstances last week by declaring that 'the burden of tax is too high'. The comments will be seen as a bid to woo Tory MPs who accuse Mr Sunak of trashing the Tories' low-tax credentials. But The Mail on Sunday was told that Mr Zahawi began distancing himself from his predecessor within 24 hours of replacing him. Sources said Mr Zahawi told a Tory fund-raising event on Wednesday that 'being Conservative Chancellor with Conservative values meant being the party of low tax'. Coincidentally, the new Chancellor was speaking at the same Carlton Club venue where a week earlier the ex-Tory deputy whip Chris Pincher was accused of groping two men in an incident that ultimately led to Boris Johnson's resignation. Sources close to Mr Zahawi told The Mail on Sunday that the Prime Minister 'holds no grudges' over his behaviour last week and wants him to deliver 'a Conservative economic strategy' as Chancellor Mr Zahawi's leadership launch came amid claims that he did himself 'immense damage' last week by accepting promotion from Mr Johnson only to then call on him to step down. One fellow Minister and Johnson loyalist said last night: 'Nadhim's behaviour last week has put a lot of people off him.' However, sources close to Mr Zahawi told The Mail on Sunday that the Prime Minister 'holds no grudges' over his behaviour last week and wants him to deliver 'a Conservative economic strategy' as Chancellor. Mr Zahawi, who also served as the Covid vaccines minister during the pandemic, put reducing taxes at the heart of his pitch to succeed Mr Johnson. The millionaire ex-businessman, who co-founded the polling company YouGov and built a 100million property portfolio, said: 'The burden of tax is simply too high. One fellow Minister and Johnson loyalist said last night: 'Nadhim's behaviour last week has put a lot of people off him.' 'As an entrepreneur and businessman, I know that lower taxes are how we create a thriving and dynamic economy.' Insisting that 'taxes for individuals, families and business' would be lower 'on my watch', Mr Zahawi added: 'Overseeing the highest tax burden since 1949 is not the Conservative way. We cannot tax our way into prosperity.' As a Kurd who was born in Iraq and arrived in the UK at age 11 speaking no English, he has previously hailed Britain as the 'best country in the world'. But yesterday Mr Zahawi who also said 'the Conservative Party has made me who I am today' warned that the Britain of 'boundless optimism and opportunity' that existed under Margaret Thatcher had been lost. Reaching out to Conservative Brexiteers, however, he appeared to raise Britain's departure from the EU as one way to restore those lost opportunities. He said: 'Thanks to Brexit, we are now a free nation. Let's not just talk about the opportunities that follow, let's take them.' Mr Zahawi also vowed to increase defence spending and continue with his education reforms. Samsung C&T's construction site of the Banpo Raemian One Bailey apartment complex in Seoul is seen in this August 2021 file photo. Newsis By Park Jae-hyuk Subcontractors specializing in framework construction are poised to suspend their work at some 60 sites in the greater Seoul area starting Monday, to urge domestic builders to be more cooperative in holding talks over a 20-percent increase in payments for their work, according to industry officials, Sunday. Eleven Daewoo E&C construction sites, four at GS E&C and two at Samsung C&T face suspension. In particular, large projects, such as Samsung C&T's construction of Banpo Raemian One Bailey apartment complex, HDC Hyundai Development Company's Hyundai Elevator Chungju factory and Shinsegae E&C's Starfield Suwon shopping mall, are subject to the potential strike. Hyundai E&C managed to avoid the suspension of framework construction at its sites. The builder has been reportedly in talks with subcontracted framework constructors since they threatened to halt their work in April. "Soaring raw material prices and labor shortages following the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak have made it difficult for us to do our work without adjusting the contracted prices," a representative of framework builders in the greater Seoul area said. "Since last November, we have asked builders to raise payments for our work." In February, they officially made the request through a letter sent to the nation's top 100 builders. Some of them suspended their work for a day in March at around 30 construction sites nationwide, saying that managers of those sites had refused to accept their request. Framework constructors in the southwestern part of the country also halted their work in April. Last month, framework constructors in Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang Province temporarily stopped their work. "We will take every possible measure to prevent the suspension of our construction works," said a spokesperson at one of the major builders. Domestic builders have already suffered losses from delays in their construction projects, because of a nationwide cargo truckers' strike in June and a three-day strike by drivers of concrete mixer trucks earlier this month. The Banpo Raemian One Bailey project, for example, faced a setback for a week, when unionized cargo truckers went on strike. If the suspension of framework construction drags on, the builders could face additional losses. Some industry experts warned that builders could shift the rising costs onto consumers. "The conflict will not be resolved in the short term, because it is especially difficult for small and medium-sized builders to accept the requests of their subcontractors," said Lee Eun-hyung, a researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Construction Policy. At least 15 people were killed in a bar in South Africa last night after gunmen 'randomly' opened fire at customers - using automatic rifles and powerful handguns. The shocking mass murder in the tavern in Soweto, Johannesburg, followed another bar shooting just hours earlier in Pietermaritzburg, which claimed the lives of four people . The brutal attack saw the killers 'repeatedly' fire at people as they lay dead on the floor, according to one eyewitness. Many bar patrons hid under tables and were forced to scramble over dead bodies in order to escape. The witness, who did not want to be named, told News 24: 'I was seated at the corner with other people drinking. We had fun until around 10pm, when our fun was abruptly stopped. I saw a man carrying an AK-47 (assault rifle) opening the glass sliding door. 'He didn't say anything and started opening fire. My friend and others at the pool table scattered for cover. He sprayed them with bullets. 'I saw them falling to the ground. It was pandemonium. I hid under a table. Four dead people were lying near me. Their blood spilt on me. After the man with an assault rifle was done. Two others carrying 9mm pistols joined and repeatedly fired at people on the floor.' People look on at the scene of a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township that killed 15 people and left others in critical condition 'People died in front of me. Some were screaming in pain. Alcohol was scattered. After killing people, including my friend, the gunmen slowly walked away.' Terrifyingly, after the man stepped out from under a table, he came face to face with one of the shooters who, he said, simply walked away. Thobani Mhlabiso, 26, a bar waiter who hid behind the fridge to survive the onslaught, told reporters that some customers were shot in the head. 'I had to jump over those bodies. There was blood everywhere.' 'I'm so heartbroken,' said Sololo Mjoli, a 59-year-old gardener, whose two sons, Sthembiso, 34, Luyanda, 18, were both killed in the shootings. Sthemibiso's girlfriend had arrived on the scene shortly after the attack to find him still breathing, Mjoli said, but he sadly later died in hospital. Forensic pathologists and police have been inspecting the crime scene, after the gunmen fled in a Toyota minibus It is reported that at least one gunman had an AK-47 and the other had pistols A man is led away from the scene of an overnight bar shooting in Soweto, South Africa At least ten others were injured in the shooting, three of whom are being treated with life-threatening injuries in hospital. The unknown gunmen fled the scene in a white Toyota Quantum minibus and are now on the run, said a police source. The incident happened around 12:30am this morning according to Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela. A press statement released by his office said the gunmen had been armed with rifles and 9mm pistols when they entered the bar. In a separate incident, four people were shot dead by unknown gunmen at a bar in Sweetwaters township in the coastal city of Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night. According to police, two men entered the tavern and randomly opened fire on patrons. Two people died at the scene and two others died later in hospital. Eight other people injured in the incident are being treated in hospital. South African president Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the two bar shootings. 'As a nation, we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorise us in this way, regardless of where such incidents may occur,' he said in a statement. 'As government, citizens and structures of civil society, we must all work together even more closely to improve social and economic conditions in communities, reduce violent crime and stamp out the illicit circulation of firearms.' A Police chief said that the gunmen shot 'randomly' and were able to escape in a white Toyota Quantum minibus The shooting comes exactly two weeks after the tragic deaths of 22 people at a tavern in East London Mawela added: 'All of a sudden they heard some gunshots, that is when people tried to run out of the tavern. 'We don't have the full details at the moment of what is the motive, and why they were targeting these people. 'You can see that a high caliber firearm was used and it was shooting randomly. 'You can see that every one of those people were struggling to get out of the tavern. 'The number of cartridges found on the scene indicated it was a group of people who shot at the patrons.' Footage posted online shows the horrifying scene of the bodies of revellers laying on the floor, while others stand there in shock. The shootings come two weeks after 21 teenagers were found dead in a tavern in the city of East London. The cause of those deaths has not yet been announced by authorities, but the youngsters were not shot nor crushed in a stampede, according to officials. The price of an airline ticket will go up 'without a doubt' as inflation pushes up fuel costs, an air industry boss has warned. These increased costs will be passed on to the customer, said Willie Walsh, ex British Airways chief and director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Oil prices have jumped lately with the war in Ukraine disrupting supplies while simultaneously the global economic recovery from the Covid pandemic boosts demand. 'Flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt', he said on the BBC Sunday Morning programme, adding that the 'high price of oil' will be 'reflected in higher ticket prices'. The higher costs that families looking to book getaways will incur comes on top of the raft of delays and cancellations that they have had to endure so far in a chaotic summer for the airline industry. And the cancellations have seen competition for what flights remain increase, working to squeeze prices even further. Willie Walsh on Sunday Morning said that the price of an airline ticket will go up 'without a doubt' as inflation pushes up fuel costs Residents living under Heathrow's flight paths are being kept awake until after midnight by an increase in late running night flights due to disruption across the aviation sector The world is facing something of a perfect storm with regards to oil prices, as countries try to cut their addiction to Russian oil and vie for new sources. The issue is so acute that US President Joe Biden is travelling to Saudi Arabia - a country he previously labelled 'a pariah state' after the murder of Washing Post reporter Jamal Kashoggi in 2018 - next week to implore them to increase oil production. European Union leaders have said they will block most Russian oil imports by the end of 2022. The news will come as little comfort to residents living under Heathrow's flight paths, who are being kept awake until after midnight by an increase in late running night flights due to the disruptions across the aviation sector. The west London airport apologised to people suffering 'greater disturbance' as more aircraft are arriving and departing later than planned. Heathrow does not have any scheduled departures between 10.50pm and 6am, or scheduled arrivals between 10.55pm and 4.40am, but take-offs and landings occur within those periods when planes are delayed. Flight punctuality has plummeted in recent months as airlines and airports struggle to cope with the spike in demand for travel. On Saturday night three aircraft arrived at Heathrow after midnight. The latest was a British Airways flight from Kalamata, Greece which touched down at 12.31am, more than two hours behind schedule. Meanwhile, passengers whose summer British Airways flights are being cancelled in an effort to help ease disruption should be told soon which trips are have been hit, according to a former BA chief executive. Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said: 'I would hope that those flights that are being cancelled would be announced very quickly' Tens of thousands of passengers could be affected by the move to cancel hundreds of flights at Heathrow and Gatwick. Willie Walsh, who is now director general of the International Air Transport Association, said: 'I would hope that those flights that are being cancelled would be announced very quickly.' He also told Sunday Morning with Sophie Raworth: 'I am surprised they haven't been announced. Certainly, I believe they should have been announced as soon as they made clear they would be cancelled.' He said: 'I think it is right though, that these cancellations are made early, because at least that will allow airlines and their customers to adapt to the revised schedules. 'In many cases I would imagine that you would have less than 20 per cent of the seats on those flights booked.' Crowds of passengers at Heathrow Airport in west London as travel chaos continues due to staff shortages and strikes Flight punctuality has plummeted in recent months as airlines and airports struggle to cope with the spike in demand for travel (pictured: Heathrow Airport) Overflown residents living near Heathrow have been given little respite, as the first flight scheduled for Sunday morning arrived at 4.33am. A 49-year-old woman who did not want to be named said her sleep has been severely disrupted as departing low-altitude aircraft have 'a huge impact on those of us that are now directly under a flight path'. The woman, who lives in Sunningdale, Berkshire, 10 miles from Heathrow, said: 'Constant delayed late evening flights make it impossible to sleep before midnight. 'I generally go to bed much later now. It has definitely got worse in the last three months. 'There is no consideration and no effort from the airlines to get aircraft higher when there is less traffic in the sky. 'My fear is if the Government give the go ahead for night flights on a temporary basis throughout the summer it may become the norm, which would just be unbearable.' A 50-year-old man from Warlingham, Surrey, 20 miles from the airport, said the rise in the number of late-running night flights 'started fairly gradually and has just ramped up'. The flights extend disturbance suffered by overflown communities 'until unacceptable hours', said the man, who also wanted to remain anonymous. People facing more delays at terminal 2 Heathrow Airport this morning with delays and some cancelations Some passengers at Heathrow resorted to sleeping on the floor as they wait for their flights to board 'The noise and vibration can be heard and felt through the house. 'As it's been so warm in the evenings the windows have been open, exacerbating the issues and disturbing me when trying to get to sleep.' John Stewart, who chairs anti-aircraft noise group Hacan, said Heathrow reduced the number of late night flights but 'it is now slipping back because of the chaos during the day'. He added: 'Residents across a very wide area are paying the price for this.' Heathrow said in a statement: 'We apologise for the recent increase in late running flights, which mean that our local communities are facing greater disturbance. 'We understand the impact of night noise and we are continuing to take action wherever possible to improve our operational performance. 'Unfortunately, a combination of closed or restricted airspace and resourcing pressures within the wider aviation community means we face an exceptionally challenging summer season. 'Heathrow has made significant progress over time in tackling late runners and we remain committed to that in the longer term.' There is a Government-imposed annual limit on the number of flights at Heathrow between 11.30pm and 6am. Night flights are a vital source of income for Heathrow, but academic studies have indicated there is a link between long-term noise from flights at unsociable hours and poor health. There has been speculation that the Government is considering easing night flight restrictions to reduce disruption to passengers during the peak summer holiday season. But a Department for Transport spokesman insisted there are 'no plans to change the overall night flight quotas allotted to airports', and any amendment would be subject to consultation. A father-of-two in his 30s has died after falling more than 50ft from a bonfire in Northern Ireland that he was helping to build for loyalist 'Eleventh Night' celebrations. Emergency services rushed to the scene at the Antiville estate in Larne last night after the fatal incident. Police and ambulance personnel attended the incident just after 9.30pm, but the man who has been named locally as John Steele was pronounced dead at the scene. The bonfire, which was made of stacked wooden pallets, stood more than 50 feet tall, and is being dismantled. Following Mr Steele's death, a JustGiving page has been set up for his family, and a eulogy is being held at the Antiville Bonfire green later this evening. The bonfire was one of around 250 being built in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland ahead of traditional 'Eleventh Night' celebrations. John Steele, in his 30s, (pictured) received CPR at the scene for 50 minutes before the ambulance arrived Mr Steele died after falling more than 50ft from a bonfire in Larne, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland yesterday The huge structures made of wooden pallets are built in loyalist areas across Northern Ireland for traditional 'Eleventh Night' celebrations A JustGiving page has been set up to fundraise for the Steele family The fires are lit to usher in the main date in the Protestant loyal order parading season the Twelfth of July. The construction of the Antiville fire was nearing completion when the incident happened. Following his death, a JustGiving page was set up for the Steele family, and has raised more than 800. Organiser Gillian Hyslop wrote on the page: 'A dark cloud is over our wee town at the passing of John Steele after a tragic accident at Antiville bonfire last night. 'No one is ever prepared for that news to come to your door. So I've set this up in the hope that people will donate no matter how big or small, to take off a bit of financial pressure for the family as they begin to make arrangements for Johns funeral. 'The whole town is shook at this devastating news and our hearts go out to Artie, Jackie, Kitty, his two daughters Caitlin and Macy-Lee, Catrina and the whole family circle. You will be sorely missed John'. Tributes have been left at the scene at the Antiville estate in Larne A floral tribute has been tied to a post in memory of Mr Steele by the Anderson Memorial Flute Band The Antiville Bonfire Fundraising group said in a post: 'Last night one of our very own had a tragic accident at the Bonfire and unfortunately passed away. 'We are obviously deeply saddened by this loss of a young life. 'John was a true Antivillian through and through born and bred, a dark cloud has certainly risen over the Antiville estate today. 'Our deepest and sincere condolences are sent from our hearts to his entire family circle at this heartbreaking time. 'Please give the family their time and privacy at this obviously hard time for them. Gone But Not Forgotten. 'We would appreciate any donation no matter how small you may think it is it will go a very long way. 'Let's see the community spirit we are known for especially for one of our own.' The Tullycarnet Bonfire Group, south of Larne, issued a tribute online. 'On behalf of Tullycarnet Bonfire Group and the wider community, we send our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of bonfire builder John Steele who tragically passed away last night at Antiville Bonfire in Larne. Gone But Never Forgotten,' the group wrote. On Sunday evening, a eulogy is being held at the Antiville Bonfire green in memory of Mr Steele. Bonfire builders, bandsmen and the wider community have been invited to pay their respects. The bonfire is being taken down by the community following the tragedy Twelfth of July celebrations mark the Williamite conquest of the 1690s, which began the Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland Police maintained a low-key presence at the bonfire site on Sunday morning. A witness told UTV Mr Steele fell from the top tier of the structure and then gave CPR to him for 50 minutes before the ambulance arrived. MP for the area Sammy Wilson, who attended the scene on Saturday night, said the community was in shock. 'My thoughts and sympathy are with this man's family,' the DUP MP said. 'It is a real tragedy at what is a special time of year for people in the loyalist community. 'The family are well-known in the area, and I am sure this will be greatly felt within the community.' Mayor of Mid and East Antrim council, Noel Williams, extended his condolences following the death. 'The loss of a young man's life in an accident at a bonfire site in Larne is shocking and my thoughts are with his heartbroken loved ones,' he said. 'The community is hurting and my prayers are with everybody impacted by this awful tragedy.' Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward. Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Inspector Adrian Bryan said: 'We understand that the man was assisting in the building of the bonfire when this tragic accident occurred. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time.' Anthony Albanese's partner Jodie Haydon said she knew she was in love when she got the harrowing news he'd been a serious car crash. Australians got to see another side of the Prime Minister on Sunday night as 'Albo' gave television cameras unprecedented access of his life, including his new home at The Lodge in Canberra, and behind the scenes of his recent diplomatic trip to Europe. It included the first television interview ever permitted with a serving leader on board the prime ministerial jet. Mr Albanese's 'secret weapon' broke her silence in her first television interview where she candidly spilled the beans on her two year relationship with the Prime Minister and the lasting impression French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife left on her during a recent meeting. The financial advisor had been dating the then Opposition Leader for barely a year when his car was wiped out by a Range Rover driven by a P-plater metres away from his home in Sydney's inner-west in January 2021. Mr Albanese was rushed to hospital with extensive injuries. 'When I got to the accident and I saw the car before I saw Anthony, and I remember thinking at the time, 'this can't end well',' Ms Haydon told 7 News Spotlight 'And that overwhelming sense of 'what if I lose him?' And I knew then that, yeah, I love him. And I love him deeply.' Jodie Haydon. the partner of Anthony Albanese (pictured together) has embraced her role as Australia's 'unofficial' lady since he was elected Prime Minister in May Mr Albanese also opened up on the crash. 'I thought that was it. That is how it ends, it seemed like it took a long time, it was just a matter of seconds. But I thought that was the end,' he recalled. He was also shown his partner's recollection of the accident. 'She is an amazing woman,' he responded. When asked if it was love, he replied: 'Yes, I am very lucky.' Ms Haydon has embraced her new role as Australia's unofficial First Lady and accompanied Mr Albanese on his recent trip to Europe, where she struck an instant connection with Brigitte Macron, the French president's wife. The pair first met in Madrid while their partners attended the NATO Summit before meeting again in Paris several days later. 'I was fortunate enough to have met a couple of days earlier when we were in Madrid and from the moment I met her, she was so warm and friendly and took my hand and said so nice to meet you. Straight away I felt comfortable with her,' Ms Haydon said When the two couples met up in Paris again two days later, President Macron famously took her hand. 'It is very French. Anthony doesn't do that, I might have to have a word to him about it! They were both wonderful,' Ms Haydon laughed. President Emmanuel Macron (left) left a lasting impression on Jodie Haydon (right) in Paris Jodie Haydon began dating Anthony Albanese in early 2020 after meeting at a conference in Melbourne Ms Haydon hopes Australia sees the qualities in their new leader that she sees in him privately. 'For me, Anthony is what you see, is what you get,' she said. 'I guess I can say that and get that sense of comfort to everybody because when I met him, yet he was a politician and I hope he would be the person I had seen in newspapers and television, and he is.' 'Everyone else should know about him, Anthony has overwhelming compassion and that was something I was attracted to, but compassion and kindness. Behind closed doors, is a really spectral partner. He respects me being independent, but also he is kind and thoughtful. Jodie Haydon (left) has opened up about her relationship with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (pictured with him and his son Nathan on election night) in her first TV interview Ms Haydon also revealed while she got emotional after farewelling Mr Albanese in Paris for his top secret visit to Ukraine. She was left so upset she had to be comforted by nearby staffers, describing the whole ordeal as 'overwhelming'. 'That was really hard. I'd been doing so well all day in preparation for him going,' she told 7Spotlight. 'I think it was the moment that we got down into the foyer and the team was lined up to say goodbye to him. 'And there were some hugs and some embraces, and we get outside and the car's waiting, and suddenly it hits me, he's going to a war zone.' The Prime Minister described his partner Jodie as amazing woman. 'I'm very lucky,' he said Mr Albanese also took the cameras inside The Lodge and at Kirribilli, where his predecessor Scott Morrison left him a letter. 'It's on the desk at Kirribilli, that is a tradition and good on him for doing so. I have thanked him for doing so,' Mr Albanese said. He also took a cheeky swipe at his predecessor while explaining while he'll be spending more time at The Lodge rather than Kirribilli in his hometown. 'Basing myself in Canberra sent a message about respect to the public service,' he said. 'One of the things that always struck me about my predecessor was he seemed to be angry a lot of the time. And I thought, you are Prime Minister, cheer up! It is not so bad. I am the Prime Minister of Australia, that is an incredible privilege.' He also paid tribute to his late mum Maryanne, who raised him on her own in housing commission after she became pregnant on a cruise after a dalliance with a handsome Italian steward. Until the age of 14, Mr Albanese grew up thinking his father had killed in a car accident. 'She had such a tough life, she, for a while, I remember as a kid, she used to have to come down the stairs backwards on her feet and hands, because she could not walk down the stairs because she was crippled up with arthritis and pain,' he said. 'She was in so much pain and never complained. She brought joy to people around her. And I have a lot of her personality, in terms of uplifting, optimistic. My mum lived in that one house her whole life. From 1936 through to 2002.' Anthony Albanese was raised by his mum Maryanne in a housing commission home in Camperdown The prime minister says he got his uplifting and optimistic traits from his late mum Maryanne A photo from the ship the Fairsky, aboard which Anthony Albanese's parents Carlo Albanese (top left) and Maryanne Ellery (bottom right) met during a trip between Sydney and London He also recalled the first time he met his father Carlo at the age of 46 in 2009. His father died from cancer five years later. 'It was no words really. It was a hug is what I remember,' Mr Albanese recalled. He came into the room and we embraced. And there were lots of tears. 'I think it made me much more man and at ease with myself. Once it had happened, that sense of knowing who I was, where I came from.' Mr Albanese is the first unmarried prime minister to call The Lodge home since the departure of Julia Gillard in 2013. He recently made the move from his Marrickville home in Sydney's inner-west and has been joined by his beloved cavoodle Toto. 'When you look at the job of Prime Minister, you have to represent the whole country and this is the national capital,' Mr Albanese said. 'So inevitably, I will spend some time in Sydney, but I am finding more and more, this is where the bureaucracy is. 'This is where I brought all the premiers and Chief Ministers to this week. I think the national capital should be where the nation is centred. That is the idea.' Ms Haydon is unlikely to make the move to Canberra, having just taken a job as a women's officer at the NSW Public Service Association based in Sydney. Ms Haydon is expected to continue living in Sydney in the inner-west suburb of Stanmore. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was farewelled by his emotional partner Jodie Haydon as he departed for a visit to Ukraine Ms Haydon told friends and colleagues she enjoyed her recent whirlwind to Europe Some light has only recently been shed on the PM's lover's political views. Daily Mail Australia revealed LinkedIn posts where Ms Haydon freely airs her opinions on why the date of Australia Day should be changed, pay rises for teachers and supporting asylum seekers. She has since deleted that profile. Social media gives only a small insight into Ms Haydon - with her colleagues at work sharing a picture of a 'young Albo' poster she left in her office, prior to her absence - seemingly to keep an eye on them. 'I had to make sure you didn't miss me too much so popped a friend up for you to chat to!' she joked. Despite her growing profile, she recently declared she wants to avoid making political commentary as the Prime Minister's partner. 'My job will be to focus on my day job and allow Anthony to focus on his,' she recently told News Corp. Ms Haydon began dating Mr Albanese in 2020, a year after his wife of 19 years, former state education minister Carmel Tebbutt walked out on him . A few months later, the the Opposition leader was speaking at a conference in Melbourne when he asked crowd if there were any fellow South Sydney NRL fans present. Finance worker Ms Haydon, who lived in his Grayndler electorate, shouted: 'Up the Rabbitohs'. He later introduced himself and arranged to meet up for a drink in their hometown. 'We had what I thought would just be a drink at Young Henrys in Newtown, and we got on really well. That's how it started,' he told the Women's Weekly earlier this year. Tory leadership contender Jeremy Hunt today vowed to make Brexiteer Esther McVey his deputy prime minister should he win the race to succeed Boris Johnson. In a move aimed at boosting his credentials on the right of the Conservative Party, the ex-Cabinet minister claimed he and Ms McVey would be a 'formidable' duo. Mr Hunt, who was runner-up to Mr Johnson in the 2019 Tory leadership election, compared his teaming up with Ms McVey to how former Labour PM Tony Blair had John Prescott as his deputy. The former health secretary has also sought to further his appeal to Tory members by pledging tax cuts and vowing to stick with Mr Johnson's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. Liverpool-born Ms McVey, the MP for Tatton, is the founder of the 'Blue Collar Conservatism' group which promises to 'champion working people'. She is married to fellow Tory MP Philip Davies, another committed Brexiteer. Jeremy Hunt has also sought to further his appeal to Tory members by pledging tax cuts and vowing to stick with Mr Johnson's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda Liverpool-born Esther McVey is the founder of the 'Blue Collar Conservatism' group which promises to 'champion working people' John Prescott, a former trade union activist, was elected Labour deputy leader in 1994 and went on to serve as deputy PM for the entirety of Tony Blair's 10 years in Downing Street Mr Hunt, who backed Remain ahead of the 2016 EU referendum, admitted the next Tory leader needed to have 'broad appeal' in order to win elections. He outlined a plan for Ms McVey to take on Labour in northern 'Red Wall' seats, while he would front Tory efforts against the Liberal Democrats in southern 'Blue Wall' constituencies. 'I recognise that the leader of a political party has to win elections, and that means a broad appeal,' he told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme. 'So just as Tony Blair had John Prescott to broaden his appeal as his deputy prime minister, I will have Esther McVey as my deputy prime minister. 'She's won a lot of elections against Labour in the North, I've won them against Lib Dems in the South. 'I think we will be a formidable campaigning team.' Ms McVey is a former TV presenter who became a minister under David Cameron before joining the Cabinet as work and pensions secretary under Theresa May. She was also a minister under Mr Johnson before being sacked from Government as part of a reshuffle in February 2020. Ms McVey lost her previous Wirral West seat to Labour at the 2015 general election, before winning her Tatton constituency at the 2017 snap general election. Early into her ministerial career, Ms McVey famously clashed with Labour left-winger John McDonnell after he claimed she should be 'lynched'. After losing her ministerial role in 2020, she and her husband, Shipley MP Mr Davies, have regularly presented on TV channel GB News together. In an article for the Daily Express today, Ms McVey admitted she and Mr Hunt were 'not ideological soulmates'. But she wrote: 'That is not a weakness, it is a strength. The Conservative Party is a broad church with a wide base of support and it is essential that we always are. We have seen - not least in recent by-elections - how difficult it has become to retain our support in both the Red Wall and the Blue Wall constituencies. 'To think that one person on their own can equally appeal to that very broad cross-section of voters is unrealistic. Jeremy - better than anyone - can appeal to Blue Wall voters, and it is very kind of Jeremy to believe that I - as the co-founder of the Blue Collar Conservatives - can appeal better to those Red Wall voters - many of whom voted for us for the first time at the last election.' Ms McVey also revealed that Mr Hunt had promised to accept her demands to 'protect Brexit' and 'fix' the Northern Ireland Protocol; to cut taxes; to deliver on the Tories' 'levelling up' agenda; to reduce the levels of immigration to the UK; and to avoid full lockdowns in the face of a future 'Covid-style pandemic'. Lord Prescott, a former trade union activist, was elected Labour deputy leader in 1994 and went on to serve as deputy PM for the entirety of Sir Tony's 10 years in Downing Street. The New Labour stalwart infamously punched a protestor after an egg was thrown at him when arriving for a rally in 2001. The New South Wales Government is getting rid of the state flag atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge and will replace it with the Aboriginal flag. Plans were initially in the works to have the Australian, NSW and Aboriginal flag all flying together until revelations an addition flag pole would cost an astonishing $25million. Premier Dominic Perrottet disclosed the eyewatering figure last month - despite Poseidon Poles and Flags - the northern beaches company commissioned to install the extra pole - quoting just $200,000. Mr Perrottet has now backflipped on the plan and said the money would be better spend on initiatives to close the gap for Indigenous Australians. 'This is a practical and pragmatic solution which makes sense and ensures that we celebrate our nation's ancient heritage alongside its modern history in a continuing story, which we can all be part of, and celebrate together as one,' Mr Perrottet said. NSW Government set aside $25million to permanently fly the Aboriginal flag on the Sydney Harbour Bridge The Aboriginal flag has been flying above the bridge for the past week as part of NAIDOC celebrations and was due to be pulled down. Instead, it will remain there permanently. Lauren Mace, from the Sydney pole company, said she guessed there were safety concerns behind the mammoth price. 'It is a lot (of money) I think there's quite a lot of work that needs to go into it, for a flag to stand on the harbour bridge securely,' she told The Daily Telegraph. She suggested the bridge - one of Sydney's busiest thoroughfares - would need to be closed if the work was carried out which could account for a large part of the huge cost. The premier said the price 'doesn't seem to pass the pub test' and immediately ordered the NSW Transport Department to review the contract, before deciding against it. The state flag will be relocated to the Macquarie Street East redevelopment, near the Barracks at Hyde Park. Mr Perrottet is hoping to establish the site as a new historical hub for the city. 'The work that we're doing on Macquarie Street - I will ensure that the NSW flag has a place there of prominence so that people can see it, appreciate it, learn from it and value it,' he said. Cheree Toka (pictured) organised a successful petition and raised more than $300,000 towards the cost The Herald reported the price was actually $10million lower than the figure Mr Perrottet made public, but he still decided to channel the funds elsewhere. Gladys Berejiklian, the Premier's predecessor, had previously rejected calls to permanently display the Aboriginal flag. The extra $25million money will be moved into the $400million redevelopment of Goat Island in Sydney which will be handed back to traditional owners. Mr Perrottet last month laughed when he was quizzed by a reporter why putting up a third flag was so expensive. 'I don't know. But it does (cost that much), apparently,' he said. 'I'm even surprised it takes this long. I mean I made the announcement a while ago and the first brief that came back was that it takes two years to do. 'I'll go to Bunnings myself and climb up there and put the pole up.' NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he 'didn't know' why putting up a third flag would cost taxpayers so much 'The advice that I have received has been that it's complex, that there are heritage concerns, obviously all the poles will need to be replaced and all three of them are the equivalent size of a six-storey building, so I accept that it's not a simple process and it's not a simple construction,' he told the radio station. 'But like your listeners and most fair-minded people across the state it seems to be a pretty ridiculous and outrageous cost.' He insisted he didn't find see the matter as a joke, and said his comments about going to Bunnings were 'lighthearted' but that he found it 'incredibly frustrating'. He added he would sit down with NSW Transport and go through the cost 'line by line' to ensure the 'taxpayers get value for money'. Mr Perrottet also ruled out replacing the NSW flag with the Aboriginal one, saying he wanted all three to fly together. The premier wouldn't disclose what price he thought would be reasonable. '$25million dollars is incredibly excessive for what would appear to be, despite its challenging, a pretty simple task,' he said. At least 15 people were killed and five others injured on Sunday in a Russian strike on an apartment building in Chasiv Yar town, eastern Ukraine, the regional governor said. The death toll could keep rising as Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko warned that at least a further 30 people were trapped under the rubble after it was hit by a Russian Uragan missile. 'The rescue operation is underway. Rescuers were able to bring out six dead and five injured,' Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on Telegram. 'At least 30 others are under the rubble' of the four-storey building, he said. 'The building was partially destroyed, and rescuers with a mechanical digger were clearing the area. Video shows the horrifying moment a Russian missile strike appears to hear a residential block More than 30 people are thought to be trapped under the rubble of the apartments in Donetsk The moment of the arrival of a Russian rocket into a high-rise building in the city of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region. pic.twitter.com/0lPLq8pyzs English (@TpyxaNews) July 10, 2022 'The rescuers have so far been able to establish contact with two people underneath the rubble,' Kyrylenko said. 'During the rescue operation, 15 bodies were found at the scene and five people were pulled out of the rubble,' alive, the local branch of the Ukrainian emergency service said on Facebook, adding that rescuers were in contact with three people alive under the rubble. Having endured long battles to capture cities in the neighbouring Lugansk region, notably Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, Russia is now trying to push deeper into Donetsk to consolidate its hold over the entire Donbas region in the east. They have been striking targets along the front lines without making major gains as Ukrainian forces have successfully repelled their attacks. According to the governor, 591 civilians have been killed while 1,548 others have been injured so far in the Donetsk region since the Russian invasion began on February 24. According to local officials, 591 civilians have been killed in Donetsk since Russia's invasion Shaky phone footage shows the moment a Russian airstrike appears to hit the apartments An apartment building in the Donetsk town of Chasiv Yar was hit by a Russian missile over night, partially reducing it to rubble and killing six killed Reports state that five people are known to have been injured in the strike, with at least a further 30 buried under the rubble The strike on civilian targets come as Putin 'prepares fresh attacks in Ukraine as he moves reserves across Russia to Ukraine border', the British Ministry of Defence reports after Kremlin warned fighting 'hasn't started in earnest yet'. 'Russia is moving reserve forces from across the country and assembling them near Ukraine for future offensive operations,' defence sources said yesterday. However, they claimed that Russia's kit is antiquated and dilapidated, adding: 'Many of its reinforcements are ad hoc groupings, deploying with obsolete or inappropriate equipment.' A large proportion of the new Russian infantry units are probably deploying with MT-LB armoured vehicles taken from long-term storage as their primary transport, Britain's Ministry of Defence tweeted in a regular bulletin. The governor of the eastern region of Luhansk, Serhyi Haidai warned yesterday that Russian forces are managing to 'raise true hell' in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland despite reports claiming they were taking an operational pause. Another Ukrainian official urged people in Russian-occupied southern areas to evacuate quickly 'by all possible means' ahead of a Ukrainian counteroffensive. British intelligence sources have warned that Putin (pictured) is assembling reserve forces close to Ukraine for use in future attacks 'Many of its reinforcements are ad hoc groupings, deploying with obsolete or inappropriate equipment,' intelligence sources said. Pictured, a firefighter hoses down a house on fire in Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine Deadly Russian shelling was reported in Ukraine's east and south. Haidai said Russia launched over 20 artillery, mortar and rocket strikes in the province overnight and its forces were pressing toward the border with the Donetsk region. 'We are trying to contain the Russians' armed formations along the entire front line,' Haidai wrote on Telegram. At the beginning of June, Britain and America both pledged to supply Kyiv with game-changing, longer-range mobile missile systems. The first four US-supplied Himars launchers arrived at the front at the end of last month - but too late to prevent the fall of Lysychansk - and a further five have been delivered since. The Himars is capable of firing up to six precision-guided rockets at targets up to 40 miles away. After Ukrainian forces used them to blow up previously unreachable Russian ammunition dumps, one soldier on the ground described them as 'a godsend'. And once Britain's M270s - which have a range of 50 miles - reach the frontline, the Ukrainians' prospects will be improved even further. It's still nowhere near a fair fight, though. Russia's stockpile of shells outnumbers Ukraine's by a factor of ten to one. And thanks to the enemy's air supremacy, many oil refineries in the country have been bombed, with the result that the Ukrainians are running short of fuel too. Last week, Russia captured the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk, the city of Lysychansk. Analysts predicted Moscow's troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup. But 'so far, there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before,' Haidai said. A regional governor warned today that Russian forces are managing to 'raise true hell' in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland. Pictured, Kostiantynivka, Ukraine File photo of an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) that the US is supplying to Ukraine Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, appealed to residents of Russian-held territories in the south to evacuate so the occupying forces could not use them as human shields during a Ukrainian counteroffensive. 'You need to search for a way to leave, because our armed forces are coming to de-occupy,' she said. 'There will be a massive fight. I don't want to scare anyone. Everyone understands all of this anyway.' It comes as Russian forces began 'intensive training' at five military airfields in the landlocked authoritarian state bordering NATO countries Poland and Lithuania. Last month, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko reaffirmed his support for Putin's war against Ukraine during a visit to Moscow. But the development will dismay his generals, who wrote an extraordinary open letter to the despot imploring him to stay out of the war in Ukraine, calling such a move 'pure suicide'. They went a step further, labelling the Russians as trying to 'destroy the sovereignty' of Belarus. In spite of this, some 20 top air force fighter pilots recently arrived by regular train from Moscow, reported Belarusky Gayun, a Telegram channel monitoring troops movements. Russian 'intensive' military training drills were held all over Ukraine Saturday, while an S300 anti-air missile system was spotted being transported near the town of Baranovichi A motorist took this photo of a Russian S-300 missiles being transported around Belarus near Baranovichi Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko reaffirmed his support for Putin's war against Ukraine during a visit to Moscow last month Russian (left) and Belarus (right) soldiers shaking hands during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus at a firing range near Brest on the Polish border on February 19 Russia is also said to have taken control of Prybytki Air Base in Belarus where it already deploys an S-400 battalion with Pantsir and Iskander missiles. The officers of the fifth brigade of the special forces observed that Russia's highest political leadership have infringed Clause One of the Belarus Constitution. 'According to this Clause, the Belarus Republic maintains supremacy and full authority on its own territory,' they wrote. 'It also enjoys independence over its internal and foreign politics.' They were also strongly against joining Putin in his war against Ukraine, which they called a 'friend of our state' and considered doing so as 'the destruction of the sovereignty of Belarus.' 'To join Russia in its fight against Ukraine would be an act of pure suicide.' Russian and Belarus tanks drill manoeuvres on a firing range near Brest on the Polish border, Feb 19 Helicopters conduct training drills during joint exercises of the armed forces of Russia and Belarus on Feb 19 Nonethless, convoys of Russian missile defence systems were seen moving towards the Belarus border with Poland, said Belarusky Gayun. 'There are about ten units in the column, among them communication vehicles based on KamAZ and tilt trucks, some pulling generators, and one flies the flag of the USSR' - something that will alarm the Belarus generals even further. 'The vehicles are in camouflage colours, with the identification mark 'V' on the doors.' Drills including troops from both Russia and Belarus have been extended to around 15 or 16 July at more than a dozen training bases in Belarus in a move described as 'atypical', said reports. 'About 20 pilots from Russia arrived in Baranavichy. on a regular Moscow-Brest train,' said the channel. 'This is not the first report that the Russian military has again begun to arrive in Belarus on ordinary passenger trains. 'There is a certain correlation between the arrival of the Russian military and an increase inair training.' Russia has previously deployed in Belarus to attack Ukraine. File photo of a Russian Pantsir C1, self-propelled, medium-range surface-to-air missile system, which are reported to be stationed in Prybytki Air Base in Belarus File photo of a S-400 surface-to-air missile launcher similar to the anti-air systems Russia has moved into Belarus But Belarus also borders Poland and Lithuania and the new intensity may show Vladimir Putin and his Minsk ally Alexander Lukashenko boosting defences at the border with NATO. Three S-300 air defence systems have been seen on the move on the Minsk-Brest highway, in the direction of the border with Poland. One autocrat came to another's rescue in the summer of 2020 when wide-scale protests broke out in Belarus over a fraudulent election that saw Lukashenko retain power. Putin provided security forces, financial aid and even TV presenters to spout government propaganda when the native ones went on strike in protest. The price for saving Lukashenko's regime from a democratic uprising now appears to be the sovereignty of Belarus, with Putin in effect occupying the country with his military. Inside Russia, in Bryansk region a bomb exploded on a rail track in Bryansk region, said governor Alexander Bogomaz. This appears to be the latest in a series of sabotage attacks on rail lines in Russia. The aim of the unknown perpetrators appears to be to disrupt the use of trains to move troops and weapons. Dozens of such attacks have been reported in recent weeks. At Baranavichy, in Brest region, close to the Polish border, fighter pilots are reportedly training in takeoffs and quick climbs. From June 16, Mi-8 helicopter training has been underway. 'Typically, such training takes place a couple of times a year, but in three weeks their annual rate has already been exceeded,' said the channel. The movements by Putin's forces come after NATO states agreed to boost their presence in countries bordering Russia. A woman has died after the pedicab she was a passenger in was involved in a collision with a car in London. Police were called at 4:10am this morning to reports of a car having crashed with the pedal-powered vehicle in New Kent Road. Officers attended the location along with London Ambulance Service, but the woman, aged in her 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her family have been informed. A woman aged in her 20s was killed when the pedicab she was travelling in collided with a car in south London (pictured) Police were called just after 4am on Sunday to reports of a car in collision with the pedal-powered vehicle in New Kent Road, Southwark (pictured) Pedicabs or rickshaws (file picture) are an alternative way to travel around London The pedicab driver, a man aged in his 30s, was taken to hospital suffering a suspected broken arm. The car driver has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and driving under the influence of alcohol. He has been taken into police custody. One passerby said this morning that it appeared as if the road will be closed for a while. Met Police are asking if anyone witnessed the collision and has not yet spoken with police, to do so by calling 101 with a reference number of 1420/10jul. A notorious vegan protester demonstrated at Perth Zoo after its beloved elephant Tricia died as one of the oldest in captivity. The Asian elephant was a major attraction at the zoo for the past six decades and described as an 'icon' of Western Australia by Premier Mark McGowan. Since her arrival at Perth Zoo in 1963 from Vietnam, she helped generations develop an appreciation for elephants and wildlife conservation. Animal activist and and OnlyFans star, Tash Peterson, attended the zoo on Saturday to object to the institution 'kidnapping' Tricia from southeast Asia. 'In memory of Tricia, I am here to bring light to the remaining imprisoned victims in Perth Zoo and other zoos across the world,' she screamed at visitors using a megaphone. 'I am here to tell you her story and let you know that animals in zoos are suffering immensely.' 'Tricia lived almost her entire life here, imprisoned in Perth Zoo. She was kidnapped from her family in Vietnam at the age of six, and was transported into Perth Zoo Prison. Put yourself in her and her family's position. It's unimaginable as to how traumatising that experience would have been.' Tash Peterson, an activist and OnlyFans star, attended Perth zoo on Saturday to object to the institution 'kidnapping' Tricia from southeast Asia Since her arrival at Perth Zoo in 1963 from Vietnam, she helped generations develop an appreciation for elephants and wildlife conservation (pictured, Tricia enjoying a birthday treat) West Australian Premier Mark McGowan shared a statement paying tribute to Tricia. 'Tonight, Western Australia farewells an icon... For many WA families, including my own, Tricia was a household name.' 'Her stature and her grace were compelling,' Mr McGowan added. 'Tricia's health and welfare had been monitored closely for some time by veterinarians and her dedicated elephant keepers, but her health status recently deteriorated as evidenced by her lack of sleep and mobility issues. 'I would like to acknowledge and thank all of the staff at Perth Zoo who have been humanely caring for Tricia for so many years, and who ensured she was as comfortable as possible in her final moments.' Steven Edmunds, senior elephant keeper at Perth Zoo, described it as 'an honour and a privilege to have known Tricia'. 'I have seen many people, over the years, break down in tears during behind-the-scenes experiences, absolutely overwhelmed by her presence,' Mr Edmunds added. In her honour, Perth Zoo have set up the Tricia Tribute to Conservation Fund. Peterson said housing Tricia was 'barbaric and outdated' and lamented the idea of having elephants captive in zoos Tricia (pictured) is being remembered for her cheeky and loving nature, instantly capturing the hearts of anyone who took the time to come and see her The notorious vegan activist (pictured) is on OnlyFans to raise awareness about animal rights Peterson however said housing Tricia was 'barbaric and outdated' and lamented the idea of having elephants captive in zoos. 'Tricia spent her first 25 years in captivity here in a tiny concrete enclosure. After that she was moved to a larger imprisonment enclosure and spent the rest of her life in captivity. Putting animals in zoos is cruel, barbaric and outdated,' she shouted to guests. 'Zoos exist primarily for profit. They want you to believe that they exist for conservation, however, it is estimated that less than 3 per cent of a zoo's budget goes to conservation while the majority goes towards 'hi-tech exhibits and marketing efforts to lure visitors. 'Surplus management strategies are one of the best-kept secrets of modern zoos. One of the biggest draw cards for zoos is baby animals. Babies will often be bred even when there isn't enough room to keep them, inevitably resulting in a 'surplus' of animals in zoos. Something that zoos regularly do behind closed doors, is murder animals when there is a surplus of numbers.' Perth Zoo is mourning the death of 65-year-old Tricia (pictured) who was one of the oldest elephants in the world Tash Peterson's regular semi-naked and topless stunts in Perth are filmed by her boyfriend Peterson has endured numerous brushes with the law and caused a stir on the streets of Perth with her regular animal rights stunts. She also flaunts her body on adult site OnlyFans to raise awareness for the cause to her growing fanbase of almost 10,000 followers. But Ms Peterson has the full support of boyfriend Jack Higgs, who not only does her body paint, but also films her semi-naked protests. The outspoken activist makes no apologies for the extraordinary lengths she goes to get her message across, despite constant death threats, abuse and countless court appearances. 'I use my body to raise awareness for those who have no bodily autonomy, whether it be topless or close to being nude and I think it works brilliantly to raise awareness for animals,' Ms Peterson told The Project. Tash Peterson (pictured) makes headline regularly with her topless and semi-naked protests She insists her boyfriend has no problem with her flaunting her body in public and on OnlyFans. 'It's well known for being a porn platform but I've used it as a way to make money to do what I want to do full-time for animal rights, she said. 'He doesn't see it as cheating and supports me for doing what I want to do with my body. Mr Higgs admits he understands why other men would have concerns about their girlfriends exposing their bodies. 'Seeing Tash half naked or even fully naked with lingerie on in public I can imagine would be difficult for some boyfriends,' he said. 'However, I found it quite strengthening for our relationship.' 'At the start, it might have been a little bit weird. We were unsure about it but we realised there is nothing wrong with it.' 'It is an expression of Tash's body and she uses it confidently so I admire that.' Donald Trump claimed Joe Biden's 2020 victory was 'mathematically impossible' and raged about being banned from Twitter and Facebook in footage from the new documentary 'Unprecedented.' The three-episode series was released through Discovery+ overnight on Sunday and follows the ex-president and his family during their controversial last few months in the White House. 'I think I learned with the 2020 election, you have to be very untrusting,' Trump said in the series' third episode according to USA Today. The documentary reportedly shows the former president suggesting the presidential race would be unfair weeks before it actually took place in November, and that he perpetuated that false claim for months after. 'It's mathematically impossible for him to have won the election,' Trump said of Biden. British filmmaker Alex Holder was able to gain uniquely intimate access to the Trump family and then-Vice President Mike Pence during the making of his documentary, including sit-down interviews with the ex-president, Pence, and the three eldest Trump children. The trio - Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump - all apparently refused to discuss the Capitol riot in those interviews following January 6. Two days after the US Capitol attack, however, Holder managed to get on-camera reaction from Trump after his bans on Twitter and Facebook for inciting the rioters. 'These people are thugs. I'm not a horrific person,' Trump raged. 'Unprecedented' follows the Trump White House during its last few months and featured in-person interviews with the former president and his family His son Eric Trump told filmmaker Alex Holder in the documentary: 'I think my father will probably continue to be the most pivotal force in Republican Party history' House lawmakers investigating the January 6 Capitol attack are particularly interested in the interviews by Trump's oldest daughter Ivanka 'I have a big voice. I have a voice that had hundreds of millions of people listening.' He added, 'So it's going to be adjudicated over a period of time. We'll see how it turns out.' But these days, Trump appears perfectly content posting on his own app called Truth Social. It was reported late last week that Trump was removed from the chairmanship of Truth Social's parent company, Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), weeks before the company was subpoenaed over an investigation into its merger with shadowy firm Digital World Acquisition Corp. Facebook suspended Trump for two years in June 2021 and said it would reinstate him after that 'if the risk to public safety has receded.' Twitter suspended his account indefinitely. The former president himself fumed Joe Biden's victory was 'impossible' during interviews between the election and the riot 'Unprecedented' also shows the ex-president taking aim at the Supreme Court after justices rejected Pennsylvania Republicans' bid to challenge the state's election results. In early December, the conservative-majority court turned down an attempt by Trump allies in the Pennsylvania legislature to stop Biden's win. The Democrat's razor-thin 1.2 percent margin of victory in the battleground state was critical to his clinching the White House. Trump called the Supreme Court's decision 'a disgrace to our country.' No dissents were recorded, including from the three justices who Trump appointed to the court. 'The Supreme Court let a lot of people down. The Supreme Court didn't have the guts to make the right decision. They know what the right decision was,' he said in the series' third episode. 'You still need a judge that has courage, and so far we haven't found that judge.' He also raged at other officials, particularly fellow Republicans, who refused to go along with claims the election was stolen. For instance, Trump called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger 'a hard-headed rock.' The former president is currently under investigation in Fulton County over a January phone call with Raffensperger, in which he pressured the GOP official to 'find' enough votes needed to overcome Biden's slim lead. 'People went to Washington primarily because they were angry with an election that they think was rigged. A very small portion, as you know, went down to the Capitol, and then a very small portion of them went in,' Trump said of the violence on January 6 'All I want to do is signature verification. Signature verification and it's a total win,' Trump said to Holder. And while his children refused to discuss January 6, a previously aired clip shows the former commander-in-chief appearing to excuse the day's violent events because of 'great anger' over the election. 'People went to Washington primarily because they were angry with an election that they think was rigged. A very small portion, as you know, went down to the Capitol, and then a very small portion of them went in,' Trump said. 'But I will tell you they were angry from the standpoint of what happened in the election because they're smart and they see and they saw what happened. And I believe that that was a big part of what happened on January 6th.' Holder's footage was subpoenaed last month by the House select committee investigating the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Behind-the-scenes footage not shown in the Discovery+ documentary is expected to take center stage at the committee's next two hearings. The panel is holding its next public hearing on Tuesday, July 12. gettyimagesbank By Kim Hyun-bin Korean business community expressed their condolences for the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot and killed while on the campaign trail giving a speech to support another candidate in the upcoming elections for the upper house of Japan's parliament. "On behalf of the Korean business community, we express our deepest condolences to the sudden passing of former Prime Minister Abe. Korea and Japan are the only friends in East Asia who pursue the common values of liberal democracy and a market economy," the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said. "This incident is an act of terror, and we, as one member of (the community of) mature global citizens, strongly condemn it. We will work harder to improve Korea-Japan relations and revitalize economic cooperation through communication with the Japanese business community, such as Japan Business Federation (Keidanren)," it said. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe A Washington state judge was blasted for telling a serial criminal he'd be sent to prison and raped by an inmate named 'Bubba' if he didn't change his ways. Judge Virginia Amato was officially reprimanded after telling the unnamed domestic abuse suspect last August that he was on course 'to be Bubba's new best girlfriend in the state penitentiary.' 'That may hopefully give you a graphic image to think about And if you think I'm kidding, I'm not,' the judge said, according to a complaint. The man said he understood, and Amato continued to bestow her judge's wisdom: 'The folks at the penitentiary have mothers and sisters and nieces and cousins that they do not want someone out there abusing,' she warned, 'And they will take that out on you, at the penitentiary. So think about that because you're racking up felonies at this point.' Amado made the controversial remark during an arraignment hearing for the man, who was on probation at the time of the suspected misdemeanor violence incident. Further details on that incident, or his criminal past, have not been shared, and the outcome of the case is unclear. The Seattle Times reported that the man had no prior felony convictions, and that Amato wouldn't have been able to jail him for the latest misdemeanor offense anyway, even if he was convicted. Judge Virginia Amato was presiding over the arraignment of an unnamed man charged with misdemeanor accounts of domestic violence assault and resisting arrest in August The Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct ruled that Amato violated Washington requirements that judges maintain 'integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety' A complaint was filed with the Washington Commission on Judicial Conduct against Amato in October, and in December she received the allegations. It is unclear who spoke out against Amato's remarks. Though judge confirmed that she made the statements in the complaint and that they violated the Code of Judicial Conduct, she insisted that she made them purely out of good will for the defendant and were meant to impress upon him the need to change his behavior. 'While insensitive and thoughtless, were not motivated by bias or ill-will toward the defendant,' she said. Regardless of her purported intent, the Conduct Commission ruled that Amato violated Washington requirements that judges maintain 'integrity, and impartiality of the judiciary, and shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety.' The commission pointed out that Amato's missteps were not characteristic of her behavior as a judge, noting that they appeared to be an isolated incident and that she did not appear to have spoken to the defendant with the intent of ill will She received an official admonishment from the commission - the least severe form of discipline it can issue - but it stressed the seriousness of her actions nonetheless. 'The words and images chosen were improper, discourteous and unbecoming a judicial officer,' the commission wrote in the admonishment order, 'They were degrading to the defendant and other incarcerated people, playing on stereotypes and exploiting fears of the criminal justice system.' The commission noted that Amato's actions were particularly inappropriate as the defendant was presumed innocent during the arraignment. It also said that Amato's missteps were not characteristic of her behavior as a judge, noting that they appeared to be an isolated incident and that she did not appear to have spoken to the defendant with the intent of ill will. Amato sought council from more senior judges, the order says, and she agreed to participate in a one-hour ethics training about courtroom decorum. A woke Ohio college now faces paying $4 million in interest on top of $36 million in damages to a family-run bakery it almost destroyed with false racism allegations. Oberlin College was last month told it must pay the additional fee - equivalent to around $4,000-a-day for each of the 1,000 days it has refused to pony up - to Gibson's Bakery, The Chronicle reported. Oberlin College led by one of its disgraced ex-deans, Meredith Raimondo, lied that the bakery's staff had racially-profiled three black students in 2016, despite the trio later admitting shoplifting. That sparked a boycott and protests - led by a bullhorn-waving Raimondo - that almost destroyed Gibson's, who successfully won a defamation payout in 2019. But Oberlin has refused to pay up, and asked for another stay in paying the Gibsons what they're owed because of a pending appeal against the ruling against them. That appeal is set to be heard by the Ohio Supreme Court, after two lower courts rejected Oberlin's attempts to slither out of paying the Gibsons. Lawyers for the Gibson family say Oberlin failed to file the correct paperwork to justify their latest delaying tactic, and must pay up. The legal stalemate continues for now. The Gibson family, who owns the 137 year-old bakery, won damages after a jury found they suffered horrific stress as a result of Oberlin's lies and involvement in the boycotting of the business. Gibson's Bakery was quiet during a visit by DailyMail.com in April 2022. Family members were too upset to discuss their ordeal at the hands of Oberlin, but their lawyer said it had cost them business and forced them to lay-off staff Former Dean of Students and Vice President Meredith Raimondo stoked protests against Gibson's Bakery following the shoplifting incident, even though the claims were found to be totally false. She has since been blamed for much of the behavior that has seen Oberlin ordered to pay $35 million for defamation, with Raimondo since moving to a college in Atlanta The bakery in Oberlin, Ohio has struggled to survive and had to slash half its staff earlier this year after the 2016 incident that saw Oberlin College students - and senior staff members - brand the family business racist. They did so after the Gibsons' called the cops on three black shoplifters who stole wine and attacked a staff member, and who were later convicted. A court ordered Oberlin college and its former dean of students Meredith Raimondo to pay out $44 million for defamation in 2019. It was later reduced to $33 million - which the college has refused to pay - and is being hit with a little over $4 million in interest fees. The judgment now stands at more than $36 million - which includes the $31.6 million, plus interest, or about $4,300 daily over the 1,064 days since, The Chronicle reported. In a court filing on Wednesday, Oberlin College asked the Ohio Supreme Court to issue an order halting payment of the $36 million while the college appeals rulings by two lower courts. Both the college and the bakery have appealed in Ohio Supreme Court. But a court date to hear appeals has not been set. In a court filing on May 27, attorneys for the bakery asked the court to order the college to pay the judgment, saying the college failed to file a necessary motion with the 9th District Court of Appeals to halt the process. Oberlin College got an appeal bond through Zurich American Insurance Co., The Chronicle reported. This ensures the judgment can be paid if their appeals are unsuccessful. After the appeal was decided and the college took the case to the Ohio Supreme Court, the Gibsons 'reversed course filing a motion with the trial court not against Oberlin, but against Zurich to collect under the surety bond to try to moot this appeal,' Oberlin's lawyers wrote. Oberlin College wrote in the filing that it 'asks this court to issue a confirmatory stay to stop (the Gibsons') efforts to collect on the bond issued by Zurich.' 'Even if neither the trial court's stay nor the terms of the bond contemplated that the stay would remain in effect pending the 'exhaustion of all of the Defendants' appeals,'' the Ohio Supreme Court 'would have the authority to extend the stay and continue the term of the bond to encompass Oberlin's pending appeal,' the college wrote. Jonathan Aladin, Endia Lawrence (center) and Cecilia Whettstone (right) were all convicted of shoplifting from Oberlin - but the woke college still accused the family-run business they stole from of racism, and boycotted them Oberlin has arrogantly declared that it still won't pay out after losing a state court appeal back in April. It has also refused to apologize, despite multiple college staff and numerous resources being deployed for the protests and boycotts. Meanwhile, Raimondo has landed on her feet with a cozy new college job in Georgia despite her appalling behavior. The saga inflicted by college has dragged on for so long that two senior members of the Gibson family died with a stain on their reputation, while waiting for the cash they're legally entitled to. Allyn Gibson Sr - who marched with Martin Luther King Jr - died in February this year aged 93. And one of his sons, David, died of pancreatic cancer in November 2019 aged 65. He revealed he'd agreed to avoid mentioning the disease during the defamation trial for fear of influencing the jury. But he released a message before his death saying he believed Oberlin bosses were trying to 'wait the family out' before paying in the hopes that his death would take the heat off them. The family's attorney Lee Plakas said an unofficial boycott among Oberlin staff and students remains in place, with the bakery quiet when DailyMail.com visited on Tuesday morning. Plakas explained that when Gibson's hits the news - such as in a DailyMail.com report published yesterday, which was followed-up by Fox News, orders usually roll in. The family opened-up this morning to 100 enquiries from prospective customers, but Plakas says this business eventually tails off as the story fades from memory, leaving the Gibsons scrabbling around to try and make ends meet. But former Oberlin dean of students and vice president Meredith Raimondo has faced no such heartache. She was allowed to leave her job in 2021 - despite leading the charge against Gibson's and even protesting outside the shop with a bullhorn and leaflets accusing it of racial profiling. Raimondo - who also threatened to unleash a woke mob on a professor who criticized the protests - is now free to wreak havoc at Oglethorpe Liberal Arts College in Atlanta. She took up a position there as vice president of student affairs, and has not responded to DailyMail.com requests for comment on her bullying behavior. Allyn Gibson (right) and David Gibson (left) fought for their family's legacy until their deaths. David Gibson died in November 2019 at age 65 and Allyn, 93, died in February 2022 Attorney Lee Plakas, who represents the Gibsons, told DailyMail.com in April that the college's false accusations continue to hurt the family today. 'Business has suffered and the family is doing everything they possibly can to continue the bakery's tradition,' he said, noting how the bakery was forced to cut back its staff, going from nearly a dozen workers to three to four total employees. Plakas said the Gibsons were forced to downsize operations because business has significantly slowed and that 'they're just trying to hold on until the justice system forces the college to pay for the damages they caused.' 'The Gibsons are understandably concerned,' the attorney explained. 'They are very disappointed that the college, to this date - even with this record and mountain of evidence that they were wrong - is acting this way.' Oberlin can take the case to the Ohio Supreme Court, and US Supreme Court. Legal analysts say the famously-woke college may be deploying cutthroat legal tactics in a bid to force the Gibsons to settle for less, in return for avoiding the stress of further legal tussles. After the allegations of racial profiling surfaced, Oberlin College terminated its contract with Gibson's, which had been longtime provider to the school's dining hall facility, despite the fact that the bakery never received any complaints of about its product, prices or professionalism Timeline of Gibson vs. Oberlin College Nov. 9, 2016: Allyn Gibson Jr. catches Oberlin College student Jonathan Aladin stealing a bottle of wine from Gibson's Bakery around 5pm, prompting a pursuit down the street. Aladin's friends, Endia Lawrence and Cecilia Whettstone, intervened and a brawl ensued. All three students are arrested. Later that evening, around 10pm, a group of students plan a protest alleging Allyn Jr racially profiled the three suspects. The students promote the protest via email. Nov. 10, 2016: Dean of Students Meredith Ramiondo learns of the planned protest around 7am. She helps distribute a student-created flyer detailing the incident and encouraging community members to boycott Gibson's. Around 11am, approximately 200 students gathered outside Gibson's Bakery in protest. Raimondo helped lead the demonstration using a megaphone. Later that evening, around 11.15pm the Oberlin College Student Senate notifies school officials it has passed a resolution condemning the bakery. The resolution posted in a display case at school's student center, where it remained for a year. Nov. 11, 2016: Students assemble around 11am for a second day of protest. Nov. 12, 2016: Counterprotests arrive in Oberlin to show their support for the Gibson family. Nov. 14, 2016: Oberlin College suspends placing daily orders for bakery products for the dining halls. All other business arrangements with the shop are permitted to continue. Nov. 21, 2016: Then-college President Krislov meets with David Gibson and others at the President's House. Jan. 18, 2017: Dean of Students and Chief of Staff meet with David Gibson. Jan. 23, 2017: President Krislov issues a statement to the campus community indicating that the college is resuming standing orders with the bakery. April 27, 2017: Indictments are filed against Aladin, Lawrence and Whettstone, which included felony robbery charges. Aug. 14, 2017: The three students charged with shoplifting pleaded guilty to amended misdemeanor charges. The plea deal called for them to receive no jail time and to pay restitution. Nov. 17, 2017: Gibson family files a defamation lawsuit against Oberlin College and Raimondo. June 2019: A jury awards found the school guilty of libel, due largely to evidence against Raimondo. Oberlin College was ordered to pay Gibson's Bakery $40 million in damages, which was reduced to $25 million and $6 million in legal fees Oct. 9, 2019: Oberlin College announces its attorneys were filing an appeal in the Gibson's Bakery case. Nov. 16, 2019: David Gibson dies at age 65 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. June 5, 2020: Oberlin College files appeal brief in Gibson's Bakery case Feb. 12, 2022: Allyn Gibson Sr dies at age 93. March 31, 2022: The court rejects appeals by Oberlin College and upheld the judgment against the school. April 1, 2022: The court orders Oberlin College to pay Gibson's $33million. The college continues to contest the payout and says it is considering its options. April 4, 2022: A DailyMail.com reporter visits Oberlin, Ohio and speaks with the Gibson family attorney. Advertisement The college feared its student body would have 'food tantrums' if they continue to serve Gibson's products, so it ceased using the bakery as a food service provider, Plakas alleged. 'The college became the appeasers rather than the moderators,' he said. 'The reason they cancelled the longstanding food service order with Gibson was to appease the students because they feared the students would throw tantrums.. 'Here's a college where tuition is approximately $70,000 a year and, I would expect if you send children to college and pay that tuition, you can reasonably expect there will be an adult in the room. The adult will be a moderating voice. But these adults were pouring gasoline on what should've been a spark and it became an inferno.' The drama that severed the family's longstanding reputation in the Oberlin community also took a toll on the health of Allyn and his son, David Gibson, 65, both of whom died waiting for the college's settlement. 'The impact on the family is equally dramatic, if not more so,' Plakas said. Allyn, also known as Grandpa Gibson, had reportedly dedicated his life to being a good citizen and maintaining the upstanding legacy his ancestors created when they opened the bakery in 1885. 'Grandpa Gibson told his son, David: 'I've lived my life the right way and done all the right things and I've helped people, people of all colors and ethnic backgrounds, and at the end of my hard life, they're trying to brand me and my family as a racist,'' Plakas recalled, citing David's testimony during the trial against Oberlin College. 'That moment was a poignant moment in trial. It was hard for David Gibson to get out that testimony because he knew how much these false claims had impacted and hurt Grandpa Gibson, who had dedicated his life to doing the right thing,' the attorney added. 'Grandpa marched with Martin Luther King for fairness and equality, so for the college to sacrifice the great Gibson to appease their students, had a dramatic impact on his health. When you ruin someone's reputation you can't go to the doctor, you have to live with it.' David, who died in November 2019, was also committed to preserving the family's reputation despite his ongoing battle with pancreatic cancer. 'Defending their reputation and protecting the family legacy was so important to the family that although David Gibson had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the trial and was receiving treatment, he was there every day at the trial when he was suffering,' Plakas shared. Although he was ill, David refused to make the jury aware of his condition, fearing they might sympathize for him or his family, the attorney alleged. 'David said the whole purpose was a vindication of the family long reputation and he wanted any determination to be solely on the facts and the history,' Plakas told DailyMail.com. 'He was concerned if the jury knew he was being treated for cancer that would some way impact their verdict in his favor. He didn't want the verdict colored in anyway.' Plakas shared how David believed the 'facts would speak for themselves' and he wanted his family to be judged 'on their conduct' and history in the community. The 65-year-old knew 'the college helped propagate the false allegation they had a long history of racism' and was confident the evidence submitted to the jury would prove it. David's dying wish was that his wife, Lorna Gibson, continue to fight for their family's bakery and legacy. 'Lorna is working hard, she feels vulnerable, and somewhat alone without David and Grandpa,' Plakas said of the now-owner of Gibson's Bakery. 'David made her promise, before he passed away, that she would do everything she could humanly do to keep the bakery going and not let the actions of Oberlin College end the long and proud history of the bakery.' The attorney said Lorna believes by 'working as much as humanely possible' she is fulfilling her promise to her late husband. Allyn Gibson Jr (left) caught a black Oberlin student, Jonathan Aladin, attempting to steal a bottle of wine from the bakery. Allyn Jr chased Aladin down the street and, according to witness accounts, put the man in a choke-hold before two of the student's friends intervened and a brawl ensued. David Gibson (right) is pictured in 2016 after the attack This is one of the flyers handed out by students, encouraging others to boycott Gibson's Bakery, later included in their libel lawsuit However, as Gibson's Bakery struggled to survive, Raimondo, despite her lies and bullying, was allowed to continue working at the college until she stepped down at the end of 2021 to pursue an opportunity in Georgia. Neither she nor her new employer, Oglethorpe College, immediately responded to DailyMail.com's request for comment. When asked about Raimondo's employment, Plakas reiterated that Oberlin College took the side of appeasement. 'Since this event, the college never acted as the adult in the room or moderating force, they never mentored the students. They never said let's gather the facts and see what really happened,' he explained. The attorney did note: 'Virtually, every admin that testified in the trial and made certain statements for admission to evidence is no longer at Oberlin.' Gibson's Bakery found itself plunged into a firestorm on November 9, 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected president. The drama began Allyn Jr caught a black Oberlin student, Jonathan Aladin, attempting to steal a bottle of wine from the bakery. Allyn Jr chased Aladin down the street and, according to witness accounts, put the man in a choke-hold before two of the student's friends - Endia Lawrence and Cecelia Whettstone - intervened and a brawl ensued. The next day Oberlin students held protests outside Gibson's accusing the bakery of racially profiling Aladin. The family's attorney said the Gibsons were forced to downsize operations because business has significantly slowed and that 'they're just trying to hold on until the justice system forces the college to pay for the damages they caused'. Gibson's Bakery is pictured on Tuesday David Gibson is pictured serving whole wheat donuts to Stevie Wonder in May 2010 The Oberlin College student newspaper publishes photos of the protests and pens: 'The social implications of being seen at Gibson's are much worse than any freshman faux pas I can imagine' Aladin, Lawrence and Whettstone, later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of attempted theft and aggravated trespass, and themselves said Gibson's actions were not racially motivated. But Oberlin, led by dean Raimondo and many students, had already decided to punish Gibson's for the imaged transgression before allowing them fair due process. The students held protests outside the storefront that led to a severe loss in business, including the loss of a vital contract the bakery had held with the school for years. 'When the college sponsored new student tours, the student tour leaders - who are students paid by the college - go by and they tell the students and parents in the group, that Gibson's is a racist establishment and we don't go there,' Plakas said, alleging this rhetoric still occurs during tours today. 'They told incoming freshmen that the worst faux pas a freshman can commit is being seen at Gibson's bakery,' he added. The shop also had suffered frequent thefts in the run-up to the incident which saw it accused of racism. Raimondo encouraged the boycott and distributed fliers during the protests accusing the bakery of a longtime history of racial profiling and offered students up to $100 in compensation for protest supplies. She even texted another dean to share her desire to unleash another woke mob on an academic who blasted Oberlin's bullying of Gibson's. She wrote: 'F**k him. I'd say unleash the students if I wasn't convinced this needs to be put behind us.' Gibson's Bakery sued Oberlin College and Raimondo in 2017 for loss of business. In 2019, the school was found guilty, due largely to evidence against Raimondo. The institution was ordered to pay Gibson's Bakery $40 million in damages, which was reduced to $25 million and $6 million in legal fees. Gibson's Bakery sued Oberlin College (pictured Tuesday) and Raimondo in 2017 for loss of business. In 2019, the school was found guilty, due largely to evidence against Raimondo. The institution was ordered to pay Gibson's Bakery $40 million in damages, which was reduced to $25 million and $6 million in legal fees The college and Raimondo appealed that sentence, but it was upheld this month. Oberlin College admitted that it is still refusing to pay the cash to the family business it tried to ruin. The college issued a mealy-mouthed statement when contacted by DailyMail.com on Monday, saying: 'Oberlin is obviously disappointed that the appeals court affirmed the judgment in its ruling. We are reviewing the Court's opinion carefully as we evaluate our options and determine next steps. 'In the meantime, we recognize that the issues raised by this case have been challenging, not only for the parties involved in the lawsuit, but for the entire Oberlin community. 'We remain committed to strengthening the partnership between the College, the City of Oberlin and its residents, and the downtown business community. We will continue in that important work while remaining focused on our core educational mission.' The college was ranked among the 20 most expensive colleges in the U.S. last year, according to a report from The National Observer. Despite the high price tag, the school has only seen a 4 percent decline in its enrollment over the last five years. An Oregon mother is fighting back against a new state law calling for free tampons in all boys' school bathrooms - saying the money could be better spent on textbooks and supplies. Cherylene Stritenberg, a member of the Eagle Point School District, has petitioned the Oregon Department of Education to roll back the Menstrual Dignity Act - single-handedly triggering a two-week comment period on the law before it goes into effect for the next school year, Oregon Live reports. The law requires public schools, community colleges and universities to provide free menstrual products in all bathrooms, including those designated for boys as young as kindergarten. It aims to be inclusive of children who are transgender and non-binary, but Stritenberg says the cash could be far better spent. Cherylene Stritenberg has petitioned the Oregon Department of Education to roll back the Menstrual Dignity Act, which requires school districts to provide tampon and menstrual pad dispensers in all bathrooms, including those designated for boys as young as kindergarten Stritenberg, who has previously petitioned the state to lift its COVID vaccine requirement for teachers and volunteers, though, says the law is creating an added expense in a state that struggles to graduate more than 80 percent of its high school students. In fact, the Oregon Legislative Revenue Office estimated last year that the state would direct about $5.6 million from the State School Fund in the first two years - which is enough to pay for about 30 teachers' salaries each year. 'Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to making these products available, but requiring we divert funds from our State School Funds to ensure they are included specifically in boys' bathrooms is a misuse of those funds,' Stritenberg said, suggesting the money be used instead for new textbooks and supplies. 'My hope is that we can re-evaluate and come to a better solution that is financially responsible and beneficial to those who need it,' she added. The Menstrual Dignity Act was originally introduced in the Oregon state legislature by Democratic Rep. Ricki Ruiz, and was widely supported in the Oregon House of Representatives - with all but one Republican voting in favor of it. The Menstrual Dignity Act was introduced in the Oregon state legislature by Democratic Rep. Ricki Ruiz (pictured) Advocates claimed that providing free universal access to period products will alleviate unnecessary shame and expense for students going through puberty, Oregon Live reports. That is widely-supported - although advocates say supplying the products in boys' bathroom is a sop to wokeness and an unnecessary waste of money. The original version of the bill only required schools to provide products in gender-neutral and girls' bathrooms, and as the program rolled out last year, districts had to provide free tampons and pads in 'at least two bathrooms,' but had the discretion to pick which ones. The law was later expanded to include all bathrooms designated for boys, so that transgender and non-binary students may have access to these products. 'As we know, there's a lot of our youth who don't identify as female or male, or are transitioning genders,' Ruiz said. 'We wanted to respect that and make sure we provide these resources in all restrooms for folks who may be struggling to transition to a different restroom.' It is now the most expansive menstrual products bill on the West Coast, according to Oregon Live. In California, high costs forced lawmakers to scale back their 2021 law to include only school bathrooms in grades six through 12, including in at least one boys' bathroom per school. Community colleges and state universities are also required to have at least one location on campus where students an access these products. And in Washington state, public and private schools are required to provide menstrual products in all gender-neutral and female bathrooms for students in grades six through 12. If a school does not have a gender-neutral bathroom, they are required to put menstrual hygiene products in at least one male bathroom. The law also requires that students in grades three through five have access to these products in at least one location. But Oregon's law goes further and requires tampons and pads in boys' bathrooms for children as young as kindergarten - which Stritenberg says is a waste of resources, and worries students will misuse the products and cause damage to the facilities. Tampons and sanitary towels are displayed in a school bathroom, with Oregon coming under fire over a new state law demanding they be supplied in all boys' school bathrooms Already, Oregon Live reports, the Beaverton School District, Portland Public Schools and David Douglas School District have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the new dispensers for all bathrooms, though state officials are supposed to reimburse the school districts for the costs. Portland spent about $200,000 on products and dispensers, including larger units for gender-neutral and girls bathrooms, and smaller units for boys' bathrooms. The Beaverton School District, meanwhile, has spent close to $300,000. Now, Stritenberg is trying to halt the move, petitioning the state to allow for public response before the law goes into effect. The Department of Education has 90 days to respond to the petition. If state officials were to roll back the rule, districts may continue to provide the products in boys' bathrooms, and in the Beaverton School District, Josh Gamez, the chief facilities officer, said the district would want to hear from its community before making a decision. 'If the product is being used, we want to support that,' he said. 'This is for the students.' Daphne Ischer, who graduated from high school this spring, said she wants to see the broader law stay in place. She previously said it is important for transgender and non-gendered students to feel accepted. 'There's not always gender-neutral bathrooms, there's not always a lot and there's not always complete access to them,' she said as she testified in favor of the bill last year. Ischer added that she sees the universal presence of dispensers as an opportunity to start teaching younger students about periods and menstrual hygiene. 'When we start these conversations in the classrooms earlier, and those conversations continue, periods become less stigmatized.' Ruiz also said he is confident the bill will remain intact, though he said he would be willing to make amendments if necessary. A Serbian war crimes suspect wanted for torturing civilians during the Balkans war has been tracked down to a quiet suburb of Derby. Milenko Maric, 62, a father-of-three who works as an electrician has to wear an electronic tag on his ankle and sleep in his own home each night as he awaits extradition proceedings on July 21. He lives in a modest council house and his wife, who has health issues, helps children get to the nearby primary school every day. A shocked neighbour told The Mirror: 'He and his wife are private people they don't speak much English, but they are perfectly nice. He has done odd jobs as an electrician and she helps at the local school. 'You would not think for a minute that he's wanted for war crimes.' But Maric, who arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker more than 20 years ago, is accused of being part of a ruthless militia which carried out assaults on non-ethnic Serbs at the height of the Yugoslavian war in 1991. Prosecutors in his homeland claim the assaults took place in August and September 1991 in a prison after the victims had been dragged from their homes. Milenko Maric, 62, a father of three who works as an electrician photographed outside his Derby council house, is accused of being a Serbian war criminal from crimes committed in 1991 Serbian paramilitaries occupied the region of Baranya from 1991 - 1995, where they carried out atrocities against the non-Serb population. Pictured: A Serbian tank on the border of Croatia and Serbia Maric, who arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker more than 20 years ago, is accused of being part of a ruthless militia which carried out assaults on non-Serbs at the height of the Yugoslavian war in 1991. He denies the charges against him. One victim, named Joha, alleges that Maric and two other militia men beat him with electric rubber truncheons 'on several occasions' which caused injuries to his 'entire body'. Joha also alleges that the militia ransacked and looted his home, taking cash, a gold ring, a gold necklace and a watch. Legal documents allege: 'MM [Milenko Maric], as a member of the Secretariat for International Affairs of Manastir, removed a number of civilians of non-Serbian ethnic origin, from the Baranya region and assaulted them.' The region of Baranya, which today is divided between Hungary and Croatia, was the focus of fierce fighting during the Croatian War of Independence between 1991 to 1995, with 1,700 killed in Baranya's main city Osijek alone. It was occupied by Serbian paramilitaries from 1991 - 1995, who carried out atrocities against the non-Serb population until it returned to Croat control in 1998 following a handover by UN peacekeepers. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd approved Maric's extradition to Croatia in 2016 The city of Mostar in what is today Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was part Croat and part Muslim, was put under siege and heavily bombarded during the Croatian War of Independence. The conflict was very bloody, killing an estimated 140,000 people, according to the International Center for Transitional Justice, and included the acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing After the war, Croat authorities hunted down individuals accused of the atrocities and a wanted notice was issued against Maric in 1997. His name was included on a list of 50 suspected war criminals by Croat authorities in 2001. A warrant for the father-of-three's arrest was issued by the public prosecutor's office in Osijek the same year for crimes against humanity. By this time Maric had already fled to the UK, where he obtained indefinite leave to remain here. But persistent war criminal hunters tracked him down to his home in Derby and had him arrested in June 2015. A Westminster magistrate ordered his extradition to Croatia and then-Home Secretary Amber Rudd approved the decision. He vigorously denies the charges against him, telling The Mirror: 'I am innocent. I am wrongly accused. I'm not happy to do anything without my solicitor. 'I don't want to give any information, just I am innocent.' In a twisting, turning tale, a trial later in Croatia found him innocent in absentia, but remarkably the countrys Supreme Court overturned the ruling and a new international arrest warrant was issued. Radislav Krstic, who was slashed in the throat by Muslim inmates in Wakefield jail in 2010 He was re-arrested by officers from the National Extradition Unit last March and is due to face a full hearing at Westminster magistrates court on July 21. The Balkan wars were a multi-phase civil war that took place between 1991 and 2001 as Yugoslavia tore itself apart along ethnic lines. The conflict was very bloody, killing an estimated 140,000 people, according to the International Center for Transitional Justice, and included the acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing. While Maric can expect to serve any jail sentence in a Croatian jail, a number of Serb war criminals are doing their time in British prisons. Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader convicted of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal in the Hague, Holland, will serve the rest of his jail sentence in the UK. His conviction for genocide related to his responsibility for the murder of more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. Five men convicted of war crimes by the tribunals in the former Yugoslavia have been sent to British high-security prisons in the past. They included former Bosnian-Serb general Radislav Krstic, who was slashed in the throat by Muslim inmates in Wakefield jail in 2010 (later transferred to a Polish prison). Vice President Kamala Harris accused Texas Governor Greg Abbott of 'flame throwing' on Sunday after the Republican official directed state law enforcement officers to round up migrants and send them to federal border crossings. Abbott signed an executive order on Thursday allowing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest undocumented migrants and return them to the border. In an interview with CBS News' Face The Nation, Harris was asked what the Biden administration planned to do about Abbott's plan and his laying blame on the White House for the record surge in asylum seekers at the southwest border - which Abbott labeled an 'invasion.' 'I would suggest that so-called leaders focus on solutions instead of attacks if they really are concerned about a problem, and that includes on the issue of immigration,' Harris responded. In a direct jab at Donald Trump, she said the previous presidential administration created 'a badly broken' immigration system. Meanwhile, Harris herself has done little in recent months that comes under her purview of the Biden administration's 'border czar.' The vice president maintained that solutions to the immigration crisis would include 'passing a pathway for citizenship,' a long-held goal for Democrats 'So that we can have a humane and appropriate approach to this issue, including of course, what we will continue to do in terms of prioritizing border security, but understanding we also need to create a pathway,' Harris said on Sunday. Vice President Kamala Harris was only asked about the border once during the wide-ranging interview despite mounting calls for the administration to do more to help state and local governments deal with asylum-seekers 'And that's where I think everyone should be focused if they're actually concerned about solutions, instead of flame throwing.' Abbott's order comes against the backdrop of a new record surge in asylum-seekers at the southern border, and days after the Supreme Court ruled President Biden could get rid of the controversial Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols, nicknamed the 'Remain In Mexico' policy. The rule, which forced migrants coming from other parts of Central or South America to wait for their asylum claims to be processed in Mexico, caused a humanitarian outcry over the squalid, crime-ridden conditions in some migrant camps. And Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) recorded 239,416 migrant encounters in May. Harris had not made a public statement on the surge when the data was released last month. Accountability for the rise in migrants straining local and state governments - in addition to the federal immigration pipeline - has largely fallen onto Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as well as Biden himself. While that's to be expected with Mayorkas' department overseeing CBP and border operations, Harris' absence in leading the response on the border is noticeable considering Biden tapped her to lead the national response to the southwestern border crisis in March last year. She was asked to respond to Texas Governor Greg Abbott's recent executive order calling on the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to arrest undocumented migrants and return them to the border Abbott HAS accused President Biden of refusing to do his job and said that the president was failing to 'enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress Migrants are apprehended by US Border Patrol and National Guard troops in Eagle Pass, Texas, near the border with Mexico on June 30 The migration crisis continues to surge under the current administration as CBP encountered 239,416 migrants in May the highest since Biden took office and a two-decade high Harris has also been criticized by Republicans for directing her focus at the 'root causes' of stopping undocumented immigration from Central and South America, rather than more immediate solutions to ease the burden on US infrastructure at the border. Through her role, however, she has made some strides - Harris has reportedly secured $1.2 billion in private investments aimed at strengthening and improving local regions where the majority of migrants are fleeing from. But during her inaugural speech at Biden's Summit of the Americas, Harris did not once mention mass migration through the continents. Earlier this year, GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson introduced a bill that would force Harris to visit the border every 60 days. The vice president led a delegation in January to the inauguration of Honduras' first female president, Xiomara Castro. However, she has not visited the US southwestern border beyond one trip in June of 2021. And Harris also apparently resented being given the 'border czar' title in the first place, according to the recent book 'This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for Americas Future.' The vice president 'did not hesitate to chide Biden for characterizing her assignment in those terms,' the book states. A Missouri man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his pregnant wife after she confronted him about his affair and searched for advice on how to deal with a spouse upset by a pregnancy. Beau Rothwell, 31, was sentenced to life without parole Friday for the November 2019 murder of Jennifer Rothwell, 28, by bludgeoning her with a mallet during an argument over an unidentified woman he was having an affair with. Rothwell, who was convicted in April, was also handed down four years for tampering with evidence, and four more for abandonment of a corpse. Though Rothwell's defense said that the murder was not premeditated and tried to argue for a lesser manslaughter charge, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell said the heavy murder sentencing was exactly what they were looking for. 'We issued this case of murder first and as was stated in sentencing today, we never made any other offers,' Bell said after the sentencing, 'That was not an option. We felt that this individual needed to be held accountable for his actions and that's what we were intent on doing.' Rothwell admitted to killing his wife in court, and apologized to her family during his sentencing. 'To Jennifer's family, words cannot describe how sorry I am. This should have never happened,' he said. Beau Rothwell, 31, was was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his pregnant wife Rothwell was convicted in April of murdering his wife Jennifer Rothwell, 28, (above) by bludgeoning her with a mallet during an argument over a woman he was having an affair with Rothwell testified that on November 11, 2019, he and his wife got into a heated argument over an affair he was having with another woman and her pregnancy. He confessed to striking the back of her head with a mallet, which sent her stumbling towards their home's garage. He said he followed her and continued to attack her, ultimately killing her. Jennifer was six weeks pregnant at the time of her murder. 'In the heat of everything, I hit her again,' he said in court, 'I believe I cracked her skull. She fell unconscious and fell down the stairs.' Rothwell then attempted to haphazardly cover up the murder. He bought cleaning supplies and attempted to bleach his dead wife's blood from the house. He drove her car to an intersection and abandoned it there, and tossed a blood-stained tarp and the cleaning supplies away together in a nearby dumpster. Rothwell testified he went into 'panic mode' in the aftermath of the murder. He dumped her naked corpse in the woods off Highway 61, then reported her missing, sent concerned texts to her cellphone, and took part in a search party. It only took a day for authorities to identify still damp bleach and blood in the couple's home and arrest Rothwell. Jennifer's body was found a week later on November 19. The couple during happier times. Rothwell testified he went into 'panic mode' after murdering his wife and attempted to cover the killing up 'In the heat of everything, I hit her again,' Rothwell said in court, 'I believe I cracked her skull. She fell unconscious and fell down the stairs' Though Rothwell testified that the murder the murder took place in a 'red haze' of anger and that he was in 'panic mode' as he covered it up, the prosecution dismissed the arguments for manslaughter and characterized him as a 'meticulous planner.' They showed jurors texts between Rothwell and his lover, and a pros and cons list he wrote about leaving his wife, then about six-weeks pregnant. Jennifer's mother, Robin Von Hausen, delivered an emotional statement in to the court, saying 'Jennifer was a bright light in our lives. We thought we would have more than 28 years with her. Gone are the moments of joy with friends and relatives.' A 34-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was stabbed in a Tesco supermarket. Police were called to the Tesco Extra store on Dalmarnock Road in Rutherglen, Glasgow, at 1.30pm on Saturday following reports of an assault. The 25-year-old was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital after the knife attack and is said to be in a stable condition. A 34-year-old man has been arrested after a woman was stabbed in a Tesco supermarket. Police were called to the Tesco Extra store on Dalmarnock Road in Rutherglen, Glasgow (pictured, file photo), at 1.30pm on Saturday following reports of an assault A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: 'Officers were called to a serious assault at a premises on Dalmarnock Road, Rutherglen, at around 1.30pm on Saturday July 9. 'A 25-year-old woman was taken to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. 'A 34-year-old man has been arrested in connection.' Witnesses told the BBC the store was evacuated as a result of the attack. The 25-year-old was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (pictured, file photo) after the knife attack and is said to be in a stable condition Tesco staff members reportedly set off the shop's fire alarm to get customers out of the store quickly, then fixing tape across the entrances. Footage shared on social media shows several police cars and an ambulance parked by the front of the store. Clips show how customers make their way out of the premises with their cars in the aftermath of the incident. A US Army medic 'enraged' by the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has gone viral over her TikTok blasting national leaders for treating 'women like second-class citizens'. Sgt. Rahasenfratz, in a now-viral rant, questioned how she is supposed to 'defend the Constitution and country' when policy shows it doesn't 'give a rats a** about me.' The medic, whose first name is unknown, just renewed her contract with the Army last month. She argued that removing federal abortion protections with have an 'unintended consequence' of lessening the retention rates for female military members who already have 'extremely limited access to birth control' and 'are more likely to experience unplanned pregnancies.' Last month, in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the high court overturned the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which guaranteed a woman's right to an abortion. President Joe Biden on Friday signed an executive order to ease access to abortion services after mounting pressure from fellow Democrats. The president revealed on Sunday he has also asked his administration to consider whether he has authority to declare an abortion-related public health emergency. Sgt. Rahasenfratz, a US Army medic, has gone viral over her TikTok blasting the Supreme Court for treating 'women like second-class citizens' Rahasenfratz posted her now-viral video on June 24, just hours after SCOTUS ruled in a 6 to 3 decision to overturn Roe. 'I am heartbroken. I am enraged. I am terrified,' she captioned the clip, which has now received almost 30,000 likes and over 1,200 comments. The deployed medic says she learned about the ruling after waking up from a nap and was instantly angered, questioning how she can be expected to fight for a country that she thinks oppresses women. 'I just extended my contract to continue serving this country a week ago. How am I supposed to swear to support and defend the Constitution and a country that treats its women like second class citizens?' she said. 'How am I supposed to do that? How am I supposed to do that with pride? How am I supposed to do that with love and honor? 'How am I supposed to wake up every day and put on a frickin uniform that says United States Army, when the United States doesnt even give a rats a** about me. 'It gives more of a rats a** about the guns theyre allowed to buy that kill the children that Im forced to give birth to. Think about that.' 'Oh that's so funny,' she added, sarcastically. Rahasenfratz argued overturning Roe v. Wade will make it harder for the military to retain female members who already have 'extremely limited access to birth control' and 'are more likely to experience sexual assault and unplanned pregnancies' The medic argued the impact of removing Roe drastically impacts women in the military who already have worse access to reproductive healthcare than other citizens. Rahasenfratz claims that while deployed women in the military have 'extremely limited access to birth control' and can't 'even get an ultrasound without traveling off base.' She argued how female service members are 'more likely to experience sexual assault' and 'more likely to experience unplanned pregnancies.' Because of the recent SCOTUS ruling, Rahasenfratz predicts it will be harder for the military to retain female members. 'This effect on female service women is an unintended consequence which means that lawmakers and Supreme Court justices probably werent thinking about this when they wrote their 213 some odd-page report on it, right?' she said. 'They probably were not thinking about this consequence. But it is one, and it affects the very people that those lawmakers hold to a higher standard because they support the troops. 'Do you really, though? You really support the troops, even though this is going to greatly lessen the retention of women in the ranks of this military?' She concluded: 'I signed that contract, so I will serve my country. But you bet your a** youre going to hear my voice, because I will not stop. 'I will not rest and I will not be silent because this is an attack on women in this country, 100 percent.' Women across the nation are speaking out and protesting the decision to overturn Roe. Demonstrators are pictured in Los Angeles, California on Saturday, July 9 Demonstrators in Texas walk to the Odessa City Hall during a march in support of reproductive rights on Saturday, July 9 Women across the nation are speaking out and protesting the decision to overturn Roe, which automatically outlawed abortion in 18 states due to specially-devised 'trigger laws' and historic bans that were automatically reenacted after the ruling. Demonstrators have taken to the streets in most major US cities, calling on lawmakers to protect abortion rights in their states. Biden on Friday signed an executive order boosting protections for abortions rights and slammed SCOTUS slammed 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.' As he signed the order, Biden 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. '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 only way to fulfill and restore that right for women in this country is by voting, by exercising the power at the ballot box.' Biden added: 'Your vote can make that a reality.' Thirteen states passed trigger laws to restrict or ban abortion in the event Roe v. Wade was overturned Some states have issued orders stating that they will not cooperate with other states' investigations into people who seek abortions or health care providers that perform them 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 president and his administration are also 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. President Joe Biden signed an executive order on abortion access on Friday, surrounded by Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco Abortion is expected to be a huge issue in the upcoming midterm election and swing states are expected to be the major legal battle ground. Biden met with Democratic governors at the White House on July 1 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. Governors in 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. President Joe Biden suggested on Sunday that he's in talks with staff about the viability of declaring a public health emergency in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health. It comes hours after his White House finally snapped back at progressives who had been blasting Biden for not doing enough to protect abortion rights. The high court sided with Mississippi prosecutors late last month on their request to scuttle the federal abortion protections granted by Roe v. Wade. Biden was on his way to a bike ride near his residence in Delaware on Sunday when he stopped to speak to reporters, who asked if he was considering declaring a public health emergency regarding abortion access. The president responded that he was asking his staff to see 'whether I have the authority' and what the impacts would be. He also shared words of encouragement for women who were demonstrating against Supreme Court's decision, telling them to 'keep protesting.' 'Keep making your point. Its critically important. We can do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women,' the president said. 'In the meantime, fundamentally, the only way to change this is to have a national law that reinstates Roe v Wade.' Biden's efforts to protect abortion access have been blasted by member of his own party for not going far enough. President Biden told reporters he was asking his staff to see 'whether I have the authority' to declare a public health emergency over abortion access and what the impacts would be He spoke to the press before embarking on a bike ride near his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware Multiple reports have suggested that the White House has bristled at demands from progressives that they see as a fine sentiment but unrealistic to implement, such as calls to build abortion clinics on federal land in states where the practice is now banned. Biden's outgoing communications director, Kate Bedingfield, unleashed against those Democratic critics in a statement to the Washington Post published on Saturday evening. 'Joe Bidens goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party,' Bedingfield said. 'Its to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition to defend a womans right to choose now, just as he assembled such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign.' On Friday, Biden signed an executive order to ease access to services to terminate pregnancies. Biden has been under pressure from fellow Democrats to take action after the landmark decision last month upended roughly 50 years of protections for women's reproductive rights. On his stop to speak with reporters, Biden said his goal was to codify abortion rights through legislation and delivered a message to abortion rights protesters who have gathered outside the White House. 'Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It's critically important,' he said. 'We can do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women.' People attend a rally calling for abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 9 Protesters hold green bandanas, a symbol of abortion rights in Latin America, and signs during a pro-abortion rights protest in front of Trump Tower, New York City His call to keep demonstrating comes after protesters last week crowded a Morton's Steakhouse in downtown Washington, DC upon learning Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was dining there. Activists stood outside of the restaurant and demanded that the manager throw the conservative jurist out, according to Politico. The group protesting, ShutDownDC, later tweeted that Kavanaugh was forced to exit through the back along with his security. And Morton's, which condemned the protesters in a statement to Politico, has apparently been flooded with fake calls and reservations for defending Kavanaugh. The White House has been under fire from Republicans over not speaking out on protests in front of justices' homes. Last month, a man was arrested outside of Kavanaugh's Maryland home in the middle of the night and told police there that he wanted to kill the justice and then himself. He was indicted for attempted murder by a grand jury in June and pleaded 'not guilty.' More than 3,000 firefighters and over 60 aircraft battled wildfires today in Portugal that authorities say have injured 29 people. Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes. The European Union on Sunday activated its firefighting air fleet assistance program that allows member nations to share resources to help Portugal. Spain, which has also endured wildfires recently, quickly responded by mobilizing two firefighting planes to send to its Iberian neighbour, according to the EU crisis commissioner, Janez Lenarcic. More than 3,000 firefighters and over 60 aircraft battled wildfires today in Portugal that authorities say have injured 29 people Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes The European Union on Sunday activated its firefighting air fleet assistance program that allows member nations to share resources to help Portugal A residential area during a forest fire in Canecas, outskirts of Lisbon, Portugal, July 10 Portugal's government said it has deployed 60 aircraft to support its ground crews. Portugal has long suffered large, and sometimes tragic, forest fires. In 2017, out-of-control wildfires killed more than 100 people. The European Union says climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires. Across the border in Spain, a fire in the southwest led authorities to evacuate 30 people from homes as a precaution. Some 115 firefighters backed by helicopters and planes were deployed to that fire near the village of El Ronquillo. A firefighter works to extinguish a wildfire at Casais do Vento in Alvaiazere on July 10 Thousands of firefighters are working to put out blazes that have been ravaging Portgual Portugal's government said it has deployed 60 aircraft to support its ground crews Portugal has long suffered large, and sometimes tragic, forest fires In 2017, out-of-control wildfires killed more than 100 people in Portgual The European Union says climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires A fireman fights a forest fire in Benespera, Guarda, northern Portugal last week Firefighters on the ground have joined forces with civilians in trying to put the fires out Homeowners desperately tried to save their houses as the fires edged ever closer in Canecas Bushes burn during a forest fire in Canecas, outskirts of Lisbon on July 10 A man stands as a firefighter works near a burning area during a forest fire in Canecas, outskirts of Lisbon today Villagers worked together to bring water to the flames in a bid to save their town Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa postponed his plans to visit Mozambique this week 'in view of the weather forecasts that indicate a very serious worsening of the risk of rural fires.' Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa likewise canceled his trip to New York where he was scheduled to speak at the U.N. Economic and Social Council. In June, 96 per cent of the southern European country was classified as being in either in 'extreme' or 'severe' drought. The fires have caused authorities to increase a state of alert already in place. Portugal's government declared a state of heightened alert Saturday that will run through Friday. An image taken from aboard a Portuguese Air Force plane shows a forest fire in Carrazeda de Ansiaes on Saturday Portugal on July 8 surpassed the highest number of wildfires burning in 2022 The Portugese government is even trying to stop the blaze from above with the use of planes Firefighters work to extinguish a wildfire at Casais do Vento in Alvaiazere on July 10 The Portuguese landscape looked desolate and barren as fires ripped through the land Forests are thick with smoke and the smell of burning, while thousands of firefighters tackle the blaze A firefighting plane takes part in wildfire fighting operations at Freixianda in Alvaiazere on July 10 'This means we can automatically and preventively activate all emergency and civil protection plans at all territorial levels,' said Interior Administration Minister Jose Luis Carneiro. The wildfires are coming as Portugal is enduring a heat wave with temperatures expected up to 109F (43C). The country has adopted restrictions barring public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banned the use of farm machinery and outlawed fireworks. Costa reminded citizens not to light any fires outdoors or use heavy farm machinery that can cause sparks. 'Preventing fires is the best help we can give our firefighters,' the prime minister wrote. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's unionized regular employees hold a rally at the company's shipyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, Friday, to oppose a strike by unionized workers of the shipbuilder's subcontractors. Yonhap By Park Jae-hyuk Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering's (DMSE) unionized regular employees began to stand with management against a month-long strike by unionized workers belonging to the shipbuilder's subcontractors, according to industry officials, Sunday. Following a rally held last Friday at the company's shipyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province to urge the subcontracted workers to stop occupying its dock, DSME's regular employees in Seoul plan to distribute statements in front of the Korean National Police Agency on Monday and Tuesday to ask for measures to solve the problem. The regular employees have claimed that the subcontracted workers' strike that began on June 2 threatens the livelihoods of thousands of workers. The subcontracted workers occupied DSME's dock on June 18, and locked themselves in on June 22 by welding a steel-frame structure to its entrance. They even brought paint thinner, threatening to set fire to the facility if the police try to break up their strike. DSME estimated that it had suffered at least 280 billion won ($216 million) in losses as of the end of June, saying that the labor dispute caused indefinite delays in the delivery of four ships to its clients. Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) CEO Park Du-seon, front row third from left, speaks during a press conference at the company's shipyard on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. Courtesy of DSME Police have issued CCTV footage after a woman, 27, was stabbed in the back by a man on a bicycle in Ilford, less than two miles from where Zara Aleena was killed two weeks ago. Police were called out at approximately 8.05pm on Friday, 8 July, to reports of the stabbing in St Johns Road. The woman was found by officers with stab wounds to her back, and was taken to hospital the injuries were deemed to not be life-threatening or life-changing. Detectives from the Met's East Area CID are investigating, and have appealed for any witnesses or anyone with information to contact them. Chief Inspector Chris Byrne, East Area BCU, said: 'I know that this attack on a woman, coming so soon after the tragic murder of Zara Aleena, will be of great concern to Londoners and particularly to people in Ilford. Detectives have released images of a suspect they're working to trace after a 27-year-old woman was stabbed in the back by a man on a bicycle 'Of course, my colleagues and I share those concerns and we are working hard to do everything possible to keep people safe. 'The woman was attacked by a male riding a bicycle, who rode away in the direction of Meads Lane, Ilford. 'Anyone who recognises the person in the images circulated is urged to call police immediately. 'One image shows the suspect in Meads Lane around the time of the attack.' The suspect is pictured in black clothing and a black bag, with a white and black bicycle helmet and a distinctive green bicycle. 'Local people will have seen more police officers in the Ilford area since the murder of Zara Aleena two weeks ago,' Chief Inspector Byrne added. 'We have deployed additional resources to the local area including officers who specialise in tackling violent crime. The suspect is pictured in black clothing and a black bag, with a white and black bicycle helmet and a distinctive green bicycle 'We will continue to adjust our plans to ensure that officers are visible and available to support the community this weekend and in subsequent days. 'If you have any concerns or information, please do speak with those officers.' Police have not made any arrests in relation to the attack, and are continuing their enquiries. Anyone with information about the attack is asked to call 101 or tweet @MetCC and quote CAD7258/8Jul. Anonymous reports can be made to independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Last month, the heartbroken relatives of a law graduate who was ambushed and beaten to death in an 'opportunist stranger attack' spoke of their anguish. Zara Aleena, 35, died from severe head injuries after she was attacked in the street while walking home from a night out with friends in the early hours of Sunday, June 26. PICTURED: Aspiring lawyer Zara Aleena, 35, was murdered in the early hours of Sunday, June 26 in Ilford, East London Miss Aleena's cousin described her as a 'bubbly, high-empathy person' and said the family were devastated. Horrified neighbours also revealed how they heard loud screams following the attack on Cranbrook Road, Ilford. The next day, police announced that a man, 29, was arrested on suspicion of her murder. Local MP Sam Tarry said the murder was a 'random attack' and also tried to assure the public that there will be a 'flood of police on the streets'. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also said he was 'heartbroken' by the death of Zara. A Florida woman who was pulled from a SUV that had overturned in a water-filled ditch has died three days after her heroic rescue. Witnesses and Volusia County first responders rushed to rescue the unidentified woman lost control of her SUV and veered off the road Tuesday afternoon, causing her to strike a tree and overturn in the water. Video shows firefighters pulling the unconscious woman from the driver's side of her water-filled Toyota Highlander. She still had a pulse at the time of the rescue, but was unresponsive. The woman was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition and passed away from her injuries early Friday evening. Police say it is unclear what caused her to lose control of the vehicle to begin with. A woman rescued by Good Samaritans and Volusia County, Florida first responders died three days after she was pulled from a SUV that had overturned in a water-filled ditch Deputy-worn body cameras show the moment Volusia County sheriff's deputies, firefighters and Good Samaritans sprung into action to recuse a woman whose vehicle overturned in a ditch in Oak Hill, Florida on Tuesday around 12.15pm. Bystanders are seen standing alongside the car in three-foot-deep water, trying to push it upright, as a woman tells a sheriff's deputy: 'There's a lady. She's unresponsive.' The deputy walks over towards the vehicle and asks: 'There's somebody in there. Can we get this thing flipped or not?' He then turns towards his fellow first responders, adding: 'You guys, someone's submerged on the low side. We need some help pushing.' Deputy-worn body cameras show the moment Volusia County sheriff's deputies, firefighters and Good Samaritans sprung into action to recuse a woman whose vehicle overturned in a ditch in Oak Hill, Florida on Tuesday around 12.15pm Bystanders are seen standing alongside the car in three-foot-deep water, trying to push it upright, as a woman tells a sheriff's deputy: 'There's a lady. She's unresponsive' Officials and Good Samaritans work together to push the vehicle into an upright position and pull open the driver's side door. The woman was trapped under the deployed airbag and her seatbelt. 'Hey, get me a knife,' the deputy yells. 'Or scissors - something.' A group of firefighters then pulls the unresponsive woman out of the car and carries her through the muddy water before loading her onto a gurney. She was placed into an ambulance and rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach for treatment. Authorities say life-saving measures were attempted at the scene. The woman was pronounced dead at the hospital Friday around 5.30pm, police confirmed to DailyMail.com. Florida Highway Patrol is still investigating the crash. Officials and Good Samaritans work together to push the vehicle into an upright position and pull open the driver's side door The woman was trapped under the deployed airbag and her seatbelt. A deputy is heard yelling: 'Hey, get me a knife or scissors - something' A group of firefighters then pulls the unresponsive woman out of the car and carries her through the muddy water before loading her onto a gurney Officials attempted life-saving measures and the woman was rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach in critical condition. She was pronounced dead at the hospital Friday around 5.30pm Although the driver didn't survive, officials are applauding the efforts made to save her life. 'We don't decide what happens at the very end to that patient,' Volusia County Rescue Battalion Chief Chris Davis told WOFL-TV, praising the crew and bystanders. 'But, they gave that patient a fighting chance.' 'Seconds matter, so you need to make quick decisions, (and) don't hesitate,' firefighter Nick Corrente told WFTV. 'So, that's what we did.' 'It was instinct, it was the first thing I could do to get in the water and do something to help,' echoed Volusia County Deputy Doug Meyer. He was one of the first officials to arrive on scene. 'Their training immediately kicked in, so I got to give these guys kudos for what they did,' said Chief Davis. 'Its just this heroic effort to just do what they did.' Firefighter Robert Hamel added: 'Luckily we had a great team of civilians, sheriffs office and firefighters all working together on this one.' Uber used attacks on its staff by taxi drivers scared of losing their jobs to pressure politicians to bend the rules during their global expansion, leaked files reveal. Bosses at the ride-hailing app managed the chaos of protests over their growth in European nations to garner public support, the documents show. They also allegedly tried to cozy up to politicians including Barack Obama, Joe Biden and France's Emmanuel Macron to lobby them in favor of the firm. The bombshell claims come in 124,000 of explosive files leaked to dozens of media outlets about its expansion from 2013 to 2017. The 'Uber Files' paints a picture of executives acting like 'pirates' as they shoved the app down the throats of world leaders and tried to dominate the global market. In one shocking instance, former CEO Travis Kalanick is said to have told other leaders: 'Violence guarantee(s) success.' He was understood to be referring to counter protests against taxi drivers furious at the app being launched in Paris in 2016. The documents call into question whether the firm used illegal tactics to dodge restrictions in different countries and gain political support. In one shocking instance, former CEO Travis Kalanick (pictured) is said to have told other leaders: 'Violence guarantee(s) success' In this file photo taken on January 26, 2016 Paris taxi drivers gather during a nation-wide strike by France's 5.6 million-strong civil servants, in Paris, to protest against job cuts, competition from taxi app company Uber and other non-licensed private hire cabs, and for pay rise Culled from 124,000 documents from almost a decade ago, initially obtained by the Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), the revelations are the latest hit for a company dogged by controversy as it exploded into a disruptive force in local transportation. The cache includes unvarnished text and email exchanges between executives, with standouts from co-founder and former chief executive Travis Kalanick, who was forced to resign in 2017 following accusations of brutal management practices and multiple episodes of sexual and psychological harassment at the company. 'Violence guarantee(s) success,' Kalanick messaged other company leaders as he pushed for a counter protest amid sometimes heated demonstrations in Paris in 2016 against Uber's arrival in the market. Uber's rapid expansion leaned on subsidized drivers and discounted fares that undercut the taxi industry, and 'often without seeking licenses to operate as a taxi and livery service,' reported The Washington Post, one of the media outlets involved in the probe. A study of more than 100,000 Uber documents and records show the company employed ethically dubious tactics as it sought to assert early dominance in the ride-share industry In this file photo taken on June 26, 2015, taxis blocks the area of Porte Maillot in west Paris, with drivers furious at what they see as unfair competition from Uber, which puts customers in touch with private drivers at prices lower than those of traditional taxis. Drivers across Europe had faced violent retaliation as taxi drivers felt their livelihoods threatened. The investigation found that 'in some instances, when drivers were attacked, Uber executives pivoted quickly to capitalize' to seek public and regulatory support, the Post said. According to the Guardian, Uber has adopted similar tactics in European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, mobilizing drivers and encouraging them to complain to the police when they were victims of violence, in order to use media coverage to obtain concessions from the authorities. A spokesperson for Kalanick strongly denied the findings as a 'false agenda,' saying he 'never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety.' Uber, however, placed the blame Sunday for previously publicized 'mistakes' made by leadership under Kalanick. 'We've moved from an era of confrontation to one of collaboration, demonstrating a willingness to come to the table and find common ground with former opponents, including labor unions and taxi companies,' it said, noting that his replacement, Dara Khosrowshahi, 'was tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates.' The investigation also accuses Uber of having worked to evade regulatory investigations by leveraging a technological edge, the Post wrote. It described an instance when Kalanick implemented a 'kill switch' to remotely cut off access of devices in an Amsterdam office to Uber's internal systems during a raid by authorities. 'Please hit the kill switch ASAP,' he wrote in an email to an employee. 'Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam).' Kalanick spokesperson Devon Spurgeon said the former chief executive 'never authorized any actions or programs that would obstruct justice in any country.' Kalanick 'did not create, direct or oversee these systems set up by legal and compliance departments and has never been charged in any jurisdiction for obstruction of justice or any related offense,' she said. But the investigation charged that Uber's actions flouted laws and that executives were aware, citing one joking that they had become 'pirates.' In this file photo taken on May 08, 2019 drivers take part in a rally demanding more job security and livable incomes, at Uber and Lyft New York City Headquarters - as the company took advantage of the turmoil in the taxi industry to rally drivers to eventually work for them before expanding worldwide The reports say the files reveal Uber also lobbied governments to aid its expansion, finding in particular an ally in France's Emmanuel Macron, who was economy minister from 2014 to 2016 and is now the country's president. The company believed Macron would encourage regulators 'to be 'less conservative' in their interpretation of rules limiting the company's operations,' the Post said. Macron was an open supporter of Uber and the idea of turning France into a 'start-up nation' in general, but the leaked documents suggest that the minister's support even sometimes clashed with the leftist government's policies. The revelations sparked indignation among leftist politicians, denouncing the Uber-Macron links as against 'all our rules' and 'looting the country.' The Uber Files also say the company cut its tax bill by millions of dollars by sending profits through Bermuda and other tax havens, then 'sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers. In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged 'mistakes in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been 'tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates... When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90 per cent of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.' Uber will resume its ride share service in some major U.S. cities after halting the service in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic It comes after Uber said it would bring back shared rides in some major US cities after pausing the service in March 2020 - the start of the pandemic. The shared rides service, also known as the UberX Share option, is now available in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Indianapolis, and Pittsburgh. More cities will be added in the summer. Lyft also suspended shared rides in March 2020, but it restarted the option for riders in Miami and Philadelphia last year. Uber said it understands the importance of affordability 'in the current economic climate' as the average gas price across the US stood at just under $5 per gallon. The ride-share company said it was attempting to 'chip away' at car ownership - while offering new savings for customers. 'Offering more affordable products isn't just good for customers, it helps build out an ecosystem of affordable, multi-modal transportation,' Uber Senior Vice President of Mobility and Business Operations Andrew Macdonald said in the announcement. UberX Share riders can anticipate an upfront discount for choosing the service and a 20% discount off their ride if their driver picks up a co-worker along the route. To avoid delays, the ride service will only pick up or drop off customers along the same route and will guarantee only an eight minutes later than a regular Uber drive. The company will give drivers the option to opt out of the ride-share service. Masks for passengers remain optional. Steve Bannon is willing to testify before the bombshell January 6 committee. Panel member Rep. Zoe Lofgren said the former adviser to Donald Trump will cooperate despite already being landed with a criminal contempt charge for defying the panel's subpoena. His testimony could be the smoking gun that House lawmakers need to prove that last year's attack on the US Capitol was not an incidental outbreak of violence but rather the 'last stand' by Trump and his allies in their attempt to cling to power. Lofgren told CNN's State of The Union: 'Well, we got the letter around midnight from his lawyer saying that he would testify. And we have wanted him to testify. 'So the committee, of course, has not yet had a chance to discuss it, but I expect that we will be hearing from him. And there are many questions that we have for him.' The California Democrat pointed out that their normal first step for witnesses is a closed-door deposition under oath - which could be a sticking point in negotiations for his testimony. Fellow committee member, Rep. Jamie Raskin, told CBS News' Face The Nation their investigation would make Richard Nixon's Watergate scandal 'look like the work of Cub Scouts'. Rep. Zoe Lofgren said she expects the January 6 committee, of which she is a member, will be 'hearing from' former Trump adviser Steve Bannon "I expect that we will be hearing from him." January 6 committee member @RepZoeLofgren confirms to @jaketapper that former Trump White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is willing to testify, according to a letter from his lawyer. @CNNSotu #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/85BKnb80ra CNN (@CNN) July 10, 2022 In the letter obtained by CNN, Bannon's lawyers specify that he is 'willing to, and indeed prefers' to testify at a public hearing rather than a private interview. 'Ordinarily, we do depositions. This goes on for hour after hour after hour. We want to get all our questions answered. And you can't do that in a live format,' Lofgren said. Bannon had been present at the Willard Hotel the night of January 5 into January 6, when Trump's allies formed a 'war room' to hatch a legal strategy to stop Congress from certifying President Joe Biden's electoral victory the next day. He's believed to have spoken with Trump by phone personally that night. The former Trump adviser's lawyer stated in his letter that Bannon did not have 'a change of posture or of heart' but was rather bound from cooperating via executive privilege from the ex-president. Biden, the current president, had made clear that he would not invoke executive privilege over White House matters in the committee's investigation. But Bannon's attorney also provided a copy of a letter from Trump, in which the former president said to his onetime aide: 'I watched how unfairly you and others have been treated, having to spend vast amounts of money on legal fees, and all of the trauma you must be going through for the love of our Country.' 'Therefore, if you reach an agreement on a time and place for your testimony, I will waive Executive Privilege for you, which allows for you to go in and testify truthfully and fairly, as per the request of the Unselect Committee of political Thugs and Hacks,' Trump wrote. Bannon's lawyer informed the committee that he was willing to testify because Donald Trump had lifted his executive privilege restriction The Select Committee's next hearing will continue the story of Donald Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.@RepRaskin previews Tuesday's hearing: pic.twitter.com/9OZ5u9JDn1 January 6th Committee (@January6thCmte) July 10, 2022 It's possible Bannon could be offering to testify in a bid to soften the Justice Department's case against him ahead of his trial beginning July 18. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail and a fine of anywhere between $100 to $100,000. Bannon is one of two former Trump advisers who the Justice Department charged with contempt of Congress following the House of Representatives' recommendation to do so. Federal prosecutors have not gone after former Trump aide Dan Scavino and ex-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who the House also voted to refer for charges. Maryland Democratic lawmaker Raskin was less forthcoming than Lofgren when asked about the possibility of Bannon's testimony. 'I understand from reports today, he's had a change of heart, and after watching, presumably, all of these people come forward, including Cassidy Hutchinson he's decided that he wants to come in,' Raskin said. 'And if he wants to come in, I'm certain that the committee would be very interested in hearing from him.' Asked about what Americans will be left with after the final two hearings the committee is expecting to put on, he said: 'The attempt to overthrow the result of a presidential election through a political coup, and the mobilization of an armed violent mob cannot really be compared to anything else a president has done.' 'It makes the Watergate break-in look like the work of Cub Scouts.' Most Whitehall departments are still more than a third empty despite a major drive by ministers to get staff back to their desks. Latest official figures show 12 of the 19 main government departments were less than 67 per cent occupied at the start of the month as thousands of civil servants continue to work from home. The Foreign Offices building in King Charles Street was the quietest with just four in ten officials present, despite their crucial role in imposing sanctions on Russia and trying to fix the Brexit deal. The figures come despite senior ministers fighting to end the WFH culture that took hold during lockdown. The Foreign Office's King Charles Street building is pictured above The Home Office, responsible for the Governments policy to deport migrants to Rwanda, was just half full (51 per cent occupied). HMRC was little better at 53 per cent amid growing complaints over how long tax officials are taking to answer phones. Only two HQs were more than three-quarters full in the week commencing June 27 the Department for Trade (79 per cent) and the Ministry of Defence (80 per cent). Former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith told the Daily Mail: They need to get back to work. Theres no excuse. The figures come despite senior ministers fighting to end the WFH culture that took hold during lockdown. Cabinet Office minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who drew up the HQ occupancy league table, took to patrolling buildings and leaving notes on empty desks. But as the Mail has revealed, dozens of government bodies have quietly agreed to hybrid working policies this year that only require staff to be present two days a week. At a recent grilling by MPs, head of the Civil Service Simon Case admitted: It is vital we make best use of taxpayers money. But he also added: Hybrid working has been part of the way the Civil Service works for a decade. A government spokesman said: The number of civil servants working from offices is increasing across Whitehall. However, there is more to do. Two armed Los Angeles muggers pistol whipped a husband and wife in a supermarket parking lot in broad daylight to steal the man's $60,000 Rolex watch. The video shows two men in black hoodies and gray sweatpants wrestling a man and a woman to the ground in a parking lot in broad daylight as the woman could be heard screaming for help. Officials with the Walnut Sheriff's Station say the incident occurred just after noon on Saturday at the 99 Ranch Market on Nogales Avenue in Rowland Heights. The couple was unloading groceries into their car at the time, authorities say, when the unidentified men ran up to them and demanded the man's $60,000 Rolex watch. Before he could respond, authorities say, one of the suspects pistol-whipped him and knocked him to the ground. The second suspect then pistol whipped the woman he was with, and footage from the aftermath showed the two victims still on the ground daubing their heads. Walnut Sheriff's Station deputies say two men wearing black sweaters and gray sweatpants pistol-whipped a man and a woman loading groceries into their car on Saturday The two unidentified men could be seen in surveillance footage forcing a woman to the ground before they made off with the man's $60,000 Rolex watch Authorities say the men pistol-whipped the victim before he even had a chance to respond Video from the aftermath show the man and woman daubing their heads outside of their car at the 99 Ranch Market on Nogales Avenue in Rowland Heights Once they were both injured on the ground, the two men grabbed the watch and took off in a white Dodge Challenger with paper license plates. They are described as two men between the ages of 25 to 30 years old, who were reportedly armed with semi-automatic handguns. The men may have also been involved in other robberies in the area, ABC 7 reports, and the Walnut Sheriff's Station is now working in conjunction with the Temple Sheriff's Station, which has received reports of similar incidents. Crime has spiked in the City of Angels and its woke District Attorney is now almost certain to face a recall election for his soft policies. Last week, activists submitted 717,000 signatures to force a recall vote - well over the 566,857 required by the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters. They submitted more than necessary to try and make up for any ballots that are rejected. 'LA, you have made your voices heard,' a campaign activist wrote on Twitter. 'Together, we're going to force George Gascon to face the voters.' Recall activists hope to put the option to recall Gascon on the November ballot, and he is likely to face the same fate as woke former San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin, who was kicked out of his post last month over a crime spike blamed on similar policies. The deadline for supporters of the recall to turn in their ballots was July 6. The brazen theft comes as woke District Attorney George Gascon (pictured at a news conference last month) faces a recall effort as critics blame him for a rise in crime with his soft-on-crime policies According to the Los Angeles Police Department, property crimes like the one involving the couple at the grocery store are up 13.6 percent from last year, with personal thefts up 16.6 percent. Meanwhile, violent crimes are up 8.2 percent overall According to the Los Angeles Police Department, property crimes like the one involving the couple at the grocery store are up 13.6 percent from last year, with personal thefts up 16.6 percent. Burglaries are also up 15.3 percent and motor vehicle thefts are up 14.7 percent. Meanwhile, violent crimes are up 8.2 percent, with robberies up 20.8 percent over last year and aggravated assaults up 5 percent. Late last month, a group of 11 thugs were recorded smashing their way into a Manhattan Beach jewelry store, and breaking display cases cases with hammers. After about 12 seconds, the robbers, clad in ski masks and predominantly wearing dark clothing, are seen on surveillance footage beginning to make their exit one-by-one. The group sprints across the street and in to three waiting cars. One of the group appears to drop something and stops to pick it up before getting to his car. The value of the goods they ran away with remains unclear, and no arrests have yet been made in the case. Late last month, a group of 11 thugs were recorded smashing their way into a Manhattan Beach jewelry store, and breaking display cases cases with hammers After about 12 seconds, the robbers, clad in ski masks and predominantly wearing dark clothing, are seen on surveillance footage beginning to make their exit one-by-one Now many in Los Angeles are forcing a recall of its woke District Attorney George Gascon, who they blame for the rising crime. He came into office in 2020 rolling back sentencing enhancements that kept convicted criminals behind bars for longer periods of time and prohibited minor from being charged as adults. Since then, convicted prisoners have been recorded telling their loved ones over the phone that their sentences were reduced, referring to Gascon as a 'homie.' And recently, Deputy District Attorney Shea Sanna claimed the 68-year-old District Attorney is a 'criminal's champ' who neglects the need for 'public safety' and residents' feelings with his woke policy. Sanna also claimed Gascon has made it difficult for their office to do their job because 'as soon as we catch a perpetrator, we have to release them.' Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva also claimed Gascon dismissed more than 13,000 cases from his office since 2020 because they 'don't conform to his special directives.' 'He showed up like Moses with his 10 Commandments, with his tablets, and said: "Here's my special orders, take 'em or take 'em,'' Villanueva previously told Fox News. 'That does not promote a good working relationship.' Australians returning from Bali could soon be given footbaths in a bid to stop them from bringing the dangerous foot and mouth disease back to the country. Travellers could also be subjected to bag screening and ramped-up luggage checks at security checkpoints. Deputy premier Paul Toole and agriculture minister Dugald Saunders pushed for the changes in a letter written to agriculture minister Murray Watt on Friday. Foot and mouth disease is spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which had been outbreak-free for 32 years, raising fears of an outbreak in Australia. Australians returning from Bali could soon be given footbaths in a bid to stop them from bringing back the dangerous foot and mouth disease to the country (stock image) Foot and mouth disease is spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which had been outbreak-free for 32 years, raising fears of an outbreak in Australia (pictured, animal health officer inspects cow in Tangerang, Java) As of Sunday, more than 336,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces, largely on the most populated islands of Java and Sumatra. 'There are 103 flights a week going to Bali,' Mr Saunders told Daily Telegraph. 'We are asking for increased luggage surveillance, for every person coming back from Bali to have their luggage check (and) decontamination of shoes.' Mr Saunders suggested footbaths could be given to travellers before they board their flights to Australia or when they return to Australian airports. He said authorities should also decontaminate shoes that had been worn while in Bali and packed into suitcases. '(The risk is) someone who has been out for a bike ride and has picked up some mud or cow poo on their shoes and never even thought about it,' he said. Mr Saunders warned an outbreak of FMD would devastate the Australian economy. The UK had experienced an outbreak of the disease back in 2001, which cost the economy $13 billion and forced six million animals to be put down. Biosecurity officers have already begun boarding planes arriving from Indonesia as authorities try to stop the highly contagious disease from entering the country. The measure started last Thursday, two days after Indonesian authorities confirmed the livestock disease was detected in the popular holiday destination of Bali. 'One hundred per cent of travellers arriving from Indonesia will now be assessed against biosecurity risk profiles and receive some form of intervention,' Australia's chief vet Mark Schipp said. Travellers could also be subjected to bag screening and ramped up luggage checks at security checkpoints (pictured, tourists in Bali) Biosecurity officers have already begun boarding planes arriving from Indonesia as authorities try to stop the highly contagious disease from entering the country (pictured, medical team dressed in HAZMAT suits in Indonesia) 'That might be they have their luggage X-rayed, they might be interviewed by a biosecurity officer.' Dr Schipp said the virus's spread to Bali was not unexpected but disappointing. Other measures include detector dogs at Darwin and Cairns airports. Dr Schipp said there were issues to work through regarding foot dips because of the chemicals used. 'They are very potent chemicals. You can't get them on your skin, and a lot of passengers coming back from Bali, for example, are not wearing boots.' Dr Schipp was hopeful the announced measures would stop FMD reaching Australia. British spies were yesterday accused of handing a gift to Chinese agents and putting national security at risk by bragging about classified work on LinkedIn. Military counter-intelligence officers and GCHQ analysts are among more than 1,000 to make themselves potential targets by disclosing their status in a breach of government guidelines, a Daily Mail investigation reveals. Workers who pass developed vetting background checks on finances, family, and sexual history can receive access to information marked as Top Secret. Military counter-intelligence officers and GCHQ analysts are among more than 1,000 to make themselves potential targets by disclosing their status in a breach of government guidelines, a Daily Mail investigation reveals. A file photo is used above The classification applies to material with the potential to damage national security, cause widespread loss of life and cripple the economy. It comes as MI5 director general Ken McCallum warned last week of the breathtaking threat from China, whose interference in Britain has seen spy investigations rise seven-fold. He also flagged the risks of sites such as LinkedIn which are being used to target Government officials, businesses and academics. A Mail audit discovered enemy operatives had a ready supply of easy targets, with 1,242 UK workers sharing their developed vetting status on LinkedIn. These included: An ex-RAF communications specialist who provided top-secret briefings for GCHQ, MI6, and Nato; A senior manager for the Navys T-26 Global Warship Programme, which is building a frigate designed to hunt down Russian nuclear submarines; A test pilot for the F-35B fighter jet, which is Britains primary strike aircraft for the next three decades; A missile engineer who openly boasted about signing the Official Secrets Act. The Mail discovered the pages from searches of open LinkedIn pages available to anyone around the world. While there are fears about Russian espionage, security services are most concerned about Chinese activity. Mr McCallum said MI5 has doubled its capacity to combat Beijings spies and warned it will have to grow as much again to stop China stealing the crown jewels from UK businesses and institutions. He said MI5 was investigating 100 intelligence leads from an app launched in May to thwart foreign spies using online sites to recruit government officials, businesses and academics. The Think Before You Link app helps potential targets to do their own digital due diligence checks before accepting unknown contacts online. Professor Anthony Glees, an intelligence expert at the University of Buckingham, said the revelations were shocking and branded LinkedIn one of the single gravest threats to national security right now. He added: If I were working in Russian military intelligence, Id be leveraging everything I could to learn more about things like Britains drone and anti-air missile programmes. LinkedIn would be an obvious first step, as it helps you track down the people who know those programmes intimately. These people are freely and foolishly disclosing their expertise to our enemies. It comes as MI5 director general Ken McCallum warned last week of the breathtaking threat from China, whose interference in Britain has seen spy investigations rise seven-fold. He also flagged the risks of sites such as LinkedIn which are being used to target Government officials, businesses and academics. A file photo is used above One profile belonged to a senior officer attached to the 16 Air Assault Brigade, an elite unit believed to be on standby in case troops are sent to join the Ukrainian war effort. He said he was searching for a new role that plays to my strengths in research, analysis, communication and leadership either in the UK or Germany. Another was a telecoms expert responsible for delivering into service the British Armys future generation of electronic surveillance platforms. Others were a network engineer who helped implement the Ministry of Defences cybersecurity measures and a naval officer overseeing a 300million signals intelligence programme. The Mail also used LinkedIn to identify 14 members of the MoD unit working around the clock to give the Ukrainian army real-time updates on Russias invasion. They included an expert in drone surveillance, a cybersecurity specialist, and an artificial intelligence developer. Several profiles had links to online CVs with mobile numbers and postal addresses, which ex-military intelligence colonel Philip Ingram described as an open goal for spies. He said: Advertising your access to state secrets is idiotic. I once had a Chinese spy try to turn me into an asset on LinkedIn by posing as a businessman who needed me to write a paper on counter-terrorism and security. The goal was to establish a relationship and eventually ask for more sensitive information. I was able to identify what was happening because Ive had the benefit of years working in counter-intelligence. Thats not a luxury many people have. You wouldnt tell a stranger in a supermarket your home address, phone number, and security clearance status, so why would you do it online? A government spokesman said: We do not comment on individuals security clearance. A prominent radical race campaigner is helping to draw up guidance on free speech for Oxford University. Simukai Chigudu, co-founder of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, has been contributing to a framework for colleges to adopt. The associate professor of African politics has previously called for decolonising the curriculum and tearing down the statue of the imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College. In a meeting, he claimed that free speech arguments are abused to preserve existing power structures. The framework is being created by an Oxford Free Speech Forum, understood to involve five colleges, including Brasenose, Somerville, Magdalen and Mansfield. Simukai Chigudu (pictured), co-founder of the Rhodes Must Fall movement, has been contributing to a framework for colleges to adopt Its chairman is David Isaac, provost of Worcester College, who recently came under fire over the cancellation of a Christian conference. The forum aims to provide advice on how academics and students should interpret and act upon the Governments Free Speech Bill, currently going through Parliament. The Bill aims to crack down on censorship and cancel culture on campuses. The forum wants to respectfully tackle difficult decisions about issues like race, disability, and trans rights, according to organisers. The guidance will be adopted by colleges on a voluntary basis and will not replace the official university policy on free speech. However, one student who attended forum meetings called them sinister and backwards. They said at the weekend: This project has not been created transparently or democratically ... Guidance is a by-word for restrictions, even if unintended. Its chairman is David Isaac (above), provost of Worcester College, who recently came under fire over the cancellation of a Christian conference In a recording of a meeting leaked to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Isaac can be heard telling attendees that he did not recognise the description of Left-leaning universities as places where people are no-platformed and difficult discussions avoided. I dont believe, speaking very personally, that freedom of speech needs to be imposed upon universities, he added in apparent reference to the new legislation. Meanwhile, Professor Chigudu told the forum in March that free speech can be Janus-faced and can often act to preserve existing power structures. Mr Isaac was previously chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), and of LGBT rights group Stonewall. The associate professor of African politics has previously called for decolonising the curriculum and tearing down the statue of the imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College He left Stonewall in 2012, three years before the charity became trans inclusive, and before it began to be accused of shutting down debate on that issue. Upon taking his role at Worcester, he was criticised for apologising to students for distress caused by hosting a Christian Concern summer camp and cancelling a provisional booking for this year. Helen Mountfield, president of Mansfield College, said: The aim of the event held in March, and student-led initiatives thereafter, was to promote free speech, and to encourage confident and courteous discussion of controversial and sensitive ideas. Professor Chigudu and Mr Isaac did not respond to requests for comment last night. The Church of England has admitted it does not have a definition of the word woman. A bishop said yesterday that the meaning of the word used to be self-evident. But he added that there are now complexities associated with gender identity which a church project about sexuality and relationships is exploring. The admission, in an official report prepared for the gathering of its governing body this weekend, stirred criticism last night. It comes despite Anglicanism continuing to oppose same-sex weddings and only recently allowing women to be bishops. Pictured: Canterbury Cathedral. A Church of England bishop said the church had no definition for a woman at a meeting of the General Synod last week Campaigner Maya Forstater said: When the Government redefined women through the Gender Recognition Act, the Church of England could have stuck with its long-established understanding, which makes sense whether your starting point is biology or the Bible. 'It is shocking that they so readily gave up the definition of man or woman for the state to amend, as if this fundamental truth did not matter. And Rev Angela Berners-Wilson, who in 1994 became the first woman ordained as an Anglican priest, told The Telegraph: Im not totally happy with it. I mean, I do think certain things like men cant have babies, just to say the complete obvious thing. But she added: But I think we need to be very sensitive and maybe we need to re-examine our boundaries. It comes after months in which the definition of the word woman has gripped politics. Several Labour MPs refused to define it, while leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was wrong to claim that only women could have a cervix. By contrast, Cabinet ministers have been clear that biology defines women and that anyone born male should not compete against women in sport. The church was put on the spot in one of almost 200 questions submitted to its parliament, the General Synod, in York this weekend. Adam Kendry, a lay member from the Armed Forces, asked simply: What is the Church of Englands definition of a woman? Rt Rev Robert Innes, the Bishop in Europe, replied: There is no official definition, which reflects the fact that until fairly recently definitions of this kind were thought to be self-evident, as reflected in the marriage liturgy. He added that the church has begun to explore the complexities associated with gender identity . Jayne Ozanne, who sat on the Governments LGBT+ advisory panel, said Mr Kendrys question was passive aggressive... designed to upset the LGBT+ community. It is not the first time the Church has come under fire for its stance on gender. In 2019 thousands of clergy objected to guidance for a new type of baptism service to allow transgender Christians to celebrate their new identities. Korean Air flight 9956 makes an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, due to an engine defect less than two hours after its departure from Istanbul, July 9 (local time). Yonhap By Kim Hyun-bin A Korean Air passenger plane flying from Istanbul to Incheon International Airport made an emergency landing in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, due to a defect in one of its engines, the carrier said, Sunday. "Korean Air flight KE9956 (A330-200), which departed from Istanbul International Airport at 6:25 p.m. on Saturday (local time), had to make an emergency landing at Haidar Aliyev Airport in Baku about 90 minutes after takeoff. The flight was scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, but was forced to land at Baku airport, the nearest runway, after an engine defect message came up," Korean Air said. Korean Air explained that technically, even if one engine fails, the aircraft can fly for three hours, and that the passenger plane landed within two hours after the defect was detected, according to safety procedures. The sun was shining in the west, it was shining all over the Cotswolds, it was shining on the good people of Chadlington and also on the bad people of Chadlington; the ones who had objected to Jeremy Clarksons plans to build a new restaurant on his 1,000-acre Diddly Squat farm next to their picture-perfect village in Oxfordshire. It was shining on the parched hills and in the golden meadows, where cornflowers and oxeye daisies bloomed together. It splashed like butterscotch on the Diddly Squat farm shop, where customers essentially car fans, said a shop assistant were queuing for more than an hour in the 82f heat of a summer Sunday to buy a box of Jeremys fudge, or a Jeremy chopping board, or some Jeremy apple juice, which incidentally is one of the few things sold in Jeremys shop that is actually produced on Jeremys farm. Honestly. You have no idea what an utter cult Jeremy Clarkson is until you visit his Diddly Squat empire and see it with your own goggling eyes. For queues of seven hours are not unknown at the Diddly Squat shop, and the girl on the till recalled one recent customer spending more than 350. The sun was shining in the west, it was shining all over the Cotswolds, it was shining on the good people of Chadlington and also on the bad people of Chadlington: Pictured: Jeremy Clarkson and his girlfriend, Lisa Hogan On what? Just . . . stuff, she said, gesturing towards the shelves crammed with bacon, cheese and scotch eggs and pricy Diddly Squat merchandising, including Jeremys infamous This Smells Like My B****cks candle (22), launched in homage to Gwyneth Paltrows vagina-scented variety. I open the candle lid to have a sniff; oakmoss and leather, what a relief. The man in front of me, accompanied by his wife and tiny baby, buys 70 worth of goods, including Jeremys bestselling Diddly Squat book, a wooden bottle opener and some Bee Juice (honey), although no Cow Juice (milk) and his wife was keen to point out why. Because weve got lots of Mummy Juice of our own, havent we, darling? she says to her baby. To distract myself from this horror, I buy a small jar of honey for 12.80. Can I have a receipt please, I ask the till girl, wondering if it was Beyonce herself who collected the pollen, because thats the only thing I can think of that might justify the price. We dont do receipts, she replies, sweetly. Ill bet you dont, I think. Meanwhile, outside, the queue for the shop has grown. But I move on, keen to inspect the latest chapter in the Diddly Squat story its new all-beef, no-choice bucolic outdoor restaurant, opened after Clarkson found a planning loophole when he was originally denied permission. There are pretty tables outside, but we are lunching in a little VIP room for four which Clarksons girlfriend, Lisa Hogan, has decorated with rustic charm I wander over to the reception desk a wooden stand in a field to claim my table for lunch. There, a grown woman is crying because she has just been told that the restaurant is full and, with no reservation, they cannot accommodate her. She sits down on a hay bale and bawls her eyes out, properly sobbing. Perhaps she has come a long way? One shop customer drove seven hours from Lowestoft, bought three pints of milk, one box of fudge and two lamb pies and drove back again. Is everyone around here completely insane? One couple have driven up and back from Bodmin three times to have a cup of tea and take selfies by the shops famous road sign. Its like Las Vegas to us, they say, adding: We love Jeremy. Who doesnt? Even the Duchess of Cornwall counts him as a friend and describes Clarkson as a countryside champion because he makes the public realise the difficulties of farming. That is true, but there is also a part of me that thinks in reality Clarkson is to farming what Mr Kipling is to cakes. Yes, he is a hands-on gentleman farmer who works hard, but in the end the richest and biggest crop that he harvests is himself and his fame. And surely the principal purpose of the new restaurant is to provide another stream of content for his smash-hit Amazon show, Clarksons Farm. Certainly, it is a financial investment beyond the pocket of most British farmers. But what is it like, I hear you cry! Situated in an old sheep hut made of honey stone, with a corrugated plastic roof, the restaurant looks over the rolling acres of Jeremys farm. Chef Pip Lacey is in charge of the kitchen and the menu offers no choice just beef, beef or more beef, although you dont know what part of the cow you are getting. It might be tongue, it might be fillet steak, says Jeremy. To be kept guessing, however, is not quite the same as being thrilled. The biggest thrill, in fact, is that Kaleb Cooper himself I love Kaleb! who is one of the farm workers and stars of the show, piles the guests into a trailer hitched to the famous Lamborghini tractor and drives us down to the restaurant. I hope you are hungry, he cries. There are pretty tables outside, but we are lunching in a little VIP room for four which Clarksons girlfriend, Lisa Hogan, has decorated with rustic charm; there is a jug of sweet peas, a red gingham tablecloth and mismatched blue and white crockery. Situated in an old sheep hut made of honey stone, with a corrugated plastic roof, the restaurant looks over the rolling acres of Jeremys farm If it feels a little like a television set, that is because it is filming for Clarksons next series is in full swing as crews move between the diners. At one point the great man appears, roaring up in a Land Rover with blacked-out windows, and does a piece to camera before roaring off again. On screen and in person, he says it is all about the beef and he is right. On Clarksons Farm, Britains unlikeliest farmer presents himself as a man of the cattle; a beef baron, the sheikh of steak who makes no concession for vegetarians in his catering outlets. Thats all very well, but here is my beef why isnt that beef better? There is lots to love about the restaurant: the location is superb, the view is lovely and so are the staff. Given that I am in a restaurant on a beef-producing farm on their second day of service, I had expected something magnificent for Sunday lunch: a rib roast or roast sirloin perhaps. But we are served a cut called topside. Its OK, but can I be honest? Its a bit pub chain. Given that I am in a restaurant on a beef-producing farm on their second day of service, I had expected something magnificent for Sunday lunch: a rib roast or roast sirloin perhaps. But we are served a cut called topside. Its OK, but can I be honest? Its a bit pub chain Meanwhile, a starter of steak tartare was assembled with a chopped mixture of rump, skirt and fillet steak, instead of being 100 per cent fillet, which is standard They are an organised kitchen who know what they are doing but its just too overpriced for comfort, starting at 49 per head Pudding was strawberries and ice cream with honey featuring one strawberry cut in half. Add this to the shopping experience and it all leaves you feeling rather like a Clarkson sheep in spring: fleeced The day before, the main course was steak or beef sausages. Meanwhile, a starter of steak tartare was assembled with a chopped mixture of rump, skirt and fillet steak, instead of being 100 per cent fillet, which is standard. We do that because the mix has a better flavour, explains one of the chefs. But you wouldnt have to, if you used premium fillet in the first place. They are an organised kitchen who know what they are doing but its just too overpriced for comfort, starting at 49 per head. Pudding was strawberries and ice cream with honey featuring one strawberry cut in half. Add this to the shopping experience and it all leaves you feeling rather like a Clarkson sheep in spring: fleeced. After lunch we get back in the trailer and trundle through the field once more. When we reach the shop, Kaleb switches off the tractor, comes round to the side of the trailer and holds out a paper cup for tips. Never mind the mummy juice, single-digit soft fruit, smarmy Jeremy worship and chewy tartare somehow that was the worst thing of all. Years before she ventured on to the political stage, Penny Mordaunt trod the boards as a magician's assistant. Does the Tory leadership hopeful remember any of the tricks taught to her as a teenager by her former employer, legendary conjurer Will Ayling the author of such handy volumes as The Art Of Illusion and Knowing The Ropes? This week, as she threw her hat into the ring in the race for the Conservative leadership, the 49-year-old MP for Portsmouth North certainly appeared to be tying herself in knots over the issue of trans rights. For while the Trade Minister has emerged as a favourite to become Britain's next prime minister, her detractors are concerned she is simply too 'woke' to appeal to the old school party faithful, pointing the finger at previous comments she made that 'trans men are men and trans women are women'. Does the Tory leadership hopeful remember any of the tricks taught to her as a teenager by her former employer, legendary conjurer Will Ayling the author of such handy volumes as The Art Of Illusion and Knowing The Ropes? A senior Tory source told the Daily Mail last night that Mordaunt's stance in 2018 when she was Minister for Women and Equalities was 'of concern' because her earlier comments had been repeated 'mantra like' by trans activists while those who dared to disagree, including author J K Rowling and feminist activist Julie Bindel, have been vilified online. He added that 'whether through instinct or genuine conviction,' it was an issue where 'Penny Mordaunt has gone badly wrong'. In the early hours of Sunday morning, Mordaunt hit back via Twitter at those who 'want to damage my reputation for whatever reason', insisting that she had 'fought for women's rights all my life'. She pointed out she had 'changed maternity legislation that was drafted in gender neutral language', swapping the phrase 'pregnant people' for 'pregnant mothers' and 'defended free speech on these issues'. In a determined bid to clarify her position further, she added: 'I am biologically a woman. If I have a hysterectomy or a mastectomy, I am still a woman. And I am legally a woman. Some people born male and who have been through the gender recognition process are also legally female. That does not mean they are biological women, like me.' As if that wasn't knotty enough, Mordaunt's version of events has come under fire from some sources in Whitehall who insist that she fiercely resisted the change in wording from 'people' to 'mothers' in a bid not to offend the trans lobby and only 'caved-in' under pressure. One Senior Whitehall source was reported to have said: 'The way she's trying to rewrite history to suit her is despicable.' Mordaunt, however, is standing firm. Hardly surprising, perhaps, given she is the daughter of a former paratrooper and named after the Leander-class frigate HMS Penelope although her latest comments risk putting her at odds with her twin brother James. Born in Torquay, Devon, in 1973, Mordaunt moved to the Hampshire naval port city as a child. She was educated to A-level at a local comprehensive Oaklands Roman Catholic School Academy in Waterlooville A gay activist and self-proclaimed 'trans ally', while he has been supportive of his sister, he's no fan of the Tory party. Earlier this year, the Virgin Atlantic steward and avid body builder described it as 'homophobic, transphobic' as well as 'complicit in anti-LGBT bigotry'. And posting on Twitter yesterday, where he has 50,000 followers, he wrote: 'Trans rights are human rights no ifs, no buts. LGBTQI+ rights are being eroded on a daily basis in the UK right now.' But as a former Royal Naval reservist and now an honorary Royal Naval Commander, Mordaunt knows better than most how to weather all kinds of storms. The MP of 12 years tweeted yesterday: 'Some want to damage my reputation for whatever reason. They want to depict me as 'woke'. I was elected by the no-nonsense, down-to-earth people of Portsmouth North. I refer you to their judgment.' Born in Torquay, Devon, in 1973, Mordaunt moved to the Hampshire naval port city as a child. She was educated to A-level at a local comprehensive Oaklands Roman Catholic School Academy in Waterlooville. Her childhood was marred by heartache; her special needs teacher mother died of breast cancer when she was just 15. She took on much of the responsibility for caring for her youngest brother Edward, five years her junior. After spending a gap year working in Romanian hospitals and orphanages and at a local factory, she was the first in her family to get a degree, studying philosophy at the University of Reading where she became president of the student's union. After graduating in 1995, she embarked on a career in public relations, working for the Big Lottery Fund and Diabetes UK as well as becoming head of foreign press for George W Bush's presidential campaign before forging her reputation within the Tory party. Mordaunt's lack of elitist baggage is regarded by many as her greatest asset. Sticking to a nautical theme as she launched her 'PM4PM' bid to become leader with a slick and highly patriotic video at the weekend, she stated: 'It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.' Brexiteer Mordaunt's high-flying political career saw her become the first woman to fill the position of Minister of State for the Armed Forces in 2015. The following year she was made Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work. In 2017, she entered the cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development and subsequently became the first female Secretary of State for Defence. In 2014, she hit the headlines after revealing she had said 'c***' in a Commons speech several times as part of a dare with her Navy colleagues. The same year, the woman named 2011's 'sexiest female MP' appeared in Tom Daley's Saturday night diving show Splash!, donating her 10,000 appearance fee to the renovation of her local lido and to Armed Forces charities. She has since moaned about newspapers using photographs of her in her swimming costume, saying: 'I'm used to being patronised and misrepresented.' Back when her magician boss was sawing her in half, Mordaunt was always able by the end of each jaw-dropping performance to reappear miraculously in one piece. Whether or not she still has the magic touch remains to be seen, but if the past is anything to go by, she'll certainly put up a fight. Pennys Pistorius gaffe By Martin Beckford for the Daily Mail Penny Mordaunt was yesterday forced to edit her campaign launching video amid unfortunate gaffes in the first version. The initial promotional video the junior trade minister posted online contained footage of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius while a Paralympic athlete who also featured demanded he be removed. She posted it on Twitter, writing: Our leadership has to change. It needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship. An edited version was later uploaded which did not feature the Paralympic race. Miss Mordaunt also yesterday tried to clarify her views on trans issues amid fears her liberal stance could cost her the Tory leadership. The junior trade minister was forced on the defensive after critics highlighted that she had once said trans women are women in the Commons. On social media on Saturday, before she had declared she was running to succeed Boris Johnson, she announced she wanted to address the question do I know what a woman is? Penny Mordaunt was yesterday forced to edit her campaign launching video amid unfortunate gaffes in the first version. The initial promotional video the junior trade minister posted online contained footage of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius Yes I do. I am a woman, she wrote, adding: Some people born male and who have been through the gender recognition process are also legally female. That DOES NOT mean they are biological women. The MP for Portsmouth North cited her record as former minister for women and equalities including setting up an inquiry into the volume of girls referred into trans services. Yesterday Miss Mordaunt posted a three-minute video full of images of the Union flag as well as British icons such as Spitfires and Captain Sir Tom with the hymn I Vow To Thee, My Country as the soundtrack. A clip from the 100m final at the 2012 London Paralympics showed Pistorius, the South African blade runner who was later jailed for killing his partner, and British athlete Jonnie Peacock. But the winning sprinter replied to Miss Mordaunt on Twitter: I officially request to be removed from this video. Anything but blue please. Despite the controversy, she received the support of senior Tories including Andrea Leadsom. Three people are being questioned about the suspicious death of a man whose body was found near a train station in inner Brisbane. The man's body was found at the Valley Metro food court above the Fortitude Valley train station at about 4am on Monday. Queensland Police are questioning three people about the death and have cordoned off the area as they investigate. The man's body was found at the Valley Metro food court above the Fortitude Valley train station in Brisbane at about 4am on Monday Police are seen speaking to a member of the public at the scene in Fortitude Valley on Monday It's understood an altercation kicked off between two groups early on Monday morning leaving one man with critical injuries, Nine News reported. One man believed to be the victim's father was at the scene before he was escorted away, the Courier Mail reported. The death is being treated as suspicious while three people are being questioned Train services are expected to operate as usual while a swarm of police officers remain at the scene. Police have cordoned off the Valley Metro shopping mall with residents told to use the back entrance. Investigations are continuing. More to come A 16-year-old boy has died after getting into difficulty in the water filling an abandoned quarry in Wigan. The teenager went into the water yesterday, at Dawber Delph, Appley Bridge, with emergency crews recovering his body following a search. Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service were called out alongside police and ambulance crews to search for the boy in the water. He was pronounced dead soon afterwards, with his next of kin informed. Emergency crews recovered the body of a 16-year-old boy from Dawber Delph, Appley Bridge A spokesperson for Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service said: 'Three fire engines, a boat and the drone team were deployed. 'Tragically the casualty died at the scene. Our thoughts are with their loved ones.' The teenager's death is not being treated by police as suspicious, with a file due to be passed on to the coroner. On social media, people expressed their sympathies for the boy's family. 'This is just so awful and sad. Deepest sympathy to his family,' one person wrote. The boy got into difficulty while in the water filling an abandoned quarry in Wigan Another added: 'Rest in peace young man, thoughts are with his family at this heartbreaking time.' 'So sad, heartbreaking for his family and friends,' another person wrote. In 2015, Miracle Godson, a promising 13-year-old rugby player died after entering the quarry's waters and getting into difficulty. Craig Croston, 17, drowned at the quarry in 1999. A man has been shot dead while a gunman is on the run following a shooting in Melbourne's south-east. Emergency services were called to a house on Corrigan Road in Noble Park at 6am on Monday. The gunman was reportedly seen fleeing the area on foot. A man has been shot dead while a gunman is on the run following a shooting in Melbourne 's south-east Emergency services were called to a house on Corrigan Road in Noble Park at 6am on Monday Police have closed off Corrigan Road between Lightwood and Kelvinside roads. VicTraffic warned drivers to use alternative routes on their morning commute. 'Follow the direction of emergency services,' VicTraffic wrote on Twitter. 'Avoid the area by using Springvale Road or Chandler Road instead.' The Dog Squad has been deployed to assist officers in their search for the gunman. It is the latest shooting to rock Melbourne in recent weeks after ex-Mongols bikie and kickboxer Suleiman 'Sam' Abdulrahim was gunned down in Fawkner on June 25. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The Dog Squad has been deployed to assist officers in their search for the gunman Police have closed off Corrigan Road between Lightwood and Kelvinside roads Chelsea are to hold further talks regarding Armando Broja's next move following enquiries from Everton, West Ham and Newcastle United. The Albanian striker is not scheduled to link up with Chelsea's squad in USA until next week which will allow time for further talks. Chelsea owner Todd Boehly held a meeting with Broja's representatives last week and another took place on Wednesday. Chelsea are set to hold talks this week regarding the future of striker Armando Broja It was only recently that Everton and West Ham formally registered their interest in the Chelsea striker. The two clubs are understood to have made official contact to indicate their desire to sign the Albanian frontman permanently this summer. Broja, 20, is a wanted man after impressing while on loan at Southampton last season. Newcastle have also been linked with 30m-rated Broja. The Albanian enjoyed an impressive loan campaign with Southampton last season However, the Blues are still weighing up plans for Broja for the coming season. Manager Thomas Tuchel and new co-owner Todd Boehly's transfer window business will have a natural cascade effect for the rest of the Chelsea squad. Chelsea's recruitment in attack and defence will have a bearing on Broja, so the Blues would be forgiven for wanting to secure additions before making final calls on their home grown pair. Tuchel and Boehly will know they can ill afford such luxury however, with the decisions seemingly a balance for both club and players. Paul Pogba wagged his finger and said 'no' after a fan asked him to sign a Manchester United shirt. The midfielder was in Turin for a medical as he finalises a return to Juventus after leaving Old Trafford as a free agent for a second time. The 29-year-old was mobbed by fans as he arrived at Juventus HQ to undergo his medical on Saturday, Paul Pogba wouldn't sign a Manchester United shirt on his arrival in Turin on Saturday The 29-year-old midfielder left Old Trafford as a free agent for a second time this summer Pogba rifiuta di firmare la maglia dello UTD pic.twitter.com/3hJkfZRdRa Average Juventino Guy (@AJG_Official) July 9, 2022 Pogba signed autographs for fans, but he wouldn't sign a Manchester United shirt. When the United shirt was thrust at him, Pogba cheekily wagged his finger and refused to sign it. Having flown into the city on Friday, Pogba underwent medical tests on Saturday morning and was greeted by thousands of Juventus fans delighted to see the midfielder return. Pogba took in all of the adulation upon his return to the city he left six years ago for United The Frenchman departed Juventus in 2016 for Manchester United in a deal that was worth 89million. However, he failed to deliver on his price tag and returns to Juventus with something to prove. There appeared to be little animosity between Juventus fans and the player over his departure in 2016, with many clearly delighted that the France international was returning to north Italy. Arriving at the JMedical centre in Turin, Pogba was driven in a club-issue Jeep with fans adorning the side of the road all trying to catch a glimpse of the returning Frenchman. After stepping out of the car, Pogba took the adulation in before carrying out his medical tests. Greeting the fans with both arms aloft, Pogba appeared a far cry from the man who was booed off in a number games for Manchester United at the back end of last season. Manchester City are set to enter the race for highly-rated Sevilla defender Jules Kounde but any deal for the France international could be dependent on Chelsea landing their other transfer targets this summer. City boss Pep Guardiola is an admirer of Kounde and would be tempted to move for the 23-year-old according to Mundo Deportivo. Chelsea and Barcelona have also been long-term suitors of the Frenchman with the west London side coming close to acquiring Kounde last summer before the deal collapsed shortly before the deadline. Jules Kounde's sparkling displays for Sevilla have caught the eye of Man City and Chelsea Despite continuing to keep tabs on the Sevilla ace, Chelsea have appeared to turn their attentions elsewhere with Juventus' Matthijs de Ligt on the club's radar but it is Chelsea's pursuit of Nathan Ake that could pave the way for City to enter the race for Kounde. Should Chelsea be successful in their pursuit of Ake, City boss Pep Guardiola will have a hole to fill in his defence and has pinpointed Kounde as Ake's successor. But City may not have a clear run at Kounde as Chelsea could still look to swoop for the defender, should their efforts to lure De Ligt to Stamford Bridge prove unsuccessful. With German champions Bayern Munich also in the running for De Ligt, it appears that whichever team misses out on the Dutchman view Kounde as an ideal back-up option. Sevilla are hoping to spark a bidding war for Kounde who looks set for a move away from Spain Kounde's excellent form has earned him 11 caps for Didier Deschamps' French national squad Barcelona are also in the running for Kounde with the future of Gerard Pique far from certain but would find it difficult going head to head against the financial muscle of City and Chelsea. An impending bidding war is good news for Sevilla who will look to sell their prized asset to the highest bidder. The La Liga side will hope to claim a monstrous fee for the 23-year-old to reinvest back into the squad after selling defender Diego Carlos to Aston Villa for 26 million earlier in the transfer window. Kounde joined Sevilla from French club Bordeaux in 2019 and has made 95 appearances for the Andalusian outfit, scoring five times. Lewis Hamilton has turned his fire on Max Verstappens Orange Army, telling them it is mind-blowing they cheered as he crashed at 140mph during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. That was on Friday evening, as the seven-time world champion lost the rear end of his Mercedes and careered right-side first into the tyre barrier. He sat in the cockpit for a while before climbing out unhurt. But the glee with which his misfortune was met was a reminder he is in enemy territory. Some 60,000 orange-clad fans have made the journey here in cars, campers and caravans from Holland to support Verstappen. The Red Bull Ring is a 12-hour drive from Amsterdam, but distance has hardly deterred the diehards among the 105,000 crowd. Lewis Hamilton was not impressed by the reaction of the crowd to his crash in qualifying They were rewarded for their devotion by seeing their man win Saturdays sprint, and secure pole for Sundays feature race. Hamilton was eighth, but only after taking on his spare chassis following the accident of the previous evening and then fighting his way up from 11th after a minor collision on lap one. Speaking for the first time about the bigger smash, Hamilton said: I didnt hear they were cheering at the time of the crash. I was going through a bunch of stuff, but I heard it afterwards and I dont agree with any of that, no matter what. A driver could have been in hospital, and you are going to cheer that? It is mind-blowing that people would do that, knowing how dangerous our sport is. Hamilton lost control of his Mercedes through Turn 7 and ended up in the barriers on Friday I was grateful I didnt end up in hospital and I wasnt heavily injured. You should never cheer someones downfall or someones injury. It shouldnt have happened at Silverstone and it shouldnt have happened here. Hamilton was referring to last weekends British Grand Prix, where Verstappen was booed after taking pole. Now the clog is on the other foot. As for the sprint, it was a decent affair. Some stick-in-the-muds decry the format, but moving qualifying to Friday enlivens that day, with the sprint a bonus that enriches Saturday. It also potentially mixes up the grand prix grid all on merit rather than due to reverse-grid gimmickry. What is not to like? Formula One should seriously think about staging a sprint at every round, perhaps with a few tweaks, such as going up from one-third of the grand prix length to half-distance and/or introducing one stop. Qualifying was delayed by as Hamilton's damaged Mercedes machine was towed away Anyway, Verstappen won fairly comfortably from the front once he withstood the opening-lap charge of Ferraris Carlos Sainz. The eight points he secured extended his lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez to 38 and over Charles Leclerc in the other red car to 44. Perez, by the way, drove superbly. He was forceful but measured in moving from 13th to finish fifth, three places behind Leclerc and one behind Mercedes George Russell. As for Ferrari, what on earth are they doing? On Saturday, there were some hairy moments as their two men duelled and, as at Silverstone, you wonder why they are not throwing everything behind Leclerc, their No 1, who started second compared to Sainzs third. Some 60,000 orange-clad fans have travelled from Holland to support Max Verstappen Now to Hamiltons opening-lap incident in the sprint. Sandwiched between Williamss Alex Albon and AlphaTauris Pierre Gasly, he clipped the latter. I got a bit of wheelspin. I was under attack from the cars around me. Pierre moved over on me so I had nowhere to go. Hamilton continued, went past Albon and his old team-mate Val-tteri Bottass Alfa Romeo. He then went wheel-to-wheel with Haass Mick Schumacher lap after lap until the Briton finally forced his way through just before the end. I was so lucky to get round the first lap. I am grateful to have finished and get one point. Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel was handed a suspended 21,000 fine for walking out of Fridays drivers briefing in a fit of pique during a to-and-fro over track limits. The Aston Martin driver, who was punted into the gravel by Alex Albon during the sprint race, was called to the stewards last night. He had already apologised to race director Niels Wittich. The stewards said: Vettel left the meeting without permission, expressing frustration. Drivers are not free to leave when they want. At this level they are role models for every driver around the world. Advertisement Kate Hudson looked sensational as she cooled down with a dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea during a holiday in Positano in Italy this week. The actress, 43, wore a very daring thong bikini as she leapt off a cliff and into the calm water below before climbing back on to the rocky shore. Almost Famous star Kate was seen relaxing with her fiance Danny Fujikawa, 36, and her actress mother Goldie Hawn, 76, as they holidayed together. Fun in the sun: Kate Hudson, 43, looked sensational as she cooled down with a dip in the Tyrrhenian Sea during a holiday in Positano in Italy this week with her mother Goldie Hawn Kate made made her way to the edge of the rocky cliff with trepidation on a number of occasions before diving into the water. She wore a black bikini which left plenty of skin on show while her wet hair was scraped back off her face. Her mother Goldie was seen on the boat as she wore a black swimsuit after also taking a swim in the sea. Fun and free: Kate was in good spirits as she launched herself into the sea while sunning herself on the Italian coast Making a splash: The actress wore a very daring thong bikini as she leapt off a cliff and into the calm water below before climbing back on to the rocky shore Family affair: Almost Famous star Kate was seen relaxing with her fiance Danny Fujikawa, 36, and her actress mother Goldie Hawn, 76, as they holidayed together It comes after Goldie said she loves being a grandmother and that spending time with her grandchildren brings her 'incredible joy'. The Hollywood actress is grandmother to her daughter Kates three children, as well as son Olivers three, and son Wyatts new baby boy - and she says her family is her top priority. Speaking to Australian Women's Weekly magazine, Goldie explained: 'A good family is the answer to happiness. Rising up: The Hollywood star was seen climbing up and out of the water using some metal steps as she made her way back on shore Safety first: Kate made made her way to the edge of the rocky cliff with trepidation on a number of occasions before diving into the water Leap of faith: She raised her arms in the air as she launched herself off the rocks and into the warm blue water below In there like swimwear: She wore a black bikini which left plenty of skin on show while her wet hair was scraped back off her face 'I look at our kids and grandchildren and there's nothing in the world that could make me as proud as I am of all of them.' She added: 'Being a grandmother is amazing, I love it. It brings incredible joy. Family is so important.' Goldie is grandmother to Kates children Ryder, 18, Bingham, 11, and Rani, three, as well as Olivers brood Wilder, 14, Bohdi, 12, and Rio, eight, and Wyatts son Buddy, who was born in 2021. Love: It comes after her mother Goldie Hawn, who was on holiday with Kate, said she loves being a grandmother and that spending time with her grandchildren brings her 'incredible joy' Delight: Goldie continued: 'I look at our kids and grandchildren and there's nothing in the world that could make me as proud as I am of all of them' Matriarch: She added: 'Being a grandmother is amazing, I love it. It brings incredible joy. Family is so important' Loved ones: Goldie is grandmother to Kates children Ryder, 18, Bingham, 11, and Rani, three, as well as Olivers brood Wilder, 14, Bohdi, 12, and Rio, eight, and Wyatts son Buddy, who was born in 2021. Wyatt recently revealed the kids all have sweet nicknames for Goldie and her partner Kurt Russell. He said: 'Starting with my brother's or my sister's first child, they're Gogo and Gogi. 'My dad, his wine that he makes it's called Gogi because his nickname in life was Gogi, and my mom's nickname in life was Gogo. So those are what the kids call 'em.' Back on the boat: Goldie and Kate's fiance Danny were seen on the deck of the boat, looking over the edge as other members of their group made their way on-board Making memories: Danny was seen filming on his phone as he waited on the deck of the boat Keeping it cosy: Kate was seen snuggling up to her musician husband-to-be Danny as they sat on the luxurious vessel Good spirits: They were seen chatting and smiling as they enjoyed their time together in Italy Acting dynasty: Kate's mother Goldie was seen on the boat as she wore a black swimsuit after also taking a swim in the sea Funky: Kate's patterned bikini was made up of a number of black and multi-coloured squares for its design Having a natter: Goldie was seen chatting to another holiday maker while Kate wore a beautiful white dress later in the day Kate and Oliver are Goldies children from her previous marriage to Bill Hudson. Goldie and Kurt got together following her divorce from Bill and they have been together since 1983. The actress has previously insisted they have never felt the need to tie the knot as she was divorced twice before she met him and Kurt also had a failed marriage in his past. She said: 'Marriage didn't work for either one of us. Im not saying that it wouldn't work again, but I didn't think that we really needed to get married.' In the detail: Kate is one of Goldies children from her previous marriage to Bill Hudson Relationship: Goldie and and her current husband Kurt got together following her divorce from Bill and they have been together since 1983 Following their path: The actress has previously insisted they have never felt the need to tie the knot as she was divorced twice before she met him and Kurt also had a failed marriage in his past Sri Lankan president says to resign on July 13 Xinhua) 10:31, July 10, 2022 Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (Front) speaks during the Independence Day celebrations in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 4, 2022. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa informed the country's parliament speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday that he will resign from office on July 13. The speaker's office told Xinhua that the president disclosed his decision following a request made by political party leaders. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign earlier in the day after party leaders in the parliament urged both him and the president to step down. On Saturday, protesters stormed the president's residence and office, and the prime minister's house was set on fire. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Members of the Japan information and study centre hold a candlelight vigil to pay tribute to the late former prime minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, at Ahmedabad Management Association in Ahmedabad, July 9, after Abe was shot dead during a campaign speech, July 8 in Nara. AFP-Yonhap Japanese voters went to the polls on Sunday for an upper house election in which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) may receive a surge of support after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a leading statesman and party power broker. Abe, Japan's longest-serving modern leader, was gunned down on Friday during a speech in support of a local candidate in the western city of Nara - a killing the political establishment condemned as an attack on democracy itself. Elections for seats in parliament's less powerful upper house are typically seen as a referendum on the sitting government, and the latest opinion polls already pointed to a strong showing for the ruling bloc led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida an Abe protege. As the nation mourns, both the LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito could gain from a potential wave of sympathy votes, political analysts said. "The ruling LDP-Komeito coalition was already on course for a solid victory," James Brady of the Teneo consultancy said in a note. "A wave of sympathy votes now could boost the margin of victory." Campaigning was halted on Friday after Abe's killing, but politicians resumed pre-election activities on Saturday. There was an increased police presence when Kishida appeared at a campaign event in a city southwest of Tokyo and a metal detection scanner was installed at the venue - an unusual security measure in Japan. Polls opened at 7 a.m. (2200 GMT on Saturday) and close at 8 p.m. (1100 GMT). Media said 15.3% percent of voters had cast absentee ballots in advance. A strong showing at the polls could help Kishida consolidate his rule, giving the former banker from Hiroshima a chance to carry out his goal of boosting defense spending. It might also allow him to revise Japan's pacifist constitution - something even the hawkish Abe was never able to achieve. "In the months ahead, the government is certain to seek to strengthen domestic security," Brady said. "By undermining the public's general sense of safety and order, the event could also add further momentum to those key Abe causes like defense build-up and constitutional revision," he added. People vote during Japan's upper house elections at a polling station in Tokyo on July 10. AFP-Yonhap Chris Evans made it clear that he's no longer the The Star Spangled Man with a Plan. The actor, 41, took to Twitter on Saturday to address rumors about his involvement with the fourth Captain America movie. The Hollywood Reporter reported earlier in the week that The Cloverfield Paradox director Julius Onah will helm the upcoming film. Moving on: Chris Evans made it clear that he's no longer the The Star Spangled Man with a Plan (pictured June 2022) While Anthony Mackie is set to star in the film as the new Captain America, the publication expressed doubts that Evans' would not be involved at all. 'It is unclear whether Chris Evans would reprise his role of Steve Rogers, AKA the first Captain America (although if the question of who is entitled to carry shield continues to be posed, all bets are off. Plus, having stacked casts in solo movie outings is a main Marvel ingredient at this point.),' the article read. After THR tweeted out its article, the Knives Out actor emphatically responded, 'Sam Wilson is Captain America.' Rumors: The actor, 41, took to Twitter on Saturday to address rumors about his involvement with the fourth Captain America movie New Cap: While Anthony Mackie is set to star in the film as the new Captain America Sam Wilson, the publication expressed doubts that Evans' would not be involved at all Mackie first entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier. He played Wilson, whose superhero alter ego in the comics was Falcon, a former military operative with metal wings and a jetpack. Wilson took over the mantle of Captain America after the events of Avengers: Endgame. Originally Falcon: He played Sam Wilson, whose superhero alter ego in the comics was Falcon, a former military operative with metal wings and a jetpack More on the way: Though he clearly won't be rejoining the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon, Evans has a number of new projects on the way (pictured June 2022) Though he clearly won't be rejoining the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon, Evans has a number of new projects on the way. The Massachusetts native recently starred in the Pixar movie Lightyear about popular Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear. He recently completed filming on the Netflix film The Gray Man opposite Ryan Gosling. His movie Ghosted is in post-production and his upcoming films Red One, Project Artemis and Pain Hustlers are all in the pre-production phase according to his IMDb page. Scott Disick shared photos and videos that were taken during his daughter Penelope's 10th birthday party to his Instagram Story on Friday evening. The 39-year-old reality television personality spared no expense in planning the celebratory event, as he had a pair of custom-made installations set up to welcome the gathering's guests. The influencer shares his daughter, as well as sons Mason and Reign, aged 12 and seven, with his former partner Kourtney Kardashian. Special event: Scott Disick shared photos and videos that were taken during his daughter Penelope's 10th birthday party to his Instagram Story on Friday evening One of Disick's shots showed Penelope receiving a manicure while spending time with her youngest brother. The media figure's cousin North West, whose parents are Kourtney's sister Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West, was also present during the slumber party. The influencer added a text graphic to his shot that read: 'Its a party it's a party yeah.' He later posted a selfie that had been taken as he wrestled with his youngest son. Getting physical: He later posted a selfie that had been taken as he wrestled with his youngest son Decked out: Disick went on to share a shot of Reign wearing a pajama top that featured his initials embroidered on his chest pocket Disick went on to share a shot of Reign wearing a pajama top that featured his initials embroidered on his chest pocket. The media personality previously posted a photo of a neon display that had been set up in his entryway and read 'happy birthday' to his story. He added a text graphic to his post that read: 'Happy birthday to my little angel pie.' The influencer also shared a shot of a balloon installation that had been set up for his 'peep aleep.' Showing off: The media personality previously posted a photo of a neon display that had been set up in his entryway and read 'happy birthday' to his story Sparing no expense: The influencer also shared a shot of a balloon installation that had been set up for his 'peep aleep' Disick previously shared a solo shot of his daughter to his Instagram account on Friday. He made reference to a line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off in his post's caption, as he wrote: 'Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.' The influencer then made a point of publicly expressing his affection for his only daughter. He wrote: 'Happy birthday p! Words will never describe how much love I have 4 you!' Letting everyone see: Disick previously shared a solo shot of his daughter to his Instagram account on Friday Disick and Kardashian, 43, initially met while visiting a mutual friend's house in Mexico, and they began dating in 2006. The former couple went on to bring Mason into their lives in 2009, with Penelope and Reign arriving in 2012 and 2014, respectively. The pair remained together until 2015, when they ended their romantic relationship for good. The former of the two has been linked to numerous other individuals, including Sofia Richie and Amelia Gray Hamlin, ever since his split from his former partner. Kourtney tied the knot with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker in May during a lavish ceremony in Italy, after getting legally married in Santa Barbara one week prior. Kris Jenner appeared on Instagram on Saturday to look back on a decadent Italian trip. The 66-year-old matriarch of the Kardashian/Jenner clan shared a set of stunning photos from a swanky Dolce & Gabbana event in Sicily. She was clad in a long, white slip dress and matching cape as she was joined by longtime love Corey Gamble, 41. Reflective: Kris Jenner appeared on Instagram on Saturday to look back on a decadent Italian trip Kris acknowledged the legendary fashion house in her caption as she wrote, 'Thank you for the most incredible evening !!' 'What a beautiful memory in Sicily just spectacular!' she added, tagging Corey and the Dolce & Gabbana Instagram account. Then she included the hashtags '#domenicodolce #stefanogabbana,' and tagged her glam squad. In the carousel of images the mother-of-six glowed in a full face of makeup that included a sultry, smokey eye. Gorgeous: The 66-year-old matriarch of the Kardashian/Jenner clan shared a set of stunning photos from a swanky Dolce & Gabbana event in Sicily Glamorous: She was clad in a long, white slip dress and matching cape as she was joined by longtime love Corey Gamble, 41 Kris smoldered in the matte look, which warmed her cheeks and accentuated her pout. She flaunted a soft brown liner around her shapely lips, finishing them with a nude pink hue. Giving her face even more dimension, she modeled immaculately-shaped thick eyebrows. Grateful: 'What a beautiful memory in Sicily just spectacular!' she added, tagging Corey and the Dolce & Gabbana Instagram account Pretty: Jenner's chic, robe-like layer boasted large ruffles along the opening and on the tips of the sleeves Jenner's chic, robe-like layer boasted large ruffles along the opening and on the tips of the sleeves. It had a large, lacy, eyelet pattern throughout, giving the look a touch of classic femininity. She went for a demure look in the D&G getup, slightly covering the clingy-fitting dress. The piece had a low neckline but didn't reveal cleavage. It was lined with white lace and featured subtle boning at the center. Ladylike: She went for a demure look in the D&G getup, slightly covering her clingy-fitting dress Stunner: The businesswoman highlighted her impossibly chic look with a set of stone drop earrings The businesswoman highlighted her impossibly chic look with a set of stone drop earrings. She rocked her signature raven pixie cut with it styled in a straight, voluminous look. Corey complemented her polished presentation in a spiffy and shimmery turquoise suit. He buttoned the blazer of the two-piece set, which also had pleated slim-fit pants. His look was extended with suede black loafers with silver embroidery accenting them. Go-to look: She rocked her signature raven pixie cut with it styled in a straight, voluminous look In her Stories the 'momager' shared a second look with her 49.1 million followers. She wore a lacy black dress with three-quarter sleeves and donned golden chandelier earrings. For his part Gamble wore a silk shorts set that had a matching short-sleeved, button-up shirt. Jenner reposted a snapshot of them that was originally shared by Dolce & Gabbana. The location was tagged as Grotta Dei Cordari Siracusa and the hashtag '#DGAltaGioilleria.' The designer duo was also enlisted to outfit her daughter Kourtney Kardashian's May wedding to Travis Barker, which was also held in Italy. Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney hit out at Prime Minister Boris Johnson as she made a defiant speech during Trans+ Pride in London on Saturday following his resignation. The actress, 18 - who plays Elle Argent in the Netflix series and who is set to appear in Doctor Who - addressed the crowd, insisting: 'If the government is trying to eradicate us, we're all here, and we're just duplicating, look at how many of us there are,' before adding: 'Boris, bye! Bye!' She continued: 'Boris, I hope you see Heartstopper, I hope you see Doctor Who, because I exist, and I know you know I exist. We all exist, and we're not going anywhere!' Strong words: Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney, 18, hit out at Prime Minister Boris Johnson as she made a defiant speech during Trans+ Pride in London on Saturday Yasmin was met with cheers from the crowd who marched through the streets with signs which stated 'trans rights are human rights' and 'trans is beautiful'. Yasmin and her Heartstopper co-stars delighted Netflix viewers with the British coming-of-age romantic comedy which was released in April this year. The series, which gained critical acclaim for its representation of the LGBTQ+ community and has been renewed for a second season, was among the top 10 English language shows on the streaming service within two days. 'Bye, Boris. Bye!' Yasmin told Boris during her speech: 'I exist, and I know you know I exist. We all exist, and we're not going anywhere!' Adapted by writer Alice Oseman from her graphic novel series of the same name, Heartstopper tells the story of 14-year-old Charlie as he develops a crush on popular rugby player Nick at school, with the pair bonding and eventually becoming a couple. It comes a week after the stars of the hit show danced their way past anti-LGBT protesters who broadcast their views over a megaphone during the London Pride parade last Saturday. More than a million people took to the capital's streets celebrating the LGBTQ+ community as the event marked its 50th anniversary. "I love this so much. This is my first London Trans Pride: I feel so connected to my community more than ever. If the government is trying to eradicate us, we're all here and we're just duplicating." - #heartstopper's incredible Yasmin Finney (@yazdemand) at #LondonTransPride pic.twitter.com/c5vVTikKu7 PinkNews (@PinkNews) July 9, 2022 Unafraid: Yasmin was met with cheers from the crowd who marched through the streets with signs which stated 'trans rights are human rights' and 'trans is beautiful' But revellers were confronted by a counter-protest of men waving banners denouncing homosexuality. A young Pride supporter who leaned against the railings and tried to pull down the protesters' banner was backed up by the cast of the Netflix programme. Just feet away from the homophobic banners, the Heartstopper stars bounced and bopped defiantly to Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody. Star turn: Yasmin, who plays the role of Elle (pictured in character on the show), received critical acclaim for Heartstopper along with her co-stars Actors Joe Locke and Kit Connor, who star as Charlie and Nick, were among those marching through the capital alongside co-stars Jenny Walser, Sebastian Croft, Tobie Donovan, Corinna Brown and Kizzy Edgell. Sky News reporter Scott Beasley shared the video showing some of the cast dancing to the Whitney Houston track in front of a group of anti-LGBT protestors. Photos reposted by the official Heartstopper Instagram page show some of the group with LGBT rainbow flags draped over their shoulders. Standing their ground: The starts of Heartstopper bopped and danced defiantly in the face of an anti-LGBT protest at Pride Defiant: A young member of the Pride march who leaned against the railings and tried to pull down the anti-LGBT slogan was backed up by the cast of the coming-of-age drama The group also helped carry a huge rainbow parachute spanning the width of the street. Yasmine's words this weekend came after Boris Johnson announced his resignation as Prime Minister on Thursday. In a statement in Downing Street, the PM confirmed his MPs 'clearly' want a change and his time in office will come to an end when a new Tory leader is installed. Boris has caused controversy with his comments about trans people in recent months, including in June when he waded into the debate about FINA's bar on transgender athletes who have gone through male puberty competing in women's events. Young Love: Hit show Heartstopper is a coming of age drama that sees two teenage boys fall in love at a Grammar School He was also criticised along with other members of his government earlier this year when his high profile plan to make gay conversion therapy illegal would not actually outlaw an often violent practice previously condemned. In May, No 10 confirmed that The Conversion Therapy Bill would allow over 18s to consent to the practice, often carried out by religious groups and which has no scientific basis. The UN has said the practice amounts to torture and should be outlawed, with bans already in place in Brazil, Argentina, India, Canada and New Zealand. The Prime Minister's official spokesman told reporters it was 'important that the freedom to express religious teachings is not affected' by the new law. The Conversion Therapy Bill also set up a clash between Boris and his backbenchers over trans rights, with no proposed ban on gender-based therapy. Instead the plan says there will be 'separate work to consider the issue of Transgender Conversion Therapy further' due to the 'complexity of issues and need for further careful thought'. Rob Kardashian shared a number of snaps of his adorable five-year-old daughter Dream from an idyllic vacation spot on Saturday. The 35-year-old television personality and his only child joined his older sister Khloe Kardashian, 38, and her daughter True, four, in the tropical destination this weekend. He started off his photo dump with a picture of Dream standing on a boat with the stunning shoreline behind her. Getaway: Rob Kardashian shared a number of snaps of his adorable five-year-old daughter Dream from an idyllic vacation spot on Saturday. The 35-year-old television personality and his only child joined his older sister Khloe Kardashian, 38, and her daughter True, four, in the tropical destination this weekend The next snap showed a view of a large swimming pool located just steps away from the ocean at the family's rental house. Dream - who Rob shares with ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna - later stood in front of the same pool as she soaked up the sun with her cousin. Dream seemed to be enjoying the patio as she flashed a big smile while snacking at a picnic table. A multi-colored confectionary sat in front of Rob's daughter. Rob later captured his daughter sipping on a colorful drink while wading out in the shallow water off the coast of the island. Luxe: He included a view of a large swimming pool located just steps away from the ocean at the family's rental house Pool time: Dream - who Rob shares with ex-girlfriend Blac Chyna - later stood in front of the same pool as she soaked up the sun with her cousin Smiley: Dream seemed to be enjoying the patio as she flashed a big smile while snacking at a picnic table. A multi-colored confectionary sat in front of Rob's daughter Refreshing: Rob later captured his daughter sipping on a colorful drink while wading out in the shallow water off the coast of the island Rob also shared a snap of the beautiful view of the sunset and lit up swimming pool from the living room of their island rental property. Also featured in the photo was what appeared to be a hookah pipe and other amenities. A follow-up shot showed Rob from the waist down as he propped his feet up on a chair on a private jet. He captioned the vacation snaps, 'Paradise with Dream #KampKoKo' followed by several emojis. Wow! Rob also shared a snap of the beautiful view of the sunset and lit up swimming pool from the living room of their island rental property Jetsetter: A follow-up shot showed Rob from the waist down as he propped his feet up on a chair on a private jet Mother and father: Rob shares Dream with his ex Blac Chyna (pictured 2016) Khloe also made a reference to 'Kamp Koko' - with 'Koko being her longtime nickname - in a recent Instagram post. On Saturday the 38-year-old Good American founder took to Instagram to share outtakes from the swanky family getaway. Along with a photo of her sitting on the ladder of the aircraft Khloe wrote, 'Wheels Up on Kylie Air.' Fun! Khloe Kardashian was treated to a trip on her sister Kylie Jenner's private jet for her 38th birthday She didn't say where the flight was headed but she added, 'Kamp KoKo is underway.' Her niece North West celebrated her recent June birthday in a similar way, with mom Kim Kardashian flying the nine-year-old and her friends to Wyoming for a 'Camp North' retreat via Kim Air. Kylie's pink and white jet was decked out in a balloon arch with different shades of pink. Four pale pink balloons spelled out 'Koko' as they decorated the entrance of the airliner. Mommy-daughter time! Khloe's four-year-old daughter True, who she shares with ex Tristan Thompson, joined her on the excursion Khloe wore a chic, body-hugging all black outfit and large glamorous and sporty black sunglasses. Her four-year-old daughter True, who she shares with ex Tristan Thompson, was seated next to her on the private plane. The tot was clad in a long-sleeved patterned pajamas. Kim Kardashian's youngest daughter Chicago, four, also appeared to join Khloe, Rob and their cousins on the trip. A good time: True appeared to have a blast on the private plane in her adorable pink pajamas Festive: A birthday cake and macaroons awaited Khloe aboard the sleek aircraft Last Sunday Khloe - who celebrated her 38th birthday on June 27 - thanked fans for their birthday wishes on her Instagram. She flaunted her figure in a curve-hugging, Barbie-pink latex mini dress with matching pink pumps. The denim designer posed for pictures in front of a balloon sculpture reading 'Happy birthday Khloe, love you.' She wrote in her caption, 'Thank you all so incredibly much for all of the birthday love. I have been overwhelmed with love and blessings and I am so beyond thankful.' Grateful: Last Sunday Khloe appeared on social media to thank fans for their birthday wishes She continued, 'We took about 400 photos to try and get a few with the girls. Lol this is the best we have but I love them.' She was referring to True and Chicago, who made appearances in some of the bright shots. Khloe wore her blonde hair in a voluminous shoulder-length bob and wore glinting diamond jewelry around her neck and wrist. Taylor Hawkins' legacy continues to live on, even after his sudden death at the age of 50 earlier this year in March. Oliver Shane, 16, joined a local band from Laguna Beach by drumming to the song, My Hero, in honor of his beloved father. The late star was a drummer for the rock band, Foo Fighters. Teenage rock group, The Alive, was performing for a Fourth of July block party, and they welcomed Taylor's son to pay a heartfelt tribute to his father since he couldn't be there in person to celebrate the holiday. Tribute: Oliver Shane Hawkins paid tribute to his late father, former Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, by playing the band's song, My Hero, on the drums during a party Rockstar: The late star was a drummer for the rock band, Foo Fighters (pictured March 2022) The song, My Hero, was released by the Foo Fighters back in 1997 on The Colour And The Shape Album. Oliver, who also goes by Shane, was seen in a short clip uploaded by the local bad on their official Instagram page, no doubt making his father very proud. The Alive added a caption to the video, thanking the Laguna Beach community for supporting them and also expressing that they were grateful the police didn't shut them down. The band also gave a shoutout to Shane. 'Special thanks to @shane_hawkins_22 for sitting in.' Local group: Teenage rock group, The Alive, was performing for a Fourth of July block party, and they welcomed Taylor's son to pay a heartfelt tribute to his father since he couldn't be there in person to celebrate the holiday Special moment: The Alive is a teenage band and the members are close friends with Taylor's son, Oliver Shane Old school album: The song, My Hero, was released by the Foo Fighters back in 1997 on The Colour And The Shape Album The Alive have a special connection to the Foo Fighters, and the band members are close friends to Shane. The band had the opportunity to open for the Foo Fighters at Lollapalooza Chile just one week before Taylor's death, according to Variety. Laguna Beach happened to be the area where the drummer grew up, which opted to be the perfect location for Shane to pay homage to his father on Fourth of July. Opening act: The band had the opportunity to open for the Foo Fighters at Lollapalooza Chile just one week before Taylor's death, according to Variety Playing in dad's hometown: Laguna Beach happened to be the area where the drummer grew up, which opted to be the perfect location for Shane to pay homage to his father on Fourth of July Bandmates: Taylor and other band member, Dave Grohl, were seen pictured together in Beverly Hills in 2014 Taylor was found unresponsive in his Four Seasons hotel room in Columbia on March 25, following an emergency call about the drummer experiencing chest pains. Social media was flooded with condolences and prayers after news of his death was reported. His wife, Alison, released a statement on his Instagram page on behalf of the entire Hawkins family at the time of his death. Sad loss: Taylor's wife, Alison, released a statement on her late husband's Instagram following the news of his death 'Devastated': The Foo Fighters also released a statement expressing how deeply saddened they were to lose a band member and a close friend Taylor's family supported his work and often joined him on tour, along with the other band members and their families. The former Foo Fighters drummer was father to three children, Oliver, Annabelle, and Everleigh. During a past interview with ET Canada along with his fellow bandmates, Taylor chimed in about how his son wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since he was a young boy. 'My son, thinks, you know, he's priming himself to take over my job in about 10 or 15 years, which fine,' he stated. Little did he know, that statement would reign true to this day. Close group: The Foo Fighters band members were pictured together at the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in 2021 TikTok sensation Hasbulla Magomedov has shared some sage advice ahead of his Australian speaking tour. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald last week, the 19-year-old, who has dwarfism and is famous for his child-like appearance, reminded fans that no matter how hard life gets, it's important to remain optimistic. 'People are always complaining about things in life, but I try to enjoy every day and do the things I love. You really have to stay positive,' the Dagestan-born star advised. TikTok sensation Hasbulla Magomedov, 19, (pictured) has shared some wise advice to people who 'are always complaining' Hasbulla shot to fame in late 2020 when he began posting videos on Instagram and TikTok of himself performing daring stunts and pranks. With his unique appearance and confident attitude, Hasbulla soon amassed a huge online following including 2.1 million followers on Instagram and 4.7 billion views on TikTok. Despite his undeniable success, Hasbulla concedes that fame comes at a price. Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald last week, the Dagestan-born star said: 'People are always complaining about things in life, but I try to enjoy every day and do the things I love. You really have to stay positive' Hasbulla shot to fame in late 2020 when he began posting videos on Instagram and TikTok of himself performing daring stunts and pranks 'Life, on the one hand, has become better, and on the other, it has become more complex,' he told The Sydney Morning Herald. 'I think people can see I've worked hard to create a life for myself that I'm proud of, and I'm very grateful for my fans, and I support them too.' As for his plans for visiting Australia, Hasbulla said he hopes to meet kangaroos and visit famous landmarks including Bondi Beach when he isn't on stage delivering speeches. As for his plans for visiting Australia, Hasbulla said he hopes to meet kangaroos and visit famous landmarks including Bondi Beach when he isn't on stage delivering speeches Hasbulla recently confirmed via his touring company he 'cannot pose with female guests' due to his 'personal and cultural beliefs' Hasbulla is scheduled to speak in Sydney on August 29 and 30, and Melbourne on August 31 and September 1. The tour will also include an exclusive meet and greet with the social media star, with tickets for this event going on sale at 9am on June 30. However, female fans hoping to get a photo with the viral sensation will unfortunately be left disappointed. The exact nature of Hasbulla's religious views has not been disclosed, but some followers of Islam believe that men and women who are not married should not pose together in photos Hasbulla recently confirmed via his touring company he 'cannot pose with female guests' due to his 'personal and cultural beliefs'. 'To our female guests, if you would like to attend [the tour's official] meet and greet with Hasbulla, you are welcome to do so, but please acknowledge the limitations of photography,' the statement from The Hour Group reads. 'We understand the disappointment this creates. However, we respectfully acknowledge the cultural and personal beliefs of Hasbulla and have to accommodate his requests accordingly.' Chris Tamblin, the co-founder of The Hour Group, said: 'Traditionally, Hasbulla has not conducted many public appearances. We, The Hour Group, are honoured to be bringing him down to Australia for what will be a fun and eventful tour' The exact nature of Hasbulla's religious views has not been disclosed, but some followers of Islam believe that men and women who are not married should not pose together in photos in certain circumstances. 'I am very excited to be heading to Australia, I can't wait to see all my Aussie fans and visit these amazing cities. I've heard so many great things about Australia. I'm looking forward to all the great experiences your country has to offer,' Hasbulla said. Chris Tamblin, the co-founder of The Hour Group, said: 'Traditionally, Hasbulla has not conducted many public appearances. We, The Hour Group, are honoured to be bringing him down to Australia for what will be a fun and eventful tour.' Hasbulla was born with Growth Hormone Deficiency, a condition known as dwarfism, causing him to have an abnormally short stature with normal body proportions Hasbulla's newfound fame helped him befriend Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov (right), which led to fans nicknaming him 'Mini Khabib' Hasbulla was born with Growth Hormone Deficiency, a condition known as dwarfism, causing him to have an abnormally short stature with normal body proportions. Since finding fame, Hasbulla has attracted attention by challenging prominent UFC stars to fights, including MMA champion Conor McGregor. He has also befriended Russian MMA fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, which led to fans nicknaming him 'Mini Khabib'. In December 2021, he dipped his toe into the fledgling NFT market by launching a cartoon that resembled himself. Jack Black channeled his iconic animated character Po on the red carpet at the Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight premiere in Los Angeles. On Saturday, the 52-year-old veteran comedic actor donned a panda-inspired black and white suit as he attended the Netflix Family Summer event at the Autry Museum of the American West. The School of Rock star showed off his kung fu moves as he struck a series of poses for the cameras. In character: Jack Black channeled his iconic animated character Po on the red carpet at the Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight premiere in Los Angeles The two-time Golden Globe nominee's suit featured a two-tone blazer over a black t-shirt with black slacks. Jack had on black sneakers and shielded his eyes from the sun with a pair of clear-framed shades that had amber-colored lenses. The California native wore his curly brunette hair pulled back from his face and sported a thick salt and pepper beard. Lookalike: On Saturday, the 52-year-old veteran comedic actor donned a panda-inspired black and white suit and posed with a Po character actor at the Netflix Family Summer event at the Autry Museum of the American West While on the carpet, Jack humorously squared off against a character actor who was dressed up in a Po costume. The two also showed off their coordinating looks as they stood side by side for snaps on the red carpet. The Tenacious D frontman was also joined by his co-stars Ed Weeks, Della Saba and Rahnuma Panthaky for a group photo. Skills: The School of Rock star showed off his kung fu moves as he struck a series of poses for the cameras Ed, 41, was clad in a dark blue suit with a blue and white checkered button-up shirt and tan leather dress shoes. Della, 32, wore a short-sleeved ankle-length blue color block dress with white sneakers. Rahnuma, who had on a colorful patterned sundress and strappy blue platform sandals, beamed as she posed between Jack and the Po character actor. Castmates: The Tenacious D frontman was also joined by his co-stars Ed Weeks, Della Saba and Rahnuma Panthaky for a group photo The upcoming series is based on the popular trilogy of Kung Fu Panda feature films that starred Jack as the titular Giant panda bear and martial arts master. The show marks the first time that the actor will voice the character of Po since 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3. The official plot synopsis reads: 'When a mysterious pair of weasels set their sights on a collection of four powerful weapons, Po must leave his home to embark on a globe-trotting quest for redemption and justice that finds him partnered up with a no-nonsense English knight named Wandering Blade (Rita Ora). 'Together, these two mismatched warriors set out on an epic adventure to find the magical weapons first and save the world from destruction and they may even learn a thing or two from each other along the way.' Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight will be released on Netflix on July 14. Several of Naya Rivera's former Glee co-stars took to Instagram to pen tributes on the second anniversary of her passing on Friday, July 8. Heather Morris, Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz uploaded throwback photos of the late actress while sharing how she touched their lives over the years. Rivera passed away at the age of 33 after she accidentally drowned during boating trip with her son Josey at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California. In remembrance: Several of Naya Rivera's former castmates shared tributes to the late actress on their respective Instagram accounts on Friday, which was the second anniversary of her passing Ushkowitz shared a black-and-white picture that she had taken of Rivera smiling as she danced. The performer, who played Tina Cohen-Chang in Glee, added a single heart emoji to her post's caption. McHale's photo showed the late performer enjoying herself during a boating trip. The actor also described his friend as 'the best there ever was forever & ever.' Fond memories: McHale's photo showed the late performer enjoying herself during a boating trip Morris shared two pictures that she had taken with Rivera while they had fun with each other during previous outings. The actress penned a short message that read: 'Everyday my angel. I miss you every damn day.' Rivera came to prominence for her portrayal of Santana Lopez on the fan-favorite musical comedy series. The performer was part of the show's main cast for all six of its seasons, the last of which concluded in 2015. Good friends: Morris shared two pictures that she had taken with Rivera while they had fun with each other during previous outings Dearly missed: The actress penned a short message that read: 'Everyday my angel. I miss you every damn day' The actress also toured with several of her castmates during the Glee Live! In Concert! tour, which ran from 2010 until 2011. She received much praise for her work in the program, and she was nominated alongside her costars for two Grammy awards during the show's run. Rivera tragically passed away after drowning during a boating trip on Lake Piru, a location she frequented in her youth, on July 8, 2020. It was later revealed that she had pushed Josey back onto their rental boat before she slipped underwater. Tragic: Rivera passed away at the age of 33 after she accidentally drowned during boating trip with her son Josey at Lake Piru in Ventura County, California It was later revealed that she had pushed Josey back onto their rental boat before she slipped underwater The performer's ex-husband and Josey's father, Ryan Dorsey, penned a lengthy tribute to Rivera on his Instagram this past Mother's Day. The actor included several photos of Rivera bonding with their young son to his account. In his caption, Dorsey somberly recalled frequent drives past Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Hollywood Hills, where his ex-wife was buried, and how it's a constant reminder of her passing. But despite the tragedy, he's chosen to be 'grateful' for the memories he and Rivera made while she was alive. 'Turning onto Forest Lawn Drive will alway bring the memory of two summers ago. But the memories prior to that I have to be grateful for & our son,' the actor penned. Cardi B gave her daughter Kulture a present to last a lifetime ahead of her fourth birthday. The rapper, 29, was co-headlining the Wireless Festival in Birmingham on Saturday when she paused her set to rally thousands of fans to sing Happy Birthday to her little girl. Without hesitation, the crowd joined along with the Bodak Yellow star as she led the classic birthday tune. Scroll down to video Epic: Cardi B gave her daughter Kulture a present to last a lifetime ahead of her fourth birthday 'I will be posting on twitter later or maybe here BIRMINGHAM WIRELESS MADNESS ..But this post is for my baby girl BIG 4 tomorrow,' wrote Cardi, who shared footage from the concert with her Instagram followers. Kulture will turn four-years-old on Sunday, July 10. Cardi shares her daughter, as well as baby son Wave, with husband and fellow rapper Offset. Though she's a dedicated mom, Cardi is also one of the music industry's top artists with several Grammy Awards under her belt. Sing-along: The rapper, 29, was co-headlining the Wireless Festival in Birmingham on Saturday (pictured) when she paused her set to rally thousands of fans to sing Happy Birthday to her little girl Magic: Without hesitation, the crowd joined along with the Bodak Yellow star as she led the classic birthday tune All on film: 'I will be posting on twitter later or maybe here BIRMINGHAM WIRELESS MADNESS ..But this post is for my baby girl BIG 4 tomorrow,' wrote Cardi, who shared footage from the concert with her Instagram followers And for her Wireless Festival gig, the WAP hitmaker commanded the stage as she treated concertgoers to her greatest hits. The Grammy Award-winner pranced around in a racy pink mesh bodysuit with magenta sequins strategically placed to protect her modesty. Wowing in the daring garment, the I Like It star opted to go shoeless with the outfit as she stormed the stage during her stellar set. Emotional: Cardi was visibly moved by the fans' enthusiasm ahead of her baby girl's special day Packed: Some fans lit up the flashlights on their phones and waved them overhead as they sang to Kulture Show-stopping: For her Wireless Festival gig, the WAP hitmaker commanded the stage as she treated concertgoers to her greatest hits For past birthdays, Cardi has serenaded her daughter with songs she posted on social media, as well as lavishing her with expensive gifts and extravagant parties. Just last year for her third birthday party, Cardi and Offset threw Kulture a fairytale-themed bash that included a ride to the soiree in a horse drawn carriage. There was also a greeting party of Disney princesses and Kulture was presented with a glittery necklace that looked like it could be worth thousands of dollars, according to Billboard. Family: Kulture will turn four-years-old on Sunday, July 10. Cardi shares her daughter, as well as baby son Wave, with husband and fellow rapper Offset For her first birthday, the proud mama posted a rap on Instagram that she wrote while pregnant with Kulture. The lyrics express Cardi's love for her baby girl, even before she was born. 'As you can hear I was maaa stuffy with a terrible cold. I couldnt get it right no matter how many times I spit it,' Cardi wrote, adding, 'Even when we try to mix it u still sound stuffy. I love my baby she changed my life.' At least 15 people were killed when a Russian rocket hit an apartment building in the eastern Ukraine town of Chasiv Yar and more than 20 people may still be trapped in the rubble, officials said Sunday. The Saturday night rocket assault is the latest in a recent burst of high-casualty attacks on civilian structures. At least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June and 21 people were killed when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region this month. Russia has repeatedly claimed that it is hitting only targets of military value in the war. There was no comment on Chasiv Yar at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Sunday. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said the town of of about 12,000 was hit by Uragan rockets, which are fired from truck-borne systems. (AP) Advertisement Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian showed off their bombshell bikini bodies while frolicking across the beach in Turks And Caicos. The reality TV stars, whose family often jet down to Turks And Caicos for a holiday, were spotted soaking up the sun together during their sizzling outing. Khloe, 38, and Kim, 41, could be seen dripping wet as they showered herself off, washing off the sand that had clung to their shapely legs and world-famous rear ends. Foxy family: Kim Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian showed off their bombshell bikini bodies while frolicking across the beach in Turks And Caicos For their latest jaunt at the beach the pair rocked a matching set of gleaming silver swimsuits reminiscent of the 1968 outer-space sex comedy Barbarella starring Jane Fonda. Based on a French comic of the same name, the sizzling camp classic was directed by Roger Vadim, who was the first of Jane's three ex-husbands. Kim showcased her ample endowments in a clinging two-piece that emphasized her cleavage to full advantage as she strutted her stuff across the sand. Her outfit allowed her to showcase her sensationally flat stomach after a more than 20lb weight loss journey that she initiated in order to fit into an iconic Marilyn Monroe dress for this year's Met Gala. Wow: For their latest jaunt at the beach the pair rocked a matching set of gleaming silver swimsuits reminiscent of the 1968 outer-space sex comedy Barbarella starring Jane Fonda (right) When you got it: Khloe, 38, and Kim, 41, could be seen dripping wet as they showered herself off, washing off the sand that had clung to their shapely legs and world-famous rear ends A place in the sun: The reality TV stars, whose family often jet down to Turks And Caicos for a holiday, were spotted soaking up the sun together during their sizzling outing Looking fab: Kim's outfit allowed her to showcase her sensationally flat stomach after a more than 20lb weight loss journey that she initiated in order to fit into an iconic Marilyn Monroe dress for this year's Met Gala Wearing her luxurious platinum blonde hairdo down, Kim warded off the summertime rays with a massive pair of gleaming sunglasses that added to the sci-fi air of her look. Meanwhile Khloe, whose own staggering weight loss journey occurred years ago in the year years of her reality stardom, opted for a form-fitting one-piece. The Revenge Body With Khloe Kardashian hostess, who shares her four-year-old daughter True with her serially unfaithful ex Tristan Thompson, put her curves tantalizingly on display. Kim and Khloe were seen lounging next to one another on the sand, which wound up sticking to their statuesque legs as they chatted with one another. Swanking about: Wearing her luxurious platinum blonde hairdo down, Kim warded off the summertime rays with a massive pair of gleaming sunglasses, as did Khloe Legs for days: Kim and Khloe were seen lounging next to one another on the sand, which wound up sticking to their statuesque legs as they chatted with one another Eventually they hopped onto a wooden deck with a handheld shower, which they both used to clean themselves off, occasionally offering one another a helping hand. They appeared to be cutting especially picturesque figures at the showers, as a pal of theirs took the time to photograph them while they were there. Kim has frequently been putting her jaw-dropping figure on display after revealing she has managed to drop even more pounds after her astonishing weight-loss journey for the Met Gala. Kim famously shed 16lbs in two weeks so that she could attend the Met Ball in the dress Marilyn Monroe wore to John F. Kennedy's birthday party in 1962. Assistance: Eventually they hopped onto a wooden deck with a handheld shower, which they both used to clean themselves off, occasionally offering one another a helping hand Wonderful time: They appeared to be cutting especially picturesque figures at the showers, as a pal of theirs took the time to photograph them while they were there Marilyn herself had to be sewn into the gold frock, which she wore while seductively singing: 'Happy Birthday, Mr. President,' three months before her death. While appearing on the Today show last month, Kim revealed that she had taken off a further 5lbs since the Met Gala, resulting in a total weight loss of 21lbs. She also denied allegations that she had damaged the Marilyn dress, noting that Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, which has the frock in its possession, took her side. 'Kim Kardashian wearing the "Happy Birthday" dress has been hotly contested, but the fact remains that she did not, in any way, damage the garment in the short amount of time it was worn at the Met Gala,' Ripley's said. Astonishing: Kim has frequently been putting her jaw-dropping figure on display after revealing she has managed to drop even more pounds after her astonishing weight-loss journey for the Met Gala By the way: She also denied allegations that she had damaged the Marilyn dress, noting that Ripley's Believe It Or Not!, which has the frock in its possession, took her side The accusations rested largely on pictures of the damaged dress that had surfaced online - but Ripley's cited a 2017 report that already noted 'a number of the seams are pulled and worn.' Kim also took a few slings and arrows online over her dramatic weight loss, but she defended her decision on the Today show, saying: 'Yeah, you know, I looked at it like a role.' Added she: 'I really wanted to wear this dress. It was really important to me. It actually taught me a lot about my lifestyle and my health and since then, afterwards, I continued to eat really healthy. I am down 21lbs now.' She declared: 'I'm not trying to lose any more weight but I have more energy than ever. I cut out so much sugar, a lot of junk food I was eating - I didn't even realize it. A lot of fried foods. And I completely changed my lifestyle.' In her defense: Kim also took a few slings and arrows online over her dramatic weight loss, but she defended her decision on the Today show, saying: 'Yeah, you know, I looked at it like a role' Aglow: She declared: 'I'm not trying to lose any more weight but I have more energy than ever,' explaining: 'I cut out so much sugar, a lot of junk food I was eating - I didn't even realize it' Family matters: Kim shares her four children - North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three - with her third ex-husband Kanye West, whom she split from in February of last year Kim shares her four children - North, nine, Saint, six, Chicago, four, and Psalm, three - with her third ex-husband Kanye West, whom she split from in February of last year. She began running around with her current 28-year-old toy boy Pete Davidson late last year after she hosted Saturday Night Live, where he was then a principal cast member. Recently Kim revealed on Instagram that she is was widening the 'Vagina area' of a bodysuit from her shapewear line SKIMS - inspired at least in part by Khloe. Khloe has been candid over the years about having a 'puffy p****,' and this year she complained on reality TV that SKIMS was unsuitable for members of the 'big p*** club.' Personal matters: She began running around with her current 28-year-old toy boy Pete Davidson late last year after she hosted Saturday Night Live, where he was then a principal cast member By the way: Recently Kim revealed on Instagram that she is was widening the 'Vagina area' of a bodysuit from her shapewear line SKIMS - inspired at least in part by Khloe In the meantime: As far as her personal life is concerned, Khloe is now in the 'early stages' of a romance with a 'private equity investor', it has been claimed Since then, Kim announced in an Insta Stories clip that the SKIMS team were expanding the garment's crotch and joked the change was 'just for' Khloe. Her voice could be heard over the footage drawling: 'Khloe, you would be so proud. Im in a full SKIMS shapewear meeting and guys, we are making the vagina part in the bodysuit thicker wider, sorry.' Khloe, who once named her camel toe Camille, complained about the SKIMS bodysuit groin on an episode of The Kardashians that aired in April. She told Kim she had a 'bone to pick' with her, pointing out that the Kardashian sisters 'make fun of me for having a bigger vagina than most.' Claims: She is said to be 'happy in her new relationship' with the mystery man - but her cheating ex Tristan Thompson, 31, is 'jealous' and 'would want nothing more than to be back with Khloe' Khloe then announced that she was wearing a SKIMS bodysuit 'and it's amazing, but it's a sliver - is it supposed to just cover my cl*t?' As far as her personal life is concerned, Khloe is now in the 'early stages' of a romance with a 'private equity investor', it has been claimed. She is said to be 'happy in her new relationship' with the mystery man - but her cheating ex Tristan Thompson, 31, is 'jealous' and 'would want nothing more than to be back with Khloe'. A source has told Us Weekly that Tristan has 'tried countless times to win back' Khloe, but she is 'done with him for good romantically' and now dating someone else. Details: The exes - who dated on and off between 2016 and 2021, despite the relationship being scarred by claims of multiple infidelities on his part - are 'strictly co-parenting,' and 'amicably spend time together when it comes to True' Incidentally: Rumors of Khloe's romance with a private equity investor first surfaced in Us Weekly last month - three days after she firmly denied she was dating anyone at all The exes - who dated on and off between 2016 and 2021, despite the relationship being scarred by claims of multiple infidelities on the sportsman's part - are 'strictly co-parenting,' and 'amicably spend time together when it comes to True'. Tristan is said to be 'single and doing his thing,' 'not dating anyone special' but preferring to 'party and flirt with girls, which is nothing new', the source added. Rumors of Khloe's romance with a private equity investor first surfaced in Us Weekly last month - three days after she firmly denied she was dating anyone at all. Her side: When the Instagram gossip page DeuxMoi aired out allegations that she was moving on with a basketball player, she wrote: 'Definitely NOT True !!! I love you! Thank you for the nice wishes but I am not seeing a soul' Looking back: The former couple's five-year on-off relationship imploded in December 2021 when DailyMail.com exclusively revealed the NBA star had fathered a child with another woman while still involved with Khloe History: Khloe first became involved with Tristan when his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig was still pregnant with his eldest son Prince, five Back and forth: Although Jordan claimed she was still with Tristan when he took up with Khloe, the reality star has insisted she thought he was single at the time When the Instagram gossip page DeuxMoi aired out allegations that she was moving on with a basketball player, she wrote: 'Definitely NOT True !!! I love you! Thank you for the nice wishes but I am not seeing a soul.' The former couple's five-year on-off relationship imploded in December 2021 when DailyMail.com exclusively revealed the NBA star had fathered a child with another woman while still involved with Khloe. Khloe first became involved with Tristan when his ex-girlfriend Jordan Craig was still pregnant with his eldest son Prince, five. Although Jordan claimed she was still with Tristan when he took up with Khloe, the reality star has insisted she thought he was single at the time. Incidentally: Khloe unleashed a furious tirade against her ex in the finale of The Kardashians, which aired last month, after learning that he had not only cheated on her again - but that he had fathered a secret child with another woman The news is out: She made the shock discovery about her now-ex boyfriend when Kim read a story on DailyMail.com, which exclusively revealed the news that the former NBA player had admitted to fathering a child in court papers Khloe unleashed a furious tirade against her ex in the finale of The Kardashians, which aired last month, after learning that he had not only cheated on her again - but that he had fathered a secret child with another woman. She made the shock discovery about her now-ex boyfriend when Kim read a story on DailyMail.com, which exclusively revealed the news that the former NBA player had admitted to fathering a child in court papers. In the latest episode of the family's reality show, an emotional Khloe is seen breaking down in tears as she slammed Tristan for 'humiliating' her with another public scandal. 'There's not much to talk about in my opinion': 'I called him and was just like, what have you got to say? It was more yelling on my end, but him talking, trying to plead his case,' Khloe said later in the episode 'It's a joke, it's gross, it's a joke, it's embarrassing, it's disgusting, we're all over it': 'I'm like, I didn't buy tickets to this f***ing circus but somehow I'm watching all these clowns act out in front of me,' Khloe added of her history with Tristan Khloe's words: 'Somehow the clowns keep coming back in this f***ing clown car and no matter what he says nothing's going to give me the answers that I'm looking for, the closure,' she said of her love life 'I called him and was just like, what have you got to say? It was more yelling on my end, but him talking, trying to plead his case. There's not much to talk about in my opinion,' Khloe said later in the episode. 'It's a joke, it's gross, it's a joke, it's embarrassing, it's disgusting, we're all over it. I'm like, I didn't buy tickets to this f***ing circus but somehow I'm watching all these clowns act out in front of me,' Khloe added. 'I want a refund, return to sender, I don't want to be at this show. Somehow the clowns keep coming back in this f***ing clown car and no matter what he says nothing's going to give me the answers that I'm looking for, the closure.' The Block 2022 contestants put their tools down at 9am on Sunday ahead of the show's premiere date and auction. And according to the Sunday Herald Sun, potential buyers including series regular Danny Wallis have been given a sneak peek of the properties over the past week. The publication understands one agent even 'helicoptered prospective clients in for an early inspection' of one home, while mega-buyer Danny drove from Melbourne to Gisborne South in country Victoria to look over the properties. Potential buyers of The Block homes have been given a sneak peek, with one agent even 'HELICOPTERING in clients for an early inspection', a new report claimed on Sunday. Pictured: The Block 2022 site Danny, the Melbourne-based IT entrepreneur with a reported net worth of $120million, bought not one but three houses on The Block last year for a combined $12.2million. The eccentric rich-lister kept his winning streak, having bought three homes at the 2020 auction for almost $12million. Danny also purchased Mitch and Mark's home in season 15 back in 2019 for $3.374million, and one of the properties in the 2012 season for $1.4million. And according to the Sunday Herald Sun, potential buyers inspected the properties over the past week. The publication understands one agent even 'helicoptered prospective clients in for an early inspection' of one home. Pictured: host Scott Cam The inspections come after host Scott Cam made headlines when he called Elle Ferguson and her fiance Joel Patfull 'unAustralian' at the Logie Awards for quitting the show after just 48 hours. Scott, 59, addressed his controversial comments during a media event in country Victoria late last month, revealing how he was simply just 'me being me'. 'Obviously I wish Joel and Elle success in the future. It's just that they created a fair bit of chaos for us here in the first 48 hours,' he said. Mega-buyer Danny Wallis (pictured) also reportedly drove from Melbourne to Gisborne South in country Victoria to look over the properties. The IT entrepreneur with a reported net worth of $120million, bought three houses on The Block last year for a combined $12.2million The inspections come after made headlines when he called Elle Ferguson and her fiance Joel Patfull 'unAustralian' at the Logie Awards for quitting the show after just 48 hours Scott went on to reveal the chaos that ensued behind-the-scenes following their abrupt exit. 'The show... we put a lot of time and money into the start of our show and then we had to rejig the whole thing... the whole promos had to be re-shot. 'It was just a lot of angst on our part when they just parted the way they did.' Scott, 59, explained what went on behind-the-scenes following Elle and Joel's abrupt exit during a media event in country Victoria late last month. Pictured: Elle, 36, and Joel, 37 Scott said 'the great news' is that they 'got another couple to come and they're terrific'. At the Logie Awards on June 19, Scott slammed the couple's decision to leave the show because of a family emergency as 'unAustralian' and 'p**s poor'. Elle, 36, and Joel, 37, downed tools in April - just 48 hours into production - after his mother suffered a nasty fall at home in Adelaide. 'The show... we put a lot of time and money into the start of our show and then we had to rejig the whole thing... the whole promos had to be re-shot,' he said. 'It was just a lot of angst on our part when they just parted the way they did' Scott had told TV Tonight on the Logies red carpet: 'We had a 48-hour challenge to choose the house that you get and they scarpered after 48 hours. 'It's something that's never happened before. 'Forty-five thousand people applied to be on The Block and win life-changing money. These guys got on and they just couldn't handle the pace after 48 hours. 'Which to me is a bit unAustralian! Have a go! It's p**s poor.' The couple made the difficult decision to leave the Channel Nine renovation show in April after Joel's mum Trish fractured her neck during a fall at her home in Adelaide. Scott said at the Logie Awards on June 19 that the couple's decision to leave the show because of a family emergency was 'unAustralian' and 'p**s poor' The former AFL star's mother reportedly broke her coccyx and fractured her wrist. After their exit, Elle shared a photo to Instagram of the pair's suitcases at Melbourne Airport, and captioned it: 'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first.' A Nine spokesperson confirmed their departure to Daily Mail Australia, saying: 'Over the weekend, we were surprised to have one of our new contestant teams depart The Block a few days into filming for the upcoming season. 'We wish them all the best for the future and we're excited to cast two new Aussies for the opportunity of a lifetime on The Block. The Block Tree Change will air as scheduled later this year.' After their exit, Elle shared this photo to Instagram of their suitcases at Melbourne Airport, and wrote: 'Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing, family always comes first' Georgia Love has thrown her support behind a new 'genderless' clothing line from her husband Lee Elliott's new activewear brand, Lineate. Posing to Instagram Stories on Sunday, the former Bachelorette star, 33, uploaded a short clip of herself modelling a pink jumper and matching track pants while on the set of a photo shoot. 'BTS New season genderless Lineate coming soon,' she wrote. Former Bachelorette Georgia Love, 33, (pictured) has promoted a new range of 'genderless' clothing being launched by her husband Lee Elliott's activewear brand Lineate According to its website, Lineate is the brainchild of her husband Lee Elliott and friend Eugene Loane, and offers 'activewear and athleisure clothing for men'. The company was launched in November last year and features Lee, a former model, as the face of the brand. The term 'genderless' fashion refers to clothing that can be worn by people of all genders. According to its website, Lineate is the brainchild of her husband Lee Elliott and friend Eugene Loane, and offers 'activewear and athleisure clothing for men' The company was launched in November last year and features Lee (pictured), a former model, as the face of the brand Some argue the term 'genderless' should be used instead of the more commonly used term 'unisex', as the latter is outdated and refers to the biological binaries of male and female. The idea marketing clothing as 'free of gender' received some backlash last year when Bonds released its first 'genderless' clothing line. Bonds said the line was created to allow customers to select what they want from the collection and 'wear it their way'. The idea marketing clothing as 'free of gender' received some backlash last year when Bonds released its first 'genderless' clothing line. Pictured: Bonds model, LGBTQIA+ activist DJ Kath Ebbs 'We recognise that the future is 'genderful' and want to allow our customers to express their gender and identity in whichever way is most comfortable,' the company said at the time. Some critics claimed Bonds was trying to cash in on the ever-growing 'woke' movement by rebranding what was once referred to as 'unisex' clothing. However, others applauded the brand for championing inclusivity. Some critics claimed Bonds was trying to cash in on the ever-growing 'woke' movement by rebranding what was once referred to as 'unisex' clothing. Pictured are models wearing clothing from Bonds' 'genderless' range Australian sunscreen brand Samantha Brett owner has blasted new laws that restrict influencers from promoting health and skincare products. The Therapeutic Goods Administration's new advertising code came into effect this month, preventing social media stars from receiving payment for giving testimonials. Ms Brett, who owns sunscreen brand Naked Sundays, however believes that SPF products should be exempt from the rules, as it's important to encourage Aussies to protect their skin from the sun. Australian sunscreen brand Samantha Brett (pictured) owner has blasted new laws that restrict influencers from promoting health and skincare products 'I do like the fact the TGA is making it mandatory to put warnings and instructions on all advertising, but I think influencers should be allowed to give their opinions about the sunscreens they're using, whether paid, gifted or unpaid by a brand,' Ms Brett told Emerald City on Sunday. 'How else will a consumer get honest feedback? How else will those who are influenced by social media, particularly Millennials who are most at risk of melanoma, be encouraged to use sunscreen every day? And use it correctly?' she added. Contrary to Ms Brett's argument, however, influencers can actually encourage their fans to use sunscreen - just not when it involves receiving money for a product testimonial. 'I do like the fact the TGA is making it mandatory to put warnings and instructions on all advertising, but I think influencers should be allowed to give their opinions about the sunscreens they're using, whether paid, gifted or unpaid by a brand,' Ms Brett told Emerald City on Sunday 'How else will a consumer get honest feedback? How else will those who are influenced by social media, particularly Millennials who are most at risk of melanoma, be encouraged to use sunscreen every day? And use it correctly?' she added. Pictured: Elle Ferguson posing in sponsored ad for Naked Sundays 'The measure [of the new rules] is designed to ensure, as much as possible, that testimonials ... are genuine and not influenced by commercial interests,' a TGA spokesperson told Emerald City. It comes after many Aussie influencers were up in arms over the TGA's new laws, claiming that they were now unable to make money by spruiking certain health and skincare products online. Naked Sundays often uses influencers to promote its products on social media. Pictured promoting products from the brand is Natasha Oakley (left) and Martha Kalifitidis (right) The new Therapeutic Goods Administration advertising code allows social media stars to give testimonials for products, but only if they don't receive anything in return. Pictured: Jordan and Zac Stenmark Yet despite the hysteria, most are still be able to earn money from health and beauty brands if they simply just avoid offering any personal testimonials. 'Businesses can continue to engage influencers in their marketing strategies, if the influencer does not provide a personal account of their experience,' the TGA told Daily Mail Australia. The simple workaround means influencers can broadly endorse therapeutic goods, so long as they don't claim to have personally found them effective. When asked if an influencer could circumvent the rules banning personal endorsements by obtaining a medical qualification in skincare, the TGA said this wasn't possible. Pictured: Phoebe Burgess The TGA added that 'before and after pictures are also likely to be a testimonial'. Pictured: Influencer and Bachelorette star Elly Miles The TGA added that 'before and after pictures are also likely to be a testimonial'. The changes were made because 'personal testimonials can be inappropriately persuasive to a vulnerable audience who are seeking products for their health and sometimes very serious health conditions'. Meanwhile, Bachelor star Laura Byrne has also been vocal in her criticism of sunscreen being included in the list of the TGA's 'banned' items. Bachelor star Laura Byrne (pictured) has also been vocal in her criticism of sunscreen being included in the list of the TGA's 'banned' items Weighing in on the debate in February, the mother-of-two wrote told fans on Instagram: 'I've seen a lot of conversations happening online around this whole limiting influencers from talking about skincare and proteins and everything else and I agree with it.' 'The only part of this and the only category I fiercely don't agree with is sunscreen because I don't understand why you would stop such a hugely influential population from promoting sunscreen.' Laura went on to say: 'I wish someone had told me that when I was in my youth... I just think that that's a category that makes absolutely no sense to me.' Weighing in on the debate in February, the mother-of-two wrote told fans on Instagram : 'I've seen a lot of conversations happening online around this whole limiting influencers from talking about skincare and proteins and everything else and I agree with it' She also explained that she would like her two daughters Marlie Mae, two, and Lola, 11 months to think 'sunscreen is cool'. 'I didn't think it was cool when I was a kid and now I have to get shit burnt off me because the whole slip slop slap ads were lame and I didn't use it,' she said. 'Regulate the manufactures of the sunscreen and the way it can be labelled in Australia better. Don't regulate the promotion of something that positively impacts the health of everyone.' Lisa Wilkinson will make her return to The Sunday Project with a pre-recorded interview on swimming legend Michael Klim's secret health battle. Wilkinson, who is expected to remain off the on-air panel until 'mid-July at the earliest', shared a promotional clip to her Instagram Stories of Sunday night's interview, amid the fallout from her controversial Logies speech last month. Wilkinson, 62, mentioned alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins after winning the Outstanding News Coverage Logie award for her one-on-one interview with the former ministerial staffer in 2021, causing the trial to be rescheduled until October. Lisa Wilkinson (pictured) is set to RETURN to The Sunday Project as she teases an exclusive interview with Michael Klim on his secret health battle, after her disastrous Logies speech caused the trial of Brittany Higgins' accused rapist to be delayed Sunday's exclusive interview will see Aussie sporting legend Klim, 44, discuss his secret health battle after he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 2020. Klim is unable to walk unaided after spending the last two years battling the incurable disorder that's left him with no feeling in his feet. The Olympic gold medal winner is forced to use walking sticks and braces for support after finding it difficult to maintain balance and suffering numbness. Sunday's exclusive interview will see Aussie sporting legend Klim (left), 44, discuss his secret health battle after he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in 2020 Promoting the upcoming interview on Sunday, Wilkinson uploaded a photo of herself and Klim posing together alongside a length caption about the swimmer's health battle. 'Life is fragile. And no-one knows that better right now, than multi-Olympic-gold-medallist and former seven-time World Record holding champion swimmer, Michael Klim,' she began. 'Since his days smashing it in the pool alongside lifelong buddies, Ian Thorpe, Daniel Kowolski and Chris Fydler, Michaels world has now become one of chronic pain and endless hospital stays, after he was diagnosed with a crippling auto-immune disorder with no known cure, called CIDP,' she continued. Promoting the upcoming interview on Sunday, Wilkinson uploaded this photo of herself and Klim posing together alongside a length caption about the swimmer's health battle 'Those legs and feet that years ago propelled him to greatness in the water have been eaten away and left him unable to walk, unassisted. And his future right now is unknown,' Wilkinson added. Wilkinson completed her post by inviting fans to tune into her interview with Klim and his family. 'Tonight, on the Sunday Project, I sit down with Michael, his wonderful partner Michelle, and gorgeous kids, Stella, Rocco and Frankie, who are all fighting alongside him to try and raise awareness of this crippling disorder,' she wrote. It was previously reported that Wilkinson won't be sitting idle at home following her Logies speech, with sources claiming she will continue to work on 'investigative and human interest' stories 'This disease is incredibly cruel, and Michael is, quite simply, a beautiful man,' she concluded. Last month it was reported by The Australian Business Review's Diary that Wilkinson wouldn't be sitting idle at home following her Logies speech, with sources claiming she would continue to work on 'investigative and human interest' stories. A spokesman for Ten Network at the time said they 'fully support Lisa in her ongoing and full commitment to doing the right thing as a witness in the trial'. Last month it was reported by The Australian Business Review's Diary that Wilkinson wouldn't be sitting idle at home following her Logies speech, with sources claiming she would continue to work on 'investigative and human interest' stories The network also hit back at the 'unfair' criticism of Wilkinson, and said it would not rule out taking legal action. 'This reporting is now causing significant harm and we ask these organisations to cease this harassment to allow Lisa the best opportunity to give her evidence in court and to enable the trial to go ahead in a fair and timely manner,' a spokesperson for the network told The Australian. 'We are closely monitoring all coverage of this issue and Lisa and Network 10 reserve their rights in respect of any future defamation claims.' Wilkinson mentioned alleged rape victim Brittany Higgins after winning the Outstanding News Coverage Logie award for her one-on-one interview with the former ministerial staffer in 2021. Pictured at the Logies Wilkinson's speech contributed to delaying Higgins' trial against former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann by prejudicing potential jurors. Lehrmann is accused of raping Ms Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 and has pleaded not guilty. He denies these claims and stated in a police interview that he did not have sex with Ms Higgins. The ACT Supreme Court has set a new date of October 4 for the trial. Chief Justice Lucy McCallum decided to delay the trial 'regrettably and with gritted teeth' because 'somewhere in this debate, the distinction between an untested allegation and the fact of guilt has been lost'. She noted public interest in the case needed to die down before Lehrmann would have access to a fair jury. Wilkinson's speech contributed to delaying Higgins' trial against former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann (pictured) by prejudicing potential jurors Wilkinson has been highly criticised for her acceptance speech for the Outstanding News Coverage Logie award. Pictured with former ministerial staffer Brittany Higgins Higgins's Crown prosecutor Shane Drumgold agreed with Justice McCallum's decision, noting the 102-day delay was more generous than that given in similar cases. Mr Drumgold warned Network 10, Wilkinson and the owners of Sydney radio station WSFM that they should no longer commentate on the trial. The written agreement would also see the three parties agree that any future comments could be in contempt of court. Mr Drumgold said if the undertaking were not made by Network 10, Wilkinson and WSFM then he would seek an injunction to stop future public comment. Ms Higgins (above) will face Bruce Lehrmann in court on October 4 after accusing him of raping her in Parliament House in 2019 Love Island's Danica Taylor wasn't afraid to ruffle feathers when she dramatically recoupled with both Luca Bish and Jay Younger at different points in the show. But her mother Lindsey has claimed that the 21-year-old dancer from Leicester is 'not snaky or a b*tch' and seemed 'genuinely happy' in her new couple with the 'gorgeous' Josh Samuel Le Grove. The stunner struggled to find a connection with anyone before the raunchy events during Casa Amor unfolded last week, as she and Jay - who were in a friendship couple - were the only ones whose loyalties weren't 'tested'. 'Happy': Danica's mother Lindsey has claimed that the 21-year-old dancer from Leicester seemed 'genuinely happy' in her new couple with the 'gorgeous' Josh Samuel Le Grove When it finally came to the nail-biting recoupling during Thursday night's episode, both chose to twist, leading to Danica pairing up with Josh and Jay, with Chyna Mills. And now Lindsey has told The Mirror that she's proud of her daughter, who she has described as a 'fighter'. She continued: 'She has obviously managed to try to chat to a few different people and hasn't managed to get anywhere. 'Fighter': And now Lindsey has told The Mirror that she's proud of her daughter, who she has described as a 'fighter' Cute: When it finally came to the nail-biting recoupling during Thursday night's episode, both chose to twist, leading to Danica pairing up with Josh and Jay, with Chyna Mills 'But she's held her head up high and carried on being who she is.' The Love Islander's mother also told the publication that audiences are now 'seeing the real Danica'. She said: 'She's a strong, lovely girl and people are seeing that side of Danica come out now.' Making moves: One evening saw Danica offer Josh an invite into her bed as the pair earlier in the night shared playful quips about it being a 'trial run' for her 'Some people will behave a bit differently if they've been knocked back quite a few times... 'I've brought my girls up to have very good morals and values, so she's not snakey or a b*tch.' The proud parent has also added that she's 'sure' Danica and Jake could manage a distanced relationship 'until it got to a more serious level'. Stolen kisses: The model, 22, asked Danica if she'd had a chance to share many kisses, to which the dancer said she'd up to then only had a chance to share a proper smooch with Davide earlier in the series 'I'm very protective of my girls, so as long as he's a nice boy and treats her right, then all good,' she said. '...But it's not that far away, really the Midlands to Essex and London. I'm sure they'd manage until it got to a more serious level.' Earlier this month Danica faced elimination from the villa, but was saved thanks to a decision made by the boys. Antigoni Buxton and Charlie Radnedge were then dumped by their fellow Islanders as contestants were notified that they would have to pick one member of the opposite sex to send home in the brutal elimination before picking who to give the boot. Real: The Love Islander's mother also told the publication that audiences are now 'seeing the real Danica' Genuine: She said: 'She's a strong, lovely girl and people are seeing that side of Danica come out now' Meanwhile Casa Amor was a win for the pair, who were in a friendship couple. One evening saw Danica offer Josh an invite into her bed as the pair earlier in the night shared playful quips about it being a 'trial run' for her. The model, 22, asked Danica if she'd had a chance to share many kisses, to which the dancer said she'd up to then only had a chance to share a proper smooch with Davide earlier in the series. 'There'll be a time, I'm sure,' she said, as Josh then saw his opening and leaned in for a 'juicy snog'. A delighted Danica told the Beach Hut: 'You've gotta try before you buy and I'm on a bit of a trying spree right now.' Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV2 and ITV Hub. Episodes are available the following morning on BritBox Flirty: A delighted Danica told the Beach Hut: 'You've gotta try before you buy and I'm on a bit of a trying spree right now' 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 Cameron Diaz has recalled being 'used as a drug mule' during the nineties, just weeks before her acting career took off with a leading lady role in comedy-fantasy blockbuster The Mask. It comes as the 49-year-old is set to return to the big screen after an eight-year hiatus, preparing to star alongside Jamie Foxx in the aptly named comedy Back In Action. Casting her mind back to the early days of her career, the actress was a struggling model in Paris, before gaining a job where she 'was a mule carrying drugs to Morocco'. Mule: Cameron Diaz, 49, has claimed that she was once 'used' to smuggle substances from France to Morocco during the nineties Speaking on podcast Second Life, Cameron explained that she had gathered enough money to move to Paris and pursue modelling - but hadn't had any luck finding jobs there. She explained to podcast host Hillary Kerr: 'I was there a full year and didnt work one day. I couldnt book a job to save my life. Then I got one job but, really, I think I was a mule carrying drugs to Morocco I swear to God.' Cameron admitted that she wasn't aware that that she was carrying illegal substances until arriving at the airport, and began to panic upon realising. Big break: The drug job came just weeks before her acting career took off with a leading lady role in comedy fantasy film The Mask Leading lady: She starred alongside Jim Carrrey in the 1994 hit, after claiming she 'doesn't act' when approached for the job as an aspiring model Continuing: 'This was the early Nineties and they gave me a locked suitcase that had my "costumes" in it. 'Im this blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl in Morocco. Im wearing torn jeans and platform boots, with my hair down this is really unsafe. I told them, "I dont know, its not mine, Ive no idea whose it is". That was the only job I got in Paris.' Avoiding at least a ten-year drug trafficking jail sentence, Cameron left the suitcase with officials as she returned back to France, citing that as the first and last job she had in Paris. Struggling: As she was trying to carve out a modelling career in Paris , Cameron recalled: 'I was there a full year and didnt work one day. I couldnt book a job to save my life. Then I got one job but, really, I think I was a mule carrying drugs to Morocco I swear to God' (pictured 1994) Panicking: Cameron admitted that she wasn't aware that that she was carrying illegal substances until arriving at the airport, and began to panic upon realising But after the lucky escape, Cameron finally received her big break back in Los Angeles - as she was approached by a casting agent looking for a 'bombshell'. Producers were searching for a leading lady to star alongside Jim Carrey in what went on to be the 1994 hit, The Mask. While they were hoping to nab Playmate and covergirl Anna Nicole Smith for the role, they expanded their horizons to other potential stars. But after trying to carve out a career as a catalogue model, Cameron admitted that she was sceptical of the opportunity, telling the casting agent: 'I don't act, that's not what I do.' Lucky escape: But avoiding at least a ten-year drug trafficking jail sentence, Cameron left the substance filled suitcase with officials as she returned home to Paris, citing that as the first and last job she had in Paris (pictured in 2002) To Hollywood: And weeks after the ordeal, she was offered her breakout role in comedy-fantasy The Mask, catapulting her into fame (pictured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1994) 'I had just started my period. There was no way I was putting on anything sexy that day. I was like, "Are you kidding?", recalled the blonde beauty. But describing director Chuck Russell as 'great', she explained that he told her: 'Youre my Tina Carlyle and Im going to groom you for this part, before offering it to her a week later. Since then, the actress has had leading roles in blockbusters such as The Holiday, What Happens in Vegas and Charlie's Angels. Retirement: But in 2014, Cameron decided to step away from acting and settle into family life with her husband Benji Maddox (pictured) and daughter Raddix But in 2014, Cameron decided to step away from acting and settle into family life with her husband Benji Maddox and daughter Raddix. Admitting she has been 'convinced out of retirement' by Jamie Foxx and Tom Brady, she is set to return to the big screen alongside the actors in upcoming film Back In Action. Following the un-retirement announcement last week, Cameron quipped: ''Jamie Foxx, only you could get me back in action!!! I can't frickin wait it's gonna be a blast!' Molly-Mae Hague looked every inch the supportive girlfriend she is as the influencer cheered Tommy Fury on while he braved the Summer Wilmslow 10k race on Sunday. The former Love Islander, 23, was snapped smiling on the side lines as her professional boxer boyfriend, 23, took part in the event. Some points appeared more interesting than others as the stunner was seen sitting on a bench looking bored while Tommy got ready to run. Proud: Molly-Mae Hague looked every inch the supportive girlfriend she is as the influencer cheered Tommy Fury on while he braved the Summer Wilmslow 10k race on Sunday Another shot saw her proudly watching the summer race. The blonde beauty nailed athleisure chic as she teamed some black leggings with a cosy white T-shirt. She threw an oversized plaid flannel over the cosy ensemble, and donned some colourful green and purple Nike sneakers. Cheering on: The former Love Islander, 23, was snapped smiling on the side lines as her pro boxer boyfriend, 23, took part in the event The star amped up the sporty feel with some white socks worn over the leggings, but let her accessories add touches of glam. The reality star carried a black leather clutch, styling the look with some elegant golden hoops and a slick pair of rectangular shades. Molly had her platinum tresses thrown up in her signature bun and appeared to sport minimal make-up with a baby pink lipstick. Running: Elsewhere a bronzed Tommy was ready for action as he worked up a sweat in a grey muscle shirt and black shorts Elsewhere a bronzed Tommy was ready for action as he worked up a sweat in a grey muscle shirt and black shorts. The former Love Island contestant flaunted his sculpted legs as he took part in the race, sporting a colourful pair of running shoes and a wristwatch. He appeared in high spirits as he enjoyed the event in a crowd of others, looking picture perfect as ever with his casually styled slick hair. In love: Molly has called Tommy her 'soulmate' as the couple celebrated their third anniversary together on Thursday It comes as Molly called Tommy her 'soulmate' as the couple celebrated their third anniversary together on Thursday. Both of the reality stars took to their Instagram Stories to share some pictures of themselves looking cosy together to mark three years since they cemented their relationship on the ITV2 show. In one picture posted by Tommy, Molly could be seen kissing the boxer on the forehead as he smiled, with the sportsman captioning his post: 'With me through thick and thin. Couldn't as for a better woman.' Other photos posted by Molly showed the couple on previous holidays in locations such as the Lake District and Dubai, with the influencer writing to Tommy across the top of one picture: 'I love you so much.' The pair met on Love Island in June 2019 when they finished in second place behind Amber Gill and Greg OShea. While Tommy initially had eyes for Lucie Donlan while she was coupled-up with Joe Garrett, his head was soon turned by Molly who entered as a bombshell on day four. Romance: Each of the former Love Island stars took to their Instagram Stories to share some pictures of themselves looking cosy together to mark three years together In July, the month after Molly and Tommy met, he asked her to be his girlfriend by writing a heartwarming love letter from her teddy bear Ellie Belly. The note read: 'Dear Mummy. Daddy left me here in his best interests. 'He wanted me to tell you that youre his everything. Im going to leave it with Daddy. So' Looking back: Influencer Molly and Tommy met on Love Island in June 2019 when they finished in second place behind Amber Gill and Greg OShea Fun in the sun: Other photos posted by Molly showed the couple on previous holidays in locations such as the Lake District and Dubai With the whole villa watching, Tommy added: 'On a serious note, you know how much you mean to me and youre the only girl for me. 'I only want to be with you. Therefore, I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend?' The couple moved in together in September 2019 and have been going from strength-to-strength ever since. Naturals: One picture showed Molly and Tommy on holiday in the Lake District, with Molly writing 'I love you so much' across the top of the image Furry friend? Tommy shared a picture of Molly cuddling her beloved white cat as she lay on the sofa It comes after the pair sparked engagement rumours when they were spotted at a jewellers in Dubai last month. The couple eyed-up a six-figure engagement ring during their sun-drenched getaway, according to reports. In a picture obtained by The Sun, the reality stars sat next to each other in Cara Jewellers during their trip to the United Arab Emirates, where Manchester-born Tommy allegedly insisted that his girlfriend's ring must be a 'top of the range, flawless gem'. Wedding bells? Molly and Tommy recently eyed up a six-figure engagement ring during their sun-drenched getaway in Dubai, according to reports A source at the sophisticated showroom told the publication that PrettyLittleThing's creative director spoke for an hour about how she wanted the ring mounted, before Tommy sighed: 'I'm just here to pay for it, mate.' The source continued: 'It was a very funny moment. Molly-Mae pretended to be upset but then laughed and got on with discussing the ring. 'The couple were lovely and charming and looked very much in love. Love: The influencer and her boxer boyfriend, both 23, have been together since their appearance on Love Island in 2019, with their relationship only going from strength to strength 'Tommy was insistent it must be a rare, top of the range flawless gem. And Molly-Mae spent a long time discussing how the ring must be designed.' MailOnline contacted representatives for Molly and Tommy for comment at the time. In April, Molly teased that the sound of wedding bells might not be too far in the future. Following Tommy's victory against Daniel Bocianski in their light heavyweight fight, an interviewer apologised for referring to her as Mrs Fury. The star responded: 'It's fine, don't worry! Maybe soon.' Carrie Bickmore is set to return to The Project on Monday. And on Sunday, the television star celebrated the end of her time abroad, after moving to London with her family for a few months. In a post shared to Instagram, the 41-year-old posed alongside her partner Chris Walker and their kids while reflecting on their escape overseas. Carrie Bickmore posed alongside her partner Chris Walker and their kids while reflecting on their escape overseas on Sunday. All pictured 'And so comes to an end the most incredible few months. Was it perfect NO. Was it always easy NO. Was it worth it YES YES YES,' she wrote in the caption. 'Nothing worthwhile comes easily. I am just so glad we had a crack. Memories made that we'll talk about forever'. Carrie also shared a number of Instagram Stories depicting the family enjoying the last stop of their holiday in Mykonos. Carrie also shared a number of Instagram Stories depicting the family enjoying the last stop of their holiday in Mykonos 'I love, love, love the beach so much!' Carrie captioned one image, which showed her wearing a floral bikini She cuddled up to Chris in one photo taken on the beach 'I love, love, love the beach so much!' Carrie captioned one image, which showed her jumping for joy on the sand while wearing a floral bikini. She cuddled up to Chris in one romantic photo, while giving her children a loving squeeze in others. Carrie will be back in the show's Melbourne studio on Monday and will return to the screen as a pivotal member of The Project panel. 'And so comes to an end the most incredible few months. Was it perfect NO. Was it always easy NO. Was it worth it YES YES YES,' she wrote 'Nothing worthwhile comes easily. I am just so glad we had a crack. Memories made that we'll talk about forever,' she added Carrie has two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris Carrie revealed her grand plans to move overseas with Chris and their children in March. 'In April I'm going to be taking a few months off The Project desk. Chris and I and the kids are heading off on a family adventure together.' 'We've been wanting to do it for a while but for lots of reasons the timing hasn't been right, but we figure it's never going to be the perfect time to go. She also has a son, Oliver Lange, 14, who she shares with her late husband Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010 Carrie revealed her grand plans to move overseas with partner Chris Walker and their children in March. They moved overseas in April 'It's something we really want to do before my son starts his final years at school so we're doing term two in the UK. So I will be off for a couple of months.' Carrie has two children, daughters Evie, six, and Adelaide, three, with her partner Chris. She also has a son, Oliver Lange, 14, who she shares with her late husband Greg Lange, who died of brain cancer in 2010. Sheridan Smith ensured her wardrobe was on the right track as she joined co-stars for a gala screening of The Railway Children Return in London on Sunday afternoon. The celebrated actress looked stunning in an elegant green jumpsuit while attending the special event at Picturehouse Central. With a sleeveless detail, plunging neckline and and on-trend flared lower half, the outfit ensured Sheridan, 41, stood out as she posed for photos ahead of the screening. Looking good: Sheridan Smith ensured her wardrobe was on the right track as she joined co-stars for a gala screening of The Railway Children in London on Sunday afternoon Generously applied red lipstick added an extra splash colour, while gold peep-toe heels rounded off her ensemble. The actress was joined by co-star John Bradley, perhaps best known for his role as hapless Samwell Tarly in Game Of Thrones. Bradley, who plays Richard in the forthcoming sequel to 1970 film The Railway children, looked dapper in a smart two-piece suit while attending the event. In good company: The actress was joined by co-star John Bradley, perhaps best known for his role as hapless Samwell Tarly in Game Of Thrones Striking: With a sleeveless detail, plunging neckline and and on-trend flared lower half, Sheridan's outfit ensured she stood out as she posed alongside Bradley on Sunday In attendance: Other guests included JLS star JB Gill, who arrived with partner Chloe Tangney and their children, Ace Jeremiah Gill and Chiara Sapphire Gill Other guests included JLS star JB Gill, who arrived with partner Chloe Tangney and their children, Ace Jeremiah Gill and Chiara Sapphire Gill. Child stars Eden Hamilton, Austin Haynes and Zac Cudby were seen arriving at the London venue for an appearance on the red carpet. Elsewhere actress Helen George, DJ Sonali Shah and the film's producer, Jemma Rodgers, were all on hand to watch the eagerly anticipated film. Day out: Actress Helen George caught the eye in a breezy pink striped summer dress Looking lovely: Radio DJ Sonali Shah showed off an incredible pair of legs in her thigh skimming dress (L) while producer Jemma Rodgers opted for a floor length number (R) Side by side: Child stars Eden Hamilton and Austin Haynes, who both star in the new film, were seen arriving at Picturehouse Central in London Set in 1944, The Railway Children Returns shows a time where life in Britain's cities becomes increasingly perilous. Three evacuees - Lily (Beau Gadsdon), Pattie (Eden Hamilton) and Ted (Zac Cudby) Watts - are sent to the Yorkshire village from Salford by their mother. Bobbie, Annie and Bobbie's grandson Thomas (Austin Haynes) are there to greet the young children and help them settle into their new life in the countryside. However when they discover injured American soldier Abe (KJ Aikens), hiding out in the railyard at Oakworth Station, they are thrust into a dangerous quest to assist their new friend who, like them, is a long way from home. At the directorial helm is Morgan Matthews, whose previous credits include Taxidermy: Stuff the World, Channel 4's My Crazy Parents and feature-length Beautiful Young Minds. Handsome: Lee Juggurnauth posed for photos as he made his way inside the venue on Sunday Child stars: Eden Hamilton (L) and Zac Cudby (R) posed for photos after making their way onto the red carpet on Sunday Low key: Actor Shaun Dooley appeared to miss the fashion memo by turning up in a pair of shorts and trainers Matthews is known for films X+Y and Shooting Bigfoot, while Jemma Rodgers will produce the film for StudioCanal, which owns the rights to the original. Meanwhile, Danny Brocklehurst, whose writing credits include Brassic and Shameless, penned the screenplay. The original film was based on the novel by E Nesbit, which tells the story of three children who are set to be shipped off to live in the country at The Three Chimneys house beside a railway line, following their father's arrest on spying charges. The crew shot scenes in key locations from the original film, including the Haworth, Oakworth Station, The Bronte Parsonage and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Japan's ruling coalition was projected to keep its majority in the upper house of parliament on Sunday, two days after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a dominant politician and power broker. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), of which Abe was a senior figure, and its junior coalition partner Komeito were on track to win between 69 and 83 of the 125 seats contested in Sunday's vote, according to NHK exit polls. Official results are expected on Monday. Abe, Japan's longest-serving modern leader, was gunned down on Friday during a speech in support of a local candidate in the western city of Nara, a killing the political establishment condemned as an attack on democracy itself. Analysts had predicted Abe's assassination might boost the LDP, led by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, an Abe protege. The party was projected to win 59 to 69 of the upper house seats contested, according the exit poll, up from the 55 it held previously. Elections for parliament's less powerful upper house are typically seen as a referendum on the sitting government. Change of government was not at stake, as that is determined by the lower house. (Reuters) Former Love Islander Montana Brown stunned in a summery aquamarine blue ensemble as she hosted open castings for her sustainable Swim Society brand on Sunday. The reality star, 26, donned a see-through mesh co-ord set featuring a longsleeve top and a high-waisted maxi-skirt. The star's outfit seemed to flaunt the outline of a white bikini underneath as the business owner confidently strolled along. Beautiful in blue: Former Love Islander Montana Brown stunned in a summery aquamarine blue ensemble as she hosted open castings for her sustainable swimwear brand, Swim Society She teamed her summery look with black sliders styling her highlighted blonde tresses back into a low pony. The stunner opted for a fresh-faced vibe with minimal make-up, showing off her youthful dewy skin. Montana accessorised with some simple golden hoops as she grinned for the cameras. Glam: The reality star, 26, donned a see-through mesh co-ord set featuring a longsleeve top and a high-waisted maxi-skirt Summer style: She teamed her summery look with black sliders styling her highlighted blonde tresses back into a low pony It comes as she last month looked sensational while soaking up the sun in a glam purple bikini in Italy. The former dating show contestant showed off her gorgeous figure in a series of swimwear snaps modelling Swim Society. She seemed in high spirits as she flashed her toned abs in a bright two piece as well as a variety of other pieces from her summer swimwear drop. Fresh faced: The stunner opted for a fresh-faced vibe with minimal make-up, showing off her youthful dewy skin Montana cut a stylish figure as she hid her long blonde tresses, which fell in loose waves past her shoulders, under a blue bucket hat. She elevated her frame in a pair of beige flatform woven sliders and opted for a radiant palette of makeup to showcase her beauty. The influencer later changed into a yellow and white triangle bikini as she posed up a storm on a lavish boat. Stylish: Montana Brown looked sensational as she soaked up the sun in a glam purple bikini in Italy last month Summer vibes: The former Love Island star showed off her gorgeous figure in a series of swimwear snaps modelling her brand Swim Society Looking away from the camera, Montana put on a racy display lying down while her tresses blew in the wind. The beauty took to Instagram to share a sneak peak of the looks and made sure to show off her peachy behind in a purple and white two piece. Montana looked out to sea as she prepared to jump into the blue ocean from the boat. Time for a swim: The beauty took to Instagram to share a sneak peak of the looks and made sure to show off her peachy behind in a purple and white two piece The former ITV2 star founded the luxury sustainable swimwear brand in 2019 to be inclusive for all body types. Recently Montana proudly displaced her 'cellulite' and 'leg hairs' as she spoke about embracing the female body in an Instagram post in March. The influencer admitted the pictures were 'unposed' and although she 'didn't think they were the best ones' she shared how important it is to share natural images. Montana wore her brunette locks up for the pictures, which showed her taking a hot tub dip at luxury mountain resort Six Senses Residences Courchevel in the French Alps. Talking to her followers, Montana wrote: 'Monday motivation today is embracing the female body. Everything Swim Society represents is loving your body as it is TODAY. Including skin texture, stretch marks, cellulite, wonky boobies and all the rest.' 'I've fluctuated with my weight, loving the gym, not loving the gym, dealing with depression/anxiety and I refuse to feel bad about what I see in a picture. Natural: Last month Montana proudly displaced her 'cellulite' and 'leg hairs' as she spoke about embracing the female body in an Instagram post 'Bit of cellulite on my a**, you can zoom in and see my little hairs on the tops of my leggies and if you scroll to the end my armpit legit looks like a vagina for no apparent reason / our new collection for all women is now available, all bodies welcome,' she concluded. Montana was open in the post, talking about her weight fluctuating and struggling with mental health issues, as she showcased off her 'real' body - talking candidly on cellulite and body hair. Montana rose to fame on season three of Love Island, making it to the final with ex Alex Beattie and ultimately coming in fifth place. Candid: Montana (pictured left in March) shared 'unposed' swimwear snaps as she opened about her weight and mental health in a post about loving your body Montana wrote: 'Everything Swim Society represents is loving your body as it is TODAY. Including skin texture, stretch marks, cellulite, wonky boobies and all the rest' While the Hertfordshire-born beauty ended things with Personal Trainer Alex, she has since found love with real estate guru Mark O'Connor. Whilst Montana keeps the relationship fairly quiet, the pair were first spotted together in early 2021. Montana reportedly met her beau through a gym in London, as friends of Mark told MailOnline last year: 'He played rugby for Chiswick and Wales 1st Teams as a prop, and has a proprietary interest in Forge Gym London. That's likely how he met Montana.' Nick Knowles was in good spirits as he stepped out with his girlfriend Katie Dadzie for the men's singles final day at Wimbledon on Sunday. The television presenter, 59, opted for smart casual attire, wearing a blue shirt which he left unbuttoned at the collar along with some white trousers. Former DIY SOS host Nick completed his look with a navy blue jacket as he walked hand-in-hand with his sex toy business owner girlfriend Katie, 32. Coupled-up: Nick Knowles, 59, was in good spirits as he stepped out with his girlfriend Katie Dadzie, 32, for the men's singles final day at Wimbledon on Sunday Katie looked stylish in an elegant blue mini dress with a pleated skirt and ruffled detail on the shoulders. The high-necked garment left her arms on show and a pair of sunglasses hung down to her front. She wore a pair of tan open-toed platform heels and wore minimal make-up to show off her pretty feature. Happy couple: The television presenter opted for smart casual attire, wearing a blue shirt which he left unbuttoned at the collar along with some white trousers They watched Novak Djokovic win his seventh Wimbledon title and fourth in a row by coming from behind to beat Nick Kyrgios on Centre Court. Unseeded Australian Kyrgios veered from laser-focussed to horribly distracted, arguing at times with his box, the umpire and the crowd. Amidst it all, No1 seed Djokovic produced a display of exceptional consistency, making only 17 unforced errors in three hours and one minute, taking the title 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6. The 35-year-old Serb now has 21 Grand Slam titles, one more than Roger Federer and one fewer the Rafael Nadal. Winner: Novak Djokovic won his seventh Wimbledon title by beating Australian Nick Kyrgios Success story: The No 1 seed Djokovic produced a consistent performance, taking the title 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 It comes after Nick furiously hit out at critics who took aim at his girlfriend over their 27-year age gap. After he was targeted by trolls who pointed out their age difference and suggested she was a gold digger, Nick slammed the bullies for having a go at the 'people I care about'. He told The Sun: 'I choose to be on TV. As a result, I expect the whole nine yards. I am up there as an object. Ive chosen to be on TV but my children, or my family, or people I date, for them I feel its unfair to have a go at them. Fashion focus: Former DIY SOS host Nick completed his look with a navy blue jacket as he walked hand-in-hand with his sex toy business owner girlfriend Katie 'What upset was the judgment of her without knowing anything about her. Or what her motivations might be. I found that upsetting and unfair and felt I needed to say something about it. 'By all means have a go at me, Im there to be shot at verbally on social media and the rest of it because of what Ive chosen to do as a living. 'But it feels a bit unfair to have a go at people I care about.' Hand-in-hand: Katie looked stylish in an elegant blue mini dress with a pleated skirt and ruffled detail on the shoulders Earlier this year, Nick took to Twitter to point out to his critics that Katie was 'wealthier and more successful' than him. He wrote: 'I'm raging. The woman I was out to dinner with when we were papped is 32, has degrees in two subjects, runs 3 businesses. 'She is wealthier & more successful than me and is intelligent and independent, unlike the abusive trolls attacking her. 'What happened to #bekind?' Katie runs two businesses, one called Boa Boa which sells lingerie and sex toys, and other called Boobbix which flogs 'lactation products for breastfeeding mums'. Nick, who split from his wife Jessica Rose Moor in 2016, made his first appearance with girlfriend Katie in September 2021, after ending his romance with PR guru Emily Hallinan, 27, in February 2020. Nick and Katie made their public debut as a couple at a restaurant in Bath last year, after being friends for several years. Unimpressed: A furious Nick recently hit out at critics who took aim at his girlfriend Katie over their 27-year age gap (pictured on This Morning in September) The presenter allegedly met his new girlfriend at a playgroup attended by his youngest son Eddie, seven. A source told The Sun: 'Nick and Katie have known each other for a couple of years, but it's always been platonic. 'They actually met through their youngest offspring and went on a few playdates as pals, before romance blossomed. Katie is a beautiful woman, fiercely independent and just Nick's type. 'They've met one another's friends and, although it's early days, everyone is hopeful this might be for keeps.' It comes after Nick revealed in February 2020 that he was single again after splitting from his girlfriend, PR guru Emily, insisting at the time it 'wasn't the end of the world' and announcing the news on Valentine's Day. Having made something of a reputation for himself with his love of younger ladies, Nick was also romantically involved with TOWIE star and stuntwoman Pascal Craymer, 34, back in 2017. Things turned sour however, when model Pascal claimed she blocked Nick after he reportedly bragged about his 'revolving' bed' and 'dating younger women'. Together: Nick, who split from his wife Jessica Rose Moor in 2016, made his first appearance with girlfriend Katie (pictured) in September 2021 She alleged that the twice-married DIY SOS host was 'desperate to get his leg over' when they went on a few of lavish dates in 2017. He tried to kiss her before the starters during a 600 meal and embarrassed her with his 'dad dancing' in a nightclub. Nick later hit back - branding the one-time TOWIE star a 'sad fame-hungry nobody', with his pals issuing a scathing statement about the brunette beauty, who later hit back. Pascal strongly denied the claims, saying: 'I dont take too kindly being referred to as a sad fame-hungry nobody.' She insisted the allegations were incorrect. Prior to his Pascal fling, Nick and Jessica Rose Moor's romance and marriage was also widely publicised, with emphasis on their age gap. Nick began dating Jessica in 2009 before they tied the knot in 2012 and welcomed their son Eddie in 2014. They split in 2016 - initially amicably, as he supported her through her battle with cervical cancer. Sad: Nick previously took to his Twitter to call out trolls who pointed out their age difference and implied she might be a gold digger Despite a bitter divorce battle surrounding the custody of their then three-year-old son Eddie, the pair are now back on good terms with one another, with Nick recently admitting he still cared about his former wife. Speaking to The Mirror in 2018 Nick said: 'It took me a while to figure stuff out. I'm really proud of the fact that Jess and I are really good. 'She's a great mother. Coming out of a marriage is hard, so I just want to make sure it stays respectful. I really care about my ex. She's got a new chap and I'm really pleased. They seem really happy.' It was revealed at the time that Jessica asked for 48,000 a year from him in light of their bitter divorce battle. According to The Sun, Jessica who was receiving 4,000 a month as part of their settlement, is demanding an extra 2,000 a month in order to fund their three-year-old son Eddie's education. 'Nick is distraught that Jessica has made these claims. She already gets 4,000 a month from him and hes funded her life for years,' a source told the publication. It came after Jessica posted an 'open letter about my divorce' in which she alleged 'years of emotional cruelty, physical abuse' by her husband as well as reportedly withdrawing their son Eddie from private education. Ex: Nick began dating now ex-wife Jessica in 2009 before they tied the knot in 2012 and welcomed their son Eddie in 2014 (Nick and Jessica, pictured in 2016) However, sources close to the DIY SOS presenter denied the allegations - saying he 'only wants the best for his son'. In a statement on the micro-blogging site, she denounced his denials of 'cruelty' and continued to suggest that he has withdrawn his financial support for their son. In the equally emotional letter captioned: 'In response', Jessica responded to Nick's apparent shock at the 'horrendous' allegations made, saying: 'Nick may be intelligent but he is not smart. He is now denying that he withdrew his promise to send Eddie to private school but it was sent by his solicitor to mine. 'He as also denied years of cruelty but I do have diaries and photographic proof'. Jessica then alleged that the presenter 'abandoned' her with young son Eddie in Spain for a 'string of girlfriends', and that she wants Nick to 'keep his promises' or she may publish 'witness statements' that could confirm her allegations. Khloe Kardashian appeared on Instagram over the weekend to share outtakes from a trip to Turks and Caicos. On Sunday, she shared a video snippet in the ocean with her four-year-old daughter True Thompson and captioned it, 'Free As A Bird.' It came after the 38-year-old entrepreneur jetted off on sister Kylie Jenner's private jet for a belated birthday celebration. Vacation photos: Khloe Kardashian appeared on Instagram over the weekend to share outtakes from a birthday trip to Turks and Caicos The reality TV star modeled a sexy metallic one-piece swimsuit for the ocean dip, showing off her svelte figure. The silver scoop-neck, thong swimsuit was from her Good American clothing range, which has grown from a denim brand. The fashionista teamed the look with a pair of glamorous black sunglasses, which she happily modeled in the content. True swam near her mother as the blonde beauty rocked large hoop earrings and slicked her bob haircut back. Sea lovers: True swam near her mother as the blonde beauty rocked large hoop earrings and slicked her bob haircut back On Saturday, the bombshell shared a different set of ocean snapshots with her 260 million followers. She stuck to her one-piece swimsuit trend, showing off her gym-honed physique in a black Chanel variety. The bathing suit was thong-cut and featured the brands iconic double 'C' logo in white. The carousel of crisp images was captioned, 'Do Not Disturb We are having fun.' More flicks: On Saturday the bombshell shared a different set of ocean snapshots with her 260 million followers Beach style: She stuck to her one-piece swimsuit trend, showing off her gym-honed physique in a black Chanel variety Accessory: Kardashian complemented the look with medium-sized gold hoop earrings as she soaked up the sea Kardashian complemented the look with medium-sized gold hoop earrings as she soaked up the sea. Furthermore, she added a chic pair of onyx black shades to shield her eyes from the island sun. Indulging in her time off the mother-of-one held a frozen cocktail in one hand as she was halfway submerged in the water. Thompson joined her mom in a colorful bikini as she showed off her swimming skills. Beverage: Indulging in her time off the mother-of-one held a frozen cocktail in one hand as she was halfway submerged in the water Cute: Thompson joined her mom in a colorful bikini as she showed off her swimming skills Cousin fun! True enjoyed the company of cousins Dream Kardashian and Chicago West Earlier in the day, the Good American founder took to social media to share outtakes from her plush flight. Along with a photo of her sitting on the ladder of Jenner's aircraft Khloe wrote, 'Wheels Up on Kylie Air.' The pink and white jet was decked out in a balloon arch with different shades of pink. During the flight Khloe enjoyed a mimosa and festive cake as she was joined by some members of her family. Dakota Johnson revealed that she always aspired to follow in the footsteps of her famous parents Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, the 32-year-old actress explained that she grew up on set watching her parents work and knew that acting was her calling from an early age. 'I was obsessed. I always wanted to be an actress,' the Fifty Shades of Grey star said. Ambition: Dakota Johnson revealed that she always aspired to follow in the footsteps of her famous parents Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith. Seen in 2022 She continued, 'When my parents were on set, I wanted to be on set with them. 'I just loved movies. I was always watching movies. I still love watching movies and I'm so lucky I get to make movies. I didn't know any different.' The performer added, 'I thought, this is just what my family does.' Following in their footsteps: In an interview with the Daily Mirror, the 32-year-old actress explained that she grew up on set watching her parents work and knew that acting was her calling from an early age. Pictured in 2016 However, Dakota told the media outlet that her family initially wanted her to try a different path. 'My dad tried to make me go to college, but I refused,' she said. 'I wanted to act and that was that.' Before rising to Hollywood stardom, Don, 72, was raised in poverty in Wichita, Kansas. 'I was obsessed. I always wanted to be an actress,' the Fifty Shades of Grey star said. Dakota and Don seen in 2019 The Miami Vice star enrolled at the University of Kansas as a theater major, but dropped out after a year. He later attended acting school at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, California. During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers in March 2021, Don revealed that he cut Dakota off financially when she refused to go to college. 'The funny thing about her iswe have a rule in the family that, you know, if you stay in school, you get to stay on the payroll,' he told Seth, 48. 'So, you go to college, you get to stay on the payroll. 'Towards the end of high school, I went to her and I said, 'So, do you want to go visit some colleges?' Or something like that. And she was like, 'Oh, no. I'm not going to college.'' Strict: During an appearance on Late Night With Seth Meyers in March 2021, Don revealed that he cut Dakota off financially when she refused to go to college. Seen in 2016 He went on to remind his daughter that if she didn't continue her education she 'won't be on the payroll anymore.' Don said that he asked her how she was going to able to manage to take care of herself and that she responded: 'Don't you worry about it.' He joked that she defiantly put her fists up as he continued to question her decision, but it all seemed to work out in her favor shortly after. The actor explained: 'Three weeks later she had nailed down that part in David Fincher's The Social Network.' Don met Melanie, 64, on the set of the 1972 film Harrad Experiment in which he starred alongside her mother Tippi Hedren, 92. At the time, he was 22 and Melanie was 14. Debut: Dakota landed her first acting role at the age of 10 when she was cast in a small part in the 1999 movie Crazy in Alabama, which starred her mother The pair became engaged on the Working Girl star's 18th birthday and tied the knot in January 1976. Though Don and Melanie's first marriage lasted less than a year, the two reunited in 1989. Melanie gave birth to Dakota in October of 1989 and the former spouses were married again from 1989 to 1996. Dakota landed her first acting role at the age of 10 when she was cast in a small part in the 1999 movie Crazy in Alabama, which starred her mother. Building her career: She played a minor role in David Fincher's 2010 movie The Social Network She played a minor role in 2010's The Social Network and appeared in the 2012 movies 21 Jump Street, Goats and The Five-Year Engagement. However, Dakota became a household name in her own right when she starred as Anastasia Steele in the wildly popular erotic film trilogy Fifty Shades (2015-2018). The actress told the Daily Mirror that she was happy that she was not typecast after taking on the lead role in the racy series. She said, 'There's not a lot like those kinds of movies, so there hasn't been a lot of big naked franchises coming my way! 'If I had known at the time that's what it was going to be like, I don't think anyone would've done it. It would've been like, 'Oh, this is psychotic.'' Stepping behind the scenes: In 2022, Dakota produced and starred in Cooper Raiff's comedy-drama Cha-Cha Real Smooth 'But I don't regret it,' she added. 'I learn so much on every project. I just hope I get to keep doing this job. I'm not going to steer away from anything.' Dakota has continued to work steadily over the past few years. In 2015, she appeared in the crime drama Black Mass and the psychological drama A Bigger Splash. The Austin native also starred in the 2016 romantic comedy How to Be Single, the 2018 supernatural horror film Suspiria, the 2018 thriller Bad Times at the El Royale and the comedy drama The Peanut Butter Falcon. She won rave reviews in 2021 for her performance in Maggie Gyllenhaal's feature directorial debut The Lost Daughter, in which she starred alongside Olivia Colman and Jesse Buckley. Upcoming project: The star will next be seen in Netflix's updated adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Persuasion In 2022, Dakota produced and starred in Cooper Raiff's comedy-drama Cha-Cha Real Smooth. The star will next be seen in Netflix's updated adaptation of Jane Austen's classic novel Persuasion. Dakota told the Daily Mirror that working on Persuasion was 'wildly fun.' 'I was drawn to the occasionally modernized language and themes, speaking directly to the audience, and the fact a strong-willed woman remains as much a topic of discussion these days as it was then.' She added, 'Doing a Jane Austen film is a dream and there are only a few of them, so I feel incredibly lucky.' Kelly Bensimon displayed her toned figure while soaking up the sun in Ibiza over the weekend. The 54-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum sported a tiny pink bikini for the day in the sun. The luxury real estate agent's swimsuit was fuss-free, featuring a classic triangle top and string-tie bottoms. Impressive! Kelly Bensimon displayed her toned figure while soaking up the sun in Ibiza over the weekend Bensimon was all smiles as she strutted her stuff in the sand with a clear blue sky as her backdrop. She wore her long blonde hair in a center part, letting the textured locks flow over her chest. The mom-of-two glowed as she basked under the sun, surrounded by palm trees. In some moments she took to the crystal clear ocean to get her feet wet as she walked through it calf-deep. Itty bitty bikini: The 54-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum sported a tiny pink bikini for the day in the sun Simple: She wore her long blonde hair in a center part, letting the textured locks flow over her chest Kelly showed off her sun kissed complexion while enjoying some down time. The mogul took to Instagram to share outtakes from the dreamy beach getaway with her 1.1 million followers. In one post shared to her Stories the beauty wore a pink dress with a blue floral pattern. The piece featured shoulder cutouts, a deep v-neck, and soft ruffles along the bottom. Happy gal: Bensimon was all smiles as she strutted her stuff in the sand with a clear blue sky as her backdrop Lap of luxury: Kelly enjoyed a boat ride as she modeled a ruffled, two-toned, two-piece swimsuit Kelly is on top of her real estate game, with the expert having already sold $224,743,700 this year. She proudly took to social media to tout her success in a recent post. Bensimon wrote in the caption, 'Its A Hot Girl Summer in real estate. Todays market is even hotter. Its a buyers market, and now is the time to buy. She continued, 'With new listings everywhere from the Hamptons to Paris- the next move is yours. Welcome to the no regrets market. Xx KKB.' Stylish: In one post shared to her Stories the beauty wore a pink dress with a blue floral pattern The former model has listings in South Florida, the Hamptons, Paris, London and her home base of New York City. In March she told Curbed, 'I try to focus on areas I know well. I quarantined in Palm Beach, and I spent hours walking through West Palm Beach, so I know it really well. 'I've spent a lot of time in Miami because I was a model in the Ice Age. The Hamptons, I've been going there since I was 15. New York, obviously,' she added. Kate Mara announced that she is expecting her second child with husband Jamie Bell, nearly two years after she gave birth to their first child, River, in fall of 2020. The 39-year-old House of Cards actress shared the exciting news by posting a photo of herself and spouse, 36, holdings hands as they walked down a street together. 'There are three of us in this pic,' she captioned the sweet snap to indicate that she is pregnant, despite no visible baby bump under her pink minidress. Growing family: Kate Mara announced that she is expecting her second child with husband Jamie Bell, nearly two years after she gave birth to their first child, River, in fall of 2020 The image was taken after the BFI Chairs Fellowship Dinner event at Claridge's on June 28 during a rare sighting of the pair. The news comes just days after the duo were spotted were spotted house-hunting in North London neighborhood's neighborhood of Primrose Hill after recently listing their LA pad for $3.2 million. The expectant star and the Billy Elliot actor, who wed in 2017, welcomed their little girl back in May 2019. 'There are three of us in this pic,' she captioned the sweet snap to indicate that she is pregnant, despite no visible baby bump under her pink minidress; seen on June 28, 2022 The actress revealed the birth of her daughter on Instagram by sharing an artistic portrait of the tot's tiny feet. Announcing the birth several weeks after it happened, she wrote: 'We had a baby a couple weeks ago...Here are her feet.' She was in labor at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles for three days and had an epidural, though she originally wanted a natural home birth. She then underwent a c-section after she developed a fever of 102 degrees. Wanting more space: The news comes just days after the duo were spotted were spotted house-hunting in North London neighborhood's neighborhood of Primrose Hill after recently listing their LA pad for $3.2 million (pictured in 2019) Adorable: Kate and Jamie, who wed in 2017, welcomed their daughter in May 2019. Jamie also shares a eight-year-old son, Jack, with his ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood Jamie also shares a eight-year-old son, Jack, with his ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood. Kate and Jamie first met on the set of their blockbuster film Fantastic Four in 2015 - less than a year after his divorce from Wood. Kate is the older sister of fellow actress Rooney Mara, 37, who is married to Academy Award winning actor Joaquin Phoenix, 47. 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 She was pictured with a dazzling new ring only recently, prompting rumours of an engagement. And now Anya Taylor-Joy has been spotted with a second sparkler on her ring finger. The 26-year-old star of chess drama The Queens Gambit was seen wearing the jewels while spending time in Sydney with her rock musician beau. She couldnt take her eyes off 27-year-old Malcolm McRae, from Alabama in the US, as they walked arm in arm through Darling Harbour. The smitten pair were pictured holding each other as they waited to get into a Sydney zoo On Anya's ring finger was a second sparkler, prompting new rumours of the pair's engagement The smitten pair were also pictured kissing as they waited to get into Wild Life Sydney Zoo. Miss Taylor-Joy was sporting the emerald and diamond ring she was seen wearing recently. But photos reveal she now has a matching diamond wishbone ring too. The British actress, who was scouted as a teenager by Kate Mosss former agency Storm, showed off her long model legs in fishnet tights from Calzedonia. She has spent some time recently in the Australian outback filming the Mad Max prequel, Furiosa. Hard stare: Taylor-Joy has spent time in Australia filming Mad Max spinoff film Furiosa Beau McRae looked equally cool in a slender black ensemble including a slim fit blazer Mr McRae looked equally cool in an all-black ensemble of trousers and a blazer jacket layered over a polo neck. The couple were first pictured together holding hands and kissing in New York in May 2021. They made their red carpet debut almost a year later at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party in February. The couple first appeared together in May 2021 - and made their red carpet debut in February Taylor-Joy shot to stardom as chess star Beth Harmon in Netflix series The Queen's Gambit The British actress, who won numerous awards for her role as chess superstar Beth Harmon, told the March 2022 edition of British Vogue that her partner was her hobby. Ive finally found someone who will happily sit in silence with me reading, she said. Were basically 80 years old and seven at the same time and it works really well. The rapper Lil Baby had a scary encounter in Switzerland this week when a fan grabbed him before he was swiftly ejected from the stage by security. The 27-year-old rapper (real name: Dominique Jones) was performing as part of the Openair Frauenfeld Festival on Thursday when a fan ran up to him on stage and touched him, according to video apparently shot by a fan near the stage. Lil Baby's security guards launched into action and swiftly pushed the man off the stage. Scary run-in: The rapper Lil Baby, 27, was accosted by a fan on Thursday at the Openair Frauenfeld Festival in Switzerland In the short clip, Lil Baby is facing the side of the stage while rapping, when he turns toward the back of the stage and sees a man rushing toward him. He reaches out with both of his hands and appears to touch the hitmaker on his arms, while the rapper stretches out one hand to try to keep the intruder at bay. But the scary encounter is over almost as quickly as it started, as multiple security guards rush from the same backstage area. One of the men gives the stage jumper a powerful shove that not only pushes him away from Lil Baby, but sends him flying off the edge of the stage. Close encounter: A man rushes toward Lil Baby from behind and manages to touch his arms, while the rapper puts out one hand to keep him at bay Ejected: But then two security guards are seen rushing forward, and one shoves the man violently so that he flies off the stage Ouch: The man appears to smash into the metal fence keeping the audience from the stage before hitting the ground, but his condition is unknown Legal trouble? It's unclear if the stage jumper had a run-in with law enforcement after the festival performance; Lil Baby seen July 9 in Birmingham, UK The impact is partially obscured by concertgoers' heads, but the man appears to crash against the metal fence that's supposed be keeping the fans away from the stage. One man who appears to be part of the festival's security team runs up to the man as he lies on the ground, while the two security guards that rushed at him walk toward the back of the stage. It's currently unclear who the stage jumper was and if he suffered legal consequences after the incident or if he required any medical treatment. This wasn't the only scary encounter between fans and artists at the Swiss festival, as rapper Roddy Ricch had a run-in in which a fan made it onto the stage earlier and was tackled by security guards. While he was under their weight, he reached out a hand to grab at Ricch's leg, at which point the rapper started kicking him. Dangerous: This wasn't the only scary encounter between fans and artists at the Swiss festival, as rapper Roddy Ricch had a run-in in which a fan made it onto the stage earlier and was tackled by security guards; seen July 3 in London Cardi B also appeared to have an altercation over the weekend at the Wireless Festival in London. The WAP hitmaker was seen on video appearing to swipe down at someone in the crowd with her microphone. After the footage was posted online, Cardi denied that there was any altercation, tweeting, ''It wasn't NO FIGHT!' Videos from other angles appeared to support her contention that she wasn't lashing out at a specific person. Swinging: Cardi B also appeared to have an altercation over the weekend at the Wireless Festival in London. The WAP hitmaker was seen on video appearing to swipe down at someone in the crowd with her microphone Sofia Vergara took to social media with a series of shots from her birthday weekend, as she celebrated turning 50. 'Feliz cumpleanos to me!' the Modern Family actress captioned a shot Sunday, with the hashtags #50 and #officiallyold. In the clip, she panned over a table stacked with floral arrangements and a birthday cake with an image of her as a child on the top. The latest: Sofia Vergara took to social media with a series of shots from her birthday weekend, as she celebrated turning 50 On the cake board, a message read, 'Feliz cuarenta y diez!' which is Spanish for 'Happy 40 and 10.' She also posed in a selfie in front of the table, adding emojis of hearts, balloons and cake, as she wore a patterned pink strapless dress with multiple gold necklaces. The America's Got Talent star enjoyed an outing at the Tower Bar in Los Angeles Saturday, as she donned a strapless red and white dress with floral patterns, black sunglasses and her light brown locks down and parted. The Barranquilla, Colombia native posed in front of a wine bottle that read, '50 & still fabulous' as she gathered with relatives including her son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, 30, and niece Claudia Vergara, 29. She was also seen in front of a coconut cake with the numbers 50 marking the occasion. Vergara panned over a table stacked with floral arrangements and a birthday cake with an image of her as a child on the top On the cake board, a message read, 'Feliz cuarenta y diez!' which is Spanish for 'Happy 40 and 10' The America's Got Talent star enjoyed an outing at the Tower Bar in Los Angeles Saturday, as she donned a strapless red and white dress with floral patterns, black sunglasses and her light brown locks down and parted The Emmy-nominated actress received a series of birthday wishes from fellow celebs in the comment section of her posts. Model Adriana Lima, 41, wrote, 'Happy birthday beautiful lady,' while model Jenny Watwood, 31, wrote, 'I hope I look this good. Happy birthday!' Vergara's husband, actor Joe Manganiello, 45, posted a series of shots to the social media site on Sunday of him and his spouse. He captioned the shot: 'Feliz Cumpleanos mi amor! I love you so much.' The Barranquilla, Colombia native posed with relatives including her son Manolo Gonzalez Vergara, 30, and niece Claudia Vergara, 29 She was also seen in front of a coconut cake with the numbers 50 marking the occasion The actress also celebrated the ninth birthday of her pet chihuahua Bubbles over the weekend, as Vergara on Saturday wrote, 'Today is Bubbles bday!!! Happy 9th bday!!!' Vergara was seen with her husband, actor Joe Manganiello, 45, on the special day The celebrity couple celebrated the ninth birthday of their pet chihuahua, Bubbles, over the weekend, as Vergara on Saturday wrote, 'Today is Bubbles bday!!! Happy 9th bday!!!' Manganiello shared a shot with the dog, writing, 'HAPPY 9th BIRTHDAY to my little buddy, the baby Bubbles.' Vergara remains thriving in her career, as she plays late Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco in the forthcoming Netflix miniseries Griselda. The show will follow Blanco's rise as a drug trafficker from Colombia to Miami, where she was a key player in the Medellin Cartel amid the infamous Cocaine Cowboy Wars in South Florida. Vergara was seen in a selfie she later posted to the site on her birthday Two-time Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal was spotted running errands in her native New York City's Tribeca neighborhood on Sunday. The 44-year-old actress-director - who relies on stylist Sandra Amador - paired a chic trench dress with red plastic slides as she hauled a large white tote. Maggie (born Margalit) shielded her make-up free complexion with seventies-style shades and she rocked a Rosemary's Baby-style pixie cut. Out and about: Two-time Oscar nominee Maggie Gyllenhaal was spotted running errands in her native New York City's Tribeca neighborhood on Sunday On May 4, Gyllenhaal got a matching tattoo - a scarab beetle - on the left side of her rib cage with her Lost Daughter actresses Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley in her Brooklyn kitchen after the Met Gala. The scarab beetle was 'a symbol of rebirth that Gyllenhaal used as a touchstone during production.' 'I got a WhatsApp photo of them all getting the tattoo that we were all meant to be having together,' Olivia Colman lamented to Vanity Fair last month. Comfortable: The 44-year-old actress-director - who relies on stylist Sandra Amador - paired a chic trench dress with red plastic slides as she hauled a large white tote Retro: Maggie (born Margalit) shielded her make-up free complexion with seventies-style shades and she rocked a Rosemary's Baby-style pixie cut 'I was rageful. I was so jealous. Tell her if she doesn't give me my tattoo, that's the end of our friendship - and I was considering her a friend for life.' The Emmy-nominated actress has not yet announced what her next project will be following the Netflix success of her critically-acclaimed feature directorial debut based on Elena Ferrante's 2006 novella. Maggie comes from a showbiz family - including Oscar-nominated screenwriter mother Naomi Achs, Emmy-nominated director father Stephen, and Oscar-nominated actor brother Jake. 'First tattoo!' On May 4, Gyllenhaal got a matching tattoo - a scarab beetle - on the left side of her rib cage with her Lost Daughter actresses Dakota Johnson and Jessie Buckley in her Brooklyn kitchen after the Met Gala Olivia Colman (2-R, pictured December 2) lamented to Vanity Fair last month: 'I got a WhatsApp photo of them all getting the tattoo that we were all meant to be having together. I was rageful. I was so jealous' 'I have a seat at the table': The Emmy-nominated actress has not yet announced what her next project will be following the Netflix success of her critically-acclaimed feature directorial debut based on Elena Ferrante's 2006 novella Missing from Gyllenhaal's side was her husband of 13 years, Peter Sarsgaard, whom she first began dating in 2002. The Deuce alum and the Illinois-born 51-year-old are proud parents of 10-year-old daughter Gloria and 15-year-old daughter Ramona. Emmy Award nominations will be announced this Tuesday, and Peter (born John) is vying for the best movie/limited supporting actor trophy for his role as former AUSA Rick Mountcastle in Hulu's Dopesick. Real-life leading man: Missing from Maggie's side was her husband of 13 years - Peter Sarsgaard (L, pictured May 23) - whom she first began dating in 2002 Family: Gyllenhaal and the Illinois-born 51-year-old are proud parents of 10-year-old daughter Gloria (M, pictured in 2021) and 15-year-old daughter Ramona (R) VIJAYAWADA: Water Resources Department on Saturday lifted 20 gates of Prakasam Barrage and released 14,700 cusecs of surplus water into the Bay of Bengal, as floodwaters are continuing to arrive from upper catchment areas. This is consequent to irrigation department authorities expecting 43,000 cusecs of floodwater to arrive from Muniyeru, Paleru and Keesara streams into Krishna River on Sunday morning. As of now, irrigation department officers are releasing the excess 14,700 cusecs into sea and 4,500 cusecs into canals to maintaining the Prakasam Barrage level at 12 feet. Vijayawada circle superintendent engineer Sesham Tirumala Rao said 5,650 cusecs of floodwaters will come from Wazenapalli stream, 7,063 cusecs from Paleru and 30,287 cusecs from Keesara stream. He said revenue, police and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation authorities have been informed about release of floodwaters from Prakasam Barrage. A quarter of countries still have discriminatory nationality laws that deny women the same nationality rights as men, reveals a worldwide report by the international human rights organization Equality Now . Women are being prohibited from passing their citizenship onto their children and foreign spouses, and face restrictions on changing or retaining their nationality after marriage. Those affected are at higher risk of a range of human rights violations. Campaigners are calling on governments to dismantle sexist nationality laws and ensure full legal equality in citizenship. The State Were In: Ending Sexism in Nationality Laws highlights how sex discriminatory nationality laws remain in 49 countries accounting for 25% of United Nations member states. Of the 55 member states of the African Union, 22 of these countries continue to deny women equal nationality rights 17 in sub-Saharan Africa and five in North Africa making it the region with the highest number globally. Globally, women are prevented from passing their nationality onto their children on an equal basis with men in 28 countries. While in 46 countries, women are barred from passing nationality to their spouses on an equal basis. The report updates previous research released by Equality Now in 2016, and shows how despite repeated commitments by governments to make moves towards repealing such discriminatory laws, many have yet to translate policy into action, causing suffering to millions of women and their families. On a positive note, some progress has been attained. Over the past decade, significant declarations have been made by various governments at the regional and global levels, and 19 countries have carried out partial or full legal reforms to achieve equality in nationality laws. Sexist nationality laws make people more vulnerable to other human rights violations Discriminatory nationality laws stem from and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes based primarily on prescribed patriarchal roles assigned to women and men. This manifests in how women are the ones predominately excluded from the right to pass their nationality onto their child and spouse. Ramifications can be grave and long-lasting. Individuals may encounter restrictions on their right to marry or be unable to obtain a birth certificate for their child, rendering their offspring stateless. Gender discrimination in nationality laws is a leading cause of statelessness, a status in which a person is not recognized as a citizen by any country and therefore cannot make legal claims to basic human rights, legal protections, and security normally provided by the state. A woman can be trapped in an abusive or otherwise unhappy marriage when her or her childs citizenship is dependent on her spouse. This applies in countries where women are stripped of citizenship acquired through marriage if that marriage dissolves, or when the citizenship of a mothers child is tied to the status of the spouse. In addition, there are instances in which a person can lose their nationality upon their spouses death. Discriminatory nationality laws can also make it difficult for a mother to claim child custody or gain access to her children if her marriage breaks up. And girls who do not have nationality in their country of residence are at greater risk of child and forced marriage as families may view this as a way to gain legal status. People without citizenship are commonly not entitled to receive publicly-funded medical services or schooling. Access to jobs, economic opportunities, and financial services is curtailed, and in some countries, inheriting or registering personal property is disallowed. Individuals can experience curbs on their freedom of movement and be ineligible to apply for a passport, making travelling abroad difficult. Many are subjected to the trauma of forced separation, and families frequently live with the fear of children and spouses being deported. The COVID-19 pandemic has illuminated and exacerbated such problems, with those impacted by statelessness exposed to additional layers of exclusion, bureaucracy, and restricted movement. In some countries, children and spouses of women unable to pass on their nationality have been denied pandemic-related social welfare and medical aid. Minority communities are disproportionately impacted by discriminatory nationality laws The poor, disadvantaged, and undocumented shoulder additional hurdles when attempting to navigate often complex legal systems that sometimes set narrow timeframes for claiming nationality. Women from minority communities are saddled with compounded discrimination and are further marginalized by being denied citizenship rights. A 2018 report by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues noted that over three-quarters of the worlds stateless population belong to national, ethnic, religious, or linguistic minorities. This is ofttimes underpinned by deliberate policies and practices within discriminatory nationality laws and discriminatory application of such laws against minorities. Nationality laws discriminate against those who are LGBTQ+ Various countries discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+) regarding their ability to pass nationality to their spouse or child, whether biological or non-biological. This includes when the law does not recognize same-sex marriage, and even when it is recognized, nationality is not always automatically passed on. Even in countries that legally recognize same-sex relationships, the lack of biological links to surrogate or adopted children can affect the ability of same-sex couples to pass nationality to their children, potentially causing statelessness. Countries must urgently amend nationality laws that discriminate on the basis of sex Everyone has the right to be born with a nationality and to be secure in their human right to equally acquire, change, retain or transfer it, as provided for under international law. And all women, no matter their gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or motherhood status, should be able to transfer nationality to their children and spouses equally. Antonia Kirkland, Equality Nows Global Lead on Legal Equality, says, Governments have affirmed the fundamental right to sex equality in international treaties, declarations, and domestic constitutions. Denying women equal nationality rights to men is a clear form of discrimination based upon sex, and is a human rights violation that contravenes international law. All women and men should be equally able to pass citizenship onto their children wherever born and to their spouse whether they married at home or abroad. This is irrespective of whether the parental relationship is heterosexual or same-sex, and a child is born in or out of marriage, or is or is not adopted. Equality Now is calling for all governments with sex discriminatory legal provisions on nationality to review, amend and harmonize their legislation by 2030 to ensure consistency between relevant laws and regulations, with all women and men treated equally and fairly. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires New Delhi: In a significant move, Quad leaders Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese issued a joint statement on Saturday collectively mourning the tragic assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier on Friday in Japan. The joint statement recognised Mr Abe as a transformative leader who played a formative role in the founding of the Quad partnership and lauded his efforts towards advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This came even as India observed a day-long mourning on Saturday as a mark of respect for the slain Japanese leader. In the statement, the three leaders said, "We, the leaders of Australia, India, and the United States, are shocked at the tragic assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (Former) Prime Minister Abe was a transformative leader for Japan and for Japanese relations with each one of our countries. He also played a formative role in the founding of the Quad partnership, and worked tirelessly to advance a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Our hearts are with the people of Japan -- and (current) Prime Minister (Fumio) Kishida -- in this moment of grief. We will honor Prime Minister Abes memory by redoubling our work towards a peaceful and prosperous region." On Saturday, the Indian national flag was flown at half-mast throughout the country. External affairs minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar visited the Japanese embassy in New Delhi to convey his condolences to Japanese ambassador Satoshi Suzuki on the assassination of Mr Abe. The EAM tweeted, "At a personal level, he was the very embodiment of grace and consideration. I have myself experienced his warmth over the years. We join in the profound sorrow of the people of Japan and convey our support and sympathy to Mrs. Akie Abe. For more than two decades, Shinzo Abe has symbolised our growing relationship. Many of its key initiatives were his personal efforts. He placed our ties in a larger global context of the free and open Indo-Pacific." Earlier on Friday, New Delhi had said, "The government and people of India are deeply saddened by the untimely demise of former Prime Minister of Japan, H.E. Mr Abe Shinzo, and convey their sincere condolences to his family and friends and the people of Japan. Mr 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." Recognising Mr Abes contributions towards elevating India-Japan relationship, New Delhi had added, "During his visit to India in August 2007 as Prime Minister, Mr Abe delivered his famous "The Confluence of Two Seas" speech in the Indian Parliament, in which he stated that the India-Japan relationship is blessed with the largest potential for development of bilateral relationship anywhere in the world. His efforts have been instrumental in bringing our nations together to realise a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Mr Abes 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 Indias second highest civilian award, Padma Vibhushan, to Mr Abe is testament to the respect and warmth that he enjoyed in India." India had further said, "Mr Abe had assumed the leadership of both the Japan India Parliamentary Friendship League (JIPFL) and the Japan-India Association (JIA) in 2022, a reflection of his deep commitment to bolstering the India - Japan partnership. The loss of a great friend of India has been felt across our nation... The whole of India mourns with Japan, and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment." All the establishments covered under EPF Act 1952 are to forward claims of eligible members/employees to the EFPO, Madhapur, to process the pension cases and issue pension payment orders on the day of their retirement. (DC file photo) HYDERABAD: A Pension Adalat for pensioners/members of Employees Pension Scheme 1995 would be conducted online/Webinar (https://meet.google.com/ ici-aove-hxy) by the Employees of Provident Fund Organisation, (EFPO) Regional Office-II, Madhapur (Barkatpura), Hyderabad, on July 11 at 11 am. M.H. Warsi, Regional PF Commissioner, Madhapur, Hyderabad said, This Pension Adalat aims at redressal of employees grievances related to submission of claims, transfer of pension services, non-receipt of pension, submission of Jeevan Pramaan Patra/Digital Life Certificates. All the establishments covered under EPF Act 1952 should forward claims of eligible members/employees to the EFPO, Madhapur, to process the pension cases and issue pension payment orders on the day of their retirement." YSR congress activists with party flags on buses while going back to their houses after concluding of plenary at Kaza village near Nagarjuna University in Guntur district on Saturday. (DC) VIJAYAWADA: The third state plenary of YSR Congress concluded on Saturday with lakhs of people turning up on Saturday. People from every assembly constituency of 26 districts in AP attended the plenary. The public meeting that followed on the spacious ground in front Acharya Nagarjuna University at Kaza in Guntur district got jam packed, resulting in choking of the Vijayawada-Chennai national highway 16. Vehicles got stranded in traffic from Kaza to Mangalgiri towards Vijayawada and Kaza to outskirts of Guntur city towards Chennai. YSRC leaders expected 50,000 people on first day and 3 lakh on the concluding day. But people turned up beyond expectations. Nearly 2.40 lakh people attended the plenary on first day. Similarly, 4 lakh attended the plenary and public meeting on the concluding day. Though vehicles, mainly buses and cars, had been arranged from every village, nearly one lakh people came individually on their bikes. Heavy rain on Friday night at the plenary premises got subdued, giving a big relief to ruling party leaders and cadres. Party high-command advanced the timing of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys speech from 4 p.m. to 2 p.m., so that people could return early to their destinations because of possible downpour. YSRC party appointed volunteers on Saturday to help people, including leaders, go to their allotted places. Ministers including Ambati Rambabu said the huge turnout from all areas of 26 districts reflects public support to the YSRC government. This handout picture released by the Ukrainian Presidential press service on July 8, 2022 shows Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky looking at a map during his visit to the position of the Ukrainian army in Dnipro region. (AFP) KYIV: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday that he had dismissed several of Kyiv's senior envoys abroad, including the country's outspoken ambassador to Germany. Zelenskiy announced the sacking of Ukraine's ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary and said new candidates were being readied for the positions. "This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice," he said in a statement. It was not clear if the envoys would be assigned new positions. Zelenskiy has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and military aid for Ukraine as it tries to fend off Russia's Feb. 24 invasion. Kyiv's relations with Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russian energy supplies and also Europe's biggest economy, are particularly sensitive. Andriy Melnyk, who was appointed by Zelenskiy's predecessor as ambassador to Germany in late 2014, is well known among politicians and diplomats in Berlin. The 46-year-old regularly engages in outspoken social media exchanges and has branded politicians and intellectuals who oppose arming Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion as appeasers. He once accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of behaving like an "offended liver sausage" when Scholz did not immediately accept an invitation by Zelenskiy to visit Kyiv. Kyiv and Berlin are currently at odds over a German-made turbine undergoing maintenance in Canada. Germany wants Ottawa to return the turbine to Russian natural gas giant Gazprom to pump gas to Europe, but Kyiv had urged Canada to keep the turbine, saying a return would violate sanctions on Moscow. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday vowed no let-up on pressuring Myanmar's junta, and said China should be in agreement as he met democracy activists on a visit to neighbouring Thailand. Blinken also met with Thailand's leadership and hailed the kingdom's role in a renewed US push in Southeast Asia, a key area of competition with China. In a meeting held off-camera to protect family members, the top US diplomat heard from young democracy activists from Myanmar, whose military in February 2021 tossed out the civilian government, slamming the door on a decade-long democratic transition nurtured by Washington. Blinken acknowledged that the US strategy of sanctions on the junta has not borne fruit but promised that Washington was still focused, even as it puts a priority on combatting Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "It's unfortunately safe to say that we've seen no positive movement and on the contrary, we continue to see the repression of the Burmese people," Blinken told reporters, using Myanmar's former name of Burma. "We will continue to look for ways that we can, and other countries can, effectively put pressure on them to move back to the democratic path." He called for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which in April 2021 reached a "consensus" with the junta that includes dialogue with the opposition, to "hold the regime accountable" over its pledges. Blinken declined to criticise a recent visit to Myanmar by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi -- with whom the top US diplomat held rare talks Saturday in Bali -- but called on Beijing to support the international calls for democracy. "I think it's also incumbent upon China and in China's interest to see Burma move back to the path that it was on that it was so violently disrupted from by the coup," Blinken said. Tens of thousands of people have fled Myanmar, humanitarian conditions have deteriorated and ethnic conflicts have intensified since the military toppled and arrested civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Thailand is America's oldest ally in Asia, famously offering elephants to Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, but has also increasingly worked with China. Blinken visited days after a stop by Wang, who has embarked on a more extensive tour of Southeast Asia in which he has highlighted Beijing's lavish infrastructure spending. Signing an agreement pledging to keep expanding ties, Blinken pointed to Thailand's embrace of a new US-led economic plan for Asia as well as its efforts on climate change. In Thailand, "we have an ally and partner in the Indo-Pacific of such importance to us in a region that is shaping the trajectory of the 21st century, and it is doing that every single day", Blinken said. The United States has identified China, with its authoritarian system and burgeoning technological and military resources, as its pre-eminent global rival but both nations have recently sought to lower the temperature, as seen in the unusually long five-hour meeting Saturday between Wang and Blinken. In Bangkok, Blinken met with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, who called the trip a "happy occasion" and saluted the "close and cordial relations" with the United States. Blinken's trip marks a continued normalisation of the US relationship with Thailand under Prayut, who led a military coup that ousted the government in 2014, triggering US sanctions. Prayut became prime minister in 2019 elections, which have ushered in a gradual return to open political discourse. In a joint statement signed by Blinken and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai, the United States and Thailand called democracy "essential" to the two countries' idea of Asia. "Strong democratic institutions, independent civil society, and free and fair elections are central to this vision, allowing our respective societies to reach their full potential," it said. Addressing one issue that is a high priority for President Joe Biden's administration, the statement said Washington and Bangkok would promote "open and inclusive societies" for LGBTQ people. Blinken also praised Thailand for signing up to a Biden plan to connect Southeast Asia with companies that are promoting green energy, saying that firms have already promised $2.7 billion in the country. A month after cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections, sulking Congress leader Kuldeep Bishnoi on Sunday gave a definite sign that he is headed to the saffron camp by meeting BJP president J P Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah here and praising them on social media. Bishnoi, the 53-year-old son of former Haryana Chief Minister late Bhajan Lal, was on June 11 removed as Special Invitee in the Congress Working Committee and from other party posts after he voted for independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma in the Rajya Sabha polls from Haryana, leading to Congress candidate Ajay Makens defeat by a whisker. Upset with Congress over a variety of issues,the Adampur MLA met the top BJP leaders and tweeted photographs of the meeting. There has been speculation about his future move and his latest move comes, months after the Congress central leadership ignored his claim to be the Haryana Congress president and instead nominated Uday Bhan, a close confidante of his inner-party rival Bhupinder Hooda. Tweeting in Hindi, the four-time MLA said it was a real honour and pleasure to meet Shah, who is a true statesman. I felt his aura and charisma during my interaction with him. His vision for India is awe-inspiring," he added. On Nadda, he said he felt very proud to meet the BJP president, under whom the party has reached unprecedented heights. "His easy-going and humble nature sets him apartI wish him good health and a long life," he said. Bishnois meeting came amid reports that former Congress Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Anand Sharma, who is also upset with the central leadership, met Nadda. Sharma had dismissed speculation about joining the BJP but said meetings of leaders should not be seen as unusual. Before the Rajya Sabha elections, Bishnoi had refused to join the Congress MLAs when they were taken to Raipur to ensure that there was no horse-trading. He had then demanded that a meeting be set up between him and top Congress leader Rahul but it did not happen. Later, he had said that he would vote in Rajya Sabha elections after listening to his inner voice. Bishnoi, who was also a Lok Sabha MP earlier, and his father had floated Haryana Janhit Congress in 2007, two years after Hooda was made chief minister. HJC entered into an alliance with BJP and others and contested 2014 polls together but the coalition collapsed soon. Bishnoi returned to Congress in 2016 by merging his party. In recent times, Congress has seen the exit of leaders like Amarinder Singh, Kapil Sibal, Sunil Jakhar, Hardik Patel, RPN Singh, Ripun Bora, Sushmita Dev, and Luzinho Faleiro. Earlier, leaders like Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada among others have also left the Congress. Some leaders like Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari are sulking over a variety of issues, including the leadership question. Bishnois move also comes at a time a senior Trinamool Congress leader claimed that three sitting MPs and three former MPs are in touch with his party. Leaders of various Opposition parties are likely to meet in the next two-three days to decide on their joint candidate for the post of vice president, sources said. The election will take place on August 6. Sources said the Opposition meeting could take place in the national capital on July 12 or 13 and NCP leader Sharad Pawar would attend it. Leaders of several Opposition parties including the Congress, left parties, TMC, NCP, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party and some others are likely to attend the meeting. While no names have come up yet, the leaders of Opposition parties are likely to field a joint candidate for the second top constitutional post in the country. The NDA has also not come up with any name so far. Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was the joint Opposition candidate against NDA's M Venkaiah Naidu in 2017. Naidu's term of office ends on August 10. The Election Commission issued the notification on July 5 for the polls on August 6. The last date of making nominations is July 19 and after scrutiny on July 20, the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is July 22. The election will be held between 10 am to 5 pm on August 6 and the counting, if required, shall be held on the same day. The vice president is elected by an electoral college comprising a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament -- 233 elected and 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of Lok Sabha. Chinas official response to the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as shocking and unexpected incident is at variance with the scorn being poured out on its rabid Communist Party-backed nationalist social networking sites. In some Chinese quarters, there is even elation, depicting Abes assassin as a hero! These conflicting views of Abe is an outcome of the complex relationship between him and Chinas leaders in the past decade and a half. Although Abes visit to China in October 2006 was considered an ice-breaker visit, as was his last visit in 2018, and though Japan developed substantial economic interdependency with China in those years, Chinas rise created the conditions for Abe to hedge and explore balancing mechanisms against China in both economic and security terms. China viewed Abes revoking of crucial aspects of Japans 1950s peace constitution negatively, without acknowledging that it was Beijings brazen territorial and irredentist claims that were at the root of Abes gradual rethinking on China. Also Read: Shinzo Abe: Architect of Asia-Pacific entente and India's friend Abe was convinced that Chinas military forays on the Senkaku islands since September 2010, its six nos policy on Taiwan, and militarisation of the disputed South China Sea islands, were pointers to Beijings self-aggrandisement bid. Chinas nearly 600 transgressions a year on the Senkaku islands, which are administered by Japan, was to consume much of Abes energies and that of Tokyos ties with ally United States. Abe also took the bull by the horns by visiting the Yasukuni shrine in December 2013 a temple where the war-dead were honoured. While Abe discontinued such visits, he exposed the double-standards of China on historical issues, conveying the message that what happens in Japans politics is the domain of the Japanese and China has no veto over it. Abe also did away with the routine annual offering of apology by Japans leaders to China and other countries in the region for past wrongs. Abe suggested that the current generation of Japanese are not responsible for what happened in the 1930s and need not apologise for them. Over time, Abe also reduced the quantum of Official Development Assistance that Japan disburses to these countries as compensation for historical issues including for the modernisation of China and the iconic Pudong Special Economic Zone in Shanghai -- and increased such assistance for India and other countries. But it was Abes renewal of a debate on enhancing Japans defence budget (capped previously at 1% of GDP, but marginally increased to 1.2%), on operating its Self-Defence Forces beyond the 1,000 nautical miles limit, the exporting of arms to Philippines, Vietnam and others, and his recent comments on nuclear deployments in the face of Chinas muscle-flexing in the Taiwan Straits that raised Chinas hackles the most. On the other hand, Abenomics, as his economic thinking came to be known, acknowledged the importance of reviving the economic lost decades of Japan and, for this reason, Abe had sent his senior-most party colleague to Chinas Belt and Road Initiative meetings, seeking to invest in infrastructure projects and enhancing economic interdependencies. Abe also tried the quality infrastructure route by committing over $100 billion, but the progress was lax. To combine efforts with the Chinese was a way to reduce conflict with China. Also Read: Shinzo Abes killing: the history of political violence in Japan This was also Abes consideration for moving faster on the 15-member Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement that was cobbled up last year. There were also the East Asian free trade negotiations with South Korea and China. Most significantly, Abe, tirelessly and against all odds, pushed the idea of the Indo-Pacific into mainstream strategic thinking in the last decade. As China walked away from UN maritime convention law and its arbitration procedures in July 2016, the writing on the wall was clear to Abe and others. Much of global trade is dependent on maritime areas and Chinas stealthy grabbing and militarisation of islands unnerved many countries dependent on the seas. In 2007, Abe spoke to the Indian Parliament on the need for an overarching initiative in this regard, proposing to create an arc of freedom and prosperity. In time, the Quad idea came about but could not take shape immediately. It was revived and finally took off in 2017 and has been gaining strength since then. Abe wanted to usher in a rules-based order and a concert of powers in Asia that could stop any aggrandisement in the region. While he continues to be hated in China, the creation of certain strategic alternatives for Japan and like-minded countries, his work to institutionalise norms, and his efforts for predictable and stable outcomes and decent living standards for several countries remain his positive legacy. Drawing back the curtain to a photo gallery unlike any other, NASA will soon present the first full-color images from its James Webb Space Telescope, a revolutionary apparatus designed to peer through the cosmos to the dawn of the universe. The highly anticipated July 12 unveiling of pictures and spectroscopic data from the newly operational observatory follows a six-month process of remotely unfurling various components, aligning its mirrors and calibrating instruments. With Webb now finely tuned and fully focused, astronomers will embark on a competitively selected list of science projects exploring the evolution of galaxies, the life cycles of stars, the atmospheres of distant exoplanets and the moons of our outer solar system. The first batch of photos, which have taken weeks to process from raw telescope data, are expected to offer a compelling glimpse at what Webb will capture on the science missions that lie ahead. Also Read: NASA to form scientific team to study UFOs NASA on Friday posted a list of the five celestial subjects chosen for its showcase debut of Webb, built for the US space agency by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp. Among them are two nebulae - enormous clouds of gas and dust blasted into space by stellar explosions that form nurseries for new stars - and two sets of galaxy clusters. One of those, according to NASA, features objects in the foreground so massive that they act as "gravitational lenses," a visual distortion of space that greatly magnifies the light coming from behind them to expose even fainter objects farther away and further back in time. How far back and what showed up on camera remains to be seen. NASA will also publish Webb's first spectrographic analysis of an exoplanet, revealing the molecular signatures from patterns of filtered light passing through its atmosphere. The exoplanet in this case, roughly half the mass of Jupiter, is more than 1,100 light years away. A light year is the distance light travels in a year - 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km). Also Read: NASA considers sending swimming robots to habitable ocean worlds of the Solar System 'Moved me as a scientist ...as a human being' All five of the Webb's introductory targets were previously known to scientists. One of them, the galaxy group 290 million light-years from Earth known as Stephan's Quintet, was first discovered in 1877. But NASA officials promise Webb's imagery captures its subjects in an entirely new light, literally. "What I have seen moved me as a scientist, as an engineer and as a human being," NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy, who has reviewed the images, told reporters during a June 29 news briefing. Klaus Pontoppidan, a Webb project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, where mission control engineers operate the telescope, has promised the first pictures would "deliver a long-awaited 'wow' for astronomers and the public." The $9 billion infrared telescope, the largest and most complex astronomical observatory ever sent to space, was launched on Christmas Day from French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America. A month later, the 14,000-pound (6,350-kg) instrument reached its gravitational parking spot in solar orbit, circling the sun in tandem with Earth nearly 1 million miles from home. Webb, which views its subjects chiefly in the infrared spectrum, is about 100 times more sensitive than its 30-year-old predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, which orbits Earth from 340 miles (547 km) away and operates mainly at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths. Also Read: NASA satellite breaks from orbit around Earth, heads to moon The larger light-collecting surface of Webb's primary mirror - an array of 18 hexagonal segments of gold-coated beryllium metal - enables it to observe objects at greater distances, thus further back in time, than Hubble or any other telescope. Its infrared sensitivity allows it to detect light sources that would otherwise be hidden in the visible spectrum by dust and gas. Taken together, these features are expected to transform astronomy, providing the first glimpse of infant galaxies dating to just 100 million years after the Big Bang, the theoretical flashpoint that set the expansion of the known universe in motion an estimated 13.8 billion years ago. Webb's instruments also make it ideal to search for signs of potentially life-supporting atmospheres around scores of newly documented plants orbiting distant stars and to observe worlds much closer to home, such as Mars and Saturn's icy moon Titan. Besides a host of studies already lined up for Webb, the telescope's most revolutionary findings may prove to be those that have yet to be anticipated. Such was the case in Hubble's surprising discovery, through observations of distant supernovas, that the expansion of the universe is accelerating, rather than slowing down, opening a new field of astrophysics devoted to a mysterious phenomenon scientists call dark energy. The Webb telescope is an international collaboration led by NASA in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies. Congress' top leadership told its state leaders not to make personal attacks on Janata Dal (S) top leaders during the run-up to next year's assembly polls in Karnataka, as the party is eyeing JD(S) help in the event of a hung verdict in elections. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who held a closed-door meeting with former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Congress state unit president D K Shivakumar recently to discuss next year's polls strategy, strictly told them to avoid attacking JD(S) leaders mainly former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, a senior leader in Congress told DH. Rahul's advice came following Congress poll strategist Sunil Kanugolu cautioned that attacking Deve Gowda and his family members may harm the prospect of Congress forming the government with JD(S) in the case of a hung assembly, said the leader. The poll strategist also advised that since Gowda and his family have quite a large loyalist voters, mostly from Vokkaligas community, any personal attack on the family members might enrage the community voters. It is better to avoid personal attacks on Gowda or his family, the strategist suggested, a senior leader said. When Congress leader from Tumakuru and former MLA K N Rajanna made comments about Deve Gowdas health, Shivakumar was quick to ask Rajanna to seek a public apology. Even Shivakumar said the high command inquired about the comment and instructed the state unit to avoid repeating such incidents. The JD(S) has a strong base in the Southern Karnataka region where the party is expected to get at least 25 seats in the worst scenario. If Congress falls short of the majority, it will keep its option open to seeking help from the JD (S) to form the government, said the leader. The Congress leaders in Delhi are firm that the party should face the next elections on its own without making an alliance with JD(S) or any other parties. In the 2018 assembly election campaign, Rahul Gandhi attacked Deve Gowda. Despite that Congress and JD(S) forged a post-poll alliance to form a government in 2018 where JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy became the Chief Minister after a split mandate in assembly elections. However, the 13-month-old government collapsed in 2019 after 15 Congress MLAs quit the party and joined BJP under Operation Lotus. Even though both the parties made a pre-poll alliance in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in the state, they got just two seats -one each Congress and JD(S)- against the expectation of 12-to 14 seats. Even in just concluded Rajya Sabha elections, Congress rejected JD(S) plea not to field a second candidate Mansoor Ali Khan. Resulting, Khan and JD(S) candidate Kupendra Reddy lost while BJP third candidate Lahar Singh Siroya won. However, Siddaramaiah rejected any possible understanding with the JD(S). Congress will form the government with an absolute majority. The situation of seeking JD(S) help does not occur," he told DH. Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism. The forced hiatus of the pandemic has been a great opportunity to change the things that didnt work out for us. And while the pandemic transformed most industries, it was the travel industry that had to reimagine and reinvent tourism so as to stay relevant and also draw tourists back. It is no wonder that concepts like sustainability, responsible tourism and slow travel gained steam. With health being on everyones mind, there has also been an impetus on wellness and food which became essential to making travel plans post the pandemic. Thanks to its reputation of being a safe city, Singapore has been a popular holiday destination for most travellers looking for a rejuvenating break. In the past two years, Singapore has focused on experiential opportunities and is now ready to hop onto the wellness tourism bandwagon. On an invitation from the Singapore Tourism Board, we got to explore this side of the city that is rich in its multi-racial and cultural heritage and has now more to offer in the wellness segment as well. Heres a sneak peek into whats on offer if you wish to explore a different side of Singapore. Yoga by the Bay For fitness enthusiasts, yoga on the SkyPark Observation Deck of Marina Bay Sands can be quite exhilarating at sunrise as the sights from the sky deck are breathtaking. The sky is indeed the limit when you stretch your limbs here! Yours to experience If you are looking to create your own signature perfume, Scentopia offers a scent-making workshop. The Wellness Sensorium, set up during the first-ever wellness festival recently, had different sensory therapies like sound and light therapy or the most therapeutic stone stacking exercise for adults and children to experience well within the city limits. If all else fails, do whatever floats your boat, quite literally, as even a float boat therapy of staying buoyant in 600 kg of Epsom salt to de-stress is an option. Brass Lion Distillery Learning on your mind? If learning a new skill is on your agenda and gin gets your chin up, visit the Brass Lion Distillery which is heady and intoxicating for all the knowledge one can take away during the gin distillery tour conducted by co-founder Satish Vaswani who also runs the Gin School here. On cruise If you are on a cruise control holiday, head to Sentosa Cove where an hour-long speedboat ride gives you an enviable view of the city skyline and of the pristine white sand and turquoise blue water at Lazarus Island. Food trails Food has been an integral part of Singapores culture and the cornucopia of cuisines available here which includes Chinese, Indonesian, Indian and Malay stands testimony to that. The best way to savour a meal is to head to Lau Pa Sat in the Central Business District to get a feel of the busy vibe of the city that enjoys its local fare on the go. Or you can spend a leisurely day at the industrial vibe-exuding Southside Interim Market on Siloso Road for an open concept food hall by the waterside to catch up on the 4AM fare (an acronym that stands for the four stalls that rustle up delicious meals here). Fine dining gets a new French quaint address in Claudine (housed in a former stained-glass chapel) on Dempsey Hill. For vegan cocktails/mocktails with some scrumptious jackfruit tacos, head to award-winning mixologist Vijay Mudaliars Analogue where the concept of sustainability goes beyond the food and drink offerings and extends to the design of the venue too. Plastics and all things over-farmed are a big no here. Theres also Yugis Elephant Room that perhaps addresses the proverbial elephant in the room who craves more cocktails/mocktails paired with poppadum snacks! And if desserts melt your heart, then visit the Museum of Ice Cream to get swathed by all thats pink and all that melts while you sample ice creams on the tour. Kampong Glam Ethnic enclave If understanding the culture of the city gets you enthused, take a walking tour around Kampong Glam, a traditional Muslim settlement of Singapore that gives one a glimpse of the thriving Malay culture. From South-East Asias tallest Graffiti Wall to its buzzing Haji Lane thats as colourful as it is aromatic, a walk through these artistic lanes offers a peek into the food scene of the city. Launched in 2021, this Wall of Fame repurposes construction hoarding creatively to become a larger-than-life canvas for Singapores most iconic street artists. Once a maritime trade hub, Kampong Glam has become a historical and cultural attraction in the city centre. The Sultan Mosque, or Masjid Sultan, in the precincts of Kampong Glam, is a highlight of this walking trail. As you take a step closer to its doorstep and look up, the base of each golden dome is embellished with glass bottle ends. Back in the day, these were collections of the Sultan, donated by the lower-income Muslims who wished to contribute to the reconstruction of the mosque. Jewel Changi Airport. PHOTOS BY AUTHOR Changi is the jewel Last, but not least, theres barely anyone who wouldnt mind missing their flight if they are at the Jewel Changi Airport or make the most of their time during an airport layover! Built around the rain vortex, the worlds tallest indoor waterfall and its surrounding indoor rainforest backdrop, theres something that every traveller craves at airports and Changi ticks all the boxes as its also buzzing with the best offers for shoppers. With no pre-departure tests, on-arrival tests and quarantine required, Singapore sure has much to offer tourists during their easy-breezy vacation. Children in Crossfires summer raffle will go to support school renovations in the African country of Ethiopia. Urging people to support the fundraising effort, the charity's founder and executive director, Richard Moore, said Children in Crossfire existed to give some of the world's' most vulnerable' children access to education and healthcare. He added: We are currently developing an exciting new pre-school programme in the Wolisso area of Ethiopia, which will transform education for thousands of children in the years to come. Our immediate focus is on addressing the lack of adequate classrooms and sanitation facilities through a mix of construction and renovation work. We are also training teachers, supporting innovation in teaching, and providing new learning and play equipment. Our new Ethiopia programme is guided by our work in Tanzania, where we have been demonstrating the powerful impact of high-quality early childhood education for the past 15 years. Our goal is to deliver equally positive results for children and communities in Ethiopia. Money raised through our summer raffle will support this life-changing programme and ensure we can keep delivering for children who deserve the best possible start in life. Fionnuala Henry, centre, Children in Crossfire), with Roisin Warren, left, and Laura Davies, from the Bishop's Gate Hotel which is providing an overnight break for two. The added bonus is that everyone who enters will be in with a chance of winning a 1,000 cash prize, an overnight break for two in Derrys first-class Bishops Gate Hotel or a beautiful painting donated by the Inishowen artist Tanya McColgan. We are especially grateful to Ciaran ONeill and the Tanya McColgan for their ongoing kind goodwill. I urge the public to call us on 028/048 7126 9898 or go online at www.children incrossfire.org/shop and support our raffle. Concluding, Richard said Tickets priced at just 1 each, and every 1 we raise will help to make life better for children in Ethiopia. We know times are tough for people here, so we genuinely appreciate all the support we receive. A suspended Green TD has said she remains undecided on whether to back the Government in a Dail no confidence vote. Neasa Hourigan and her party colleague Patrick Costello had the whip removed from them in May after they voted against the coalition on an issue related to the relocation of the National Maternity Hospital. Their votes could be key in Tuesdays no confidence motion in the Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Green Party administration. On Sunday, Ms Hourigan said Government whips had not yet been in contact with her about the confidence vote. The motion, which has been brought by Sinn Fein, comes after the Government lost its majority in the Dail. That happened last week when Fine Gael TD and former education minister Joe McHugh resigned the party whip after he voted against the Governments controversial Bill to provide redress to homeowners in counties affected by defective building blocks. The loss of Mr McHugh saw the number of Government TDs drop to 79 one short of a Dail majority. Last year, Fianna Fail also lost one of its TDs when Marc MacSharry quit the party. The three government parties are hoping that none of the four TDs will vote no confidence on Tuesday. Taoiseach Micheal Martin is also hopeful of securing the backing of several other independent TDs. As such, Government ministers are confident of winning the vote, despite Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit/Solidarity, the Rural Independents and Aontu all set to support the Sinn Fein motion. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said independent TDs were facing a big call on whether they were going to back bad government or instead stand up and be counted to secure a change in administration. Ms Hourigan said she did not know how she would vote. I am as yet undecided, she told RTE Radio One. I would appreciate if I could get some communication from the whips around what is expected when you are suspended. She added: I havent decided yet thats the honest answer, thats as perfectly honest as I can be. I havent decided what I am going to do yet. Ms Hourigans insistence that the party whips had not been in contact with her appeared at odds with a claim from Greens minister of state Pippa Hackett, who said she understood that there had been engagement with the suspended TDs. Speaking to RTE One, Ms Hackett added: We have no concerns about next weeks vote of confidence in us, I think this is not surprising from Sinn Fein in the last week of the Dail term to come up with this. Fine Gael minister of state Peter Burke branded the motion a stunt that would waste Dail time. The Government and Fine Gael are completely focused on tackling the issues that impact on peoples lives, and Sinn Feins politically motivated motion will simply take valuable Dail time away from that work, he said. Earlier, Ms McDonald rejected claims her partys motion was a stunt that was unlikely to succeed. Democracy isnt stunts and parliamentary procedures are not stunts, she told BBC NI. The Government has lost its Dail majority. Theyve been in office for two years and, despite their protestations to the contrary, we have seen a bad situation made worse by their inability to innovate, to deliver, to change and the time has come now and the time is right to call that out. She challenged undecided TDs to back no confidence. There are others now who have a big call to make and will have a big call to make on Tuesday and it boils down to this do they believe that this Government is successful? The evidence clearly demonstrates that they are not. But those TDs need to now decide will they vote to allow a bad government to continue and for people to suffer, or will they stand up and be counted, back our motion and allow the opportunity for a new government, for a government of change that can actually deliver in the way that people need. One issue that could influence how some TDs vote is the Governments plan to tackle climate change. Rural members are concerned that setting an onerous carbon reduction target for the agriculture setting could devastate the industry. At the weekend it emerged that Environment Minister and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will not bring a final plan setting out sectoral emission targets to Cabinet this week as originally planned. Mr Ryan and Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue have yet to agree what requirements will be imposed on the farming sector. They are trying to settle on a target within a range of 22% to 30%. Ms Hourigan was asked whether her view of the Government would be influenced by the ability of the Greens to secure its climate agenda. She said if the coalition parties could not agree carbon budgets it would represent a failure. The effectiveness of the Greens in government of course has an impact on how I feel about voting on all the difficult issues that come across the table and come up in the Dail, she said. And that of course does have an impact because you want to make sure that youre doing what you promised your voters that you would do, that you would go in there and you would fight not just for climate change, but climate change that operates in a way that doesnt hurt the most vulnerable. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Louth, along with Dublin, were the only counties in Ireland where no afforestation took place last year. This is according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine's annual forest statistics report for 2022, released today. Afforestation is the process of establishing a forest, especially on land not previously forested. In Louth, no afforestation took place in 2021, two hectares were afforested in 2020 and one hectare afforested in 2019. The county with the highest level of afforestation took place, was Cork with 343 hectares afforested. Looking at neighbouring counties, in Monaghan 17 hectares were afforested in 2021 and in Meath 44 hectares. Of the afforestation that took place in Louth over the past three years, all three hectares were as a result of private afforestation. In 2020, the two hectares afforested was carried out by a non-farmer and in 2019, the one hectare that was afforested was carries out by a farmer. The number of individual owners that have afforested in Louth between 19802021 is 87, covering 722 hectares in total. Launching Ireland Forest Statistics 2022, Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry, Pippa Hackett said: Overall the national forest estate is still expanding and has now reached 11.6% of the total land area or 808,848 hectares. This expansion in the total forest area is as a result of direct afforestation and also the natural expansion of semi-natural forests. For the first time in the history of the state, the area of privately owned forests exceeds the area of publicly owned forests. Noting the decreasing trend in the area being afforested annually, the Minister said: This is something that needs to be addressed and the work of Project Woodland will be key in establishing a way forward through the development of a new forest strategy and forestry programme. "Incentivising the creation of new forests through our new forestry programme, which will come into place in January 2023, will be essential to meeting not only our economic objectives but also our climate change targets and our aims in terms of enhancing biodiversity. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the Boyne Valley, Droichead Arts Centre and film maker Frank W. Kelly are delighted to announce the inaugural Boyne Valley International Film Festival. Curated by acclaimed filmmaker and Boyne Valley native Frank W. Kelly and Collette Farrell, Droichead Arts Centre Director, this two day event will feature the best short films from around the country, and the world, with a special focus on films made in the region. The Festival will also shine a light on the work of talented writer, director and producer Roisin Kearney, screening a selection of her shorts: Run, No Dogs, The Family Way, We Have Each Other and Paddy. The history and natural beauty of the Boyne Valley lend themselves perfectly to the medium of film. With this in mind, the Festival will screen a selection of shorts made in the region by filmmakers including Darren Thornton, JJ Harrington, Martin ODonoghue, Colm Sexton and Joe Rooney, Leah Rossiter, and Bill Murphy and Frank W. Kelly, and will also screen films by young emerging film makers. Other Irish film talent showcased at the Festival will include Kelly Campbell, Mark OHalloran, Rioghnach Ni Ghrioghair, Naomi Sheridan, Myles OReilly, Caroline Grace Cassidy, Tristan Heanue, Niall McKay, Nessa Rafter, Imogen Murphy & Kate Gilmore, as well as a selection of international shorts, a workshop on how to make a short film, Q&As with film makers, and a panel discussion on the importance of inclusion in filmmaking, hosted by LMFMs Sinead Brassil. The festival are also inviting film makers to pitch a short film idea by email, no longer than 2 pages, by the 5 August. Three film makers will be shortlisted, awarded a small bursary of 500, and invited to pitch to a panel during the festival. One lucky film maker will be chosen, and further awarded a bursary of 2,500 to write the script, plus a studio space for 6 months in Droichead Arts Centre, Barlow House. Speaking about the Festival, curator Frank W. Kelly said: Combining filmmaker Q&As, panel discussions, and workshops, we will also highlight the work of an up and coming filmmaker in our Filmmaker in Focus. We want to create an environment for filmmakers and audiences to connect, and celebrate film in the inaugural year in the historical medieval town of Drogheda. Droichead Director, Collette Farrell added: We are delighted to finally launch BVIFF, this has been in the planning for a while, but was interrupted due to Covid. We have such a range of film talent in this region, combined with the heritage and history and we cant wait to showcase it all during the Festival. This could be a good week for the Codys. The unrelated Brian and Eoin hope to share in an All-Ireland win with the Kilkenny hurlers at Croke Park next Sunday, Brian patrolling the line, Eoin in the forward-line. But before then Tuesday night in fact Good Cody, a greyhound, goes in search of a win in the prestigious Dundalk International. And even before that this afternoon ladies go on parade at the races. If theres a Miss Cody about with something decent to wear, she should get along to Dowdallshill. Theres a prize for the best-dressed lady: she could be the first leg of a notable treble. Dundalk Stadiums biggest day of the year is back after an absence of three years. Covid took a toll on everything in 2020, and it was only marginally better last year. The Beast from the East hasnt gone away, but restrictions arent as stringent as before. Therell be lots of room in the stadiums enclosures for everyone to circulate safely, at the horses and the greyhound racing. The gallopers go to post at 2.20 for the first of seven races, and among the 4-day declarations are a number from Aidan OBriens yard. Should any of them challenge theyll be the Ballydoyle maestros first runners at the track this year. The horse-racings definite runners are not known at the time of writing, but its for certain Good Cody will be taking his place in the big greyhound race. So, too, will Gaston Pecas, Singalong Sally, Explosive Boy, Ballymac Fairone and Raha Mofo. Notwithstanding the absence of an English-trained runner, this is a classy field. Mickys Barrett, third in the English Derby, was an intended runner, and, in fact, trialled at the track last week. But he was found not to have travelled well, and, off-colour on the morning of the draw, was withdrawn. Ballymac Fairone was called into fill the vacancy. Back to Good Cody. When he trialled recently in preparation for the race, he wasnt visiting the track for the first time. One of two Patrick Guilfoyle-trained runners in the field, he was taken up the M1 on several occasions last year. And it was all worthwhile: GC was brilliant in the Bar-One Irish Sprint Cup, taking the title with ease. Trainer Guilfoyle has been in the Dowdallshill winners enclosures before. He had charge of Definate Opinion, twice a winner of the race down for decision on Tuesday, in 2010 and the year after. His other runner, as he tries to take up the hat-trick, is Explosive Boy, voted last years Irish Greyhound of the Year. Limerick trainer, Pat Buckley, successful three times in the past, also has two in the line-up, Gaston Pecas and Singalong Sally, the former winner of this years Produce Stakes at Clonmel. Ballymac Fairone will be among the outsiders, but cant be ruled out since he represents one of the countrys most successful kennels, the one in County Kerry presided over by Liam Dowling. Theres a great race in store, and returning to what was mentioned at the beginning of this story and in the headline Good Cody, wearing the red sheet, might just be the one to triumph. One of Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) commander Phillip Valerios sons is allegedly demanding a refund of his lobola money after leaving his wife. Sources close to the Sibanda and Masango families said Jacob was customarily married to Rumbidzai Masango in 2020 after paying over US$7 000 in lobola money. The couple lived in South Africa, but the marriage broke down in December the same year. People born before 1962 are now eligible for new hearing ids They tried to work things out, but all efforts were in vain. Jacob came back to Zimbabwe as a repartee with the assistance of the Zimbabwe embassy, a family member speaking on condition of anonymity said. What is now shocking is that he is demanding lobola so that he can also bring gupuro (a token for divorce). But the question we are asking as a family is why should we pay back the lobola when its him who divorced our daughter?. Another source said the couple failed to reconcile because of undue family interference. Another family member added that, what is shocking for us is in our culture we have never heard of roora refund. We are also aware that Jacob was married before to Chiyedza Shonhiwa and didnt demand roora back when that marriage also failed. He allegedly paid gupuro with no reservations. Moreover, one also wonders why roora is being demanded yet Jacob called things off with our daughter? The family members said Jacob had promised to pay back the money his wife used for his upkeep while living in South Africa, but was yet to do so. Jacob is said to have ended the marriage through a WhatsApp message. Masango refused to comment on the matter, saying it was private. On the other hand, Jacob ignored questions sent to him through the WhatsApp platform. Subsequent attempts to reach him were futile as the telephone number that was used to send him questions appeared to have been blocked soon after the initial WhatsApp communication. Standard It's not just that one uncle who's not allowed at Thanksgiving anymore who's been spreading misinformation online. The practice began long before the rise of social media governments around the world have been doing it for centuries. But it wasn't until the modern era, one fueled by algorithmic recommendation engines built to infinitely increase engagement, that nation-states have managed to weaponize disinformation to such a high degree. In his new book Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting Democracies from Information Warfare, David Sloss, Professor of Law at Santa Clara University, explores how social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have become platforms for political operations that have very real, and very dire, consequences for democracy while arguing for governments to unite in creating a global framework to regulate and protect these networks from information warfare. David Sloss Excerpted from Tyrants on Twitter: Protecting Democracies from Information Warfare, by David L. Sloss, published by Stanford University Press, 2022 by the Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. All Rights Reserved. Social Media, Misinformation, and Democratic Governance Governments were practicing disinformation long before the advent of social media. However, social media accelerates the spread of false information by enabling people to reach a large audience at low cost. Social media accelerates the spread of both misinformation and disinformation. Misinformation includes any false or misleading information. Disinformation is false or misleading information that is purposefully crafted or strategically placed to achieve a political goal. The political objectives of a disinformation campaign could be either foreign or domestic. Prior chapters focused on foreign affairs. Here, let us consider domestic disinformation campaigns. The "Pizzagate" story is a good example. In fall 2016, a Twitter post alleged that Hillary Clinton was "the kingpin of an international child enslavement and sex ring." The story quickly spread on social media, leading to the creation of a discussion board on Reddit with the title "Pizzagate." As various contributors embellished the story, they identified a specific pizza parlor in Washington, DC, Comet Ping Pong, as the base of operations for the child sex operation. "These bizarre and evidence-free allegations soon spread beyond the dark underbelly of the internet to relatively mainstream right-wing media such as the Drudge Report and Infowars." Alex Jones, the creator of Infowars, "has more than 2 million follows on YouTube and 730,000 followers on Twitter; by spreading the rumors, Jones vastly increased their reach." (Jones has since been banned from most major social media platforms.) Ultimately, a young man who believed the story arrived at Comet Ping Pong with "an AR- 15 semiautomatic rifle... and opened fire, unloading multiple rounds." Although the story was debunked, "pollsters found that more than a quarter of adults surveyed were either certain that Clinton was connected to the child sex ring or that some part of the story must have been true." Several features of the current information environment accelerate the spread of misinformation. Before the rise of the internet, major media companies like CBS and the New York Times had the capacity to distribute stories to millions of people. However, they were generally bound by professional standards of journalistic ethics so that they would not deliberately spread false stories. They were far from perfect, but they did help prevent widespread dissemination of false information. The internet effectively removed the filtering function of large media organizations, enabling anyone with a social media account and a basic working knowledge of how messages go viral on social media to spread misinformation to a very large audience very quickly. The digital age has given rise to automated accounts known as "bots." A bot is "a software tool that performs specific actions on computers connected in a network without the intervention of human users." Political operatives with a moderate degree of technical sophistication can utilize bots to accelerate the spread of messages on social media. Moreover, social media platforms facilitate the use of microtargeting: "the process of preparing and delivering customized messages to voters or consumers." In summer 2017, political activists in the United Kingdom built a bot to disseminate messages on Tinder, a dating app, that were designed to attract new supporters for the Labour Party. "The bot accounts sent between thirty thousand and forty thousand messages in all, targeting eighteen- to twenty-five-year-olds in constituencies where the Labour candidates needed help." In the ensuing election, "the Labour Party either won or successfully defended some of these targeted districts by just a few votes. In celebrating their victory over Twitter, campaign managers thanked... their team of bots." There is no evidence in this case that the bots were spreading false information, but unethical political operatives can also use bots and microtargeting to spread false messages quickly via social media. In the past two decades, we have seen the growth of an entire industry of paid political consultants who have developed expertise in utilizing social media to influence political outcomes. The Polish firm discussed earlier in this chapter is one example. Philip Howard, a leading expert on misinformation, claims: "It is safe to say that every country in the world has some homegrown political consulting firm that specializes in marketing political misinformation." Political consultants work with data mining companies that have accumulated huge amounts of information about individuals by collecting data from a variety of sources, including social media platforms, and aggregating that information in proprietary databases. The data mining industry "supplies the information that campaign managers need to make strategic decisions about whom to target, where, when, with what message, and over which device and platform." Political consulting firms use both bots and human-operated "fake accounts" to disseminate messages via social media. (A "fake account" is a social media account operated by someone who adopts a false identity for the purpose of misleading other social media users about the identity of the person operating the account.) They take advantage of data from the data mining industry and the technical features of social media platforms to engage in very sophisticated microtargeting, sending customized messages to select groups of voters to shape public opinion and/or influence political outcomes. "Social media algorithms allow for the constant testing and refinement of campaign messages, so that the most advanced techniques of behavioral science can sharpen the message in time for those strategically crucial final days" before an important vote. Many such messages are undoubtedly truthful, but there are several well-documented cases where paid political consultants have deliberately spread false information in service of some political objective. For example, Howard has documented the strategic use of disinformation by the Vote Leave campaign in the final weeks before the UK referendum on Brexit. It bears emphasis that disinformation does not have to be believed to erode the foundations of our democratic institutions. Disinformation "does not necessarily succeed by changing minds but by sowing confusion, undermining trust in information and institutions, and eroding shared reference points." For democracy to function effectively, we need shared reference points. An authoritarian government can require citizens to wear masks and practice social distancing during a pandemic by instilling fear that leads to obedience. In a democratic society, by contrast, governments must persuade a large majority of citizens that scientific evidence demonstrates that wearing masks and practicing social distancing saves lives. Unfortunately, misinformation spread on social media undermines trust in both government and scientific authority. Without that trust, it becomes increasingly difficult for government leaders to build the consensus needed to formulate and implement effective policies to address pressing social problems, such as slowing the spread of a pandemic. A new trove of leaked documents has shed an unfavorable light on the early days of Uber. Dubbed the Uber Files, the leak consists of approximately 124,000 internal company documents, including more than 83,000 emails and text messages exchanged between former CEO Travis Kalanick and other executives, that date to a period between 2013 and 2017. The latter marks the year Kalanick stepped down as CEO of Uber amid mounting controversy. Working with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), The Guardian shared the trove with 180 journalists at 40 outlets across 29 countries. The documents show a company willing to do things many of its own executives thought were f***ing illegal. In 2016, for instance, Kalanick reportedly ordered French employees to encourage local Uber drivers to counter-protest the taxi strikes that were underway in Paris at the time. When one executive warned Kalanick that extreme right thugs were part of the protest, the former CEO pushed back. I think its worth it, he said. Violence guarantee[s] success. And these guys must be resisted, no? One former senior executive told The Guardian that Kalanicks response was consistent with a strategy of weaponizing drivers and a playbook the company returned to in other countries. Another selection of documents details the lengths the company went to escape regulatory scrutiny. In at least 12 instances, Uber ordered staff at local offices in six countries, including France, the Netherlands and India, to employ the kill switch, an internal tool the company developed to protect its data. Please hit the kill switch ASAP, Kalanick wrote in one email shared by The Washington Post. "Access must be shut down in AMS, he added, referring to the companys Amsterdam office. In two cases involving Ubers Montreal office, authorities entered the building only to see all the computers and tablets before them resetting at the same time. The company told The Post such software should never have been used to thwart legitimate regulatory actions, and that it stopped using the system in 2017. We have not and will not make excuses for past behavior that is clearly not in line with our present values, said Jill Hazelbaker, Ubers senior vice president of marketing and public affairs, in a statement the company issued after The Guardian published its findings on the Uber Files. Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what weve done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come. In a statement published by the ICIJ, Travis Kalanicks spokesperson said any suggestion the former executive directed, engaged in, or was involved in illegal or improper conduct" is completely false." "The reality was that Uber's expansion initiatives were led by over a hundred leaders in dozens of countries around the world and at all times under the direct oversight and with the full approval of Uber's robust legal, policy, and compliance groups," they added. The transition from tribe to caste has remained a contested phenomenon in India. Many tribal groups had left their religion, culture, language, and traditional practices to elevate their social status in the caste-based hierarchical society. This complex transition is addressed in the context of the Rajbanshi identity, highlighting the intricacies involved. Adopting the frame of retribalisation questions the simplistic tribe to caste narrative and reiterates their consistent effort to embrace generic roots left in the past to bargain with the wider society. the Process of Retribalisation The trajectory of identity formation among the Rajbanshi community illustrates some important attributes of social change in North East India. The community inherits both tribal vis-a-vis caste characteristics that posit them different from many other social groups specifically denoted by tribe/caste category. One of the primary reasons behind the fluid and overlapping nature of the two categories has been their long but incomplete transition from tribal origin to caste hierarchy. Therefore, to specifically locate them in terms of tribe vis-a-vis caste identity, in the strict sense of the term, has not been free from contestations and their status has become a political issue over the years. Contextualising these arguments, this article seeks to understand the dynamics of Rajbanshi identity considering the tribe vis-a-vis caste dichotomy and their eventual process of retribalisation1 in the recent past. Furthermore, an endeavour has also been made to locate them within the two categories and to address the intricacies involved. Rajbanshi Identity: The Paradox Within In literary narratives, the nomenclature Rajbanshi denotes descendents of royal race and the Rajbanshi identity adheres to the 16th-century Koch dynasty and kingdomKamatapur. By and large, the Koch kingdom conforms to the similar geographical areas of the preceding kingdoms, that is, Kamrup (fourth to seventh centuries) and Kamata (12th to 15th centuries). In fact, Edward Gait (2008) and the Islamic chroniclers termed the eastern part of Mughal India as KamrupKamataKamatapur in their writings. The kingdom was largely bounded by the Himalayan mountain of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh in the north, and hills of Nagaland and Manipur in the east, Mizoram and Tripura in the south and the river Karatoya in the east (Ahmed 1990: 169). However, the boundary remained unfixed from one dynasty to another. Because of the large territorial ambit of the kingdom, Rajbanshis are found dispersed in various parts of the erstwhile kingdom. At present, they are primarily spread over western Assam, northern part of West Bengal, that is, North Bengal, Garo Hills of Meghalaya, and the Purnea district of Bihar in the Indian territory; districts of Rangpur, Kurigram, etc, of Bangladesh; and Jhapa, Morang, and Sunsari districts of the Terai region of eastern Nepal (Basu 2003: 27). In addition to that, there is a small Rajbanshi population residing in the foothills of Bhutan. The dispersed demographic distribution marked by the presence of national and international borders has made it problematic to contextualise them in a precise way. However, it needs mentioning here that all the Rajbanshis of today are not necessarily the Rajbanshis of the bygone periods. Rather, the very nomenclature, Rajbanshi, has been considered an offshoot of the close sociocultural interactions that culminated into a cumulative space for the marginal tribes and lower castes to negotiate for a descent status in the hierarchical caste-based society. There is a great deal of speculation over their obscure racial origin due to divergent opinions put forward by different sets of scholars. The arguments differ on two major issues. Colonial ethnographers argued in favour of the Mongoloid or Dravidian characteristics along with inclination towards the Koch origin. On the contrary, Rajbanshi historians claimed it as an independent identity without Koch affiliation. Moreover, there is another perspective that supports mixed affinity about them. To understand the contradictions, a detailed discussion on their racial origin seems necessary. Brian Houghton Hodgson (180094), George Abraham Grierson (18511941), and W W Hunter (18401900) were some of the colonial ethnographers who supported the Mongoloid affinity theory. Hodgson (1847) argued that the Koches, Meches and the Kacharis originated from the great Mongoloid race and Koches or Rajbanshis are merely the most Hinduised form of the common stock (Hodgson [1847] as quoted in Barman 2007: 4445). He further observed that when Viswa Singha, the grandson of Hajo, and the founder of the Koch Kingdom, embraced Hinduism, the country was renamed Biharthe people Rajbanshi (Basu 2003: 27). Grierson (1927) opined that there can be little doubt that the original Koch was the same as the Bodos. The Koch, Mech and Bara or Bodo all connoted to the same tribe or at most different steps of the same tribe. The name Koch, in fact, connotes a Hinduised Bodo who has abandoned his ancestral religion for Hinduism and ancestral Bodo language for Bengali or Assamese and the Rajbanshis are the Hinduised Koch of Rangpur and Goalpara. (Nathan 1997: 450) W W Hunter (1974) also favoured the same opinion and argued that Rajbanshis are the converted Hinduised Koch who came into prominence by the close of the fifteenth and beginning of the sixteenth century when they established the powerful Koch kingdom. Viswa Singha introduced Brahmanism during his rule and it was followed in the subsequent practices of the Koches. Thus on their conversion to Hinduism they abandoned the name Koch and took the name Rajbanshi which literally means Royal Race. (Blochman [1872] in Nath 1989: 5) On the contrary, the Rajbanshi historians, part of an emerging middle class, contradicted the colonial ethnographers accounts and tried to project Rajbanshi as an independent identity without Koch affiliation. Their arguments reflected the inherent contradictions in a caste-based society, in which inferiority vis-a-vis superiority, purity vis-a-vis pollution determine the social status of a community. Accordingly, Hara Kishor Adhikary in his work Rajbanshi Kulpradip argued that the Koch and the Rajbanshi did not belong to the same caste, they were different castes. The Rajbanshis were superior to the Koches. Their origin was also different and different were their occupation (Adhikary as quoted in Basu 2003: 29). Mononmohan Roy (1902) also opined that irrespective of any question as to identify or difference of origin, the Rajbanshis and the Koches form entirely distinct castes. In social status the Koches were distinctly inferior to that of the Rajbanshis, who had greater ceremonial purity than the Koches. (Roy as quoted in Basu 2003: 29) Upendra Nath Barman (1401: 5557), a political leader and an advocate of the Kshatriya articulation, in his book Rajbanshi Kshatriya Jatir Ithihas, fervently argued about the Kshatriya status of the Rajbanshis and dissociated them from Koch origin. Referring to the verses of Vedas and Puranas, Barman argued about the existence of the Rajbanshi community during the Vedic period. It needs mentioning here that the Koches were regarded inferior and derogatory who consumed impure food and spoke a dirty language. The presumed inferiority associated with the Koch origin led them to assert Rajbanshi as a superior identity distinct from its Koch origin. Moreover, a group of scholars argued supporting the mixed affinity of Mongoloid and Dravidian along with Austric characteristics. Prominent among them, H Risely, who observed that Koches were unquestionably non-Aryan and non-Hindu and a large Dravidian tribe of north-eastern and eastern Bengal among whom there were grounds for suspecting some admixture of Mongoloid Blood (Risely 1998: Vol I, 491). Suniti Kumar Chatterji (2011) also described the Koches having AustricDravidianMongoloid characters. According to him, the Koches are Hinduised or Semi-Hinduised Bodo who have abandoned their original TibetoBurman speech and have adopted the Northern dialect of Bengali (which has a close affinity with Assamese) they are proud to call themselves Raj-bamsis and to claim to be called as kshatriya. (Chatterji 2011: 112) These two arguments are relatively comprehensive in character and indicate the assimilation with other communities, which cannot be ruled out among the early settlers in the region. The admixture among the races can further be affirmed from D N Majumdar, C Radhakrishna Rao, and P C Mahalanobis observation that the Koch and the Rajbanshi represent a mixed population between the Proto-Australoids and the Mongoloid types, both Tibetan and Burmese (Majumdar et al 1958: 318). The complexities increase if we consider Edward Gaits (18631950) observations in this context. Gait who was the in-charge for the preparation of the Census of India, 1901 and 1911, respectively, argued that true Koches were a Mongoloid race, very closely allied to the Meches and Garos; and the persons now known as Rajbanshi in Jalpaiguri, Koch Bihar and Goalpara are either pure Koches who, although dark, have a distinctly Mongoloid physiognomy, or else a mixed breed, in which the Mongoloid element usually preponderates. (Gait 2008: 48) However, he also referred to Rajbanshi as an entirely distinct community of Dravidian affinities and was adopted by the Koches to the west of the Monas river after attorned to Hinduism (Gait 2008: 47). The two observations of Gait seem self-contradictory. It put a question mark on who preceded whom and how the Rajbanshi identity evolved. Moreover, Gait also opined that Koch was a term of ambiguity (Gait 2008: 47). But the question is, what led Gait to term Koch as ambiguous? The probable justification of the ambiguousness of the Koch identity might be the complexities involved with the Koch or the Rajbanshi identity and their close interactions with other communities like Bodo, Mech, Rabha, Hajong, and Kachari, which virtually resulted into the overlapping and intersecting of their language, religion, culture, and identity. In fact, Gait himself admitted that true Koches were a Mongoloid race, very closely allied to the Meches and Garos, or a mixed breed (Gait 2008: 48), which can be also be ascertained from the accounts of W W Hunter, Grierson, Hodgson, and Risely. These observations reflect different perspectives to understand the dynamics of the Rajbanshi identity. Their fundamental difference lies with the ethnic vis-a-vis caste identity. It needs mentioning here that although the Mongoloid characteristics are predominant, Rajbanshi historians arguments cannot be overlooked straight off. Their arguments reflect the inherent contradictions in a caste-based society and indicate the paradox within. In fact, there is a substantial number of Rajbanshi population among whom Mongoloid either in physiognomy or cultural traits can be ascertained. Moreover, if we take the British ethnographers into account that the Rajbanshis are Hinduised Koch or Koch being the Hinduised Bodo or Rajbanshi as an entirely distinct group to say a few, these arguments illustrate the multiplicity and interactions of various ethnic groups in a changing sociocultural environment that transformed Rajbanshi into a cumulative identity. Apart from that, the state formation process alongside the penetration of Hinduism, and the growing influence of Brahminic culture led the caste structure to surface among them. However, it is interesting to note that despite the presence of the caste elements, tribal anecdotes are still ostensible in many of their day-to-day practices across the region. Hence, the coexistence of tribal and caste elements necessitate us to understand their identity formation process in the larger context of the Indian society. Conceptualising Tribe and Caste: The Indian Saga The concept of tribe and caste were colonial constructions in India. Prior to British colonisation, no attempts had been made to categorise people based on tribe or caste, although the sense of distinction like mlecha, danava, and kirata were prevalent in the ancient epics. The colonial ethnographers classified the native population based on religion, language, caste, and ethnicity in order to carry out the enumeration process of the census report and other administrative purposes during the 19th century. However, it was not an easy task on the part of the ethnographers and census enumerators to distinguish people because of their overlapping and changing characteristics. Even contemporary sociological and anthropological writings in India find it difficult to theorise the tribe and the caste imbroglio because of the close relationship between the two. Therefore, before we embark upon the intricacies involved with the tribe vis-a-vis caste identity and its relationship with the Rajbanshi identity, let us understand both the categories first. The colonial anthropology that categorised the Indian population on the basis of race, tribe, and caste started during the early 19th century (Bhukya 2008). Accordingly, during the preparation of the Census of India 1901, H Risely and Edward Gait conceptualised tribe in the following words, a tribe as we find it in India is a collection of families or groups of families bearing a common name which as a rule does not denote any specific occupation; generally claiming common descent from a mythical or historical ancestor and occasionally from an animal, but in some parts of the country held together rather by obligations of blood-feud than by the tradition of kinship; usually speaking the same language and occupying, professing, or claiming to occupy a definite tract of country. A tribe is not necessarily endogamous; that is to say, it is not an invariable rule that a man of a particular tribe must marry a woman of that tribe and cannot marry a woman of different tribe. (Singh in Nathan [ed] 1997: 35) In the Census of India 1911, Gait repeated the definition, however, in a more comprehensive way. He also referred to the growing influence of Hinduism on the tribes and changes in their socio-cultural life. He observed that the tribes that have long been in contact with Hinduism have modified their original type, and have come to conform more or less closely to the pattern of an ordinary caste, and to adopt the restrictions associated with the caste system. (Nathan 1997: 35) However, in post-independence India, the conceptualisation of tribe has undergone some changes because of certain sociopolitical factors. The Draft National Tribal Policy, released in 2006 during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, categorised tribes as known to dwell in compact areas, follow a community way of life in harmony with nature, with unique culture, distinctive customs, traditions, and beliefs that were simple, direct, and non-acquisitive by nature (Srivastava 2008: 30). In the same report, five criteria were mentioned to identify a tribe based on the recommendations of the Lokur Committee.2 These were primitive traits, distinct culture, geographical isolation, shyness of contact with the outside world, and backwardness. Apart from that, N K Bose mentioned four attributes while identifying a tribe. The mode of livelihood was the determining factor and accordingly based on livelihood, tribal people could be divided into hunters and gatherers, animal herders, shifting cultivators, and settled agriculturalists (Bose in Beteille 1986: 302). The classification argued by Bose himself indicates the mobility of people from one category to another. In the process, many tribal groups lost or left their primitive traits like hunting, animal herding, and became settled agriculturalists with tribal and caste characteristics. Accordingly, Virginius Xaxa (1999) also argued that, it has generally assumed that tribe and caste represent two different forms of social organisation. He characterised caste as being regulated by hereditary division of labour, principle of hierarchy, practices of purity and pollution, civic and religious disabilities, etc, and the tribes being identified by the absence of the caste attributes. (Xaxa 1999: 1519) However, it needs to be kept in mind that all the characteristics are not necessarily present among all tribal groups simultaneously. Above all, the tribal societies are not monolithic in nature and have been undergoing changes in many spheres. On the contrary, caste is an age-old practice in India. The caste system is hierarchically graded, locally integrated, occupationally and ritually specialised, having endogamous social strata (Gould 1963: 427). Caste in India is followed on the basis of the four varna system, that is, Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Sudra, which is determined by birth and occupation. Many sociologists consider the varna system as the renunciation of the class character of the Indian society because of the prevalence of the occupational characters along with the domination of the upper caste gentry. In the Census of India 1911, against the backdrop of tribe, the concept of caste was also described. According to the report, there is scarcely any general statement on the subject which is universally true, but generally speaking, it may be said that the most prominent characteristics of a caste are endogamy and commensality. No member of a caste may intermarry, or eat, or even share hukka with the persons of other castes ... The most obvious links are the possession of the same designation and traditional occupation. But here we are faced with the difficulty that the designation is usually that of an occupation; and although occupations are often hereditary, they are not always so. Some functional terms are the names of the social groups which have been welded together into castes, but other indicate function only and connote no social agglomeration. (in Singh Nathan 1997: 36, ed) In the caste system, hierarchical stratification is maintained by rigid practices of integrity and isolation. The integrity and isolation is determined by the principle of purity and pollution that is based on religious activities performed by an individual or a collective. Thus, Hinduism occupies a predominant position in the caste system of India. The rigid and closed practices followed in the caste system marked a departure from the tribal societies that are relatively open. However, over the years, many tribal groups have left their tribal identity and tried to elevate to the stratified caste hierarchy, although their conversion has remained contested. Tribe to Caste conversion vis-a-vis Contestation The conversion of tribes to caste identity is a contested process that has left many critical questions unanswered. Many tribal groups left their religion, languages, culture, and traditional practices, and tried to elevate to the caste hierarchy to raise their social status. As a result, particularly, in post-independence India, the existing gap between tribe and caste has substantially been reduced and the tribecaste question, as argued by K S Singh, has become a non-issue in academic and political circles from 1970s onwards (Nathan 1997: 38). To him, the mobility took place because of the developmental activities in the communication and economic aspects along with the political and cultural integration initiated during the period (Nathan 1997). However, the transition of tribes to caste hierarchy has not been an unequivocal steady transformation. In fact, it infused many critical issues that need adequate investigation. For instance, does mere acquisition of positive traits enable tribes to elevate to a caste hierarchy? Is caste system flexible enough to allow new entrants so easily? Most importantly, will the transition of tribes lead to structural changes in the caste system? These are some of the fundamental questions that need consideration while analysing the transition of tribes to caste hierarchy. In his argument on the tribe/caste dichotomy in India, G S Ghurye observed that the so-called Indian tribes constituted the low-caste Hindus or backward Hindus (Ghurye 1963 as quoted in Xaxa 1999: 1519). Representation of tribes as Hindus, however lower the rank is, implied that Ghurye referred to the Indian tribes in terms of religion. Here, it is important to note that tribes in India were followers of animism that marked substantial differences from the Hindu religion followed by caste. However, there are numerous instances of animist practices followed in Hinduism too. The transition of tribe to caste hierarchy and its proximity has been interpreted by ethnographers and sociologists in various ways. Sanskritisation and Hinduisation advocated by M N Srinivas (1996) and Ghurye (2014) are most significant contributions in this regard. While Sanskritisation is the emulation of practices and rituals of the upper castes and considered an integral part of social mobility, Hinduisation refers to the adoption of Hinduism with or without caste affiliation. Moreover, S C Sinhas (1962, 1987) conceptualisation of the impact of state formation and adoption of technology of the Hindu society and persistence of economic imperatives advocated by D D Kosambi (1975) are equally significant (quoted in Xaxa 1999: 1520). Sinha (1962, 1987) in his analysis of state formation argues that the state guarantees a sociopolitical framework for the transformation of tribal into the regional caste system, which has also been endorsed by Amalendu Guha (1983). On the contrary, Kosambi (1975) argues about the changes that were brought out by the adoption of technology of Hindu society which impacts the organisation of production. Apart from these theories, colonial rule brought about significant changes in the social, economic, political, and cultural life of the native communities. The introduction of Western education, growing industrialisation and communication, infrastructure development, and economic opportunities during the colonial period resulted in unprecedented changes in the Indian society and economy. As a result, interactions among various communities increased manifold and tribes were no exception to the resultant changes. Considering the economic imperatives of the transition, Singh observed that when a tribe touches a plough, it becomes a caste (Singh in Nathan 1997: 34). The observation bears tremendous significance for a country like India, where agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for more than half of the population. Settled agricultural system is one of the major factors behind the transition, an idea also endorsed by Kosambi. It discourages slash and burn cultivation and the nomadic way of life practised by tribes. Hence, if a tribe started ploughing and continued doing so, it might cease to be called as tribe. However, the transition of tribes to caste identity cannot be considered as settled as the above discussion indicates. It is not even predetermined that tribe and caste are two ends of the order and there can be no alternative or coexistence between the two categories. In this regard, it is wrong to anticipate that any changes of isolation or assimilation of the tribes in the larger society may lead to the formation of caste and there are instances of preserving distinctive identity and culture although some tribes transform into peasant and other socially differentiated entities but not caste (Xaxa 1999: 1519). Considering the complex nature of the transition, B K Roy Burman (1983) also argued that transformation of tribes to caste cannot be taken for granted like tribes into peasant because peasants constitute a different group, an outcome of the process of social mobility that involves in production having class character and is often dominated and controlled by a class which no longer participates directly in the production and many of the tribal communities do not come under the category of peasant (Roy Burman 1983: 1173). But nonetheless, it cannot be ignored that settled agricultural system has resulted in significant changes in the social composition, which immensely helped to increase sociocultural interactions among the native populations. In this connection, if we consider the observations of Srivastava (2008), it appears more apparent. He argued that a large number of communities, classified as tribal dwelt in close proximity to caste communities, having long-standing relations of exchange with them. These relations have obviously contributed towards a myriad of similarities between them, thus bringing caste and tribes closer, leading to a deviation of both social formations form their ideal definition. (Srivastava 2008: 29) At this critical juncture, questions arisehow do we understand the Rajbanshi identity? Is it possible to locate them in either of the categories in a very strict sense of the term? Or do they subscribe to both tribal and caste characteristics? Has their transition remained incomplete? Here, an attempt has been made to address some of these unattended questions. Locating the Rajbanshi Community Regarding the Rajbanshis of Jalpaiguri, D H E Sunder (1895: 52) in his survey and settlement report observed that the Rajbanshis are now recognised as a distinct caste of Hindus; but generally the Rajbanshis of the Duars is a Hindu when it suits him to be one, and a Mech when he obtains pork and wishes to eat it. The observation of Sunder illustrates how the Rajbanshi identity had been evolving over the years and how often it shifts from one to another identity. It also shows fluidity and overlapping characters among them. Parameters like what to eat or not, how to act, what and how to follow rituals or not, are crucial determinates to elevate to caste identity. However, the cultural markers that allowed some of the Koches to be recognised as Hindus were generally accepted as a 16th-century development that coincided with the emergence of the Koch dynasty. The 16th-century Koch dynasty, argued Amalendu Guha, was the offshoot of the tribal political formation among the Koches. The process started in the 13th century and continued for the next three centuries among various tribal groups that resulted in rudimentary state formation in North East India (Guha 1983: 5). Importantly, it paved the much-needed impetus for penetration of Hinduism among tribal groups, including the Koches. The founder of the dynasty was Bisu, son of Haria Mandal, regarded as a Mech chieftain of the Goalpara region. It was believed that Bisu adopted Hinduism and assumed the name Bishwa Singha (151540) after his coronation as the first ruler of the dynasty (Barpujari 2007: 6971; Gait 2008: 4950). In fact, the nomenclature Rajbanshi, a Sanskritised articulation, has been considered as the offshoot of that transition from tribal chieftainship to state formation conforming to caste identity followed in the Hindu religion. Moreover, the projection of Bishwa Singha as the son of Lord Shivawho in disguise of Haria Mandal impregnanted Heera, the mother of Bisuwas apparently a Brahminical idea of manufactured consensus required to establish a kingdom. Hinduism surfaced across the communities who had identified themselves with religion followed by their king. Apart from that, narratives of being Kshatriya have been an important development that followed the emergence of the Koch dynasty and subsequent penetration of Hinduism among them. The Kshatriya identity was articulated based on religious texts and the mythological character of Parashuram. Accordingly, Rajbanshis were considered as Kshatriyas in the Pauranik times who fled away, shed off their sacred thread, and took shelter in the jungles of Paundrabardhan (largely conform to the present districts of Rangpur, Jalpaiguri, and Dinajpur of Bangladesh and India) because of the wrath of Parashuram, who vowed to kill Kshatriyas of the entire world since his father was allegedly killed by some Kshatriya miscreants. It goes on that they concealed their Kshatriya identity, threw away their sacred thread, left their day-to-day rituals for a long period, and lost their religion, language, culture, and identity (Barman 1401: 5557). It is interesting to emphasise that the Kshatriya movement, which was started during the last quarter of the 19th century by a section of Rajbanshi zamindars in Rangpur of undivided Bengal, was primarily motivated by the mythical articulation of Parashuram. Although the movement was a colonial development that emerged as a response to the enumeration of the Rajbanshis along with the Koch category in the Census Report of 1881, it reiterated the persisting dichotomy of tribe vis-a-vis caste identity in India. The enlisting was opposed by the local Rajbanshi leaders who found it derogatory and inferior of their position and power. As a result, the Rangpur Bratya-Kshatriya Jatir Unnati Bidhayini Sabha was established in 1891 under the chairmanship of Harmohan Ray Khajanshi, a zamindar of Shyampur, Rangpur. The sabha was entrusted to affirm Rajbanshi identity distinctly and invigorate the movement. The sabha also submitted a memorandum to F A Skyne, the then district magistrate of Rangpur, to not enlist the Rajbanshis along with the Koch category, outlining verses of the Vedas and Upanishads endorsed by the Brahmin pandits invited from Varanasi, Mithila, and Kashi, mentioning that Rajbanshis and Koches constitute two distinct groups in terms of their culture and practices (Barman 1401: 5557, Mandal nd: 2021). Considering the appeal of the movement, many Rajbanshis shaved off their heads on the bank of the Karotoya on the auspicious day of 27 Magh (February/March) to rediscover their sacred thread. Accordingly, acting, eating, and following the rituals and practices like a caste Hindu became the clarion call of the movement. However, the Kshatriya appeal was not widespread and was largely confined within a section of Rajbanshi elites of Rangpur and its adjacent areas of Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and, to some extent, erstwhile Goalpara. Many of the tribes including the newly converted Koches remained outside of the Kshatriya appellation. Therefore, the process remained incomplete and uneven in the region. If a section was highly influenced by caste appellation, others remained untouched, away from the caste identity. Most importantly, while the sacred thread and the Kshatriya identity became prerequisites to be recognised as Rajbanshi, a large section of them still do not subscribe to either of the determinants in Assam, Meghalaya, and, to some extent, in eastern Nepal. Regarding the Karbis and the Dimasa Kacharis in Assam, Monirul Hussain (1987: 1329) observed that they constituted the hinduised non-caste groups unlike the tribes of other states of Northeast India. In fact, the Rajbanshi community can also be considered as a non-caste Hindu group primarily having peasantry attributes. Non-caste Hindu illustrated the evolving characteristics of the community into the Hindu fold, peasantry being a step forward in this regard. However, as argued by Burman (1983), peasantry does not necessarily substantiate to the formation of caste from tribes, since it involves production controlled and dominated by a class. Nevertheless, Rajbanshi is primarily an agrarian community that has witnessed a long transition from hoe agriculture to settled plough agriculture (Nandy and Raman 1997: 446). However, they have not been stuck to the peasantry attributes alone and opted for other occupations not allowed in the caste system. Carpenter, jeweller, shopkeeper, and blacksmith are some of the alternative occupations the poorest sections depend upon. While in the caste system, occupation is predetermined by birth, but in case of the Rajbanshis, it is an open choice determined by their economic conditions rather than birth. The flexibility is because caste structure among them has not been rooted strong enough and the poorest section opted for any other alternatives not followed in caste system. Identity in Postcolonial India In postcolonial India, the question of Rajbanshi identity became more complex due to the remapping of the political borders during the partition of British India. The cartographic exercise by the British divided their traditional homeland and confined them at three different corners of South Asia, that is, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Moreover, their enlisting as the Other Backward Class (OBC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Scheduled Caste (SC) in Assam, Meghalaya, and West Bengal, respectively, complicates the identity issue further. In Assam, they were included in the OBC category under the Backward Classes Commissioner headed by Kaka Kalelkar in 1953. Subsequently, in the erstwhile Goalpara district of Assam, they were recognised as More Other Backward Class (MOBC), while others remained OBC.3 In Garo Hills of Meghalaya, they constitute ST and are overwhelmingly known as Koch, where the Rajbanshi appellation is largely absent. On the contrary, in North Bengal, they are categorised as SC. In Meghalaya, while the geographical isolation is the key determinant in preserving and protecting their distinct identity, language, and culture, but in Assam and North Bengal, the influence of mainstream regional nationalities has been more apparent. There remain contradictions within Assam too. While in upper or eastern part of Assam, they are identified as Koch in the western part, particularly in the erstwhile Goalpara district, KochRajbanshi articulation is predominant. It needs mentioning here that although they had common ethnic origin, the KochRajbanshis of western Assam speak a colloquial language that is another contested area because of its dialect status of both Assamese and Bengali language. Moreover, in eastern Assam, while they have become an integral part of the larger Asomiya nationality adhering to ethnic lines the influence of caste identity is more apparent in the bordering areas of western Assam like their ethnic cousins of North Bengal. Similarly, Rajbanshis of eastern Nepal and Bangladesh too adhere to the caste identity, although they are ranked lower in the caste hierarchy. In eastern Nepal, they consider themselves Adivasi or Mulbhasithe original inhabitants of the regionand try to dissociate from mainstream nationalities largely dominated by Brahmins and Chetris. On the contrary, Rajbanshis of Bangladesh have been gradually assimilating with the mainstream Bengali nationality. Interestingly, in both countries, they refer to the 16th-century Koch dynasty for their ancestral lineage but neither of them subscribe to the Koch identity due to the inferior status attached with it. Retribalisation: An Emerging Phenomenon Retribalisation is relatively a recent phenomenon that emerged among a section of them located in western Assam and North Bengal. The process that implies rearticulating tribal identity of the already detribalised community based on the memories of homeland, heritage, and race has been considered as the outcome of the growing ethnicity and identity assertion. As a mark of the retribalisation process, writing Koch instead of ancestral surnames like Barman, Chowdhury, Ray, and Das has become common visible occurrences among a section of youth, particularly in social media. Referring to the Rajbanshis of North Bengal, Subir Bhaumik (2009: 35) has termed retribalisation as the result of ethnic imbalance in power sharing. The growing imbalances have been apparent in social, political, and economic aspects in which the dominant identity has their sway. The rearticulation of the Rajbanshi tribal identity can be attributed to certain interrelated factors. First, there is an attempt to distinguish tribal identity from caste identity by rediscovering the historical Koch origin conforming to their racial affinity and dynastical lineage. Second, there is an adherence to the ST demand in Assam and the material advantages associated with it. Access to government jobs, admissions at educational institutions, tribal development packages, and creation of autonomous councils have encouraged retribalisation in North East India and the country as well (Bhaumik 2009: 28). It needs mentioning here that various students and civil society organisations primarily spearheaded by the All Koch Rajbongshi Students Union (AKRSU) have been demanding ST status in Assam over the last three decades. Although the demand has been opposed by the existing tribes, it has ushered a new dimension in understanding the tribecaste dynamics in postcolonial Assam. Third, the perceived threat of marginalisation by the dominant regional identities also spearheaded the process. The domination of the high-caste Assamese and Bengali identity in social, political, and economic spheres led to the marginalisation of various ethnic groups, including the Rajbanshis. The fear of losing lands, jobs, language, and identity encouraged the marginal groups to rediscover their imagined glorious past in order to bargain with the dominant identities. Apart from that, retribalisation is also motivated by the territorial ambition and political power enjoyed by the relatively advanced Bodo tribe in western Assam. After the formation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), the Bodos have become a significant political force in the states politics that no political party can ignore. The Rajbanshi identity assertion is also aimed to increase their representation in the states politics and decision-making system. It needs to be pointed here out that the retribalisation process has not been confined to the Rajbanshis alone. It is evident among other ethnic groups in the North East who had left their tribal credentials and elevated themselves to the stratified caste hierarchy in the past. But with the increasing marginalisation of these groups at multiple layers, they are trying to return back to their tribal roots. In this regard, the transition of the Manikya dynasty of Tripura from tribal origin to Bengali caste identity and how they are trying to return back to the tribal root in recent years can be cited (Bhaumik 2009: 27). However, the retribalisation process has raised certain critical questions and has complicated the vexed issue of Rajbanshi identity further (Goswami 2014: 41). The process questions their claim over the Kshatriya identity and the quest for social mobility that started in the last quarter of 19th-century Bengal. The movement for tribal status rediscovering historical roots is considered paradoxical in the context of the larger socio-cultural transitions that they had witnessed in the past. It will be interesting to see how they negotiate caste characteristics while adhering to the tribal status in observing day-to-day practices and rituals like birth, puberty, marriage, and death. Therefore, disagreement persists over the issue, particularly among the older generations across the border. Interestingly, the retribalisation process stressing their distinct ethnicity limits itself to access the political and economic benefits ignoring attendant sociocultural underpinnings. In Conclusion At this critical juncture, studying the transition of Rajbanshi identity through the postcolonial narrative of tribes becoming caste seems contested. The retribalisation process questions this narrative, and it reiterates their consistent effort to embrace generic roots left in the past in order to bargain with the larger society. Mere upward mobility does not enhance social status nor does it end caste-based discrimination of the marginal identities. The tribe-caste-tribe trajectory of the Rajbanshi identity reinforces what David Hardiman (1987) suggested about the Adivasis of western India in upholding their deep-rooted values despite attempts to convert them by upper castes. However, it also needs to be considered that Rajbanshi is relatively a large transborder community. Their identity formation process remains very fluid throughout different historical periods and there are contradictions within. Rajbanshi is not a monolithic identity and implies much more than one fixed connotation. Notes 1 The concept has been borrowed from Goswami (2014). 2 The Lokur Committee was constituted in 1965 to study about STs in India. 3 A Report on the Koch-Rajbongshies of Assam: Their Inclusion in the Schedule[d] Tribe (Plain) List of Assam was prepared by an Expert Committee that was constituted by the Government of Assam in 2008 and was submitted to the Government of India. References Ahmed, N (1990): Assam-Bengal Trade in the Medieval Period: A Numismatic Perspective, Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient, Vol 33, No 2, pp 16998. Barpujari, H K (2007): The Comprehensive History of Assam Vol II, Guwahati: Publication Board Assam. Barman, R K (2007): From Tribalism to State: Reflections on the Emergence of Koch Kingdom (Early Fifteenth Century to 1773), Delhi: Abhijeet Publications. Barman, U N (1401, Bangabda): Rajbanshi Jatir Itihash, Calcutta: New Bharti Press. Basu, S (2003): Dynamics of a Caste Movement: The Rajbansis of North Bengal, 191047, New Delhi: Manohar. Beteille, Andre (1986): The Concept of Tribe with Special Reference to India, European Journal of Sociology, Vol 27, No 2, pp 297318. Bhaumik, S (2009): Troubled Periphery: Crisis of Indias Northeast, New Delhi: Sage Publications. Bhukya, B (2008): The Mapping of the Adivasi Social: Colonial Anthropology and Adivasis, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 43, No 39, pp 103, 10509. Blochman, H (1872): Koch Bihar Koch Hajo Assam, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol XLI(I). Burman, B K Roy (1983): Transformation of Tribes and Analogous Social Formations, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 18, No 27, pp 117274. Chatterji, S K (2011): Kirata Jana Kriti: The Indo-Mongoloids, Their Contribution to the History and Culture of India, Kolkata: Asiatic Society of Bengal. Gait, E (2008): A History of Assam, Guwahati: EBH Publishers. Ghurye, G S (1963): The Scheduled Tribes, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan. (2014): Caste and Race in India, Mumbai: Popular Prakashan. Goswami, U (2014): Conflict and Reconciliation: The Politics of Ethnicity in Assam, New Delhi: Routledge. Gould, H A (1963): The Adaptive Functions of Caste in Contemporary Indian Society, Asian Survey, Vol 3, No 9, pp 42738. Grierson, G A (1927): Linguistic Survey of India Vol I, Pt I, Delhi, Varanasi and Patna: Motilal Banarasidass. Guha, A (1983): The Ahom Political System: An Inquiry into the State Formation Process in Medieval Assam (12281714), Social Scientist, Vol 11, No 12, pp 334. Hardiman, D (1987): The Coming of the Devi: Adisasi Assertion in Western India, Delhi: Oxford University Press. Hodgson, B H (1847): Essay the First, on the Kocch, Bodo and Dhimal Tribes, Calcutta: J Thomas, Baptist Mission Press. Hunter, W W (1974): Statistical Account of Bengal (reprint), New Delhi: D K Publishing House. Hussain, M (1987): Tribal Movement for Autonomous State in Assam, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 22, No 32, pp 132932. Kosambi, D D (1975): The Culture and Civilisation of Ancient India in Historical Outline, Delhi: Vikas Publishing House. Majumdar, D N, R C Radhakrishna and P C Mahalanobis (1958): Bengal Anthropometric Survey, 1945: A Statistical Study, Sankhy: The Indian Journal of Statistics (193360), Vol 19, Nos 34, pp 201408. Mandal, S N (nd): Rajbanshi Kshatriya Jatir Sankhipta Itihash, Gauripur, Assam: India Press. Nath, D (1989): History of Koch Kingdom (15151615), Delhi: Mittal Publications. Nathan, D (ed) (1997): From Tribe to Caste, Shimla: IIAS. Nandy, V and V Raman (1997): The Long Transition: The Koch-Rajbangshis of North Eastern India, From Tribe to Caste, D Nathan, Dev (ed), Shimla: IIAS. Risley, H H (1998): The Tribes and Castes of Bengal: Ethnographic Glossary, Vol I, Calcutta, India: Firma KLM Pvt Ltd. Sinha, S C (1962): State Formation and Rajput Myth in Tribal Central India, Man in India, Vol 42, No 1. (ed) (1987): Tribal Politics and State System in Pre-colonial Eastern and North Eastern India, Calcutta: CSSS. Srivastava, V K (2008): Concept of Tribe in the Draft National Tribal Policy, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 43, No 50, pp 2935. Srinivas, M N (ed) (1996): Caste: Its Twentieth Century Avatar, Haryana, India: Penguin Books. Sunder, D H E (1895): Survey and Settlement Report of the Western Duars, in the District of Jalpaiguri, 188995, Kolkata: Bengal Secretariat Press, (reprinted and ed), D C Roy (2013), Siliguri: N L Publishers. Xaxa, V (1999): Transformation of Tribe in India: Terms of Discourse, Economic & Political Weekly, Vol 34, No 24, pp 151924. The disillusionment with the true nature of the Indian judiciary is appalling. Alok Prasanna Kumar writes: The Supreme Court of Indias judgment in Zakia Ahsan Jafri v State of Gujarat (2022) runs into over 450 pages, with 150 pages of annexures alone. Without the full context, one might imagine it to be a judgment of acquittal coming after a full trial of the then chief minister of Gujarat and the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the present home minister in the central government Amit Shah. Unfortunately, it is not. It is, perversely, marshalling all the facts and evidence to show why these two political leaders in question need not stand trial for any offences. It is the same exercise that the Court undertook in dismissing the need to investigate the circumstances of the death of Judge Brijgopal Harkishan Loya (Tehseen Poonawalla v Union of India [2018]). The petition, in the Loya case, as also in Jafris case, was to initiate the investigation rather than deliver a finding of guilt. Instead, the Court felt the need, in both cases, to go out and make a case for the innocence of the potential accused. In both instances, the Court has gone beyond the call of duty, but in Jafris case, it has also gone above and beyond the call of duty. While starting-off the judgment with the disclaimer that it is only going to concern itself with the facts of the case and not focus on the motives of the activists supporting the petitioner (Teesta Setalvad and others), the Court nonetheless goes on to accuse them of adopting a devious stratagem to keep the pot boiling for 16 years. It accuses them of falsity and states, as a matter of fact, all those involved in such abuse of process, need to be in the dock and proceeded with in accordance with (the) law. This was the cue that the Gujarat police needed to continue their persecution of Setalvad, R B Sreekumar, and others who had relentlessly sought justice for Jafri. More criminal cases have been filed citing, bizarrely, the observations of the Supreme Court in the judgment. While sections of civil society believe that the police have misinterpreted the Courts observations, they assume that the Court was acting in an independent and fair-minded manner in this case; a proper reading of the judgment shows that it was not. The point of the petition was to question why the special investigation team (SIT) had not properly investigated several aspects of the involvement of the Gujarat state machinery in the riots. One aspect was the seeming instigation of the riots by the Hindutva groups at the behest of the state machinery; another was the call records and materials which suggested that the instructions had been given from the higher authorities to the police officers not to intervene in the violence. The petition pointed out several omissions in the way the SIT conducted itself, failing to ask key questions to witnesses, not collecting key evidence in the matter, and choosing not to even summon certain witnesses. In the regular course of events, such failures would have prompted a rebuke from the Courtsuggesting that the investigating authorities are not intent on doing their jobs or had done a half-hearted job of it. In this case, however, the Court goes to great lengths to cover up for the SITs many failings by looking through the material itself to find ways to justify its many omissions. It accepts, without question, the narrative of the SIT and the respondents in slamming the door firmly shut on investigating key claims that remain unanswered. In doing so, the Court has taken up the brief of an inquisitor. It subjected the claims of the petitioners to the kind of scrutiny that it was unwilling to put the SIT or the respondents claims to. It has looked for holes in the petitioners version of events, forgetting entirely that these holes were supposed to have been investigated by the SIT, and presents a picture of events that paints the petitionersthe victims of a terrible crimeas the real conspirators of the case. It is unfortunate that the very Court which had first ensured a modicum of justice in the Gujarat riots case, on the intervention of the petitioners and the activists, is now reduced to hounding the very same petitioners and activists at the behest of a vengeful government machinery. Even as judges of the Court continue to insist at the public fora that the judiciary in India is extremely independent and civil rights-conscious, the saga of the Gujarat riots shows that it is not the case at all. Over the years, it has been quietly co-opted by the political executive at the centre and uses its pretence of independence to give legitimacy to the unlawful and unconstitutional behaviour of the executive. The Zakia Jafri judgment should leave us with no illusions about the true nature of the Indian judiciary. MORE than 228 000 resettled farmers have tendered productivity reports from last year to Government in compliance with new regulations to ensure optimum use of farmland. About 80 percent of A2 farmers, who were resettled during the Land Reform Programme, met the February 15 deadline to submit production returns, while 60 percent of all A1 farmers beat the cut-off date. Last year, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development invoked the Agricultural Marketing Authority Act, which compels farmers to submit production returns to the Government annually. Authorities will deploy Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex) officers to undertake separate audits to authenticate the submissions. Auditing of farm records is expected to expose multiple farm-owners, including abandoned, rundown and underutilised farms that will be appropriated for redistribution to some of the 200 000 people on the waiting list. Nearly 380 000 A1 and A2 farmers all beneficiaries of the Land Reform Programme are affected by the exercise. Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Permanent Secretary Dr John Basera said response to the call for submission of production records has been incredible. Of course the offtake was a little bit slow, he said. Obviously some farmers were a little bit sceptical on submitting their returns, but it is now a statutory requirement that they submit the returns every February. So far, in terms of submissions of production and productivity returns, we are looking at over 60 percent now. For A2 farmers, I am pretty sure that we are over 80 percent now. But A1 farmers thats where we need to disseminate more information on the importance of production and productivity returns. The reports, he said, would guide Government in formulating policy conducive to increased agricultural production. Crucially, information gathered is expected to assist the ministry, through Provincial Land Committees (PLCs), to carry out the new policy on land focusing on redistribution of abandoned, derelict and underutilised farms as well as address multiple land ownership. Previously, Government said farmers who fail to submit their returns will be deemed to be in the above categories and their farms may be offered to PLCs for reallocation to those on the waiting list. Farmers who submit false information also risk having their offer letters withdrawn. Added Dr Basera: We need those reports so that we are able to make policy and to inform policy in terms of what challenges our farmers are facing. Production and productivity returns inform Government in terms of the amount of land being utilised; the amount of resources being utilised, because these are key ingredients to agricultural transformation. However, the reports submitted so far indicate significant growth in production, he said. Rising production has anchored substantial growth of the agriculture sectors contribution to the countrys Gross Domestic Product over the last two years. Government has now revised the sectors growth target from US$8,2 billion by the year 2025, which has already been achieved, to US$10 billion for the same period. The sector grew by 36,2 percent to US$8,19 billion last year guided by the Agriculture and Food Systems Transformation Strategy (AFSTS) (2020-2025), which seeks to revive, restructure, reform, rebuild and transform agriculture. The strategy is anchored on four pillars: enabling agriculture policy and the regulatory environment to facilitate the flow of investment into the sector; appropriate agriculture investments for productivity, food security and resilience; efficient agricultural knowledge, technology and innovation system; and the agriculture sector coordination for responsive planning, implementation monitoring and evaluation. This year, the agriculture sector is projected to grow by a further 10 percent. Added Dr Basera: Certainly, there are positives; as they say, numbers dont lie. Our numbers are looking pretty good in terms of food production. For example, we are pretty much food-secure and of course with a surplus of about 100 000 tonnes in terms of grain. Even if you look at horticulture, there is growth in terms of hectarage, production and productivity. The livestock subsector, he said, grew by over 20 percent last year, while the dairy subsector gained by 4 percent. So, the reports are very fundamental for us to know where we are and where we are coming from in the agricultural space. So there is some growth and we hope we continue in that trajectory. He called on farmers who are yet to submit their reports to do so. Since it is a statutory requirement that farmers must submit those, there are repercussions for those who fail to do so. But, obviously, we do not expect our farmers resist that position. Zimbabwe Farmers Union executive director Mr Paul Zakariya said: For planning purposes, it is important that related data be collected and analysed in good time. In agriculture, farmers should provide production data which indicates the extent of production. This information will inform on where support efforts should be directed. Sunday Mail . The politics of defection that has recently occurred in the political affairs of the state of Maharashtra does form a link in the long chain of political defections that, for many years now, has been posing a challenge to the constitutional amendments that have been passed from time to time in order to curb the problem of defection. This link in the chain of defection, however, is seldom coterminous with the link between self-interest and collective interests. The latter is defined in the current crisis in Maharashtra in broader terms such as protecting the real Hindutva from the unreal one. However, the focus on the muddled link between the self- and the collective interest gets missed out while making sense of the politics of defection. As it has been the usual case, the act of defection is constitutive of the element of guesswork and anxiety coupled with uncertainty generated by the voyage of the defected members to exciting destinations and majestic tourist resorts. The tension is quite performative as it entertains some while causing pain to others. This tension between the self and the collective is formative in the sense that it first actively represents the creation in the form of a defector and then such a creature offers themself as the means to be deployed by those political players who have resources to achieve their set goals of putting up the favourable power configuration. This defector becomes a political means to upset the political party or the combination of parties in power. What is real is the defection and its instrumental value or price. The realist turn in politics that is ruminated over in the television and newspaper discussions does not offer us an insight into the complexity of the political affairs. Such realist politics that is aimed at changing the power equation at the cost of causing disadvantage to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in favour of the suggested Hindutva solidarity, however, does not explain the muddled and deceptive relationship between self-interests and the suggested solidarity itself. The move to defect, however, seeks to deceptively establish the overlap between self- and collective interests, that is, in the current case of the protagonists of defection, the protection of real Hindutva. At one level, it might suggest for public consumption or justification that defection was necessary for protecting genuine Hindutva, which is based on solidarity for the purpose of exclusivity. It will be naive to ignore the truth that there is a hidden script to such a claim for collective gain in an exclusivist solidarity. While such moves try hard to suggest that self-interest is subordinated to solidarity for exclusivity or pure Hindutva, at the same time, it cannot hide its bare self-interest from the public gaze. A vigilant public knows that self-interest stands assured only through the collective gain that the defector may look for in their solidarity for exclusivity. It is also interesting to note that the defected members may put forward the argument for rationality according to which they would be motivated to defect to or collaborate with a party that can guarantee both succour and security to the self-interest of politicians rather than any solidarity for exclusivity. In this regard, it is also equally interesting to know that self-interest for its protection takes a very subtle, in fact, a deceptive route. For example, the Dalit and the minority politicians may speak occasionally against majority communalism or the divisive politics of right-wing forces, thereby showing some inclination for solidarity with inclusivity. Such a call for normative solidarity to protect the fundamental values that are written in the Constitution, however, lacks genuineness. The commitment to communal harmony looks satisfying but only in verbal speeches and not action and hence constitutes a mere formal critique of the right-wing forces. But failing to mobilise the electoral votes against the right-wing parties, in consequence, does provide an advantage to the parties that undermine the need for normative solidarity. The question is: Why are these leaders less interested in mobilising the voters in favour of such a solidarity? The leaders are disinterested in genuine solidarity because they are rational enough to know that it would not help them in protecting their self-interest. Hence, they would use the electoral support that would help them indirectly to defect to the party that controls various investigative agencies. Thus, inclusive solidarity is also available for its instrumental use by the self-interested parties and politicians alike. But the pursuit of self-interest lacks a moral justification inasmuch as it halts the collective efforts at solidarity for the protection of constitutional norms and social inclusivity. . The Agnipath scheme will be the only mode of recruitment for non-officers in the Indian Armed Forces. It will recruit persons aged between 17.5 and 21 years for a short period of four years, which includes six months of training. Amid widespread protests, the central government has raised the upper age limit to 23 years for the recruitment process of 2022. After the completion of four years, only 25% of these personnel will be enlisted in the regular armed forces, whereas the remaining 75% will return to civil life and will not be provided pension and gratuity benefits. The government claims that the Agnipath scheme will make the armed forces leaner and younger. The average age of soldiers will go down to 26 years from 32 years. It will also inculcate military discipline in those who will be discharged after four years of service. However, the primary aim of this scheme seems to cut down the ballooning pension bills of the defence services. The current budget has allocated `1.19 lakh crore for pensions and `1.63 lakh crore for salaries. This accounts for 54% of the defence budget. The savings resulting from the pension bills will be used in the modernisation of the defence forces. In short, the government is trying to shift its focus from personnel to technology while maintaining a younger age profile of its soldiers. At the outset, the Agnipath scheme looks transformative, but there are some key issues that the government has ignored. There are apprehensions that this scheme will result in reduced fighting capabilities and operational inefficiency. Six months training is too short a time for anyone to acquire the skills required for the technology-intensive air and naval forces. The Indian Armed Forces run on the spirit of camaraderie and unity, but with just four years of service, the Agnipath scheme may infuse feelings of jealousy and competitiveness among the Agniveers. Under these circumstances, tensions within the defence unit are not beyond imagination. The government has also announced that it will reserve 10% seats for agniveers in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and Assam Rifles. But past experience clearly indicates that governments resisted the introduction of ex-servicemen (ESM) in paramilitary forces. Even the existing reservation in central public sector undertakings (PSUs) is underutilised. As per the information provided by 94 central PSUs, the actual utilisation of ESM quota is only 1.15% in Group C and 0.3% in Group D jobs. Considering such afterthought guarantees, relaxations, and waivers, it seems that the rollout of the Agnipath scheme happened without proper consultations with the stakeholders. It is also argued that military as a career will not be an attractive option anymore, and consequently, it may dilute the quality of new recruits. We must not forget what kind of opportunities are available to ESM in India. The Directorate General Resettlement, the organisation tasked with finding jobs for ESM, has been placing them in low-paying jobs. The majority of them are working as security guards on a contract basis. The corporate sector has also promised jobs for the retiring agniveers. But how many jobs have they provided to the ESM so far? There are some genuine concerns that need to be addressed before this scheme can be implemented. No doubt, the armed forces need a reform, but it should be governed by a sound sociological and institutional logic. Considering the imminent threat on western and northern borders and the internal turmoil, this is not the best time to introduce new and untried recruitment schemes. Irrespective of the fact that the issue was discussed extensively, it could have been tested in the territorial or regular army. Perhaps this may be an overstating of challenges, but caution must be exercised because military efficiency is at stake. Hemendra Singh Sonipat Vanita Singh (vanita.singh@mdi.ac.in) teaches economics and public policy at the Management Development Institute, Gurugram. Amit Garg teaches in the Public Systems Group at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. Existing literature on the effect of publicly financed health insurance schemes focuses on out-of-pocket expenditure and utilisation of health services, while the effect of PFHIs on equity in health service use remains unaddressed. The data on equivalised household income and inpatient service utilisation from the National Sample Survey Office are employed to analyse the extent of inequity in the utilisation of inpatient services before (2004) and after (2014) the implementation of the PFHI in 2008. This is done by estimating concentration indices and the horizontal inequity indices. Publicly financed health insurance (PFHI) schemes are a major healthcare reform that have been adopted across developing countries, including India, to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). PFHIs reduce healthcare access inequity by targeting poor people and ensuring need-based access (Kutzin 2012; Roberts et al 2015; Kieny et al 2017). Equity is defined as the inequality that remains after accounting for legitimate factors driving inequality. Legitimate factors are those sources of variation in health or health-seeking behaviour that are fair or just (Fleurbaey and Schokkaert 2009), such as age, sex, and presence of illness. On the contrary, illegitimate determinants are unfair sources of variation such as socio-economic status (Wagstaff and van Doorslaer 2004; Fleurbaey and Schokkaert 2009). In 2008, the Indian government launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY), a government-run health insurance programme for the poor followed by the launch of a National Health Protection Scheme in 2018, an extension of the existing PFHI scheme (Ghosh 2018). PFHI schemes across developing countries target vulnerable groups to achieve horizontal equity in the utilisation of health services (Giedion et al 2013; Roberts et al 2015). Horizontal equity in the utilisation of health services is defined as equal utilisation for equal needs irrespective of socio-economic factors (Culyer and Wagstaff 1993; WHO 2010; Kien et al 2014; Roberts et al 2015; Saito et al 2016). Thus, it is important to study the effect of PFHIs on equity in health service utilisation (Giedion et al 2013) to assess whether they have achieved this goal. Studies, especially in the Indian context, have not focused on the equity aspect of utilisation of inpatient health services under insurance schemes (Giedon et al 2013; Ghosh 2014b, 2018). Studies that have focused on the utilisation of health services in India (Ghosh 2014a; Barik and Thorat 2015) as well as in other countries (Kien et al 2014; Saito et al 2016) have reported differences in the utilisation of health services between the rich and poor. However, the existing literature on equality in health services in the Indian context is mainly descriptive and fails to reflect upon the potential association of UHC measures with equity. Moreover, the recent announcement of the Indian governments intention to expand the existing PFHI scheme under the umbrella of Ayushman Bharat, mandates examining the role of PFHI schemes in achieving equity, given the considerable amount of public health funding being directed towards these schemes (Ghosh 2018). Thus, the current study provides timely empirical evidence for policymakers on the role of PFHIs in advancing horizontal equity. The study focuses on inpatient service utilisation since the main aim of PFHIs in India was to increase access to inpatient services for poor people as inpatient services were previously found to lead to catastrophic health expenditures for poor families (Devadasan et al 2013; Ghosh 2014a; Ghosh and Gupta 2017). The annual hospitalisation rate for each individual is used as a proxy to evaluate the utilisation of inpatient services. Income-related inequalities in healthcare use are widely acknowledged in developed as well developing countries. Although these inequalities have been measured in developed countries, studies focusing on income-related inequalities in health service use are lacking in an Indian context. Publicly Financed Health Insurance Schemes in India In 2007, Andhra Pradesh (AP) became the first Indian state to launch a PFHI scheme. In 2008, the central government launched the RSBY across all states. The scheme was rolled out in a phased manner and states had discretion in implementing the scheme. The objective was to protect poor families (those below the poverty line [BPL]) from catastrophic health expenditures arising from hospitalisation and ensure improved access to inpatient services for poor people thus increasing improving equity in the utilisation of health services (Palacios 2011; Selvaraj and Karan 2012; Ghosh 2018). The federal structure of India gives autonomy to states to design their state-specific health schemes. In the following years, Tamil Nadu (TN), Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra either extended RSBY coverage or started their own state-specific PFHI (Selvaraj and Karan 2012). The state-specific PFHIs were similar in design to RSBY, except for their names and the coverage amount. Thus, we expect the impact of RSBY/PFHIs would be similar in terms of improving equity in accessing inpatient services. For the state-level analysis, we focus on 21 major states (out of 29 states and seven union territories) constituting 98.44% of the population (Table A1 in the appendix, p 47). The smaller states were not included to ensure reliable estimates as the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO 2015) report itself mentions that due to very small sample size, estimates from the smaller states may be unreliable. We track the PFHI/RSBY implementation for these 21 states and found that out of these 21 major states, only 16 had 100% of their districts covered by PFHIs/RSBY by 2013 (Table A1). We focus on these 16 states as the sample data was collected for June 2013 to June 2014. The 16 states are AP, Bihar, Delhi (one of the major union territories), Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh (MP), Punjab, Rajasthan, TN, Uttar Pradesh (UP), and West Bengal. Out of these 16 states, 13 had implemented the RSBY, while the others had their own state-specific PFHIs. The RSBY was launched in 2008 as a social security scheme by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, and in 2015, was transferred to the health department. The RSBY is a centrally sponsored social programme aimed at providing cashless hospitalisation services amounting up to 30,000 to poor people. The central budget covers three quarters of the cost of the programme and thus states have incentives to join the scheme (Palacios 2011). For each of these 16 states, we compare the horizontal inequity index before and after the implementation of PFHIs (Table 3, p 44). Of the 16 states, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, MP, Rajasthan, UP, and Uttarakhand lag far behind in health outcome as well as development indicators (MoHFW 2011). We refer to these as Empowered Action Group (EAG) states. Data We use individual-level data (excluding deceased members) from the 60th (Morbidity and Healthcare 2004) and 71st rounds (Social Consumption: Health 2014) of the NSSO. The data for each round are comparable as both rounds collected information on whether the person was hospitalised in the last 365 days and recorded the ailment for which treatment was taken. Both rounds collected information on morbidity, particulars of inpatient and outpatient treatment in the previous year and last 15 days, respectively. This information was collected from a nationally representative sample of 3,83,338 individuals in 2004 and 3,33,104 individuals in 2014. Both rounds used a multistage stratified random sampling method. The details of the sampling methodology, questionnaire, definition of variables, and initial findings can be found in reports prepared by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI 2006, 2015). Methodology We examine the inequality and inequity in the utilisation of inpatient services across income quintiles. The income quintiles were based on the adjusted monthly household consumption expenditure (MHCE). The MHCE was adjusted by the household size based on the methodology proposed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD 2008, 2011). The utilisation of inpatient services is defined as the use of any health facility for taking in-house treatment in the previous 365 days. We define the inequality in inpatient service use as the difference observed in the mean values of inpatient service use across income quintiles. We define inequity in inpatient service use as the deviation of actual health utilisation from standardised utilisation, that is utilisation driven by the need factors alone with non-need determinants of health service utilisation held constant (Wagstaff and van Doorslaer 2004). We define need based on the individuals age, sex, and presence of non-communicable diseases (ODonnell et al 2008; Qian et al 2017; Pan et al 2017). The non-need factors affecting health service utilisation that are included in our analysis are state identifiers, rural/urban residence, literacy level, occupation of the head of household, marital status, health insurance status, and income (proxied by consumption expenditure). The non-need factors are selected in the model of health service utilisation based on Newman Anderson model of health-seeking behaviour (Anderson and Newman 2005). Wagstaff and van Doorslaer (2004) advocated for the indirect standardisation method for the measurement of horizontal inequity as it does not require grouped data and is computationally easier. Thus, for our study, we have adopted the indirect standardisation method. Indirect standardisation of health variable: The linear relationship between inpatient service utilisation, and need factors and control variables is represented by the following equation: y i = G (+ j j ji + k k z ki ) + i (1) where y i is healthcare utilisation variable; i denotes the individual, , , and are parameter vectors; ji is the individual values of the J (j=1,J) confounding variables (need); and z ki are individual values of the K (k=1,K) non-confounding (control) variables. When we use a linear model, the indirectly standardised utilisation (y i is) is given by the difference between actual utilisation (y i ) and need-based expected utilisation (y i X), plus the mean of actual utilisation y. y i is = y i y i X + y We analyse the concentration curve and measure the concentration index (CI) of inpatient service use to assess if there is pro-rich or pro-poor inequality in the utilisation of health services. We focus on inpatient service use as PFHIs only cover inpatient services. The concentration curve: The concentration curve is the bivariate analogue of the Lorenz curve as it plots the cumulative proportion of one variable against the cumulative proportion of the population ranked by another variable (Kakwani et al 1997; Koolman and van Doorslaer 2004; ODonnell et al 2016). In our study, to visualise the inequality in the utilisation of inpatient services, we plot the cumulative percentage of the inpatient utilisation (on y-axis) against the cumulative percentage of the population, ranked by household per capita monthly expenditure, from poorest to the richest (on x-axis). If everyone, irrespective of their income, has exactly the same value of the health variable, the concentration curve will lie along a 45-degree line, known as the line of equality. If the health variable is more concentrated among poorer (richer) people, the concentration curve will lie above (below) the line of equality. Concentration index: Concentration indices are commonly used for measuring socio-economic-related inequality in health (ODonnell et al 2008; ODonnell et al 2016). The standard concentration index as proposed by Kakwani et al (1997) can be written as: where N is the sample size, h i is the health variable for person i, is the mean of the health variable, and r i is the fractional rank in the income distribution of the ith person. Horizontal inequity index: We measure horizontal inequity using the horizontal inequity index (HI) for inpatient services utilisation to assess the effect of PFHIs on equity in inpatient service use. The HI indicates health inequality attributable to illegitimate factors. When using linear models, it is given by the difference between the concentration indices for actual utilisation (C a ) and need-standardised utilisation (C n ) (ODonnell et al 2008: 182). HI = C a C n The HI ranges between -2 and 2, and a value of zero indicates utilisation is according to need, that is, there is no inequity. A positive (negative) value of HI indicates the presence of inequity that is pro-rich (pro-poor) after controlling for need. Data analysis: Data were analysed using the Stata 15 statistical software package, and estimates were weighted to account for the multistage stratified sampling design (ODonnell et al 2008). We used bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses to study the income-based inequity in the utilisation of health services. We compared the means of actual health service utilisation and need-standardised health service utilisation across income quintiles before and after the reform for India, as well as for urban and rural India separately. We used concentration curves and concentration indices (CI) to assess the degree of inequity in the healthcare use and compared these across two time-periods (before and after the introduction of PFHIs). Furthermore, we carried out an interstate analysis to explore the role of the health system in reducing inequity. The sample in each state has been categorised as poor and non-poor based on the Planning Commissions estimates of statewise urban and rural cut-offs for monthly per capita consumption expenditure (Table A2 appendix, p 47). For each of these 16 states, we assess the effectiveness of targeting under PFHIs by estimating the proportion of poor people (those BPL) covered by PFHIs. As PFHIs target poor families, we expect that the states with effective targeting under PFHIs would have lower inequity in inpatient service use. The access to inpatient services, especially for poor people, also depend on the public health infrastructure in the state. The states also vary in their public health infrastructure, bed to population ratio and doctor to population ratio. To assess the correlation between the proportion of poor covered by PFHIs, health system indicators and HI, we do canonical correlation analysis (CCA). CCA analyses the relationship between the dependent (IMR and HI) and independent (proportion of poor people covered by PFHIs and doctors and beds per 1,000 population) variables that can be linearly combined in different ways (dimensions). Results and Discussion Descriptive statistics: Descriptive statistics are presented in Table 1 (p 42). The mean age of the Indian population increased from approximately 26 in 2004 to 29 in 2014. The economically active population (1559) has increased from 58% in 2004 to 63% in 2014, while the dependent age group (014 years) has considerably reduced from 35% to 29% in 2014 (Table 1). The increased life expectancy is represented by the increase in the proportion of the population aged above 60 years (7% in 2004 to 8% in 2014). The sample age-sex distribution is similar to that reported in the census reports of 2011 by the Government of India (2011), supporting the representativeness of our study sample. The proportion of males is higher in both years (51.2% in 2004 and 51.4% in 2014) and the majority of the population (75% in 2004 and 70% in 2014) resides in rural areas, although this reduced somewhat by 2014. The persons reporting the presence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have shown significant increase from 3.2% to nearly 6% during 2004 to 2014. The increased reporting of NCDs is suggestive of the increase in the need for inpatient care as we have used the presence of NCDs as a proxy for the need for inpatient care. This increase can be attributed to increased awareness about NCDs, increased access to diagnostics and shift in disease pattern from communicable to NCDs. The variables that have shown significant increases between the periods include the proportion of persons with health insurance (increasing from 0.6% to 15.1%), the proportion completing secondary education (increasing from 7% to 46%) and the proportion of salaried persons in the sample (increasing from 10% to 18%). All these variables positively affect access to healthcare and thus we do not make any causal claims for PFHIs and inequity reduction in our study. In the analysis of equity differences between the two study periods, we control for all these differences while estimating horizontal inequity index for both the years. Income inequality in the utilisation of inpatient services: The annual inpatient rate (defined as the percentage use of inpatient services at the individual level over last one year) has almost doubled from 2.4 (in 2004) to 4.4% in 2014. Figure 1 displays the proportion of the Indian population reporting inpatient service use by income status in 2004 and 2014. The annual inpatient rate is highest for the richest 20% of Indias population for both the years (2004: 3.7%; 2014: 5.9%). However, the inequality seems to be reducing as the percentage increase in inpatient service use is higher for the poorest quintile relative to the richest quintile. This result is indicative of increased inpatient service use among poorer people. The decline in inequality is also reflected in our analysis of concentration curve and concentration indices (CIs) (Table 2, p 43). Figure 2 (p 43) compares the concentration curves of actual inpatient service use for 2004 and 2014. It reflects a reduction in inequality, although utilisation remains pro-rich as the curve lies below the line of equality. A dominance test (ODonnell et al 2008) confirms that the distribution of the inpatient service use is less pro-rich in 2014 than it was in 2004. These findings are further supported by the analysis of CI for 2004 and 2014. For both the study periods, the CI values are positive (Table 2), suggesting that the inpatient service use is concentrated in richer quintiles in India. However, it became less positive in 2014. In 2004, the CI for actual utilisation was 0.165 for India (mean of actual utilisation: 0.024), which reduced to 0.121 (mean of actual utilisation: 0.044) in 2014, suggestive of reduced, but not eliminated, pro-rich inequality. When we compare rural and urban India, we find that rural areas have higher inequality (higher CI values) in both the years but the reduction in inequality is higher in rural areas. In 2004, the CI for rural areas was 0.165 (mean = 0.022) that significantly reduced to 0.136 (mean = 0.042) while for urban areas the CI reduced from 0.082 (mean = 0.03) to 0.069 (mean = 0.043). These CI values suggest that the proportion of people utilising inpatient services tends to be less concentrated amongst the rich over time and the reduction in concentration is larger for rural areas. Figure 3 clearly suggests that although urban areas are more equitable (the curve is closer to line of equality for both the years), the reduction in inequality is higher for rural areas. At the same time, the mean of inpatient service use has also increased, and the increase is higher for rural areas. Analysing these two changes together, we can say that the increased utilisation over time has disproportionately benefited the poor in rural areas relative to urban areas. Studies that have looked at the impact of PFHIs/RSBY in India also reported positive impact of PFHIs on health service utilisation for rural areas but not for urban areas (Azam et al 2016). Income inequity in the utilisation of inpatient services: Figure 2 illustrates the difference between actual and need-standardised utilisation across income quintiles. Ideally, we would like the two utilisations (actual and standardised) to be as close as possible, as the actual use should be dependent on need alone and independent of non-need factors. The graphs coincide for middle-income quintiles but not for the poorest and the richest quintiles in both the years. For the poorest quintiles, the need-standardised use is higher than the actual use while for the richest quintiles the need-standardised use is lower than the actual use in both the years. These results are suggestive of illegitimate (income-based) inequality or inequity in inpatient service use for both the years. The poorer quintiles fall short of accessing care based on their needs while the richer quintiles are advantaged as there is an indication of over-utilisation of health services. Furthermore, we explore the CI values for actual and need-standardised inpatient service use (Table 2). The CI values can measure inequality but to comment on inequity we need to account for the inequality of need-standardised use (ODonnell et al 2008) and instead consider the horizontal inequity index given by the difference of actual and need-standardised CIs. The CI values for need-standardised utilisation are closer to zero which indicates that the need-standardised use is more equally distributed across income quintiles. The inequality in actual inpatient service use is pro-rich, although reduced in 2014. However, the inequality in need-standardised inpatient service use has become more pro-rich. This may be due to higher reporting of NCDs by richer quintiles as compared to poorer people. The reporting of NCDs may also suggest greater access to diagnostics and healthcare for those reporting NCDs (here, richer people). The horizontal inequity analysis (Figure 4, p 44) for India suggests that inequity in inpatient service use has become less pro-rich post PFHI implementation (2004 HI: 0.158; 2014 HI: 0.112), and the reduction in inequity is greater for rural areas (2004 HI: 0.157; 2014 HI: 0.119). The actual use and need-standardised use show that inequality in urban areas, as measured by the CI, has remained largely unchanged with no statistically significant difference detected between 2004 and 2014. Since need is being proxied based on age, sex and the presence of NCDs, the pro-rich concentration of need-expected use suggests that the reporting of NCDs has increased among richer quintiles in 2014. It is possible that if need were represented by some other disease category (say communicable disease), the results of our analysis may differ. However, we chose NCDs as WHO (2015) reports that 61% of the mortality in India is attributed to NCDs and it is mainly due to a lack of access to health services. Interstate analysis: Next, we compared inequality across states and across years using concentration indices for actual and need-standardised use for each state in 2004 and 2014 (Figures 5a and 5b, respectively) The need-standardised use is more or less equally distributed across income quintiles as the CI for need-standardised use is much closer to zero for both years and for all the states. However, the actual-use CI varies considerably across states in both years. In 2004, the actual use was pro-poor (negative CI) in Goa and Kerala, while it was almost equal (CI approaching zero) in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh (Figure 5a). For all other states, pro-rich inequality is observed in 2004. The inequality became more pro-rich in 2014 for Delhi, Haryana, Jharkhand, and up, while for all other states, the inequality reduced in the post-PFHI implementation period. To comment on the inequity, we estimate the horizontal inequity across states. Table 3 reports the horizontal inequity index across the study states before and after PFHI implementation. For most of the states, the inequity index shows significant reduction in the post-implementation year, with the exceptions of Delhi, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. These are the states where the proportion of poor covered by PFHIs is almost nil. Studies that have analysed the performance of RSBY/state-run PFHIs found that targeting is weak, as the list of BPL households is either not updated or manipulated by socially advantaged people (Ghosh 2018). This could also explain the persistent pro-rich inequity in the utilisation of inpatient services post RSBY/PFHI. This study highlights the role of effective targeting and responsive public health system to achieve the goal of equity in accessing healthcare. Canonical correlation analysis: The CCA reports that these variables are significantly linearly related on a single dimension with an effect size of (0.71) suggesting 71% of the variation in the variables explained by that dimension (Table 4a). The canonical correlation results (Tables 4a and 4b) suggest that states having lower inequity indices along with lower IMRs tend to have higher bed to population ratios and greater proportions of poor covered by PFHIs. Plotting the canonical variate scores for each variable (Figure 7), we can identify states performing well along both dimensions. Quadrant 1 (bottom-left) represents the states with lower IMR and lower inequity with better health infrastructure and higher coverage of poor people under PFHIs. All the states that lie in quadrant 1Goa, Kerala, TN, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Karnatakaare high-performing states (as per MoHFW 2011). AP, the pioneer of PFHI in India, has the highest coverage of poor people but it is still far from being among the best performing quadrant as its public health infrastructure is relatively poor, as represented by its lower doctor to population and bed to population ratio. On the contrary, Rajasthan, despite having a very high IMR, representative of a poor performing health system, can be at par with AP as the proportion of its poor covered by PFHIs is high (33%) and its public health infrastructure is far better than most of the poor performing states. Under PFHIs, people can access both empaneled private as well as public health facilities but it has been found that the use of public health facilities is concentrated among poor people (NSSO 2015; Nandi et al 2017; Pandey et al 2017). Thus, for the CCA, we focus on public health infrastructure instead of total or private health infrastructure. Limitations: Our study is not without limitations. First, the need-standardised utilisation is based on self-reported morbidity and the utilisation itself may have been affected by the perception of need. There could be bias in the measurement of inequality due to differences in the conception of illness across income levels. However, researchers have found that poor people report morbidity less often when compared with the rich (ODonnell et al 2008), suggesting our estimates of the degree of pro-rich inequity may be conservative. Second, we have used two time periods, 2004 and 2014, to capture the association of inequity with PFHIs. Post 2004, there have been many reforms in sectors other than healthcare, which coupled with economic growth can also explain the reduction in inequity. Therefore, we do not make any claims of causality, and such claims may best be supported through natural experiments. Conclusions PFHIs were launched with the objective of increasing access to inpatient services and reducing inequities in the utilisation of health services (Palacios 2011; Ghosh 2014b; Ghosh and Gupta 2017; Karan et al 2017). Our findings indicate a positive effect of PFHIs on the equality of utilisation of inpatient services, with the pro-rich inequality declining more for rural areas in the post-implementation phase. There is an overall increase in the utilisation of inpatient services which is higher for the poorer quintiles and rural areas, consistent with a positive effect of PFHIs targeting poor people to help them access inpatient services when in need. The higher healthcare access inequity has been found to be associated with poor public health infrastructure, represented by bed and doctors density in public health system and poor performance of public health system, indicated by higher IMR. The lower levels of inequity are associated with higher coverage of poor population under PFHIs. This study has highlighted the role of effective targeting and responsive public health system in reducing inequity. There is need for sustained efforts to reduce healthcare access inequity by ensuring access to poor people either through PFHIs or through strengthened public health system. Perhaps the recent launch of Ayushman Bharat by the Indian government is one step towards sustaining the efforts towards inequity reduction, the results of which are yet to be seen. Indias latest PFHI, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), is an extension of the RSBY. Its improved design features in terms of who is covered, what is covered and how much is covered might ensure greater equity reduction. The higher coverage amount (5 lakh) would ensure that poor people are not deterred from seeking care due to fear of out-of-pocket expenditure. It covers both secondary and tertiary care, while the RSBY was restricted to secondary care. Another important feature of the new scheme is that it is an entitlement-based scheme. The beneficiaries are already defined based on the Socio-economic and Caste Census survey of 2011 list; while in the RSBY poor people as identified by their respective states had to enrol for the scheme with an amount of 30. The enrolment was valid for one year and every year there was need for renewal. It was found that many poor people failed to renew their cards in subsequent years. 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(2015): World Health Statistics, World Health Organization, https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/gho-documents/world-health-statistic-reports/world-health-statistics-2015.pdf?sfvrsn=afb0629f_2. A fashion designer whose accessories have been used by celebrities and characters from the Sex and the City TV series has been arrested in Colombia. Sri Lankan citizens lounged on beds and used gym equipment in the ransacked presidential palace in Colombo, a day after protesters stormed the building, calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. MEXICO CITY (AP) After ordering the expulsion of the Missionaries of Charity established by Mother Teresa, the Nicaraguan government has now gone after one of the few local newspapers that dared to report on the nuns being removed. Two drivers for the independent newspaper La Prensa have been jailed and police raided the homes of two reporters, according to an employee of the newspaper. The reporters had covered the expulsion on Thursday of 18 nuns of the Missionaries of Charity after the government of President Daniel Ortega had ordered the organization closed in late June. It came amid a crackdown by Ortegas government against opponents and almost any civic organization not allied with his regime. The La Prensa employee, who asked their name not be used for security reasons, said Friday that the two drivers had been taken to the infamous El Chipote prison, where many political and media figures are being held. The government has imprisoned nearly 190 people who are considered political prisoners by human rights groups and the U.S. State Department, including seven people who could have challenged Ortega for the presidency in his reelection last November. Renata Holmann, daughter of Juan Lorenzo Holmann, the jailed manager of La Prensa, said Thursday that her father suffered from chronic illnesses and additional health problems acquired in prison since his arrest last August. Holmann was arrested when police raided and took over the La Prensa offices. He was later sentenced to nine years in prison for supposed money laundering a charge often lodged against government opponents or journalists. The closure of the local branch of the Missionaries of Charity brought to 758 the number of nongovernmental organizations shuttered in Nicaragua over the last four years. The government says the groups didnt comply with a 2020 requirement to register as foreign agents. While Ortega started by cancelling groups he viewed as having ties to the opposition, the government now seems intent on wiping the landscape clean of any organization it does not control. The Missionaries of Charity had been in Nicaragua for 34 years, operating a childrens center, a home for girls and a facility for the elderly. The missionaries offered children music and theater classes as well as vocational training for child victims of violence. The closures have been aimed at a wide breadth of groups, among them the Society of Pediatrics, the Nicaraguan Development Institute, the Confederation of Nicaraguan Professional Associations and the Nicaragua Internet Association. Also already closed were the Cocibolca Equestrian Center, the western city of Leons Rotary Club and the Operation Smile Association that financed free surgeries for children with cleft lip and cleft palate until it was cancelled in March. A prominent businessman associated with that group had participated in antigovernment protests in 2018. Many of the organizations were dedicated to helping the most marginalized people in an impoverished nation. Ortega has accused nongovernmental groups of working on behalf of foreign interests to destabilize his government. The U.S. Army has suspended retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, its former head of communications, from his mentorship role and placed him under investigation after he posted a tweet that appeared to mock first lady Jill Biden's tweet about the Supreme Court's recent decision on abortion. The tweet was in response to Biden's June 24 tweet about the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, in which the first lady lamented the decision's impact on women. "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is," Volesky responded in a tweet that has since been deleted, according to USA Today, which reported the news earlier Saturday. Army spokesperson Cynthia Smith told The Washington Post in a statement that Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commanding general of the Combined Arms Center, suspended Volesky from his contract as a senior mentor "pending the outcome of the commander's inquiry." In the role, Volesky was among the retired military officials or senior retired civilian officials who offer mentorship and training to Army officers, staffers and students. Volesky did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday afternoon. The White House declined to comment. Volesky, 60, is a decorated officer with a long military career. Before he retired from the Army and was hired as a mentor, Volesky commanded I Corps, a major military formation, and led Joint Base Lewis-McChord from 2017 to 2020. From 2014 to 2017, he commanded the 101st Airborne Division, renowned for its role on D-Day during World War II. From 2012 to 2014, he was the chief of the Army's public affairs division. Volesky served in the Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the War in Afghanistan. He was awarded a Silver Star, the third-highest military combat honor, for his involvement in military efforts in northeastern Baghdad. He is an advisory board member for Unified Business Technologies, an information technology company headquartered in Michigan. Volesky's reply to Biden's tweet bears echoes of an interaction between Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson during Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearings this year. Blackburn, who has criticized a bill to strengthen LGBTQ protections, pressed Jackson to define the word "woman" in reference to transgender rights. A movement against transgender rights has gained more traction in the aftermath of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, particularly around the use of the word "women" to describe people affected by abortion restrictions. Many of the movement's supporters -- sometimes called trans-exclusionary radical feminists (TERFs) -- have decried what they say is the inability to call themselves "women" as gender-inclusive language becomes more commonly used. On Monday, entertainers Bette Midler and Macy Gray were criticized for their anti-transgender comments. Volesky has posted other political tweets, including a July 2021 reply to a tweet from Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in which she announced that she would serve on the select committee to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. She wrote, "Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics." Political messages from retired military members are not new. In 2016, retired Marine Gen. John Allen endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, while retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn called for Clinton to be locked up, and he later served as Trump's national security adviser before he was fired for lying to federal investigators. In 2019, retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal called Trump "immoral" and said he did not believe that the then-president was truthful. Retired Navy Adm. William McRaven wrote a Washington Post opinion article in 2020 criticizing Trump for undermining "every major U.S. institution." Josie Norris, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer An excessive heat warning and heat advisory are in effect for through Monday night, according to the National Weather Service. Sunday's high temperature of 106 set a record for July 10. The previous record was 103 set just two years ago in 2020. The tractor-trailer turned into a furnace, and as the heat climbed, the life seeped out of the people inside, draining from their bodies like the sweat from their pores. The grim toll is staggering: 53 people died in the human smuggling operation after the tractor-trailer was found on the outskirts of San Antonio. Fire Chief Charles Hood said their bodies were hot to the touch. The victims men, women and children were not symbols. They were human beings, but their deaths represent the failed immigration policies that have led to tragedies like the one on June 27. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that President Joe Biden can rescind one of the most draconian examples of those failed policies the Migrant Protection Protocols, more popularly known as Remain in Mexico. In its 5-4 ruling, the justices ruled against Texas and Missouri, which had argued that the Biden administration violated the law by rescinding the program last year. The Department of Homeland Security said it would end the Trump-era program as soon as possible. We welcome the Supreme Courts decision affirming that the Secretary has the discretionary authority to terminate the program, and we will continue our efforts to terminate the program as soon as legally permissible, the department said in a statement. Texas officials remained defiant. Todays decision makes the border crisis worse, indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said. Paxton said he would keep pressing forward, referring to the dozen other immigration suits he is litigating in court, but he is wrong about the court ruling It may be too humane for some Texas politicians, but Remain in Mexico has turned the border into a bitter fault line between two nations. From December through the end of May, the Biden administration has sent 4,300 asylum-seekers back to Mexico, down from the 70,000 under the Trump administration, but regardless of the lower figure, the peril has continued for these people, who languished at the border, vulnerable to cartels and gangs but unable to return home due to immense danger and instability. While Texas officials have indicated they will fight the Supreme Court ruling, immigrant advocates are heartened by the view of legal experts who say lower courts cannot temporarily block a wide swath of presidential immigration policies. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that only the Supreme Court can enjoin or restrain those policies, including ones related to asylum. The decision may thwart attempts to reinstate Remain in Mexico. If pursuing litigation cant or is unlikely to result in immediate action via injunction, then that might not be something that parties will be pursuing as much as they have in the last five or six years, Erica Schommer, a law professor at St. Marys University, said. Immigrant advocates viewed the high court ruling as a partial victory. It is a bittersweet victory after so many lives have been lost to atrocious immigration deterrence policies both on the federal level and in the state of Texas, said Fernando Garcia, executive director of Border Network for Human Rights based in El Paso. This decision was long overdue, and it is shocking that the Supreme Court waited until today to determine the danger that migrants have been subjected to since Trump enacted this deadly policy. It is easy to forget, from the relative safety of our homes in America, that immigrants are just like us. They are coming to this nation to seek opportunity, and to lead lives free of violence and pain. Policies such as Remain in Mexico are worse than ineffective; they are catastrophic. The only sensible solution is comprehensive immigration reform. And it must include a humane path toward asylum. China, Spain agree to further boost ties Xinhua) 10:38, July 10, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares agreed here on Friday to further develop relations between their two countries. During a meeting with Albares on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, Wang said China and Spain have maintained momentum for sound and steady development of bilateral ties. China is ready to take the opportunity of the 50th anniversary of establishment of their diplomatic relations next year to plan for future development so as to promote healthy, stable and vibrant relations between the two countries, he said. For his part, Albares said Spain is looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of bilateral ties with China, adding that his country hopes to strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges with China and establish more Cervantes Institutes in China. Spain, which will take the rotating European Union (EU) presidency for the second half of next year, is willing to work with China to implement the results achieved at the leaders' meeting between the EU and China in April and push forward EU-China dialogue and cooperation. Wang said that China and Spain are two civilizations with a long history, and China is willing to work with Spain to make preparations for hosting the China-Spain Year of Culture and Tourism next year, so as to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. He stressed that China will always be committed to openness, free trade and win-win cooperation. "The more China develops, the more opportunities it will bring to the world," he noted. China and the EU are not rivals but partners, Wang said, and both sides share a broad consensus on upholding multilateralism and promoting greater democracy in international relations. He expressed the hope that Spain will play an important role as the rotating EU president and help the EU view China's development objectively from a long-term and strategic perspective, so as to jointly promote the China-EU relationship to develop in a sound and stable manner. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) KEY witnesses into the murder of Kwekwe Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist Mboneni Ncube by suspected Zanu PF activists are allegedly being intimidated to stop them from testifying in the case. At the same time, police officers who were behind the arrest of the Zanu PF activists linked to Ncubes murder have been transferred from the province in a development that the CCC said raised eyebrows. Police yesterday said there was nothing unusual about the transfers. Ncube was fatally stabbed in Kwekwe at a rally in Mbizo in February ahead of the March 26 by-elections leading to the arrest of 16 Zanu PF youths said to be backed by former minister of State Security Owen Ncube. Eleven of the suspects were released without charge when they appeared before Kwekwe magistrate Florence Nago. Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese granted the other suspects bail. A Zanu PF member Kennedy Simbi, who was named as the ring leader and is said to have been the one who stabbed Ncube, according to police is still at large. There has been little movement in the case as key witnesses are allegedly no longer keen to take the witness stand fearing for their lives, and that of their families following threats from suspected Zanu PF members linked to Ncubes murder. Ncubes sister, Judith has also been a victim of the threats. She was once abducted by suspected Zanu PF members, who threatened to take her life unless she drops the case. Her named abductors were never arrested. Just recently, one of the Zanu PF members who works for a former minister was sending threatening messages saying my days on earth were numbered, Judith said. The sad part of it is that the murder case is supposed to go to court on July 22, but then all the key witnesses now fear for their lives after sustained threats and intimidation. CCC Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya said the party was aware of the threats, but said CCC party would not abandon its pursuit for justice. We are aware that the majority of witnesses in the murder case including the sister are being hounded by the accused persons, Chikwinya said. The key witnesses fear to assist because they have been visited at their houses. Police are also victims of political intimidation. The current crop of police officers in Kwekwe is fearful of arresting anyone linked to Zanu PF. Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said no police officer was targeted for conducting investigations into Ncubes murder. First and foremost, the public must note that the Zimbabwe Republic Police has a clear transfer policy, which all members who are serving are aware of, Nyathi said. That case was handled properly, and there is no way anyone can claim to have been victimised or being targeted for conducting investigations. The investigations were directed from the top, and as such it cannot be true that they (officers) were targeted for conducting the same investigations. Ncube, a former State Security minister, refused to comment when The Standard contacted him. Zanu PF Midlands provincial chairperson Larry Mavhima said he could also not comment, saying he was travelling. But Chikwinya said: They (Zanu PF youths) have the impunity that is begotten from the Zanu PF leadership. The suspects in the murder case have gone back to the community and are committing more crimes. As long as (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa and Owen Ncube have an interest in Kwekwe there will always be political violence in the Midlands. Standard The next leader of the Conservatives has an 'uphill battle' to win back the trust of farmers and rural voters, industry groups have warned. Mr Johnson stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party and plans to stay on as prime minister until a new leader is elected in the coming months. A new interim cabinet has been announced following numerous resignations from his government, which led to his resignation. A leadership contest for the new leader has also started, with ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak the favourite to become the next prime minister. Foreign secretary Liz Truss, who used to be Defra Secretary, announced her participation in the race this weekend. Other candidates include Grant Shapps, Penny Mordaunt, Sajid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA), which represents 28,000 farmers and landowners, said the next prime minister should have a "robust and ambitious plan" for the countryside. Rural communities feel ignored, angry, and forgotten about. And for good reason," the group's president, Mark Tufnell, said. He pointed to the rural economy being 18 percent less productive than the national average, leading to a "stagnant economy and limited aspiration". Elsewhere, less than half of rural areas had adequate phone coverage, and rural homes "remain even less affordable than those in urban areas, while rural jobs pay less". Polling by the CLA shows that the Tories and Labour are now neck and neck in rural areas, a 7.5 percent swing since the 2019 general election. "Boris Johnson had no plans to fix this chronic problem the next prime minister must," Mr Tufnell added. If the Conservatives wish to prevent the Blue Wall from crumbling further, it must enact a robust plan for the rural economy immediately. Otherwise, the party risks losing the hearts and minds of 12 million rural voters. Tim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said the way of life of farmers and other people who live and work in the countryside must be "protected and not subject to discrimination". Amid the current political turbulence and an impending leadership contest, there remains a cost of living crisis that is affecting rural communities as deeply as any part of the country," he said. "The urgent requirement is that the government returns as quickly as possible to normal function and that ministers who understand the priorities of the countryside are in place. Rural communities hold the keys to Number 10 as much as any other group in the country and so it is pivotal that the views of those living in the countryside are not overlooked." Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - Japan will on Monday release May numbers for core machine orders, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Core machine orders are expected to sink 5.5 percent on month and climb 5.8 percent on year after surging 10.8 percent on month and 19.0 percent on year in April. New Zealand will provide June figures for electronic retail card spending; in May, spending was up 1.9 percent on month and 0.7 percent on year. China will release June data for new yuan loans, with forecasts coming in at CNY2.400 trillion - up from CNY1.890 trillion previously. Indonesia will see May figures for retail sales; in April, sales jumped 8.5 percent on year. Finally, the markets in Malaysia and Singapore are closed on Monday for Eid-ul-Adha and will re-open on Tuesday. 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. Accenture (NSE: ACN) has completed its acquisition of digital engineering and operational technology capabilities from Trancom ITS, a Japanese logistics technology services provider. Terms of the transaction, which Accenture announced on March 28, 2022, were not disclosed. The acquisition strengthens Accentures digital engineering, manufacturing and logistics capabilities to offer hyper-automation solutions at scale, which manufacturing and logistics companies in Japan are increasingly demanding. Approximately 190 Transcom ITS engineers have joined Accenture Industry X in Japan as part of the transaction. They specialize in cloud-based logistics systems and optimizing warehouse operations with IoT and sensor technology. FinSMEs 10/07/2022 Mr. President, I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo. Ambassador Skoog, head of the EU delegation to the United Nations, and Ambassador Nason, Permanent Representative of Ireland, for their briefings. I also welcome the presence of the Iranian and German representatives at todays meeting. The JCPOA, a product of 10 years of work, was a major win of multilateral diplomacy endorsed by Security Council resolutions. It is a key pillar of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, as well as the peace and stability in the Middle East, and a success story of resolving regional hotspot issues through dialogue and negotiation. Since last year, positive progress has been made in the negotiations to resume compliance with the JCPOA. The negotiations are now in the final stage. We welcome the relaunch of indirect talks between the US and Iran in Doha. We also hope that all parties concerned will, driven by a greater sense of urgency, agree on the remaining outstanding issues without delay, so as to remove any obstacles that stand in the way of restoring the agreements integrity, and ensuring its effective implementation. The future of the Iranian nuclear issue is critical to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, regional stability, and international peace and security. To keep the resumed Iranian nuclear talks on the right track with a view to an early and positive outcome, China wishes to underscore the following points. First, adhering to the overarching goal of a political solution. Upholding and effectively implementing the agreement is about maintaining multilateralism and the authority of the Security Council, and safeguarding the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. There is no better alternative to the agreement, as dialogue and consultation is the only right way forward in the resolution of the Iranian nuclear crisis. All parties concerned should move in the same direction, adhere to the course towards a political and diplomatic solution, work together to encourage and facilitate peace talks, show diplomatic wisdom and political resolve, and seek consensus on outstanding issues. China welcomes and supports all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the crisis, and appreciates the recent good offices by the EU. We hope that the EU, as the coordinator, will continue to play its unique role and work harder to encourage greater flexibility from the parties. Second, going by the correct logic of right and wrong. The previous US administration, in disregard of objections from the international community, unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA, and launched a maximum pressure campaign against Iran. We must admit that is the root cause of the current Iranian nuclear crisis. As the one responsible for the Iranian nuclear crisis, the United States should face up to its responsibility, correct its mistake once and for all, make a political decision as soon as possible, and take concrete measures to respond positively to the reasonable demands of Iran. While repeatedly stating its readiness to seek a return to compliance, the United States is nevertheless escalating sanctions against Iran and third parties even during the process of resumed talks. Doing so is obviously detrimental to any positive progress in the talks. The US should live up to its words and lift all relevant unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction measures against Iran, so that Iran can fully partake of the economic dividends of the JCPOA. Third, eliminating interference in the negotiation process. All parties have dedicated a tremendous amount of energy and effort into the negotiations on the return to compliance. There is only one last mile to go before the negotiations are concluded. As we approach the final hurdle, it is all the more important for all parties to firm up confidence, reject any and all interference, and preserve the hard-won results of the negotiations achieved to date. In this context, all parties should be guided by reason, exercise restraint, and refrain from taking unconstructive steps that would cause a spiraling of tensions. China objects politicizing the mandate of IAEA, as reflected in the Iran-related resolution recently forced through by some countries and adopted by the Agencys Board of Governors. We support settling outstanding issues through dialogue and cooperation between the Agency and Iran. As a member of the international community, Iran has every right to the peaceful uses of outer space. We all have different interpretations of the nature of Irans missile and space programs. We hope the parties concerned will accurately interpret the provisions of the Security Council resolutions on the issue of Irans missile launch, and avoid undermining the bigger picture of the JCPOA implementation. Fourth, abandoning double standards. The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is the cornerstone of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime, and plays a vital role in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons. All parties must strictly abide by the NPT. The cooperation between the US, the UK, and Australia on nuclear submarines is the first time since the NPT was concluded that a nuclear weapon state has openly transferred nuclear weapon materials to a non-nuclear weapon stage. Regardless of how the three countries may choose to name their nuclear submarine cooperation, the very essence of their nuclear proliferation behavior cannot be concealed, its negative impact on the political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue cannot be undone, the risk it poses to regional peace and stability is a reality that cannot be changed. The practice of applying double standards to the detriment of the objectives and purposes of the NPT must be rectified in order to maintain the authority and effectiveness of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. Mr. President, In his report, the Secretary-General recommends that member states fully support and apply INSTEX, the procurement channels described in Resolution 2231, etc. to engage in trade with Iran, so as to assist its response to COVID-related challenges, and enable its people to enjoy tangible economic dividends. China subscribes to this, and we hope that the Secretary-Generals appeal will be heeded and positively responded to by the countries concerned. At the same time. We also hope that the legitimate concerns expressed by Iran will be taken seriously and properly addressed. As a permanent member of the Security Council and a participant of the JCPOA, China has been consistently committed to promoting a political and diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue. Since the start of this year, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has, on many occasions, engaged with the parties concerned on the Iranian nuclear issue, and stayed in close communication and coordination with them. China will continue to maintain an impartial and objective position, firmly safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the JCPOA and Council Resolution 2231, and constructively participate in the negotiations on the return to compliance, to facilitate the agreements early return to the right track. At the same time, China also attaches importance to the legitimate security concerns of the countries in the region. To this end, State Councilor Wong Yi has put forward an initiative to build a multilateral dialogue platform in the Gulf region, supporting all parties in continuing to build mutual trust through dialogue and consultation, thereby finding a solution towards lasting peace in the region eventually. I thank you, Mr. President. OPPOSITION leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday railed against President Emmerson Mnangagwa for the wave of arrests targeting opposition and civic society leaders and vowed that his Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) would resist the onslaught. CCC legislators Job Sikhala and Godfrey Sithole have spent almost a month behind prison bars charged with inciting public violence after protests that followed the discovery of activist Moreblessing Alis mutilated body after she was abducted in May in Nyatsime near Chitungwiza. Alis mutilated body was found in a deep well. Sikhala was appointed by her family to act as their lawyer as they demanded justice. The two legislators were denied bail by the High Court last week. Civil society leaders have also been targeted with Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (Artuz) leader Obert Masaraure being arrested for the second time on Friday. Masaraure, who was arrested for the second time in less than a month recently spent many days in remand prison after he was arrested in connection with the death of an activist, Roy Issa in 2016. Artuz secretary-general Robson Chere was arrested soon after Masaraures release over the same matter. An inquest into Issas death ruled out foul play. Chamisa told The Standard in aninterview yesterday that CCC would not stand by while its members were being victimised. Its most painful when its about to happen, when we are about to break through. The darkest hour is near dawn, Chamisa said. We have made a point and we continue to insist on that point that its clear persecution of political voices in Zimbabwe. Our law protects citizens as innocent until proven guilty. But something is rotten in our government politics and leadership. Its self-evident, but we cannot continue to be spectators. Its an ugly turn of events. We have a duty to correct our problems. At the end of the day Zimbabweans are the answer to their own problems. We are the solution to our various challenges. Human rights watchdogs have expressed fears of a violent 2023 election campaign, citing the violence that characterised the run-up to the March 26 by-elections. On several occasions, the CCC was barred from holding its rallies. A Kwekwe CCC activist Mboneni Ncube was stabbed to death with a spear at a rally addressed by Chamisa in February. The CCC leader said the international community was aware of what was happening in Zimbabwe. Zimbabweans are watching, the world is watching, the Southern African Development Community is seeing it. The African Union is seeing it too, he added. The law has been turned upside down. We will leave no stone unturned to correct the situation. We have emphasised it, not out of weakness but out of wisdom and strength to know that peace comes at a premium. When we have it we must not abuse it or waste it. Mnangagwa is accused of using state institutions to close down the democratic space in Zimbabwe ahead of the 2023 elections. After narrowly winning the 2018 elections against Chamisa amid allegations of vote rigging, the 79 year-old ruler will be seeking a second full term after coming into power through a coup against Robert Mugabe in 2017. A June 2022 Afrobarometer poll showed that 33% of surveyed Zimbabweans would vote for Chamisa against 30% for Mnangagwa if elections were now. Standard George FM is stoked to get behind The Outback Inn and The Factory for Re-O Week 2022 4 epic parties across 4 nights, this is one you dont want to miss! Find out below some of the events you can get behind! LEE MVTTHEWS FT ELIPSA & EMWA @ THE FACTORY THURSDAY 21ST JULY The Lee Mvtthews boys are back in Hamilton on Thursday the 21st of July! New Zealands leading drum and bass weapons will be throwing down on the Thursday night of RE-OWEEK 2022 at The Factory Hamilton. Weve also locked in a stellar support lineup featuring Elipsa & EMWA. Elipsa is undoubtedly the fresh new voice of New Zealand's Drum and Bass scene while EMWA aka the 'dubstep princess' brings her own exclusive sound that crowds love and her fans can't find anywhere else. Local support from DJ Boomie & Henri BEERFEST @THE OUTBACK INN FRIDAY 22ND JULY DOORS OPEN 7PM For just $25 youll get a branded one-litre stein (which you get to keep), your first fill of your choice of Tui, Export Gold, Waikato, Export Extra Low Carb or Monteiths Cider ($28) plus access to our all-you-can-eat Beerfest feast. Weve got tons of giveaways from Tui, Waikato and Export, but these are first in first served so be there early to get your hands on them. Therell be three hours of live music from our authentic Oompah band followed by five hours on the decks from some of Hamiltons best DJs. All of the bar staff will be in traditional Beerfest outfits, so dont be afraid to get in theme too, and, of course, therell be sawdust on the floor and you on the tables. If you want to win a VIP table for you and 3 mates, text OUTBACK and your details to 966 and youre in the draw! PROJECT RE-O SATURDAY 23RD JULY $5 ENTRY W STUDENT I.D THE FACTORY HAMILTON DOORS OPEN AT 10.30PM The WSU, George FM & Mai FM unite for a wild party to end RE-OWEEK 2022! Doors open at 10.30pm and weve got free gifts for the first 200 people that arrive with student I.D! LINEUP FEATURING: DJ SIRVERE (MAI FM) TWOFOLD (GEORGE FM) MELT (DUNEDIN) + LOCAL SUPPORT FROM RESIDENTS DJ DOOGLE, B3NJI & RUSSY WASHINGTON, June 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The following is an open letter from ReFi organizations KlimaDAO, MOSS Earth, C3, and SCB Group: Global warming is the most urgent challenge facing our planeta crisis so severe that the United Nations declared in April that it is "now or never" to act to accomplish the 1.5-degree pathway necessary to avert the worst effects of climate change. One of the most promising innovations to combat global warming is carbon markets that provide market incentives for entities to reduce their carbon footprint, while funding projects that decrease emissions or remove greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere. We believe the existing market to buy and sell carbon offsets - called the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) - can greatly benefit from the transparency and efficiency improvements which blockchain technology affords, including accelerating the flow of finance to high-impact carbon reduction and mitigation projects The good news is that through blockchain technology, open, liquid markets have been built by a growing group of Regenerative Finance (ReFi) organizations that bring price transparency and access to the exchange of carbon creditsa major breakthrough that can place the VCM at the forefront of the fight to save our planet. To date, over $200 million has flowed into ReFi protocols - a substantial amount of capital and corresponding carbon offsets, with an active community of supporters, developers, and investors helping pave the way for continued growth. In May, Verraa major carbon credit standards certifierannounced it was suspending blockchain and crypto tokenization and suggested that they would be focusing on a "closed, proprietary system" for the exchange of credits, rather than working with the ReFi community on the solutions provided by open, transparent, blockchain-enabled markets. While Verra pledged to open a public consultation process within 7-10 days of May 26, it has now been 29 days and the consultation process is still yet to begin. The ReFi community is disappointed that Verra has not opened their consultation process. It is imperative that this public consultation process be opened immediately and that collaboration with the ReFi industry is prioritized, as we have no time to waste in saving our planet. We stand ready to participate in this public consultation process and call on Verra to give ReFi projects an opportunity to showcase the numerous and proven advantages of climate-positive public blockchains for hosting the carbon market. ### Media Contact Natacha Rousseau press@klimadao.finance (323) 352-6417 About KlimaDAO KlimaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) designed to bring the innovations, efficiency, transparency, and global reach of decentralized finance (DeFi) to the carbon market. KlimaDAO has created tooling for tokenized carbon offset retirements, on-chain carbon liquidity incentivization, and on-chain carbon market insights. To learn more, visit KlimaDAO.finance. About MOSS Earth MOSS is a climate tech company focused on environmental services with global operations. In 2020, it created the first carbon credit-backed token, MCO2, used to offset greenhouse gases, having already sent more than $30 million USD to the Amazon, which has helped to preserve approximately 800 million trees. The MCO2 token is listed on platforms including Coinbase, Gemini, Mercado Bitcoin, and others. For more information, visit moss.earth. About C3 C3 was formed by the leading DeFi carbon market players to catalyze the carbon market's expansion, increase bandwidth between the traditional and DeFi carbon markets, and develop innovative means for delivering finance toward high-impact carbon mitigation and removal projects. You can learn more about C3 here: https://www.c3.app/ About SCB SCB Group is a world-leading, low-carbon commodity group relentlessly pursuing a low-carbon future. They work with the whole value chain of the voluntary carbon space, helping to fund projects in the least developed and developing countries. SCB helps corporates and end users to shape their sustainability strategy while sourcing carbon solutions in line with their goals and requirements. For more information, visit https://starcb.com/. Related Images Image 1 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment All amounts expressed in US dollars NORTH MARA GOLD MINE, Tanzania, July 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE:GOLD)(TSX:ABX) has been recognised as the largest contributor to government revenue in 2021, confirming its position as a key partner in the socio-economic development of Tanzania. President and chief executive Mark Bristow told media here today that since the company took control of North Mara and Bulyanhulu in September 2019, its total in-country investment has totalled $1.995 billion1. In the first half of this year, it has paid $158 million in taxes, royalties and levies, $42 million in distributions to the Government of Tanzania in the form of dividends and shareholder loans as well as $210 million to local suppliers. It has also now paid $140 million of its $300 million settlement with the government. When we took over these mines they were a moribund burden on the government and their investors. In a very short time, we redesigned and re-engineered them, creating what are in effect two new mines. They are well placed to deliver their annual production guidance and have the potential to achieve a combined Tier One2 status in Barricks portfolio, meaning that they are capable of producing at least 500,000 ounces of gold annually for more than 10 years at the lower end of the cost spectrum as a combined complex, Bristow said. We are continuing to replace resources depleted by mining and we are targeting new opportunities as well, increasing our footprint around Bulyanhulu through the acquisition of six highly prospective licences. Were also updating the geological models in the North Mara region and identifying potential targets elsewhere in Tanzania. In line with Barricks policy of local employment, Tanzanian nationals now account for 96% of the two mines workforces and 64% of their senior management are Tanzanians. The mines are also driving the increased employment of women in a traditionally male-dominated industry through targeted recruitment and development programs. Barrick has committed $6 for every ounce of gold sold by the two mines to improving healthcare, education, infrastructure and access to potable water in their communities. A further $70 million has been allocated to investment in value-adding national projects, including mining related training and scientific facilities at Tanzanian universities. During the past quarter Bulyanhulu was named the overall winner of the Tanzanian OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Authority) award for 2022 while North Mara received the award for the best community health outreach program. Enquiries President and CEO Mark Bristow +1 647 205 7694 +44 788 071 1386 Country manager, Tanzania Georgia Mutagahywa +255 754 711 215 Email: georgia.mutagahywa@barrick.com Investor and media relations Kathy du Plessis +44 20 7557 7738 Email: barrick@dpapr.com Website: www.barrick.com Endnotes 100% basis A Tier One Gold Asset is an asset with a reserve potential to deliver a minimum 10-year life, annual production of at least 500,000 ounces of gold and total cash costs per ounce over the mine life that are in the lower half of the industry cost curve. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information Certain information contained or incorporated by reference in this press release, including any information as to our strategy, projects, plans, or future financial or operating performance, constitutes forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. The words would, commit, advance, generate, expect, will, continue and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. In particular, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, with respect to: Barricks contributions to the local economy, including local content programs and spending as well as anticipated contributions to value-adding national projects; the ability of the North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines to deliver on their annual production guidance, replace resources depleted by mining and achieve Tier One status as a combined complex; Barricks partnership with the Government of Tanzania under the framework agreement; planned investments by Barrick in Tanzania including to develop healthcare, education and infrastructure; and expected production and cost levels for the North Mara and Bulyanhulu mines on a combined basis. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions including material estimates and assumptions related to the factors set forth below that, while considered reasonable by the Company as at the date of this press release in light of managements experience and perception of current conditions and expected developments, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Known and unknown factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements and information. Such factors include, but are not limited to: fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, copper, or certain other commodities (such as silver, diesel fuel, natural gas, and electricity); the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; changes in mineral production performance, exploitation, and exploration successes; risks associated with projects in the early stages of evaluation, and for which additional engineering and other analysis is required; failure to comply with environmental and health and safety laws and regulations; timing of receipt of, or failure to comply with, necessary permits and approvals; uncertainty whether some or all of the targeted investments and projects will meet the Companys capital allocation objectives and internal hurdle rate; changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls or regulations and/ or changes in the administration of laws, policies and practices, expropriation or nationalization of property and political or economic developments in Tanzania and other jurisdictions in which the Company or its affiliates do or may carry on business in the future; damage to the Companys reputation due to the actual or perceived occurrence of any number of events, including negative publicity with respect to the Companys handling of environmental matters or dealings with community groups, whether true or not; risks associated with new diseases, epidemics and pandemics, including the effects and potential effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic; litigation and legal and administrative proceedings; employee relations including loss of key employees; increased costs and physical risks, including extreme weather events and resource shortages, related to climate change; and availability and increased costs associated with mining inputs and labor. Barrick also cautions that its guidance may be impacted by the unprecedented business and social disruption caused by the spread of Covid-19. In addition, there are risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration, development and mining, including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins, flooding and gold bullion, copper cathode or gold or copper concentrate losses (and the risk of inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks). Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect our actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, us. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. All the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements. Specific reference is made to the most recent Form 40-F/Annual Information Form on file with the SEC and Canadian provincial securities regulatory authorities for a more detailed discussion of some of the factors underlying forward-looking statements and the risks that may affect Barricks ability to achieve the expectations set forth in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Barrick disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. NEW YORK, July 11, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of the securities of HUMBL, LLC (OTC: HMBL) and/or the Companys unregistered digital asset (sold as BLOCKS Exchange Traded Index (ETXs) on various cryptocurrency exchanges) between November 1, 2020 and May 19, 2022, both dates inclusive (the Class Period) of the important July 19, 2022 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased Humbl securities and/or the Companys ETXs 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 Humbl class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6398 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 July 19, 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. Many of these firms do not actually handle securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. 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 firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants violated provisions of the Exchange Act by making false and misleading statements concerning the Companys growth prospects, technological advancements, international partnerships, and financial benefits for Humbl common stock and digital asset investors, as well as using selectively timed announcements to keep Humbl stock price high so that Company insiders could sell off their holdings into artificially created volume. The complaint also alleges that defendants violated provisions of the Securities Act by selling its unregistered securities (BLOCK ETX digital assets) to investors. To join the Humbl class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=6398 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com 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 investors 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 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Red Bull team boss Christian Horner expressed his annoyance with Red Bull's results in the Austrian Grand Prix, highlighting Sergio Perez's accident and tyre degradation as the main issues in the race. However, he still stated his happiness with Max Verstappen's result today. 0 "Very important points today," Horner told Sky Sports, before adding, "congratulations to Ferrari they had a quicker car through the majority of the race, and Max was coming back at the end." Problems there for Red Bull Horner went on to explain the incident with Perez, showing its similarities to the incident between Alex Albon and Lewis Hamilton in 2020, and how tyre degradation was a big factor for the Austrian outfit struggling. He started by stating, "our tyre degradation was higher halfway through the first stint. Ferrari just seemed lighter on the tyres, they had a pace advantage which gives you more strategic advantages. Losing Checo was hugely disappointing though. "I don't think Mercedes likes our cars going around the outside of turn 4. So, it was the same because you could see he [Checo] was ahead there and it's almost a mirror image of Alex a few years ago. It's a tricky corner and we have seen so many incidents around the outside." Article continues under ad When questioned about why Perez was retired from the race, Horner gave a straightforward answer, "there was so much damage. There was no chance of him scoring points today, so it was then important to save the mileage. It's something we will bounce back from after France." Horner worried about loss of pace The Brit finished by stating his worries for Carlos Sainz after his engine failure and also was confused as to where a loss of pace came from. "It's unlucky for them [Ferrari] today with Carlos, but our pace at the end of the race and the fastest lap, but we didn't have the range that we had yesterday and that is something we need to understand. Over the last few races, we have only given away 5 points." Red Bull Racing is shocked by the fact that sexual harassment took place during the Austrian Grand Prix. On social media the team has issued a fierce statement about the behaviour. 0 Max Verstappen said earlier in the day that he disapproved of the behaviour of some spectators. Red Bull decided to follow up on this by issuing a personal statement. In it it is critical of the events over the weekend. "We are shocked to hear that there have been incidents of completely unacceptable behaviour in the grandstands and the fan parks," it said. "We value inclusion and want a safe space for fans to enjoy our sport." Verstappen fails to beat Leclerc While Verstappen fans were hoping for a win for the Dutchman, it was Charles Leclerc who ultimately prevailed. The Monegasque was the faster on track throughout the race, although things went just right for him in the closing stages. A day earlier Verstappen did win the sprint race. Honeywell announced that Turkish refiner Tupras will license Honeywell UOP Ecofining technology to produce biofuels from feedstocks such as used cooking oil and waste animal fat at their refinery in Izmir, Turkiye. The new Ecofining plant is being designed to convert approximately 8,300 barrels per day of waste feeds/feedstocks to SAF, renewable diesel, and other products. SAF and renewable diesel have similar molecules to petroleum-based diesel and jet fuels and can be used as a drop-in replacement without engine modifications. In the case of SAF, it can be used in blends of up to 50% with the remainder as conventional (fossil based) jet fuel. Apart from SAF, Bio-naphtha and Bio-LPG are used in the production of plastics, specifically olefins that are building blocks for other chemicals and aromatics used to produce polyester and other packaging materials. Depending on feedstock choice, renewable diesel and SAF, which are produced from the Ecofining process, are expected to result in a significant reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel or aviation fuel from petroleum. Honeywell is an early pioneer in SAF production with its Ecofining technology, which has been used to produce SAF commercially since 2016. As Tupras, we have set out to become carbon-neutral by 2050, as we expand into new sustainable business areas. A large portion of our investments will be allocated to new energy sources such as sustainable aviation fuels, green hydrogen and zero-carbon electricity. Biofuels will play a major role in the decarbonization of the industry. We aim to process 400,000 tons of bio feedstock by 2030, and triple our sustainable aviation fuel production capacity by 2035. We plan to become the largest SAF supplier in our country. In line with our future roadmap, Tupras selected Honeywell Ecofining technology to produce sustainable aviation fuel from plant and animal-based waste feedstocks because it produces high yields of high-value renewable products. Serdar Kemaloglu, Assistant General Manager at Tupras for Technical Affairs Based in Izmir, Izmit, Kirikkale and Batman, Tupras is the first producer in the refining sector in Turkiye, and the largest industrial enterprise in the country. This makes it the 7th largest in Europe, operating four oil refineries with a total of 30 million tons of annual crude oil processing capacity. Tupras is also among the few refiners in the Mediterranean region with a high complexityan average Nelson Complexity Index (a measure of the sophistication of an oil refinery) of 9.5. The company launched its Carbon Neutrality Target by 2050 as part of its strategic transformation plan, focusing on four business areas: sustainable refining, zero-carbon electricity, green hydrogen, and biofuels. With the aim of meeting Turkeys growing requirement for petroleum product, Izmir Refinery was brought intro operation in 1972. The refinery, which started production with an annual crude oil processing capacity of 3 million tons is now registered as having an annual refining capacity of 11.9 million tons following significant capacity increases and unit modernizations carried out over the years. The Izmir refinery, which has a Nelson Complexity Index of 7.66, is the only refinery in Turkey to have a machine oil production complex, with a 400,000 tons/year capacity. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) President Joe Biden said Sunday he is considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources to promote abortion access even though the White House has said it doesn't seem like a great option. He also offered a message to people enraged by the Supreme Court's ruling last month that ended a constitutional right to abortion and who have been demonstrating across the country: Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It's critically important." The president, in remarks to reporters during a stop on a bike ride near his family's Delaware beach house, said he lacks the power to force the dozen-plus states with strict restrictions or outright bans on abortion to allow the procedure. I dont have the authority to say that were going to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, he said, referring to the Supreme Court's decision from 1973 that had established a national right to abortion. Biden said Congress would have to codify that right and for that to have a better chance in the future, voters would have to elect more lawmakers who support abortion access. Biden said his administration is trying to do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women after the ruling, including considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources. Such a move has been pushed by advocates, but White House officials have questioned both its legality and effectiveness, and noted it would almost certainly face legal challenges. The president said he has asked officials to look at whether I have the authority to do that and what impact that would have. On Friday, Jen Klein, the director of the White House Gender Policy Council, said it didn't seem like a great option. When we looked at the public health emergency, we learned a couple things: One is that it doesnt free very many resources," she told reporters. Its whats in the public health emergency fund, and theres very little money tens of thousands of dollars in it. So that didnt seem like a great option. And it also doesnt release a significant amount of legal authority. And so thats why we havent taken that action yet. ___ Associated Press writer Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this report. Week 27 in review: The 1-inch Xiaomi 12S Ultra is here, ROG Phone 6 Pro is official Another week down, and as big ones go, this was it. Right on cue, Xiaomi unveiled the 12S series with the Xiaomi 12S, 12S Pro, and the highly-anticipated 12S Ultra. We'll start with the Xiaomi 12S Ultra, as it's been one of the most read-about devices on our website. It finally broke the 1-inch type barrier on a phone with the Sony IMX989. The behemoth sensor is around 30% larger than the 1/1.12" sensor in the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, which in itself was already the largest imager on a smartphone. The new main camera can lean on Leica's photographic expertise. There are two photographic styles on the Xiaomi 12S Ultra - Leica Authentic and Leica Vivid, as the names suggest, one is a toned-down look, while the other is a more common punchy and HDR look. The other two rear cameras are a 5x telephoto, and a 13mm ultrawide with AF and macro. The Xiaomi 12S Ultra has a 4,860mAh battery with 67W charging, and a 6.73-inch E5 AMOLED with 120Hz variable refresh rate. Processing is done by the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The same chip is at the helm of the Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro. Those two get a 50MP, 1/1.28" main camera. It's the same IMX707 sensor as on the 12 and 12 Pro, however, all three S-series models were co-engineered with Leica. Sadly, the Xiaomi 12S Ultra will be China exclusive, so we only have the other two members of the series to look forward to in Western markets. Asus launched the ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro. The latest gaming phones bring a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the Pro offers up to 18GB of RAM. Both phones share a 6.78-inch 1080x2448px with 165Hz with a bonkers touch sampling rate of up to 720Hz. The camera department also received an update with a 50MP Sony IMX766 main shooter next to a 13MP ultrawide module and a 5MP macro cam. The selfie shooter is now a 12MP Sony IMX663. ROG Phone 6 and 6 Pro are still utilizing a 6,000mAh battery split into two 3,000mAh cells and you get dual USB-C ports - one on the bottom and another one on the side. Wired charging is still capped at 65W just like the ROG Phone 5 series. The software front is covered by Android 12 with ROG UI and Zen UI. ROG Phone 6 with its 12GB RAM and 256GB storage will retail for 999/899 in Europe and INR 71,999 in India while the top-specd ROG Phone 6 Pro with 18GB RAM and 512GB storage will retail for 1,299/1,099 and INR 89,999 respectively. Those are the key stories of the week but you can find a full list of our best read stories below. Xiaomi 12S and 12S Pro debut: Leica cameras, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset The two models improve the camera hardware and software compared to the 12 and 12 Pro and bring a more efficient chipset. Disassembly video reveals the bonkers size of Xiaomi 12S Ultra's IMX989 camera module The module makes full use of the 1" sensor, unlike certain previous efforts. But it is a rather large and thick module. Xiaomi 12S Ultra in for review The pinnacle of phone imaging rounded off with the highest level of specs. Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to outsell the last four Galaxy Notes Looks like Samsung's idea to merge the Note and S lines through this phone has paid off. nubia Red Magic 7S Pro visits Geekbench Shows off 16GB of RAM, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, and Android 12. Xiaomi Mi Band 7 Pro comes with larger display, Xiaomi Book Pro with 12th gen Intel processors The Mi Band 7 Pro has a wider display, offering more room for showing health data and notifications. The laptops come in 14" and 16" sizes. BOE gets iPhone 14 OLED screen orders after all A new report says Apple certified the panels last week, and mass production will start this month. nubia Red Magic 7S series will arrive on July 11 The Red Magic 7S Pro will keep the looks of the 7 Pro. Lava Blaze comes with glass back, stock Android 12 and agressive price Lava is promising 2 years of security patches for the phone, a free screen replacement for the first 100 days and free service at home. Poco C31 joins the millionaires club It's not a very often talked about phone, but one that sells incredibly well nevertheless. Realme GT2 Explorer Master design revealed It will come with a 50MP camera with OIS. Huawei nova 10 series debuts alongside Huawei Tag The phones go on open sale from July 8 while Huawei Tag is coming on July 30. Nothing Phone (1) will have in-display fingerprint scanner The detail is confirmed in a recent YouTube video and TikTok posted by the company. Sandy Yow and Duane Pahl are associated brokers with Todays Realty. They have decades of experience with all types of real estate issues on Guam and internationally. Haiti - FLASH : Arms trafficking, the Minister of Justice dismisses the Commissioner of the Government of Port-de-Paix Friday, July 8, 2022, Berto Dorce, the Minister of Justice dismissed for serious administrative faults, Me Michelet Virgile, Government Commissioner at the Court of First Instance of Port-de-Paix, for having ordered in a case of trafficking of weapons, the release of Fritz Jean Relus in charge of receiving the goods and Jonas Georges, owner of the freighter who transported to Haiti more than 100,000 contraband ammunition, weapons and accessories, arrested in the North-West department, all two are charged with complicity in the illicit trafficking of firearms and ammunition. https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37108-haiti-flash-seizure-of-120-000-ammunition-me-michelet-virgile-releases-the-alleged-traffickers.html In addition, Fritz Haubourg, the Deputy Director of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Justice, was also dismissed in this case. He is accused of having given instructions to the Government Commissioner to release the two people arrested in connection with arms trafficking. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37108-haiti-flash-seizure-of-120-000-ammunition-me-michelet-virgile-releases-the-alleged-traffickers.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37058-haiti-flash-seizure-of-tens-of-thousands-of-ammunition-at-the-wharf-of-port-de-paix-video.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - OIF : Launch of the competition Young Journalist Prize in Haiti The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) is organizing in partnership, the 8th edition of the journalism competition entitled "Young Journalist Prize in Haiti". Intended for young people, this Prize aims to discover and encourage young journalistic talents, speaking in French in different formats (print, radio, audiovisual). This contest is for anyone who produces information. The theme chosen for this year is "insecurity and its consequences on society or the economy in Haiti". The "Young Journalist Prize in Haiti" is a competition that has 3 categories: - Written press (including online press); - Radiophonic - Audiovisual; Anyone, woman or man, wishing to participate should meet all the conditions below : Be between the ages of 18 and 35 no later than December 31, 2022; Reside in Haiti; Present an original report, which has not been submitted to previous editions of the Young Journalist in Haiti Prize, nor to another competition, nor previously broadcast on any medium whatsoever; Not having won the Young Journalist Prize in Haiti, in any of the categories in previous editions. Closing date: August 6, 2022 at 11:59 p.m. (11:59 p.m.) Download the regulations (before filling out the application form): https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/REGLEMENT_8e_edition_prix_jeune_journaliste_en_Haiti_.pdf Online application form : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkM5C5j9l-OGEoNKY-eayH39kMjy0U1LvhXq325koCg80Y0Q/viewform Partners : Ministry of Culture, the National Directorate of Books, the Embassies of Canada, France, Switzerland, the French Institute in Haiti, UNESCO, the United Nations Population Fund, the Knowledge and Freedom Foundation , TV5MONDE, Le Monde Diplomatique, Radio France Internationale, the Network of Bloggers of Haiti, the Association of Haitian Journalists, Kiskeya Radio and Television, the Center Pen Haiti, Goeland travel agency and the daily Le National. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping... USA : Support for the PM ? Brian Nichol's, the State Department's Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, when asked about US support for Prime Minister Ariel Henry replied "...we believe the role of the current Government is to prepare as soon as possible the conditions for the elections, to improve security. His role is not to perpetuate himself in power, but to allow the Haitian people to express themselves at the ballot box. And in my conversations with Prime Minister Henry, he said that's how he sees his role." The G9 goes to war Since July 8, new bloody clashes between armed gangs in Cite Soleil have been reported. According to our information, it seems that the G9 coalition led by Chef Jimmy Cherisier alias "Barbecue" has launched an attack against the men of "G-Pep", a new coalition led by "Ti Gabriel" which aims to thwart the power of the G9. According to testimonies from local residents, the clashes have already caused several deaths and injuries on both sides and at least 2 deaths among the population. Sunrise Airways announces new route Sunrise Airways announces a direct Santo Domingo flight to Kingston (Jamaica) soon. All details to come for reservations. Agreement between CFHCI and Quisqueya University Signature of an agreement of the Franco-Haitian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CFHCI) with the QE3 Incubator of Quisqueya University. This Convention aims to empower young graduates to create their own business. NOTICE school canteen The Communication Office of the "National Program of School Canteens" (PNCS) brings to the attention of the general public that precautionary measures have been taken against certain employees, including Djail Covksy Aimable, Head of the North Branch of the PNCS, which is no longer authorized to act, speak, or engage the North Antenna of the PNCS until further notice See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-36959-icihaiti-pncs-north-alleged-diversion-of-food-intended-for-schoolchildren.html Shinzo Abe : condolences "It is with sorrow that we learn of the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, our condolences to his family and loved ones" former Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe. HL/ HaitiLibre This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine is complicating U.S.-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart on Saturday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed the U.S. for the downturn in relations and said that American policy has been derailed by what he called a misperception of China as a threat. Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia, he said, according to a Chinese statement. If such threat-expansion is allowed to grow, U.S. policy toward China will be a dead end with no way out. In five hours of talks in their first-to-face meeting since October, Blinken said he expressed deep concern about Chinas stance on Russias actions in Ukraine and did not believe Beijings protestations that it is neutral in the conflict. The talks had been arranged in a new effort to try to rein in or at least manage rampant hostility that has come to define recent relations between Washington and Beijing. We are concerned about the PRCs alignment with Russia, Blinken told reporters after the meeting in the Indonesian resort of Bali. He said it is difficult to be neutral in a conflict in which there is a clear aggressor but that even it were possible, I dont believe China is acting in a way that is neutral. The Chinese statement said the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on Ukraine but provided no details. The Biden administration had hoped that China, with its long history of opposing what it sees as interference in its own internal affairs, would take a similar position with Russia and Ukraine. But it has not, choosing instead what U.S. officials see as a hybrid position that is damaging the international rules-based order. Blinken said every nation, China included, stands to lose if that order is eroded. The two men met a day after they both attended a gathering of top diplomats from the Group of 20 rich and large developing countries that ended without a joint call to end Russias war in Ukraine or plan for how to deal with its impacts on food and energy security. However, Blinken said he believed Russia had come away from G-20 meeting isolated and alone as most participants expressed opposition to the Ukraine war. However, the ministers were unable to come to a unified G-20 call for an end to the conflict. There was a strong consensus and Russia was left isolated, Blinken said of individual condemnations of Russias actions from various ministers, some of whom shunned conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He noted that Lavrov had left the meeting early, possibly because he didnt like what he was hearing from his counterparts. It was very important that he heard loudly and clearly from around the world condemnation of Russias aggression, Blinken said, adding: We see no signs whatsoever that Russia at his point is prepared to engage in diplomacy. On China, Blinken said he and Wang discussed a range of contentious issues from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea that have all been complicated by the Chinese position on Ukraine. Wang called on the U.S. to lift tariffs on imports from China as soon as possible, stop interfering in his country's internal affairs and refrain from harming its interests in the name of human rights and democracy. He also accused the U.S. of using salami-slicing tactics on Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its territory and says should come under its control. Just two days earlier, the countries top military officers had faced off over Taiwan during a virtual meeting. Blinken said he stressed U.S. concerns with Chinas increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity near Taiwan and the vital importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He added that he had also raised human rights concerns regarding minorities in Tibet and in the western Xinjiang region. Wang refuted some erroneous U.S. views on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, the Chinese statement said. U.S. officials had said ahead of time they didnt expect any breakthroughs from Blinkens talks with Wang. But they said they were hopeful the conversation could help keep lines of communications open and create guardrails to guide the worlds two largest economies as they navigate increasingly complex and potentially explosive matters. Were committed to managing this relationship, this competition responsibly as the world expects us to do, Blinken said. The United States and China have staked out increasingly confrontational positions, including on Ukraine, that some fear could lead to miscalculation and conflict. The U.S. has watched warily as China has refused to criticize the Russian invasion, while condemning Western sanctions against Russia and accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict. At the G-20 meeting, Wang made an oblique reference to Chinas policy on global stability, saying to place ones own security above the security of others and intensify military blocs will only split the international community and make oneself less secure, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. On Thursday, Chinas joint chiefs of staff chairman Gen. Li Zuocheng upbraided his U.S. counterpart Gen. Mark Milley over Washingtons support for Taiwan. Li demanded that the U.S. cease military collusion with Taiwan, saying China has no room for compromise on issues affecting its core interests." 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. ___ Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report. A woman was fatally shot Saturday night in south Houston. The woman was found dead outside a black Mercedes Benz with a gunshot wound to the chest about 8:20 p.m. in the 5200 block of Fairgreen Lane, according to Houston Police Lt. J.P. Horelica. THE LATEST: Houston mother of five mourned after death on vacation in Guatemala Investigators believe the woman, who was in her 30s, was inside the Mercedes when she was shot, Horelica said. The vehicle was in reverse gear and had rolled back into some trash before hitting the curb. There is currently no known suspect or motive, Horelica said. Houston police are investigating. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Many shelters are offering free or low-cost adoptions for the rest of July as part of the Bissell Pet Foundations Empty the Shelters campaign. The adoption event comes at a time when local shelters are overflowing with adoptable animals. One Houston shelter has over 400 dogs in a building that can comfortable hold 250, Harris County Pets, the animal control division of the county, posted on its Facebook page Friday. "We cannot continue to house this many dogs," the post reads. "Its not only a staffing and resource issue, but a humane issue for the dogs." Montgomery County, Galveston County and other suburban animal service are also operating near maximum capacity. The Bissell Pet Foundation's national campaign donates to shelters so that adoption fees are reduced to no more than $50 for a fully vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped pet. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Why shelters are full this summer Shelters across the country have seen more owner surrenders as economic conditions worsen. Some families are struggling to pay for veterinary care and food. Others are moving to apartments that dont accept pets or are facing eviction. Scott Jeansonne, director of veterinary public health at Harris County Public Health, said the increase in owner surrenders has made it difficult for the shelter to get stray dogs off the streets. We have a lot of people call us up and say theyre bringing their dog because theyre moving to a place where they cant have it or the dog has become inconvenient to their lifestyle, Jeansonne said. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer If people need to re-home their dogs, Jeansonne said, the municipal animal shelter isnt the best place to put them. These dogs take up kennel space and prevent animal services from picking up strays. Instead, he recommends contacting rescue organizations that specialize in placing dogs with vetted families. Texas does not require owners to spay or neuter their animals. Stray or unaltered animals have litters that contribute to overcrowding in the shelter. People may think they're doing the right thing by taking a stray litter to a shelter, but Jeansonne said this is misguided. If you see a litter of kittens or puppies, please leave them alone, he said. Even if you dont see the mom, shes most likely nearby and freaking out because youre stealing her babies. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Newborn litters separated from their mother strain shelter resources. For example, puppies under four weeks need to be bottle fed every three or four hours. Staff barely finish one round of feeding before they have to start the process over. The babies have a better chance of surviving if they stay with mom before being brought to the shelter, or if mom is brought to the shelter with them, Jeansonne said. How to help Shelters need people to foster dogs for two to six weeks at a time. This allows staff to coordinate transportation for those dogs to other shelters, often in northern states where shelters have more room. Spay or neuter your pets and dont let them roam the neighborhood. Texas does not have a spay/neuter requirement, which has caused a stray problem. Letting pets wander increases the stray population and strains the shelter system. Get your dog microchipped and registered with the county. As of this year, Houston requires all residents to get their pets microchipped. Owners can get their pets microchipped at their veterinarian or at BARC for $15. All dogs and cats over three months old are required by law to have a current rabies vaccination and a pet license in Harris County. Adopt, don't shop. Shelters are running adoption specials through the end of July. Here are the local facilities participating in the Empty the Shelters campaign: Houstons proposed City Council maps for 2023 elections make only minor changes to district boundaries near Rice University, Freedmens Town and parts of downtown. Overall, less than 3% of Houstons 2.3 million residents will change districts under the proposal, which is designed to balance district populations based on 2020 Census data, while complying with city requirements and the Voting Rights Act, according to City Demographer Jerry Wood. By law, none of the 11 districts should vary by more than 10 percent from the average district population of approximately 209,000 residents. This means that Houstons three most populous districts - Districts C, D and G - will lose some of their lands. Meanwhile, Districts H, I and J will need to expand. Unlike redistricting for legislative districts, theres a lot more identification with a neighborhood that the civic leaders have and also the relationship that they establish with their council members, Wood said. So the desire is to create as little disruption as possible. In the proposed maps, Rice University, currently situated in District C, will move to neighboring District D. Centered in Montrose and the Heights, District C features a population of about 241,000 residents that is 15% above average. Moving Rice out of the district would bring down its population without splitting up neighborhoods, Wood said. Rice is an important stakeholder in the community, and any councilmember would be happy to have it as its constituent, said Robert Stein, a political science professor at Rice University, whose research focuses on voting and elections. Rice itself is going to do well, whoever represents it. Besides Rice University, District C will also lose Freedmens Town to District H, according to the proposal. The neighborhood became a hub for the city's Black community when freed slaves settled there after the Civil War. Last year, it became Houston's first official Heritage District, allowing nonprofits to fund the upkeep of its cultural landmarks. Hoping that District C residents will continue to participate in the upcoming public hearings, District C Councilmember Abbie Kamin said. Their input continues to be vital. District I, the only district represented by a Hispanic council member, may also see a few small changes to its boundaries. It has a population of about 179,000 residents and currently includes downtown and the East End. Per the proposed design, it will lose a part of downtown and gain a few small neighborhoods in southeast Houston. Wood said these adjustments will allow the district to gain population without reducing the percentage of Hispanic voters. In recent months, the public has repeatedly requested the city to keep super neighborhoods together, Wood said, something that demographers did not have in mind when initially dividing up the population. The proposal managed to move Braeburn, a super neighborhood on the southwest side, into a single district and bring together most of Eastex - Jensen, one in north Houston. But Wood said he was not able to unite Greater Heights in north central or South Belt on the southeast side. Sometimes there are requests that simply are impossible, Wood said. The city has hired a law firm in anticipation of legal challenges. For one, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), one of the largest Hispanic civil rights organizations in the country, has promised to sue the city over what its advocates characterize as a gross underrepresentation of Latinos on the City Council. The lawsuit hopes to replace the citys five at-large seats, which represent voters citywide, with single-member seats, which cover a certain geographical area. Sergio Lira, a Houston-based leader with LULAC, said his team is on track to file the lawsuit later this month. We anticipated that there would not be any major changes to the maps this time and that the city was not going to disrupt things too much, Lira said. It's going to take a lawsuit in order to change the system. Now that the Planning and Development Department has revealed the proposal, the City Council will hold three public hearings this month to receive public input. Residents may also submit their own redistricting plans to the department by July 20. Eight of the 11 current council members are eligible to run for re-election in the next municipal elections in November 2023. They are expected to review the revised plan in August and vote on the design in September. Wood said he has gone over the proposal with most council members and is expecting further discussions over small-scale adjustments. yilun.cheng@chron.com UPDATE AS OF 10:30 P.M. A suspect was apprehended Saturday for allegedly making threats against a Jewish community facility in the San Antonio area. Security personnel at area synagogues and agencies were on the highest alert, according to an announcement on the Jewish Federation of San Antonio Facebook page. Temple Beth-El San Antonio cited the threats as it announced on its Facebook page Saturday that it canceled in-person and online Shabbat Sservices. Details about the threat and arrest were not made available. Anti-defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt thanked law enforcement for taking this threat to Texas Jewish communities seriously and working diligently to identify and apprehend the suspect. UPDATE AS OF 3:30 P.M. The FBI said that there is no known imminent threat in effect any longer for the San Antonio area Jewish community, according to a Jewish Federation of San Antonio Facebook announcement. The updated alert comes after the organization said local Jewish gatherings should be suspended due to the FBIs notice of a potential threat at an unconfirmed Jewish community facility. The Jewish Federation still recommended staying vigilant and aware of your surroundings at all times. We are pleased to share that the urgency of concern has been lowered, the post reads. ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Local formal Jewish gatherings are being suspended until further notice after the FBI identified a potential threat to an unconfirmed Jewish community facility in the San Antonio area, according to an announcement on the Jewish Federation of San Antonio Facebook page. The Saturday morning post said security personnel at area synagogues and agencies are aware of the situation and are on the highest alert. We continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure the safety of our community, the post reads. INQUIRY: Border patrol took orders from Texas in horseback charge on unarmed Haitian migrants, inquiry finds The Jewish Federation recommends that people be aware of their surroundings and to call 911 if they see something unusual. Temple Beth-El San Antonio announced on its Facebook page that it is canceling in-person and online Shabbat services scheduled for Saturday. We have received information from our experts that the safety situation for the Jewish synagogues in San Antonio today is not optimal for us to conduct our regularly scheduled Shabbat Services, the post reads. megan.rodriguez@express-news.net Regarding After Roe v. Wade ruling, Houston women are deleting period tracking apps, citing privacy concerns, (July 1): There was quite a juxtaposition of privacy invasion in the paper on Wednesday, July 6. The headline in the upper right-hand corner of the front page was, Apps that track data on periods now risky. On page two of the business section was a brief about one of the largest known breaches of Chinese personal data that included mention of how that data is collected in China. The fourth paragraph should make our collective skin crawl. Over the years, authorities in China have become expert at amassing digital and biological information on peoples daily activities and social connections. The collected data is used to find patterns and aberrations. Perhaps a story will be written soon in the Houston Chronicle, replacing the word China with the word Texas. Are we to become a state and then a nation that has nothing better to do than to tattle to the government about what our neighbors are doing? Bonnie Boyd, Houston One solution to nosy parkers who want to use our female friends period tracker data to see if they might be candidates for abortions is for a lot of us men to step up and start using the trackers, too. Maybe fake a missed period now and then to see who comes knocking. I cant wait to see if someone tries to sue me because I missed my period. Robert Simmons, Houston Revisiting history Regarding Editorial: Celebrate the Fourth by soaking in the words of America's Declaration of Independence, (July 1): Thank you, again, for running the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July. I enjoy reading it every time you publish it. Every time I read it, I am amazed by the bravery of our Founding Fathers standing up to the tyranny and army of England. The Declaration is so well-thought-out and presented. I wish every politician were so gifted in speaking and writing. Phil Petersen, League City This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Emma Hernandezs hands began to shake as she stared at a text message from her mother telling her she planned to protest outside a local abortion clinic in their Indiana hometown. Emma had only told one close friend about the abortion she had at age 21 at that same clinic. Now, she was seconds away from telling her Catholic, stridently anti-abortion mother. I just want you to make that decision with the knowledge that your daughter received care at this clinic, Hernandez recalls telling her mother. I had an abortion there a couple years ago. My one saving grace was that it was so cold that there were no protesters out at the clinic that day, she continued, recalling that she had no car at the time and arrived on foot. Having the presence of anti-abortion people harassing me would have severely impacted me. IN-DEPTH: Biden pushes to protect inter-state abortion access amid Texas crackdown That was five years ago, and though the conversation did not change her mothers views, it did give Hernandez the strength and courage to start sharing her story with more people and, eventually, to public audiences. I had a very difficult emotional time because of the abortion stigma, Hernandez said. I didnt feel any sadness in any capacity from deciding to terminate that pregnancy. Today, Hernandez lives in San Antonio and is communications director for a group called We Testify, made up of advocates dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices of those who have had abortions. Five Houston and San Antonio-based members of the group agreed to share their experiences with Hearst Newspapers. Hernandez said the groups mission has taken on new meaning and the volunteer storytellers of We Testify are reinvigorated. Now more than ever its going to be important for us to be sharing our stories, she said. It doesnt suffice now to simply say youre pro-choice. Its really important to share your story if you feel safe to do so and feel comfortable doing so because so many people today, tomorrow and in the future will be looking for those allies, those supporters to lean on as they seek to access care. On the other side of the abortion debate, advocates and churches have celebrated for months, starting when Texas enacted its six-week ban in September 2021, and hailing the high court ruling as a historic victory that will save thousands of lives in a state that once had over 50,000 abortions a year. IMPACT: Texas abortion funds freeze indefinitely as Supreme Court shakes landscape Stephanie Gomez, 28, Houston Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer It started as a dare. A friend bet Gomez that she wouldnt take a pregnancy test. Gomez, whod just turned 18, went along with it, determined to prove she had the guts. She never expected the test would come up positive. Shock gave way to fear. It was a really scary moment, the now 28-year-old said. THE RULING: A law professor explains the opinions overturning Roe v. Wade Her El Salvadoran family had strong anti-abortion views. She wasnt even sure that abortion was legal in Texas. I considered myself a person who never thought she would get an abortion, Gomez said. But from the second I saw the positive pregnancy test, I thought, Im going to have an abortion no matter what. Gomez faced a number of barriers along the way that she hadnt expected, which she now recognizes were intentionally put in place by Republican lawmakers. She knew shed have to take time away from school, but because of the states 24-hour waiting period for abortion patients, it ended up being two days. Shed also have to depend on her abusive 21-year-old boyfriend for transportation, since the closest clinic was an hour and a half away. My reality was the reality of a lot of people, she said. This is a person who bullied me, this is a person who emotionally manipulated me. In the days leading up to the abortion, he was very well aware my parents didnt know and he used it against me. Hed say, Well, if you piss me off, Im not driving you to go get your abortion. An abortion fund covered a portion of the cost, but she was still on the hook for about $300 a mint for her, working part-time at McDonalds for less than $8 an hour. She asked for help from her twin sister, who gave her cash from tips she earned at Dennys. This was two weeks of stress, so much money in appointments, in hours and lost wages, freaking out about my parents, and having to continue to interact with the fetus daddy, who was a very abusive person in my life, just to get this procedure that honestly was a 5- to 10-minute situation, she said. I dont remember the actual procedure as much. It was relatively painless. She said the abortion helped her escape that unhealthy relationship and go on to graduate college where she double-majored in history and political science and earned two master's degrees in public policy and social work\ from the University of Houston. Shes now the political director at left-leaning grassroots nonprofit MOVE Texas. My abortion opened up an opportunity to take power over my life, to be in a position where I wasnt going to be controlled by other people, she said. Veronika Granado, 22, San Antonio Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Granado dreamed of being an engineer. And at 17, with an acceptance to the University of Texas at San Antonio in hand, the goal was in reach until she took a pregnancy test, and it came back positive. It was just so completely heartbreaking, because I knew I had to give all that up, Granado said. And so the first thought that came into my head before thinking about, How am I going to make this work? was abortion. But she was in a bind. In 2017, before Texas imposed any other abortion restrictions, the state required parental consent for the procedure. Granado couldnt tell her mom, who she feared would kick her out, or her dad, who was very religious. And while her partner was supportive of her choice, the laws werent. As she researched her options, Granado found Janes Due Process, a nonprofit organization that helps minors navigate legal hurdles around abortion. The group pointed her to a process called judicial bypass, which allowed her to plead her case and prove her maturity to a local judge without involving her parents. It was an agonizing, nearly two-week endeavor that ended with the judges OK and a frantic search for $600 to pay for it. As difficult and stressful as the experience was, Granado knows it also could have been much worse. She was a model teen, in a sense, who was able to tell the judge of her plans to move to a bigger city and attend college. She had a regular period and found out she was pregnant when she was roughly five weeks along, the earliest she could have known. Had it all happened in 2022, the legal proceedings would have pushed her past the six-week ban that Texas legislators enacted last fall. And had abortion been completely illegal, as it will soon be in Texas, Granado has no idea how it would have gone. Now 22, Granado will graduate next year with a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering. I reflect on my abortion, and that's definitely the best decision I've ever made in my entire life, Granado said. That didn't change because I got older, because I got more mature or whatever. It was a decision that I knew that I needed to do, and it was the right decision for me. Emma Hernandez, 29, San Antonio Sam Owens, San Antonio Express-News / Staff photographer Hernandez, the communications director with We Testify, very nearly avoided going to the emergency room when she experienced complications from an abortion. Not because she thought the medical attention was unnecessary, but out of fear of the Texas law that allows any private citizen to sue people who aid or abet an abortion for no less than $10,000 in damages. I wasnt concerned about: Is my body OK? she said. It was: What does it look like for me to go to an ER right now, in this context, in this state? I have to deal with a medical provider possibly criminalizing this experience that Im having. After her first abortion at 21 years old, she had always expected her next pregnancy would be a planned one. And yet, despite having health insurance and being on birth control, she got pregnant again in February. The clinics near her were booked for weeks, slimming the already-low odds that shed caught it before the states six-week limit. She declined to discuss how she obtained her most recent abortion out of concern for prosecution. She remembers searching for information about abortion pills online, learning about how they are sometimes used by members of the Peace Corps abroad who dont have access to a doctor who could perform the procedure. Im watching these videos, and I live a mile and a half away from a Planned Parenthood clinic, she said. It was very frustrating. Im living in the seventh-largest city in the U.S., and I cannot access medical care to terminate this pregnancy. I felt very inept. Like I didnt have power over my bodily autonomy. Jeana Nam, 27, Houston Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Nams abortion in 2015 was a turning point in her life. She was 20 years old, deeply struggling with her mental health and on medical leave from Rice University in Houston. She found out she was seven weeks pregnant by the grace of God she had irregular periods and only experienced morning sickness. She didnt even associate the nausea with pregnancy at first. I wasn't ready to become a parent, Nam said. I was having a really hard time taking care of myself, much less raise a child and make it through a whole pregnancy, and I did want to finish my education. As she talked about her abortion in therapy afterward, Nam realized that she wanted to volunteer and become more involved in local reproductive health clinics and advocacy efforts. She started sharing her story, hoping to normalize the procedure and show how many different kinds of people access it. When Nam got pregnant seven years ago, she thought she was the only Korean American Christian having an abortion but that is just not true at all. Now, she is on the board of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice and a member of the National Asian Pacific American Womens Forum. Shes pursuing a graduate degree at the University of Houston to become a mental health counselor. My abortion, in some ways, was the best thing that ever happened to me, Nam said. It changed my life, radicalized me, helped me step into my power, increased my empathy for people going through the same thing, et cetera. Nick, 31, Houston Marie D. De Jesus, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer When Nick found out they were pregnant, they felt a fear unlike anything theyd ever experienced, a sort of prolonged fight-or-flight response that feels like its going to swallow you whole. I was terrified, said Nick, 31, who is transgender and non-binary and asked to be identified by their first name only, out of safety concerns. Ill never forget the way my stomach dropped. Nicks first thought was to get an abortion, but they then tried to think through what having a child would look like. Twenty-six at the time, Nick had health concerns that would make a pregnancy risky. Nick had just lost a job, and lived in a three-bedroom apartment with three other people. Pregnancy discrimination could make it even harder to find a new job and earn enough income to support two people, and they knew they couldnt count on much financial assistance from the state. It wasnt the kind of life Nick wanted for a child. As a trans person, accessing health care of any kind was always stressful for Nick, but especially in this case, when the care was so often characterized as for only one gender. I have had bad experiences with doctors deadnaming me and referring to me incorrectly, Nick said, referring to being called by their birth name despite having changed it as part of the gender transition. Transphobia can play a role in whatever kind of care I get. When Nick made the appointment for a Saturday, the clinic warned there would be protesters in large numbers outside. But that was the only day Nick could make it work. Sure enough, they swarmed Nicks car and screamed at the top of their lungs, calling them a murderer. It was humiliating, Nick said. Its none of their business. Im not having an abortion at them. I am getting private medical treatment. The job Nick started just after the abortion set them on a trajectory that launched their career in information technology and changed the course of my life. Im really grateful I had an abortion, they said. I want there to be resources for people who want to parent because they deserve to have a real choice. I dont feel like I had a real choice, but the option I had was the best thing for me. For a long time, Nick kept the story to themself, afraid talking about it might affect their relationships or elicit judgment from important people in their life. At the same time, Nick was quietly getting frustrated with the way that many in the pro-abortion rights movement talk about abortion as a womens-only issue. Its alienating and dehumanizing to have people talk about your body in a way that erases your personhood, they said. Youre talking about my body and erasing who I am as a person. Then these same cis women who say that turn around and get upset when conservatives talk about their bodies and refuse to acknowledge their personhood. Yet some of them cannot make that connection. One day at a small abortion rights event, they had an opportunity to tell their story to a crowd. Staring back at them in the crowd was the doctor who had done their abortion, among other prominent Texas advocates whom theyd looked up to. It was very freeing, Nick said. Nick was later invited to join We Testify and they gladly accepted, hoping to reach as many people as possible, but especially other gender non-conforming people like them. When I had my abortion, I knew logically I wasnt the only trans person to get one, but I felt like only trans person to get one, they said. I want trans people to know theyre not alone. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com; cayla.harris@express-news.net 6 terrorists arrested in separate operations in Pakistan's Punjab Xinhua) 10:40, July 10, 2022 Six terrorists were arrested in separate operations in Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Pakistani police told local media on Saturday. According to the CTD in Punjab, the CTD personnel conducted operations in Lahore, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi cities of the province. The CTD said that two terrorists were arrested from each of the three cities. Arms, ammunition and improvised explosive devices were seized from the terrorists, the CTD added. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 343 PM CDT Sat Jul 9 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Hunt County through 415 PM CDT... At 342 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm near Greenville, moving southeast at 15 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Greenville, Caddo Mills, Josephine and Lone Oak. This includes Interstate 30 between mile markers 80 and 99. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 3318 9629 3324 9611 3299 9592 3298 9629 TIME...MOT...LOC 2042Z 337DEG 15KT 3313 9617 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH ...HEAT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM CDT SUNDAY... ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 8 PM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...For the Excessive Heat Warning, dangerously hot conditions with air temperatures up 105 and heat index values up to 112 expected. For the Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 111 expected. * WHERE...Walker, Washington, Grimes, Colorado and Austin Counties. * WHEN...For the Excessive Heat Warning, from 1 PM to 8 PM CDT Sunday. For the Heat Advisory, until 1 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. 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 NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT SUNDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values in excess of 108 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central and southeast Texas. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT SUNDAY... conditions with maximum air temperatures up to 105 expected. For the Heat Advisory, heat index values up to 110. * WHERE...Houston, Madison, Burleson and Brazos Counties. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. Attorney General Funds Summer Jobs for Young People BOSTON Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office is awarding more than $262,000 in grant funding to 70 organizations across the state to fund summer jobs for young people that are focused on promoting health and wellness. In Berkshire County, Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, the Berkshire South Regional Community Center and Greenagers in South Egremont will receive funding to support jobs for young people. "For eight years, we've worked closely with inspiring organizations in every corner of the state to create safe, positive summer experiences for young people," said Healey. "These summer jobs provide Massachusetts teens with invaluable opportunities to challenge themselves, gain new skills, and make a difference in their own communities by promoting healthy living." This is the eighth year that the AG's Office is running the Healthy Summer Youth Jobs Grant Program, which enables teens and young people to have a direct impact in their communities by working in jobs that promote good nutrition, healthy living and professional development. The grant program is funded with fair labor related settlement money from the AG's Office. Entrepreneur and Ram Charan's wife Upasana Kamineni Konidela recently spoke about the societal pressure of not having kids after ten years of marriage. She was interacting with the spiritual guru Sadhguru whose response has kickstarted a debate online. Sadhguru praised Ram Charan's wife Upasana for not having kids At the 17th ATA Convention and Youth Conference Upasana referenced to her husband's recent blockbuster movie RRR and said, "I have been very happily married for 10 years now. I love my life, I love my family but why do people find it their duty to question my RRR". She explained, "RRR is my relationship, my ability to reproduce, and my role in my life. There are so many women like me who would want an answer to this." An absolute honour to be in conversation with @SadhguruJV amazing as usual, every topic made so much sense. Truly practical considering the circumstances the world is facing today. A must watch ! Sadhguru-Thathas not letting me accept your award Thank you #ATA pic.twitter.com/Xvl7K9W3Yb Upasana Konidela (@upasanakonidela) July 4, 2022 Talking about reproduction, Sadhguru said, "If you stay this way, not reproducing, I am going to give you an award. I have already announced an award for all those young women, who are healthy and can reproduce but choose not to. This is the greatest service you can do right now. He added, "This is not an endangered species. We are just too many. We are heading towards 10 billion in the next 30-35 years. Man is worried about carbon footprint but if the human footprint is reduced, there is no need to worry about global warming too. So, its good to see women who chose to not reproduce." Upasana replied, "I would make you speak with my mother and mother-in-law very soon." "These are your elites lmao, these are the ones who're seen as a source of inspiration, these are the ones whom ordinary masses worship and copy," wrote a person on Twitter. Another user tweeted, "That's why he is a SAD-GURU ... Absolutely sadist twit. #sadguru #sadhguru i pity those who follow him." The usual "Her choice"..ok.... But what is this clown even advising ? https://t.co/D3AFpbRZB9 Krishnaa (@Krishnaa_murari) July 10, 2022 Chutiya spreading misinformation. This fraud guru needs to be put in his place. Also, you should see the video the cringe is next level. This lady is cringe max. The elites really are very very dumb specially the 2nd generation of elites are numb nuts.https://t.co/sNErcV7Rn5 https://t.co/TVt7dSy3sj aryavartha (@aryavarthaag) July 9, 2022 This @SadhguruJV is the biggest chooliya of our times. Seriously. 100% supari from Abrahamics to destroy Hindu society https://t.co/q9sWmOmCvw VoiceofPR (@pramodrama) July 9, 2022 @SadhguruJV I respect a lot what you say. But Im sorry dont agree here but more than that why do you have kids if you believe what you say? Cant be that world population multiplied post you had a kid. https://t.co/qxpGi39hlV Chikroda (@chikroda) July 10, 2022 That's why he is a SAD-GURU ... Absolutely sadist twit. #sadguru#sadhguru i pity those who follow him. Hindustan Times: Ram Charans wife Upasana praised by Sadhguru over her choice to not have kids.https://t.co/UpIRxaSbj5 via @GoogleNews Big Mouth (@BadkaBakait) July 9, 2022 The above conversation happened when Ram Charan's wife started speaking about her personal life. These are your elites lmao, these are the ones who're seen as a source of inspiration, these are the ones whom ordinary masses worship and copy.https://t.co/3bFSQcMkcg Captain Alex (@H0reHI_Inter) July 9, 2022 WEF poodle duraachaarya promoting miscegenation of hindus. Children = carbon footprint, Fuel guzzling motorcycles = no carbon footprint! https://t.co/DxXx1zSEqG Shrivathsa. B (@shri_v) July 10, 2022 @SadhguruJV Opinion conflicts. Sadhguru says we are over populated, so not many children preferred. @upasanakonidela https://t.co/XAAqjRLz6a RaghuChil (@chilactronics) July 8, 2022 I appreciate that the private decision by both to not have children and the reason being is population control in India. I believe most among us thinking the same. However, we can't do it owing to many reasons. More respect to couple Ramcharan and Upasana. That's really great! Rambabu Palla (@palla_r7) July 10, 2022 Ram Charan had also talked about not having kids. At a press conference, he was quoted as saying, "As a son of megastar Chiranjeevi, I have the responsibility of making fans happy. If I start a family, I may deviate from my mission. Upasana also has a few goals. So, we decided not to have kids for some years". Keeping up with his philanthropic initiative, Sonu Sood has once again won the hearts of the people. He, along with the team of Roadies, has donated 1,000 raincoats to Mumbai Police amid the heavy rains in the city. Sonu Sood and team Roadies donate raincoats to Mumbai Police Twitter Talking about the initiative Sonu Sood said, "I have the utmost respect for our Mumbai Police and thank them for their extraordinary hard work, which makes our ordinary lives safe". "This contribution of a thousand raincoats from MTV 'Roadies' is our way of saluting them and further equipping them for their duties," he was quoted as saying by IANS. The raincoats provided by MTV and created by Yashlok Welfare Foundation, are created by marginalized sections of society such as the unemployed youth, women, rural population, and differently-abled individuals. The production of these reflective jackets for the Mumbai Police also offers a sustainable mode of employment to this community. Earlier as well, Sonu Sood, who had emerged as a hero for migrants workers after the lockdown due to Covid-19, had donated 25,000 face shields for the Mumbai police personnel in July 2020. "My police brothers & sisters are our real heroes & this is the least that I can do for the commendable work which they have been doing," he said. Truly honoured by your kind words Sir! My police brothers & sisters are our real heroes & this is the least that I can do for the commendable work which they have been doing. Jai Hind #OurRealHeroes @DGPMaharashtra https://t.co/n9nTrxaQ0c sonu sood (@SonuSood) July 16, 2020 Meanwhile, Sonu Sood has also pledged to train underprivileged aspiring actors for free. "I will join hands with acting and film schools, so that they can provide acting classes, camera training and other technical workshops. The students can come on the sets and watch the shoot to know about the on-ground process. [I want to give them] access to locations, shoots and workshops that a newcomer cannot get otherwise. It is for people hailing from small towns and cities who cannot afford [such exposure]. We will have a thorough screening process in place to ensure that only the truly needy (are given the benefits)", he told Mid-Day. Also Read: Sonu Sood Shares His Struggle Story, Says He Came To Mumbai With Rs 5500 Which Lasted 10 Days (For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.) People in Mumbai have continued to protest against the metro shed project in Aarey forest, the green lungs of the city. Hours after coming to power, Chief Minister Shinde overturned the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA governments decision to relocate the proposed Mumbai Metro Line-3 car shed from Aarey Colony. #WATCH | Mumbai: Protests underway in Aarey, Goregaon against metro car shed. pic.twitter.com/pl2yJDqIfn ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022 The Thackeray government had shifted the site to Kanjurmarg, but it got embroiled in a legal dispute. Mumbai | This is a fight for Mumbai, fight for life. We fought for forest&to protect our tribals. When we were here no trees were uprooted. Cars go for maintenance once every 3-4 months, not every night: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray at Aarey protest site pic.twitter.com/aRIIRHh4oj ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022 The Thackeray government had also declared Aarey as a reserved forest. Holding placards, the protesters raised slogans against the new government's proposal to shift the Metro-3 car shed project back to Mumbai's Aarey forest, a 1,800-acre area that is often termed as the megalopolis's 'green lung'. Reuters According to environmental activists, the forest not only provides fresh air to the people of the city but is also a key habitat for wildlife, including some endemic species. The forest has some five lakh trees, and also has a couple of rivers and some lakes flowing through it, they say. For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News. Iraqs famous and prominent Lake Sawa has dried up for the first time in its centuries-long history and locals believe that it is due to mismanagement by local investors, government neglect and climate change. According to the India Today report, this year for the first time in its centuries-long history, the lake dried up and a combination of mismanagement by local investors, government neglect and climate change has ground down its azure shores to chunks of salt. AP Hussam al-Aqouli, a native of the nearby city of Samawa remembers the exact spot along southern Iraqs Lake Sawa where his two daughters once dipped their feet into clear waters. Now he stands there two years on and the barren earth cracks beneath him. Lake Sawa is only the latest casualty in this broad country-wide struggle with water shortages that experts say is induced by climate change, including record low rainfall and back-to-back drought. The stress on water resources is driving up competition for the precious resource among businessmen, farmers and herders, with the poorest Iraqis counting among the worst hit amid the disaster. AP This lake was known as the pearl of the south, said al-Aqouli, 35, looking out onto the dry cavernous emptiness. Now it is our tragedy. Locals call the area surrounding Lake Sawa atshan or simply thirsty in Arabic. The lake has been formed over limestone rock and studded with gypsum formations and it has no inlet or outlet and the source of its waters had mystified experts for centuries, fuelling fantastical folklore and religious tales that locals recite as historical fact. AP Al-Aqouli said he spent his childhood frequenting the lake with his family. He hoped he could do the same when he started a family, he said. Instead, he spends his days on social media writing long blog posts and urging Iraqis to take action. Often, he feels hopeless. The lake rises 5 meters (16 feet) above sea level and is about 4.5 kilometers (3 miles) long and 1.8 kilometers (1 mile) wide. Lake Sawa appears in some old Islamic texts. It is said the lake miraculously formed on the day the Prophet Muhammad was born in 570 A.D. Thousands of religious tourists visited the site annually to submerge themselves in its holy waters, which they believe are blessed by God. AP The lakes rich mineral deposits are also considered a cure by some for skin diseases prevalent in historically neglected Muthanna. Locals say the drying up of the waters of Lake Sawa presages the return of the Imam al-Mahdi, a revered figure in Shiite Islam and a descendent of the prophet. Experts said the lake has not dried up for good but its disappearance this year is a concerning consequence of the thousands of illegal wells dug by businessmen in nearby cement factories and manufacturing zones, a result of drought and decreasing waters along the nearby Euphrates. Strange tiny signals are coming from the Earth's core. A new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that Earth's magnetic field fluctuates every seven years. According to a team from the Grenoble Alpes University in France led by Nicolas Gillet, every seven years, Earth's magnetic field moves westward at speeds of 1,500 kilometres per year around the equator. This, turns out, is routine for Earth. iStock "Tiny wiggles" The magnetic field on Earth is essentially a product of charged particles trapped below the surface. "What is important to know is that the magnetic field in the core evolves on very long timescales... And what we witnessed is only tiny wiggles on top of this," Gillet told New Scientist. Diagram showing a flow that resembles waves at the surface of Earths outer core: Felix Gerick These tiny waves that were found in Earth's core could help scientists understand what unfolds deep inside Earth. The core has a solid inner layer and outer layer that is made of liquid metal. Interaction of these two cores creates Earth's magnetic field - the intensity of which varies over time. Also read: Extreme Heat Is Currently Melting Earth's North And South Poles Like Never Before Gillet assessed data of Earth's geomagnetic field between 1999 and 2021 using data from satellites as well as from ground observations. While these fluctuating waves inside the Earth are rather small, they can help improve the human understanding of the planet and how it operates. istock Gillet believes that we can now image the geomagnetic field deep inside the core with help from newly discovered waves. Over time, he thinks that we could also predict the evolution of the field. Also read: Scientists Created Self-Evolving RNA, Demonstrating How Life Began On Earth So exciting! What do you think about this study that sheds light on how Earth's magnetic field operates in timescales? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com. References Ly, C. (2022, March 23). Tiny magnetic waves have been discovered in Earths core. New Scientist. The phenomenon of musical roads basically occurs when a section of a road is driven to produce vibrations. According to a report by Edu.hoadm.org, specific parts of a road, small strips like speed breakers, are placed in such a way that they make a melody. This audible rumble feels through both the wheels and body of the vehicle. It can be heard inside the car as a melody of music. Twitter All the strips are set in place in a way that the sound of a musical note is produced. For each musical note, the number of strips varies. These bars are mounted outdoors or built into them. They are known as sleeper lines, audible lines, or woo woo boards. Listen to this road A musical road is a stretch of road that, when driven over, produces an audible rumble and a tactile vibration that may be felt through the wheels and body of the car and heard as music pic.twitter.com/fRhTaKKBPN Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) July 8, 2022 These roads are also used as a road safety feature to alert drivers of the potential dangers caused by these vibrations. This concept of musical roads initially became popular in the United States when Honda placed these bars on the outskirts of Lancaster City. A road was designed to play the William Tell overture - it appeared in a Honda ad when going 50 mph. The Musical Road is now preserved as a tourist attraction. Twitter For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. The argument that vaping helps people quit smoking tobacco has been widely made in recent years, but there is now growing concern at the number of young teens who vape as a rite of passage through secondary school. Advocates for the youth information service, Spunout, have said vaping is increasingly seen as attractive to teens. E-cigarettes, known also as vapes, heat nicotine, water, and propylene glycol or glycerine, with flavourings, but do not produce tar or carbon monoxide. The vaping market has grown exponentially in recent years, with an endless offering of flavours that appeal to younger people, including banana, cola, apple, pink lemonade, bubblegum, coffee, and mango. The dizzying array of colourful packaging is a million miles away from the old-fashioned Marlboro Man. The EU recently identified a 10% sales growth in heated tobacco across the region, with sales spiking even higher in some countries. The European Commission is considering a ban on some products under its smoking-reduction policies. Nineteen-year-old Katelyn Benson says discussions around vaping often ignore the views of young people and instead focus on whether or not vaping helps smokers quit tobacco. 'Half of the people I know who vape have never touched a cigarette in their lives, said Katelyn Benson. Picture: James Connolly Half of the people I know who vape have never touched a cigarette in their lives, she said. People would shun you if you smoked but they have no problem with vaping. Vaping is more attractive, she said, as there is no giveaway reek of tobacco to alert adults. It is easier to hide from your parents, she said. It tastes sweet, and you can sit on your bed and do it or in the bathroom. No one is going to know you are vaping because it smells sweet. It could pass as perfume or candles. Theyre very cheap too. You go in and get them for 7 or 8, she said. Theyre for nothing compared to what you spend on cigarettes. While it is assumed vaping is healthier than smoking, Ms Benson is concerned at the lack of long-term information on what are relatively new products. We dont really know what it is doing to your system, she said. In Cork, one mother, who did not wish to be named, was surprised at how quickly vaping caught on with her teenage son and his friends. My son is vaping and he is so healthy, fitness-mad. He plays rugby and hurling, its so contradictory, she said. All my fellow mams and dads in the school are so concerned. We are unaware of the long-term health issues that vaping will have on this generation. Representatives of the Irish Vape Vendors Association (IVVA) recently told TDs they would not object to raising the legal age for buying e-cigarettes upwards from 18. IVVA director and managing director of Vapourpal, Joanne OConnell, said: Its [vaping] better than smoking but it is not better than not smoking. I would have no problem with the age being increased to 21. In her own shop they do police customers ages, but she is not reassured this is done in non-specialist shops. I agree that some packaging is probably overly colourful. I would not say it is targeted towards kids because adults are attracted to these things too, she said. While it is seen by some as a way to wean oneself off cigarettes, Joanne O'Connell, MD of Vapourpal says, '[vaping] is better than smoking but it is not better than not smoking'. Stock picture Adults are attracted to colours and flavourings. We find many of our customers will start on a tobacco flavour but once they start vaping, they really want to be away from the flavour of tobacco completely. The Health Research Board has found that e-cigarettes are less harmful than combustible cigarettes, but health risks remain. The HSE advises the safety of long-term use of e-cigarettes is not known and they do not recommend them as an aid to quitting smoking. The IVVA and others argue the market is already tightly regulated with maximum nicotine concentrations, and volumes for cartridges, tanks, and nicotine liquid containers. The Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill (2019) is under review. It says shops must apply for a licence to sell vapes and heated tobacco, or a different licence to sell these and cigarettes. It has been estimated that about 200,000 people use vaping products and they can be bought at more than 300 retailers and newsagents. John Dunne from Vape Business Ireland told TDs nicotine warnings on products are also mandatory. Manufacturers, importers and distributors are required to notify the HSE if they believe any product to be unsafe, he explained. In May, the HSE called on the public to stop using some Aroma King e-cigarettes. Sales were halted because they were found to have as much as 50.4mg/ml nicotine despite labelling saying 20mg/ml. The alert included disposable Aroma King Bar 600 puffs in flavours such as Ice Skittles and Monster. At Bridgeways Family Resource Centre in Longford, Grace Kearney said, in her experience, children cannot handle any level of nicotine in e-cigarettes, describing them as addictive. Grace Kearney, Project Co-ordinator with the Bridgeways Family Resource Centre, Balllymahon, Co. Longford Photo: Bob Morrison They have the vape all of the time, sitting and puffing on it regularly, she said. Even a chainsmoker doesnt have a cigarette all the time, whereas this is constant. It is like an extension of their hand. When children do water-sports at the centre she sees their lung capacity is affected, and they are dropping out. It is not attractive to smoke, but it is attractive to vape, she said. I know people who got off smoking with vaping, and I understand that. But I dont agree with children 13 and 14 years old vaping, they have never smoked. They are just vapers. She said it has become a rite of passage into first year at secondary school. Its not a problem, its an epidemic and it is ruining young peoples lives, she said. I have never seen a craze like this. It is so accessible, so cheap. Its completely geared for young people with all the different flavours. I feel that parents and kids dont realise the impact these highly addictive vapes are having on their lungs, their capacity, and their concentration because they are so addicted to them, she said. I am doing summer camps at the minute, they are doing kayaking, they are doing water activities, they are doing obstacles. And they are not fit for anything, she said. I am looking at 13- and 14-year olds absolutely gasping for breath. This has to do with vaping. Ms Kearney is reluctant to ban vaping outright at the centre and instead has restricted use, as she worries teenagers would go somewhere less safe instead. When an adult wants to vape, by all means off you go and vape. Thats fine, she says. Im talking about young people and how its nearly a rite of passage now into first year. Her concerns are echoed at in the new junior cycle social, personal and health education (SPHE) curriculum which includes lessons on vaping, tobacco, nicotine addiction and marketing by vaping and tobacco industries. Unease is growing too at the involvement of global tobacco companies in vaping and the development of heated tobacco. Some of the biggest, most widely available e-cigarette brands are owned by tobacco companies, Californias Department of Public Health research programme, Still Blowing Smoke, has found. Indeed the website of the Altria group, formerly known as Philip Morris International of Marlboro Man fame, states they are in transition to a smoke-free future. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently banned sales of a Juul vaping device and tobacco and menthol flavoured cartridges for failing to meet health standards. The FDA has since put its ban on hold and said it will do an additional review of the company's marketing application. The company, part-owned by Altria, has appealed. Imperial Brands, formerly Imperial Tobacco, says it is expanding into potentially less harmful alternatives to traditional tobacco products. A smart move by a dying industry or a cynical bet that vaping keeps the puffing habit alive? The Health Research Board said they found teenagers who use e-cigarettes are three to five times more likely to start smoking tobacco cigarettes compared to those who never vaped. It is far from just an Irish challenge with British data showing the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping jumped from 4% in 2020 to 7% this year. Disposable vapes were favoured by 52% of those who vaped, up from 7%. Tiktok was mentioned most often as the source of online promotion (45%), followed by Instagram (31%) and Snapchat (22%). Ms Benson said: Its more of a norm these days. I was at Longitude there a few days ago, and you just saw people vaping all the time. Youre surrounded by it so much, you cant really be like I dont care about it. It is everywhere. COMPANY NEWS: Workday, Inc. , a leader in enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources , today announced it has completed an Information Security Registered Assessors Program (IRAP) assessment at the "PROTECTED" level, allowing Workday customers to securely process data, in compliance with the IRAP assessment guidelines. This assessment completion follows Workday's recent appointment to the Australian Government's Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) Cloud Marketplace and covers its suite of applications, including Workday Financial Management, Workday Human Capital Management (HCM), and Workday Adaptive Planning and associated infrastructure hosted in Workday's AWS Australia region. Governed and administered by the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), IRAP provides a process for the independent assessment of a system's security against Australian government policies and guidelines. The ACSC produces and maintains the Information Security Manual (ISM), which outlines a risk-based cyber security framework that organisations can apply to protect their information and communication technology (ICT) systems from cyber threats. Workday has undertaken the IRAP assessment against the PROTECTED ISM controls, which allows workloads to be processed and stored on Workday systems up to PROTECTED, including OFFICIAL. Workday has committed to maintaining the IRAP assessment and conducting external assessments at least every 24 months, at a minimum. "The IRAP Assessment reinforces Workday's commitment to security and privacy and helps position Workday as a leading solution for Australian federal, state, and territory government agencies wanting to move to the cloud so they can thrive in this changing world," said Jo-Anne Ruhl, managing director and vice president, Workday Australia and New Zealand. About Workday Workday is a leading provider of enterprise cloud applications for finance and human resources, helping customers adapt and thrive in a changing world. Workday applications for financial management, human resources, planning, spend management, and analytics have been adopted by thousands of organisations around the world and across industriesfrom medium-sized businesses to more than 50% of the Fortune 500. For more information about Workday, visit workday.com. Get unlimited access to all content and features at ivpressonline.com with our Full Online Access Subscription. Read our E-Edition, the digital replica of the print newspaper online, access content in exclusive sections including Family, Teen, Business, Databases, Farm and more. This option does not include daily home delivery of the Imperial Valley Press newspaper. For home delivery service, please select Premium or Premium Plus. FILE - Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, right, speaks with deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Behrouz Kamalvandi at Imam Khomeini Airport, in Tehran, Iran, Nov. 22, 2021. Iran announced Sunday, July 10, 2022, that it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear plant, state TV reported, an escalation that comes amid a standoff with the West over its tattered atomic deal. Kamalvandi said uranium enriched to 20% was collected for the first time from advanced IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday. 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. Egyptian dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, long dubbed "an icon" of the 2011 revolution, has been in and out of jail for two decades, battling for the same freedoms under four regimes. The 40-year old computer programmer and activist, now a British citizen, has been on hunger strike for 100 days, according to his family. He holds a dubious honour, having been detained by every Egyptian government of the past two decades. First imprisoned in 2006 under longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak, Abdel Fattah was then detained under Mohammed Tantawi's military government, Islamist president Mohammed Morsi's divisive rule, and today under army field marshall-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. "Alaa was known for his commitment against military trials of civilians," Egyptian-Palestinian activist Ramy Shaath, himself a former political prisoner, told AFP. Since Sisi came to power in 2013 "and the consolidation of military power, this opposition became unacceptable". Abdel Fattah is currently serving a five-year prison sentence, handed down in December for "broadcasting false news", a common accusation levelled against dissidents. Rights groups say Egypt is holding about 60,000 political prisoners, many facing brutal conditions and overcrowded cells. Abdel Fattah's family has been vocal about not just the violations he has faced, "but all crimes against humanity he has witnessed during his imprisonment", his sister Mona Seif wrote in an April statement. His continued imprisonment, Shaath told AFP, is because of his status as a symbol. "The regime wants to break him, in order to break the will of all Egyptians." Born in 1981, Abdel Fattah is the son of preeminent human rights lawyer Ahmed Seif al-Din and mathematics professor Laila Soueif, whose sister is celebrated novelist Ahdaf Soueif. His sisters Mona Seif and Sanaa Seif have for more than a decade both rallied international support for Abdel Fattah. Sanaa Seif herself has been imprisoned twice since Sisi took power in 2013. She was most recently released in December from an 18-month prison sentence for "spreading false news". - No 'end to this ordeal' - In 2011, while Abdel Fattah was detained for "inciting violence", his son Khaled was born -- and named after Khaled Said, whose death by police brutality in 2010 helped spark the revolution. In 2014, Abdel Fattah and Sanaa's father, who spent his last years in courtrooms trying to free them and other activists, died with both children incarcerated. The hashtag #FreeAlaa has been a fixture of Egyptian social media since 2006. Abdel Fattah and his family played a leading role in the January 2011 protests that toppled Mubarak, and his signature curls and scruffy beard would become a staple at every demonstration in the following years. Abdel Fattah initially backed the overthrow of Islamist Morsi by then-defence minister Sisi in 2013. He then became a leading critical voice against the crackdown that swiftly followed, as both Islamist and secular dissidents were killed or rounded up en masse. In 2014, Abdel Fattah was sentenced to five years for protesting a 2013 law that banned all demonstrations except those authorised by police. He was released in March 2019 to begin a five-year probation period, spending every night in a police station, but was arrested again in September that year in the wake of rare, small-scale anti-government protests. "They (the authorities) are not dealing with us as humans, they are treating us solely as political animals who give them a lot of headaches," Abdel Fattah told AFP during his brief taste of freedom. "They want me to be so oppressed that I am rendered invisible. I really don't see an end to this ordeal." Abdel Fattah, who obtained British nationality in April through his London-born mother, has remained a prominent voice from behind bars. In October, a British publishing house published a collection of his writings, "You Have Not Been Defeated." Fuelled by his book, his family's advocacy, and his hunger strike, politicians in London, Berlin and Brussels have been calling for his release. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday urged Sri Lanka's leaders to quickly find long-term solutions to the nation's economic and political crisis, and suggested Russia's blockade on Ukrainian grain may have contributed to the turmoil. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Saturday that he would step down after protesters stormed his residence following months of unrest over severe shortages of food and fuel. "We would urge the Sri Lankan parliament to approach this with a commitment to the betterment of the country, not any one political party," Blinken said of the upcoming exit of Rajapaksa, who had a rocky relationship with the United States. "It's incumbent on the government -- whether it's a new constitutionally selected government or existing government -- to work quickly to try to identify and implement solutions that will bring back the prospect of long-term economic stability," Blinken told reporters during a visit to Bangkok. Such solutions must address "people's discontent, which is so powerful and palpable over the worsening economic conditions," he said. He warned against attacks on protesters or journalists, saying Sri Lankans have "a right to protest, to peacefully raise their voices". "At the same time, we call for a full investigation, arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in any protest-related violence," he added. The top US diplomat also renewed his call for Russia to let an estimated 20 million tonnes of grain leave Ukraine, where it has been stuck after Moscow invaded the major exporter in February. "We're seeing the impact of this Russian aggression playing out everywhere. It may have contributed to the situation in Sri Lanka; we're concerned about the implications around the world," Blinken said. Russia says it will allow Ukrainian ships loaded with food products to leave if Ukraine's military demines its ports, an option rejected by Kyiv, which fears for the safety of its Black Sea coast. In the past, Rajapaksa had irritated the United States with his dismissal of allegations of war crimes in the bloody finale of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war and his close economic partnership with China. Both the United States and China have offered in recent weeks to support the once-prosperous island. Despite having a rough 2021, Seo Ye Ji managed to bounce back with a K-drama comeback "Eve." The 32-year-old beauty stuns viewers with her charm and acting prowess as she plays the revenge-driven Lee Ra El in tvN's new series. Viewers are drawn to Seo Ye Ji's versatility in playing two characters. Apart from Lee Ra El, the actress also plays Kim Sun Bin. Interestingly, before her return to the small screen through tvN's "Eve," the 32-year-old actress played various characters, one of which gained her massive popularity not just in South Korea, but in neighboring countries. As viewers wait for the succeeding episodes of "Eve," here are Seo Ye Ji's K-dramas that you could binge-watch throughout the weekend. 'Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth' K-drama fans were captivated by Seo Ye Ji's beauty in the 2016 series "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth." The actress played the supporting character of Princess Sook Myung but one of her remarkable scenes in the historical Kdrama is her kiss scene with Park Seo Joon. 'Save Me' From playing the role of a member of a royal family, Seo Ye Ji showed her intensity as an actress as she portrays Im Sang Mi, a new member of a religious cult who is bound to be the group's sacrificial lamb in the thriller mystery serie "Save Me." The 2017 OCN series also features her team up with Ok Taecyeon, Woo Do Hwan, and the K-drama's villain Jo Sung Ha. In "Save Me" Seo Ye Ji proved that she is more than just a pretty face but could also portray intense emotions through her character. On the other hand, the actress once revealed her preparations for the series, which made her have constant nightmares while filming "Save Me." According to an outlet, to convey the emotions of Im Sang Mi, she moved out of her house "and lived alone two weeks prior to filming." Moreover, Seo Ye Ji also shared that she spent most of her time indoors "and listened to depressing music" adding that she "literally became Sang Mi" and soon found herself Feeling furious "by the religious cult that she often cried endlessly." 'Lawless Lawyer' In the 2018 series, she transformed into a confident yet reckless lawyer Ha Jae Yi. She was joined by Lee Joon Gi as Bong Sang Pil, a former gangster turned lawyer, who started his own law firm in hopes of solving his mother's death. 'It's Okay to Not Be Okay' Definitely one of Seo Ye Ji's remarkable Kdramas to date is the psychological rom-com series "It's Okay to Not Be Okay," where she took the role of children's storybook writer Go Mun Young. In the drama, she falls in love with hospital staff Moon Kang Tae, whose older brother is a big fan of Mun Young. "It's Okay to Not Be Okay" brought Seo Ye Ji numerous awards like Popular Star Award in 2021 APAN Star Awards, Most Popular Actress at the Baeksang Arts Awards, and more IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Seo Ye Ji Faces Legal Battle Ahead of 'Eve' Premiere KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills With her riveting performance as Nairobi in "Money Heist Korea," Jang Yoon Ju enjoys the spotlight and critical acclaim from fans all over the world. Her transition from being an exquisite model to a top star generated buzz, and she even earned the moniker "The Next Jung Ho Yeon." Will the actress draw in luxurious brand deals like the "Squid Game" star? While you're here, get to know Jang Yoon Ju by reading more! 1. She dominates both the fashion and television industries. The South Korean remake of "Money Heist" boasts the meeting of veterans and new faces which is reminiscent of the 2021 hit series "Squid Game." With that said, Jang Yoon Ju, who played Nairobi, is recently compared to Jung Ho Yeon. The two stars came from the same industry - fashion and modeling - before finally venturing into acting. "Money Heist Korea" marks the actress' biggest scale debut, which is comparable to Jung Ho Yeon's first TV screen appearance through "Squid Game." On the other hand, Jang Yoon Ju built her modeling career for almost two decades, and modeled for luxury brands along big names like Kate Moss and Carla Bruni. 2. Jang Yoon Ju is an all-rounder. The model-actress studied film at the Seoul Institute of the Arts along with Son Ye Jin, Jung Woo and Han Hye Jin. Thanks to her vast knowledge about her craft, Jang Yoon Ju even co-authored a book with Kim Jae Wook, Ji Hyun Jung and Han Hye Jin, which depicts her struggle and experiences in the fashion industry. Apart from being on the runway and in front of the camera, Jang Yoon Ju is also talented in writing and even hosting, as she once led Korea's Next Top Model. 3. She appeared in aespa's 'Black Mamba' MV. Little does everyone know, Jang Yoon Ju appeared as the evil villain "Black Mamba" in aespa's debut song of the same name. While many fans didn't know her name yet, Jang Yoon Ju definitely owned the look of the gothic queen. 4. Jang Yoon Ju is friends with Vlogger Irene and Red Velvet Joy. Like Jung Ho Yeon who's friends with actors Gong Myung, Lee Honey and BLACKPINK Jennie, Jang Yoon Ju has also made connections with some of the most popular celebrities in South Korea! Jang Yoon Ju is good friends with fellow model and vlogger Irene, a beauty known for her beauty tips and great sense of fashion. In addition to that, she is also friends with idol-actor Red Velvet Joy. In an episode of "Knowing Bros," Red Velvet Joy expressed her gratitude to the model-actress for her style improvement after meeting her. The "Money Heist Korea" star isn't only a great actress, but also a true inspiration to her fans and friends! Will she become the next Jung Ho Yeon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Since its premiere, Park Eun Bin's new court drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" has continuously bag praises and acclaim. In the second week of broadcast, the ENA series makes history as it reaches a new milestone! Park Eun Bin's 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' Records New Personal Best ENA Channel's newest court drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" makes history just two weeks after its broadcast! "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" starring Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae Oh and Kang Ki Young tells the story of an autistic lawyer who works at a large law firm and is blessed with a high IQ. During its premiere, the drama struggled to see a rise in terms of viewership rating, and enjoyed an average nationwide rating of 1%. On Thursday, July 7, "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" successfully soared to its highest ratings yet for its fourth episode. The latest episode of the drama scored an average nationwide rating of 5.2%, a 1.1% higher than the score from its previous episode. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Park Eun Bin, Seo Ye Ji, Jung So Min, More Named As Most Buzzworthy Actors Park Eun Bin's "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" also became the most watched Wednesday and Thursday drama. Ultimately, the new personal best rating of the drama marks the highest rating ever achieved by any program in ENA history. As the drama progresses, it is expected to continue to entice more viewers to tune in until the end. Congratulations to the cast and production unit of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo"! Park Eun Bin's 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' To Get Webtoon Adaptation This Summer Production company AStory decides to strike while the iron is still hot! Earlier this month, AStory announced that the on-going drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" will be produced into a webtoon this summer! Because of the love that the series currently receives, the production company will adapt the same plot as the drama and release it as a webtoon in four languages including Korean, Japanese, Chinese and English. Through this, AStory aims to deliver an interesting story to the fans who love to consume short narratives through webtoons. AStory hasn't announced the webtoon's exact release date yet. In particular, the production company promises the fans that the webtoon will be enjoyed simultaneously as "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" continues to air. YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN: 3 Reasons To Tune In To Park Eun Bin's 'Extraordinary Lawyer Woo' What are you most excited to see in Park Eun Bin and Kang Tae Oh's "Extraordinary Attorney Woo"? Share your thoughts about the drama in the comments below! KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee got a surprise gift on the set of their upcoming Kdrama "Youth, Climb the Barrier." The lead stars took to social media to express their gratitude to the Hallyu star. Keep on reading for all the details. Song Hye Kyo Sends Heartwarming Surprise to Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee On Jeon So Nee's Instagram story, the actress, alongside her fellow lead star posed in front of a mobile coffee truck. Along with the photos included a message that says "On this very hot day, Kyo's love has arrived." The photo featured a coffee truck with their photos on the banner. Besides Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee's photo, the banner also showcases a sweet phrase that reads, "Cheering on the pretty So Nee and the handsome Hyung Sik! 'Youth Climb the Barrier,' find strength on this hot day!! From Song Hye Kyo." To recall, Jeon So Nee worked alongside the Hallyu star in the 2018 K-drama "Encounter" starring Song Hye Kyo and Park Bo Gum. She played Joo Hye In of the PR Team in the romance drama. On the other hand, Song Hye Kyo is currently making waves in Paris by attending the annual Fashion Week. Interestingly, apart from the Hallyu star, the duo also received a coffee truck from Choi Woo Shik. On Jeon So Nee's Instagram Stories, she snapped a series of photos expressing her gratitude for the support of their filming. "Thank youuu," she wrote. The coffee truck banner contains a message from Choi Woo Shik that says, "I hope the 'Youth Climb the Barrier' staff wrap up filming safely until the very end. Good luck! From Choi Woo Shik." On the other hand, the "Parasite" star added a hilarious message for his excellent friend Park Hyung Sik. "Let's go, 'Youth Climb the Barrier'! I'm totally rooting for you. But, Hyung Sik, don't eat/drink [anything from here]." To recall, Park Hyung Sik and Choi Woo Shik are both members of the famous friendship group Wooga Squad alongside Park Seo Joon, BTS' V, and Peakboy. 'Youth Climb the Barrier' Cast, Release Date, and What We Know So far Helmed by "Korean Peninsula," "100 Days My Prince," and "Psychopath Diary" director Lee Jong Jae with scriptwriter Jung Hyun Jung, who penned hit K-dramas such as "I Need Romance" and "Lovestruck in the City," the upcoming tvN series is a historical romance drama. "Youth Climb the Barrier" follows the story of a prince who endures a mysterious curse and meets a woman who was falsely accused of murdering her family. Apart from Park Hyung Sik and Jeon So Nee, the cast members include Yoon Jong Seok, Lee Tae Sun, Pyo Ye Jin from "Taxi Driver" and "Save Me" star Jo Sung Ha As for the release date, "Youth Climb the Barrier" is slated to air in the second half of 2022. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Wooga Squad Flexes Friendship in New Cozy 'In The SOOP' Poster KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Fans love to give celebrities nicknames; however, only a few were called the "Nation's First Love." It is a title given to rising stars who exude youthful and pretty faces, the girl next door, or the ideal type of look. Without a doubt, these actresses are adored and well-loved by fans. However, as years passed by, younger stars were given a chance to own this title. Despite this, former celebrities once dubbed "The Nation's First Love" have solidified their name in K-dramaland and are now known for their exceptional talent. In addition, some of them have tied the knot, while others are soon-to-be moms. From Jun Ji Hyun, Son ye Jin and Lee Yeon Hee, these are Hallyu's "Nation's First Loves" who are now happily married. Jun Ji Hyun One of the OG Kdrama actresses captivated viewers' hearts with her 2001 movie "My Sassy Girl." Due to her head-turning visuals playing the iconic role, she received the "Nation's First Love" title. From the smash hit film with Cha Tae Hyun, she appeared in the 2004 prequel "Windstruck" with Jang Hyuk and again gained viewers the same love. Continuing to make waves in Hallyu through her Kdramas "My Love from the Star," "The Legend of the Blue Sea," and more. Jun Ji Hyun is now married to her businessman husband, Choi Jun Hyuk. After tying the knot in April 2012, the couple was blessed with two adorable children. Unfortunately, after nine years of marriage, Jun Ji Hyun and her husband were hit with divorce rumors in 2021. However, the couple dismissed the reports and strongly denied the allegations of their marriage. Son Ye Jin One of the beloved actresses once dubbed "The Nation's First Love," Son Ye Jin impressed millions of fans with her versatility as an actress. However, she earned the title after starring in the blockbuster movie "A Moment to Remember" with Jung Woo Sung and the 2003 melodrama "The Classic." Years later, Son Ye Jin is among the top-billed stars in the industry, not to mention a soon-to-be mother. She married her "The Negotiation" and "Crash Landing on You" co-star Hyun Bin in a dreamy wedding on March 31, attended by family, relatives, and a few celebrity friends. Announcing her pregnancy, Son Ye Jin says that she wanted to "share some joyful news" with her fans saying that a "valuable life has come" to the couple. Lee Yeon Hee Besides being known as a legendary K-pop trainee who almost joined Girls' Generation, Lee Yeon Hee made a name for herself as an actress and starred in "A Millionaire's First Love" with Hyun Bin. She gained the title of "Nation's First Love" because of her charming and innocent beauty. Now, the 34-year-old beauty is happily married to her non-celebrity boyfriend. The couple tied the knot in a private ceremony on June 2, 2020. Lee Yeon recently made a small-screen comeback for the Kdrama "Welcome to Wedding Hell" opposite Lee Jin Wook and is set to appear in the upcoming race "race" with Moon So Ri. KDramastars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Did you miss her? Kim Hyun Joo may be returning to the small screen this 2022 with a riveting apocalyptic drama directed by the award-winning director of "Train To Busan" and "Peninsula"! Here's what we know so far! Kim Hyun Joo To Lead New Apocalyptic Drama After a year since her last television appearance, actress Kim Hyun Joo might make her drama comeback with a new exciting zombie drama! Kim Hyun Joo's agency, IOK Company, confirmed that the actress was offered to appear in the upcoming Netflix series "Family Burial Grounds" (literal translation). "Family Burial Grounds" is a thriller drama that tells the story of a village whose residents show various alarming symptoms before finally transforming into zombies. The drama will be spearheaded by "Train To Busan" and "Peninsula" director Yeon Sang Ho. According to IOK Company, Kim Hyun Joo is currently reviewing the offer on a positive note, and if the actress confirms her participation, "Family Burial Grounds" marks her third time working with the director. In the previous year, Kim Hyun Joo worked with the director and starred in the action occult series "Hellbound" with Yoo Ah In. Kim Hyun Joo's Upcoming Drama, Film, More Kim Hyun Joo guarantees fans a slew of multiple projects this 2022. While she is currently reviewing "Family Burial Grounds," the actress's new film "JUNG_E" is now in its post-production process. The sci-fi film is also directed by the "Train To Busan" director, and stars Kang Soo Yeon and Ryu Kyung Soo. "JUNG_E" is set in the 22nd century where Earth is no longer inhabitable due to climate change. To seek survival, researchers find a way to clone the mercenary Jung_E into a robot. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE THIS: Park Eun Bin, Seo Ye Ji, Jung So Min, More Named As Most Buzzworthy Actors In the drama, Kim Hyun Joo plays the role of the brain of the cloning experimenters. Meanwhile, the actress will act as a married woman in the new SBS TV drama "Trolley" with Joong Do. She portrays a woman who lives an everyday life despite his dirty secrets. "Trolley" shows the story of betrayal and revenge as Kim Hyun Joo's character's secrets become public. Don't miss "Trolley" this 2022! The exact release date of the series hasn't been released yet so stay tuned for more updates! Which Kim Hyun Joo drama are you most excited to see? Share it with us in the comments below! KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listens to speeches as he attends a pancake breakfast in Calgary on Saturday, July 7, 2018. Regardless of their political stripe, politicians ride into the city looking to lasso partisan support in the form of votes.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh Kenosha Prides 10th annual celebration Sunday supported LGBTQ rights in the community, and featured a call to action following the U.S. Supreme Courts overturning of the landmark Roe vs. Wade decision. The event began as a crowd of more than 200 people gathered at the war memorial in Library Park late Sunday morning. It stepped off with a procession that concluded at the Veterans Memorial Park near Lake Michigan. An outdoor festival followed. The celebration had both a decidedly festive and urgent tone, however, as event and elected officials looked to promote the importance of voting in elections. Last month, the high court overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision nearly 50 years ago that established a womans constitutional right to an abortion. That move has the LGBTQ community and their supporters mobilized as they fear the next domino will include their rights to same sex marriage, made legal just seven years ago. You know, with the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, weve also taken a stance because womens reproductive rights are LGBTQ rights, said Kenosha Pride Inc. President Dan Seaver. Our lesbian siblings, our trans siblings, our non-binary and gender-non-conforming siblings are under attack with the reversal of abortion rights. We have to fight back. We need everybody that is eligible to vote to get out and vote, Seaver said. Lt. Governor speaks Supporting the local Pride event was Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who was among the elected officials in attendance. Were facing these challenges together and thats what they call `The Beautiful Struggle and Im so glad to be a part of it with you, he said. Barnes reminded the crowd that Pride wasnt always the celebration that it has become. The origin story of Pride, it wasnt a happy thing, he said, but look what it has become. Barnes called the overturning of Roe vs. Wade a horrendous decision. As I stand here in Kenosha today, after so many struggles and so many challenges that weve been through as a community, I think about the attacks on voting rights. I think of the other side of that struggle, as well, he said. I know that with each and every one of you right alongside, arm in arm, together, we will celebrate like we have never celebrated before. Barnes said that is needed to change the course of the country for the better. (We do it) so that nobody is left behind, nobody feels like theyre excluded ... so that nobody feels like they dont have a place, he said. He reminded the crowd that Wisconsin marked many firsts when it comes to many rights. Wisconsin was the first to ratify womens right to vote in the 19th Amendment, the first to declare the Fugitive Slave Act unconstitutional, the first to ban discrimination based on ability, and the first to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation, he said. In the state of Wisconsin we have been on the forefront of bold change in this country, he said. Other speakers Other dignitaries in attendance were State Sen. Robert Wirch, D-Kenosha, state representatives Tip McGuire and Tod Ohnstad, both Kenosha Democrats, Mayor John Antaramian, and Alds. Jan Michalski and Anthony Kennedy. Kennedy served as the parades grand marshal as he did 10 years at the first local Pride event. Antaramian congratulated the local Pride organization. Ten years of Kenosha Pride and you have a right to be proud. The community has the right to be proud and we are proud of everyone who is here today to continue to support Kenosha Pride, he said. The mayor urged those gathered to become involved in the political process through voting as they seek change. Everyone here needs to get out to vote, he said. Because if you do not, were going to see ... rights of individuals continue to be lost, because we didnt vote. Kennedy, who was the last to speak before leading the march for Kenosha Pride, spoke of how far the rights of the LGBTQ community have come. Kennedy, whose 83-year-old mother is gay, grew up attending gay pride parades in New York City. He recalled how he ran into one of his teachers in 1978. His teacher was gay, but had not come out to the students hed taught. That person was enjoying themselves, saw me and became ashen, scared, because if you were gay in 1978 and a teacher in 1978, you would be fired, Kennedy said. I introduced him to my mother and life was great. Kennedy said he brought up the story because of people who had a bold vision. I use the words audacity of hope, he said, borrowing from President Barack Obamas autobiography. They knew that they were not outsiders. They knew they were not marginalized. They knew they were part of this society. No matter how much people told them they were less than, they said, No! What you see here today is a (visualization) of a dream, he said, describing how he and his mother were often alienated by society. Well, I hate to break it to you sweetie, but look around you, he said to extended applause. What you see here is love and diversity and we will win and you will die and your old habits will die with you. He had told those in power there was a change a-coming. That revolution will not be televised, he added, but it will be fabulous. We must all hang together, or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. With those words, Benjamin Franklin urged Americans to remain united in the face of Great Britains enormous power. July 4, American Independence Day, resonates in the grim celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of China receiving authority over Hong Kong from Britain. On July 1, China President Xi Jinping briefly visited Hong Kong, praising the agreement on one country, two systems by which Britain ceded control. Actually, China has been ruthless in obliterating political freedom. Knowledgeable Benedict Rogers of The Wall Street Journal has detailed the brutal, bloody continuing repression. Franklin was a newspaper publisher, among many enterprises, and his inspiring words apply directly to the media. In August 2020, police arrested influential entrepreneur and freedom advocate Lai Chee-Ying (known by the name Jimmy Lai), founder of the popular Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily and media company Next Digital. Beijing forced these companies out of business. Earlier, he created the successful clothing company Giordano. Police seized Mr. Lai at his home, then took him to his newsroom in handcuffs, a calculated public display involving two hundred officers. Simultaneously, authorities arrested others. These thugs echo the repression by the Nazi Party in Germany, and the communists of the Soviet Union, in an earlier era. However, this is not Germany in the 1930s, or even the Cold War Soviet Union. Twentieth-century totalitarians did not have to face pervasive public media. Today, anyone with a cell phone can disseminate information. Almost immediately, witnesses transmitted the shocking Hong Kong events worldwide. Pointed editorial commentaries accompanied visual imagery. The employees of Mr. Lais publications were not silenced, quite the reverse. As police rifled through desks and seized files, their police-state tactics unfolded in real time on Facebook Live. This is stark evidence of Beijings extreme repression in Hong Kong. In June 2020, China made public a harsh new national security law. The law was moved through the rubber-stamp national legislature and signed in secrecy. The United States opposes this despicable, disturbing dictatorship. In 2020, the Trump administration ended Hong Kongs favored trade status. The Biden administration has continued this policy In July 2019, Mr. Lai visited the United States. He met with Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Meanwhile, Britains government announced Hong Kong residents holding British passports and their dependents may seek citizenship. The British colony became a semiautonomous administrative region of China in 1997. Beijing today has ended that freedom, and Xis hypocrisy is obvious. Other governments should penalize China enablers, and public discussion of their business practices is essential. In 2019, Google announced termination of Project Dragonfly, a China censorship tool, after tremendous criticism, including from within the powerful corporation. Other U.S. companies, including Cisco Systems and Microsoft, have also aided Chinas dictatorship. In terms of economic influence and military power, vastly larger China dwarfs both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Yet economic realities provide opportunities for positive leverage on Beijing. U.S. government leaders must reinforce actions to date with a sustained strategy to restrain Chinas repression, and expansion. The NATO summit in Madrid for the first time has included government heads from Asia, specifically Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. Beijing has been deterred before. Today, global commercial as well as political tides are moving in the direction of freedom. Ben Franklin and associates would support Jimmy Lai and his courageous associates, and so must we. 46 Shares Share Physicians are getting their asses kicked by technology, but this is reversible if they integrate technology as they do laboratory science. Medicine needs specialized doctors who only focus on technology. This will combat burnout and take control of a system that has no other incentive to adapt to clinical needs. In 2013, I graduated medical school and went to Silicon Valley to acquire high-tech skills. During med school, an investigation of the medical specialties available to me revealed that doctors were in for a rude awakening when their profession began to digitize. My mentors were fabulous clinicians but were sorely unprepared to influence the software and ontologies that would shortly conscribe their practices in disturbing ways. In 2014, I helped launch a virtual telemedicine platform where roughly 60 thousand physicians answered patients questions by text and video conference. During this period, I was emailing 1 million U.S. doctors once a week and working with >1,000 directly on our initial launch. I also obtained a professional certificate in preventive medicine from Stanford Universitys Department of Medicine and did translational research contributing to the regulation of e-cigarettes. It was a trial by fire in interdisciplinary research and a practical PhD in a specialty that still doesnt exist an MD technologist. After a busy three years, I attempted to return to a U.S. or Canadian medical residency and found a rude awakening. I was not welcome back in clinical medicine. No residency would take me because I was considered to have deserted my clinical training. At first, I was incredulous. Surely my beloved physicians would understand that I had brought Prometheuss promised fire back to them? Surely they saw the value of having a resident who loved bedside medicine but knew enough about med-tech to help their program from becoming obsolete? It would appear not. I made hundreds of applications to more than 30 specialties, including general practice in both the U.S. and Canada, with no success. Time and again, the response in interviews with otherwise outstanding clinicians was, What have you been doing of relevance to medicine since medical school? I faced a solid wall of ignorance about Moores law, blind arrogance about how much of a doctors job could and would shortly be delegated to a robot or AI. I experienced complete failure to anticipate the moves of larger forces in government and health care who were actively reducing physicians power because of their economic gatekeeper role in health care spending. I left clinical medicine entirely in 2019, with regret but resolution. The writing was on the wall. Bedside medicine was the best part of being a physician. It was fighting for preservation in an overwhelming wave of data-entry doctors who seemed to be choosing to dumb down and digitize their work and then be replaced by AI. What if physicians embraced technology? What health care systems, high-tech companies and venture capitalists generally misunderstand about doctors is that they are plenty smart, just ignorant about high-tech development. And ignorance is correctable. Doctors are smart, compassionate people who are guilty of willful blindness when it comes to technology. They have abdicated the responsibility for the design and development of technology to non-clinical professions, then externalized their frustrations with the consequence of this professional decision. Yes, physicians are stubborn by nature and slow to adopt tech cycles. That doesnt mean they dont do it; they just do it late. And in high-tech, late is after its built. Physicians should incorporate high-tech the way they have incorporated bench research. In other words, actively select candidates with high-tech experience, reward mid-career forays into high-tech development and enable high-tech development the way they do bench research. While most physicians feel honor-bound to participate in bench research in the course of training, they have minimal respect or competence in how technology is designed or developed. Every human adult is frustrated with technology. The 21st century is one long click-bait, spinning wheel, spam phone call and interminable support queue. The digital world is under assembly, and we are living in a construction zone. Doctors are not alone in their frustrations. They are simply failing to take responsibility for their profession. And predictably, their avoidance of the problem is a problem that is causing them problems. Doctors would make good technologists. When I first left my medical training, I lacked the intellectual humility and collaborative problem-solving skills necessary to participate meaningfully in software development projects. I was simply not trained to be good at complex cognitive collaborations. I didnt have the minimal tech skills needed to work collaboratively at speed. Tech like GitHub, Google Docs, lateral skills transfer, and multi-channel comms technologist stuff that is learned as a trade and not taught in schools the bedside medicine of the tech world. I was the product of my career choice. Doctors are trained to be authoritative and responsible, similar to the military (another discipline that is failing badly in technology development this decade). They are socialized and incentivized to be competitive, secretive, memorize and regurgitate information and conform to hierarchy. In contrast, technologists are trained to be anonymous, open and irresponsible, putting out broken or barely developed software and learning to break shit to discover the world by trial and error. They are socialized and incentivized to solve problems collaboratively, and stay contemporary by borrowing everything in real-time from internet forums. Doctors structure their information, and technologists assess it for utility. In many ways, the heroes of these two disciplines are two very different people. But this contrast although real is merely an ideal. The same divergence could be seen between the ideal internist and the ideal bench researcher. In 2021, many of the medical specialties that are the most lucrative in both the U.S. and Canada are the ones that have embraced technology wholeheartedly diagnostic radiology and ophthalmology. Every medical discipline accesses pathologists and public-health doctors, which are also heavily lab-based and research-based specialties. COVID-19 has changed the medical technology landscape, and for the first time in many years, venture capital is investing heavily in medical technology. Simultaneously, doctors have an opportunity to belly up to the table and participate in the design and development of medical apps that run over EHR interfaces like the Harvard SMART Platform. Physicians can do better. I wholeheartedly believe that when they do, everyone will benefit. Drea Burbank is a physician-entrepreneur. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Irish Cattle and Sheep Farmers Association (ICSA) Sheep chair Sean McNamara has described the delay in publishing the Wool Feasibility Study as unconscionable as sheep farmers endure another disastrous wool clipping season. Wool has been valued as practically worthless for three consecutive years now and sheep farmers are at their wits end. It makes no sense that this valuable natural resource is only worth around 20c/kg to farmers when we know the myriad of uses it could be put to, he said. Sheep farmers are relying on the Wool Feasibility Study to breathe life back into the wool sector. It is a disgrace that another years clip has not be properly valued or properly utilised. This year we also have the added pressure of the rising cost of shearing. Everything has shot up in price and the standard quote for shearing is now 3/hd. Shearing is an expense that is becoming more and more difficult to bear with wool prices as flat as they are. Wool merchants are also feeling the pressure due to the lack of markets for wool domestically. The potential is there for all the wool produced in this country to be used as insulation or fertiliser, but we need to get our hands on the Wool Feasibility Study, and we need to see action on getting these types of businesses up and running. Mr McNamara said the best option for sheep farmers may be to hold on to their wool this year. Between the inflated cost of shearing, the low prices were getting for our wool, plus the cost of fuel to even get the wool to the merchants, it might not even be worth selling. Storing wool for time being may be the way to go as we anticipate the Wool Feasibility Study will address all the issues around wool composting and using wool as a fertiliser. Farmers could then at least get some value out of their wool by using it on their own farms. An internationally acclaimed actor, Belfast born Stephen Rea has appeared in films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire, Breakfast On Pluto and Neil Jordans The Crying Game for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. This August, Stephen returns to Kilkenny Arts Festival to host Saiocht, a beautiful evening of music and poetry in St. Johns Priory on Monday, August 8. Proceeds from tickets will go to Kilkenny Civil Defence Ukraine Appeal. Saiocht features Irelands leading poets Gabriel Rosenstock and Emily Cullen. Joined by acclaimed Irish traditional musicians, Louise Mulcahy, Michelle Mulcahy and Neil Martin, the super-group will explore the fascinating artistic relationship between the Irish literary tradition and Irish traditional music. Together they will celebrate our rich Irish legacy with Stephen Rea reading works from Heaney, Kinsella and the more Irish established poets. Weve just learned that two Kilkenny poets - Robert McLoughlin and Emily Murtagh will have their works read too by the famous actor on the night. Stephen is really looking forward to his visit to Kilkenny and throughout our discussion he praised the young Irish talent of today, who are taking the tradition of Irish music and poetry to keep us lifted in these uncertain times. Here is a glimpse of the upcoming the Saiocht show and Stephen Reas contribution Stephen, Saiocht had its debut performance in January for Dublins Temple Bar Tradfest, which you hosted, and I believe you had a very special guest in the audience that night. We always have special guests in the audience, we had Uachtaran na hEireann Michael D. Higgins and John Boorman, the great film director too. Michael D loves culture and in particular Irish poetry and music. You really admire the youth of today and what they are doing for Irish culture. Well, the thing is, the younger poets in Ireland are doing fantastically well. The show is going so well, combining the poetry and the music is inspiring because the young musicians are so inspiring. The Mulcahy sisters, Louise and Michelle, who will perform on the night are sensational. Not forgetting the older people too, like Neil Martin who is truly a great musician and whom Im always with for my visits to Kilkenny Arts Festival. I've never seen such commitment and sensitivity to the work that the Mulcahys bring. Its not that they shed the past, instead they have taken the past on board, and they are moving on and playing the music in their own way. They are freeing the music. We live in a country that has changed in so many ways, in attitudes etc., and these kids lift us. They have serious intellect as well; they are phenomenal people. Their understanding of music requires these qualities. Louise Mulcahy (Note to reader) A multi-award-winning performer on both uilleann pipes and flute Louise Mulcahy has performed around the world and is a regular performer and contributor on television and radio. Louises research work on women in uilleann piping was released in a landmark documentary for TG4 titled, Mna na bPiob in 2021. Alongside four album releases with father, Mick, and sister Michelle, Louise released her highly acclaimed debut solo album titled Tuning the Road. Michelle Mulcahy is considered to be one of Irelands most talented multi-instrumentalists in Irish traditional music today. Awarded the prestigious TG4 Young Musician of the Year in 2006 and was also awarded Female Musician of the Year in 2005 and in 2013 at the Live-Ireland awards in the United States.) Stephen will be hosting and reading poetry on the night. Why do you like reading poetry so much? Ive always liked reading aloud. It was the only thing I was any good at! Especially in school, when all the other guys hated it, they couldnt wait for their turn to be over, but I actually loved it. It was really my first taste of performance. I also know a lot of these poets, through been invited to work with them, its an honour to read their work. Its also a learning curve, especially when you have music and poetry combined, language is music, they go very well together, particularly Irish poetry and Irish music. They are the one thing. What poetry do you love to read? Unfortunately, weve lost a few of our great Irish poets recently; Kinsella, Vaughan and Mahon, and Heaney before them. You cant replace them. We have the wonderful Emily Cullen joining us on Monday, August 8. Emily Cullen is Galway based poet and originally from Dublin. Her work is beautiful and I very much forward to working with her in Kilkenny. I see a great revival in the Irish language and thats what Gabriel Rosenstock is about, who will also read on the night. What is your favourite line of poetry? I do love Mahon. He was from Belfast 15, the same as me and we never thought Belfast 15 was particularly poetic but turns out it is with great artists like Bradshaw coming from there as well. I love a poem called the Brave New World by Derek Mahon. and theres a line in face the brave new world with a wry grin of tolerance and irony, not of emptiness state I think its really appropriate for the world we live in now. Ive reached a late stage in my life and suddenly the world is a very frightening place, and I think what must it be like for younger people? When I was younger, we had such hope, even though it was futile. You are a world-renowned actor, with some incredible movies to your name. Do you have a favourite? Oh, I think the best movie Ive been in was the Crying Game, they dont get any better than that. Ive havent seen it in many years, but I did say to Neil Jordon afterwards, its a masterpiece. Neil is a sublime artist. The Crying Game is very special, its dealing with identity that could be anywhere in the world, and he (Neil Jordon) expands it from black and white, Catholic and Protestant, to gender, very early on in the movie. Its also a film about love, where he thinks he cant love a person of the same gender and suddenly he finds out that he does and thats beautiful. Stephen Rea and guests perform at the stunning St. Johns Priory on August 8, as part of Kilkenny Arts Festival. Full proceeds from tickets go to Kilkenny Civil Defence Ukraine Appeal. Tickets priced at 20 plus booking are available from www.kilkennyarts.ie. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. 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. At least 15 dead in a mass shooting at a bar in Soweto, South Africa Former Gov. Bill Richardson expected to travel to Moscow to work on securing the release of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan Chinese, Singaporean FMs meet on ties, cooperation Xinhua) 10:41, July 10, 2022 Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met here with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on bilateral ties and cooperation. During their meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting, Wang said China-Singapore high-level cooperation has become a front-runner in the region and is leading trends of the times, calling for further strategic communication and broader practical cooperation to bring bilateral relations to a new level. Balakrishnan said Singapore-China relations have enjoyed a sound momentum of growth, with close high-level exchanges lending strong impetus to the development of bilateral ties. He expressed hope to restore offline high-level exchanges at an early date, and work with China to prepare for meetings under the Singapore-China bilateral cooperation mechanism. Singapore welcomes and supports China in applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), Balakrishnan said. He congratulated China on celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, saying it is great to see Hong Kong restore stability and that he is confident that Hong Kong will embrace a brighter future and make greater achievements under the new-term HKSAR government. Wang said China stands ready to maintain high-level exchanges with Singapore, and thanked Singapore's support for China to join the CPTPP and DEPA, adding that China is willing to maintain communication with all relevant parties on this issue. Wang stressed that Hong Kong has restored order with its people enjoying security and freedom once again. The legal system has been gradually improved, and Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping and trading center will be more solid. The two sides also exchanged views on regional cooperation and other issues of common concern. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) South Korea's Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Jung Sang-hwa plans to meet with senior American military officials on the sidelines of a military air show to open in Britain this week, his office said Sunday. The Royal International Air Tattoo, the world's largest military air show, is scheduled to take place in Gloucestershire from Friday to Sunday. Jung will meet with Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr., the chief of staff of the Air Force, and Gen. John W. Jay Raymond, the chief of space operations at the Space Force, when he visits there for the event. They are expected to have discussions on bilateral defense capabilities, including ways for expanding the participation in multilateral drills against North Korea's provocations. Before heading to Britain, he plans to make a two-day trip to Thailand from Monday for meetings with his local counterpart. (Yonhap) Gloria Yoder lives in Flat Rock, Illinois. She likes to cook, bake, garden and being a mom! Readers can send her mail at P.O. Box 157, Middletown, Ohio 45042. For more recipes and information about the Amish lifestyle go to amish365.com. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Submit slide 2 of 6 TWICE Sana flaunts her charms while donning a backless sequin top in her new SNS photos, posted on July 7. Sana looked like she was busy doing a photo shoot outdoors. She showed off her slender body, drawing admiration. READ ALSO: TWICE Jihyo Diet & Workout Routine: Here's How the 'SCIENTIST' Singer Maintains Her Figure While dance enthusiasts rejoiced following the introduction of eight crews for Mnet's "Street Man Fighter," Melody, the fandom of BTOB, showed anger after one crew had the same name and logo as the K-pop boy group. Here's how the program responded. Mnet 'Street Man Fighter' Releases Side Following BTOB-BIIB Group Names Conflict On July 8, an official from Mnet's upcoming dance reality show, "Street Man Fighter," released their response following backlash caused by BANK2BROTHERS crew's name. In particular, Melody (fandom of BTOB), earlier expressed their anger and frustration after it came to their knowledge that the crew would also be referred to as BIIB. Although it was spelled differently, its pronunciation and Hangul will be the same with BTOB. Fans also complained that BIIB's logo and slogan's "Born to be Hip" were similar to BTOB's past logo and slogan, "Born to Beat." As more internet users and K-pop enthusiasts demand Mnet to apologize and change its name, the program officially announced on Joy News 24 that: "This is Mnet's production crew. This is a notice related to the crew name of BANK2BROTHERS, currently participating in "Street Man Fighter." BTOB is an abbreviation that BANK2BROTHERS Crew already used. But we recognized the confusion and decided to use the crew's full name to reduce broadcast confusion and increase distinction in the future. We will also quickly change the logo and signal to increase their originality, and from next week, we will introduce the changed version," he added. We ask for your interest in 'SMF'." BIIB vs BTOB Group Names Issue: Is Mnet Using K-pop Group as Trick to Gain Attention? As the controversy grew over this, the program released its side, announcing future changes. However, the fandom Melody is still disappointed that Mnet and "Street Man Fighter" didn't apologize to fans in the end. As the issue is yet to be subdued, even K-media outlet such as JTBC expressed their thoughts on this and criticized Mnet for using the issue as a "trick" to gain attention from fans. One point is that Mnet shortened BANK2BROTHERS to BIIB, pronounced as "BTOB" and encouraged fans to vote by listing the dance crew the same way "BTOB" was written in Korean. The group is already an established 11-year group in Korea, while the dance crew is new. So if fans will vote and see the name, non-SMF fans will not even think they are voting for a group that is not BTOB. Even if you search for Crew's full name BANK2BROTHERS on YouTube, no video related to SMF was searched at all as well. BAN2BROTHERS Feeldog is also receiving frustration from internet users. This is because he is a junior of BTOB, and above everyone, he should know and understand the importance of identity for idols. What are your thoughts on this? For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson 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 Jamie Wells doesnt want to vote ever again. The one and only time she did was back in November 2020. That single ballot caused so much stress and turmoil and mounting debt that she will probably never again do it. Wells, 53, is one of five people charged with election fraud for having a UPS Store listed as their voting address by Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney a Republican candidate vying for Wisconsin attorney general who has made voter fraud and election security key issues in his campaign. Wells and her husband, who was also charged, could be considered collateral damage of the widespread false belief that massive voter fraud marred the 2020 election. That lie has sparked numerous lawsuits in Wisconsin and a raft of GOP-authored bills seeking to impose voting restrictions all of them vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Under Wisconsin law, only residential addresses where someone actually lives can be used for voter registration. Wells said she and her husband didnt know that using the UPS Store address to vote was a problem. She said she felt motivated to vote for the very first time to re-elect then-President Donald Trump. The couple now faces up to three and a half years in prison and maximum fines of $10,000 each. Wells and her husband also would be barred from voting until they serve their full sentences, including any probation or supervision. A Wisconsin Watch analysis of the states voter rolls found that Wells and the others charged in Fond du Lac County are far from the only people who could unknowingly have listed incorrect voting addresses. There are 30 UPS Stores in the state, and 117 people have those addresses on their voter registrations. Additionally, a Wisconsin Watch search of 47 U.S. Post Office addresses in Dane and Milwaukee counties, where people can get a P.O. Box, found 44 voters registered at those addresses. Wells said she and her husband have used that UPS Store in Fond du Lac as their address for decades without a problem. They registered to vote using that address because they didnt have another one to list. But this (prosecutor) here seems to think Im a criminal, she said. And thats the part that upsets me most of anything. Wisconsin Watch found at least one district attorney in Wisconsin who received a similar referral of people using UPS Store addresses to vote. La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said he was alerted to 15 people who had voted using such addresses in 2020 by the La Crosse city clerk. Gruenke, a Democrat, declined to prosecute. Im not sure what kind of fraud would be happening, he said. Ion Meyn, an assistant law professor at the University of Wisconsin, called the cases against Wells and others in Fond du Lac County a real abuse of (prosecutorial) discretion. Toney did not respond to multiple requests for an interview nor answer emailed questions. But in a statement to Wisconsin Watch, he said attorney ethics rules prevent him from commenting on a pending case. Elections are cornerstone (sic) of our democracy which must be defended at every turn, not just when you agree with the law or the politics, he wrote. I want people (to) exercise their right to vote and ensure they do so lawfully. Wisconsin law requires someone to register to vote where they live, not where they receive mail. That is made clear on voter registration forms. Toney is endorsed by some of Racine Countys most prominent Republicans: Racine County Sheriff Christopher Schmaling; state Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine, a retired Racine police officer; Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave; Racine County Clerk of Courts Sam Christensen; and Racine County District Attorney Tricia Hanson. The Racine Police Association union has also endorsed Toney. A tou ted tough-on-fraud stance Voter fraud is extremely rare because, among other factors, its difficult to do with all of the safeguards and checks in the process. Multiple reviews and audits found no widespread fraud in Wisconsins 2020 election or in any other state. Local elections clerks in Wisconsin referred 12 cases to prosecutors related to the 2020 general election, out of 3.3 million ballots cast. But Wells and the others charged in Fond du Lac County were not among them. Toney has said the tip came from Peter Bernegger, a Wisconsin man who has since been fined $2,400 by the Wisconsin Elections Commission for making frivolous complaints including the one against Wells. Election and criminal law experts questioned the motives behind, and the validity of, the cases against Wells and others. They say prosecutions like these as well as disinformation about voter fraud and its prevalence can discourage people from voting and lead to new laws that add unnecessary barriers to voting. If a voter cant trust that an innocent error wont result in a felony conviction, that might make voters think twice about whether its worth it to vote at all, Marquette University election law expert Atiba Ellis said. During a February news conference, Toney said there was a public education aspect to his decision to charge. Its important to draw attention to this so people understand how do they vote or register, to make sure that they dont end up with a referral to a local district attorney that could result in a felony voter fraud charge, Toney said. During his introduction at the Republican Party of Wisconsin convention in May, Toney pushed his reputation as one of the most aggressive prosecutors of election fraud in the state. Couple leads mobile life Wells considers Fond du Lac home, although her Louisiana accent might hint otherwise. Wells met her husband when he was working in Louisiana, and they married in 1989. A month later they moved to Madison. His work on farms takes him all over the state. Instead of being separated for long periods of time or long drives, they live in a 42-foot pull behind camper. In an interview with Wisconsin Watch, Wells said while she considers herself a Republican, she and her husband had never been politically active. She didnt even know Wisconsin was a swing state. I just figured Trump could do a better job, she said. And I just aint a Joe Biden fan. He seems like he might be a nice guy, but I just thought Trump was the better thought. So she and her husband registered to vote online, using the same address they had used for decades. It never told me nothing (was wrong), she said. Then in January, while she was visiting family in Louisiana, Wells got a call from a Fond du Lac police detective. I spoke to him, and I told him the exact truth of what happened, Wells said, adding that she later discovered only through a friend that she and her husband had been criminally charged. A hammer in search of a nail Eliza Sweren-Becker, voting rights and elections expert in the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, said when there are instances of misconduct, its usually fraud targeting voters not the other way around. Ellis, the Marquette expert, agreed, pointing to a recent election fraud scandal in North Carolina involving an alleged absentee ballot-harvesting scheme that caused a 2018 primary election for Congress to be overturned. The Republican operative who was charged died earlier this year while awaiting trial. Thats what an illegal voting operation looks like, Ellis said not an innocent mistake by a person who is actually eligible to vote. Ellis said the choice to prosecute cases involving incorrect votes suggests an effort not to ensure the integrity of elections but to promote a false narrative that there is widespread criminality in the voting process. Fraud is about an intent to deceive, Ellis said. And the danger in our current election integrity rhetoric is innocent mistakes get swept up and purported as deceptive acts. The lie of widespread fraud has consequences: A June Marquette Law School Poll found two-thirds of Wisconsin Republicans said they have little or no confidence in the legitimacy of President Joe Bidens election. However, Sweren-Becker said organized efforts to find voter fraud have mostly come up empty because its not widespread and rarely impacts elections. The new laws and prosecutions are all a hammer in search of a nail, she said. DA refuses to prosecute mistake Toney wasnt the only county prosecutor who had to decide whether to charge voters with a UPS Store address on their registration. Gruenke, the La Crosse County district attorney, said he reviewed 22 cases referred to his office after the November 2020 election for people who used UPS Store addresses to register, including 15 who voted. Gruenke gets a handful of referrals for suspected election fraud after major elections. He said he has charged maybe five people in the past decade, but most referrals involve a simple mistake. Sometimes someone requests an absentee ballot but then votes in person. Elderly voters who have memory issues may vote at the wrong polling location. Sometimes theres a mix-up due to a common name, like a father and son who are Sr. and Jr. Like those cases, Gruenke considered the UPS Store-related referrals to be a mistake not fraud. Theres no way a jury would say they intentionally did something to fool anybody, Gruenke said. A really tortured view of the law Meyn, the UW law professor, said for a jury to convict Wells and the others, Toney would need to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that they werent eligible to vote and that they registered knowing they were not qualified to vote. Nothing in the criminal complaint alleges they were ineligible or knowingly misrepresented where they lived. Meyn said the prosecution appears politically motivated. Here you have a prosecutor who is taking a really tortured view, in my mind, of what this provision (in the statute) means, Meyn said. I just find that so irresponsible. Wells and her attorney are optimistic theyll win. But even if they do, the episode has already exacted a high cost. The months since Wells was charged have been tough on her, her family and even her marriage. As she awaits trial, Wells said her emotions are like a roller coaster, and she often cries. The couple expects to rack up more than $17,000 in legal bills. Wells said relatives have pitched in to pay for their defense. Were not millionaires, so weve had to borrow money, she said. And yeah, (we) still have to pay it all back. Amaravati, Jul 10: The number of pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh missing in the Amarnath yatra cloudburst tragedy increased to 37 on Sunday evening as relatives called the authorities and informed that their kin remain untraced. Till now, 84 pilgrims were reported safe as they came in contact with their relatives as well as authorities, official sources here said. On Sunday afternoon, the state government said only two women from Rajamahendravaram remained untraced in the Amarnath tragedy. Amarnath Cloudburst: Indian Army Inducts Radars To Trace Survivors Under Debris "Subsequently, we received calls from several persons that their relatives could not be contacted after the cloudburst and flash flood near the holy cave shrine. As per the information, we now have 37 missing cases," a senior official involved with the rescue mission told PTI. About 29 members in two groups from Nellore, two persons from Eluru, three of a family from Rajamahendravaram and one from Undrajavaram near Tanuku were the latest to be reported missing, in addition to the two women from Rajamahendravaram. "My colleague and some others went to Amarnath. I last spoke to her on Thursday but after that the contact has been lost. I have called the officials and police even in Jammu. Our Additional Resident Commissioner Himanshu Kaushik spoke to me and informed about the search operation," one Vasudha of Nellore said over phone. According to data provided by government sources, of the 20-member team that went to Amarnath from Rajamahendravaram, only two women remained untraced. "Their husbands returned to Srinagar but the women were still missing. They may have been injured or reached some other place. We are conducting the search operation to trace them," a senior official said. The local Revenue Divisional Officer visited the kin of the two women in Rajamahendravaram on Sunday and discussed the situation. A 38-member team from Guntur, a 17-member team from Tadepalligudem, a six-member team from Tirupati and another pilgrim from Vizianagaram were also reported safe. A few pilgrims from Rajampet in Kadapa district were also reported safe but their number was not clear, according to government data. State government authorities got in touch with many of the pilgrims, and also their families here, and confirmed that the tourists were safe after the cloudburst and flash flood near the holy cave shrine. The state government dispatched AP Bhavan Additional Resident Commissioner Himanshu Kaushik to Srinagar to coordinate with the local authorities and ensure safety of the state's pilgrims, an official release here said. The AP government also opened a dedicated helpline number 1902 to extend required help to pilgrims from the state. Helplines were also set up in the AP Bhavan in New Delhi for any assistance to pilgrims and their relatives, the release added. Silchar (Assam) [India], July 10 (ANI): As many as five Rohingya children who were detained by police in Assam's Cachar district on May 29, escaped by breaking a wall of an observation home in Silchar where they were kept in. According to the Cachar district police, the incident occurred on July 1. Also Read | Jammu & Kashmir: 700 Local Youths Recruited by Terror Groups in Last Four Years, 141 Terrorists Active in UT. Ramandeep Kaur, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Cachar district told ANI today that, they were kept at the observation home in the Meherpur area in Silchar. "We actually got to know, but not reported. We are looking into it. Most likely we will be able to find them soon," Kaur said. Also Read | Indian Oil Recruitment 2022: Apply For 39 Junior Operator Posts on iocl.com; Check Details Here. A police official said that they took advantage of the recent flood situation in Silchar and fled by breaking a wall of the observation home along with four other children staying at the observation home. On May 29, Cachar district police apprehended 26 Rohingyas including 12 children in the Silchar area. Coming from Jammu and Kashmir, the Rohingyas reached Kamakhya railway station in Guwahati on May 28 night and travelled to Silchar by road. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Srinagar, July 10: The Indian Army on Sunday inducted radars to trace survivors under the debris which was laid after a cloudburst struck the area near the holy shrine of Amarnath on Friday. "Xaver 4000 radar has been inducted and has been operational at Amarnath since late noon for finding any survivors under the debris," said Indian Army officials. Amarnath Cloudburst: Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha Visits Pahalgam Base Camp Earlier, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited a base camp in Pahalgam and met pilgrims. "The security personnel and administration have carried out an efficient rescue operation. We pay condolences to those who lost their lives. Efforts are underway to resume the Yatra along with repairing the path. Pilgrims should come, we will provide them with all facilities," Sinha assured.Madhya Pradesh: Bomb Threat Call for Jaipur-Secunderabad Express Turns Out To Be Hoax. The Amarnath yatra was temporarily suspended on Friday, till further notice. However, the pilgrims have been waiting at the Baltal Base camp for it to recommence. As many as 35 pilgrims were discharged following treatment, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) Officials informed on Saturday. "35 pilgrims have been discharged following treatment. 17 people are getting the treatment and are likely to get discharged tonight. All safe and healthy," said SASB Officials. The critically injured patients were airlifted to Srinagar. "Critically injured people were airlifted to Srinagar. 2 people who were buried but were alive were rescued. We're taking all precautionary steps. 41 missing as per Jammu and Kashmir police out of which some were rescued. Yatra may resume within a day or two," said Kuldiep Singh, DG, CRPF. As per the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) data on Saturday, at least 16 people have died in the cloud burst incident near the holy shrine of Amarnath.Meanwhile, four Mi-17V5 and four Cheetal helicopters of the Indian Air Force were deployed for rescue and relief efforts at the Amarnath shrine on Saturday. The Cheetal helicopters flew 45 sorties, carrying five NDRF and Army personnel and 3.5 tonnes of relief material while evacuating 45 survivors from the holy cave.Earlier the officials on Saturday informed that the LG chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing rescue and relief operations at Amarnath cave. Meanwhile, the Indian Army informed that they have pulled up "critical rescue equipment" to speed up the rescue operations in the affected areas. "Indian Army pulls up critical rescue equipment to speed up the process of rescue operations and route maintenance in view of recent cloudburst of Amarnath in which 16 people lost their lives while several are assumed missing," said the Indian Army.(ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 10 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Visakhapatnam to participate in "Vahana Mitra" programme on July 13. Visakhapatnam District Collector A Mallikharjuna ordered the district officials to make the necessary arrangements. Also Read | Sri Lankan PM Residence Now a picnic Spot Read @ANI Story | Latest Tweet by ANI Digital. On Saturday evening, Collector, Commissioner of Police Srikanth, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Lakshmisha, along with Joint Collector KS Viswanadhan visited AU Engineering Grounds. On this occasion, the collector discussed and issued several instructions on the stage arrangements, stalls, VIP vehicle arrival, beneficiary arrival and vehicle arrival and other arrangements. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. He instructed officials to ensure the removal of shrubs and rust from the surroundings of the grounds in view of the Chief Minister's programme. Vahana Mitra is a welfare scheme for auto, taxi, maxi cab owners cum drivers under which the beneficiary will be given financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per annum for annual maintenance of their vehicle. The scheme was launched in September 2019. Earlier, the state government had relaxed some guidelines so that more auto and car owners cum drivers can avail the benefit. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ajmer (Rajasthan) [India], July 10 (ANI): Days after a cleric was arrested in Rajasthan's Ajmer over a provocative video in which he was purportedly seen giving a threat to suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma, Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Gaddi Nashin-Dargah Ajmer Sharif and the Chairman of Chishty Foundation in Ajmer on Sunday denounced the provocative statements and said those who said these slogans of violence, death and destruction are the real culprits. Haji Syed Salman Chishty clarified and said that the provocative sloganeering and statements are not attached to Dargah Ajmer Sharif and they denounce and boycott completely those who have raised these slogans. Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Complements IAFs Long-term Vision of lean & Lethal Force, Says Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. His remark came after a person Salman Chishti was arrested by police for allegedly making a provocative statement against Nupur Sharma. He was heard saying in the video that he would gift his house and property as a reward to anyone who brings him the head of Nupur Sharma who had made controversial remarks on Prophet Mohammad. Chishty Foundation in Ajmer also gave a statement clarifying that the arrested person is not related or connected with the Dargah. Also Read | Single-Use Plastic Ban: DPCC Sets Up Control Room To Monitor Implementation of Ban on SUP Items. Speaking to ANI, Haji Syed Salman Chishty said, "We completely denounce the slogans which are anti-Islamic and anti-humanity. They are the real culprits who are bringing these slogans of violence, death and destruction." He further said that the world should know that this has nothing to do with Ajmer Dargah Sharif or the community of Ghareeb Nawaz. "To hear such slogans which are not attached to Dargah Ajmer Sharif and some individuals who have raised these slogans-we denounce and boycott them completely. The world should know that this has nothing to do with Ajmer Dargah Sharif or the community of Ghareeb Nawaz," said the Chairman of Chishty Foundation. He said that such slogans and calls for violence are un-Islamic, anti-Islamic, anti-humanity and anti-society. "The authority should take note of such individuals and exemplary punishment should be given to them. This is an issue of radical ideology which has been creeping up," he added. Earlier in a statement, the foundation gave clarification on mistaken identity, image and photo erroneously used in a section of media reports about controversial and provocative statements on an extremely sensitive matter related to suspended spokesperson of a political party Nupur Sharma issued through video message by a person named 'Salman Chishti urf Salman' from Ajmer, who has many criminal cases filed against him and is a history-sheeter in the local Police Station records. "We hereby clarify that the aforesaid person and circumstances are in no way connected or related to Haji Syed Salman Chishty Gaddi Nashin-Dargah Ajmer Sharif (Chairman-Chishty Foundation) Rajasthan, India. Certain sections of the media have also erroneously used the photographs/image representation of Haji Syed Salman Chishty from Dargah Ajmer Sharif, who has a considerable social media and web following as his name, details and pictures show up when anyone searched in google search and online web search engines," the statement reads. It further said that this is creating huge confusion and misunderstanding leading to extensive damage to the public profile, personality, Interfaith Peace initiatives, Unity summits and dialogues along with the global humanitarian services work undertaken by Haji Syed Salman Chishty on behalf of Ajmer Sharif and Chishty Foundation, India. "The Chishty Sufi Order strongly condemns such statements and firmly believes in holy and sacred teaching of Hazrat Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty (R.A.) which is "Love Towards All and Malice Towards None" that is which enables Peace, Unity and Universal Brotherhood in light of Chishty Principles of Unconditional Love among the Human Family on Planet Earth," it said. "This clearly is a case of mistaken identity. We urge all media representatives and editors to avoid this mistake and refrain from using photograph/image representation of Haji Syed Salman Chishty in all the published media reports and social media handles as we do not have any remote connection with the said controversial accused person 'Salman Chishty urf Salman'. We thank you for your understanding and cooperation," it 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) New Delhi [India], July 10 (ANI): With an aim to spread clarity about the Agnipath scheme, the Defence Minister will chair a consultative committee meeting which will include the presence of Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, the three service chiefs and the Defence Secretary. Sources aware of the development say that it was a personal initiative taken by the defence ministry to allay the fears of the opposition on Agnipath so that it could lead to a clear political solution. Also Read | Chhattisgarh Shocker: Denied Alcohol, Three Men Shoot Dead Couple in Jashpur; Accused Absconding. The meeting holds importance in terms of laying out facts before various members of Parliament just before the upcoming Monsoon Session. "We have the Parliament session coming up and opposition parties are going to raise this particular issue and try and create a ruckus so in order to iron out whatever their issues or regarding the scheme and clarity can be provided this initiative has been taken by the Raksha Mantri," sources told ANI. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. Notably, Rajnath Singh also took on personal initiatives to brief senior opposition leaders on issues like India's relationship with China and the LAC issue. Even then Singh had made personal calls and clarified the issues with former defence Minister Sharad Pawar and AK Antony amongst the others. Indian Army and Navy have begun accepting registrations for the Agniveers programme, according to a July 2 Defense Ministry announcement. Agniveers will be enlisted for four years in the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the plan. Based on merit, willingness, and medical fitness, up to 25 per cent of them could be retained or re-enlisted in the regular cadre after four years. 75% of the population will be qualified for "Seva Nidhi" packages of 11-12 lakh rupees. Additionally, they will be given bank loans and skill certificates for their second career. The Air Force has received 7,49,899 applications for recruitment Several senior members of Parliament including Mallikarjun Kharge, Manish Tiwari, Supriya Sule, P Wilson amongst those who are part of this committee that will hold the meeting tomorrow. (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 10 (PTI) Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested to BJP workers to focus on weaker sections in communities other than Hindus, the party's minority wing has prepared a blueprint to reach out to Pasmanda Muslims, among the most backwards in the community. The BJP's minority morcha head Jamal Siddiqui, himself a Pasmanda Muslim, said the party's outreach activities for them are based broadly on two aspects -- ensuring they get the benefits of the Modi government's welfare schemes, and they are represented in party unit in the districts where they are in majority. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Bomb Threat Call for Jaipur-Secunderabad Express Turns Out To Be Hoax. "Our party workers especially from minority morcha will reach out to Pasmanda Muslims across the country for this," he told PTI. He said a majority of office-bearers in BJP's minority wing are from difference sections of the Pasmanda community. Also Read | 7th Pay Commission: Big Announcements on DA Hike and DA Arrears Expected This July, Check Details Here. Another party leader said the BJP is also planning to hail national heroes from the community such as 1965 war hero and Param Vir Chakra recipient Abdul Hameed, an Idrisi by caste, and organise functions on their birth anniversaries. Pasmandas constitute more than 70 per cent of the total Muslim population and the BJP aims to reach out to them as it prepares for various state elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. As things stand, Muslim leaders in various parties come from among Ashrafs which comprise Syeds, Mughals and Pathans (akin to upper castes in Hindus). Among the Pasmandas are Malik (Teli), Momin Ansar (weavers), Qureshi (butchers), Mansoori (those who make quilts and mattresses), Idrisi (tailors), Saifi (iron smith), Salmani (barbers) and Hawari (washermen). At the BJP's national executive in Hyderabad last week, Modi had suggested that party workers should reach out to downtrodden sections among minorities such Pasmanda Muslims. He made these remarks while intervening during the BJP's Uttar Pradesh unit chief Swatantra Dev Singh's presentation on the recent victory in Azamgarh and Rampur Lok Sabha bypolls -- both Samajwadi Party bastions with numerically dominant Muslim population. The new Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has appointed Danish Ansari, a Pasmanda Muslim from Ballia in east UP, as minister of state for minority affairs. (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 10 (ANI): Expelled Congress MLA from Haryana, Kuldeep Bishnoi on Sunday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda. "It was a real honour and pleasure to meet Amit Shah ji. A true statesman, I felt his aura and charisma in my interactions with him. His vision for India is awe-inspiring," Bishnoi said in a tweet. Also Read | Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Says, Impartial & Fair Judicial System Biggest Need for Democracy. "I am very proud to meet JP Nadda ji. His easy-going and humble nature sets him apart from others. Under his able chairmanship, BJP has seen unprecedented heights. I wish him good health and long life," he added. Bishnoi who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls in Haryana was expelled from all party positions including his membership of the Congress Working Committee (Special Invitee). Also Read | Agnipath Scheme Complements IAFs Long-term Vision of lean & Lethal Force, Says Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari. After the Congress expelled Bishnoi, he had said that the rules of the party existed only for some leaders while there were exceptions for others. "Congress also has rules for some leaders and exceptions for others. Rules are applied selectively. Indiscipline has been repeatedly ignored in the past. In my case, I listened to my soul and acted on my morals," he had tweeted. He also stressed on the party's inaction on other critical opportunities. "Had @incindia acted this swiftly & strongly in 2016 and on every other critical opportunity they've missed, they wouldn't have been in such dire straits," he added in another tweet. The expulsion came after Congress candidate Ajay Maken lost the Rajya Sabha elections to media baron Kartikeya Sharma, the BJP-backed independent candidate, by a "narrow margin", a huge shock for the grand old party which was confident of winning the seat. Polling was held on June 10 to elect two members to the Upper House of Parliament from Haryana. BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar scored a comfortable victory with 31 votes, leaving the battle for the second seat between Maken and Sharma. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Amaravati, Jul 10 (PTI) At least five pilgrims, including two women, from Andhra Pradesh were reported missing in the cloudburst and flash flood near the holy Amaranth cave in Kashmir, the state government said here on Sunday. Also Read | Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister Says, 'Need To Develop World Class Higher Educational Institutes'. The five pilgrims belonged to different towns in the state and remained "untraced" after the tragedy near the holy cave. Also Read | Eid-al-Adha 2022: Devotees Gather at Delhis Jama Masjid To Offer Namaz on Occasion of Bakrid; Watch Video. The state government dispatched AP Bhavan additional resident commissioner Himanshu Kaushik to Srinagar to coordinate with the local authorities and ensure safety of AP pilgrims, an official release here said. The AP government also opened a dedicated helpline number 1902 to extend required help to pilgrims from the state. Helplines were also set up in the AP Bhavan in New Delhi for any assistance to pilgrims and their relatives, the release 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 10 (PTI) India has provided 44,000 tonnes of urea to Sri Lanka for meeting the domestic requirements in the current and next sowing seasons, Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday. The minister tweeted that 44,000 tonnes of urea fertilizer provided by India under the Line of Credit reached Colombo and handed over to the Sri Lanka government. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. "It will help to meet farming requirements in current & next cropping seasons," Mandaviya said. India has time and again proved to be a true friend of Sri Lankan people in their need, the minister said. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: Three Teens Held for Murdering 60-Year-Old in Kota. As the economic crisis worsened, Sri Lanka witnessed massive street protests in the past months and the public anger led almost all the cabinet ministers to quit the government. Thousands of angry protesters on Saturday stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence and set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house on fire, in the culmination of months of agitation over the ongoing economic crisis. Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the Indian government has always been supportive of Sri Lanka and it was "trying to help" the neighbouring country through its present economic crisis and made it clear that there was "no refugee crisis right now". The External Affairs Ministry said India stands with the Sri Lankan people in their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means, established institutions and a constitutional framework. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Raipur, Jul 10 (PTI) A coal trader, whose premises were recently searched by the Income Tax department in Chhattisgarh, has claimed that IT sleuths told him that he could become the state chief minister if he uses his relations with MLAs of the ruling Congress to topple the Bhupesh Baghel government with the support of the "opposition". Also Read | Chhattisgarh Shocker: Denied Alcohol, Three Men Shoot Dead Couple in Jashpur; Accused Absconding. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. In a video message being circulated on social media on Sunday, the trader, Suryakant Tiwari, claimed that Income Tax officials told him that he could become "Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh" if he frames a CMO official. The opposition BJP alleged that Tiwari's statement was given at the behest of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, which it termed as baseless. The Congress, on the other hand, said the BJP was trying to destabilise a democratically-elected government in Chhattisgarh and cited "examples of Karnataka, MP,Manipur, and Maharashtra" . Tiwari also alleged that he was physically and mentally tortured after he refused to implicate a government officer posted at the state Chief Minister's Office (CMO) by giving a false statement. During the IT search since June 30 at my premises, IT sleuths threatened me and my family members. They mentally and physically tortured me and did not even allow me to sleep for three days. "They forced me to link Soumya Chourasia, deputy secretary posted at the CMO, with my business anyhow and give statements against her. But the CM's deputy secretary does not have any connection with my business activities, then, why should I implicate her?, Tiwari asked. He admitted to having family relations with Chourasia and said that he meets her whenever he visits the CM's office for "public works". "I occasionally talk to her over the phone. I meet her whenever I visit the CM's office for public works. She is not the only officer with whom I have good terms but both in BJP rule and the incumbent government, I share good relations with many officers. But IT officers wanted me to implicate her and therefore they also offered me to become the chief minister by toppling the government, he alleged. He claimed that IT officials told him that he has good relations with 40-45 MLAs of Congress and asked him to make their list, and then with the support of the "vipaksh" (opposition), the government will be changed. "They said if I implicate Chourasia, I could become Eknath Shinde of Chhattisgarh, he claimed. Shinde was sworn in as CM of Maharashtra on June 30 with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy, days after his rebellion against Shiv Sena leadership with 39 MLAs led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government. I am a businessman and I have faith in the law of this country. I will go to court against the Income Tax department for forcing me to give a wrong statement. I will not succumb to their pressure. Unfortunately, Central agencies are being used as a tool for engineering a change of government in states, he said. He also slammed senior BJP leader Raman Singh for demanding his arrest and said the search conducted by IT officials should not be given a political colour. The IT department had recently raided a Chhattisgarh-based group engaged in coal transportation and linked businesses and a senior state government officer on June 30. The searches were conducted in more than 30 locations in Raipur, Bhilai, Raigarh, Korba, Bilaspur and Surajpur. The premises of Tiwari and Chourasia were covered in the raid. After the video surfaced on social media, Congress and BJP fired barbs at each other. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Jul 10 (PTI) On speculations that Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi may join the BJP, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday said the Adampur legislator is free to take his own decision, but he should resign as an MLA before doing so. Hooda's remarks come after Bishnoi, who had cross-voted in last month's Rajya Sabha polls, on Sunday met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J P Nadda in Delhi. Also Read | Persistent Flash Flood Threat Till 2330 IST of 10th July: Moderate Threat over Few Latest Tweet by Prasar Bharati News Services. "He (Bishnoi) is free to take his own decision, but he should resign from the post of MLA before doing so because people of Adampur have elected him as a legislator of the Congress party," Hooda told reporters in Jind. He also hinted that if Bishnoi resigns as MLA if the latter switches over to the BJP, the Congress is ready for the by-polls necessitated by such a development. Also Read | Rajasthan Road Accident: Five Killed, Ten Injured in Three Separate Road Accidents in Nagaur, Banswara and Sirohi Districts. "In Adampur also, the Congress will register a win, like we did in Baroda (bypolls in Sonipat earlier), Hooda, who is Leader of the Opposition in the state, asserted. Notably, the 53-year-old legislator from Adampur met with the BJP leaders and later heaped praises on them. He was expelled by the Congress from all party positions last month. Bishnoi, a four-time MLA and two-time MP, has been sulking ever since the Congress ignored him for the post of its Haryana unit chief during a revamp earlier this year. The party had appointed Udai Bhan, a loyalist of Bhupinder Singh Hooda, as its Haryana unit chief. Bishnoi had last month said that under Hooda's leadership, the Congress' ship has been sinking. Responding to a question on Chandigarh, the common capital of Haryana and Punjab, Hooda said the BJP-led Haryana government should not dilute the claim on the capital. Haryana has full rights over Chandigarh in the ratio of 60-40," he said. But the present government is constantly trying to water down the rights of the state. For the land for setting up additional assembly building in its own capital, the central government is valuing 10 acres of land at Rs 500 crore. It is clear from this that the government is diluting Haryana's authority over Chandigarh, Hooda alleged. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had on Saturday announced land for setting up an additional building for Haryana Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, a move which was welcomed by leaders of the ruling BJP in the state. Commenting further on "dilution of rights of Haryana", Hooda said, "Despite the Supreme Court's verdict on Sutlej Yamuna Link Canal (SYL) and the BJP having government in both state and the Centre, this decision is not being implemented. Haryana's traditional membership in Bhakra Beas Management Board was also abolished and the state government sat silently, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Chandrapur, Jul 10 (PTI) An Indian Army jawan risked his life to save five persons after the autorickshaw ferrying them fell into a swollen nullah in Bhadravati tehsil in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra and started sinking. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. Also Read | Rajasthan Shocker: Three Teens Held for Murdering 60-Year-Old in Kota. A video of the incident doing rounds on social media shows the jawan, later identified as Nikhil Kale, tying a rope to the sinking auto rickshaw with the help of some villagers and pulling out all the five passengers including the autorickshaw driver. A Bhadravati police station official confirmed that the braveheart is the jawan of the Indian Army who is a resident of Panwadala village in Bhadravati tehsil. The incident occurred at 2 pm on July 9 between Panwadala and Takli villages, when the autorickshaw was crossing the bridge flooded due to heavy rains. As the strong water current swept the autorickshaw away, the passengers started screaming for help. Meanwhile, many villagers gathered at the spot. Kale, who was also present at the spot, waded through the water by holding a rope, tied it to the autorickshaw with the help of some villagers and pulled out the stranded passengers one by one. Notably, Kale did not know swimming but entered the water to save the life of others, an official said. Kale, posted in Ladakh, is visiting his native village on leave. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Pune, Jul 10 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with his wife performed a 'maha pooja' of Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini at a famous temple in Pandharpur town on Sunday on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' and sought God's blessings for the prosperity of every section of society. Also Read | Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister Says, 'Need To Develop World Class Higher Educational Institutes'. As a long-standing tradition, the sitting chief minister every year offers prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur in Solapur district, located over 200 km from Pune and around 400 km from here, on the 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' which being being celebrated on Sunday. Also Read | Assam: Japanese Encephalitis Claims 8 Lives, 82 Infected in Past Nine Days. Eknath Shinde, who was sworn in as the CM of Maharashtra on June 30 this year, along with his wife Lata Shinde prayed to God that each and every section of society, including farmers, labourers, warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) and business community, be happy and prosperous. The chief minister's son MP Shrikant Shinde and the latter's family also accompanied them on the occasion. A 52-year-old farmer, Murli Navle, and his wife Jijabai Navale, from Beed district, performed the traditional pooja along with the CM and his family. The farmer's family has been participating in the Pandharpur wari pilgrimage since 1987. After offering prayers, the CM addressed a gathering in the temple premises and said the Maharashtra government is committed to stop farmer suicides, for which all possible efforts will be made. "With the blessings of Lord Vitthal, all the sorrows and hardships of people will go away as this government belongs to the common man. Be it, farmers, workers, people from all sections of the society should feel that this government belongs to them. We will try to create such a sentiment through our work," he said. The CM said he was fortunate that he got the opportunity to perform the pooja this year. "For the last two years, the wari pilgrimage could not take place on foot due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this time, over 10 lakh warkaris came to seek the blessings of Lord Vitthal," he said. He expressed hope that the COVID-19 crisis will go away and the problems being faced by the state will get resolved. It will be the state government's endeavour to take the state on the path of progress, all-round development and to bring "acche din" (good days) for the people, he said. The state is experiencing good rains, though a little late, he noted. "Wherever heavy rains are being witnessed, the state machinery is active to ensure there is no loss of life or property. If good rains take place this year, farmers will have a good harvest," he said. The Jalyukt Shivar scheme (for water conservation), which had been discontinued, has been resumed now, he said. "The state government is exploring how rainwater from rivers in western part of the state, which goes waste into the sea, can be diverted to drought-affected regions of Marathwada. I am sure that with the blessings of Lord Vitthal, we will be successful in this endeavour," he said. The CM said he and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi (on Saturday). "He (PM Modi) told us that the Centre would extend all help for the development of the state and asked to implement good schemes to bring 'acche din' for people," Eknath Shinde said. The CM said he got the opportunity to perform the pooja of Lord Vitthal because of the blessings of people of the state. "With the thoughts of (late Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray, the teachings of Anand Dighe, the blessings of all the people and the support of 50 MLAs (who along with him had rebelled against the Sena leadership last month), I got to see this day," he said. Talking about PM Modi's visit to Dehu in Pune last month and the 'Palkhi Marg' (wari pilgrimage route) project, the chief minister said the state government will provide all facilities to the warkaris, who carry out the pilgrimage to the Pandharpur temple town every year. "With the Centre and the state coming together, a big strength has been generated and we should take advantage of it," he said. The CM said instructions have been issued for preparing a DPR (detailed project report) at the earliest to provide all modern facilities to Lord Vitthal's devotees in the Pandhapur temple premises and the town. "The state government will approve it (DPR)," he said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], July 10 (ANI): Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said he will use his Chief Minister's post to give justice to the people of the state and will try to bring "Acche Din" into the lives of common citizens. "I will use my Chief Minister's post to give justice to the people of the state and will try to bring 'Ache Din' into the lives of common citizens. We will take forward the Hindutva of Balasaheb and the teachings of Dharmveer Anand Dighe," Shinde said in Pune, while addressing a public gathering. Also Read | Assam: Japanese Encephalitis Claims 8 Lives, 82 Infected in Past Nine Days. Earlier on Saturday, newly-appointed Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi. It was the first meeting of Shinde with PM Modi after taking oath as the Maharashtra Chief Minister. Also Read | Gurugram: Woman Booked For Kidnapping 10-Month-Old Baby After Offering Sedative Laced Chocolate to Mother. Earlier on Saturday, Shine and Fadnavis held a joint press conference in the national capital.Shinde had said, "Maharashtra has a strong government. We have 164 MLAs while the opposition has 99. My government will complete its tenure. We will even win the next election." He had further said the existence of Shiv Sena MLAs came under threat during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime and so he revolted against the coalition. "The existence of our MLAs came under threat under the MVA government. Back then we could not speak that is why we took the step. It is only the natural alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena that can take Maharashtra ahead," Shinde had added. Deputy CM Fadnavis had emphasised that Eknath Shinde is the leader of the new Maharashtra government. "My party made me the Chief Minister earlier. Now as per the need of the party, we have abided by the party's decision. Eknath Shinde is our leader and CM. We will work under him. The injustice was undone and our natural alliance was revived," Fadnavis had said. Shinde took oath as Chief Minister and Fadnavis as Deputy Chief Minister of the new government on June 30 after Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray resigned following a revolt in his party. Shine had led the revolt and was joined by some independent MLAs. Shinde had said earlier that decision on cabinet expansion will be taken soon after discussions. Sources said that more than a dozen people of the Shinde camp can be made ministers.Eight Ministers of the Uddhav government had joined Shinde in the revolt. There is speculation that all of them can be made Ministers again. Shinde and Fadnavis also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at his residence in Delhi on Saturday. They also called on President Ram Nath Kovind. Shinde and Fadnavis are also likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the evening. After his visit to the capital, Shinde will leave for Pune in a private plane. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena faction has moved the Supreme Court opposing the Maharashtra governor's June 30 decision to invite Shinde-led MLAs supported by the BJP to form a government in the state. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on July 11. Referring to the Thackeray faction, Thackeray has said that no one can take the party symbol of bow and arrow. In the meeting, they also held discussions on the possibility of giving ministerial posts to all the MLAs who were Ministers in the Thackeray government. Shinde won the floor test in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House on July 4. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Chandigarh, Jul 10 (PTI) SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Sunday stepped up attack on Punjab Chief Minister for his statement seeking land for Vidhan Sabha, saying Bhagwant Mann has surrendered Punjab's right over Chandigarh by making such a demand. Notably, after Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday had announced land for setting up an additional building for Haryana Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh, Mann, in a tweet, had also demanded a similar allotment to his state, which drew sharp reaction from the political leaders of Punjab. Also Read | 7th Pay Commission: Big Announcements on DA Hike and DA Arrears Expected This July, Check Details Here. Even, Punjab health minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra has said, "if Haryana wants to build its own assembly it may do so in Panchkula, Faridabad or Kurukshetra but not in Chandigarh". Also Read | Amarnath Cloudburst: Jammu & Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha Visits Pahalgam Base Camp. Badal said his party will not allow the Centre to allot land to Haryana for setting up an additional building of Haryana Assembly here. Mann had also said Punjab and Haryana high court be separated and the Centre should also provide land for the same in Chandigarh. Addressing the media here, Shiromani Akali Dal president Badal trained his guns on Mann for his statement and said, by making such a statement, the Punjab CM surrendered the right of Punjab over Chandigarh. It is a betrayal with Punjabis. Why he is asking land for Vidhan Sabha, when "we have the assembly here in Chandigarh, Badal asked, stressing Punjab has inalienable right over its capital, Chandigarh. The SAD president said he initially thought that Mann had commented inadvertently. But it seems that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got Mann making this statement under a "conspiracy, said Badal while calling Mann a rubber stamp. Badal asked Mann to withdraw his statement. Reacting to the Union Home Minister's statement, Badal said Chandigarh is part of Punjab and will remain so. Under no circumstance, the SAD will allow allotment of land to Haryana for Vidhan Sabha or high court in Chandigarh, said Badal. At present, the Punjab and Haryana governments share the Vidhan Sabha complex which is next to the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Union Territory of Chandigarh. Haryana came into existence on November 1, 1966 and Chandigarh is the common capital of both states. The two states also have common buildings for the secretariat, Vidhan Sabha and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Meanwhile, the SAD chief Badal has convened an emergent meeting of his party's highest decision making body on July 12 to deliberate Mann's statement and plan the party's further course of action to "safeguard the interests of the state". (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhopal, Jul 10 (PTI) The COVID-19 tally in Madhya Pradesh reached 10,45,532 on Sunday after the detection of 130 cases, while the death toll remained unchanged at 10,745, a health official said. Also Read | Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Takes a Dig at Uddhav Thackeray, Says, 'Some People Think They Are Born To Rule but They Should Be Proud Common Man Became CM'. The positivity rate, or cases detected per 100 tests, was 1.9 per cent, he added. Also Read | Maharashtra: Boyfriend Booked for Rape After 17-Year-Old Delivers Baby in Nagpur. The recovery count increased by 111 to touch 10,33,980, leaving the state with 807 active cases, the official informed. With 6,652 samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,95,71,037, he added. A government release said 12,08,03,026 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 2,543 on Sunday. Coronavirus figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 10,45,532, new cases 130, death toll 10,745, recoveries 10,33,980, active cases 807, number of tests so far 2,95,71,037. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 10 (ANI): People in Mumbai on Sunday took to the streets in protest against the Eknath Shinde government's decision to resume construction of metro car sheds in the Aarey colony forest, claiming the project was being developed at the expense of the forest area. The Aarey forest is a 1,800-acre area which is often termed the city's "green lung". Also Read | Johannesburg Shooting: 14 Dead, 3 Critical After Shooting at Bar in Soweto Township, Says South Africa Police. Soon after Eknath Shinde was sworn in as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis as the Deputy Chief Minister, the state government directed the Advocate General that the metro car shed be built in Mumbai's Aarey colony itself. Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thakeray also participated in the protest on Sunday, saying that this is a fight for Mumbai and its forest life. Also Read | Union Minister Nitin Gadkari Says, Impartial & Fair Judicial System Biggest Need for Democracy. "Under our government, we had declared 808 acres of land as forests. We fought for forests to protect our tribals. When we were here, no trees were uprooted," he said. Claiming that metro cars go for maintenance every three-four months and not every night, the government can afford to build sheds in Kanjurmarg. "If sheds are built in Kanjurmarg, forest life will be preserved, along with tribal life and money," he said. He further said, "Whatever anger they (Maharashtra government) have against us should not be taken out on the city. Jungles and the environment need to be protected with climate change upon us. We had proposed the construction to be turned into a veterinary hospital for the jungle." Earlier on July 3, Aaditya Thackeray had urged the newly inducted Eknath Shinde government to scrap the re-proposed Aarey metro project, which has been a fraught issue in the city for several years. In September 2019, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had said the government is bound to cut trees in Mumbai's Aarey forest area as "development is important". The Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) announced its plan to cut down over 2,700 trees from the Aarey colony in order to build a car shed for the metro. The colony, spread over 13,000 hectares, is home to over 27 Adivasi villages and inhabits various animal species. The Bombay High Court in September 2019, verbally directed the MMRCL and the state government not to cut any trees in the Aarey forest area for the construction of a metro car shed, to which they agreed. Later in October 2019, the Bombay High Court had dismissed all petitions against the proposed cutting down of over 2,500 trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai to make way for a metro car shed. However, the Maharashtra government stayed the order for the Aarey metro car shed project following massive public agitation in the city. In 2020, then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that the state government had withdrawn cases registered against people who were protesting against the proposed metro car shed in Aarey. He had said the proposed car shed has been shifted from Aarey to Kanjurmarg. The new Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra has proposed to move back the metro car shed project to Mumbai's Aarey forest. (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 10 (PTI) Leaders of various opposition parties are likely to meet in the next two-three days to decide on their joint candidate for the post of vice president, sources said. The election will take place on August 6. Also Read | Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Takes a Dig at Uddhav Thackeray, Says, 'Some People Think They Are Born To Rule but They Should Be Proud Common Man Became CM'. Sources said the opposition meeting could take place in the national capital on July 12 or 13 and NCP leader Sharad Pawar would attend it. Leaders of several opposition parties including the Congress, left parties, TMC, NCP, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party and some others are likely to attend the meeting. Also Read | Maharashtra: Boyfriend Booked for Rape After 17-Year-Old Delivers Baby in Nagpur. While no names have come up yet, the leaders of opposition parties are likely to field a joint candidate for the second top constitutional post in the country. The NDA has also not come up with any name so far. Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was the joint opposition candidate against NDA's M Venkaiah Naidu in 2017. Naidu's term of office ends on August 10. The Election Commission issued the notification on July 5 for the polls on August 6. The last date of making nominations is July 19 and after scrutiny on July 20, the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is July 22. The election will be held between 10 am to 5 pm on August 6 and the counting, if required, shall be held on the same day. The vice president is elected by an electoral college comprising a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament -- 233 elected and 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of Lok Sabha. (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 10 (ANI): Over 10.35 crore balance and unutilized COVID-19 vaccine doses are still available with the states and UTs to be administered, informed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday. The ministry said more than 193.53 crore (1,93,53,58,865) vaccine doses have been provided to States and UTs so far through Govt. of India (free of cost channel) and through direct state procurement category. Also Read | New Delhi: Man Tries To Kill Woman for Denying Space on Footpath To Sleep; Arrested. "More than10.35 Cr (10,35,68,740) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered," it said. The Central Government is committed to accelerating the pace and expanding the scope of COVID-19 vaccination throughout the country. The nationwide COVID 19 vaccination started on January 16, 2021. Also Read | YouTuber Gaurav Taneja Aka Flying Beast Gets Bail Hours After Arrest for Celebrating Birthday at Metro Station. The new phase of universalization of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from June 21, 2021. The vaccination drive has been ramped up through availability of more vaccines, advance visibility of vaccine availability to States and UTs for enabling better planning by them, and streamlining the vaccine supply chain. As part of the nationwide vaccination drive, Government of India has been supporting the States and UTs by providing them COVID Vaccines free of cost. In the new phase of the universalization of the COVID19 vaccination drive, the Central Government will procure and supply (free of cost) 75 per cent of the vaccines being produced by the vaccine manufacturers in the country to States and UTs. Meanwhile, India logged 18,257 fresh infections in the last 24 hours. The country had reported 18,840 fresh COVID-19 cases on Saturday. Active cases now stand at 1,28,690 constituting 0.30 per cent of the country's total positive cases. The daily positivity rate of 4.22 per cent. As many as 14,553 COVID patients recovered in the last 24 hours taking the total number of recoveries from the disease since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,29,68,533. The recovery rate is 98.50 per cent. Under the nationwide vaccination drive, 10,21,164 COVID vaccines were administered in the last 24 hours. The cumulative vaccine doses jabbed to date are 1,98,76,59,299. (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 10 (ANI): Talking about natural farming, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said 'Sabka Prayaas' is the base for the speed of the country's development. Addressing Natural Farming Conclave through video conference, the Prime Minister said on the occasion of 75 years of independence, the country has started working towards various goals that will become the base for big changes in the time to come. Also Read | Single-Use Plastic Ban: DPCC Sets Up Control Room To Monitor Implementation of Ban on SUP Items. "In the 'Amrit Kaal' the sense of 'Sabka Prayaas' is the base for the speed of the country's development, which is guiding our journey of development, PM Modi said. Highlighting the natural farming model, the Prime Minister said India has been an agriculture-based country by nature and culture. And the natural farming model that will emerge out of Surat can become a model for the entire India. Also Read | Who Is Gaurav Taneja? All You Need To Know About YouTuber Flying Beast Arrested for Celebrating Birthday in Noida Metro Coach. PM Modi said a few months back a National Conclave on the subject of natural agriculture was organized in Gujarat and farmers from all over the country were involved in this conclave. Today once again this important program in Surat is a symbol of how Gujarat is giving impetus to the nation's nectar resolves, he said. "In the time to come, with your efforts and your experience, farmers across the country will learn and understand a lot. The natural farming model that will emerge out of Surat can become a model for entire India," PM Modi said during the video conferencing. "India has been an agriculture-based country by nature and culture. Our life, health and our society are the basis of our agriculture system. Therefore, as our farmer progresses, as our agriculture progresses and prospers, so our country will progress." Modi said. He further highlighted the successes of the Digital India Mission and said villages have proved that it not only can bring the changes but also lead the change. "The extraordinary success of the Digital India Mission is the country's reply to those people who used to say that it's not easy to bring change to villages...Our villages have shown that villages can not only bring changes but also lead the change," he said. Taking about the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), PM said farmers are being given resources, facilities and support through PKVY and Indian Agricultural Systems programmes. Under this scheme, 30,000 clusters have been created in the country and lakhs of farmers are getting the benefit of this, 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) New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Banks and shareholders have given their approval to hive off cargo and logistics company SpiceXpress from SpiceJet airline and the bifurcation will be done by the first week of August, the carrier's CMD Ajay Singh has said. SpiceJet had on August 17 last year announced it was transferring its cargo and logistics services on a slump sale basis to its subsidiary SpiceXpress as it will allow the company to raise funds independent of the budget carrier and rapidly grow. Also Read | New Delhi: Man Tries To Kill Woman for Denying Space on Footpath To Sleep; Arrested. SpiceJet is under the regulatory scanner right now. Just five days back, the airline was issued a show-cause notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after its aircraft were hit by at least eight incidents of technical malfunction since June 19. The DGCA -- while stating that the budget carrier has "failed" to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services -- gave it three weeks' time to respond to the notice. Also Read | YouTuber Gaurav Taneja Aka Flying Beast Gets Bail Hours After Arrest for Celebrating Birthday at Metro Station. The airline has been making losses for the last four years. It incurred net losses of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. In April-December period of 2021, the airline posted a net loss of Rs 1,248 crore. However, the revenue from SpiceXpress has been increasing. In October to December period of 2021, SpiceXpress saw its revenue jump 17 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis to Rs 584 crore. While talking to PTI last week, Singh said: "We have got the shareholders' approval for that (hiving off SpiceXpress from SpiceJet). We have got the approval from our banks to do that. I think in the last phase...we should be done by the first week of next month." "It will be a separate company called SpiceXpress. It will be owned by SpiceJet but it will be a separate company," he added. While announcing the plan to hive off SpiceXpress on August 17 last year, the airline had said the logistics business has been valued at Rs 2,555.77 crore based on an independent valuation exercise carried out by the company and "the purchase consideration for the same shall be discharged by SpiceXpress by issuance of shares of SpiceXpress to SpiceJet, subject to all approvals as may be required". SpiceXpress has a network which spans over 68 domestic and over 110 international cities, including those in the US, Europe and Africa. Singh had on August 17, 2021 said the proposed transfer of business to SpiceXpress will allow the new company to rapidly grow its innovative logistics platform and its unique fulfilment-as-a-service business model. "SpiceXpress will also be able to raise capital independent of SpiceJet to fund this growth. We are confident that the performance of SpiceXpress as an independent entity will leverage and unlock significant value for SpiceJet and all its shareholders," he had added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Thane, Jul 10 (PTI) As many as 231 new cases of coronavirus have been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking its tally of infections to 7,31,192, a health official said on Sunday. Also Read | Dharmendra Pradhan, Education Minister Says, 'Need To Develop World Class Higher Educational Institutes'. With the addition of the latest cases on Saturday, the district currently has 2,418 active COVID-19 cases, he said. Also Read | Eid-al-Adha 2022: Devotees Gather at Delhis Jama Masjid To Offer Namaz on Occasion of Bakrid; Watch Video. No death was reported on Saturday and the COVID-19 fatality toll in the district stood at 11,913, he said, adding that the recovery count has reached 7,16,566. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu, Jul 10 (PTI) Uncertainty prevailed over the appointment of new Jammu and Kashmir Congress president with party leaders here Sunday expressing reservations against the reported finalisation of the name of an MLA for the post though there was no official announcement. A section of the media has reported that a junior leader has been finalised by the Congress leadership in New Delhi after Gulam Ahmed Mir relinquished the post Wednesday. Also Read | Maharashtra: Eknath Shinde Takes a Dig at Uddhav Thackeray, Says, 'Some People Think They Are Born To Rule but They Should Be Proud Common Man Became CM'. Former minister and senior Congress leader G M Saroori told reporters here Sunday the name being reported by the media is "not acceptable to us". "We have conveyed this to our central leaders including Rahul ji and Sonia Gandhi. We have made a request to them over the issue," he said. Also Read | Maharashtra: Boyfriend Booked for Rape After 17-Year-Old Delivers Baby in Nagpur. Mir was appointed J&K Congress chief in March, 2015, but the state unit has been battling an infighting for a long time, with a group owing allegiance to senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. Several Azad faction leaders had resigned their posts in support of their demand pressing for a change in the leadership in J&K last year. Saroori, a staunch Azad loyalist, said both the groups are against the name that was reported by the media as the next state Congress chief. "He is the most junior of all. I do not know who is with him." "Neither any leader from Kashmir nor from Jammu has acceptance over his name. None of the six sitting MLAs is with him. Just talk to anyone," the former Minister said. Batting strongly for a consensus name, he said there are several senior and young leaders in the party suited for the post and appointing the MLA will further deteriorate the state of affairs. "We want the party to be strengthened. Groupism should end. We want the party to face elections with a strong leadership in J&K. But what can he do in elections? He is not acceptable to us," Saroori said. Amid the ongoing trouble, the Congress high command is believed to be in touch with the leadership in Jammu and Kashmir to iron out factional differences, before Assembly elections are announced. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) [India], July 10 (ANI): The three-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) at Varanasi concluded on Saturday with education leaders resolving to work collectively for transforming India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society, said a press release by Ministry of Education. Addressing the valedictory session, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that we need to develop forward-looking, responsive, world-class higher education institutions to prepare 21st century-ready students. We have to work to ensure access, inclusivity, equitability, affordability and quality in higher education, added the statement. Also Read | Assam: Japanese Encephalitis Claims 8 Lives, 82 Infected in Past Nine Days. The Minister said that we must bring in a transformative education system rooted in Indian values, thoughts and a sense of service. National Education Policy 2020 gives us the direction and path for decolonizing our education and achieving aspirations, creating pride in our languages, culture and knowledge, he added. He further said that the components of NEP such as Multi-modal education, Academic Bank of Credits, Multiple Entry-Exit, and Skill Development will prove to be milestones in the direction of the student first -teacher-led learning. Also Read | Gurugram: Woman Booked For Kidnapping 10-Month-Old Baby After Offering Sedative Laced Chocolate to Mother. Pradhan said that seeing the enthusiasm of all the scholars, policy-makers and educationists in this three-day program, new energy and new confidence has been awakened. This Shiksha Samagam is a step towards establishing India as a knowledge-based superpower, he added. The Minister highlighted that our Higher Education should be for the student and by the Teacher. Our administration shall do everything to support the teachers in meeting the aspirations of our youth. Pradhan thanked the Prime Minister for his continuous support and guidance of the Prime Minister on important topics related to the education sector. He reiterated the suggestions of the Prime Minister to develop India as a hub of Research & Innovation and work on solutions for climate change, and technology creation for waste-to-wealth for the promotion of a circular economy. The Minister expressed hope and confidence that Universities will play an important role in preparing an entrepreneurial society and creating job-creators. They are the breeding ground of research for the welfare of society and mankind and for furthering ease of living. The Minister also said that by providing opportunities for education in Indian languages, we will be able to connect a large section of the education system and promote research and innovation. The Ministry of Education has organised Shiksha Samagam from July 7-9 in Varanasi. It provided 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 was attended by 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. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Asansol (West Bengal) [India], July 10 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party workers led by Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Pal staged a protest in front of a police station on Sunday and demanded action against Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra over her Kali remark. "We criticize her remarks. We demand strict action against her," said Pal. Also Read | Chhattisgarh Shocker: Denied Alcohol, Three Men Shoot Dead Couple in Jashpur; Accused Absconding. Moitra stirred a row after she called Goddess Kali as "meat-eating" and "alcohol-accepting". She has been booked for allegedly hurting religious sentiments after her comment on Goddess Kali stirred a controversy. Also Read | Amarnath Clouburst: 37 Pilgrims From Andhra Pradesh Still Missing in Amarnath Tragedy, 84 People Safe. An FIR has been registered in Bhopal against Moitra under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for hurting religious sentiments. 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 backup 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. (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 10 (PTI) There are no immediate indications about the impact of the recent political developments in Britain on the advanced India-UK negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) which aims at further strengthening economic ties between the countries, an official said. On July 7, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation as Conservative Party leader following an unprecedented mutiny from within his Cabinet and after being abandoned by his close allies in the wake of a series of scandals that rocked his government, triggering a leadership election for a new Tory leader who will go on to become his successor. Also Read | SSC Delhi Police Recruitment 2022: Apply for 857 Head Constable Posts at ssc.nic.in; Check Details Here. In January, both countries formally launched talks for a free trade agreement, which aims to boost bilateral trade and investments. In such pacts, two countries either eliminate or significantly reduce customs duties on the maximum number of goods traded between them, besides easing norms for promoting investments and services trade. Also Read | Mumbai: BMC Cancels 10% Water Cut As Stocks in Lakes Improve, Urge Citizens To Use Water Cautiously. The development in the UK has happened very recently We have not received any indications about having any effect of resignation on the ongoing FTA talks. Since the Conservative Party is still going to be in the government, we do not see any immediate problem and we have not heard of any reason which may affect the strong bilateral partnership between India and the UK, the official said. The official added that the talks are at an advanced stage and both sides have agreed on many chapters of the proposed pact. Getting a good, fair and equitable trade deal that would boost exports and create numerous jobs across India is the priority, the official said. When asked about meeting the deadline of concluding talks, the official said: FTA negotiations are very complex area and they involve a lot of careful assessment of different elements of FTAs and we continue to do that in right earnest both sides and we will put in our best effort to meet these very challenging deadlines. In April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his UK counterpart, Boris Johnson, had set the deadline for Diwali for the negotiating teams to conclude the FTA talks. Diwali falls on October 24 this year. The UK is also a key investor in India. New Delhi has attracted foreign direct investment of USD 1.64 billion in 2021-22. The figure was about USD 32 billion between April 2000 and March 2022. India's main exports to the UK include ready-made garments and textiles, gems and jewellery, engineering goods, petroleum and petrochemical products, transport equipment and parts, spices, metal products, machinery and instruments, pharma and marine items. Major imports include precious and semi-precious stones, ores and metal scraps, engineering goods, professional instruments, non-ferrous metals, chemicals and machinery. In the services sector, the UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for Indian IT services. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jakarta [Indonesia], July 10 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote a personal letter to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to extend Eid-al Adha greetings and also said he is looking forward to visit the island nation for the G20 Summit later this year. "In his letter, The Hon'ble Prime Minister of India conveyed that through the holy festival of Ed AI Adha, two hundred million Indians of the Islamic faith celebrate the universal message of love, piety, sacrifice and forgiveness," read the statement released by the Indian Embassy in Indonesia. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Opposition Parties Agree To Form All-Party Interim Government After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Resignation. "The Hon'ble Prime Minister also conveyed that he is looking forward to visit the beautiful country Indonesia later this year for the G20 Summit," it added. PM Modi also prayed for peace, harmony and fraternity among all people in the service of the greater good of humanity. Also Read | Luis Echeverria Alvarez, Former Mexican President Dies at 100. Earlier in July, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting was organised by Indonesia where countries like Russia, the United States, China, Netherlands, France and many more countries participated. Notably, India will assume the presidency of the G20 in December 2022 from Indonesia. A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was established in May 2018 during PM Modi's visit to Indonesia. President Widodo was among one of the Chief Guests invited for India's Republic Day celebrations in Delhi in 2018. Both leaders last met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit this year. Indonesia is the second-largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region. The Bilateral trade of over USD 26 billion between 2020 to 2021. India and Indonesia also share cultural civilizational linkages. The 9th century Borobudur Buddhist temple and Prambanan Shiva temple are examples of shared cultural heritage. Ramayana and Mahabharata are key inspirations for Indonesian folk art. Around 8,500 Indians in Indonesia engaged in qualified professions like Chartered Accountants, Software Professionals, Teachers, and Engineers. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 10 (ANI): Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Saturday agreed to step down from his post hours after thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. Rajapaksa has informed that he will resign from the Presidency on July 13, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference on Saturday, according to Sri Lanka's news outlet Newswire. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Anti-Government Protesters Set Fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Private Residence in Colombo ( Watch Video ). Protests by thousands rocked Colombo yesterday. Crowds tore through the barricades surrounding Rajapaksa's residence, climbed over the fence and took control of the area. Dramatic visuals from outside Rajapakse's residence showed a sea of demonstrators storming into the compound, tearing down security cordons placed by police, taking a dip in the swimming pool and romping through his kitchen and home. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis Updates: Bandula Gunawardana First Cabinet Minister to Resign After PM Ranil Wickremesinghe Steps Down; All Party Interim Government in Next Few Days. Here are some pictures that sum up the chaos in Sri Lanka: Demonstrators protest inside the President's House premises after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled. A demonstrator poses for a photograph after entering the President's House during a protest, after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled his home. A demonstrator throws back a tear gas grenade towards police personnel as police use tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators near President's residence during a protest demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Police use water cannons to disperse demonstrators near President's residence during a protest demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. A demonstrator carries an injured woman near President's residence after riot police used tear gas to disperse demonstrators during a protest demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Demonstrators protest inside the Presidential Secretariat premises after President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Colombo, Jul 10: Sri Lanka's main Opposition parties on Sunday agreed to form an all-party interim government after the anticipated resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Wednesday, following unprecedented political turmoil that forced him and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to offer their resignations over the mishandling of the nation's crippling economic crisis. Opposition parties held talks to seek ways to steer the country forward in the current unprecedented economic crisis after Rajapaksa's resignation. Luis Echeverria Alvarez, Former Mexican President Dies at 100. We agreed in principle to form a government of unity with all parties participation for an interim period," Wimal Weerawansa of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party's breakaway group said. This will be a government where all parties are represented," he said. Vasudeva Nanayakkara, another leader of the SLPP breakaway group said they need not wait for Rajapaksa's resignation on July 13. Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Anti-Government Protesters Set Fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes Private Residence in Colombo ( Watch Video ) President Rajapaksa informed Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena on Saturday that he will resign on Wednesday after the country's opposition parties demanded his resignation. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya party said they held extensive internal discussions. We aim for an interim government of all parties for a limited period and then go for a parliamentary election," Ranjith Madduma Bandara the SJB general secretary said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Colombo [Sri Lanka], July 10 (ANI): Protesters who stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's house on Saturday amid the country's worst economic crisis have recovered cash of over Sri Lankan Rupees 17 million from the mansion and handed it over to the police, local media reported. According to Sri Lanka's newspaper, News Wire, the recovered money was handed over to the police. Also Read | Ice-cool Djokovic Tames Fiery Kyrgios to Continue Wimbledon Love Story Latest Tweet by Reuters. A video was being shared on social media showing the protesters counting the currency notes that were unearthed. Earlier on Saturday, Sri Lankan commoners stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Opposition Parties Agree To Form All-Party Interim Government After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's Resignation. Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress. The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Kathmandu [Nepal], July 10 (ANI): A seven-member Chinese delegation is arriving in Kathmandu on Sunday, raising speculations about the purpose of the visit, which is taking place in the backdrop of talks about a possible electoral alliance among Nepal's communist parties. The high delegation's visit comes as the Himalayan nation is heading towards federal and provincial elections and the country's Election Commission has already proposed holding both the elections in a single phase on November 18, The Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. Also Read | WATCH: 50th Anniversary! I Mean, My Heavens What a Milestone! Said John Clark, a Council Latest Tweet by Reuters. The team is being led by the new head of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China, Liu Jianchao, the report added. Notably, Liu last month interacted with Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML chair KP Sharma Oli, continuing the trend of his predecessor. He also interacted with Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Anti-Government Protesters Set Fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Private Residence in Colombo ( Watch Video ). According to the Post, the Chinese delegation will meet with President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Khadka, Oli, Dahal and other leaders and will assess how possible it is to reunite the communist forces in Nepal. The Nepali newspaper, the Chinese are still weighing the possibility of unity among the communist forces. "A possible agenda of the visit could be to encourage a pre- or post-poll alliance between like-minded lefties forces or only between the UML and the Maoist Centre," a UML leader who has interacted frequently with Chinese leaders told the Kathmandu Post. The visit also follows the Nepal Parliament's ratification of the United States' Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact despite China's strong reservations. More recently, another US State Partnership Program (SPP) in the field of security and military caused a flurry of debates in the country. China expressed grave concerns over whether Nepal would be an US ally in defence cooperation. The Chinese government even commended the decision after the Nepal government decided not to be a part of the SPP. The report further states that the Chinese Communist Party is also keen to expand ties with the Nepali Congress. Besides building party-to-party ties between the CPC and Nepal's political parties, and expediting the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, the delegation will also look to promote Chinese interests in Nepal. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Washington [US], July 10 (ANI): US State Secretary Antony Blinken will visit Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, State Department said. During his visit to Japan, Blinken will also meet senior Japanese officials. Also Read | US President Joe Biden Signs Executive Order on Abortion Rights Challenging State Laws. "Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger," the press release said. Blinken left Bali, Indonesia after attending the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. During the G20 meeting, Blinken reinforced US' commitment to working with international partners to confront global challenges, including food and energy insecurity and the threat Russia's continued war against Ukraine presents to the international order. Also Read | Sri Lanka Economic Crisis: Anti-Government Protesters Set Fire to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's Private Residence in Colombo ( Watch Video ). In addition to attending G20-related engagements, the Secretary held bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Among other bilateral engagements, Secretary Blinken also met with the People's Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20. Blinken's meeting with Wang Yi in Bali was a bid to reinforce guardrails on the relationship between Washington and Beijing that had become fraught with hostility. "In a relationship as complex and consequential as the one between the United States and China, there is a lot to talk about. I very much am looking forward to a productive and construction conversation with you." said Blinken according to a statement by the US State Department ahead of the meeting. "There is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy," Blinken added. Blinken and Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi last met in Rome, Italy in October 2021. Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC). During that meeting, Blinken raised concerns about a range of PRC actions that undermine the international rules-based order and that run counter to our values and interests and those of our allies and partners, including actions related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China Seas, and Taiwan. As part of his travel from July 6-11, 2022, Blinken will also travel to Indonesia, Bangkok, Thailand, and Tokyo, Japan. In Bangkok, Thailand, Secretary Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Blinken will hold discussion on a range of issues, including building on the successes of Thailand's APEC 2022 agenda during US' 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year, expanding health and climate cooperation, and addressing the crisis in Burma. He will also meet with alumni of U.S. exchange programs. The U.S-Thai Alliance is essential for advancing the President's Indo-Pacific Strategy for a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient region, the press release 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) Fatehpur, Jul 10: A man was arrested here on Sunday for allegedly killing his brother's wife by hitting her on the head with a shovel following an argument, police said. Around 8.30 pm on Saturday, Balram Nishad (55) visited the house of his brother's wife, Rani Devi (56), in Majra Joga village here and the two had an argument over working in fields, the police said.Monsoon 2022: Heavy Rains Pound South Gujarat; Over 700 People Evacuated in Navsari and Valsad Districts. During the argument, the accused hit Rani on the head with a shovel, leaving her seriously injured. She was rushed to a government hospital by her relatives and was declared brought dead by doctors, they said. Nishad was arrested from the village this morning, the police said.ulayam Singh Yadavs Wife Sadhana Gupta Cremated at Pipra Ghat in Lucknow. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, they said. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Mumbai, Jul 10: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday cited his humble background to take a veiled swipe at Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray saying some people think they are born to rule but they should have felt proud that a common man has assumed the CM's chair. He also said that his decision to rebel against the Sena leadership was "historic" and that his Hindutva will ensure "inclusive development". Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis Meet PM Narendra Modi in Delhi "I did not come with a golden spoon. I am one among you. Some people think they are born to rule. They should have felt proud that a common man has assumed the chair. We have the majority numbers to rule. We haven't done anything illegal," Shinde told a rally in temple town Pandharpur, where he performed 'mahapooja' at the famous Lord Vitthal temple on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' as part of a chief ministerial tradition. Shinde, a resident of Thane, used to drive an autorickshaw to make a living. He also took a veiled swipe at Uddhav Thackeray's supporters, some of whom had called out Shinde's "ingratitude" claiming that he betrayed the Shiv Sena despite being given all kinds of responsibilities by the party. Shinde's rebellion along with 39 MLAs of Sena led to the collapse of the MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray last month. Shinde took oath as the chief minister on June 30 with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as deputy chief minister. He said his elevation from 'shakha pramukh' in the party to the top post in the state (Chief Minister) was possible because of the "blessings of (Thane Sena strongman and mentor) Anand Dighe and (Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray". "I have withstood all efforts to hurt me politically. I don't wish to criticise anyone and make everything public," he said, adding that Bal Thackeray's Hindutva ideology was not about hating other religions. He said MVA allies, a reference to NCP and Congress, had been hurting the Shiv Sena by strengthening their defeated candidates to unseat Sena legislators. "Moreover, in the last two-and-half years, we could not speak against those who insulted (Hindutva ideologue) Veer Savarkar as well as against ministers who had links with (fugitive gangster) Dawood Ibrahim (an allegation against NCP's Nawab Malik who is currently in jail)," he said. "I will speak less and work more. We are Balasaheb's and Anand Dighe's Shiv Sainiks. Our Hindutva is of inclusive development. I may be the chief minister but will work as a sevak (servant) and karyakarta (worker)," Shinde said. Shinde also asked officials to follow the "Thane model" in the construction of police stations in the state. The CM said lauded the Thane model, saying all facilities at the police stations are on par with corporate facilities. These police stations have been constructed using the government funds from various schemes. "Even lockups are in good condition. One who comes to the police station should have a confidence that he will get justice. Working conditions and atmosphere should be conducive. Even now, some of the police stations are in bad shape with leakages are damaging documents," the chief minister said. He said police stations in Thane are constructed from construction TDR which should be replicated in the rest of Maharashtra. "This is the government of people. Files should not be caught in red tape," he said. The festival of Bakrid (Bakra Eid) is here and it is also known as Eid al-Adha or Eid ul-Adha. Bakrid is one of the two very important festivals celebrated by the Muslim community. It is celebrated on the tenth day of the Islamic month of Zul Hijjah. The celebration of this festival lasts for three days. The other major festival is Eid-ul-Fitr, celebrated on the first day of the month of Shawwal, which comes after the holy month of Ramadan. Muslims all over the world offer Namaz on the day of Eid and pray to their God- Allah. On this day, people wear new clothes, enjoy delicious dishes and celebrate the day with friends and family. On the day of Bakrid i.e. Eid al-Adha, Muslims all over the world gather in mosques to offer Namaz, then embrace each other saying "Eid Mubarak!". Eid al-Adha 2022 Wishes & Greetings: Share Bakrid Mubarak Messages, Beautiful WhatsApp Stickers, GIFs, Quotes, Shayaris, Wallpaper and HD Images with Your Loved Ones to Celebrate the Day. In 2022, Bakrid will be celebrated in India on July 10. Eid al-Adha is observed in the 12th and last month of the Islamic calendar. This festival is also an occasion to share happiness and help the poor and destitute. The meat of sacrifice is distributed among the poor so that they can get a one-time meal. After offering Namaz, they sacrifice a goat and share it with family members, neighbours and the poor. It is believed that Prophet Ibrahim had asked Allah in his dream to sacrifice his son Ismail. Pleased with their faith and devotion, Allah sent Gabriel with a goat and asked them to replace their son with a goat. Bakrid is celebrated across the world to mark that day. This day has great significance for the Muslim community. People wish each other on Bakrid and if you too intend to wish Eid-ul-Adha Mubarak you can do so by sharing these Bakrid Wishes, WhatsApp Stickers, GIF Greetings, Wallpapers and HD Images with your loved ones and make this day special. Happy Eid al-Adha Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Eat, Celebrate And Thank The Almighty Allah For Everything You Have Today! May Happiness and Peace Embrace Your Life on This Eid al-Adha. Happy Eid al-Adha Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Eid al-Adha Mubarak! May Allah Show His Divine Forgiveness in Return for Your Sacrifice! Happy Eid al-Adha Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Aapko Aur Aapke Pariwar Ko Eid al-Adha Mubarak! Happy Eid al-Adha Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: May You Continue to Grow Wiser Every Day! May This Eid Bring Gleefulness to You and Your Family. Eid al-Adha Mubarak! Happy Eid al-Adha Wishes (File Image) WhatsApp Message Reads: Enjoy Peace, Prosperity, and Tranquility. Offer Your Best to Allah and Know That Your Sacrifice Will Be Rewarded With the Most Divine Blessings of All. Bakri Eid Mubarak! Bakrid Mubarak 2022 Greetings and Images: Wallpapers & Messages for Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha is one of the most celebrated festivals among Muslims. The festival is celebrated to honour the Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham, who was ready to sacrifice his 13-year-old son Ismail to Allah. Don't just wait around, go wish your friends Bakrid Mubarak as Muslims all over the world gather to offer prayers in mosques to celebrate the festival. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 10, 2022 08:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said an impartial and fair judicial system is the biggest requirement for a free and fair democracy. 22nd National Fish Farmers Day celebrated Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, @drsanjeevbalyan and @Murugan_MoS address the event Ministers release posters on Domestic Fish Consumption and sustainable production Read here: https://t.co/5LqG59XZ4t PIB India (@PIB_India) July 10, 2022 (SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.) Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin Archivaldo Guzman Loera, also known as "El Chapo," is known for his ingenious ways of transporting drugs, including creating and using narco tunnels for his drug empire. El Chapo also used the narco tunnels to evade capture and law enforcement officials for three decades. He even escaped from Mexico's super-maximum-security prison, Altiplano, through a tunnel on July 11, 2015. The Sinaloa Cartel boss escaped from prison through the bathroom of his cell and went down to a ladder before entering a more than a kilometer tunnel built by his engineers. Seven years after that event, the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA) told Milenio that it had located 14 border drug tunnels since 2016. Military authorities said Tijuana in Baja California state is the favorite city of drug tunnel builders since six of the 14 narco tunnels have been found there. Two of these underground passageways were recently secured. One was located on a supposedly abandoned parcel of land in Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz street in the Nueva Tijuana neighborhood on May 18, while the other was found on another farm just 50 meters away on the first property on June 8. According to reports, both tunnels measured about 300 meters and were built at a depth of about 25 meters. They were made with steel beams to avoid any possibility of a collapse and have tracks along which carts can run. The narco tunnels also have electrical lighting and ventilation, and officials believe that they were used to move drugs, weapons, and people. According to Milenio, the construction method used in making these passageways is very similar to that employed to build the tunnel through which El Chapo used to escape from prison. Thus, it is believed that the Sinaloa Cartel built the twin cross-border narco tunnels and at least some of the others found by the military since 2016. Six people were arrested on charges of drug trafficking after recently finding the two tunnels, and all of them are still in prison, Mexican authorities said. The other drug tunnels were reportedly found in Mexicali, Nogales, Matamoros, Tecate, and San Luis Rio Colorado between 2016 and 2022. READ NEXT: 'Narco Tunnel' Sinkhole in Mexico Opens up and Swallows a Young Man Sleeping on Couch Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo Utilizes Narco Tunnels The New Yorker reported that the Sinaloa Cartel built the first cross-border narco tunnel in 1989. Since then, the Sinaloa Cartel has refined the art of underground construction and has used these narco tunnels more effectively than any criminal group in history. Officials have reportedly discovered 181 illicit passageways under the U.S.-Mexico border until 2014. They said most of them have been short and like narrow "gopher holes," just enough for a person to crawl through. Federal agents said the Sinaloa Cartel specializes in these infrastructural wonders that they called "super tunnels." Authorities noted that a single "super tunnel" takes several months and over a million dollars to build as it has electric lights, elevators, and ventilation ducts, with disguised entry and exit shafts. They said these passageways could also reach as deep as seventy feet and were normally tall enough for an adult to walk or ride through. This was the method that El Chapo left to the Sinaloa Cartel for drug trafficking and to get their leader out of jail. Engineer of Sinaloa Cartel Narco Tunnels Mexican and U.S. authorities have identified Jose Sanchez Villalobos as the mastermind behind the design of the Sinaloa Cartel narco tunnels, but El Chapo is considered the pioneer of their use to move contraband into the U.S. Known as "the lord of the tunnels," Sanchez was reportedly the builder of the narco tunnels linking Tijuana on the Mexican side and San Diego on the U.S. side. He was recently released from prison in the U.S. after serving a 10-year term for a drug distribution conspiracy. Sanchez, also one of the Sinaloa Cartel's high-level managers, pleaded guilty in December 2020 to planning, financing, and supervising the construction of several cross-border tunnels from 2010 to 2012. He also pleaded guilty to overseeing the Sinaloa Cartel's operation as smuggling conduits. He was reportedly responsible for transporting drugs in Baja California, and Jalisco in Mexico and managing marijuana transport from southern Mexico to northern Mexico. Sanchez was also reported to have overseen two narco tunnels found in the San Diego area built to transport Sinaloa Cartel drugs. He was also said to have been responsible for deciding who could use the said tunnels for a fee. Sanchez was arrested in Mexico in 2012 and spent about eight years in custody there. He then spent the rest of his sentence in San Diego after being extradited to the U.S to face charges. The narco tunnels became a huge part of El Chapo's operation for smuggling and escaping from prisons. El Chapo has earned the reputation of being the "Lord of the Tunnels" for his preference to use the underground. He was compared to early Juarez Cartel boss Amado Carillo Fuentes, who was dubbed as "Lord of the Skies." Carillo Fuentes was known to transport drugs by using planes. READ MORE: Gun Battle Between Rival Mexican Drug Cartels Left 8 People Dead This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Inside El Chapo's Escape Tunnel - From VICE News Irish holidaymakers heading to popular summer destinations overseas could be facing into potential Covid-19 chaos as cases surge in popular holiday regions, and flights are also cancelled due to rising infections. Popular holiday destinations including Spain, Portugal, France, Greece and Italy and France are experiencing a dramatic rise of the highly infectious BA.5 and BA.4 Covid-19 variants. Cases in Spain have risen by 204pc in the last fortnight alone. However, there was some good news as Portugal, which was the first European country to be hit by the surge, is now over the worst. It has seen its incidence rate fall -43pc in the past fortnight, to 1,047. France has suffered an 85pc spike in infections in a fortnight. The UK was also up 12pc for its 14 day incidence rate. The rising Covid-19 figures come during a difficult time for air travel due to staff absenteeism, in part due to the pandemic levels, and also due to staff having left for other employment during lockdowns and difficulties being encountered hiring new staff. Covid-19 and industrial action by baggage handlers have been among a number of factors which have caused delays and flights to be cancelled in recent weeks. Aer Lingus confirmed on Sunday alone that two return flights from Dublin were cancelled because of Covid-19, while another return flight was cancelled due to technical issues. Two return flights to Frankfurt and Prague respectively, were cancelled due to staff Covid-related illness while a return flight to Philadelphia was cancelled due to the technical issues. Iamsold, whose online binding bids platform is used by over 300 auctioneers across Ireland have noted steady enquiry levels throughout May and June and expect this continued demand for properties on the platform throughout the summer months. Company director Patrick Folan said: We are continuing to experience a busy marketplace with active buyers across all property types. We are also seeing an uplift on stock coming to market month on month which is welcomed after a period of low stock levels coming to the market. The Iamsold platform offers auctioneers and their clients the option of binding bids and we are seeing an increasing number of vendors opting for this route. Mr Folan continued; our platform lets bidders review all legal documents prior to bidding, which allows them to then bid confidently. Once they are happy with the legal documents and have their bid accepted, they pay down a non-refundable deposit and sign contracts immediately. This process cuts down the time to transact from a national average of seven to eight months down to three months. This can be a big positive for both buyers and sellers who want to move within shorter timeframes. Iamsold, along with many of their partner auctioneers, recently enjoyed a flurry for sales via the online binding bids platform, and now taking entries for upcoming date on July 21 and onwards. Some of the successful recent sales include: l Killamuck, Abbeyleix, Laois was a two-bed semi-detached property offered by Clement Herron Real Estate, Portlaoise, using the Iamsold platform. This picturesque, recently restored, property had strong interest from several buyers looking in the general area and was successfully sold to a new homeowner for 255,000. l Offered for sale by Team Lorraine Mulligan, Celbridge was a three-bed semi-detached cottage in Cadamstown, Broadford, Kildare. The property itself will need some upgrading and modernisation but the would-be buyers saw the potential and where quick to bid on this ideally located cottage. After good interest, the property sold for 195,000 to a delighted new owner. l An excellent renovation project was brought to market by Kiersey Walker & Associates, Tinahely in Newry, Clonegal, Wicklow. This rural cottage offered the opportunity to purchase a property which can be upgraded to their own personal taste and proved popular with both local and national buyers. The property was successfully sold via the binding bids platform for 90,000. Iamsold are now taking entries for their upcoming online auctions on July 21 and September 8. For more information on the Iamsold binding bids platform or to discuss selling your property by auction, call the Iamsold team on 01 2440000 or visit their website at www.iamsold.ie. A family resource centre is needed in Naas and the soon to be decommissioned library would be an ideal venue. There are similar centres in Newbridge, Athy, Kildare town and Curragh, Cllr Evie Sammon has pointed out. Cllr Sammon said that the number of people moving into the Naas area means that it is necessary because there is pressure on creche places and there is demand for a mother and baby meeting venue. She said the shortage of creche places means some mothers have to drive half an hour away from Naas to a creche and then either return to Naas or travel on to Dublin to work. If we have a building, we need to be doing it, Cllr Sammon told a Naas Municipal District meeting on June 14. She was supported by Cllr Bill Clear who said a two storey disused building on Basin Street in the town would be suitable. He added there are up to 160 derelict buildings in Naas. But, according to Kildare County Council, it is expected that the library will remain at the Canal Harbour location until next spring. Another option being considered is that some KCC staff would relocate there on a temporary basis. This would also include the archive and local studies collection which had to be moved to a temporary storage facility due to the deteriorating condition of the old county library building in Newbridge and to guarantee the safety of the collection. But the current location is an emergency measure and is not suitable for the service. The council says that it is vitally important that the temporary location of the service provides appropriate conditions and allows for public access because it is an extensively used service providing students and researchers access to the unique collection and space for study and research. The current library is a suitable location that will enable the service to resume public access. Work planned for the Newbridge library will house the service and collection in ideal conditions and staff will return there. At that stage, it is expected that the former Naas building will become available for public use. Drumshanbo has made it onto the top 20 Best Places to Holiday in Ireland for 2022. Drumshanbo sits shoulder to shoulders with Westport, Stranshill, Bundoran, Rossnowlagh, Enniskillen and many more. "One visit to Drumshanbo and you will be hooked forever" according to Cian Guckian who nominated Drumshanbo. The area which has rolling hills and beautiful Lough Allen is said to have "surprises around every corner." The Shannon Blueway is one of the highlights and the town has a 1970s feel according to the judge's' report. While food and shopping are not in abundance, the judges said what is on offer is top quality. But with the hotel pre-occupied the judges did note that accommodation is scarce. The Irish Times Best Place to Holiday in Ireland competition, in association with Bord Failte, began in late April when members of the public were invited to nominate their favourite holiday destination on the island of Ireland. Over the last couple of months, close to 1,200 members of the public nominated hundreds of locations in every county in Ireland for the title of The Best Place to Holiday in Ireland 2022. The five finalists will be named on July 22nd, with the overall winner announced a week later on the August Bank Holiday Weekend. 20 nominations were received for places in Leitrim. On Saturday, June 25, the Irish Shorthorn Society in conjunction with the local Croghan Shorthorn Breeders club held a youth development event at the farm of Frank and Grainne Whitney, PortShan Farm, Leitrim Village. PortShan farm has been farmed by the Whitneys for four generations along the banks of the River Shannon. The family have reared pedigree Beef Shorthorns for the last 40 years. The Irish Shorthorn Society are privileged to have Zurich Farm Insurance to sponsor their Youth Development programme. This is the first event of the year and on the day, there was 62 participants from all over the country, ranging in age from 8 to 18 years old. The day commenced with Anthony Dockery, Master of Ceremonies for the day, outlining the all-important health and safety requirements for the event, especially in handling cattle. Frank and Grainne Whitney welcomed the large crowd to their farm on a somewhat wet morning but luckily the rain stopped for the afternoon activities. Sinead Flanagan, one of the young Shorthorn enthusiasts and a leading member of the organising committee welcomed everyone and talked about the development of YDP in the area. After a brief thank you to the hosts and the organising committee, Society president Kieran Flatley and his brother Adrian gave a very informative demonstration on preparing an animal for the show ring. Following this, a demonstration on how to show an animal in the ring was presented which provided tips and tricks. Master Judge, David Faughnan provided advice for the participants on how to judge Shorthorn cattle prior to a stock judging competition for a number of age groups on the day. Winners and runners up of each age group received a Shorthorn YDP branded jacket, and all participants received a goody pack provided by Zurich insurance and a YDP branded cap. Jim and Louie Dockery provided a halter making demo with several participants taking part to making their own halter. Finally, Amelda Middleton Leonard provided some guidance on how to take a professional photo of an animal. The Society wishes to thank Frank Whitney and his family for hosting the event. Thank you also to Padraig Flanagan and the Croghan Shorthorn Breeders club for organising the event, to David Faughnan the master judge on the day and Zurich Insurance for providing sponsorship for the event and a goody bag for all the participants. Thanks also to the prize sponsors for the adult stock judging competition: Emlagh Lodge Veterinary, Elphin; Natural Nutrition; Canal Stores and Kieran Flatley. A special word of thanks to Sinead Flanagan, Arran Dockery, Katie Flanagan and Chris Kerrigan who were a big part of the committee organising this event. These young committee members are the driving force behind this YDP event and credit for the new YDP logo goes to these young individuals. Keep a look out for future Youth Development events coming soon. A County Fermanagh man who pleaded guilty to a charge of drug driving has been fined and banned at Carrick-on-Shannon District Court. Matthew Burns (25) of Druminillar, Belleek, Co Fermanagh, who was not in court, pleaded guilty through his solicitor John Anderson, to the offence that happened on the N4 at Aughamore, Co Leitrim on June 10 last year. A charge of failing to wear a seat belt was struck out. Defence solicitor Mr Anderson said the defendant was working in the UK and would not be coming back anytime soon. Garda Albert McHale told the court he was operating a MATS checkpoint when he stopped the defendant. The defendant tested positive for drugs, the court heard. He was brought to Carrick-on-Shannon garda station where he was detected with cannabis in his blood system. The court heard the defendant had five previous convictions including a recent one for drunk driving as Judge Sandra Murphy noted. The defendant had no previous convictions for drug driving. The judge also noted that the defendant did not have a good record and he had a conviction for dangerous driving also. Mr Anderson said his client was a young man who had been working as a professional driver and he was already banned from driving. His relationship with his partner had broken down as a result of his convictions. He has one child and had re-located to England where he was working on the buildings. When Judge Murphy asked for the defendants driving licence, Mr Anderson said, I cant answer that. Judge Murphy fined the defendant 350 and banned him from driving for a year. She added that he also must surrender his licence. FOUR Limerick projects have been awarded funding thanks to grants from the VHI Health and Wellbeing Fund. VHE and the Irish Youth Foundation have announced details of the eleven projects, across the country, that have been awarded grants from the fund. The fund was designed to fund projects that were seeking to strengthen resilience in young people and help them manage anxiety, with an emphasis on early intervention and prevention work. The four winning organisations impacting young people in Limerick are: Dochas Midwest Autism Support, who will work with schools within Limerick to develop workshops and site visits to decrease the fear and anxiety around transitioning from primary to secondary school for children with Autism. Turn2Me, a national mental health charity, will be delivering 20 mental health seminars for secondary students in schools in the six counties, including Limerick, where VHE have offices. Spunout is Irelands youth information and support website and they will be developing a Mental Skills Hub: a library of resources accessible online and promoted to young people who want to strengthen their resilience by gaining a deeper understanding of their thoughts and feelings. Way 2 Work Ireland will offer a two-tier support programme to young people with experience of foster care who are struggling with their mental health. Commenting following the announcement of the latest grants, Lucy Masterson, CEO, Irish Youth Foundation, said: "We were delighted to partner with VHI again this year. This current generation of young people have had so much to deal with in the last couple of years that projects like these that invest directly in youth supports are vital to help them overcome the challenges theyve experienced and move ahead with the confidence and resilience to manage their future," she said. "The eleven successful organisations have some great project ideas, and I cant wait to see them come to life and hopefully other youth orientated organisations can learn from the impact these projects will have," she added. THE PLIGHT of the Ukrainian people has been keenly felt in Catherine McAuley School. There have been various projects in the school on South Circular Road to help students process what is happening such as the Sunflower and Shamrock Project. The students in Year One of Leaving Cert Applied were inspired to assist the people of Ukraine by fundraising for the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal. They linked two subjects Hotel, Catering and Tourism and Vocational Preparation and Guidance and with the assistance of their Home Economics teacher Ms Burke and their class teachers Ms McCarthy and Ms Kennedy, they set up a mini company. Cupcakes for a Cause was created. The students put in a great deal of preparation including advertising the event, planning menus, choosing recipes, making shopping lists and taking orders. These 11 students then took on a mammoth task of baking and decorating hundreds of cupcakes for the staff and students over three days. When the cupcake sale began, the demand for cupcakes surpassed all our expectations. Thanks to the generosity of the students and staff of Catherine McAuley School, the students raised 1,100 for the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal. Their compassion and enthusiasm is to be admired. They made it all look like a peace of cake. School principal Greg Browne was full of praise of both staff and pupils. Eight hundred cupcakes were made in a day and sold throughout the school. The purpose of education is to allow all pupils to better their own lives and the lives of others. This project has shown our pupils have also dovetailed with what the students learn in Social Education about the world we live in, said Mr Browne. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. Maharashtra legislature secretary on 10 July issued show cause notices to 53 out of the total 55 Shiv Sena MLAs in the state, among which 39 of the faction led by Eknath Shinde and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray group. Later on 4 July, on the day of floor test, one of the 14 MLAs from the Thackeray side Santosh Bangar joined the Shinde camp. MLAs from both the sides confirmed having received the showcase notice. Both Thackeray group and the Shinde camp have accused each other of defying the party whip during the Speaker's election and the trust vote on 3 and 4 July, respectively, seeking disqualification of the legislators from both the sides. ALSO READ: Will try to bring Ache Din into lives of common people, says Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde Meanwhile, the Shinde camp has not included the name of Aaditya Thackeray, son of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, in the list of MLAs against whom they have sought disqualification. All the legislators have been asked to explain their stand within seven days under the Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (disqualification on grounds of defection) rules. In the 288-member Assembly, Shiv has 55 MLAs. In the trust vote, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. After winning the trust vote in the state Assembly on 4 July, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena had issued a notice to 14 legislators from the Uddhav Thackeray camp for violating a whip issued by the Sena whip and Shinde loyalist Bharat Gogawale. With PTI inputs. As neighbouring Sri Lanka deals with an unprecedented economic collapse and resulting widespread protests, the Indian government has stated that it stands with the people of the island nation. "We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period," said ministry of external affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi in a statement on Sunday. "India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework," he added. Bagchi also referred to India's financial aid to help the island country deal with its severe economic crisis. "In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year itself an unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka," he said. Earlier in the day, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said that India has always been supportive of Sri Lanka. Jaishankar also said that India was trying to help the neighbouring country through its economic crisis. New govt in Sri Lanka The statement comes as the opposition political parties in Sri Lanka are huddling to agree on a new government a day after the countrys president and prime minister offered to resign. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a top official in main opposition party United People's Force, said that separate discussions were held with other parties and lawmakers who broke away from Rajapaksa's ruling coalition and more meetings are planned. Another opposition lawmaker, MA Sumanthiran, said earlier that all opposition parties combined could easily muster the 113 members needed to show a majority in Parliament, at which point they will request Rajapaksa to install the new government and then resign. A day ago, protesters President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's residence in a rage over the economic crisis. Following this, Wickremesinghe said he will leave office once a new government is in place, and hours later the speaker of Parliament said Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday. Pressure on both men had grown as the economic meltdown set off acute shortages of essential items, leaving people struggling to obtain food, fuel and other necessities. If both president and prime minister resign, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will take over as temporary president, according to the constitution. Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May in an effort to solve the shortages and start economic recovery. Protesters broke into the Sri Lankan prime minister's private residence and set it on fire, hours after he said he would resign when a new government is formed, in the biggest day of angry demonstrations on Saturday that also saw crowds storming the president's home and office. The office of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the protesters forced their way into his Colombo home on Saturday evening. It wasn't immediately clear if he was inside at the time of the attack. #WATCH | Sri Lanka: Amid massive unrest in the country, protestors set ablaze the private residence of Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe#SriLankaCrisis pic.twitter.com/BDkyScWpui ANI (@ANI) July 9, 2022 Wickremesinghe said earlier that he will resign only when all parties have agreed on a new government. He was responding to a call by leaders of political parties represented in Parliament that he and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa quit, after tens of thousands of people trooped to the capital to vent their fury at the leaders they hold responsible for the nations worst economic and political crisis. Today in this country we have a fuel crisis, a food shortage, we have the head of the World Food Program coming here and we have several matters to discuss with the IMF. Therefore, if this government leaves there should be another government," Wickremesinghe said in a voice statement. But he made it clear he will not step down before a new government is formed, angering crowds that moved near his home to force him to leave office immediately. Wickremesinghe said he suggested to the president to have an all-party government, but didnt say anything about Rajapaksas whereabouts. Opposition parties in Parliament were currently discussing the formation of a new government. Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May in the hope that the career politician would use his diplomacy and contacts to resuscitate a collapsed economy. But peoples patience wore thin as shortages of fuel, medicine and cooking gas only increased and oil reserves ran dry. Many protesters accuse Wickremesinghe of trying to save Rajapaksa when he came under pressure to resign and every other member of his powerful political dynasty quit the Cabinet. Privately-owned Sirasa Television reported that at least six of their staff members including four reporters were hospitalized after they were beaten by police while covering the protest near Wickremesinghes home. Sri Lanka Medical Council, the countrys top professional body, warned that the countrys hospitals were running with minimum resources and will not be able to handle any mass casualties from the unrest. The association said that the president, prime minister and the government would be held responsible if people died or were maimed. It urged the leaders to heed the cry of the people, resign and hand over the reins to an all-party government. The crowds earlier Saturday broke into Rajapaksa fortified residence. Footage showed people in a jubilant mood taking a dip in the garden pool of the residence. Some lay on beds, others made tea and drank, and made statements" from the conference room that Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe must immediately quit. It was not clear if Rajapaksa was inside his residence when it was stormed. A government spokesman, Mohan Samaranayake, said he had no information about his movements. Leaders of political parties in Parliament met later and decided to request Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe to step down, opposition lawmaker Rauff Hakeem said on Twitter. He said a consensus was reached that the parliamentary speaker should take over as temporary president and work on an interim government. Sri Lankas economy is in a state of collapse, relying on aid from India and other countries as its leaders try to negotiate a bailout with the International Monetary Fund. The economic meltdown has led to severe shortages of essential items, leaving people struggling to buy food, fuel and other necessities. The turmoil has led to months of protests, which have nearly dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty that has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades. The presidents older brother resigned as prime minister in May after violent protests saw him seek safety at a naval base. Much of the public ire has been pointed at the Rajapaksa family, with protesters blaming them for dragging Sri Lanka into chaos with poor management and allegations of corruption. At the presidents seaside office, security personnel tried to stop demonstrators who pushed through fences to run across the lawns and inside the colonial-era building. At least 34 people including two police officers were wounded in scuffles as protesters tried to enter the residence. Two of the injured are in critical condition while others sustained minor injuries, said an official at the Colombo National Hospital who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media. Thousands of protesters entered the capital from the suburbs after police lifted an overnight curfew. With fuel supplies scarce, many crowded onto buses and trains to come to the city to protest, while others made their way on bicycles and on foot. Protest and religious leaders called on Rajapaksa to step down, saying he has lost the peoples mandate. His claim that he was voted in by the Sinhala Buddhists is not valid now," said Ven. Omalpe Sobitha, a prominent Buddhist leader. He urged Parliament to convene immediately to select an interim president but said that Wickremesinghe did not enjoy the peoples support. Last month, Wickremesinghe said the countrys economy has collapsed. He said that the negotiations with the IMF have been complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state. In April, Sri Lanka announced it is suspending repaying foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage. Its total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion of which it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027. Police had imposed a curfew in Colombo and several other main urban areas on Friday night but withdrew it Saturday morning amid objections by lawyers and opposition politicians who called it illegal. U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung on Friday asked people to protest peacefully and called for the military and police to grant peaceful protesters 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. This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed. PHOENIX (AP) A three-member U.S. appeals court panel has sided with Arizona prison officials' ban on sexually explicit material for inmates, denying a prison journal's claims of First Amendment violations. The 9th Circuit panel in San Francisco issued an opinion Friday mostly supporting the Arizona Department of Corrections' previous censorship of various issues of Prison Legal News. The state had challenged a district court's permanent injunction of the ban and an order to deliver four issues unredacted. We conclude that most of the Departments redactions of the Prison Legal News issues ... abide by the First Amendment, Circuit Judge Eric Miller wrote. For example, it found the redaction of graphic passages from an October 2014 article were rationally related to discouraging sexual harassment of corrections officers. Representatives for the Arizona Department of Corrections and the Human Rights Defense Center, which publishes Prison Legal News, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Saturday. The Department established an order in 2010 prohibiting prisoners from sending, receiving or possessing sexually explicit material or content seen as detrimental to the safety and operation of prison facilities. It was issued after mostly female staff complained inmates were harassing them with sexual images. Inmates at more than 3,000 prisons nationwide subscribe to Prison Legal News, according to the court opinion. Arizona prison officials permitted the circulation of over 90 issues without incident. But in 2014, they refused to deliver one issue over sexually explicit material. Officials later changed their minds except for one article in the October issue. In 2017, the corrections department redacted articles in three other issues for the same reason. Prison Legal News initially won a lawsuit in 2019 challenging the ban. While the 9th Circuit panel ruled the censorship clearly did not cover mere mentions of sexual acts or sexual violence, including in academic contexts, it did apply if officials were keeping inmates from accessing content that would make prisons less safe. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) Four years ago gunmen attacked Halima Musa's village in northwestern Nigeria, killing her husband and the oldest of their seven children. The family fled to the safety of a camp for displaced people, but now they are hungry, she said. Its been more than one year since the government brought us food items. she said from Sokoto camp. It's 2 p.m. and she's preparing the familys first and only meal for the day. She's not sure where she'll find food the next day. I and my children are usually begging, she said. Northwest Nigeria's escalating violence has claimed thousands of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands more. Many, like Musa, are sheltering in camps that often have inadequate food. The violence has exacerbated the chronic poverty in this part of the West African nation which has a 40% poverty rate, according to the latest government statistics, including some of the poorest citizens in the troubled north. Many families have had to abandon their farmlands as they are forced to choose their lives over livelihoods. The attacks have pushed many communities to their limits, including about 500,000 people forced to flee from home, according to Michel-Olivier Lacharite of Doctors Without Borders, the France-based medical charity. The group is preparing to provide food to up to 100,000 malnourished children this year in Nigeria's Katsina state alone, said Lacharite, head of the groups emergency operations. Despite alerting the government to the problem, he said, We have not seen the mobilization needed to avert a devastating nutrition crisis. The violence in northwest Nigeria is blamed on armed groups that authorities say are mostly young semi-nomadic herdsmen from the Fulani tribe who are in conflict with settled farming communities over limited access to water and land. Some of the rebellious herdsmen are now working with Islamist extremist rebels in the countrys northeast in targeting remote communities. As Nigeria's jihadi insurgency in the northeast has abated somewhat, the violence in the northwest has worsened, according to authorities. The government gives them (displaced people) more attention in the northwest even now than the northeast, said Murdakai Titus with Nigerias National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons. Northwest is given high priority for intervention activities from the commission relief materials, livelihood activities, training them to be self-reliant, he said. The U.N. World Food Program Nigeria office is working to prevent acute malnutrition in children by providing nutritional assistance to children aged from 6 months to 23 months. Aid is also provided to pregnant and breastfeeding women in vulnerable households, said Chi Lael, a spokeswoman for the U.N. World Food Program in Nigeria. Malnutrition remains a source of concern though, Lael said, pointing out that in certain areas, children under five were twice as likely to be malnourished compared to those from the general population. Manzo Ezekiel, a spokesperson for Nigerias National Emergency Management Agency, said the agency knows nutrition must be improved to the internally displaced population. Hannatu Ahmadu and her four children were on the run for a month after gunmen attacked her Takwo village in the Munya area of Niger state. They managed to find safety but they don't have enough food. As I speak with you, we have not been able to harvest our crops and we are currently here starving, she told AP from the Munya displacement camp in Niger state which neighbors Abuja, Nigerias capital. Ahmadu said erratic deliveries of food aid makes it difficult to feed her children. We only eat once a day, she said. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. The decision comes after a video was leaked of Hillsdale College President Larry Arnn saying that teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country while sitting next to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. A typical narco-drone is small and inexpensive, which explains their affordability by terror groups. by G Shreekumar Menon Central agencies are on high alert looking at the threat letter issued on 6 June 2022 by terror outfit Al-Qaeda, threatening suicide attacks in Delhi, Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. Suicide bombing refers to an act in which a fanatic personally delivers explosives and detonates them to inflict the greatest possible damage, killing himself or herself in the process. Suicide bombings are devastating and shocking on account of their indiscriminate nature, clearly intending to kill or injure anyone within the range of the explosion, the victims being mostly unsuspecting civilians, political figures and military personnel. The damage inflicted by suicide bombing is both physical and psychological, and to inflict maximum damage the bombers rely heavily on the element of surprise. Suicide bombers usually carry explosives underneath their clothing, in backpacks, or hide them even in their personal belongings. Frequently, to inflict even greater damage, suicide bombers drive vehicles laden with explosives. Bomb sizes have ranged from less than 100 grams (just over three ounces) to more than one ton packed in automobiles. Since 1983, suicide bombing has become a routine tactic of insurgent groupsfrom Sri Lanka to Chechnya or Afghanistan. The most famous suicide attack on a political personality took place in 1991, when former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and 16 others were blown up by a woman associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). In recent days, suicide bombings are increasing because of the rise of religious-inspired terrorist violence. In Pakistan, on 4 March 2022, a man dressed in black and armed with a pistol arrived in a motorized rickshaw with two others near Masjid Asna-e-Ashri in Kucha Risaldar. He then proceeded alone towards the building on foot. He shot at police officers outside the building, killing one and fatally wounding another. He entered the mosques main hall and opened fire on the worshippers, who filled the mosques two floors. Seconds later, he detonated an explosive vest carrying around 150 ball-bearings and 5 kilograms of explosives, causing a powerful explosion, which ripped through the room. At least 56 or 57 people were initially killed, as well as the perpetrator, and another 196 were injured. In Karachi, Pakistan, on 26 April 2022, a female suicide bomber killed three Chinese teachers, who were among the passengers on a minibus returning to Karachi University after a lunch break when the bomb exploded at the entrance to the universitys Confucius Institute, killing the Chinese teachers and a Pakistani national. Al Qaeda has warned India that it will tie explosives to kids and detonate them. Use of women and children as human bombs occurs frequently in Nigeria. Researchers at the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point and Yale University analysed the 434 suicide bombings carried out by Nigeria-based militants Boko Haram since 2011, and found that at least 244 of the 338 attacks in which the bombers gender could be identified were carried out by women. The ISIS-affiliated insurgent group has sent 80 women to their deaths in 2017 alone. Boko Harams use of women as bombers increased following the abduction of 276 female students aged between 16 and 18 from their school dormitories in April 2014. The Chibok Girls abduction prompted the global Bring Back Our Girls campaign. Deployment of women and children as suicide bombers usually involves coercion, intimidation and even monetary inducement. The emergence of drone technology adds an entirely new dimension to the phenomenon of suicide-bombers and drug-smuggling. During 2020-21, the Border Security Force (BSF) seized 61 drones and 633 kilograms of narcotics worth Rs 2,786 crore. A typical narco-drone is small and inexpensive, which explains their affordability by terror groups. Mini-drones have now started appearing in the market, which makes drug-smuggling and explosives smuggling very simple and cheap. Markets are bustling with a wide array of drones comprising single-rotor drones, multi-rotor drones, fixed-wing drones, fixed-wing hybrid drones, small drones, micro-drones, tactical drones and reconnaissance drones. The Border Security Force has a tough time spotting the wide variety of drones and using the right kind of technology to disable or destroy them. But the biggest danger is the killer-drone. A UN report states that a Turkish-built quadcopter was used to attack retreating Libyan fighters in 2020. But in what appears to be a first that has many concerned, the device was operating in a fully autonomous mode, hunting down its targets without human intervention. The drone called KARGU is a rotary wing attack drone that has been designed for asymmetric warfare or anti-terrorist operations. It can be carried by a single personnel in both autonomous and manual modes and can be effectively used against static or moving targets through its real-time image processing capabilities and machine learning algorithms embedded on the platform. It is included in the inventory of the Turkish Armed Forces, enabling soldiers to tackle asymmetric terrorist operations and asymmetric warfare. Such drones are also known as killer robots, and are weapon systems that use artificial intelligence to identify, select, and kill human targets without human control. This means that the decision to kill a human target is no longer made by humans, but by algorithms. Many countries are presently engaged in perfecting such killer-drones. These drones are also known as lethal autonomous weapon systems. A Russian suicide drone has been spotted in the ongoing Ukraine conflict, which has the capability to identify targets using artificial intelligence. With a wingspan of 1.2 meters, the sleek white drone resembles a small pilotless fighter jet. It is fired from a portable launch, can travel up to 130 kilometers per hour for 30 minutes, and deliberately crashes into a target, detonating a 3 kg explosive. The Americans have developed the Switchblade 300. A small, low-cost kamikaze suicide or killer drones, these unmanned aircraft dont fire missiles, they are the missiles. But unlike typical missiles, they can circle above a target, wait for the ideal moment and strike with incredible precision, and they can even be programmed to hit targets without human intervention, based on facial recognition and other computer technologies. Many nations are conducting research on counter drone technology, but there is, as yet, no foolproof version of it. In such an ominous environment, a big question mark remains on the safety of our top political leaders, military chiefs, top bureaucrats and intelligence officials. Terror groups have for long been luring engineering graduates into their fold. In a paper published in the European Journal of Sociology, Gambetta and Hertog expound about the profile of the engineer-terrorist. The two authors identified a high ratio of engineers in most of the 21 terror organisations that they examined. Sorting the militants according to their 30 homelands showed the same pattern: engineers represented a fifth of all militants from every nation, and nearly half of those with advanced degrees. A former DGP of Kerala has disclosed that according to inputs, Kerala is a recruiting ground because the people here are educated and the ISIS and other terror groups require engineers and doctors. The government needs to keep a close watch on engineering colleges and track the students going abroad. Unemployment being high among engineering graduates, the need for money can compel gullible candidates, to seek employment in foreign firms acting on behalf of terror groups. Managements of engineering colleges, especially privately owned, need to be under constant watch, so that they do not allow their colleges to be breeding grounds for terror-recruiters. Campus interviews can turn out to be dicey propositions, if foreign firms are given easy access to simply recruit and walk away. The new trend of online interviews is even more worrisome. There is need for great caution and alertness by enforcement and intelligence agencies. Dr G. Shreekumar Menon IRS (Rtd), Ph.D. (Narcotics) is former Director General, National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics. Use the Arrows < > above to go through the gallery The community of Granard turned out in high numbers to welcome Minister for Public Health Wellbeing & National Drugs Strategy Frank Feighan TD to Lus na Greine FRC on Monday, June 27. The Ministers visit coincided with the conclusion of three very popular Healthy Ireland Round 3 initiatives undertaken by Longford Westmeath Child & Young Persons Services Committee (LWCYPSC) with Lus na Greine FRC as its lead agency. The Minister was welcomed by Councillor Paraic Brady, Cathaoirleach of Granard MD who also paid tribute to the work achieved in Lus na Greine FRC through Healthy Ireland funding and to the many families and individuals that took part. Caption: Nicole Skujina, Niamh Beatty, Charlotte Sullivan, Longford Westmeath Child & Young Persons Services Committee Coordinator Grainne Reid, Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and National Drugs Strategy Frank Feighan TD, Lus na Greine Family Resource Centre Coordinator Eileen Finan, Mark Flynn, Jack Fagan, Nuria Balaguer and Mark O'Reilly Picture: Shelley Corcoran Councillor Brady, on his own behalf and that of Cllr Turlough McGovern and Cllr Garry Murtagh who were present, addressed the need for further financial support for the FRCs Phase 2 of its premises currently under refurbishment. This he said will provide a fantastic resource for families and meet the needs of people in North Longford for many decades to come. Speaking on behalf of the FRC Thomas Pettit welcomed the Minister and paid tribute to him in his role for supporting the funding of community led health initiatives. Eileen Finan Project Manager of the FRC also paid tribute to the Minister and his Department for their foresight and support in funding positive health projects such as the Family Wellness programme, the training of Youth Health Ambassadors Our Voice Our Wellbeing across Longford and Westmeath as well as Community Health prevention to address childhood adversity, training of facilitators in the Start from the Heart Programme as well as suicide prevention and stress reduction strategies. Eileen thanked the LWCYPSC and their partners Bridgeways, Cara Phort and Athlone FRCs as well as Comhairle na nOg in both Longford and Westmeath, Foroige, Longford and Youth Work Ireland Westmeath all of whom were partners at the forefront of programme delivery. She also thanked Longford County Council for their support with HIF funding for the centre in the delivery of trauma-based parenting supports. She acknowledged very much the support of Longford Westmeath HSE Health Promotion & Improvement team in their valuable work in creating awareness and delivering programmes to support positive wellbeing across the life course. She said that Lus na Greine FRC are also delighted to be part of the new and innovative Slaintecare Healthy Communities initiative and extended her gratitude to Slaintecare Healthy Communities Coordinator, Anthony OPrey and his team for their vital support in rolling out a range of new health initiatives. Under Slaintecare, Lus na Greine FRC will roll out Triple P Parenting programmes across the North Longford area; Lus na Greine also host HSE Stop Smoking Clinics to support people who want to quit smoking Minister Feighan paid tribute to all involved in rolling out HIF Round 3 projects and congratulated all the families and young people who took part. He said the evidence from the projects underpinned the value of Healthy Ireland funding to local communities whom he said are very aware of the unique needs within their own localities. He praised the work of the many Family Resource Centres across Ireland whom he said had good governance procedures and could measure results as they were very much in touch with people on the ground. He stated that the primary aim of the Healthy Ireland funding is to provide support for innovative, cross-sectoral, evidence-based projects and initiatives that support the implementation of key national policies in areas such as nutrition, obesity, smoking, alcohol reduction, addiction, physical activity, sexual health and positive mental health wellbeing. The Minister said he was delighted to see so many young people in the FRC and he praised the work of the LW CYPSC in upskilling and giving a voice to Youth Health Ambassadors who will support the roll out of the committees goals and vision. He also acknowledged the great work of Longford County Council in the realm of health promotion and in administering Healthy Ireland Funding. He noted the support received by Lus na Greine FRC in running parenting programmes to redress the impact of childhood adversity impacting families. The Minister also paid tribute to the work of The Hill Community Creche and the important role they play in supporting babies and primary school children both with creche and afterschool services. He noted his pleasure that the Hill Creche was a key partner with Lus na Greine FRC in the provision of after school services and pledged the Governments support for phase 2 of the FRCs new development on Main Street. Grainne Reid LWCYPSC Coordinator also complemented the work of the Department of Health and thanked the Minister for his support in the promotion of health and wellbeing to local communities. She said the results were tangible and had brought about significant improvement in the lives of families and communities across both Longford and Westmeath. The Minister took time to talk to families and listen to their concerns. He met with residents from Colmcille Terrace and pledged his support for the speedy refurbishment of the Terrace. He also thanked the local Gardai for their work in crime prevention and in contributing to the safety and wellbeing of the community across the county. IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said factories are reluctant to pass 7.90/kg for lambs for next week, with prices from 7.70/kg to 7.90/kg the general run. He said cull ewe prices are holding firm, with prices ranging from 4.00 to 4.30/kg. Spring lamb numbers remain low on the ground and demand for sheep meat will increase as the Eid al Adha festival approaches on 9th July, he said. Kevin Comiskey said lamb prices have come under pressure in the UK and to a lesser extent in France in recent days. These markets should improve with the increased demand for sheepmeat for the upcoming festival. He said while lamb prices are still over 1/kg ahead of this time last year, in reality input costs have eroded all of this gain and low-income sheep farms do not have the capacity to absorb this level of cost increase. Kevin Comiskey said factories must stand firm in the market place to maximise returns to sheep farmers through higher lamb prices to offset these costs. The IFA Sheep Chairman has also questioned the on-going practice by sheep factories of importing lambs from Northern Ireland when prices are under pressure here while also pointing out the risks given the recent FMD concerns in the UK. Kevin Comiskey said factories must do more to support sheep farmers at this time and ensure increased production costs on sheep farms are reflected in prices. Inflationary pressures are leading to demands by Mallorca's hoteliers for tour operators to increase the price of packages by between ten and fifteen per cent in 2023. The travel associations in the UK and Germany, ABTA and DRV, are highly critical of price increases envisaged by hoteliers for the contracting of hotel beds; they describe them as "exorbitant". Individual tour operators are meanwhile in intense negotiations for next summer's prices. The hoteliers' view is that they have no choice but to raise prices. This isn't in order to boost financial performance; simply to maintain it. While tour operators say that this will make Mallorca (and the rest of the Balearics) more expensive by comparison with competitor destinations, they are also aware that these competitors face much the same pressures. ABTA and DRV are forecasting that the average length of stay of in 2023 will be reduced because of higher prices - going down from an average of six nights to four or five. It isn't just the hoteliers who have to contend with rising costs. So also do the airlines, who are predicting increases of 20%. For some weeks, there has been much discussion about what will happen after this summer. Spain's national confederation of hotels has said that this summer should be "enjoyed", as there are concerns about what will follow. This isn't so much about this winter, especially in respect of Mallorca, given the comparatively low level of tourism, but more about summer 2023. The discussion has not only had to to do with prices but also with ongoing difficulties regarding staff shortages. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MANISTEE Rolling Thunder Michigan Chapter No. 1 held the 12th annual Thunder at the River event Friday and Saturday in Manistee to honor and fundraise for military veterans. Friday saw over 100 motorcycles escort the Michigan Vietnam Memorial Wall from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Walsh Post No. 4499 to the Little River Casino Resort. Rolling Thunder, AMVETS Riders, Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 73, law enforcement and others were part of the procession. The Pure Thunder Escorted Veterans Memorial Ride, Thunder at the River's feature event, took place Saturday afternoon. Riders staged at the casino and, after a flyover from a pair of U.S. Coast Guard helicopters, traveled to Crystal Mountain, around Crystal Lake, through Frankfort and Elberta before returning to the casino for the rest of the festivities. State senators Curt VanderWall and Jon Bumstead were in attendance Saturday to pay tribute to the nation's veterans and wish the riders a safe journey. VanderWall said the sacrifice veterans have made for the country cannot be overstated. Kyle Kotecki/News Advocate "Thursday I was able to visit with a group of veterans in Ludington and one of them was a 97-year-old World War II vet," VanderWall said. "He never left the ship for two full years. ... Holy tamale! Can you imagine being put on a boat for two full years, never leaving that boat for any extended period of time? You guys gave all." Sawyer Hendrickson, of the 501c3 nonprofit Miss Sawyer's Kids with a Cause, was also on hand to honor veterans. "The reason we are here is because Rolling Thunder has a mission to never forget that we still have over 82,000 service men and women who have not come home," she said. "... We need to make our government accountable to these families who have suffered the greatest sacrifice for our nation. Each year that goes by, more of our (prisoners of war and service members missing in action) are returned, but it's still not enough." Upon the riders' return Saturday, the band BVO provided live music and there was a cornhole tournament, vendor booths, silent auction and 50/50 raffle. For more than a decade the local Rolling Thunder chapter has held Thunder at the River to help veteran organizations in need, and this year's event marked another successful effort. More photos Visit manisteenews.com for more photos from Thunder at the River. See More Collapse "We are a nation of liberty and freedom and we cannot let the sacrifices of our heroes be forgotten," Hendrickson said. "We owe all of our brave men and women our selfless gratitude and so much more." China, Netherlands vow to deepen practical cooperation Xinhua) 10:42, July 10, 2022 China and the Netherlands pledged here on Friday to deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries. While meeting with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Indonesia's resort island of Bali, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 50 years ago, they have promoted cooperation in various fields in an open manner and with the spirit of pragmatism, and pushed for new achievements in the development of bilateral ties. China is willing to work with the Netherlands to elevate bilateral relations to a new high, Wang said. He said globalization enables countries to connect markets, share resources and integrate industries, which not only benefits all parties but also becomes an inevitable trend of the development and progress of human society. Politicizing economic and trade cooperation, and engaging in closed and exclusive small circles are not only contrary to economic laws, but also detrimental to post-pandemic economic recovery, Wang said, adding that China will open up to the outside world in a wider scope, broader areas and at a deeper level, and is willing to work with the Netherlands to dispel disruptions and jointly maintain stable industrial and supply chains. Hoekstra said the Netherlands attaches great importance to the friendship with China, and hopes to maintain high-level contacts and deepen practical cooperation between the two countries based on the principles of equality, reciprocity and mutual respect, so as to better benefit the two peoples. On the Ukraine issue, Wang said all participants at the G20 foreign ministers' meeting called for a ceasefire as soon as possible, and China will continue to promote peace talks and facilitate dialogues, and support Europe in playing a constructive role in finding a practical solution to the crisis. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) MIDDLETOWN City officials have begun the process of creating a state-required fair housing commission to mediate tenant-landlord issues in an impartial manner, as well as give lessees an opportunity to have their voices heard. The law directs municipalities with a population of 25,000 or greater to adopt an ordinance creating a panel comprising between three and seven community stakeholders and experts, according to state Rep. Quentin Williams, D-Middletown, who authored the bill. Cities and towns have a year until July 2023 to create the board. Thats more than enough time to set up a small commission like that, he said. My recommendation is that these should be completed yesterday. Its very clear were in the middle of a housing crisis, Williams said. If we want to protect our residents from unfair property owners, we need to have this commission up and running as soon as possible. Already, some of Connecticuts 169 municipalities, such as New Haven, a large city with 130,381 residents, and Clinton, which has a population of 13,260, have very effective bodies that are helpful for everyone in the process, Williams said. Federal housing authorities, such as the one in Middletown, are exempt from the statute. Property owners can use the same vehicle if there are disagreements about rent increases or violations of code. It will be a fair place to mediate any concerns for the property owner or tenant, Williams explained. The Connecticut Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status or national origin in housing. Williams said he was inspired to create the bill after receiving complaints from older residents living at Stonegate Apartments in Middletown last summer. The 55-and-older housing complex managed by Up Realty of Connecticut. Tenants were upset about receiving communication saying their rent was going up by as much as 40 percent in the middle of a pandemic, he added. Residents experiencing these sorts of unfair, harsh and unconscionable rent increases would now have a vehicle to make sure that can be resolved in a fair way to everyone, Williams said. He has tried numerous times to get in touch with Up Realty Connecticut, but never received a reply. Requests for comment from Up Realty by email were not immediately returned. The legislation allows municipalities leeway to design a commission that will work for them, Williams said. He recommends the panel consist of up to seven members, similar to a planning and zoning commission. He believes members should include a mix of property owners, tenants, a specialist in housing law and others to ensure it would be reflect the makeup of the community. The matter was discussed at Tuesdays council meeting, after Councilor Ed McKeon asked which office would oversee the panels establishment. Multiple departments have been talking about the statute, though no decision has been made about who would own it, Mayor Ben Florsheim said at the meeting. Once created, the commission could take action and overturn decisions made by landlords about rent increases shown to be unjustified or capricious, he added. It also would give the city enforcement power where needed. It is a nascent process and we are taking it very seriously, Florsheim told members. Middletowns affordable housing report was recently updated, as required every five years by the state. Its goals include lowering the parking requirements for dwellings, creating more micro-units downtown, encouraging walkable housing developments and preserving historic structures for livability. The path to making it more affordable to live in Middletown and Connecticut really has to do with home ownership and first-time home buying, Florsheim told council members. Middletown hopes to become a leader as towns and cities across Connecticut set these up, officials said. Williams believes thats possible. Middletown has always been uniquely prepared for these sort of changes to be a leader, Williams said. Were a big town, were a small city that has always cared about equity and fairness and working together, and being collaborative. This commission is right in that spirit. This puts property owners and residents in the same space to be able to negotiate a fair solution to community issues, he added. Its exactly what the Middletown way is. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development website at hud.gov/states/connecticut. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Many Connecticut cities and towns have moved quickly to impose bans and moratoriums on cannabis establishments within their borders. But local officials have been slow or have yet to establish rules regarding public consumption of marijuana within their municipalities. Included in Connecticuts 300-page adult-use cannabis law, parts of which went into effect last July, is a requirement that cities with a population greater than 50,000 designate a location where public consumption is allowed. The provision only applies to cities that choose to regulate the public use of cannabis. The law does not specify a deadline for selecting an area or include any enforcement measures to ensure cities comply. Nineteen municipalities meet the population guidelines. Local officials in many of those cities have either opted not to impose any rules limiting public use at least not yet or are planning to treat weed the same way they do cigarettes. Milford, with a population of about 53,000, was the first among the group to prohibit pot smoking in public including city parks and recreational areas. Across Connecticut, people can still smoke marijuana on their private property. Milfords Board of Aldermen voted last August to ban public consumption, use, or smoking of any cannabis-type substances and established a $50 fine for each offense. The aldermen voted in October to designate a section of the sidewalk on Roses Mill Road near Barnes & Noble and the Walmart parking lot for cannabis consumption. Bridgeport has enacted zoning regulations dictating where cannabis growing and retail facilities can be located but has not attempted to regulate consumption. Instead, the city is relying on existing laws governing tobacco use. We are relying upon existing ordinances that speak to where smoking may be permitted or prohibited. It is, for example, prohibited in city parks. Bill Coleman, deputy director of Bridgeports Office of Planning & Economic Development, said by email this past week. In the future, the City Council could choose to limit where marijuana consumption is allowed, but so far, the focus has been on zoning as has been the case in many other cities and towns. New Haven, similarly, plans to allow cannabis smoking where cigarette smoking is permitted. Mayor Justin Elicker has proposed an ordinance that would ban pot smoking in indoor public spaces, where cigarette smoking is already prohibited per state law, but generally allow it outdoors including sidewalks, porches, and parks, with some exceptions. Cannabis use would also be prohibited where posted, which could include areas around hospital campuses, the New Haven Green, and within 25 feet of state and federal buildings. The proposed ordinance is awaiting a vote by the New Haven Board of Alders after undergoing review by several other municipal bodies. Greenwich was among the first cities to ban the sale of cannabis but has not acted to limit public consumption, so no designated area exists. Bristol, Danbury, East Hartford, Fairfield, Hamden, and Meriden have taken no action at this point. Officials in Stamford, the states second largest city, are treading cautiously for now. While surrounded by towns that have banned or placed moratoriums on recreational marijuana sales, Stamford does not have any explicit rules governing cannabis. Mayor Caroline Simmons has said new rules will come as needed. Meanwhile, her administration has emphasized the importance of balancing economic development with equity and public safety. Some city officials have expressed concerns over where people can smoke and have called for policies governing consumption. I can tell you, if you come down to Leone Park at any given time, you can smell it, City Rep. Jeffrey Stella, D-9, said in an interview with Hearst Connecticut Media Group this spring. julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com A report by the National Transportation Safety Board released Thursday concluded that the probable cause of a single-engine plane crash that killed the legendary U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcat pilot, Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass, last July, was pilot error. Snodgrass was the lone occupant of the SIAI-Marchetti fixed-wing aircraft when it crashed around noon during takeoff at the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Regional Airport on July 24, 2021. In a detailed report, the safety board said Snodgrass was attempting to take off at about noon, "when, shortly after the airplane became airborne it pitched up aggressively, rolled left and descended into the ground in a nose-down attitude." Related: A Stunt Pilot Died Filming 'Top Gun' in the Same Flat Spin That Almost Killed 'Maverick' The following investigation did not reveal any evidence of malfunctions or failures of the flight control system and there was no evidence to indicate that the pilot's seat had moved. Although Snodgrass was reported to be extremely thorough about performing preflight checks, the report said, in this instance he failed to perform an adequate preflight inspection and flight control check before taking off. Snodgrass failed to "remove the flight control lock before departure, which resulted in a loss of airplane control and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was his failure to perform an adequate preflight inspection and flight control check before takeoff," the report said. The flight control lock is a device that holds the rudder of the aircraft in the neutral position but still allows for near-full movement of the rudder and tailwheel via the rudder pedals. Medical examinations following his death did not reveal any contributing health factors to Snodgrass's failure to perform the preflight inspection. "There was no video evidence to provide insight into the duration and scope of the pilot's preflight inspection; however, omission of the preflight control check was uncharacteristic given his extensive flight experience, and the reason it was not performed could not be determined," the report said. Considered one of the greatest fighter pilots of all time, Snodgrass's military career began in the early 1970s and ran for 26 years. He accumulated more than 4,800 hours in the F-14 in both war and peace, more than any other pilot. Many admirers called him the real "Maverick," the call sign for the character portrayed by Tom Cruise in the blockbuster "Top Gun." And like Maverick, Snodgrass was famous for his low-level flybys. But unlike that unruly fictional character who got in trouble for such unauthorized antics, Snodgrass got his thrills by the book. One such flyby was captured in a stunning 1988 photo taken by Naval photographer Sean E. Dunn from the flight deck of the USS America aircraft carrier. Considered one of the most famous aviation photos of all time, it shows Snodgrass's F-14 with its wings vertical, seemingly far too close to the ship and the crew members seen in the foreground. And contrary to rumors that he was grounded for the maneuver, Snodgrass wrote in 1998 that the "banana pass" (named for its curved trajectory) was approved as part of the airshow component of a Dependents' Day Cruise for the families of carrier personnel. Read next: 79 Cringeworthy Errors in 'Top Gun' How to use the mindat.org media viewer Click/touch this help panel to close it. Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. 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Summary of all keyboard shortcuts Wander Franco left todays game after his first plate appearance, due to what the Rays described as discomfort in the shortstops right hand and wrist. Franco has already been ruled out of Sundays game, and he is set to visit a doctor on Monday when the Rays return home after a road trip. The situation doesnt sound promising, as even if Franco has avoided a serious injury, another trip to the injured list could be beckoning if the Rays want to be cautious with the young star. The All-Star break could play a role in Tampa Bays decision, as Francos 10-day minimum absence could be partially absorbed by the league-wide break in the schedule. Franco already missed four weeks due to a quad strain, and wasnt particularly productive in the weeks leading up to that last IL placement as he was trying to play through the injury. Since returning from the injured list, Franco has registered a hit in 11 of 13 games, but with only a .634 OPS over 56 plate appearances. [UPDATE: Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that Franco seems to have suffered a hamate bone injury, which usually requires 4-6 weeks of recovery time.] More from around the AL East The Red Sox announced a series of moves, including the placement of right-hander Connor Seabold on the 15-day injured list and utilityman Christian Arroyo on the 10-day IL. Right-hander Phillips Valdez and infielder Jeter Downs were called up from Triple-A in corresponding moves. As reported earlier today, Boston also selected the contract of Kaleb Ort, while designating Michael Feliz for assignment. Seabold has an extensor strain in his right forearm, which forced him out of last nights game with the Yankees in the third inning. While extensor strains arent always a precursor to Tommy John surgery, any forearm-related injury is naturally a concern, and Seabold will undergo further examination before a recovery timeline is known. With the injury bug taking a big bit out of the Sox rotation, Seabold was called up in late June and has made three starts. The results havent been pretty, as he has an 11.91 ERA over 11 1/3 innings Seabold sandwiched a respectable one-run performance against the White Sox between a pair of seven-run blowouts to the Blue Jays and Yankees. Chris Sale is slated to be activated from the IL on Tuesday, and the veteran southpaw will join a makeshift rotation of Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, Josh Winckowski and top prospect Brayan Bello. However, the Red Sox have more than an entire rotations worth of arms on the injured list, as Seabold joins Sale, Garrett Whitlock, Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, and James Paxton. Eovaldi is tentatively set to return next weekend, but the Sox might have to wait until after the All-Star break to get any semblance of a healthy starting five. The team will also lose bench depth, as the versatile Arroyo will miss time due to a left groin strain. Arroyos placement opens the door for Downs latest opportunity at the MLB level, as the star prospect made his big league debut with a single game earlier this season. Downs has been on fire in the 14 Triple-A games since his return, as his offense has hugely improved since cutting down on his leg lift during his swing. (Hat tip to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe.) His role on Bostons active roster will be of some interest, as Downs has almost exclusively played shortstop this season, with only a single game at third base. Rafael Devers is currently battling a bad back, and with Downs now up, this could hint that the Sox are considering a precautionary IL placement for Devers. However, it is also possible Downs might get only another cup-of-coffee stint if Devers back heals up after a weekend off. The United Nations Association Commission for Women and Children Affairs Ghana (UNACWCA) has sworn in its latest ambassadors. The ambassadors decorated as Goodwill Ambassadors will champion the cause of better living standards among women and children. The ceremony which took place at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) saw 15 goodwill ambassadors sworn in and a host of others taking their oath online. The Goodwill Ambassadors were sworn in by Her Ladyship Justice Hafisata Amaleboba of the High Court of Ghana. In his keynote address, the guest speaker, President General, Chief Executive Officer and Chief UN Ambassador of the Word of Life Ministries International and Vice President of the International Third World Leaders Association in charge of the UN and Diplomatic Affairs, Dr. Philip S. Phinn charged the new ambassadors to have a vision and execute their duties to the best of their abilities. Giving an acceptance speech, UK Goodwill Ambassador Mavis Amankwah, who joined virtually, encouraged her colleagues to take advantage of technology. She said the use of technology can make the world a better place for women and children. When I was asked to do this, I was in two minds. I wasnt sure if it was something I wanted to do so I went and thought about it and said definitely. I am so honored and privilege to be a part of this great initiative. I and some of my colleagues here in the UK are definitely going to be working to make a difference. To work towards policy for women and children in Ghana and across the world on behalf of the UNACWAC. It is my very honorable pleasure and the great thing is we have technology and my message today is that you should use technology to raise awareness on the affairs of women and young children. We should technology to donate; we should use technology to show the great works that we are all going to be doing across the world. The great thing is, we can all connect globally. Im connected to you now 3,000 miles away in the UK and its just such a great pleasure. So to me, I am really excited and Im really honored, she stated. Goodwill Ambassador, Rev. Daniel Asiedu also emphasized that all of his colleagues were up to the task despite the challenges ahead. Notable among the goodwill ambassadors were Ghanaian Gospel Musician Ohemaa Mercy, Highlife Artiste Kuami Eugene and Nana Otimpie Aben Ababio Otumfuohene Sasaamo Paninhene II. Folks, I have been missing in action for quite sometime. A friend called to ask whether I have stopped writing, and I laughed. I have not stopped writing. I can't stop writing. The reason for my inactivity on social media is because I attended an International Writers' Conference in Ibadan where writers from about 40 African countries assemblied for the Pan African Writers Conference and General Assembly. It was a worthy experience, and I had the opportunity to learn some Swahili. It is interesting to note that the Swahili language consists of different languages spoken in different African countries. Many people think that for the sake of Africa unity, Swahili should be taught in schools in all countries of our continent. And I agree. For instance, "Asante sana" means "thank you very much" and "sawa" which sounds like serwa means "okay". Tweakai, I know what some of you are thinking, but I won't mind you because I'm not a Whiteman. Talking about Pan Africanism, the story is told of an emcee who during an event in another African country which the Late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was the Special Guest of Honour, introduced our first president as Osafogye Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. There was a shrieking laughter, and realising that he has made a mistake, attempted to correct himself by saying Ofosagye. The laughter was thunderous, and he ended saying Ogyefosa. Funny, isn't it? There is something funnier which is purported to have been said by Senyo Hosi. Once upon a time, our economy turned into ekomini, then into ekomdimi where we are presently. By December this year it will be ekomkumi, and I want to add that if God does not intervene by 2024, it will be ekomisiami. This is an apparent indication of how bad our economy has become for which reason the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government has decided to seek help from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This must have been a difficult choice by the NPP governing party because not too long ago the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta swore that his government will never go for an IMF bailout. Speaking in an interview with Joy Business in Accra recently, the Finance Minister said that there is no way Government will seek help from IMF, and that there is absolutely nothing on the table. But, a Bloomberg survey conducted lately, said Ghana may have no option than to return to the IMF for financial support if its debt which is currently above 335 billion Ghana cedis continues to surge and create problems for the economy. And indeed, the country's debt continues to rise and the Ghanaian economy is having serious problems which is believed to be the cause of the recent decision of some offshore investors to get out of Ghanas bonds. This must have been what pushed Government to run to the IMF for a bailout to prevent an ekomikumi crisis by December. Interestingly, going to the IMF will not be pleasant for the Akufo-Addo Bawumia-led government which is notorious for prolificacy. There are going to be financial restrictions which will bite them hard especially in the upcoming 2024 election year. They have been accused of using huge sums of money in the 2020 elections. And this accusation gained some weight when the 2nd Vice-Chair for the NPP and the 2020 Parliamentary Candidate for the Sagnarigu Constituency, Madam Felicia Tettey per an audio that went viral, indicated how COVID funds was shared among NPP party folks for the 2020 elections. Hear her, "The COVID fund came, I was given GHC50,000 as a Regional Second Vice Chair. Then who doubles as Parliamentary Candidate for Sagnarigu, I had another GHC50,000 making it GHC100,000. Then the Constituency was given GHC200,000 or so, I can't remember. So, MCE was given GHC30,000 I can't remember, then Chairman was given GHC20,000 and I think the other executives ten, ten thousand Ghana Cedis or so." https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/I-received-GH-100-000-of-COVID-19-funds-NPP-Sagnarigu-PC-claims-in-viral-audio-1549367 Given this account and the fact that the NPP party functionaries have developed taste buds for cash, I don't see how they are going to survive the 2024 elections with limited cash as a result of IMF cutbacks. Perhaps, that is the reason why Hon. Ken Agyapong, Assin Central MP and a leading member of the NPP has lamented that his party going for an IMF bailout is just like handing over power to the NDC without a contest. And that is how it is. They have to choose between ekomikumi which will irk the youth, and giving up the reigns of power in 2024. This is a serious quagmire. I love this Congolese proverb which says that "If while climbing a tree you insist on going beyond the top, the earth will be waiting for you." Akufo-Addo and Bawumia have climbed beyond the top of the tree and the earth is waiting for them to crash in 2024. I don't envy them at all. They are indeed between the devil and the deep blue sea. Anthony Obeng Afrane Residents of Dambai Health Center, a farming community, in the Krachi East Municipality of the Oti Region are in shock as a teak tree which was uprooted in a rainstorm appears upright to its former position without branches. The branches of the almost dried tree are left on the floor while some of the roots of the tree showed it was cut off from the rest firmly buried in the ground. Madam Mary Boama who interacted with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) about the mysterious incident said she was scared of the situation since the tree was closer to her house. She said her fear grew more since she was the one who cut off the branches of the tree when it was uprooted with plans to use them as firewood. Madam Boama said the re-erection of the tree caught her attention because the tree was uprooted a week before the mystery occurring. She narrated the teak tree stood upright staring at everybody. This is a clear case of wonders shall never end situation. She said she would consult a spiritualist on the occurrence adding that she was still in shock. Mr Abraham Sapaku, a resident nearby explained that he was home when he heard a loud vibration sound after which the tree reverted to its former position, standing upright. The GNA has picked information that a similar incident happened recently in a traditional area within the region. GNA The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has on Tuesday delivered a speech at Turkey's SETA Institute focusing on mutual ties between the two nations and Anti-terror combat. In his remarks, he underscored mutual collaboration between Mogadishu and Ankara is based on Mutual respect, cooperation and solidarity during complex times. Furthermore, the head of state stressed the significance of targeting Alshabab terrorists financially, militarily and ideologically in order to deracinate " we have enough experience in Anti-terror war taking advantage of that, the Somali government will intensify its pursuit of the radical insurgents and the world should line up with our shoulders in that direction. He highlighted. While navigating through his second overseas visit in Turkey after being officially invited by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyib Erdogan. Turkey is a unique country for Somalia president Mohamud says with its support to Somalia in diverse aspects focusing on the significance of Turkey's support for Somalia in the fight against extremist insurgents he said. " While overcoming the post-conflict challenges, fragility and economic stagnation " the insurgents make it more complex for Somalia to recover and this is a field where we identified who is the real friend and real brother of Somalia or not we are very much appreciated and grateful for the world in general they sponsored us but that support was not proportional in all aspects, so that is where mainly Turkey is unique. Emphasizing on the counter-terrorism, counter-intelligence operations against the insurgents, Mohamud said they had implemented.some brutal policies in the past in the fight against extremist and now we have learned a lessons from them, appreciated to the containment policy we have implemented so far, we effectively thwarted the extremist organization from spilling over to the neighboring countries, the continent and the whole world. Somalia has foiled numerous and devastating incursions and explosions and contained Alshabab in the country with thus policy he said by elaborating further if the insurgents was not forestalled in the region. May be it would more perilous meanwhile, elucidating the second stride is to defend and degrade the extremist groups he said. "We minimize and crippled the capability of Alshabab so that they cannot organize, but it is not enough again for us" Pointing out clearly that all these two policies are Military-centered, Mohamud underlined that it is necessary to pursue the fight against Alshebab at the various levels. Meanwhile, Somalia's ultimate goal was to obliterate terrorism, he cited and the Military approach is very crucial and fundamental. But it is not enough by itself he underlined. We develop a new policy that is a paradigm shift and we want to launch Multi-Pronged incursions and confront them on three diverse fronts. He elaborated Mogadishu has proceeded to implement a lot of pressure Militarily and also ideologically, they are propagating the wrong version of Islam, the third is economic because Alshabab is financing themselves from the inside and accumulating huge taxes. Militarily Turkey has been sponsoring Somalia by providing training, equipment, intelligence, surveillance services and so on he cited. In their economic struggle against Alshabab he said Turkey, The United States, The United Kingdom and the European Union can provide support for Somalia so that Somalia will be able to obliterate the reign of terror of Alshabab. Somalia has a new dawn with new government. It has been delayed but at least we have free, fair, credible and transparent elections accomplished in a peaceful manner. Somalia's post-election power transition was peaceful and orderly. It clarifies that Somalia's state institutions and democracy are maturing and functioning properly. The serious challenge Somalia is encountering is the extremist insurgents saying the country has been battling against terrorism for almost two decades. Also, highlighting the significance of political equanimity, he said security is developing rapidly in this regard Mohamud also attended a panel on two countries' bilateral relations and Cooperation organized by the Ankara... based political, economic and social Research foundation.[SETA] This was Mohamud's first official visit to Turkey at the presidential level after assuming office in May 15, 2022. He also served as Somalia's eight presidents between 2012-2017 and currently, he is the 10th president of Somalia after being officially inaugurated in Mogadishu on 9, June, 2022. Turkish Ambassador to Mogadishu Mehmet Yilmaz, noting that Turkey's efforts for drought Response and the alleviation of the dire humanitarian crisis in 2011 initiated to reverse the negative view and bleak stereotype towards Somalia overseas Yilmaz stated that the efforts in the fields of security, health and academic began to produce positive outcomes. The president of the Federal Republic of Somalia H.E Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited the Turkish special forces Military academy in SPARTA. The president was warmly welcomed by senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Turkish armed forces; the president was briefed by the instructors and officials at the Military academy regarding the overall status and the quality of Somali special forces. that currently undergoing advanced and sophisticated training at the military academy in ISPARTA. The visit included a lunch meeting with Somali Military commanders and officers undergoing commando training at the Military academy. The president debriefed the Military recruits about the government's plan in restructuring the Somali national army and validating the overall security in the country eulogizing their commitments and sacrifice to defend the country and the people. The president was accompanied by the Minister of Defense of the federal government of Somalia H.E Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, national security advisor to the president Mr Hussein Moallim Mohamud, Somali Ambassador to Turkey Mr Jama Abdullahi Aided, the Military attache at the Somali Embassy in Turkey General Mohamed Mohamud Hussein and chief of staff at the presidency Mr Hussein Sheikh Mohamud. At the end, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud acknowledged the Turkish government for their essential role in training and equipping the Somali army, noting the value of the government and the restoration of overall security of the country. In the past years, Thousands of Somali special forces had graduated from the special force training academy in ISPARTA Turkiye. On the other hand president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed to defend and annihilate all revenue streams for Alshabab, the Islamist Militants believed to make millions of dollars per year from huge taxes they levy or impose in the large swathe of territory of Somalia under their stewardship as experts cited Alshabab domineers one-third of Somali territory as recently illustrated by Jamal Mohamed Osman a veteran journalist working for London-based British channel 4 Television. Who had frequently traveled to the Alshabab territory in his documentary dubbed "Inside Alshabab " in which he held an exclusive interview with Alshabab deputy leader Mahad Karate whose head was placed $5 million bounty by the US. But security experts say defunding or cutting off the extremist funds and freezing their assets won't be an easy task and it will be time-consuming. Somalia's president Hassan Sheikh this week declared that his government will crack down and decimate funding streams for Alshabab militant groups. Addressing on Tuesday Somali troops training in Turkey, Mohamud accused the group of using extorted taxes to assist and finance terrorism across Africa and the world. His remarks were broadcasted live on Somali national Television. Mohamud says they have empirical evidence to substantiate and even present it to the world that the money accumulated by Alshabab is used in funding terror groups in Mozambique and Nigeria with some going to Al-Qaeda terrorists. And ruled out any form of negotiation. The president did not elaborate on the evidence in a detailed manner, which the militant group rebuffed in a Thursday press release issued as " ludicrous and baseless accusations " Mohamud's comments was the first by Somalia's sitting president and his government jointly acknowledge that Alshabab earns millions through extortions. The UN panel of experts report on Somalia earlier this year Said Alshabab has approximately 100 checkpoints throughout the country where they impose hefty taxation on trucks transporting consignments of goods. The Mogadishu-based Hiraal Institute a security Think-tank that analyzes overall security challenges estimates Alshabab earns plenty to spend $24 million annually on weapons. Security experts unanimously concurred a crack down on Terrorism funding would mark a departure from Somalia's previous government, which focused more on soft power approach which ended in futile and now initiated hard power approach and accelerate the longstanding deradicalization program in which senior commanders of Alshabab defected and surrendered to the federal government. It won't be easy Matt Bryden is a security expert and strategic analyst in Britain and the founder and executive director at Kenyan-based Sahan foundation Think-tank. Speaking via a messaging application, he says Alshabab has a sophisticated system of tax collection while government oversight of banking and Islamic money transfer called "Hawala" is poor the group is also able to move its funds around Somalia due to without an Anti-Money laundering scheme and conduct transactions and transfers partly because of the flimsy regulatory financial framework in Somalia "Bryden Said" the poor accountability in banking system, the remittance systems or" Hawala" that are still very poorly overseen by the government. Alshabab has also exploited these weaknesses to the maximum and So "a government crack down on the financial sector and tightening up the loopholes is also going to be key to combating Alshabab and drying up its resource base" Bryden says Mohamud, who was elected in May, after highly competitive and third round voting is already taking giant security strides against the Islamist Militants. Somalia's Danab special forces have been back in action against Alshabab in several areas of the country. With the objective to stamp out the remnants of the extremist groups. Abdurahman Sheikh Azhari is the director of the Mogadishu-based centre for analysis and strategic studies ( CASS) He say multiple fronts are required to defeat Alshabab including Military operations, counter-espionage battling against their finances and combating their perverted ideology. The Al-Qaeda-affiliated Militants have been battling against Somalia's western-backed government and African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia since their deployment in 2007 and are willing to impose strict Sharia law. The US announced in Mid-May that it would re-established a military presence in Somalia to sponsor and accelerate the fight against the Militants by deploying additional US troops after President Joe Biden authorizes US troops have been pulled out from Somalia in 2020. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MOHAMED HUSSEIN MENTALIST. Author, blogger, prominent researcher, Horn of Africa Affairs analyst and senior lecturer at Mogadishu University. AUTHOR. Holds BA in English Language and literature at Mogadishu University and BA in Business administration at Simad University. Master of arts in applied Linguistics at Kisii University in Nairobi as well as Master of peace and conflict studies at Uppsala University in Sweden Hundreds of farmers in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality of the Ashanti Region have hailed the Chief of Ejura Traditional Area, Barima Osei Hwedie II for successfully halting the invasion of nomadic herdsmen in the area. The farmers say the move by the chief to stop all cattle herdsmen from entering the area has saved farmers from losing their crops. The herdsmen believed to come from neighbouring countries with their cattle according to the farmers destroy farmlands, pollute water bodies, terrorising farmers and raping women in communities. Speaking to OTEC News on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 the Acting Chief for Ejura Dagomba Community and a seasoned farmer at Ejura Alhaji Sullemana Boode said the chief's intervention was timely. He added that farmers are worried over the menace as they loses their crops to the activities of herdsmen. The situation he emphasized threatened food security in the region as most farmers were afraid to work on their farms over fear of losing their crops to the activities of the herdsmen. "I must say we are very grateful to chief of Ejura Barima Osei Hwedie II and the Municipal Security Council for protecting farmlands in Ejura," he stated. The Agric Director for Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality, Ben Leo Ada told this reporter that Barimah Osei Hwedie's firm decision to block herdsmen from the area has saved thousands of hectares of farmlands in over 25 communities from destruction. Mr Ada who is also a member of a committee set up to collect data and evaluate the extent of damage caused by the herdsmen noted that the Municipal Agric Directorate has so far recorded zero case. "This I must say has proven that the move by traditional authorities and security agencies and the Municipal Assembly to declare war on the herdsmen has indeed yielded good results," he emphasized. A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th-century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah of the Algerian capital is falling into disrepair, but efforts to save it have been accelerating. The densely populated district, about a kilometre (just under a mile) across, perches above the Bay of Algiers and has been the site of key moments in the North African country's history. Some buildings weakened by earthquakes, floods or fires are still propped up with scaffolding, but a plan launched in 2012 is seeking to rehabilitate the area. Work to restore the Casbah had first started right after Algeria's independence from France in 1962. That was some six years after a battle between French colonial forces and the urban guerrillas of the National Liberation Front (FLN), later immortalised in Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 film "The Battle of Algiers", shot on location in the Casbah. A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah of the Algerian capital has been falling into disrepair. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) Efforts to restore the buildings involved "several plans and several stakeholders", said Aissa Mesri of Archimed, a firm working on studies of the Casbah and monitoring the work. "Restoration operations were started and then halted for financial, technical or legal reasons related to ownership," he added, lamenting the lack of a "clear vision" for a "Casbah project". The 2012 plan was adopted with a budget of 170 million euros (now $170 million). The project aims to restore the Casbah's "authentic face", protect it in the long term and keep at least some of its residents in their homes. Battle of Algiers heroine The state-run project has already restored a number of prominent buildings, including part of the citadel, which includes the Dey's palace, mosque and ammunition store, partially open to visitors since November 2020. The mosque has been decorated with earthenware, marble and Arabic screen printing. A cluster of four houses that once served as a refuge for key independence war figures, including militant Djamila Bouhired, a heroine of the Battle of Algiers, has been renovated. The Ketchaoua mosque, closed since 2008 after being seriously damaged by a powerful earthquake five years earlier, has also been restored. Damaged building in the Casbah of the Algerian capital. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) The Ottoman-era mosque was reopened in April 2018 after 37 months of works, funded entirely by the Turkish government. Before the start of the restoration plan, Algerian authorities had launched emergency work to "consolidate buildings that were in danger of collapsing", said Mehdi Ali Pacha, head of an architectural firm specialising in heritage work. "The shoring up of more than 300 buildings was carried out in 2008 and 2013," added the architect, whose agency has conducted studies on the restoration. 'Residents a problem' Restoration work on the many small traditional houses in the Casbah is sometimes hindered by residents who refuse to grant access to architects or work crews. "The residents remain a problem. There are some small old houses that have been emptied and walled up by the town hall. "There, there is no problem, we can work. "When the houses are inhabited, the study is done as best as possible with difficulties of access," bemoaned Ali Pacha. In late 2018, the rehabilitation of the Casbah was at the heart of a controversy, both in France and Algeria, after Algerian authorities decided to entrust a development plan to French architect Jean Nouvel. Casbah restoration work first started right after Algeria's independence from France in 1962. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) Some 400 people, mainly architects, planners and academics, asked Nouvel to withdraw from the project. The petitioners were concerned that a French architect could propose transformations of a major site of the Battle of Algiers. The venture was eventually abandoned. Currently, seven restoration projects of historical buildings are underway, according to Fatima Larbi, architect at the Algiers public works department, quoted by the official news agency APS. "The aim is to revive the Casbah and enhance it," said Ali Pacha. Jindal to provide 3,500 MT steel for the USBRL railway tunnel project in J&K 18 Jul 2022 | 10:32 PM Jammu, July 18 (UNI) Bolstering the Indian governments vision for a modern infrastructure, Jindal Stainless will provide 3,500 MT stainless steel, for the construction of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Tunnel Project. see more.. Wiggles launches Kids and Pets Safe Floor Cleaner 18 Jul 2022 | 10:30 PM New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) Pet care brand Wiggles has launched its vet-approved, plant based Wiggles Kids and Pets Safe Floor Cleaner, marking the brands foray into the home care product category. see more.. Rupee falls 9 paise against USD 18 Jul 2022 | 9:24 PM Mumbai, July 18 (UNI) The Rupee on Monday dropped nine paise to close at 79.97 against the USD on brisk demand for US Dollar from bankers and importers, dealers at the Foreign Exchange said. see more.. 6 Vastu tips to welcome positivity at home 18 Jul 2022 | 9:24 PM New Delhi, July 18 (UNI) Everyone wants their house to be relaxing, peaceful, and refreshing. And due to this reason, Vastu Shastra comes into play. see more.. Tension is brewing in the Bole Traditional area following a directive by the Chief of Bole for settler towns to be given Gonja names. The Chief of Bole, Bolewura Safo Kutugefeso, in a letter to the Electoral Commission and other government agencies, said all communities under Bole Traditional area shall with immediate effect be named with indigenous Gonja names within two weeks. But the Vagla, Safalba, Chorba, Nomee and Safalba ethnic groups in response are kicking against the move. The youth, under the umbrella name Vagla Youth Association, are cautioning against the action. In a statement signed by their president, Emmanuel K. Kungi, the association said it found Bolewuras directive strange. The youth argue that the current land or areas were first occupied by the Vagla and their associate tribes namely Safalba, Chorba and Nomee for over two centuries before the arrival of Ngbanya and wonders why the Bolewura will take such a unilateral decision. The actions of the current Bolewura are trying to break up the unity, solidarity and co-existence that existed among the various Gonja tribes which formed the political union known as the Gonja State, the statement said. The association in the statement called on the Bolewura to respect all the traditions and customs of all Gonja tribes without discrimination and avoid diving and rule. This unity in diversity among these Gonja tribes is threatened by the actions of you (Yiram, Sarfo Kutuge Feso I). A few months ago, you unilaterally appointed Bole Lands Secretariat Board and deliberately ignored the other Gonja tribes' fair representation of the land secretariat, knowing for a fact that the land is owned by all and not only the Ngbanya tribe. Below is the full statement Yiram, Sarfo Kutuge Feso I The Paramount Chief Bole Traditional Area Bole Savannah Region Yiram, RE-RENAMING OF COMMUNITIES We, the Vagla Youth Association (VAYA) and in the interest of the chiefs and elders of the Vagla, Safalba, Choruba and Nomee communities wish to draw the attention of the Bolewura to a directive issued on the above subject or issue dated 5th July 2022. We found the directive a bit strange and uncomfortable and we wish to seek further explanation from you (Bolewura Sarfo Kutuge Feso I). First, we wish to find out from you what you meant by this statement: to renamed all communities with indigenous Gonja names and shall be pronounced and referred as such. Our understanding of Gonja is that of the native tribes in a particular geographic area. The term Gonja was used to refer to these ethnic groups: the Ngbanya, Vagla, Safalba, Chorba and Nomee in the extreme Western Gonja area which falls in the current Bole and Sawla-Tuna-Kalba districts of the Savanah Region. Several historical records support this fact. So, we wish to know if the Bolewura directive is targeting all communities with the Gonja tribes' names or not. We consider this renaming as worrying because in the past, some unilateral decisions were taken in which some native Gonja tribes towns names were changed or renamed to meaningless names in today's Bole Traditional Area. May we know if your directive is seeking to restore those original names in all the communities? Some of these affected communities in the past include Beel which became Bole, and Gindabol which became known as Jentilpe among others, which have no meaning in any of the Gonja tribes mentioned above. None of the native Gonja tribes has a name or a word like Jentil nor is there any native meaning to Bole today. So, we wish to draw your attention that such renaming needs a broader consultation with all the Gonja tribes (Ngbanya, Vagla, Safalba, Chorba and Nomee) in all the communities. Secondly, the current land or areas were first occupied by the Vagla and their Associate tribes namely Safalba, Chorba and Nomee for over two centuries before the arrival of Ngbanya, now our sister tribe due to inter-marriages. This is supported by historical facts, both written and the oral traditions of the Gonja tribes. But, the actions of the current Bolewura are trying to break up the unity, solidarity and co-existence that existed among the various Gonja tribes which formed the political union known as the Gonja State. We are by this, drawing your attention (Bolewura) to the rich traditions and customs of the Gonja tribes and we urge you to respect all the traditions and customs of all Gonja tribes without discrimination. These Gonja tribes worked together in terms of nomination, installation as well as the burial of chiefs and worked together in times of war and troubles. We are urging you (Yiram Bolewura) to avoid divide and rule tactics separating one Gonja tribe from the other. Moreover, all lands in the current Bole Traditional Area have shared ownership among the Gonja tribes in every community held in trust by the chiefs (Ngbanya chiefs-Wura and the Other Gonja tribes chiefs-Koora, Safalnaanuma, Heuhina, Tingbani and the Sonyo Kuupo. This unity in diversity among these Gonja tribes is threatened by the actions of you (Yiram, Sarfo Kutuge Feso I). A few months ago you unilaterally appointed Bole Lands Secretariat Board and deliberately ignored the other Gonja tribes' fair representation of the land secretariat knowing for a fact that the land is owned by all and not only the Ngbanya tribe. These are bad precedents, and we hope that you will do what the Gonja ancestors have done in maintaining the unity in diversity and avoiding the numerous divide and rule tactics among these other indigenous Gonjas. Thirdly, we urge you to tread cautiously on legal grounds for the intended actions. The Bolewura actions should be based on the laws of Ghana and consistent with the traditions and customs of all the Gonja tribes in the Bole Traditional Area. Remember, in unity, we stand, divided we shall fall. It is our fervent hope that you will listen to our call for broader consultations with the Gonja tribes mentioned above. Fourthly, we would be glad to know the meaning of settler communities in the Bole Traditional Area. Also, which tribes constitute settlers? This is important for us to know the Bolewuras' conception of settlers in the land. If the settler communities are within the Gonja tribes you need to involve the Gonja tribes, especially the Vagla, Safalba, Choriba and Nomee chiefs and people. If you (Bolewura) conception of settlers is outside the Gonja tribes, it needs some consultations rather than a unilateral decision (to issue a fiat) and demands immediate implementation. Yiram, we are confident that you will use the privileged position justly and fairly and accord this rejoinder the urgency it deserves. We thank you for the attention and look forward to hearing favourably from Your Royal Highness. Yours respectfully, President, Vagla Youth Association (VAYA) (Emmanuel K. Kungi) President Xi Jinping has urged public institutions to defend information security after a hacker offered to sell stolen data of one billion Chinese citizens. In an advert on a criminal forum, later removed, the user said the data was stolen from Shanghai National Police. The hacker claims the information includes names, addresses, National ID numbers and mobile phone numbers. Cyber-security experts have verified that at least some of a small sample of the data offered is real. The 23 terabytes of data is thought to be the largest ever sale of data on record and was being offered for $200,000 (166,000) until the post was removed on Friday. No Chinese officials have responded to the news and President Xi did not make direct reference to the data sale. But, according to the South China Morning Post, the president has asked public bodies in China to defend information security to protect personal information, privacy and confidential corporate information to ensure people feel secure when submitting data for public services. On Friday, the moderators of the website where the sale was listed by a user called ChinaDan posted a notice which read: Dear Chinese users, welcome to our forum. You most likely came here because of the Shanghai police database leak. The data is no longer being sold, and posts related to this topic have been deleted. The website administrators then added that they have many other similar and high quality Chinese databases for sale, adding: We are not in China and we are not Chinese, so we do not have to obey Chinese laws. According to DarkTracer, which monitors cyber criminal activity, another hacker perhaps inspired by the publicity surrounding ChinaDans offer posted an advert on Tuesday for 90 million Chinese citizen records, which the hacker claims to have stolen from Henan National Police (HNGA). None of that data has been verified. It remains unclear exactly why the data has been withdrawn, Toby Lewis, global head of threat analysis at Darktrace said. The original offer of sale suggests that the hacker was looking to sell the data to several buyers without exclusivity, rather than just one. So one theory is that for a high enough price exclusivity could have been bought, and that kind of purchase could possibly have been made by the Chinese state itself. Post on hacker forums about the data sale Mr Lewis believes the leaked information could have been a major concern for Chinese authorities which reportedly blocked discussions of the sale on Chinese social networks shortly after it was advertised. Deb Leary, CEO of Forensic Pathways, also believes the data may have been sold to a high bidder, but adds: Its interesting, and not unexpected, that the hacker forum used the incident as a way to promote themselves as a go-to place for stolen data. They dont seem to be worried about angering the Chinese authorities. Legitimate data In April a popular hacking website called Raid Forums was seized and shut down in an international police operation led by the FBI. The sites Portuguese founder, and a British man based in Croydon, were arrested. Large data sets such as the Chinese cache can be used by hackers to send impersonation emails and other malicious attacks to trick people into handing over cash to criminals. But now the data has disappeared it may never be possible to verify it. Another theory is that the data and ChinaDan could have been discovered to be fake by the website administrators. However Louise Ferrett, Threat Analyst at Searchlight Security, thinks the data could well be genuine. There are indications that the data on sale was legitimate. Firstly, the source of the data has been reported by some security teams as human error on the part of a government developer, she said. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Secondly, multiple sources have confirmed that the sample data that the seller, known as ChinaDan, provided was legitimate. This doesnt necessarily mean the entire database was real but these two elements combined do certainly make it more likely, said Mrs Ferrett. Source: BBC The Fondation Cartier for Contemporary Art in Paris has opened its doors to the captivating universe of Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori, an indigenous Australian artist who began painting at the age of 80. A pioneer until her death in 2015, she was able to capture the spirit of her Kaiadilt people and her homeland through magnificently colourful works. The coastal landscape of far-north Queensland, Australia is like nowhere on earth. In fact, some have described it as lunar, due to its vast expanses of saltpans, rocky outcrops and a searing white sunlight. Overhead, the ever-changing cloud formations float across multiple shades of blues and greens in the sea where turtles and tropical fish frolic. The estuaries, mangroves and reefs cover hundreds of kilometres. It's rugged, remote and magnetic the perfect backdrop for a painter. It was here, in the Gulf of Carpentaria, that the artist Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori was born around 1924 on a little speck of land known as Bentinck Island. This dramatic landscape is at the heart of a major solo exhibition at the Fondation Cartier gallery until 6 November, the first of its kind for the artist outside Australia. 'This is who I am' Growing up as an indigenous Kaiadilt woman, Gabori lived off the fish she caught in the sea. She spoke the Kayardilt language, one of the last people of her small insular community to do so. This is my land, this is my sea, this is who I am. Danda ngijinda dulk, danda ngijinda malaa, danda ngad, she was fond of saying. Her full name is linked to her place of birth Mirdidingki, a small creek located in the south of the island, combined with her totemic ancestor name Juwarnda, or dolphin. To a casual observer, Sally Gabori's work would be described as abstract art. But her paintings are in fact love letters without words, a visual yearning for a place she was exiled from as a young adult and went back to intermittently as an older woman. Sally Gabori began painting at the age of 80, in 2005. She first held a brush at the Gununa art centre, surrounded by men painting their ochre designs. They were of the Lardil people who lived on neighbouring Mornington Island where she was in a nursing home. She didn't speak the same language as them but that didn't stop her remembering her own. She translated her memory, her visual memory of what she saw and what she experienced into colour, working with an explosive energy. She invented her own language, Judith Ryan AM, Senior Curator for Indigenous Art at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne told RFI. A new language It was this rainbow-tinted alphabet that helped Gabori express the knowledge she had stored up of her native country. Like a topographer, she began mapping out her memories, one after the other. Thundi, Makarrki, Dibirdibi, Nyinyilki the names of places and people dear to the artist are summed up in the recurring motifs of the sea, the sky, clouds, and the stone walls built to catch fish, all reminders of a time spent living in harmony with the land, a lifestyle completely untainted by the outside world. Sally Gabori's exile began in 1948, after a cyclone destroyed Bentinck's access to fresh drinking water. Gabori and her community were moved to Mornington Island, where Christian missionaries had set up an outpost. What was intended to be a short stay ended up lasting more than 40 years. This dark chapter of history saw the Kaiadilt children separated from their families and brought up speaking English rather than their tribal languages. Thanks to progressive legislative victories involving land rights in the 1990s, the Kaiadilt were able to reclaim access to their ancestral lands. Gabori did manage to come back intermittently with her husband and some of her family. Paint and colour liberated her, Judith Ryan says, explaining that despite the upheavals Gabori experienced, it did not cut her off from what was dear to her. Instead, the isolation became a trigger to express everything that had been stored up in her heart and mind. For ten years, Sally Gabori painted with complete abandon giving herself over to the physical sensation of endless small brush strokes, filling canvas after canvas, producing some 2,000 works. Hidden talents Able to paint twice a day for three hours at a time, Gabori was a force of nature. Put a paintbrush in her hand and off she went, often humming traditional songs as she worked. Some of these songs can be heard on the special website set up by Fondation Cartier and the artist's family. Within six months of starting to paint, she caught the eye of curators from the Woolloongabba Art Gallery in Brisbane who put on a solo show. With the proceeds, she organised a trip back to visit Bentinck Island. It was like watching the transformation between Clark Kent and Superman, Nicolas Evans, anthropologist and linguist told RFI. The Australian researcher spent time with Sally Gabori's community and published the first Kaiadilt dictionary in 1993. He admits he had no inkling then of her hidden talents as a painter. She was first and foremost a talented fisherwoman, he says, skilled at making woven articles such as dilly bags and baskets, and actively involved with raising her many children. The artist's rebellious, mischievous personality and the fact that there was no existing art model related to her people allowed her total freedom of expression, Ryan adds. Breaking down barriers She defies precedent, has transformed stereotypes, Ryan says, adding that the Kaiadilt people did not have any established painting tradition or iconography and did not practice body painting or use symbols. Unlike other indigenous artists of her generation, Gabori sat or stood facing an upright canvas, as opposed to one laid out on the ground. It is precisely the collision between the world of contemporary, abstract art and one woman's unique vision that piqued the curiosity of the Fondation Cartier, explains chief curator Juliette Lecorne. The exhibition sprung from the desire to break down the barriers between the two worlds and not let contemporary art be limited by what we think it should be, she says. To this end, apart from one panel with a map showing Sally's origins, the exhibition is free from clutter, free from ethnographical labels, Judith Ryan points out, allowing the viewer to see the works freely as art in their own right. New narratives They offer an alternative to the narratives imposed on us by history, adds Bruce Johnson McLean, a specialist in indigenous art and assistant director of First Nations at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. As a descendant of indigenous groups from northern Queensland himself, he described how moving it is to see a woman like Sally Gabori honoured in Paris, taking her stories across the globe, surpassing people's expectations of what aboriginal art should be and say. It transcends the expectations of that story and delivers something of beauty to the world at the end of this story that is patently unbeautiful, he told RFI, referring to the colonial history and assimilation policies with regards to indigenous people. The transformations of these narratives are so important. It's a new language, a love language. Mirdidingkingathi Juwarnda Sally Gabori is on until 6 November at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris. A special online immersive project has been established in partnership with Sally Gabori's family and the Kaiadilt community. In the midst of world economic disorder, social challenges, increasing threat of terrorism, politically motivated attacks, failures of governments to provide for the basic needs of the citizenry, the Tijaniyya Muslim Movement of Ghana (TMMG) has declared stand against violence. The Tijaniyya Movement of Ghana has also called on political leaders across the globe to advocate for peace in their respective countries as they seek to woo the electorates for votes noting that, the moment a political or religious leader uses hateful and insulting rhetoric their supporters particularly the youth may imitate them. The Movement is therefore pleading with political leaders to avoid using insults and words that will disrupts the peace their country but should rather make speeches that promote peace and unity, Alhaji Mohammed Osman Khuzaima, Executive Secretary of the Movement told the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in an interview in Tema to mark Eid-ul-Adha fest. He also urged the Muslim communities to continue to pray for peace in the land and avoid all forms of violence as it marks the Eid-ul-Adha festival. Alhaji Mohammed Osman Khuzaima, acknowledged that Ghanas economy was not in normal times hence it demanded a form of sacrifice and compromise from all Ghanaians including those in leadership position. He indicated that the prices of food have gone up, so most youths and vulnerable families becomes prey for evil doers who use them to do their dirty work. The cost of living has gone up with food price hiking each day, I plead with the leaders not to take advantage of the youth to incite and spread violence, he said. He called on Muslims to observe the Eid-ul-Adha in moderation adding that I encourage all citizens to pray and spread the word of peace, harmony, and avoid creating unnecessary tension. Alhaji Khuzaima who is also the Director of Youth Development an inter-faith-based programme pleaded with the youth to avoid inciting comments that may trigger chaos in the country. Eid-ul-Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice, is an important holiday celebrated by Muslims all over the world for a period of three days. The Feast of Sacrifice dates from the historic event when Prophet Abraham was commanded by God, in a form of a dream vision, to sacrifice his son, Ismail. But while he was in the act of sacrificing his son, God sent Angel Gabriel with a huge ram. Gabriel informed Abraham that his vision in his dream was fulfilled and instructed him to sacrifice the ram as a ransom for his son. This year Eid-ul-Adha celebration will be marked with a gathered in the mosque or open spaces and two units of prayers are offered which are followed by a sermon by the Imam. 10.07.2022 LISTEN The Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL) has asserted that leadership of the various labour unions in the country have been too docile and not working in the interest of workers. It is time to shift from the docile paradigm to be pragmatic to alleviate the suffering of the masses of workers. Labour unions were born out of agitation to work towards enhancing the interest of workers as well as protect the worker from employers exploitations and manipulations. Can the employer count on the unions today? Mr Abraham Koomson, GFL Secretary-General stated. The Ghana Federation of Labour Secretary-General is, therefore, calling for a proactive and robust labour front to ensure that the government governance in the interest of Ghanaians. Mr Koomson stated this during the 14th Edition of the Stakeholders Engagement And Worker's Appreciation Day Seminar of the Tema Regional Office of the Ghana News Agency which was monitored by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) in Tema. The GNA Tema Stakeholder Engagement is a platform rolled out for state and non-state actors to address national issues and serves as a motivational mechanism to recognize the editorial contribution of reporters toward national development in general and the growth and promotion of the Tema GNA as the industrial news hub. Mr Koomson said spokespersons for workers in the country, the labour unions should have stood up against policies and actions that are against the ordinary Ghanaian, the Presidents frequent travels using private jet which is a heavy burden on the economy, the overloaded size of the government, E-Levy among others. Other issues including the construction of the National Cathedral with state funds, the unilateral decision of the Minister of Roads to close down the toll booths whilst the maintenance of the roads continued to be funded by the state, which constitute financial loss to the country. Corruption having become a daily occurrence poses challenges to the economic growth of the country and the labour movement looked on unconcerned. Mr Koomson said Union Leaders have been docile for too long and allowed governments past and present and their functionaries to take for granted the power of labour, organized labour should have strongly raised issues facing the economy before the governments move for a bailout from the International Monitory Fund (IMF). The GFL General-Secretary stated reacting to the governments announcement on its decision to seek help from the IMF, said Organized Labour should have strongly raised issues about the misuse of state resources, corruption, abuse of office before the economy got messed up as being experienced now. He said it was unfortunate that the internal conflicts among the labour organizations made it impossible for collective action to call the government to order. The GFL Secretary-General said it was therefore very difficult for organized labour to speak against the government seeking IMF assistance to address financial problems the country was encountering now. Mr Koomson said already the citizens were overwhelmed by the huge taxations ostensibly to raise revenue locally for development, therefore the only alternative source of intervention to sustain the economy was to surrender to the IMF notwithstanding the consequences. I read the response from Defence Headquarters (dated 9. 7. 2022) to my video about the insecurity in the country and the attack on Kuje prison and I was utterly amused. Given the gravity and seriousness of the deteriorating security situation in our country I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read through it. I would advise strongly that the military High Command and Defence Headquarters spends it's time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence. They mentioned my so-called "antecedents" so let me say this: if they knew anything about my real antecedents they will appreciate the fact that attempting to threaten or intimidate me into not pointing out and exposing their abysmal failures can never work. For the record I have nothing but respect and admiration for the ordinary rank and file and junior and middle rank officers of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much, including their lives, and who continue to do so even without the necessary backing and support that they need and deserve from the present Military High Command. Many of them have fought hard and died on the front line of battle in the most gallant way despite the difficult circumstances they have found themselves in and the uninspiring and poor logistical and moral support they have been offered by their senior colleagues. Worse still thousands of our civilians have been kidnapped, butchered and subjected to the most horrendous acts of evil and violence by the numerous terrorist organisations that have invaded and plagued our land. All this yet we are supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong? Call it "rabble rousing" if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better. Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me. Nigerians are also utterly disgusted at the disdain and contempt with which they carry out their duties and their utter insensitivity to the plight of their own soldiers and the concerns of our people. They speak of my so-called "ignorance" but is there anything more ignorant than attempting to compel a civilian not to criticise the leadership of the Armed Forces of his country where and when they have failed woefully in their duties and obligations? We criticised, risked all, suffered to no end and fought military rule for 7 long years when their predecessors in office and very senior colleagues annuled the June 12th election and held power from 1993 till 1999 but now that they have left office and we are in a civilian dispensation they believe we dare not or cannot legitimately criticise them when they get it wrong? Such delusion and self-serving, self-seeking and vain fantasies beggar belief. The truth is that I have no business with any serving military officer but rather with the serving Minister of Defence who though a civilian like me, you must report to under the constitution. As a former Minister myself and out of respect for his office and person, I will formally and privately raise my concerns and the issue of what I consider to be your glaring incompetence and lack of patriotism and professionalism with him. I will also give him my recommendations. This is the best that I can do in the circumstances and that way I would have at least satisfied my conscience and be able to sleep at night. It is left to him and President Muhammadu Buhari, our President and your Commander in Chief, to exercise their discretion and do what they want with it. They can either take the necessary action or not. Either way I have NO respect for the leadership of the Armed Forces as presently constitutued and neither am I compelled to do so by decency, morality, the constitution or the law. The truth is that I am disgusted by their poor performance and utterly ashamed of their shameless impunity. A citizen complains about the fact that our people are being killed and instead of showing remorse for the dereliction of their duty they are spending their time issuing puerile, infantile and meaningless press statements and trying to rationalise their recurrent and consistent failures. If you want our respect then do please better. If you do not want to be criticised then work harder. If you do not want people to demand for your sacking or resignation then do your job and stop seeking to intimidate, attack, discredit or undermine those that criticise you. I am not an enemy of the military but rather a true friend who is candid and courageous enough to speak the bitter and plain truth even where others dare not. I am merely saying what millions are thinking and know. Again I am merely a concerned citizen who is genuinely worried about the way things are going in our country when it comes to security and other matters. When the leadership of our Armed Forces have got it right on past occassions I have commended their gallantry, professionalism and courage and this is on record. Given this when they do not rise up to the occassion and their performance is below expectation I reserve the right to criticise them, point out their shortcomings and call for their resignation or removal. That is the way things work in a nation which prides itself on free speech and given the fact that this is a democracy with laws and a constitution. We are not a under a military dictatorship and the Military High Command or Defence Headquarters who speak for them cannot silence us or expect us to remain silent when they get things wrong. I believe that if they had any honor and integrity they would have resigned for their abysmal performance rather than spitting in the wind, beating their chests and pretending that all is well. Given the fact that they have refused to do this, I once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari, as I did in my video, to retire them and appoint Service Chiefs that can do the job properly and meet the expectations of Nigerians. For this I offer no apology and I stand by everything that I said in that video including the assertion that the leadership and rank and file of the DSS, NIA and NPF have continued to give the necessary intelligence, confront and tackle the terrorists and do their job as best as they can but the Military High Command have not. Others may be intimidated and compelled to remain silent but I will not. Numerous Governors, including the Governor of Zamfara state, have publicly and privately called for Nigerians to arm themselves whilst others, like the Governors of Kaduna state and Niger state, have called for greater efforts on the part of the military to seek out, uproot and confront the terrorists. Other Governors, like the Governor of Ondo state abd indeed ALL the Governors of the South West, have gone as far as to demand that the states and zones have their own Armed militias and police because you have not been able to protect the people. Such is the level of angst and anger in the land and 7t us essentially a referendum on your performance. If all was well not one of these respected individuals or anyone else have cause to complain or demand more from you. Instead of rectifying the situation the only thing you can do is issue a press statement telling me not to complain? Do we not have the right to call a spade a spade? This is especially so when lives are involved and so many have been lost. Should we suffer this indignity and pain in silence? Are these incessant attacks and slaughter of innocent people not a disgrace to our nation and to our Armed Forces? Have we lost all sense of pride, dignity and self respect that our soldiers and civilians are being killed and kidnapped by motor cycle riding rag tag bandits and we should just remain silent? Can we not tell you when we are tired, fed up and had enough of your failures? Instead of showing remorse and assuring us you will do better in the future you issue angry and insolent press statements in an attempt to silence and intimidate. The truth is you have simply put salt in our wounds and added insult to injuries. And whether you like it or not I will continue to point out the failures of our military High Command without fear or favour because they are meant to work for us. We do not work for them. Rather we pay and maintain them with taxpayers money and they do not pay or maintain us. They cannot impose a culture of silence on us and neither will we accept it. Most importantly in a civilian dispensation the military are subordinates of the political class and the people and are meant to live up to expectation. Where they do not we can ahd must protest and demand fir their removal. They are not above the law, they are not superior to those of us that are not in the military and neither are they immune from criticism or lawful and legitimate sanctions. Permit me to end with this. The way to honor the families and assuage the hurt and pain of our fallen heroes in the military that the Defence Headquarters referred to in their press statement and the loved ones of those civilians that have been massacred by terrorists all over the country over the last 7 years is to fight fight the terrorists with everything you have got in a disciplined, patriotic and honest manner and utterly crushed them. It is not by issuing angry and nonsensical press statements to members of the public and concerned Nigerians feigning affection for the families of the victims of your own incompetence and all those dear and gallant soups that we have lost. (Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, Sadauki Shinkafi, former Minister of Aviation and former Minister of Culture and Tourism, 10. 7. 2022) Brazzaville/Nairobi, 9 July 2022 The Government of Kenya and the World Health Organization (WHO) held a ground-breaking ceremony today in Nairobi for a WHO Health Emergency Hub, which will include a Centre of Excellence for the Health Emergency Workforce, laying the cornerstone for a wider initiative that aims to change the way the continent handles emergencies. The African region experiences over 100 health emergencies per year, more than any other region in the world. In recent years, much progress has been made with the efforts of countries, WHO and partners. For example, the time required to end outbreaks has plummeted from 131 days in 2017 to 45 days in 2019. Despite the advances, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed huge gaps, particularly the continents lack of emergency responders. WHO analysis finds that fewer than 10% of countries in the African region have the workforce required to prepare, detect and respond to public health risks. The new hub will help train a corps of 3000 elite responders from across the region. The aim is for each country in Africa to have at least one integrated team of emergency experts who will be ready to deploy within the first 24 hours of a national health crisis. A wide range of professionals including laboratory experts, epidemiologists, data managers, anthropologists, field logisticians and mental health and psychosocial experts will receive training. The President of Kenya, H. E. Uhuru Kenyatta, the Director-General of WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and the WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti attended the ground-breaking ceremony. Kenya is proud to be at the forefront of efforts to improve the response to emergencies across the continent, said Kenyan Minister of Health, Sen. Mutahi Kagwe, who joined the ceremony. The Centre of Excellence and the Emergency Hub builds on Kenyas global health security leadership and will lead to an empowered Africa which can contain outbreaks and other emergencies rapidly. It complements the countrys health response developments that have seen the establishment of local manufacturing capacity and robust research into emerging health challenges. The Government of Kenya is contributing US$ 31 million toward the Emergency Hub. This includes the allocation of 12.14 hectares of land, with US$ 5 million for construction and free office space for 120 WHO staff at the nearby Kenyatta University Hospital for three years. The Emergency Hub will also oversee a variety of sub-regional activities in Eastern Africa, including maintaining stockpiles of medical and logistical supplies and stationing WHO staff to ensure quick deployment during emergencies. One such emergency is the deepening drought and food insecurity in the region. Over 80 million people in the eastern African region are food insecure and with rising malnutrition, a health crisis is looming. I thank the Government of Kenya for its leadership and generosity in supporting the Emergency Hub, said Dr Tedros. The Hub will improve the capacity of African countries to prepare, detect and respond to health emergencies, support resilient health systems, and strengthen the regional and global health architecture. The Hub will be fundamental for WHO Africas flagship initiative for health security, also launched today. The initiative aims to ensure that one billion Africans are better protected from health emergencies by the end of 2025. WHO is contributing US $47 million in funding for the implementation of the regional flagship initiative. COVID-19 has exposed how critical it is for Africa to be self-reliant, said Dr Moeti. By developing our own national elite responders, building robust surveillance systems and investing in pandemic preparedness, we are strengthening the speed of the response and creating a better future for our children. I thank the Government of Kenya for its visionary leadership which is ensuring the continent can stand tall and proud and not be brought down to its knees by a virus. The WHO flagship initiative is the result of extensive consultations with more than 30 African government ministers, technical actors, partners across the continent, which have contributed to shaping the priority activities. 10.07.2022 LISTEN The Wassa East District Assembly spearheaded by its Chief Executive Hon. Emmanuel Boakye has map up a strategy to change market days in the district from Tuesdays to Mondays. The change has become necessary due to its clash with that of Beposo market day in the Shama District. Farmers in the District prefer to cart their farm produce to the Beposo market where they can sell at a higher price which is leading to loss of revenue to the Assembly. It is against this backdrop that management of the Assembly have resolved to change the market day to Mondays and Thursdays. This will compelled the traders to sell their produce at the Daboase market and a newly designated market at Sekyere Adiembra. Addressing a meeting with some stakeholders at Daboase in the Western Region, the District Chief Executive Hon. Boakye implored on, Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to create additional terminals for drivers. This he said should include Accra and Cape Coast stations. According to him, it will help facilitate the movement of traders. Other stakeholders to be engaged are Chiefs, farmers, youth groups, media and traders. The DCE acknowledged challenges that the plan may encounter but assures that with conscious and persistent effort success may be achieved in the end. "We cannot sit and watch without doing anything about something that robes the District from internally generated funds(IGF)," he stated. According to Hon. Boakye, aside the stakeholder engagement, there will be a District wide public education especially in communities where farm produce are cart and brought to the market as well as making the place a centre of attraction for both buyers and traders before the strategy is implemented. He urged the people to embrace the idea when it is fully implemented since it is going to help improve revenue generation of the Assembly. 10.07.2022 LISTEN Traumatic! (meaning distressing/troubling experience). Upon the escape of Caucasians/Caucasoids from the Caucasus Mountains there was initial invasions of barbarian clandestines (referred to today as Europeans and Aryans), an ongoing upheavals of Africas Nile River Valley Civilizations (c.4500 B.C.). Traumatic! In the 1400s, the Maafa (Kiswahilia means horrific tragedy) or the Black Holocaust, the disruption, abuse and killings within the system of chattel slaveryfrom certain wicked chieftaincies to Caucasian/European slave traders, slave breaking and slave master/plantations, a massive blow to African people for over 400 years, arresting their development. The Maafa, the worse form of slavery in world history built on brutal racism and European indoctrination. The Maafa, damaging the African psyche and hindered the advancement of African cultures, languages, and writing of ourstory/history, leaving room for Caucasoid theft of African legacies. Traumas cannot be dismissed. Traumas must be appropriately confronted, especially culturally, in order to create a mentally healthy African community for the purpose of re-development of African nations and the African Diaspora (Sixth Region of Africa, see African Union). For years, many Black/African psychologists have diagnosed the traumas of Black people with an Africentric approach to psychology, for instance the renown Dr. Joy DeGruy conceptualized Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome; Dr. Naim Akbar and his discourse on Psychological Slavery, which Akbar describes the mental ills of Africans via Eurocentric indoctrination; including Dr. Umar Johnsons battle against whites racial biases, stereotyping and labeling of African/Black youth, especially in school systems. The traumas are stemming from the onslaught of European invasions, chattel enslavement and blatant global white supremacy, and experienced by Blacks/Africans throughout their lives, and according to Dr. DeGruy, those traumas even be deeply embedded in Africans psyche. Black/African people world-wide, are the same people, different languages, and yet similar traumas. The aforementioned African American psychology concepts can be applicable to all Africans and could provide a means to devise healing processes, and help improve the education framework in Ghana/Africa and throughout the African Diaspora. The Africentric psychology of DeGruy, Akbar and Johnson would be remedies in combating Europeans perceptions engrained in many Ghanaians via British colonialism, selective remembrance, confusion-- searching for positiveness in colonialism (see- Ghana JHS social studies textbook), and yearning to be a part of European Colonialists British commonwealth. Healing inflicted traumas, can start with decolonization, African-centered education, encouraging Black self-reliance and understanding what true independence means, that of which President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria struggled for and other Pan African presidents of their time. When such traumas tragedies in history, European colonialism and indoctrination, and intentional continuous miseducation plagues every aspect of Ghana society, aggravated by the lack of well-shelved public libraries and other educational resources; hence, numerous Ghana politicians are a product of this system that deprived them from African-centered learning (by design) and global studies; and this void in the education system is fuel for self-hate and negative behaviors towards people who resemble them. Survival in an underdeveloped nation, and then an opportunity to acquire amenities from a developed nation is defined by many people as an opportunity to help the community of self know thyself in order to help the village (see Nkrumah and Azikiwe), the extreme traumatized and clueless see it as determined efforts for selfish gains. Quote, Dr. Niam Akbar: Knowledge of self is more than a catchy phrase. The ancient master of Egypt [Kemet] taught, Man, know thyself. Ancient revelations and modern science agree that the real power in human capability is based in the consciousness of self or self-knowledge knowing who we are is the power of psychological, economic, political, and social effectiveness. People who know who they are can change themselves and change the world. Each person and each tribe must have self-knowledge if there is any hope for their survival and successful competition with the rest of humanity. Today, certain Ghana politicians mental condition is questionable, because of the poor state of Ghanas economy and currency, unemployment, declining education system, and serious infrastructure problems. Several Ghana politicians are slumbering as people suffer amidst serious hardships (one would think Ghanas currency spiraling downward would be a wakeup call) therefore, it is highly suggested those politicians to be assessed by a psychologist. Several politicians are so traumatized, some aggravated by arrogant-ignorance, that their abilities to prioritize and make rational decisions are far removed and their decision-making is borderline insanity for example, constructing a cathedral over $350 million, a religious edifice financed with national coffers/taxpayers. Why? Because of a politicians pact made within the confines of his religious belief and deity that is not the preference of the masses in Ghana, and yet still determined to build regardless as poverty looms, death defying flooding, hospitals declining, graduating university students are unemployed, including having issues reconciling with those tribes/nations or people who did not vote for them. Certain Ghana politicians begging to borrow from white supremacists banking systems (IMF; World Bank Corporation) one must investigate mental health problems and inquire, where is the independence in this? Ghana Politician(s) of an underdeveloped nation listed as an HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Country) by the same banking systems, and yet proceed to genuflect for loans; including indulging in a luxurious jet, excessive travel expenditures, while snagged in a tangled web of infidelity, making false promises to the public, and commence in empty sod-cutting. Such aforementioned behavior issues plague many Ghana politicians and reveals a serious psychologically imbalance, so critical to the point it is a growing concern by many people if those politicians are cognizant enough to make the right decisions as it pertains to nation-building. Of course, the mental health issues would neither allow for the growth of patriotism, nor be helpful in saving a country from a struggling economy. For those unaware, the mental health issues can also be a national security problem, putting Ghana at risk in helping to advance the Scramble for Africa and further regressing to what I describe as the Neo-Gold Coast. Suggestion-- a call out to Black/African psychologists and request they schedule sessions with many of Ghanas politicians to help them deal with their mental health issues-- the traumas. Forward ever Dr. K. Makeda Muhammad is a Repatriate a returnee to Africa via Ghana in 2011. Dr. Makedas field of study is Black Studies; she is an educator, independent researcher, writer, Pan Africanist, community activist, and social media freedom fighter. References: Dr. Chancellor William, Destruction of Black Civilizations Paul Guthrie, The Making of the Whiteman Yosef ben Jochannan, Blackman of The Nile and His Family Malcolm X, Malcolm X on Afro-American History Dr. Naim Akbar, The Community of Self (Revised) Dr. George G. M. James, Stolen Legacy Dr. Runoko Rashidi, The African Presence Dr. Ivan Sertima, They Came Before Columbus Mr. Elijah Muhammad, Message to the Blackman Dr. Carter G. Woodson, The Miseducation of the Negro Chinweizu, Decolonising the African Mind African Union Web site, The Diaspora Division, https://au.int/eng/diaspora-division JoyOnline. Slavery and Selective Remembrance, https://www.myjoyonline.com/slavery-and-selective-remembrance/?myjo Dhaka, July 10 (UNI) Bangladesh on Sunday celebrated Eid-ul-Azha, the second biggest religious festival of the Muslims. Eid-ul-Azha is celebrated on the 10th of Zilhajj month of the Hijri calendar. To commemorate the festival, the Muslims across the country will offer prayers in congregations. President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting the Muslims in Bangladesh and all over the world on the occasion of the Eid-ul-Azha. The main Eid congregation will be held at the National Eidgah near the High Court Bhaban here at 8am, said Islamic Foundation (IF). Eid congregation will be held at the historic Sholakia ground in Kishoreganj this year after 2 years due to Covid-19 pandemic. UNI MAZ RNJ Record-setting revenues from Texas oil and gas production continued to flow into the states treasury, according to data from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts. The office reported $679 million in oil production taxes was paid in June, up from $595 million in May and 87 percent above June 2021 levels. It was also the highest monthly collection on record. Oil production taxes total just more than $5 million to date this fiscal year, which ends Aug. 31, 89.6 percent above the previous year. Its also more than the $4.9 million forecast by the Comptrollers office. Likewise, natural gas producers paid record amounts in production taxes - $439 million in June, up from $413 million in May and 176 percent higher than June 2021. Natural gas production taxes to date this fiscal year total $3.4 million, 192.6 percent above a year earlier and well above the $2.6 million projected by the Comptrollers office. Growth in oil and natural gas production in Texas, and particularly in the Permian Basin, is not only a benefit to those in the industry but to those throughout the state, Ben Shepperd, president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association, told the Reporter-Telegram by email. The hard work and dedication of those in the industry has resulted in not only production growing to more than 40 percent of total crude oil production in the US but record-breaking tax revenue for the state. Shepperd added, the tax burden for services provided by the state is greatly lessened on individuals and families because of the tax revenues generated by the oil and natural gas industry. Along with that increase in production and tax revenue, it shouldnt be forgotten that growth in employment opportunities in upstream oil and gas has occurred at levels not experienced in decades. Todd Staples, president of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, noted that the combined, oil and natural gas production taxes of almost $1.12 billion for the month of June is greater than the average annual revenue from production taxes just a few years ago. All Texans benefit from a robust oil and natural gas industry that provides hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs and pays billions toward our states economy, essential services and public education whether you live in the oil patch or not, Staples told the Reporter-Telegram by email. These historic job and tax revenue numbers continue to signal the resiliency of our industry which is committed to meeting our energy needs, fortifying our national security, and achieving continued environmental progress. In the first of a two-part study on the economic importance of the Permian Basin, Economist Ray Perryman noted that Permian Basin oil and gas producers make major contributions not just to the state treasury but federal and local entities as well. They do so, he said, not just through production taxes but property taxes, sales taxes and state franchise taxes and gross receipt taxes imposed on natural gas utilities and pipelines. Perryman estimated Permian Basin production taxes represented about 59 percent of total state severance taxes in FY 2019 and about 64 percent in FY 2020 and FY 2021. Beyond taxes, Perryman pointed out that Permian producers also pay royalty income to the state. The region, he said, contributed $979 million in royalties to the state through the Permanent University Fund in FY 2021. When the total economic effects are considered (such as those measured in this study), the gains in taxes from these sources are significant, he wrote in the study. The Perryman Group estimates that total business activity associated with the oil and gas industry in the Permian Basin leads to annual indirect and induced tax receipts of approximately $24 billion to the federal government, $2.6 billion to Texas, and $2.4 billion to local government entities across the state. When direct and indirect taxes are summed, tax receipts to the State of Texas and local government entities across the state associated with various aspects of Permian Basin oil and gas activity totaled about $11.8 billion for 2021, Perryman wrote. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate TOKYO (AP) Japan's governing party and its coalition partner scored a major victory in a parliamentary election Sunday imbued with meaning after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid uncertainty about how his loss may affect party unity. The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito raised their combined share in the 248-seat chamber to 146 far beyond the majority in the elections for half of the seats in the less powerful upper house. With the boost, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stands to rule without interruption until a scheduled election in 2025. That would allow Kishida to work on long-term policies such as national security, his signature but still vague new capitalism economic policy, and his partys long-cherished goal to amend the U.S.-drafted postwar pacifist constitution. A charter change proposal is now a possibility. With the help of two opposition parties supportive of a charter change, the governing bloc now has two-thirds majority in the chamber needed to propose an amendment, making it a realistic possibility. The governing bloc already has secured support in the other chamber. Kishida welcomed the major win but wasn't smiling, given the loss of Abe and the hard task of unifying his party without him. In media interviews late Sunday, Kishida repeated: Party unity is more important than anything else. He said responses to COVID-19, Russias invasion of Ukraine and rising prices will be his priorities. He said he will also steadily push for reinforcing Japans national security as well a constitutional amendment. Kishida and senior party lawmakers observed a moment of silence for Abe at the party election headquarters before placing on the whiteboard victory ribbons next to the names of candidates who secured their seats. Abe, 67, was shot while giving a campaign speech in the western city of Nara on Friday and died of massive blood loss. He was Japan's longest-serving political leader over two terms in office, and though he stepped down in 2020 was deeply influential in the LDP while heading its largest faction, Seiwakai. This could be a turning point for the LDP over its divisive policies on gender equality, same-sex marriages and other issues that Abe-backed ultra-conservatives with paternalistic family values had resisted, said Mitsuru Fukuda, a crisis management professor at Nihon University. Japans current diplomatic and security stance is unlikely to be swayed because fundamental changes had already been made by Abe. His ultra-nationalist views and pragmatic policies made him a divisive figure to many, including in the Koreas and China. Following the assassination, Sundays vote took on new meaning, with all of Japan's political leaders emphasizing the importance of free speech and defending democracy against acts of violence. Abe's killing may have resulted in sympathy votes. Turnout on Sunday was around 52%, up about 3 points from the previous 48.8% in 2019. It was extremely meaningful that we carried out the election, Kishida said Sunday. Our endeavor to protect democracy continues. On the final day of campaigning Saturday, party leaders avoided fist-bumps and other friendly gestures in close contact with the public a sign of tightened security following Abes assassination during a campaign rally. Abes body has been returned to his home in Tokyos upscale Shibuya, where many mourners, including Kishida and top party officials, paid tribute. His wake and funeral are expected in coming days. On Sunday, the suspect accused of his murder was transferred to a local prosecutors office for further investigation, and a top regional police official acknowledged possible security lapses allowed the gunman to get close to Abe and fire his homemade gun at him. The suspect, Tetsuya Yamagami, told investigators he acted because of Abe's rumored connection to an organization that he resented, police said, but had no problem with the former leader's political views. The man hated a religious group that his mother was obsessed about and that bankrupted a family business, according to media reports, including some that identified the group as the Unification Church. Nara prefectural police chief Tomoaki Onizuka said Saturday that problems with security were undeniable, that he took the shooting seriously and will review the security procedures. Abe stepped down two years ago blaming a recurrence of the ulcerative colitis hed had since he was a teenager. He said he regretted leave many of his goals unfinished, including revising Japans war-renouncing constitution. While some conservatives consider the post-World War II charter a humiliation, the public is more supportive of the document. 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 through security alliance with the United States and bigger role in international affairs. 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, prompting six years of annual leadership change. He returned to office in 2012, vowing 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. Japan is known for its strict gun laws. With a population of 125 million, it had only 21 gun-related criminal cases in 2020, according to the latest government crime paper. Experts say, however, some recent attacks involved use of consumer items such as gasoline, suggesting increased risks for ordinary people to be embroiled in mass attacks. New Delhi, July 10 (UNI) Congress President Sonia Gandhi expressed concern over Sri Lankan situation. Hopes India will continue assistance and urged international community to extend support. In a statement, Sonia Gandhi said, "The Indian National Congress has been following with concern the evolving political situation in Sri Lanka. The economic challenges, rising prices and shortage of food, fuel and essential commodities have caused enormous hardships and distress among the people there." "The Congress party expresses its solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of grave crisis and hopes they will be able to overcome it. We hope that India will continue to assist the people and government of Sri Lanka as they deal with the difficulties of the current situation," she said. "The Congress party also urges the international community to extend all assistance and support to Sri Lanka." Thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka broke through police barricades and stormed president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in Colombo on Saturday. Rajapaksa has told the Speaker that he will resign on July 13. UNI AO SY This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate We all make mistakes. They are an unpleasant fact of life. Then there are those bad calls that go far beyond mere missteps, errors in judgment so egregious they become hallmarks of sheer stupidity. One of the biggest debacles of all time occurred 50 years ago this month. This is the story of the biggest blunder in American political history. It was decision time for George McGovern in July 1972. After a grueling primary campaign, the South Dakota senator had just clinched the Democratic presidential nomination. With his party gathering for its national convention in Miami Beach, he would soon announce his running-mate. The problem was, McGovern didnt have one. He had been so focused on securing the nomination he apparently hadnt given much thought to whose name would appear alongside his on the ballot. To a certain extent, that was understandable. The 1972 Democratic primary season had been an experiment in disorganized democracy. Reacting to the disastrous 1968 convention in Chicago, Democrats overcompensated by flinging the delegate selection process wide open, creating a far more liberal base focused on highly controversial issues of the day like abortion, gay rights, radical feminism, legalization of pot and an immediate end to the Vietnam War. Moderate and conservative Democrats were shunted aside by a cadre of young activists that included Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodman and overseen by McGoverns campaign manager and future U.S. senator Gary Hart. Miami Beach promised to be a nationally televised parade of the unconventional posing as a political convention. Amid this chaotic backdrop, McGovern prepared for his coronation with no running mate in sight. And as his attention turned to filling out the ticket on the conventions opening day, he was also facing a colossus. Richard Nixon and his Republican Party were poised for a victory that November. Polling showed McGoverns best (and perhaps only) chance for overcoming the long odds was running with Sen. Edward Kennedy, the younger brother of the man who had defeated Nixon for president in 1960. As a Catholic, he shored up the ticket on the abortion issue and carried the Camelot legacy from Jack Kennedys 1,000 days in the White House. There was just one problem, and it was a biggie: Ted Kennedy wanted no part of it. He didnt want to go down with the Titanic, and his presidential ambition didnt include the word vice. So, it was a polite no when McGovern offered him the number two spot. With the convention under way, McGovern invited senators Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin and Abraham Ribicoff of Connecticut to run with him. Once again, it was, Thanks, but no thanks. Time was running out. In desperation, McGovern turned to 42-year-old Missouri senator Thomas Eagleton. A devout Catholic with strong ties to organized labor, he was liberal without being too liberal. And he had the best qualification: When McGovern asked Eagleton to run with him, he said, Yes. Their phone conversation lasted a mere two minutes. And though he didnt know it at the time, McGovern had just made the biggest blunder of his career. The McGovern-Eagleton ticket was announced July 12. By early the next week, whispers were spreading through Washington and making their way onto network TV and major daily newspaper newsrooms. Eagleton had a dark secret. Years before, he had experienced severe depression and had received electroshock treatments for it. The news hit like a bombshell. This was the middle of the Cold War, after all, and the threat of nuclear war was real. Americans wondered whether having someone whod suffered a form of mental illness with his finger on the button was a good idea, should it come to that. To his credit, Eagleton acknowledged everything and didnt hide from it. To his discredit, McGovern handled it as poorly as possible. First, he said he stood behind his running mate (in his words) 1,000 percent. With the heat growing, McGovern stalled for time and tried to get Eagletons medical records. He couldnt. The Dump Eagleton chorus grew louder daily until reaching a crescendo of Hallelujah Chorus proportions. Finally, McGovern talked with two of his running mates psychiatrists. That persuaded him enough was enough. After a mere 18 days on the ticket, Eagleton withdrew. Again, the Democratic standard-bearer had a tough time finding someone to run with him before finally settling on Sargeant Shriver, the first director of the Peace Corps and husband of Ted Kennedys sister, Eunice. Exactly 99 days later, McGovern-Shriver lost 49 states to one against Nixon-Agnew in one of the biggest landslide defeats in history. So, where did McGovern blow it? He didnt examine Eagletons personal history beforehand. Amid the wholesale confusion of the 72 Democratic National Convention, his campaign never conducted a background check. It is a mistake that hasnt been repeated in the 50 years since. Vice president selections are now vetted so thoroughly that the process ranks somewhere between having a root canal and being audited by the IRS. Too bad for McGovern that Ronald Reagans favorite adage, Trust, but verify, wouldnt come along for an additional 15 years. When Melissa Martinez applied to have her student loan debt forgiven more than a decade ago, the U.S. Department of Education told her she was ineligible. Martinez, a professor, tried again this past year and managed to erase the last $6,000 she owed for her doctorate. She wasnt alone according to new federal figures, more than 145,000 borrowers have had the remainder of their federal student loan debt canceled through a program for people who work for schools, governments or nonprofits. Hundreds of thousands more have completed the paperwork for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and officials say many more likely qualify. An Oct. 31 deadline to apply under the less stringent rules is fast approaching. Theres a broader conversation underway in America about how to handle student loan debt. An estimated 43 million Americans carry student loans worth $1.6 trillion, according to federal figures. Federal student loan payments were paused during the coronavirus pandemic and will remain so until at least Aug. 31. President Joe Biden is expected to make some sort of announcement about student loan relief before then. Nearly all of the cancellations through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program have come since last October, when the government temporarily relaxed the complex requirements. Before that, the program had rejected more than 90% of applicants, the Department of Education said in 2019. A spokesperson for the Education Department said Wednesday that most borrowers who were denied then were deemed ineligible because they didnt meet employer eligibility requirements, their employment dates didnt align with the dates of their student loans, or they didnt have the required direct loans. I thought maybe it would work now, said Martinez, who graduated from the University of Texas, Austin in 2010 with a doctorate in educational administration. Martinez said the money will go toward lowering credit card debt and building savings to have on hand for emergencies and unexpected expenses. Knowing that its forgiven lifts some of the worry or stress off my shoulders, she said. Even though the deadline is in October, Martinez advises people who may qualify for the loan forgiveness to apply as soon as possible. She found the process difficult to navigate, even with the relaxed rules. It took her five months to complete the paperwork and another three months to hear back from the program. I remember calling and staying on the line for an hour waiting, she said. Martinez also initially had her proof of employment denied, though it was approved when she re-sent the documents. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, launched in 2007 to steer more graduates to public service, cancels federal student loan debt after 10 years of public interest work, or 120 payments. Teachers, librarians, nurses, public interest lawyers, military members and other public workers all qualify, along with people who work for non-profits. So far, the forgiveness totals almost $8.1 billion in federal loans, but that amount is just a fraction of the debt that could qualify. The average amount of debt forgiven through the program is $64,968. The program seems really simple people commit 10 years to serving their country and communities and the government promises to end their student debt, said Kat Welbeck, civil rights counsel at the Student Borrower Protection Center. Weve seen, throughout the 14 years, so many people set back by administrative hurdles and burdens, not knowing they had access to this program or being told they couldnt get access even though they worked in qualified employment. Under the reformed rules, loan servicers count payments that had previously been deemed unacceptable, such as when borrowers mistakenly or unwittingly signed up for non-qualifying plans. I think its a great incentive, especially for teachers. So many are overworked and underpaid, and theyve got those loans that theyre still working on, Martinez said. The waiver period has been life-changing for loan holders whove been able to receive credit toward forgiveness for years theyve worked in public service after previously being rejected, Welbeck said, describing joyful tears as loan balances drop to zero. There are so many more people to reach, Welbeck added. And its only a year, so were operating with a sense of urgency. Martinez encourages others to apply during the waiver period, despite the frustration. She says it was worth the time and effort to get the balance of her student loan forgiven. Borrowers who are currently jobless or not working in public service may still qualify for forgiveness, according to the Department of Education. And the months during the pandemic since March 2020 in which payments on federal loans have been paused count as credits towards the total number of payments required for the program. The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed new rules for the program that are expected to take effect by July 2023. They would give borrowers more leeway if theyre late on payments or dont pay in full. Under the original rules, borrowers must make payments in full within 15 days of the due date to get credit toward their 120 monthly payments. The proposal would relax that, allowing borrowers to make progress even if theyre late or make the payment in multiple installments. The waiver that expires Oct. 31 was mostly meant to make up for widespread confusion about which types of loans and payment plans are eligible under the program. Some borrowers had made years of payments only to find out they werent in an eligible plan or loan program. The new proposed rules wont change which loans are eligible, but they aim to provide more flexibility so borrowers dont lose progress toward forgiveness because of late payments or paperwork problems. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MEXICO CITY (AP) The Roman Catholic Church began a special round of prayers for peace in Mexico on Sunday after two Jesuit priests and a tour guide were slain June 20. Jesuits held a moment of silence for the priests, who were alledgedly killed by a local drug gang leader as they tried to protect the guide. Dozens gathered at the downtown monument known as the Stella of Light for the moment of silence. The Jesuits said they wont be intimidated into leaving the Tarahumara mountains, where the order has ministered to the Raramuri Indigenous community for centuries. Two priests have already been assigned to replace their fallen brothers, said the Rev. Jorge Atilano Gonzalez. Today we are starting a cycle of prayers for peace at the national level. It is the opening of a month marking the memory of all the people killed and disappeared. Today we are remembering the priests, the journalists, the social activists and the young people who have died violently, Gonzalez told the gathering. So far this year, 12 journalists have been killed in Mexico, making it the most dangerous country for journalists outside a war zone. The churchs Catholic Multimedia Center said seven priests have been slain under the current administration, which took office in December 2018, and at least two dozen in the six years of the previous president. But many more average citizens have been killed in gang-fueled violence. The over 100,000 disappeared and the 122,000 killed during this administration is a source of pain, of strength, of anger and courage to build justice, reconcilation and peace, Gonzalez said. The murdered priests, the Rev. Javier Campos, 79, and the Rev. Joaquin Mora, 80, had spent much of their lives serving the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Tarahumara mountains. The Jesuits were shot to death in the small church in the town of Cerocahui. The bishops' council also called on the faithful to pray on July 31 for the conversion or redemption of the killers. What we are asking for as Jesuits is peace in the Sierra Tarahumara, safety for the Raramuri communities, as well as for the religious community, Gonzalez said. We are also asking for justice, for strengthening local institutions, like police forces, he said. It is not going to be enough to have the presence of the army and the National Guard. We need stronger local institutions. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JOHANNESBURG (AP) A mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township has killed 15 people and left others in critical condition, according to police. Police say they are investigating reports that a group of men arrived in a minibus taxi and opened fire on some of the patrons at the bar shortly after midnight Sunday. Those injured have been taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The number of cartridges found on the scene indicates that a group of people opened fire in the bar, said Gauteng province police commissioner Lt. Gen. Elias Mawela. The primary investigation suggests that these people were enjoying themselves here, in a licensed tavern operating within the right hours," Mawela told The Associated Press. All of a sudden they heard some gunshots, that is when people tried to run out of the tavern. We dont have the full details at the moment of what is the motive, and why they were targeting these people," he said. You can see that a high caliber firearm was used and it was shooting randomly. You can see that every one of those people were struggling to get out of the tavern, Mawela told The Associated Press. The area where the shooting took place was very dark, making it harder to find people who could identify the suspects, he said. Rifles and a 9 mm pistol were used in the attack, said national police spokeswoman Col. Dimakatso Sello. In a separate incident, four people were shot dead by unknown gunmen at a tavern in Sweetwaters township in the coastal city of Pietermaritzburg on Saturday night. According to the police, two men entered the tavern and randomly opened fire on the patrons, killing two people on the scene while two others were confirmed dead at the hospital. Police said 8 other people are receiving treatment in a hospital. The deceased were aged between 30 and 45 and police are investigating charges of murder and attempted murder, police said. The team will be working around the clock to track down and bring to book those responsible for this shooting, said Kwazulu-Natal police commissioner Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the two bar shootings. As a nation, we cannot allow violent criminals to terrorize us in this way, regardless of where such incidents may occur," Ramaphosa said in a statement. As government, citizens and structures of civil society we must all work together even more closely to improve social and economic conditions in communities, reduce violent crime and stamp out the illicit circulation of firearms," he said. The bar shootings come two weeks after 21 teenagers were found dead in a tavern in the city of East London. The cause of those deaths has not yet been announced by authorities, but the teens were not shot nor crushed in a stampede, according to officials. To a large degree, modern blockbuster moviemaking has depended on the appeasement of fans to keep franchise juggernauts smoothly humming. But in making "Thor: Love and Thunder," Taika Waititi had no interest in that. He approached the film from the opposite direction. What would actually make fans angry? "I wanted to show him in a light that most Thor fans wouldn't really want if you were to tell them," Waititi says. "If you were to say them: 'Yeah, I'm going to make Thor in love,' it's probably the last thing that a Thor fan really wants to hear." "Thor: Love and Thunder," which opened Thursday, is Marvel's fourth Thor movie and Waititi's second after the 2017 smash success "Thor Ragnarok." That film, a hit with fans and critics, reinvented Chris Hemsworth's god of thunder and introduced a looser, idiosyncratic tone to Marvel's most monolithic hero. But if "Ragnarok" was Waititi's version of a Marvel movie, "Love and Thunder" might simply be a Taika Waititi movie, without equivocation. Of the 29 films thus far in the Marvel cinematic universe, none may be so distinctively the work of its filmmaker. In "Love and Thunder" there are things that usually never enter the MCU, like kids and cancer. It's scruffy, unruly and surprisingly human-scaled. Manly valor is mostly a joke. Thor isn't even really Thor. His hammer, Mjolnir, has transformed Natalie Portman's Jane into the Mighty Thor. By the time Waititi gets finished with him, Thor's biggest battle is convincing a child to wear proper footwear before leaving home. "For me, it's good to give the fans something they don't know that they want," Waititi said in a recent interview by video conference from Los Angeles. "With 'Ragnarok' especially, when I signed on, a lot of fans were freaked out by that. They were like, 'Who is this guy? He's going to take our precious Thor and ruin it.' And I was like, 'Yeah. Exactly. That's exactly my intention. And I'm going to make it better, you just don't know it yet.'" When Waititi was handed the reins of "Ragnarok," the 46-year-old New Zealand filmmaker was a less familiar figure to most Marvel fans and the first Indigenous director to helm a major superhero movie. It was a massive leap in scale for Waititi, who after spending years painting in his late 20s turned to making comic independent films ("Boy," "Hunt for the Wilderpeople") with deadpan absurdity and freewheeling tonal shifts. But since "Ragnarok," Waititi has emerged as a Hollywood dynamo, in front of the camera and behind it, juggling several armfuls of big studio franchises and more offbeat projects. His "Jojo Rabbit," a child's view of Nazi Germany in which Waititi played an imaginary Hitler, received six Oscar nominations in 2020. (Waititi won for adapted screenplay). He has another film for Searchlight Pictures, "Next Goal Wins," upcoming, as well as two Willy Wonka series for Netflix, a "Flash Gordon" film for Disney's 20th Century Studios, a "Time Bandits" series for Apple TV+ and a "Star Wars" movie he expects to soon write. Hollywood has pushed just about whatever intellectual property it can find at Waititi, eager for him to dismantle it. "It surprises me in that I never wanted to. I always wanted to make smaller things just with my friends," Waititi says. "The idea of working with a studio never appealed to me. Then I worked with Marvel and I realized, well, there are ways you can work with studios where it doesn't have to be painful." "My job is to go in and have as many ideas as I can and not think about the consequences too much, and let them keep me in the Marvel lane," Waititi adds. "It's not my job to go and watch every single film or read every single comic book. I'm sure that's contrary to what a lot of people think a filmmaker should be doing." It's a somewhat ironic development for a filmmaker who, as an actor in last year's "Free Guy," parodied business-driven demands for sequels and who once cringed at the thought of spending long months in post-production at Marvel Studios in Burbank, California. "It's more just the idea of Burbank as a place," Waititi clarifies. "Going out there is fine if you sort of close your eyes and ignore the fact that you're in Burbank and eating Burbank food for lunch." But how much of Waititi's anarchic spirit can Hollywood's biggest franchises stomach? "Ragnarok" grossed $850 million worldwide, and expectations are similar for "Love and Thunder." His ability to connect with mass audiences despite his best efforts to subvert expectations is surpassed by few current filmmakers. Yet something like "Star Wars" has been particularly resistant to comic tweaks of tone something Waititi is keenly aware of. "It has to feel authentic to my tone," he says of the "Star Wars" film first announced two years ago. "I wouldn't say any of my films are just comedies. I've never made a broad comedy. I've never made something that's all jokes. It always has something that's resonant or taps into some human problem. They're all about family. They're all about (expletive) up families. I don't believe that blood makes you family at all." "Families are just a mishmash of people who somehow gravitate toward each other," adds Waititi, who was raised by a Jewish mother, a largely absent Maori father (they separated when Waititi was 5) and a wide range of relatives. "My family is so gigantic. It's thousands of people." That includes collaborators like Jemaine Clement (with whom Waititi made "What We Do in the Shadows"), Rhys Darby (currently paired together in the HBO Max series "Our Flag Means Death") and many others. Another is Sterlin Harjo, whom Waititi met on the festival circuit years ago, where they bonded as Native artists with a similar sense of humor. Waititi helped Harjo get his acclaimed FX series "Reservation Dogs," about four Native American teenagers in Oklahoma, off the ground. "The way Taika directs, the way that he does things, it's about spontaneity," say Harjo, who next month will debut the series' second season. "It's about the magic trick of it all. Having everything going at once is where the creativity lies for him. It's like he's operating at this level where he has to have it all buzzing." The love of "Love and Thunder," which Waititi co-wrote, most directly applies to relationship between Thor and Jane, but it also relates to other aspects of the "Thor" sequel, including Christian Bale's grieving villain and the kidnapped children who play increasingly central roles in the film. Waititi, who has two daughters with the film producer Chelsea Winstanley (they separated in 2018), relied on his kids and others to help design the monsters in the movie. Children of Hemsworth, Bale and Portman all appear in the film. "It's nepotism at its very best," Waititi says. "And why not? It's a film about parenting and putting someone else before yourself." The primacy of kids in "Thor: Love and Thunder" also is very much in line with Waititi's other films. "Boy" was loosely based on his own 1980s childhood growing up in Waihau Bay. His first short, the Oscar-nominated "Two Cars, One Night," is about a girl and a boy who become friends while waiting for their parents in a parking lot outside a pub. The kid army that helps save the day in "Love and Thunder" is just the latest uprising in Waititi's ongoing war against adulthood. In the end, even Thor was no match. South Africa bar shooting leaves 15 dead Cape Town, July 10 (UNI) At least 15 people have been shot dead in a bar in the South African township of Soweto, BBC reported on Sunday. According to the police gunmen entered the Orlando East tavern in the early hours of Sunday morning and started firing randomly at a group of young people and then fled the scene in a white minibus. Police said they are still trying to ascertain the motive for the attack, adding that several people are in a critical condition in hospital. LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) A prominent Pakistani TV anchorperson was released Saturday following his arrest earlier this week near Islamabad and after a high court granted him bail in one case and dismissed other cases against him, a government attorney said. Imran Riaz Khan was taken into custody on Tuesday even though weeks earlier a court in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, had ordered police not to arrest him and several other journalists over complaints accusing them of inciting hatred against the countrys powerful military. A total of 17 cases were registered against Khan in different cities in Punjab, the countrys most populated province. According to Pervez Shaukat, the Punjab advocate general, Khan was granted bail for a period of 10 days until his next hearing on the charge of inciting people for agitation and creating chaos. The other 16 cases were dismissed. Khan, an anchor who most recently hosted a show on Sama TV, is known for his blogs on social media and for publicly supporting former Prime Minister Imran Khan. The two are not related. The former premier has spoken out against the TV anchors arrest. Shaukat told the Lahore High Court at Saturdays hearing that the government, which had unsuccessfully tried to raise treason charges against the anchor, has no objections to bail being granted. The court also sought assurance from Khan that he would not issue any controversial statements pending the next hearing, Shaukat said. Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister through a no-confidence vote in the parliament in April. He contends his removal was part of a U.S. plot, a charge Washington denies. Meanwhile, another TV anchor, Sami Ibrahim, was attacked and beaten by two assailants who tried to extort money from him outside the journalists Islamabad office on Saturday, before fleeing the scene in a car. Ibrahim is also a supporter of the former prime minister. JUBA, South Sudan (AP) Hundreds of people braved a scorching sun Tuesday to welcome Pope Francis envoy to South Sudans capital, Juba, where many were disappointed last month when the pontiff canceled a trip to this East African country. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vaticans secretary of state, was received by religious leaders, government officials, and hundreds of who sang and danced upon his arrival. It is a good chance for us, said a nun, Sister Adriana. We are to be blessed. Another nun, Sister Flexisita, said: Im so excited. I was able to greet him and kiss his ring because that is a blessing. Francis canceled a planned July trip to two African countries, South Sudan and Congo, on doctors orders because of his knee problems. Parolin said Tuesday the pope remains willing to visit South Sudan. It is a great joy for me to be with you and to be able to stay for a few days to celebrate and pray and to meet people on behalf of the Holy Father Pope Francis, Parolin told reporters at the airport in Juba. The pope had sought to promote peace in South Sudan and Congo countries long wrestling with deadly violence before he had to cancel his trip. South Sudan, the worlds youngest country, remains vulnerable to civil unrest that first erupted in December 2013 amid a political dispute between President Salva Kiir and his deputy, Riek Machar. Parolin later this week will visit a remote camp for internally displaced people. He also will meet with Kiir, Machar and U.N. officials in the country. South Sudan feels blessed right away from the time His Holiness Pope Francis made the decision to come and visit South Sudan, said senior presidential adviser Kuol Manyang Juuk. The whole government is happy to receive (Parolin) and the population of Juba and South Sudan and all the Catholic churches are happy for his visit. By DENG MACHOL Associated Press 15 killed in Russian strike in Ukraine, 20 believed trapped View Photo CHASIV YAR, Ukraine (AP) Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. More than 20 people were believed still trapped. The strike late Saturday destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories. On Sunday evening, rescuers were able to remove enough of the bricks and concrete to retrieve a man who had been trapped for almost 24 hours. Rescuers laid him on a stretcher and he was quickly taken to a hospital. Ukraines Emergency Services said the latest rescue brought to six the number of people dug out of the rubble. Earlier in the day, they made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said an estimated 24 people were believed still trapped, including a 9-year-old child. Cranes and excavators worked alongside rescue teams to clear away the ruins of one building, its walls completely shorn off by the impact of the strike. The thud of artillery on the nearby front line resonated just a few miles away, making some workers flinch and others run for cover. Valerii, who gave only his first name, was desperately waiting to hear news of his sister and 9-year-old nephew, who lived in the collapsed building and had not answered his calls since Saturday night. Now Im waiting for a miracle he said, as he stood before the ruins and started to pray, hands clasped together tightly. We do not have good expectations, but I am avoiding such thoughts, he said. Kyrylenko said the town of about 12,000 was hit by Uragan rockets that are fired from truck-borne systems. Chasiv Yar is 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Kramatorsk, a city that is a major target of Russian forces as they grind westward. However, later Sunday, Viacheslav Boitsov, deputy chief of emergency service in the Donetsk Region, told the Associated Press that four shells hit the neighborhood and they were likely Iskander missiles. Residents said they heard at least three explosions and that many people were badly wounded in the blasts. A group of neighbors sat Sunday in a courtyard quietly discussing who was wounded and who was still missing. There was an explosion, all the windows blew out and I was thrown to the ground, said 45-year-old Oksana, who gave only her first name. She was in her third-floor apartment when the missiles struck. My kitchen walls and balcony have completely vanished, she added, struggling to hold back tears. I called my children to tell them I was alive. Irina Shulimova, a 59-year-old retiree, recalled the terror. We didnt hear any incoming sound, we just felt the impact. I ran to hide in the corridor with my dogs. Everyone I knew started calling me to find out what had happened. I was shaking like a leaf, she said. Front doors and balconies were torn apart in the blast, and heaps of twisted metal and bricks lay on the ground. Crushed summer cherries were smeared on shattered window panes. A 30-year-old technology worker named Oleksandr said his mother was among those injured in the explosion. Thank God I wasnt injured, it was a miracle, he said, touching the crucifix around his neck. Although the home he shares with his mother is now shattered, he said he doesnt plan to leave the neighborhood. I only have enough money to support myself for another month. Lots of people are fed up already of refugees coming from the east no one will feed or support us there. Its better to stay, said Oleksandr, who declined to give his surname. Another resident who gave only his first name, Dima, had lived for more than 20 years on the ground floor of one of the buildings that was hollowed out in the attack. He walked back and forth across the rubble. As you can see, my home is lost, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russians of intentionally targeting civilians. Anyone who orders such strikes, everyone who carries them out in ordinary cities, in residential areas, kills absolutely consciously, he said in an address to Ukrainians on Sunday night. After such hits, they wont be able to say that they didnt know or didnt understand something. Saturdays attack was just the latest in a series of strikes against civilian areas in the east, even as Russia repeatedly claims it is only hitting targets of military value. Twenty-one people were killed earlier this month when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region. Another at least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June. There was no comment about the Chasiv Yar attack at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Sunday. The Donetsk region is one of two provinces along with Luhansk that make up the Donbas region, where separatist rebels have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk. Russian forces are raising true hell in the Donbas, despite assessments they were taking an operational pause, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Saturday. After the seizure of Lysychansk, some analysts predicted that Moscows troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup. But so far there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before, Haidai said. He later said Ukrainian forces had destroyed some ammunition depots and barracks used by the Russians. ___ Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. By FRANCESCA EBEL Associated Press Canada to release equipment for Russia-Germany gas pipeline View Photo BERLIN (AP) The Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment the absence of which Russias Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Canadas minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support Europes ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. He said that absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship. Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom. German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldnt have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices. The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite some little technical detail as a reason not to resume gas deliveries. The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europes biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia. Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germanys three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europes biggest economy faced a crisis and storage targets for the winter were at risk. On Friday, energy company Uniper Germanys biggest importer of Russian gas asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices. Jungels takes 1st career Tour stage win, Pogacar keeps lead View Photo CHATEL LES PORTES DU SOLEIL, France (AP) A solo attack by Bob Jungels gave him his first Tour de France stage victory on the first Alpine finish of this years race, while two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar retained the leaders yellow jersey after the ninth stage on Sunday. The 29-year-old Jungels, who rides for the AG2R Citroen Team, set off on his own with almost 65 kilometers (40 miles) remaining of the mountainous 193-kilometer (120-mile) route from Aigle in Switzerland to the ski resort of Chatel les Portes du Soleil. The Luxembourg native had time to sit up and stretch out his arms before punching the air in delight as he crossed the line 22 seconds ahead of Jonathan Castroviejo and 26 ahead of Carlos Verona. The victory crowns a comeback for Jungels following a year to forget. He struggled with back problems and then a head injury suffered in a crash at the beginning of last season and then missed the Tour and the Summer Olympics after undergoing surgery. Its hard to say what I feel right now. Im just overwhelmed to be honest. This is huge, this is what I came here for, Jungels said. After a couple of years struggling, a very tough last year with surgeries and everything, also to take the victory this way, its my style of racing, my style of taking the victory. So Im super happy, I saw the shape was getting better day by day but to do something like this I knew I had to try it from far because on the last climb it wasnt possible to ride away from the favorites. Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard sprinted to the line to gain three seconds over their rivals for the overall lead. The Slovenian remained 39 seconds ahead of Vingegaard but increased his advantage to 1:17 over 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. The team is really, really strong, they showed each of them that they just keep getting stronger, said Pogacar, who rides for UAE Team Emirates. Today, the last couple of days also proved that we can control this race. So Im super happy and proud. Jungels, Castroviejo and Verona had been part of a large breakaway that formed shortly after the first of four categorised climbs of the day. Jungels attacked near the top of the penultimate climb, the top category Col des Mosses, and was followed by Simon Geschke. The pair reached the summit together with a gap of 25 seconds over the chasing group. But Jungels was quicker on the descent and managed to drop his rival. He had built a lead of nearly two minutes over the chasing group and more than three minutes over the peloton at the start of the final climb, the a category one Pas de Morgins. Cheered on by raucous fans lining the roads, French rider Thibaut Pinot attacked and came within sight of Jungels but ended up missing out on a podium place. Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard sprinted to the line to gain three seconds over their rivals for the overall lead. The Slovenian remained 39 seconds ahead of Vingegaard but increased his advantage to 1:17 over 2018 winner Geraint Thomas. Monday is a rest day. Tuesdays 10th stage has four categorised climbs on the 148.1-kilometer (92-mile) route from Morzine Les Portes Du Soleil to Megeve. The race ends on July 24 in Paris. ___ More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports Report: Uber lobbied, used stealth tech to block scrutiny View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a kill switch to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers rights. The documents were first leaked to the Brtiish newspaper The Guardian, which shared them with the consortium. In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged mistakes in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO. Founded in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortiums Uber Files revealed the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries. The companys lobbyists including former aides to President Barack Obama pressed government officials to drop their investigations, rewrite labor and taxi laws and relax background checks on drivers, the papers show. The investigation found that Uber used stealth technology to fend off government investigations. The company, for example, used a kill switch that cut access to Uber servers and blocked authorities from grabbing evidence during raids in at least six countries. During a police raid in Amsterdam, the Uber Files reported, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick personally issued an order: Please hit the kill switch ASAP Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam). The consortium also reported that Kalanick saw the threat of violence against Uber drivers in France by aggrieved taxi drivers as a way to gain public support. Violence guarantee(s) success, Kalanick texted colleagues. In a response to the consortium, Kalanick spokesman Devon Spurgeon said the former CEO never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety. The Uber Files say the company cut its tax bill by millions of dollars by sending profits through Bermuda and other tax havens, then sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers. The Associated Press ORANGE, Calif. (AP) Drugs, alcohol and speeding were likely factors in a single-vehicle crash that left three people dead and four others hospitalized, authorities said. All seven occupants of the Nissan Altima were ejected when the car rolled over and crashed into a light pole around 2:45 a.m. Saturday in the city of Orange, according to police. Five of those in the car were minors and two of them, a boy and a girl, died at the scene, said Orange police Sgt. Phil McMullin. Their ages werent immediately disclosed. A 26-year-old man was also killed, the Orange County Register reported. A responding police officer found the Nissan in flames on its side and the seven victims on the ground, McMullin said. The driver, a 19-year-old man, was among those critically injured, the Register said. Of the three surviving minors, a boy and a girl were in critical condition and a boy suffered moderate injuries, McMullin said. Witness statements, along with evidence at the scene .. indicate alcohol and drugs were likely a factor in addition to speeding, police said in a statement. SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) It took a decade of court battles and street protests, but Balkan activists fighting to protect some of Europe's last wild rivers have scored an important conservation victory in Bosnia. A new electricity law, which passed Thursday, bans the further construction of small hydroelectric power plants in the larger of Bosnias two semi-independent entities. Still, the new law only highlights the long road ahead to protect such rivers across the entire Balkans from being degraded, diverted and commercialized by people with connections to the region's corruption-prone political elite. This is extraordinary. It will become the role model for other European countries, I am sure, said Ulrich Eichelmann of the Vienna-based conservation group River Watch and coordinator of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign to protect the entire network of wild Balkan rivers. Since it was launched in 2013, the campaign has brought together environmental activists, conservation groups and local people to jointly fight for protection of what it calls one of the most important spots for European biodiversity. It says the Balkans has over 28,000 kilometers (17,400 miles) of waterways in pristine or near-natural state, with extensive gravel banks, untouched alluvial forests, deep gorges, spectacular waterfalls and even karstic underground rivers. Overall, more than 2,700 large and small hydropower plants are projected to be built on these Balkan rivers, including some inside national parks. Bosnia alone has 244 rivers and had plans to build over 350 hydropower plants with the installed capacity of up to 10 mW or more than one on every waterway. This whole business with small hydropower plants began some 15 years ago when investors started visiting villages and promising prosperity to the local people, explained Lejla Kusturica, a prominent Bosnian river conservation activist. In their telling, she added, rivers were supposed to be prettified, we were supposed to generate significant quantities of clean electricity and local communities were promised it will all benefit them greatly. Instead, Kusturica said, investors begun trapping rivers and diverting them by pipe, taking away water used daily by locals and wildlife, eroding and degrading nearby forests. Undeterred, the authorities offered investors public subsidies and fixed above-market prices for long-term contracts, arguing that this would help Bosnia reduce its dependence on coal and speed up its transition to renewable energy. But following a construction boom that saw 110 small hydropower plants built in Bosnia, people from across the ethnically divided country begun arguing that these projects were in fact harmful for both the environment and their livelihoods. Residents of Bosnias riverside villages and towns spontaneously started mobilizing against the small hydroelectric plants, documenting their destruction of nature, analyzing official statistics on their alleged economic contributions and launching court challenges against the permits authorities continued to issue for new projects. The resistance included peaceful, at times months-long, sit-in protests on roads and bridges to prevent investors and their heavy machinery from accessing the rivers. At times, local authorities used violence to disperse the activists. Still, a grassroots river protection movement gradually captured broad popular support in Bosnia and abroad, especially after it disclosed that numerous contracts for the commercial exploitation of rivers were awarded to the politically connected. People stood up against investors on their rivers. They were not knowledgeable people, they were no ecological experts or scientists, they were ordinary people that live next to a river, Eichelmann said. According to official data in Bosnia, painstakingly collected by activists, the owners of small Bosnian hydropower plants over the past decade have been raking in millions of euros in subsidies while paying minuscule concession fees, typically between 1% to 3% of their income. In the meantime, the promised transition to renewable energy never really materialized. In 2021, Bosnia's small hydropower plants contributed only just over 2.5% of the nation's electricity. The battle has been especially fierce along the Neretva River, a cool, emerald green 255-kilometer (158-mile) waterway that is a popular destination for rafters, fishermen and hikers. Before emptying into the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, the river and its tributaries run through both parts of Bosnia. At first, stopping the commercial exploitation of Neretva and its tributaries, where 67 new small power plants were originally planned, appeared impossible, as it required deep knowledge of the different and sometimes conflicting laws in Bosnia's two administrative parts. But unlike any other issue in Bosnia since the end of its brutal 1992-95 war, the opposition to commercial exploitation of the free-flowing rivers has brought people of different ethnic backgrounds together. So far, the activists fighting for the Neretva River basin have stopped or delayed the construction of 56 hydropower plants. While villagers were physically blocking access to the rivers for construction crews, teams of legal experts and scientists have been challenging those permits in the courts. In about a dozen cases, Bosnian courts said authorities had failed to uphold the requirement to consult with local communities, protect nature conservation areas and demand environmental impact studies from investors before consenting to their plans. The court said authorities also failed to properly inspect the construction and operation of the plants. Activists were especially pleased to prevent the construction of two small hydropower plants at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers, a stunningly beautiful conservation area that provides habitat for the soft mouth trout, a species endemic to the Western Balkans. In numerous other cases, however, authorities allowed construction projects to proceed despite successful legal challenges. Lawmakers in Bosnias other semi-autonomous part, Republika Srpska, responded to public pressure this year by halting subsidies for new plants with a capacity of over 150 kW, rather than with an outright ban. At the same time, some municipalities in Republika Srpska have distanced themselves from the small hydropower projects. Yet even Thursday's conservation win has its limits. The new electricity law gives existing concession holders three years to obtain necessary permits and the approval of local communities for their projects to proceed. This has sparked fears that the investors and local authorities will again find ways to bend the rules. We proved in court that this is a nature conservation area and that by law no construction is allowed here, said Oliver Arapovic, 48, who spent eight years fighting to protect the confluence of Buna and Neretva rivers. We will use the protection of the law as much as possible, but if that fails, we are ready to defend this area, to block access to the investors and their heavy machinery with our own bodies, he added. His fellow-activist, 61-year-old Miroslav Barisic, was equally emphatic. Locals here are determined to fight to the end, even if it requires dying" for the cause, he said. New Delhi, July 10 (UNI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and others on Sunday extended their warm wishes to the people especially the Muslim brethren on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha, also known as Bakri Eid. "My warm greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Celebrated with traditional fervor and gaiety, Eid-ul-Adha epitomises the spirit of sacrifice and devotion to God. It is an occasion to share and care and show compassion towards the needy and poor," the VP said in a series of tweets. He expressed hope that the festival will strengthen the spirit of unity and brotherhood in society by bringing people closer to one another. "May the noble ideals associated with Eid-ul-Adha enrich our lives with peace and harmony, and bring prosperity to our country," Naidu said. Extending his greetings, the PM in a tweet wrote, "Eid Mubarak! Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. May this festival inspire us to work towards furthering the spirit of collective well-being and prosperity for the good of humankind." In a tweet, Birla said, "Good wishes and greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. May the harmonious spirit of this festival bring peace and prosperity in the nation and strengthen our unity and brotherhood." "Greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. Hope this day brings happiness and prosperity all across. May everybody be healthy and live in harmony. Eid Mubarak!," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted. Union Minister for Law and Justice Kiren Rijiju in a tweet wrote, "Extending my warm greetings to all on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. May everybody be healthy and happy Eid Mubarak." BJP president Jagat Prakash Nadda in a tweet said, "Best wishes to everyone on the occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. May this day lead to greater harmony, unity and brotherhood amongst our people. I wish everyone joy and abundance on this day." Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a message said, "Eid-ul-Adha is a festival of sacrifice and brotherhood which inspires us for the betterment of mankind." Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi in a tweet wrote, "Eid Mubarak! May the auspicious occasion of Eid-Al-Adha usher in the spirit of togetherness and bring peace, prosperity and happiness for all." UNI DS SY 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. Gaston Davis grew up on ranches in Central Texas, spending summers visiting his grandfather on the family's ranch that they've owned in Mexico since the late 1940s. When he set out to make a documentary about the modern cowboy in different North, Central, and South American locations, he was struck by how workers doing the same types of duties perform them differently. Everywhere he went, he worked with cattle and horses, but in Argentina, he found particular beauty in the silence with which the cowboys completed their tasks. "There's one scene in the film where we were by a river, and [the ranch hands] created a fire, then they just whipped out a piece of meat that they had carried in their saddlebags and cooked it over the fire," he says. "We drank mate and didn't say a word. It was pretty special." On Tuesday, July 12, Cowboys Without Borders premieres on Amazon, AppleTV, and other streaming services. It's a journey from Montana through Texas, into Mexico, and ultimately down to Patagonia. What Davis found during the course of filmmaking was, despite language barriers, a universal language among cowboys of different cultures. Before filming, Davis sent an email to UT Austin history professor H.W. Brands, prolific and vaunted author of dozens of books on American history. Brands met with Davis and gave him advice that would shape the film. The two-time Pulitzer finalist told Davis that he needed a vaquero in Mexico, folks from the northern plains, someone in South America, and, of course, a Texas cowboy. After filming on a ranch in Montana, thanks to a connection from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Davis was set to fly to Argentina to interview cowboys on a ranch at which he had previously worked. The night before, the rancher backed out, sending the filmmaker into a scramble. "We had plane tickets to Argentina and ultimately no ranch to go to," Davis says. "But we got a Facebook message the same day from another ranch in Patagonia, and they said if you want to come film on ours, you totally should." Cowboys Without Borders still In Texas, Davis had many ranches from which to choose from, but he wanted to pick one that was important to the industry but not covered to death like the King Ranch. He picked R.A. Brown Ranch, a fifth-generation cattle and quarter-horse producer in Throckmorton, due west of Fort Worth. Davis says that in Argentina and Mexico, the cowboys were less self-conscious of having cameras around. But at the ranch in Montana and at R.A. Brown, he found that some workers didn't want to be put under a spotlight, which required some finessing. "I think the agriculture industry is a beautiful industry, and lots of great people inside of it are so humble. Whenever cameras are put in front of them, all of a sudden, they may not like that," he says. "I'm trying to shed light on an industry that does not like to shed light on itself." In Montana, Davis says he had a list of questions he wanted to get to, but the interviews weren't giving him what he needed for the film. His cinematographer Alex Walker told him to drop the formalities and just have a conversation with folks on the ranch. But Davis truly gained the trust of the U.S. cowboys in the only way he knew how: by rolling up his sleeves and getting to work. At the ranch in Montana, he hopped on horseback and helped to sort out steer pairs from heifer pairs. In Throckmorton, he helped the cowboys wean calves. His willingness to participate on the ranch helped him earn the cowboys' trust, which led to more frank conversations that he could catch on film. "There's other industries where you can just shine up like a new penny and you're accepted," Davis says. "But here, it's more, are you willing to get your hands dirty?" Cowboys Without Borders still Ultimately, Davis says that his film is meant to create a bridge between urban America and rural America. In Throckmorton, the film explores the concept of the dying rural city, held together only by its agriculture. He follows a few cowboys at school board meetings who are trying to advocate for better schools in their community. What Davis hopes Cowboys Without Borders conveys is the image of the cowboy as a human being, who works hard but also believes in his community and wants it to thrive for generations. He says he found that same throughline at every location across the Americas. "I think the the truth of the cowboy, ultimately, is pretty simple," Davis says. "They all have a common destination, just maybe a slightly different way of getting there." A majority of Texans disapprove of the states trigger law, which will ban almost all abortions, new polling shows. The Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, Austin shows 54% of respondents said they disapprove of the trigger law, and 37% approve. The law will go into effect in the coming weeks. The poll was conducted from June 16-24, just before the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark case that established the constitutional right to an abortion. Jim Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, said though the poll was conducted before the decision, the results are likely to be consistent, as other recent polls have shown. I dont expect there will be a major sea change in what we saw in the data we have on abortion, particularly given the substance of the data, he said. Very consistently over time, only a very small share of Texans have favored making abortion completely unavailable. The poll, which surveyed 1,200 Texas registered voters, matched others that have revealed Gov. Greg Abbotts lead narrowing over Democratic challenger Beto ORourke and Texans views that the state is on the wrong track. Support for total abortion bans was fairly low, with 15% of respondents saying abortion should never be permitted. Of those surveyed, 26% said abortion should only be available in cases of rape, incest or when the womans life is in danger. What you wind up seeing is when you give people particularly dire circumstances like the threat to a womans health, cases of rape, cases of incest, support really goes down for making abortion completely unavailable, Henson said. Governors race The Texas Politics Project poll showed Abbott with a 6-point lead over ORourke, down from 9 in April A June 15 Quinnipiac University poll also showed ORourke catching up, putting Abbott 5 points ahead among likely voters. A Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll in May had Abbotts lead at 7. Henson said negative sentiment toward incumbents, especially in the wake of the Uvalde massacre, could be hurting Abbotts numbers. Of the respondents, 59% said things in Texas are headed on the wrong track, up from 51% in April and 46% in February. One of the things that was really consistent across the poll is that Texans view the general state of affairs in Texas and the United States in a very negative way, Henson said. The numbers are likely to fluctuate between now and November, Henson said, but the governors race is likely to be much more competitive than in the past several cycles. The state is getting more competitive, and we are seeing an environment where a lot of voters are very discontented with how things are being run in the state and the country, he said. Guns Henson said attitudes on guns have stayed relatively consistent since the mass shooting in Uvalde. When asked if gun control laws should be more strict, less strict, or the same, 52% of respondents said more strict, up from 43% in February. Support for universal background checks to purchase a gun was high, with 78% of respondents supporting the policy, and 16% opposed. A majority of respondents also supported raising the legal age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21, with 70% supporting the policy and 25% opposed. Approval ratings Although no Texas elected official in the poll had an approval rating above 45%, ratings dropped significantly for Sen. John Cornyn, the lead Republican negotiator on the most significant federal gun control legislation in years. Cornyns total approval rating was 24%, down from 32% in April. Henson said Cornyns work on the bill was the most likely explanation for the drop in his approval ratings. Cornyns approval decrease was so large, and it came from all partisans, he said. His job approval numbers have worsened among Republicans, among Independents, and though there wasnt much room for them to get worse, they still did get a little worse among Democrats. Jonah here. This is an important article by Tom Conway of the Steelworkers about the role of unions and organized labor in enforcing workplace safety standards. In light of Amazons dismal history of creating unsafe work environments, and their resistance to the current unionization dive, its a crucial argument about the benefits of organizing for employees. By Tom Conway, the international president of the United Steelworkers Union (USW). Produced by the Independent Media Institute A worker at the International Paper mill in Prattville, Alabama, was performing routine maintenance on a paper-making machine in mid-June when he discovered liquid in a place it didnt belong. He stopped work and reported the hazard, triggering an inspection that revealed a punctured condensate line leaking water that was hotter than 140 degrees and would have scalded the worker or fellow members of the United Steelworkers (USW). Instead of causing a serious health and safety risk, the leak was repaired without incident. We fixed the issue, recalled Chad Baker, a USW Local 1458 trustee and safety representative. It took about 30 minutes, and we continued on with our work, and nobody got hurt. Unions empower workers to help build safer workplaces and ensure they have the freedom to act without fear of reprisal. No one knows the dangers of a job better than the people facing them every day. Thats why the USWs contract with International Paper gives workers stop-work authoritythe power to halt a job when they identify a threat and resume work after their concerns have been adequately addressed. We find smaller issues like that a lot, Baker said, referring to the leaky condensate line. Most of the time, theyre handled in a very efficient manner. Workers forming unions at Amazon and Starbucks, among other companies, want better wages and benefits. But theyre also fighting for the workplace protections union workers enjoy every day. Amazons production quotas resulted in a shocking injury rate of 6.8 per 100 warehouse workers in 2021. That was more than double the overall warehouse industry rate and 20 percent higher than Amazons 2020 record, according to an analysis of data the company provided to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Driving for Amazon is also perilous. About 20 percent of drivers suffered injuries last year, up 40 percent from 2020, with many of these workers reporting that they felt pressured to take unnecessary risks, like forgoing seat belts and skipping breaks, to meet the companys relentless delivery schedules. Unions fight against all of this. They enable workers to hold employers accountable. Thats why Amazon and other companies pull every trick in the book to try to keep workers from organizing. We talk. We come up with solutions, Baker said of Local 1458 members. Its kind of hard for the company to disagree with us when were all saying the same thing. That commands respect. One of the biggest pluses we have is not being able to be run over. Baker is one of seven USW members serving as full-time, company-paid safety representatives at the mill, positions that are shared by Local 1458, which represents maintenance workers, and by Locals 462 and 1978, which represent workers in other jobs. They make the rounds of the complex every day to look for hazards, communicate with members and address safety issues, noted Local 1458 President Chad Manning. You can actually solve the problem when you have the right people involved, who are the people doing the work, he explained. After workers expressed concern about shoulder injuries, for example, the union persuaded International Paper to replace the manually operated elevator doors with automatic doors. Some workers wear heavy insulated suits to protect them from fire, chemical exposure and other dangers. After union members cited mobility constraints in the bulky suits assigned to them, they worked with the manufacturer, who sent representatives to the mill, to design a better version that International Paper ultimately purchased. With the unions help, workers also successfully fought for handrails, better lighting and other measures that contribute to a safer workplace and environment. When incidents occur, unions play a major role in investigations that uncover the root causes and work toward eliminating and controlling the hazards. Researchers at the University of Minnesota studied data on more than 70,000 workplaces and found that the unionized locations were 30 percent more likely to have experienced state or federal inspections for safety violations. Thats because unions help members understand their rights and protect them from retaliation. At the end of the day, its the voice. You have one, Manning observed. In non-union shops, you dont have that. You have a good opportunity of being fired if you voice your opinion. Unions continually seek new approaches for enhancing health, safety and environment. Later this year, the USW will hold a series of trainings to bring additional protections to the growing number of members working in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care settings. These sessions will focus on developing solidarity around safety as well as on hazard identification, incident investigation and holding employers accountable. Then these workers will go back to their workplaces, advocate for their coworkers and encourage them to do the same. Everybody has something to bring to the table, explained Melissa Borgia, a member of USW Local 7600, which represents thousands of workers at Kaiser Permanente facilities in southern California. Borgia, who works in membership administration at Kaiser, volunteered to help implement the program because of the pandemic, assaults on health care workers and other dangers her coworkers face. There is no better time than now, she said. This is where the spotlight is. In Prattville, soaring summer temperatures in the last week of June exacerbated the threat of heat stress at the paper mill. Baker collaborated with the company to purchase tens of thousands of dollars in cooling fans, and now, union safety representatives will continue to monitor conditions and keep workers safe. We try to work together, Baker said of management. Everyone wins when were safer. The assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apparently by someone enraged by the close ties between Abe and his Liberal Democratic Party and the cultish Unification Church of the Reverend Sun Myung Moon has led to an outpouring of remembrances. Obituaries have focused on Abes efforts to revive Japans flagging economy (Abenonomics) and his plans to reform the Japanese state. Nearly all have described him as a figure of controversy for his nationalist political and ideological agenda. Given Abes association with the militaristic revanchism of the Japanese right, its worth remembering just what this powerful wing of Japans political establishment wants. Abe was known for his aggressive posture toward regional rivals like China and North Korea, and for his efforts to revise Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution and pass a Collective Self-Defense Act to permit a major expansion of the Japanese military and its role in the American-led East Asian alliance. But behind these contemporary foreign policy ambitions lay a hard right ideology committed to glossing over the wartime actions of Japanese officials during WWII (including his own grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, Japanese Prime Minister in the late 1950s, whose brutal rule of Manchuria earned him the nickname Monster of the Showa era). The WWII Japanese government was ruled by a combination of right-wing nationalists and military officials, acting with the tacit agreement of the Emperor. This arrangement had been cemented by the elimination of various liberal and left-wing groups, and the use of open violence (including public assassinations) against dissenting politicians during the 1920s and 1930s. Before and during WWII, the militarists who controlled the Japanese state were responsible for some of the worst atrocities of the 20th century. In the US, knowledge of just what Japan did in the War is mostly limited to the battles of the Pacific Theater. The postwar US occupation of Japan, and the latters central role in the alliance against China and the Soviets, and particularly in the Korean War, meant that Japanese activities on the Asian mainland were largely papered over. That makes the current lack of discussion of Abes historical revisionism all the more disturbing. In fact, the Japanese Empires expansion into the Asian mainland began well before Pearl Harbor. In Korea, Japan waged a more than three decade long occupation that lasted from 1910 to 1945. In China, the occupation of Manchuria, and the resulting creation of the puppet state of Manchukuo in the fall of 1931, was followed by a large-scale invasion and occupation of Chinese territory in 1937. In Southeast Asia, Japan occupied the northern portion of Vietnam then part of French Indochina in late 1940. These expansionary moves were predicated on a staggering level of brutality by the Japanese military and local occupation authorities, reminiscent of the worst crimes of the Western colonial powers. In China, where Japans wartime government controlled by an uneasy alliance of the Army and Navy high commands quickly found itself stuck in a quagmire, the military engaged in mass killings of civilians and the carpet bombing of Chinese cities. The China Incident (as it was called) led to a death toll estimated at between three and fifteen million people. In Korea, Japanese colonialism, which combined a proto-developmentalist state with widespread political and cultural repression, created divisions that helped precipitate the Korean War (as documented brilliantly by the late historian Bruce Cummings). While best known in the US for the widespread use of so-called comfort women, the Japanese occupation was also marked by intense violence, including the killing of political dissidents. In Vietnam, the war resistance to the Japanese lay the basis for subsequent Independence War and the Viet Minhs fight against first the French and then the United States. A similar picture emerges in other countries occupied by the Japanese Empire during the War, such as Indonesia and the Philippines. So why isnt this history better known in the US today? The reason has to do with Cold War era political machinations. In Japan, the end of WWII saw a return of the liberals, trade unionists, and left wingers who had spent decades under the thumb of the right-wing militarists who ran the Japanese Empire. At first, US occupation authorities provided some encouragement to these groups. But once ensconced as the head of the postwar American occupation regime, the administration of the pathologically right-wing US General Douglas MacArthur reversed course. Motivated by growing anti-Soviet hysteria, MacArthur empowered many of the same conservative and business forces that had dominated prewar Japanese politics. As Japan turned from a wartime enemy to an important postwar ally, American officials came to view the enemies of the Japanese Empire as a threat. In Korea, China, Vietnam, and elsewhere, left-wingers who had built reputations as intransigent opponents of Japans occupation became leading antagonists in the postwar conflicts that marked the start of the Cold War. These considerations came to a head with the start of the Korean War in June 1950. When, after years of violent clashes across the Korean peninsula, the Northern invasion of South Korea led the US to send large numbers of ground troops, Japan became a crucial staging ground and source of essential supplies. In the fog of the new war, the crimes of the Japanese Empire, once a focal point of American propaganda, were whitewashed. During Abes time in office, his efforts to expand Japans military presence dovetailed with the aims of American officials pushing for the US to make a pivot to Asia. The consequence was to effectively accept the continued downplaying of Japanese war crimes during WWII. This history, which hasnt been forgotten in places like China and Korea, is crucial context for todays geopolitical battles in East Asia. Its why Shinzo Abe was a figure of such controversy. And its an important reminder that, whenever a foreign leader dies, the American press will see their legacy through the prism of our own political calculations. (Natural News) A recent, high-level hire at the Department of Energys Office of Nuclear Energy defended a controversial gay prostitution website with a track record of allowing children to be promoted for sexual services on the platform, The National Pulse can reveal. (Article by Natalie Winters & Raheem J. Kassam republished from TheNationalPulse.com) The revelations, from unearthed op-ed, follow The National Pulse expose of appointee Samuel Brintons past as a drag queen, LGBTQ+ activist who has lectured on kink at college campuses and participated in interviews about fetish roleplay. In an article published on September 15th on the pro-LGBT+ website Advocate, Bidens latest top nuclear hire dives into a defense of the Rentboy.com website, which shuttered following an August 2015 illegal prostitution raid. Rentboy is a colloquial term for young men who have sex with older men in exchange for money, often under dubious circumstances. the dissolution of Rentboy is more dangerous than the website ever was. Biden appointee Sam Brinton. Brinton, who now serves as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition in the Office of Nuclear Energy, defended Rentboy.com in a September 2nd, 2015 op-ed in Advocate magazine: The Real Ramifications of the Rentboy Raid. The article followed Department of Homeland Security officials raiding Rentboys Manhattan offices and arresting chief executive Jeffrey Hurant and six employees on charges of promoting prostitution. The following year, the CEO of the site, which connected male prostitutes and escorts with potential clients, was indicted on a charge of promoting prostitution which he ultimately pleaded guilty. The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of New Yorks indictment also revealed the sites negligence regarding underage sex work, particularly across Asia. It detailed how Rentboy employees described the age verification process as a gray area, as they did not always remove advertisements when the advertisers failed to provide identification. In one case, after an escort agency failed to provide photo identification for an escort, a RENTBOY.COM employee advised the escort agency that he had deleted photographs with the face of the subject escort, but left the advertisement online and left photographs that showed only the escorts body, explained the indictment. In another case, after a different escort agency refused to provide identification for several escorts who appeared underage, the same RENTBOY.COM employee suggested to [him] to crop the faces of those super young escorts, continued the indictment, which also noted that the company never reported the cases to law enforcement agencies. Concerning posts in Asia, Rentboy failed to comply with its own standards requiring age verification, even ignoring employees [who] complained to RENTBOY.COM management about the quantity of underage escort advertisements. Despite the deeply concerning developments, Brinton wrote in defense of the website: sex work disproportionately affects the LGBT community. Transgender people engage in sex work at a rate 10 times that of cisgender (nontrans) women. And many LGBT youth engage in sex work just to survive. A 2013 Center for American Progress report suggests that LGBT youth are more than three times as likely to have engaged in survival sex. In another email, another RENTBOY.COM employee speaking about the Asia-market ads said Christ talk about copyrighted and underage pies! TONS in that area ALWAYS, detailed the indictment, which also revealed that company executives never acted on these concerns. Instead, RENTBOY.COM employees reviewing Asia advertisements were also told by the defendant JEFFREY HURANT and other RENTBOY.COM managers to apply lesser standards in doing age verification of Asia-market advertisements. As was summarized in one email, In Asia ok to approve them unless you see a baby : ), continued the indictment. Brinton firmly defended the company, claiming that the dissolution of Rentboy is more dangerous than the website ever was, and concluding: The rent boys werent harming anyone. But now these young men might have to return to communities and homes which have rejected who they are. And thats when the real danger begins. The federal governments recent attack on Rentboy.com is a devastating assault on some of the most vulnerable members of our community young adults who, for the first time in their lives, were able to earn a secure living safely through Rentboy after surviving family rejection and homelessness because of their sexual orientation or gender identity, begins the article. Rentboy.com may or may not have broken the law. I dont know, concedes Brinton, adding but I do know, from the frantic emails filling my inbox, that the raid on its headquarters has thrown many gay, bisexual, and transgender young adults into turmoil as their main source of income has been ripped away due to irresponsible and archaic views of sex work. Brinton is also an active member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of a drag queen society known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, which lists him as the principal contact on its 2016 and 2018 tax forms. During the groups Lavender Mass 2021, Brinton can be seen referring to Anthony Fauci, who was >declared a saint, as Daddy Fauci. The new Biden-Harris nuclear official has been involved in LGBTQ+ activism since college and was interviewed by Metro Weekly about the group, where he emphasized he is the slutty one. The Sisters mission is in complete alignment with my passion for removing the guilt people feel every day (unjustly placed on them, let your freak flag fly!) and the joy the Sisters bring is so, so, so beautiful, he added. In a separate interview, Brinton explains how he roleplays as a pup handler. I actually have trouble when we transition from pup play to having sex, Brinton explained. Like, No, I cant have you whimper like that when were having sex, because I dont want to mix that world. Its interesting, because he doesnt have to come out of pup mode to have me fuck him. I personally have to bring him out of pup perception for me. But then Im still treating him as a submissive to me. Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com (Natural News) Parents of a Texas school district are not happy with the imposition of a new dress code that is super restrictive and that reminds them of the kind of forced conformity of schools in socialist and authoritarian countries. The independent school district that is located in a suburb of Dallas recently banned dresses, sleeveless tops, and all denim, according to Breitbart News. Forney Independent School District, which includes 18 elementary, middle- and high schools east of Dallas announced the updated dress code ahead of the Independence Day weekend. The rules apply to all of the districts roughly 14,000 students. According to the Forney ISD: The Forney Independent School District has a student dress code policy for all grades and all campuses. The dress code gives the district a positive and distinctive identity and reflects the values of the schools and community. All students are required to wear the appropriate dress each day except for those days designated as non-dress code days at the discretion of the school administrators. The use of a school dress code is established to improve student self-esteem, bridge socio-economic differences among students, and promote positive behavior, thereby enhancing school safety and improving the learning environment. The district went on to say that if a student violated the new dress code they would be given a chance to correct the issue while still on-campus. If not corrected, the student may be assigned to in-school suspension for the remainder of the day, until the problem is corrected, or until a parent or designee brings an acceptable change of clothing to the school, the document read. The district claims that the dress code is meant to downplay or eliminate socioeconomic status differences among students. Also, some schools reportedly saw better attendance records when their students wore uniforms to class, according to Future of Working. The average absence rate for students in middle or high school falls by about 7% after uniforms or a specific school dress code becomes enforced, the website read. There might still be some behavioral issues that teachers and administrators must handle each day, but the problems shift toward concerns with less severity. The benefits of this advantage can include a lower suspension rate and a higher graduation percentage, the site noted further. Breitbart adds: The rules banning students from wearing a host of clothing items while limiting dresses and skirts to a select number of elementary students is now irking parents and students alike, the Independent reports. According to Forney, the dress code which numbers hoodies and other so-called fashionable clothes on the banned list would ensure socio-economic differences among students were lessened. But parents, as well as the mayor of Forney, James Traylor, were not pleased, telling the school board and meeting attendees that any code excluding skirts and dresses unfairly impacted girls. I think its putting a huge limit on kids and children in this district to express themselves, parent Christian Reed reportedly said during the meeting. She added that it would be especially difficult for low-income families to now be forced to source a new wardrobe for their children. You know, we have to buy a set of clothes for school and then a set for everyday life. Most school districts arent doing this, she continued. The Daily Mail reported that Brooklynn Hollaman, a 10th-grade student, addressed the board meeting wearing a smart dress that would be banned under the new dress code. I dont agree with it, Hollaman said. Hopefully, theyll change their mind, a lot of people are on my side right now. I think the dress code is unfair, and Im wearing this dress tonight to contradict what the district is stating. This sounds like just another attempt by the left to condition our children into accepting authoritarianism. Sources include: Breitbart.com FutureOfWorking.com (Natural News) (LifeSiteNews) Pro-life legislators and attorneys are strategizing on how to stop people in their states from traveling elsewhere for abortion. (Article by Matt Lamb republished from LifeSiteNews.com) The Thomas More Society is drafting model legislation for state lawmakers that would allow private citizens to sue anyone who helps a resident of a state that has banned abortion from terminating a pregnancy outside of that state, according to the Washington Post. The draft language will borrow from the novel legal strategy behind a Texas abortion ban enacted last year in which private citizens were empowered to enforce the law through civil litigation. The subject was much discussed at two national antiabortion conferences last weekend, with several lawmakers interested in introducing these kinds of bills in their own states, the Post reported. Many of us have supported legislation to stop human trafficking, Arkansas state Senator Jason Rapert, president of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers, told the Post. So why is there a pass on people trafficking women in order to make money off of aborting their babies? The National Association of Christian Lawmakers also strategized recently on how to stop women from leaving pro-life states for those with liberal abortion policies. States like Illinois are expected to see women coming from Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, for example. State Rep. Mary Elizabeth Coleman proposed a bill in Missouri in 2021 to allow citizens to sue people facilitating an abortion. The legislation would empower citizens rather than the state to sue abortionists and anyone else, other than the mother, who facilitates an abortion of a baby with a detectable heartbeat. Planned Parenthood opened an abortion facility in Illinois in 2019 in anticipation of the sole location in St. Louis closing. The Washington Post noted that liberal states have implemented laws to attempt to stop prosecution of people who aid and abet in abortions. Connecticut passed a law in April that offers broad protections from antiabortion laws that try to reach into other states, the paper reported. The measure would shield people from out-of-state summonses or subpoenas issued in cases related to abortion procedures that are legal in Connecticut. And it would prevent Connecticut authorities from adhering to another states request to investigate or punish anyone involved in facilitating a legal abortion in Connecticut, the newspaper reported. New Mexicos Governor Michele Lujan Grisham also ordered government agencies not to assist in the prosecution of abortionists who illegally killed babies in other states. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said he would provide clemency for anyone for participating in an abortion, which is now illegal in the state due to a pre-Roe ban. Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com (Natural News) Jim Smith whose concurrent roles as a Pfizer board member and Reuters CEO appear to pose a conflict of interest serves as a board member of the World Economic Forums anti-corruption initiative. (Article by Natalie Winters republished from TheNationalPulse.com) Smiths leading role with the World Economic Forums (WEF) Partnering Against Corruption Initiative follows controversy over his position at the pharmaceutical giant and mainstream media outlet, which frequently reports on Pfizer. Reuters has published tens of thousands of articles covering or mentioning Pfizer, though the articles never disclose Smiths affiliation with either entity. Smith serves on the board of the WEFs Partnering Against Corruption Initiative, dubbed the leading business voice on anti-corruption and transparency. It is one of the Forums strongest cross-industry collaborative efforts and is creating a highly visible, agenda-setting platform by working with business leaders, international organizations and governments to address corruption, transparency and emerging-market risks, explains a WEF synopsis. In this role, Smith has contributed articles to the WEF website, including a 2017 piece: Corruption and the Erosion of Trust. Todays common struggle against corruption goes far beyond compliance. More problematic is the profound and worsening trust deficit that exists between institutions and individuals, Smith begins before lamenting the publics loss of trust in mainstream media outlets: The widespread perception that institutionsboth public and privateare not acting in the interests of the people they serve pervades the thinking of communities across the globe. News organizations, which have historically served as the watchdog for governments and business leaders, are less trusted by the public than ever before. Public confidence has been corroded by a concentration on near-term priorities and payoffs, propelled by election-cycle politics or quarterly results targets that too often leave children worse off than their parents, laments Smith. The article, however, comes amidst the Federal Drug Administration and Pfizer attempting to delay the release of documents related to the efficacy of its COVID-19 vaccine. The WEF has been accused of exploiting COVID-19 to advance its Great Reset agenda to advance its radical agenda of abolishing private property ownership. Read more at: TheNationalPulse.com SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 23: A humpback whale tail breaches off Sydney Heads at the beginning of whale watching season during a Manly Whale Watching tour on June 23, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. The first day of winter in New South Wales, June 1st, marks the start of the Humback and southern right whales migration from southern regions to the north to warmer waters. Whale watchers should expect too have plenty to see with the whale population increasing each year. The migration north continues through July and with the whales returning between September and November. (Photo : Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) When Cynthia Barile, a PhD student from Galway, Ireland, booked her trip to Cape Town, South Africa for a conference, she did not know she would witness a rare sight. Along with her colleague, Cynthia saw the "incredible" birth of a mother southern right whale to a healthy calf, Newsweek reported. As whale researchers themselves, the two gals were exhilarated with what they had seen and immediately shared the moment on the social media platform, Twitter. "10 days from submitting my PhD I became the (probably?) co-first whale researcher to witness the birth of a southern right whale," Cynthia wrote the caption, adding that it happened while she and her friend, Morgane Pommier, took a break from work to go whale watching. "It was incredible indeed, a moment that will stay with us crew always, thanks for joining us," replied @SAwhalewatching, the charter boat that took them out to spot the whales. Spotting a Southern Right Whale Whales are generally very important for the oceans, as they are the "ecosystem engineers" that help keep life at sea healthy by redistributing nutrients across the ocean. The Southern Right whale (Eubalaena australis) in particular, found in subtropical and waters of the southern hemisphere, are calm and curious when they are close to humans. They are one of the largest species of whale, range between 43 to 56 feet in length, and weigh up to 176,000 pounds, according to NOAA Fisheries. As per the government agency, Southern right whales have a stocky, black body often with white belly and chin patches and a large head covered in callosities, lacking a dorsal fin but have wide, paddle-shaped flippers. They are close relatives to northern right whales, of which both face some threats mostly due to human activity. The whales primarily feed during austral summer in high latitude feeding grounds in the Southern Ocean, and migrate north to the waters off southern Africa during the winter months to mate and give birth. Females give birth to one calf every three or so years after reaching sexual maturity at 9 years old. Also read: Scientists in Uganda Use Coconut Water for Artificial Insemination of Pigs Listed as Endangered Species Similar to North Pacific and North Atlantic right whales, Southern right whales can live up to 70 years. However, these whales were heavily hunted in the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries by the whaling industry, which caused their global numbers to drop to a mere 300 individuals at one point. In 2009, it was believed that the number grew up to 13,000 in the oceans, but data from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization estimates not even half of their pre-whaling populations by 2100. To date, NOAA Fisheries has listed Southern right whale as endangered under the Endangered Species Act and depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Current threats to southern right whales include entanglement in fishing gear, strike by ships and vessels, industrialization of coastal and marine habitats resulting in habitat degradation, and ocean noise, among others, as they can't communicate properly due to noise pollution from shipping lanes. Cynthia only captured a photo of the afterbirth to pay respect to the beautiful, "incredible" moment of "probably one of the most emotionally-charged moments of my life," she said in a comment. Related article: Armies of Native Spider Crabs Clump Together Australia's Southern Coast Flanked by Las Vegas Police Protective Association President Steve Grammas and GOP U.S. Senate candidate Adam Laxalt, GOP gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo gives a thumbs up to Donald Trump in Las Friday. (CSPAN screengrab) Former President Donald Trump visited Las Vegas Friday to tout his chosen candidates for the U.S. Senate and governor in an often-meandering speech centered on crime in Nevada and nationally. Trump dedicated a significant chunk of his 45 minute speech at the Treasure Island resort to condemning the Democratic party for being soft on crime, calling Nevada and the entire nation a cesspool of crime. If we are going to make America great again our first task is to make America safe again, said Trump to hefty applause from the audience. The former president did however dedicate a few moments of his speech to boost Republican nominees in Nevada, including Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo, the party candidate for governor, and Adam Laxalt, the candidate for U.S. Senate, both of whom he endorsed during their primaries. Prior to Trumps address, Laxalt and Lombardo participated in a panel discussion, which also focused on crime. While neither Lombardo nor Laxalt praised Trump for his tenure in office, the candidates echoed the former presidents rhetoric on restoring a tough on crime approach to governance. In 2021, Clark County saw a 49% increase in murders and an 11% increase in property crime, according to the most recent annual report. Lombardo attributed the increase in crime to recent changes in Nevada criminal justice reform measures passed under a Democratic controlled Legislature, including provisions in AB236 that take aim at reducing Nevadas growing prison population and recidivism rates by lowering penalties for some theft and drug crimes. Lombardo argued the provisions were emboldening criminals. The bill passed on a party-line vote with some Republican support in both the Assembly and state Senate. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, under the direction of Lombardo, originally opposed the bill but switched to neutral as it moved through the Legislature. We are currently in the throes of a single party rule in the state of Nevada, Lombardo said. The majority of the Legislature are majority Democratic. Do you think that has anything to do with the situation we are in? Lombardo justified a Clark County tax hike he spearheaded in 2016 known as the More Cops Fund, which increased sales tax from from 8.1% to 8.15%, adding that he supports an increase in funding for police and will not defund the police Defund the police has been the scourge of what were dealing with in law enforcement, Lombardo said. Metros budget has increased anywhere between 0.96% to 5.56% annually since fiscal year 2014, according to past budget reports. In June, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department was granted more than $715 million for its operating budget next year an 8.17% increase over its previous budget. Laxalt, the former state attorney general, likewise said Nevada has faced a wave of anti-cop rhetoric and the demonization of police. He called the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department one of the finest police departments in America. The former attorney general referred to the series of protests and civil unrest that occurred after the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, calling the resulting national conversation about systemic racism in policing out of whack. What its done is cause massive retirements, Laxalt said. Does anyone want their kids to be cops today? Let me tell you, cops dont want their kids to be cops today. Laxalt said police departments across the country are dealing with recruitment and retention issues. In Clark County, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department has fallen below the ratio of two officers per 1,000 citizens a benchmark set with the More Cops Fund sales tax. Fentanyl overdoses were also a major topic discussed on the panel Friday. Laxalt blamed the national increase in fentanyl deaths on what he called an open border, which he characterized as a border where anyone can come in with no limits and no restraints. Nevada is not a border state and lies outside the 100-mile jurisdiction of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, however, Laxalt devoted a large chunk of his time to criticizing what he says is a lack of funding for border patrol. We will force this president to come to terms and give law enforcement the resources they need to back border patrol, Laxalt said. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE Trump used much of his time on stage to praise his accomplishments while in office and called for more law enforcement across the nation, saying that civilization is under siege by organized mobs. Trump said one regret he had as president was allowing local city governments to do their job on crime instead of saying Im going to do your job for you. Trump used his executive order directing federal law enforcement agencies to prosecute people who damage federal monuments and withhold federal funding from cities as an example of steps he could have taken to control local policing. Were not going to let that happen to our cities. They are run by Democrats and you know were supposed to let them run it, Trump said. With Republican victories in 2022 and 2024 we can restore tough on crime policies and much, much more. Trump called for strengthening qualified immunity laws for police officers a defense that shields officers from being sued giving police more surplus military equipment, building a physical border, and increased funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We must back them up so they can properly do their jobs. Police officers will never be able to enforce the law if simply doing their jobs can land them in jail, take away their retirement and basically ruin their lives, Trump said. The former president emphasized his overall nationalist America First ideology and called Lombardo and Laxalt America First candidates. He also lambasted current Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, who Trump said was letting your state go to hell. Trump called Lombardo tough as hell and a steady hand and urged Republicans to go out and vote in November. The event at Treasure Island was not a typical Trump rally, and not open to the public. Nevada Current requested media credentials for the event but the Trump political action committee taking those credentials denied the request. This story was covered by watching the event on CSPAN. This story was first published by Nevada Current, part of the States Newsroom network of news bureaus with Louisiana Illuminator. The post Trump calls Nevada and the nation cesspool of crime as Lombardo, Laxalt look on appeared first on Louisiana Illuminator. A new Yale-led study suggests that climate models may be drastically underestimating how intense precipitation would become in response to increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Assessing Climate Models According to academics Ryan Li and Joshua Studholme in the journal Nature Climate Change, it all boils down to raindrop physics. Even a little shift in the proportion of falling raindrops that reach the Earth's surface can make the difference between a climate of mild drizzles and one of the record deluges. Unfortunately, many climate predictions appear to be underestimating future floods for the time being, according to the researchers. "Whether the rain a cloud produces over its lifetime will increase or decrease in warmer climates is a research question that has been debated for over a half-century, and we are still looking for an answer," said Li, a graduate student at Yale's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the study's first author. "We've shown that the answer to this seemingly little issue plays a significant effect in global climate change estimates." Also Read: Improved Climate Modeling Aims to Predict Increasing Flash Floods in the US Surge of Storms Recent years have seen a surge of major storms that have surpassed predictions for precipitation severity. In 2021, such storms set all-time worldwide damage records, costing the United States $65 billion, Europe $43 billion, and China $30 billion. These financial losses were caused by significant land instability in Germany and flooded subway systems in New York City and Henan, China, among other things. According to the current study's authors, several cutting-edge climate models failed to predict the increase in intense storms. They examined the models to see whether and why greenhouse gas effects are underestimated. They trace the issue to a critical question: How much rain will fall from a particular cloud as the world continues to warm? "Climate models used for present global warming estimates are divided on this key subject," said co-author Studholme, a physicist and postdoctoral associate in Yale's Faculty of Arts and Sciences' Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. "The result corresponds to a shocking two-fold disparity in forecasts of severe rainfall," said Studholme, who also contributed to the sixth assessment report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Measuring Precipitation Efficiency For the study, the researchers devised a unique method for measuring precipitation efficiency (PE), or the amount of rain that is re-evaporated as it descends from a storm cloud. A PE of 0 indicates that no rain falls on the Earth's surface; a PE of 1 suggests that all water from the cloud falls on the Earth's surface. The researchers focused on the "drying" timeframe of clouds-the time it would take for a cloud to shed all of its water. The researchers discovered that meteorological models frequently employing more precise, higher-resolution cloud information have a larger PE, implying greater precipitation. "Unfortunately, the computational capacity required to run these high-resolution models for global climate change forecasts does not currently exist," Studholme explained. "However, they may be utilized to contextualize standard climate models." They also discovered that typical climate models that forecast growing PE, such as high-resolution models, predict a two-fold increase in severe precipitation occurrences in the twenty-first century compared to models that predict decreasing PE. Related Article: 2050 Earth Map Predicts Our Gloomy Future Brought by Climate Change For more Environmental news updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News! There are instances when outdoor pursuits like camping or exploring involve unexpected bear encounters. Dr. Jamie Sherman, a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, said that two of the most prevalent bears in the United States are black bears and grizzly bears. The smaller of the two bear species, black bears, are said to be involved in the majority of well-known cases of human-bear encounters. Sherman claimed that when bears perceive a threat, they may be startled or caught off guard. Expert Tip 1: Not Too Close Branndon Bargo, assistant director of outdoor adventure at Southwestern University in Texas, has encountered many bears, especially while traveling through Alaska's wilderness. Bargo said that most tourists approach bears too close to take pictures. This is one thing to avoid, according to Bargo. Bargo advised giving bears their own space instead, because, for the most part, they are uninterested in people. Expert Tip 2: Walk Away Walking away from the bear is another piece of advice when confronted by one. Bargo advised against turning around and fleeing because the bear might interpret this as a hostile act. As fast as horses can run, there is a chance that the bear will pursue the runner. Bargo said to stop moving and let the bear move on. He also emphasized that each bear should be treated differently because they are all different. Expert Tip 3: Travel in Groups The best way to avoid encountering grizzly bears is to travel in groups of six or more people in places like Alaska, Montana, some areas of Wyoming, and Canada. Expert Tip 4: Look Bigger According to Bargo, it is wise to appear larger because bears occasionally mistake smaller animals for prey. If the bear appears agitated or hostile, approach it and perhaps throw a rock at it. Screaming in time with the bear's actions can also be effective. Expert Tip 5: Keep Calm It's advised to back off and maintain your composure around black bears, but Bargo knows that's not always easy to do. According to Bargo, since bears typically cannot talk, talking calmly to them would make them less interested. Also Read: Missing Body of Montana Man Found After an Attack from a Grizzly Bear, Officials Say Expert Tip 6: Prevention Bear bells are one method of bear repulsion, according to Sherman. Additionally, she advised people spending time outdoors to secure food containers because they might not be aware that commonplace items like dog food could attract bears. According to her, black bear encounters are typically sparked by the bears' need for food, especially in the late summer and early fall, bears become ravenous. Sherman further noted that the bears go through a stage where they try to put on weight to prepare for hibernation. They may also be drawn to the scents in shampoos and lotions. Southwestern University professor Bargo advised keeping the bear spray because it functions like a powerful mace. Some authorities advise bringing two bottles in case you end up spraying the bear when it is too far away. Additionally, according to Sherman, it is preferable to keep the spray on a belt rather than in a backpack so that there is no digging or fumbling around in an emergency. Related article: Man Survives Grizzly Attack in Wyoming Drought has continued across the southeastern United States as of Saturday, July 9, as a dangerous heat wave brings persistent hot weather and dry conditions along the Gulf Coast and its surrounding areas. However, a new weather forecast from AccuWeather predicted that approaching rainfall and severe storms in the coming week could suppress the dry spell engulfing the region. The weather outlook is in addition to the below-average temperatures set in the Southeast US in the next few days. The arrival of renewed showers and severe thunderstorms would also entail the risk of flash flooding. It would also pose the risk of damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes associated with the stormy weather. The AccuWeather forecast comes several days after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued dangerous and life-threatening heat wave from the Midwest to the Southern US. The NWS short-range forecast earlier was accompanied by excessive heat warnings and heat advisories in place for multiple areas across the country. Renewed heat alerts will be in place from Monday, July 11, in multiple areas such as in: Avondale, Buckeye, Cave Creek, New River, central Phoenix, Deer Valley, north Phoenix, Grendale, Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, South Mountain, and Ahwatukee. The Southeast US, which includes Alabama, Florida, and Kentucky, is relatively less hit by drought compared to the country's other regions of Western US and the Southwest US. The mentioned drought-stricken regions are under persistent heat for most of the year, but a recent monsoonal moisture also led to the occurrence of wet weather. US Drought Monitor In the latest US Drought Monitor released on Thursday, July 7, weather authorities from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) stated that extreme heat is dominant in most parts of the country. This is especially the case in the wildfire-prone state of California, as well as its adjacent areas. The drought data is based on a five-tier scale under different classifications based on their intensity and impacts, with D0 being the lowest and D4 being the highest level: D0 (Abnormally Dry) D1 (Moderate Drought D2 (Severe Drought) D3 (Extreme Drought) D4 (Exceptional Drought) The report showed that 16% of the West region is undergoing a form of drought. In addition, 63% of the Southeast, 67% of the High Plains, and 50% of the Midwest, as well as 36% of the Northeast regions are currently in drought, as cited by DRGNews.com. Also Read: Alarming Report Shows Extreme Drought Continues to Worsen in the US Rain and Storm Forecast AccuWeather on Friday, July 8, said that the combination of a jet streams this July, a stalled cold front, and moisture over the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico are all contributing to the inclement weather. In particular, the said climatic variables "all play a role" when it comes to determining the intensity, frequency, and number of torrential rain and severe storms across the region. The hot or main concentration point of the mentioned downpour will from areas in southeastern Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle to areas of Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson. Related Article: Drought in Western US Could Last Until 2030 Due to Climate Change A giant squid mom was seen carrying a string of eggs consisting of an unknown number of her unborn babies off the California Coast, according to a report by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) earlier this week. The incident went viral online, including on various social media platforms, due to a rare footage taken by marine scientists based in California. The squid belongs to an unknown species from the genus Bathyteuthis, whose presence in the California waters is known but is rarely seen by the public. This is after the female squid's first reported sighting by MBARI in 2005, wherein it was also carrying a sheet of eggs in her arms. The remarkable sighting was spotted and recorded by MBARI researchers at 4,500 feet below the Eastern Pacific Ocean basin. It is located over 56 miles (90 kilometers) off MBARI's facilities in the Moss Landing area of California, United States. The distance of the encounter is comparable to around three times the height of the Empire State Building to the California shorelines. Visual details of the sighting were captured using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV), which reportedly allowed the research team to study the giant squid parent in more detail. The discovery was surprising and unusual, says the marine research facility. It reportedly highlighted squids usually reproduce either by dropping their egg cases on the seabed or releasing them floating adrift in the open water through a "gelatinous mass." Instead, the squid was exhibiting a behavior known as brooding. Squid Mom Journey In a YouTube video uploaded by the MBARI channel on Wednesday, July 6, the giant squid mother was showing the said behavior, which has been perceived by the facility as a way to be a common natural phenomenon among bottom-dwelling octopuses, according to the post's caption. The footage also reinforced notions of MBARI scientists that other deep-dwelling squids could also be brooders, instead of following the said conventional egg-laying behaviors. After 17 years, the scientists confirm that this is only the second time they have spotted the brooding Bathyteuthis. Also Read: Strawberry Squid Seen in the Twilight Zone Off the California Coast Deep-Sea Squid In its website, MBARI said the its archive of thousands of hours of underwater footage has helped reflect marine life on Earth's largest space, which are the oceans. With a close look up, the facility said the deep-sea squid and its parental care technique helps a mother squid increase the survival of her hatchlings. Prior to the early 21st century, the existence of giant squids was thought to be a product of mythical stories. Various studies and anecdotes have summarized that Asian and European-based legends have contributed to the belief and creation of a fictional massive sea creature known as the Kraken. Also called the Leviathan, the creature was reportedly feared by sailors aboard their ships which were navigating the world's different oceans. The first official documentation and recording of a living giant squid was taken in Japan in 2006, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. Since then, previous encounters from the legendary tales were highly attributed to be as giant squids. Related Article: Amazingly Detailed Bizarre Footage of Deep-Sea Creatures Captured in 4K UHD Since 1986, Indian elephants, a subspecies of Asian elephants, have been listed as threatened. Three main threats account for the Indian elephant's plight, according to a report by sustainability expert and Treehugger writer, Katherine Gallagher. The Indian elephant has the largest range and makes up the majority of the remaining elephants on the Asian continent, whereas the Sumatran elephant and Sri Lankan elephant are restricted to the lowland forests of Sumatra and the dry zones of Sri Lanka, respectively. Some experts believed that the Bornean elephant, which can only be found on the island of Borneo, belongs to a fourth subspecies of Asian elephants. Only 20,000 to 25,000 wild Indian elephants are thought to still exist today, and the overall population is thought to be declining. The main threats to the remaining numbers of Indian elephants are loss of habitat, degradation, and fragmentation. The subspecies are also more susceptible to problems with human conflict and unauthorized poaching. Threat No. 1: Habitat Loss and Fragmentation The biggest threat to Indian elephants, according to most experts, is habitat loss. The main factors causing this habitat loss are recent economic growth and the ensuing increase in development in Asia. Many activities can obstruct migratory elephant routes and force them into smaller subpopulations, from growing human populations and mining to turning land into plantations and linear infrastructure. Animals that are confined to smaller areas of populations run the risk of losing genetic diversity and are more likely to perish from disease and calamities. Over the past 60 years, elephant populations in India have decreased by 70%. Scientists estimated that by 2070, the country's elephant population could have lost more than 40% of its habitat due to climate change. Threat No. 2: Human-Elephant Conflict Elephant-human interactions are increasing as human settlements and development encroach on elephants' natural habitats. Elephant populations frequently stray into agricultural lands in search of food, especially those living outside of protected areas, resulting in damage to crops or other property. Even worse, if farmers and locals feel their property is at risk as a result of these effects, they might turn on the elephants in retaliation. Other deadly techniques, such as poison, have been used. Read also: Climate Change is Pushing Gentle Elephants to Turn Hostile and Attack Humans Threat No. 3: Illegal Capture Indian elephants were once hunted down in the wild and used for logging, most notably in Thailand. The country's 1989 official ban on logging resulted in the unemployment of thousands of domesticated elephants and their owners. They eventually entered the tourism business, which offered things like elephant rides and circus shows. According to studies, elephants caught in the wild live up to seven years less on average than elephants born in captivity. Depending on their age and personality, elephants captured in the wild for commercial purposes often endure harsher treatment, but all elephants are at a higher risk of dying in the first year after capture. Other studies have found that capture from the wild has long-term negative effects on the reproductive success of female Indian elephants. Although countries like India, Vietnam, and Myanmar have completely banned the capture of wild elephants and elephant calves for any purpose, illegal poaching still happens in those and other nations where Indian elephants live. Young elephants and calves are the most valuable, and the process usually kills mothers or other females as they attempt to protect the babies. Although African elephants are better known for ivory poaching, tusked male Asian elephants are also poached in some areas, Treehugger noted. Related article: Following its Close Friend's Death, a Sad Elephant Isolated for 15 Years in 'Bleak Enclosure' Film Critic Chuck Koplinski is The News-Gazette's film critic. His email is chuckkoplinski@gmail.com and you can follow him on Twitter (@ckoplinski). Don Follis counsels pastors and consults with a wide array of churches. He blogs at donfollis.com, where you can subscribe to his posts. He can be reached at donscolumn@gmail.com. Rich Warren, who lives in the Champaign area, is a longtime reviewer of consumer electronics. Email him at hifiguy@volo.net. LeConte Nix: We have to normalize that going to therapy is great and is needed just like going to a movie or your regular doctors appointment. We all have stuff that we hide mentally or avoid. Now, think about a young adult who only knows how to deal with anger by violence of some sort, because he or she has never been taught how to handle certain situations." Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death. Submit Chinese premier extends condolences over passing away of former Japanese PM Abe Xinhua) 10:47, July 10, 2022 Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Saturday sent a message of condolence to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida over the sudden and unfortunate passing away of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In his message, Li said, "former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made positive contributions to the improvement and development of China-Japan relations. I met with him multiple times and had positive exchanges of views on promoting bilateral ties." Li expressed his willingness to strengthen communication and dialogue with Prime Minister Kishida to boost the sustained, sound and stable development of China-Japan relations. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) A US based Nigerian medical Doctor, Dr Olalekan Ogungbemi, has asked Nigerian government to stop paying Lip service to the fight against human trafficking saying funding agencies involved is necessary to stem the increasing cases in Nigeria. Ogungbemi said this in Lafia, Nassarawa State Capital on Saturday. He stated that lip service and inadequate funding of agencies saddled with responsibility of effective fight against human trafficking was responsible for the scourge. He said for the agencies to have a breakthrough, funding and government political will, enabling working mechanisms must be evolved for the agencies to effectively address the menace of human trafficking in Nigeria and in the Africa continent. Ogungbemi who is also an author of many books to his credit, a renowned public health expert, told Journalists while reviewing his recently published book titled Samanta's Story: "One Story, Many Victims" that concrete measure and collaborations must be evolved if the perceived fight is to be realised. He identified some systemic factors making the cycle of human trafficking hard to curb to include: poverty, unemployment, bribery, social stigma, rejection from the family members. According to the author of the book title "Samanta's Story: One Story, Many Victims", X-Rayed the lead Character of a 17-year-old Samanta Matama who hailed from the southern part of Nigeria as a victim of human trafficking for prostitution. He said Matama was just one of the thousands of girls, particularly from Africa and Asia who were being lured and herded across borders, by both land and sea with unrealistic promises of a better life, with the help of human smugglers for the purpose of making money as a sex worker. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. "The book which has 12 chapters and 89 pages, tells the story of ignorance, regret, anguish, anger, neglect, disillusionment, superstition, shame, deceit, corruption, bribery, organised crime, institutional shortcomings and systemic failures that bred and still breeding human trafficking. "Although child trafficking happens in all other continents, it is in a high proportion in Africa particularly Nigeria, as it is being fueled by unemployment, insecurity, poverty, hunger and deprivation, making the victims more vulnerable. "The traffickers, fondly called madam use deceit, financial gift, flamboyant lifestyle as bait to hoodwink victims to believe that grass is really greener and rosy at the other side. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 Jim Nowlan is a retired professor and former Illinois legislator and state agency director who has worked for three unindicted Illinois governors. David Bernthal of Mahomet is a retired 21-year federal magistrate. He is a counsel with the Webber & Thies PC law firm. His email is askthejudge1@gmail.com. Brett Kepley is a lawyer with Land of Lincoln Legal Aid Inc. Send questions to The Law Q&A, 302 N. First St., Champaign, IL 61820. (Newser) As Stephanie Clegg tells it, Sotheby's led her astraymore than once. In 1994 she purchased a work on paper by Marc Chagall from the auction house for $90,000. In 2008, Sotheby's reappraised "Le couple au bouquet de fleurs" at $100,000. In 2020, as she was discussing thinning out her collection, Sotheby's advised she unload the Chagall. There was just one step that had to happen first: The work needed to be sent to France to be authenticated by Comite Marc Chagall, a panel of experts (some of them Chagall heirs) who have had the final say on the authenticity of his work since 1988. You know where this is going. The panel determined it was not a Chagall, kept it, and wants to destroy it (which it has the power to do). Clegg thinks Sotheby's should compensate her to the tune of $175,000. It has offered an $18,500 credit she could put toward Sotheby's fee in the futureits commission on her 1994 purchase. Sotheby's is underpinning its argument by pointing to time: The purchase happened nearly 30 years ago, and Sotheby's only guarantees authorship for five. Clegg thinks the subsequent reappraisal and recommendation to sell should negate that premise. Colin Moynihan's piece for the New York Times looks not just at this case, but at the overall subject of attribution, how it has sometimes flipped back and forth, and why that makes the idea of destroying art "too final" for some. (Read the full piece.) London Moving to the cloud has moved from being a conference 'buzz phrase' to something that African companies are doing in increasing numbers. Russell Southwood spoke to Andrew Mori, CEO, Deimos about the experiences of making the cloud transition, the security perils of the cloud, industry skills shortages and what Deimos is doing about them. Founded in 2018, Deimos describes itself as a cloud native developer and security operations company. It was launched out of Andrew Mori's experiences in VC-backed, high-growth companies: "I have a lot of experience as a CTO which is a funny position. You're managing many stakeholders outside the tech space in a company, like the CEO, Marketing Head and so on. Through that experience, I've learnt how to manage different stakeholders in a company. I wanted to help businesses make smart decisions and to enable more change." The most common use case for the company is helping others to save money by moving to the cloud: "It can be expensive if you do it the wrong way and we help companies manage their costs." The most common mistake is for a company to say: "We do things in a certain way 'on prem' so we'll do the same in the cloud: "You should be improving processes and adapting them. You can make them more secure in the cloud." Part of the savings in the cloud are made by being open to new technologies: "The two biggest things about the cloud are the containerized paradigm (Kubernetes) and the server-less paradigm. We encourage customers to adapt to the cloud fully." Mori feels that companies need to understand the reality of 'on prem': "The reality is that redundancy and back-up procedures are far inferior to public cloud storage." And he's also fairly straightforward about security: "Lots of people think cloud will solve security issues. The responsibility still sits with the users."Again there are pitfalls in simply following the same procedures a company might have in place when things are 'on prem' and not investing enough in cloud-based security. "What I've seen over the last 20 years is that companies are focused on features for customers and getting them to market. All the focus goes there. There is not so much attention paid to security and observability. Cyber-crime is on the rise and it's getting more sophisticated. Companies will start to want to focus on security because of potential financial and reputational damage." So where does it make sense to locate a company's data?: "The AWS Africa region has three zones and there's a Microsoft Azure region in South Africa. But technologically there's no difference between sharing in one area or another. It's not really a technology question, it's about non-tech considerations like regulation, particularly issues like financial requirements and privacy." So what in his experience has been the primary motivation for companies making the transition to the cloud?: "There is no single answer, it's a bit of everything. There are efficiency gains but cloud can be very expensive if you're not paying attention: you can end up doubling the costs if you don't. No software engineer wants to work on outdated, legacy systems so there's a talent retention issue." There is a real shortage of cloud talent in Sub-Saharan Africa: "There is a massive shortage of cyber-security skills. Africa now has a massive amount of intellectual capital, especially in Nigeria and Kenya. Africa's standing up as a digital skills source of talent. But there are not enough senior people, with 10-15 years experience. They're all overseas or in senior positions. We need more seniors" Deimos has been investing in bootcamps and internships and has put money into SheCode and DevCareers. They offer people without computer science qualifications 3 month bootcamps and 12 internships: "As soon as someone has been through bootcamp, they typically get poached. It's OK if there's some attrition but we need to increase the skills base." Although based in Cape Town, it has its largest number of customers in Nigeria and the highest number (55) of staff there. It also has a large customer base in East Africa, most of which are in Kenya and it has recently acquired a customer in the DRC and is expanding into Ghana, Rwanda and Zimbabwe: "They are predominantly Fintech businesses." Its competitors are Open Network (South Africa) and Incentro (Nigeria and Kenya) as well as other cloud partners in the AWS and Azure spaces. In Brief Ethiopia: Safaricom Ethiopia, a subsidiary of Kenyan telco Safaricom, has confirmed that its long-anticipated mobile launch will begin next month. In a Twitter announcement, the newcomer's CEO Anwar Soussa said that the launch will begin with the city of Dire Dawa in eastern Ethiopia, near the Oromia and Somali Region border, followed by the switch-on of services in a further 24 cities by April 2023 - including the capital Addis Ababa 'in the next few months'. By next April Safaricom Ethiopia hopes to have made its services available to 25% of the population. Kenya: Public utility company Kenya Power announced this week that it will launch fixed broadband internet services by June 2023, reports Agence Ecofin. The firm says the move - which it has hinted at since last year - will help it diversify revenue streams and address challenges faced by its electricity division. Cameroon: MTN Cameroon announced the adoption of a new data analytics and AI platform to drive its digital transformation plans. The new solution unifies and correlates mobile operator and subscriber data into a single 360-degree view and enables real-time decisioning with LigaData's Data Fabric and Flare products. Visa, a world leader in digital payments, has announced that it is partnering with Flocash to promote digital capabilities for African SMEs through digital payments, supplier solutions and access to financial services. The first step in this partnership is the launch of Flostore, powered by a Visa digital wallet and the Flocash pan -African payment platform, which can help small businesses accept digital payments, manage supplies and access financial services across Africa. Meta announced that it has built and open sourced 'No Language Left Behind' NLLB-200 (https://bit.ly/3yJo7KS), a single AI model that is the first to translate across 200 different languages, including 55 African languages with state-of-the-art results. Meta is using the modelling techniques and learnings from the project to improve and extend translations on Facebook, Instagram, and Wikipedia. Guinea: The Guinean government is still determined to resurrect the incumbent operator Societe des Telecommunications de Guinee (Sotelgui), now known as Guinee Telecoms, reports Mosaique Guinee. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines ICT Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Following a visit to the company's headquarters on 30 June, Bamba Oliano, Secretary General of the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, reiterated that the state is still seeking financial partners to relaunch the company. People: Pan-African data centre operator Open Access Data Centres (OADC) has announced the appointment of African data centre industry leader Dr Ayotunde Coker (formerly Rack Centre CEO) as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO)...MEST Africa has appointed Melissa Nsiah as Director of Portfolio. Southbridge A&I, Salient Advisory and SCIDaR have partnered to launch i3, sponsored by the Gates Foundation, the pan-African "Investing in Innovation" programme will provide 30 African e-health startups per year with access to a systematic grant of US$50,000, market and government access events across the continent, and connections to a high-level global ecosystem in the healthcare community. Senegal: Orange Group and its Senegalese subsidiary Sonatel have opened the Orange 5G Lab Dakar, the group's first such facility on the African continent for the testing and development of fifth-generation products and services. DRC: African telecoms group Africell has requested additional spectrum to improve its network coverage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Agence Ecofin writes. According to the news outlet, a member of Africell's board of directors discussed the matter with telecom minister Augustin Kibassa on the side lines of a conference late last month. (Newser) Police in Japan struggled Saturday to answer for the flaws in their security plans to protect former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot to death during a political appearance Friday. Even while questions mounted for police, funeral arrangements were made, the nation mourned, and campaigning went on, the New York Times reports: Japan has an election Sunday. Developments involved: Questions : A former top Air Force official referred to video footage that appeared to show the killer walking unbothered past security officers. "How did the police, protective detail and other security not notice the criminal who approached with a gun from behind?" Toshio Tamogami tweeted. It's not clear whether security arrangements were the same as for a June 28 appearance by Abe in the same place. It's also unclear whether armed security officers were present, per the Washington Post. : A former top Air Force official referred to video footage that appeared to show the killer walking unbothered past security officers. "How did the police, protective detail and other security not notice the criminal who approached with a gun from behind?" Toshio Tamogami tweeted. It's not clear whether security arrangements were the same as for a June 28 appearance by Abe in the same place. It's also unclear whether armed security officers were present, per the Washington Post. The police response : "It is undeniable that there were problems in the security," said Nara Police Chief Tomoaki Onizuka. The National Police Agency said it will review security arrangements for Abe's appearance, which were set up by Nara police, per CNN, who noted that they had just a day's notice of the event. The chief said the department will identify the shortcomings and fix them. Still, in an emotional appearance at a press conference, Onizuka said he accepts responsibility for the failures. When he learned of the shooting, Onizuka said, "it was the height of the guilt and regret I've felt in my 27 years in law enforcement," adding, "I feel the weight of my responsibility." : "It is undeniable that there were problems in the security," said Nara Police Chief Tomoaki Onizuka. The National Police Agency said it will review security arrangements for Abe's appearance, which were set up by Nara police, per CNN, who noted that they had just a day's notice of the event. The chief said the department will identify the shortcomings and fix them. Still, in an emotional appearance at a press conference, Onizuka said he accepts responsibility for the failures. When he learned of the shooting, Onizuka said, "it was the height of the guilt and regret I've felt in my 27 years in law enforcement," adding, "I feel the weight of my responsibility." The election : Loudspeaker vans rolled through streets Saturday displaying large photos of candidates, who posed for selfies with voters. Candidates from parties including Abe's made their final appeal for support. Voters at some events wept during the moments of silence to honor Abe. Akiko Ikuina, who's seeking a seat in the Upper House, told a crowd, "Those of us who are left behind must help make Mr. Abes vision for our country come true," crying as she spoke. : Loudspeaker vans rolled through streets Saturday displaying large photos of candidates, who posed for selfies with voters. Candidates from parties including Abe's made their final appeal for support. Voters at some events wept during the moments of silence to honor Abe. Akiko Ikuina, who's seeking a seat in the Upper House, told a crowd, "Those of us who are left behind must help make Mr. Abes vision for our country come true," crying as she spoke. The funeral: Abe's remains were taken to Tokyo on Saturday, where a wake will be held Monday and a memorial service Tuesday, per CNN. The funeral will be hosted by his widow, Akie Abe, in a temple in Tokyo, (Read more Shinzo Abe stories.) (Newser) A retired three-star Army general has been suspended from his duties as an adviser to active-duty officers after he reportedly dissed first lady Jill Biden online. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky was serving as an HQE-SMa highly qualified expert-senior mentorwhen he was suspended, per the AP. Army spokeswoman Cynthia O. Smith did not give a reason for the suspension, and no other details were provided. However, USA Today reported that a Twitter account under Volesky's name carried a mocking reply to a statement by the first lady following the Supreme Court's decision last month overturning Roe v. Wade. Biden: "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies," the first lady wrote at the time. "Today, that right was stolen from us." "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies," the first lady wrote at the time. "Today, that right was stolen from us." General: "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is," read a tweet in response under Volesky's name. The tweet was later deleted, and an Army inquiry is underway. USA Today describes the tweet as an unusual breach of decorum for a generalwhile Volesky is retired, he was being paid more than $90 an hour by the Pentagon for his advisory duties. (Read more Jill Biden stories.) (Newser) For the second time in weeks, mass tragedy has unfolded at a bar in South Africa. Gunmen opened fire at a tavern in Soweto around midnight, killing 15 and wounding nine more, reports Reuters. Police don't know a motive, and no arrests have been made. The gunmen, armed with rifles and pistols, are believed to have arrived in a minibus and fled the same way. Authorities say they were firing randomly at the crowd. It appears to have been "a cold-blooded attack on innocent tavern patrons," one police official tells the BBC. The AFP notes that South Africa has a relatively high per-capita rate of gun crime, on par with that of the US. Many shootings are linked to gangs, notes the BBC, though it's not clear whether there was any connection in this case. The AP reports that in a separate incident Saturday night, four people were shot dead by two gunmen at a bar in Sweetwaters township in the city of Pietermaritzburg. (The shootings follow the still-unexplained deaths of 21 young adults at a bar in the South African city of East London last month.) (Newser) Can Democrats save Liz Cheney's job? The New York Times reports that the Wyoming Republican is drawing donations from prominent Democratic donors ahead of next month's GOP primary against a tough challenger. Cheney, of course, is one of the highest-profile politicians in the US at the moment thanks to her role as vice chair of the Jan. 6 House panel. But that national profile is working against her in her native red state, where challenger Harriet Hageman is backed by former President Trump. All year, polls have shown Hageman well ahead, including two that came out in June, reports the Casper Star-Tribune. Cheney's campaign, however, has been handily outraising Hageman's, and the Times details how Democratic donors such as film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg have contributed. We agree on little, if anything, Katzenberg tells the newspaper. But she has done something that very, very few people in history have done, which is shes put her country over party and politics to stand in defense of our Constitution. The sentiment is echoed in comments from others in the story. While Democrats view Cheney as a hero, however, many Republicans in Wyoming see her as a traitor. (She's also a "pariah" in the eyes of GOP leaders in Congress, notes Axios.) In a sign of the steep challenge she faces in the August primary, Cheney's campaign has begun instructing Democrats how they can change parties to vote for her in the contest. Whether that will be enough is very much in doubt. Newsweek, meanwhile, points out that Cheney is not ruling out a 2024 presidential run. (Read more Liz Cheney stories.) (Newser) As Sri Lanka's crisis reached its climax this weekend, two men in the center of the turmoil brought about by the country's economic collapse promised they would heed the call of tens of thousands of angry protesters and resign. One is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the last of six members of the country's most influential family who was still clinging to power. The other is his chosen prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, a seasoned opposition politician who was brought in to steer the country out of the abyss. Here, per the AP, is a look at their rise and fall: Gotabaya Rajapaksa For decades, the powerful, land-owning Rajapaksa family had dominated politics in their rural southern district before Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president in 2005. Appealing to the nationalist sentiment of the island's Buddhist-Sinhalese majority, he led Sri Lanka to victory over ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, ending a 26-year civil war. His younger brother, Gotabaya, was a powerful official and military strategist in the Ministry of Defense. Mahinda was defeated in 2015. The family made a comeback in 2019, when Gotabaya won the presidential election on a promise to restore security after the Easter Sunday terrorist bombings that killed 290 people. He vowed to bring back the muscular nationalism that had made his family popular with the Buddhist majority, and to lead the country out of an economic slump with a message of stability and development. Instead, he made a series of mistakes that ushered in an unprecedented crisis. As tourism plunged in the wake of the bombings and foreign loans on controversial development projectsincluding a port and an airport in the president's home regionneeded to be repaid, Rajapaksa overruled advisers and pushed through the largest tax cuts in the countrys history. They were meant to spur spending, but critics warned of the hit to government finances. Pandemic lockdowns and an ill-advised ban on chemical fertilizers further hurt the fragile economy. The country soon ran out of money and couldn't repay its huge debts. Shortages of food, cooking gas, fuel, and medicine stoked public anger at what many saw as mismanagement, corruption, and nepotism. The family's unravelling began in April, when growing protests forced three Rajapaksa relatives, including the finance minister, to quit Cabinet posts and another to leave his ministerial job. In May, government supporters attacked protesters in a wave of violence that left nine dead. The anger of the protesters turned to Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was pressured to resign as prime minister and took refuge on a fortified naval base. But Gotabaya refused to go. He saw his savior in Ranil Wickremesinghe. Ranil Wickremesinghe A six-time prime minister, Wickremesinghe's was brought in in May to restore international credibility as his government negotiated a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe, who also was the finance minister, became the public face of the crisis, delivering weekly addresses in Parliament as he kicked off difficult negotiations with financial institutions, lenders, and allies to fill the coffers and give relief to impatient citizens. He raised taxes and pledged to overhaul a government that had increasingly concentrated power under the presidency, a model many say tipped the country into crisis. In his new job, he left little doubt about the seriousness of the situation. "The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives, he told Sri Lankans in early June, shortly before he told Parliament the country had hit rock bottom. "Our economy has completely collapsed," he said. Ultimately, observers say, he lacked both political heft and public support to get the job done. He was a one-man party in Parliament, the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat after it suffered a humiliating election defeat in 2020. His reputation had been sullied in a previous stint as prime minister, when he was in a power-sharing arrangement with then-President Maithripala Sirisena. A communication breakdown between them was blamed for intelligence lapses that led to the 2019 terror attack. With no respite for people waiting in line for fuel, food, and medicine, Wickremesinghe became increasingly unpopular. Many protesters say his appointment simply put off pressure on Rajapaksa to resign. But analysts are doubtful whether a new leader can do much more, instead fearing that the political uncertainty will only intensify the crisis. (Read more Sri Lanka stories.) (Newser) The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park is under threat by a growing wildfire. More than 500 of the iconic trees were threatened in the Mariposa Grove, though as of Saturday there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant, per the AP. Some of the massive trunks were wrapped in fire-resistant foil for protection as the blaze burned out of control. Beyond the trees, the small community of Wawona, which is surrounded by park and a campground, was under threat, with people ordered to leave their homes and campsites on Friday night. The giant sequoias, native in only about 70 groves spread along the western slope of Californias Sierra Nevada range, were once considered impervious to flames but have become increasingly vulnerable as wildfiresfueled by a buildup of undergrowth from a century of fire suppression, as well as drought exacerbated by climate changehave become more intense and destructive. The fire was proving difficult to contain, with firefighters throwing every tactic imaginable" at it, said Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite spokesperson. That included air drops of fire retardant as well as the planned use of bulldozers to create fire lines, a tactic rarely used in a wilderness setting like Yosemite. The cause of the fire was under investigation. 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. However, there was no obvious natural spark for the fire that broke out Thursday next to the parks 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 fire had grown to about 1.9 square miles by Saturday evening. (Read more Yosemite National Park stories.) (Newser) Japan voted Sunday in the shadow of the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that brought heightened security as party leaders avoided mingling with crowds in last-minute campaign stops. Exit polls for the election for the parliament's upper house showed Abe's governing party certain to win a major victory, possibly propelled by what is seen as a wave of sympathy votes in a country still reeling from the shock of Friday's brazen shooting, per the AP. Also Sunday, police in western Japan sent the alleged assassin to a local prosecutors' office for further investigation. A top regional police official acknowledged possible security lapses that allowed the attacker to get so close and fire a bullet at the former Japanese leader. Exit polls by NHK public broadcaster and other media showed the governing Liberal Democratic Party was certain to secure a single majority of 125 seats, or half of the upper house, the less powerful of the two chambers. It's a major boost for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who stands to rule without interruption until a scheduled election in 2025. In the wake of Abes assassination, Sundays election had a new meaning, with all political leaders emphasizing the importance of free speech and their pledge not to back down on violence against democracy. Security was also heightened. On the final day of campaigning Saturday, party leaders avoided fist-bumpsa COVID-19 alternative to handshakesor other close-proximity friendly gestures they used to enjoy with the public. Abe was shot in Nara on Friday and airlifted to a hospital but died of blood loss. Police arrested a former member of Japans navy at the scene and confiscated a homemade gun. Several others were later found at his apartment. (Read more about the gun.) (Read more Shinzo Abe stories.) (Newser) After interviewing Pat Cipollone for eight hours behind closed doors, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol said his testimony supported accusations about then-President Donald Trump's actions. A spokesman for the committee said the former White House counsel touched on "nearly every major topic" in the investigation, the New York Times reports, and backed up Cassidy Hutchinson's earlier testimony. "This includes information demonstrating Donald Trump's supreme dereliction of duty," Tim Mulvey said Saturday. Committee members talked about Cipollone's appearance on talk shows Sunday, per NBC News. Democratic Rep. Stephanie Murphy said on NBC's Meet the Press that although he claimed privilege on some conversations with Trump, Cipollone still provided "a lot of relevant information." He expressed his reservations about some of Trump's actions, she said, including the speech to a crowd outside the White House just before the Capitol was attacked. Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger said on ABC's This Week that the panel heard no contradictions of others' testimony. The committee will present parts of Cipollone's testimony during hearings this week, he said, per the Hill. The panel's next public hearing is scheduled for Tuesday morning. (Read more Jan. 6 hearings stories.) (Newser) A divided Republican Party in Nebraska, unable to agree on the party's direction or former President Trump, will try to mend with new leadership. Delegates to the state convention voted to remove Chairman Dan Welch on Saturday, the Omaha World-Herald reports, and most of the party's other leaders, including Executive Director Taylor Gage, then resigned. Welch had opened the convention earlier in the day with a call to "clear the air." Eric Underwood, the Lancaster County chairman who made the motions that brought the firing, will serve in the position for the rest of the year. A wing of Trump supporters want to move the state party his way, but Welch blamed the split mostly on the gubernatorial primary fightwhich reflects the Trump divisions. Welch said the state party stayed neutral in the race, but some Republicans charge that it helped Jim Pillen. Gov. Pete Ricketts, who is blocked from running again by term limits, and others in the party establishment endorsed Pillen, who won. Businessman Charles Herbster, who was Trump's choice, came in second and has declined so far to endorse Pillen. The convention gave welcomes to Pillen and Ricketts that were less enthusiastic than those afforded other speakers. "The only thing I wish you knew was the real information," Welch told delegates before he was voted out, per the AP. Welch's detractors said their wing of the party has been excluded and ignored by Ricketts and other establishment leaders; Ricketts' support for Pillen included spending money on Pillen's behalf. The convention was scheduled to end in mid-afternoon but instead ran well into the evening, per the World-Herald. Under its new leadership, the party on Saturday night passed an elections resolution calling for ballots to be counted by hand under video surveillance. (Read more Nebraska stories.) (Newser) Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist and ally of Donald Trump who faces criminal charges after months of defying a congressional subpoena over the Capitol riot, has told the House committee investigating the attack that he is now willing to testify. Bannon's turnabout was conveyed in a letter late Saturday from his attorney, lawmakers said, as the committee prepares to air some of its most striking revelations yet this week against Trump in what may be its final set of hearings. "There are many questions that we have for him," Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren said Sunday, per the AP. Committee members said they plan to have Bannon sit for a private interview, which they typically conduct in a deposition with sworn testimony. Bannon had been one of the highest-profile Trump-allied holdouts in refusing to testify before the committee, leading to two criminal counts of contempt of Congress last year for resisting the committee's subpoena. He has argued that his testimony is protected by Trump's claim of executive privilege. The committee contends such a claim is dubious, partly because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017. So Bannon was a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Bannon's trial on the two criminal counts is July 18. A hearing in his case was scheduled for Monday in federal court in Washington. Bannon has been seeking a delay in his trial to at least fall. It's unclear how much he intends to cooperate. Bannon has expressed a preference to appear before the committee in a public hearing, but the panel is making clear he must first sit for a private interview. It's also possible he may opt to appear and then refuse to answer questions, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. The committee says it wants to hear from Bannon because he had specific knowledge about the events planned for Jan. 6 before they occurred. (Read more Jan. 6 hearings stories.) With over 200 million speakers, it is one of the most widely used African languages, encompassing more than a dozen main dialects. This first celebration of the World Kiswahili language day is being held under the theme 'Kiswahili for peace and prosperity'. The mission of the annual celebration is to promote the use of Kiswahili language as a beacon for unity, peace, and enhanced multiculturalism. We consider this as Tanzania's gift to the world," said Professor Kennedy Gastorn, Tanzanian's Permanent Representative to the UN headquarters in New York, in an interview with UN News - Kiswahili. Why 7 July? According to Professor Gastorn, the day was chosen because on 7 July 1954, the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU)--the ruling party of then Tanganyika--led by Julius Nyerere, declared Swahili as an important tool in the fight for independence. In the 1950s the United Nations established the Kiswahili language unit of United Nations Radio, and today Kiswahili is the only African language within the Directorate of the Global Communications at the United Nations. The United Nations General Assembly, through its resolution 71/328 of 11 September 2017, on multilingualism, welcomed implementation of a day dedicated to each of its official languages in order to inform and raise awareness of their history, culture and use, and encouraged the Secretary-General and institutions such as UNESCO to consider extending this important initiative to other non-official languages spoken throughout the world. In that regard, the 41st session of the General Conference of UNESCO adopted resolution 41 C/61 that recognized the role the Kiswahili language plays in promoting cultural diversity, creating awareness and fostering dialogue among civilizations and noted the need to promote multilingualism as a core value of the United Nations and an essential factor in harmonious communication between peoples, which promotes unity in diversity and international understanding, tolerance and dialogue. The resolution proclaimed 7 July of each year as World Kiswahili Language Day. Kiswahili is the first African language to the recognized in such a manner by the UN. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines East Africa Kenya Entertainment By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Kiswahili is a language that speaks to both past and present. With over 200 million speakers, it is one of the most widely used African languages, encompassing more than a dozen main dialects. Over the centuries, this Bantu language has emerged as a common form of communication in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to the Middle East. Learn KiswahiliGreetings Hello: jambo/ hujambo/ salama How are you?: habari gani Fine (response): nzuri Goodbye: kwa heri/ kwa herini (more than one peson) See you later: tutaonana Nice to meet you: nafurahi kukuona Goodnight: lala salama Civilities Yes: ndiyo No: hapana Thank you: asante Thank you very much: asante sana Please: tafadhali OK: sawa Excuse me: samahani You're welcome: starehe Can you help me?: tafadhali, naomba msaada What is your name?: jina lako nani? My name is: jina langu ni Where are you from?: unatoka wapi? I'm from: natokea Do you speak Swahili?: unasema Kiswahili? With UNESCO (sources) 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%. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Considerable cloudiness. Occasional rain showers this afternoon. High near 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Fairbanks, AK (99707) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High around 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain developing after midnight. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Johannesburg Around the world, from Syria to Libya, from Bangladesh to Ukraine, millions have become refugees in foreign lands due to war, famine, or political and economic instability in their countries. After South Africa gained freedom in 1994, Africa's powerhouse became a magnet for migrants from politically and economically unstable African and Asian countries. But in recent years, with the country facing an economic meltdown and an unemployment rate of about 37 percent, waves of xenophobic attacks have shattered the dreams of migrant communities. Since 2008 when at least 62 people were killed, thousands of migrants have faced intermittent attacks, been left homeless, or have had their shops burnt or looted. Locals blame the migrants for taking away their jobs and the increase in crimes such as hijackings (armed vehicle robbery), human trafficking, and drug peddling (mainly attributed to Nigerians). Politicians, such as former Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba, blame foreign nationals for the country's socio-economic woes, adding to the cocktail of anti-migrant sentiment. Other politicians and even some members of the ruling African National Congress(ANC), battling for its political life, have taken to "scapegoating" foreign nationals. The rise of the Dudula movement (meaning pushback in isiZulu) has further whipped up anti-migrant sentiment. On June 11 and 12, 2022, stallholders at the Yeoville market in inner-city Johannesburg had to close shop after Operation Dudula threatened to remove foreigners from their stalls. The stallholders are mainly Congolese migrants. On the night of June 20, arsonists set fire to 23 stalls destroying goods worth about R500,000 (about 30,500 US dollars). It's suspected that the fire was linked to or inspired by the Dudula group - although the group denied complicity. A stallholder who spoke to IPS on condition of anonymity said a group of people seen loitering near the market that night is believed to have started the fire. The distraught mother of four said she could not do business because all her stock had been destroyed. Worse still, she owed her suppliers because she bought on credit and planned to repay them later. South Africa's logistics industry and supply chain are also under threat, with the All Truck Drivers' Foundation (ADTF) blocking the country's main transport routes, setting trucks on fire, and attacking foreign truck drivers. IPS spoke to a long-haul driver, a documented Zimbabwean who has been in South Africa for 11 years. The driver, who did not want to be identified, says he transports coal from a mine in Mpumalanga to Botswana and has been forced to send his family back to Zimbabwe. "I have been sitting at home for three days because I am too frightened to go to work. I didn't steal anyone's job because the company has a set rate. I am not undercutting anyone," he says. Amir Sheikh, leader of The African Diaspora Forum (ADF), says foreign nationals are not taking away jobs from locals: "There are at most about four million migrants in a population of over 60 million. So how can they be taking away every South African's job? He argues that foreign nationals benefit the country. "They pay taxes and open shops in areas where elderly people on social grants and the poor have to travel long distances to buy essentials; they even sell goods on credit to customers. Poor township residents and pensioners also supplement their income by renting rooms up to R4,000 a month (about 300 US dollars) to foreign nationals." "In areas like Yeoville, migrants pay up to R7000 (about 425 US dollars) for accommodation to local landlords," Jean Bwasa, another activist, adds. Amir admits that there are criminal elements among foreign nationals. "Just as much as there are criminals among South Africans." He laughs at the notion that all Nigerians are drug lords. "How many people realize that the Yebo! Gogo man, the face of South Africa's popular Vodacom cellular operator's TV ad, Professor Kole Omotoso, is a Nigerian? His son Akin, a renowned filmmaker? Are they criminals?" Nicholas Mabena Ngqabatho, Executive Director of the ADF, is working with union federation Cosatu to recruit foreign nationals into trade unions to protect them from exploitative bosses taking advantage of their desperate situation. He says that many foreign truckers who come under attack are cross-border drivers. "They are not taking away locals' jobs but are part of a supply chain across Africa that is being disrupted by xenophobic attacks to the detriment of the South African economy.". Ngqabatho says foreign nationals run the gauntlet of extortion, attacks, and bureaucracy around documentation, such as the government's decision to end the Zimbabwe Exemption Permit (ZEP) granted to Zimbabweans who came to SA before 2009. The ADF is fighting to retain the ZEP on behalf of about 178 000 Zimbabweans. They face the prospect of becoming undocumented migrants, making them vulnerable to extortion and exploitation or forcing them to return to the country they fled for political or economic reasons. Sheikh says it's not all doom and gloom, and there are cases of inter-community solidarity in areas like Alexandra (a township in Johannesburg). Recently an alleged Dudula movement member was forced to make a hurried retreat when the local community became angered by an attempt to evict a foreign national from her home. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Governance Migration By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. A study by the World Bank, Mixed Migration, Forced Displacement and Job Outcomes in South Africa, underlines the urban dimensions of migrancy into and within South Africa (from provinces like the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal to economic hubs like Johannesburg and Cape Town). It highlights that both categories of migrants face the same challenges of poverty, overcrowding, high crime, and drug and alcohol abuse. "In this sense, development actors often find it impossible to differentiate between the vulnerabilities that internal migrants, refugees, and locals face in urban areas," the report states. Debunking the myth that foreign nationals are 'stealing' jobs from locals or are better off than locals is the finding that "one immigrant worker generated approximately two jobs for local residents in South Africa between 1996 and 2011". According to World Bank, "immigrants and locals are likely to specialize in performing different and sometimes complementary tasks, which can lead to overall productivity gains and positive impacts on local employment and wages." The report further confirms the ADF's contention that migrants create employment for South Africans. The report stated that "25% of immigrants are self-employed, possibly reflecting the demand for the diverse set of entrepreneurial skills they bring, which can result in large multiplier effects." IPS UN Bureau Report By Captain.MAHMOOD AL MAHMOOD I wish all our readers Eid Al Adha Mubarak. This glorious festival is symbolic of sacrifice and devotion to God and although we tend to forget it, these festivals are reminders of our true purpose as humans to grow spiritually and become closer to God. Sadly, the world is reeling under a wave of violence. Just on Friday, we heard the shocking news of the assassination of the former Japanese PM, Shinzo Abe. Although today the world is in a much calmer space than perhaps a century ago, in terms of there being less large-scale conflict (other than Ukraine-Russia), we are surrounded by the cracks of several smaller battles and more localized infighting. Unlike the US, where the gun lobby literally puts a gun into every persons hands , Japan has the toughest gun control rules and yet, the killer of former PM Abe fashioned a home-made gun and carried out hisdastardly plot. This is why we need our moral compass to be eternally corrected and pointing to the Almighty. When we celebrate festivals and come together as family and community, we understand the value of doing things for each other and creating a better world for our children. It is an opportunity to pass on sacred traditions to our next generation, create some new and good spiritual habits for ourselves and make resolutions to live a better life. Festivals are the battery chargers we urgently need to boost our spiritual energy levels. There is more to these occasions than just greeting cards and gifts and we must remember to make room for the sacred within our celebrations. NEW MILFORD In the weeks before her resignation as schools superintendent, Alisha DiCorpo received a mixed evaluation of her performance that praised the way she led the district through COVID-19, but raised concerns with how she communicated with staff, the public and the board. In reviewing her performance for the 2021-22 school year, the board found Ms. DiCorpos leadership has at times been one-sided and that she does not always understand all sides of an issue. It was stated she can be brusque, shutting down naysayers rather than displaying reflective listening, states the written evaluation, signed June 15 and obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media through a Freedom of Information Act request. She must also accept constructive criticism without becoming defensive and realize that others may perceive her and her comments differently than she may perceive them. The evaluation included detailed comments from board members in regard to specific performance and district goals and expectations. No individual board members were named in the review. DiCorpo said she wished she had received that feedback throughout the year, her first full school year as New Milfords superintendent. In a letter sent on June 17 to the education board, DiCorpo said the review contains many subjective comments, all of which were mentioned for the first time in the end-of-year summation. She added the nature of an evaluation process is to promote growth and support, and said there needed to be clarity of expectations and ongoing feedback for the duration of the school year. She said the ongoing feedback would have allowed her to make adjustments in real-time before year-end, helping us to obtain success as a governance board. The feedback also would have allowed me to better understand the Boards perspectives. Moreover, the governance board has an obligation to work with the Superintendent collaboratively to support effective ongoing communication and collaboration. It is this support that will enable us to work together to create the best possible educational experience for the children of New Milford. DiCorpo announced to the board on Wednesday that she intends to resign in October for a job with EdAdvance, an organization that supports school districts in western Connecticut. She had initially asked the board vote on whether to offer her a new three-year agreement, but withdrew that request prior to her resignation announcement. School board Chair Wendy Faulenbach said the boards evaluation of DiCorpo was the product of considerable time and effort, and was completed using guidelines and criteria that were mutually agreed to by the board and DiCorpo in accordance with her contract. School boards typically evaluate superintendents at the end of the academic year. As the evaluation shows, the Board felt that Superintendent DiCorpo met the majority of her goals for the prior year but that there was room for growth in some areas, Faulenbach said in a statement prior to DiCorpos resignation. Faulenbach said board district has faced unprecedented challenges in the past few years, and the board appreciates DiCorpos hard work and dedication on behalf of the District. DiCorpos performance has been in the spotlight since April when New Milford High School Principal Raymond Manka announced his resignation, which he later rescinded following a walk-out 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 school chief. In her June 17 letter to the board, DiCorpo wrote she appreciates the recognition of all that was accomplished by her leadership over the past year and the acknowledgment of how difficult it was to lead through a global pandemic while taking on four executive leadership positions in the Central Office simultaneously for months. Communication Multiple board members gave DiCorpo high marks for enhancing parent and community engagement, but others said that area needs improvement, according to the review. One board member said she increased communication to stakeholders, but another stated DiCorpo lacks an awareness of what the community wants from the school district and that more respect needs to be shown for the members of the community. Another said DiCorpo needs to be more visible in the schools, while another said she at times had a lack of engagement with members of the community as evident by a lack of collaboration with the town officials. It was stated that Ms. DiCorpo's perception of what community engagement should be is different from what it needs to be in reality, the evaluation says. The board suggested DiCorpo should find a way to establish two-way communication opportunities for families and community members that arent specific to individual topics but allow the public to ask questions about issues related to the district. In the category pertaining to enhancing teacher leadership effectiveness, the responses were also mixed. Some board members said DiCorpo was very dedicated to this responsibility and that she has made efforts to increase her visibility in the school. However, others expressed concerns including a perceived lack of morale and staff turnover and that she does not make herself available to meet with teachers, nor does she visit classrooms. The review noted concerns over her lack of active involvement during the teacher negotiations this past year and that the negotiations were awkwardly negative. Board members suggested DiCorpo be more visible and available to staff in all schools. This includes making herself available at times that are more convenient for staff and faculty, the review states. In one part of the review, a board member addressed a concern parents and community members previously raised in regard to the high turnover of staff in the district. I appreciate and recognize the intent to cross train and organize departments, the board member said. After years of revolving leadership this is a must. We have had several key positions and new hires leave during this past year and my concern is where are we failing in those plans? Are they obtainable and when and how do we support those not meeting the expectation? New hires have come and gone why? Relationship with board, town The board agreed DiCorpo fell short of the goal to work collaboratively with members of the Board of Education and the town to enhance practices and align resources. Some board members argued she does an excellent job in this category, but the review notes members said she talks down to them and does not communicate with them in a respectful manner. Additionally, the review said her communications with board members have created an unnecessary level of tension that has increased over time. Some also expressed concerns about communicating with her because theyre worried about her reaction, which may include getting emotionally defensive. The evaluation states she has difficulties taking constructive criticism from board members and others. One board member said DiCorpo must be able to be open-minded and increase her self-awareness, as well as realize that others may perceive her differently than she perceives herself, so that she can have a better impact on staff, members of the Board, and the community. Board members stated during their discussion that DiCorpo will sometimes defensively state that issues that arise are not her fault, even when no blame was being placed on her. Additionally, her review said she doesnt engage in enough meaningful dialogue or communications with town officials such as members of the Town Council and Board of Finance. She puts her all into this job DiCorpo received positive comments in categories that tend to involve preparation, knowledge of the budget, hard work and effectiveness on the opening of the schools during COVID-19. The review stated she held budget workshops for the board so members could understand the budget process and provide input, and she accessed the budgetary needs of the district brought on by the pandemic. The review said board members agreed that "Nobody can deny that she puts her all into this job. Other kudos given to DiCorpo include she worked diligently to support student achievement by establishing district-wide data and intervention teams in order to implement teaching and learning supports to improve student academic outcomes. DiCorpo was also evaluated on a set of superintendent's competency framework-leadership performance standards. For a category called Develops and implements vision that inspires action and commitment, DiCorpo received favorable comments. Board members said she handled the challenges from COVID-19 well, has an excellent work ethic, and understands the needs of students and available curricula and academic resources. Alisha effectively led the district through a deadly pandemic by creating successful plans for Chromebook distribution for all students, distance learning, reopening of schools, mitigating strategies, staff absences due to positive testing, outbreaks, returning from school breaks and quarantine guidelines, one board member said. She effectively communicated with stakeholders on all plans and changes to plans throughout the pandemic and collaborated with health officials on school safety strategies, vaccination clinics, distribution of testing kits. On Tuesday, the Board of Education will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. at Schaghitcoke Middle School to discuss the next steps on Dicorpos resignation. Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media UPDATE: Wayne Hamler, of Waterford, 60, was pronounced dead at the scene of the Connecticut River boating accident in Portland, according to a DEEP official. Four others were injured. PORTLAND One person was killed and seven others were injured Sunday after a vessel crashed on the Connecticut River, officials said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD Crews on Sunday continued the nearly round-the-clock effort to clean up debris left from a large fire that erupted on the rooftop of New Milford High School last week. In a Facebook post, New Milford Mayor Pete Bass said a crew of 50 workers spent the day removing ceiling tiles and cleaning classrooms that were damaged after the fire opened a hole and allowed several inches of water to spill into the building. Bass said the town hired Belfor Property Restoration, a Michigan-based company that provides disaster recovery services in the wake of storms and fires, to lead the ongoing cleanup effort. Our contractor is working seven days a week on the project, Bass said in the post, noting the company began assessing the damage on the same day as the fire. More than 60 firefighters responded Tuesday afternoon to the three-story school on Danbury Road after the building caught fire while construction crews were working on the roof. About 30 students were forced to evacuate and six firefighters suffered smoke inhalation while battling the blaze. An investigation into the cause and origin of the fire is ongoing. In addition to stripping out dozens of ceiling tiles, Bass said the crews recently discarded shattered glass, replaced air filters and installed dehumidifiers to dry out the badly damaged building. He said crews are currently using the cafeteria to store cleaned students desks. Bass said the contractor also received and installed 11 temporary air conditioning units at Northville Elementary School, which will allow the district to hold summer school programs originally planned for the high school at Northville. School officials have said they are also considering holding summer programs at Schaghticoke Middle School. Bass said the school district will release more information about summer school in the near future. Bass said the school district is weighing the possiblity of portable classrooms should much of the school still be uninhabitable by the fall. About 1,300 students will be in the high school for the 2022-23 school year. Everyone's goal is for our NMHS students to attend class in person. The more information we receive from the contractor (Belfor), and structural engineer, in the coming week the better we can assess the upcoming school year, he wrote in the post. The New Milford Town Council will discuss the roof project at 7 p.m. Monday. The New Milford Board of Education will meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Schaghticoke Middle School to give an update on the roof damage. richard.chumney@hearstmediact.com 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. "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. Report states that police personnel on duty at the location where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot failed to see a suspicious guy According to a report on Saturday by Japans public broadcaster NHK, police personnel on duty at the location where former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot failed to see a suspicious guy among the throng until they heard the first shot. Abe passed away after being shot by a gunman on Friday while giving a speech in the western city of Nara while running for the upper house on Sunday. At the site, police apprehended Tetsuya Yamagami, a 41-year-old Nara resident. As per NHKs reporting on the matter, Yamagami served the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) for three years until about 2005. Government reports that he was apprehended at the scene and local police discovered what seemed to be a homemade firearm close to where the former prime minister was shot. According to NHK, the National Police Agency of Japan stated that it will reassess the former prime ministers security measures for the day in light of the circumstances surrounding the crime scene. According to the assessment, the agency mentions potential issues with police patrol preparations behind where Abe was speaking. Some security experts emphasise how dangerous it was for the cops to allow the shooter to continue firing at Abe. They claim that the cops should have done everything possible to keep the attacker away from Abe. The possibility of security concerns in the event of Shinzo Abes assassination cannot be dismissed, according to Kazuo Ohashi, the chief of police in Nara Prefecture, who made this statement on Saturday. The official stated during a news conference that there is no disputing that there was a security concern there. Ohashi asserted that the murder was an act of inexcusable savagery and that it is imperative to look into the matter in the most complete way. Earlier in his live speech to the nation yesterday, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated that this is not a forgivable conduct and that authorities will take proper steps to tackle the problem. Kishida added that the reason for Abes shooting is unknown. The Japanese PM further asked that no one at the time speculate about any potential political implications. High Commissioner underlined that this new aid by India symbolizes continuous commitment to support the people of Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, met with Mahinda Amaraweera, Sri Lankas Agriculture Minister, and notified him of the arrival of more than 44,000 MT of urea supplied under a credit line provided to Colombo by New Delhi. Indian High Commissioner twitted One partner, many sectors, and many demands: India!!! When the High Commissioner visited with the Hon. Agriculture Minister, he informed him that more than 44,000 MT of urea had arrived as part of a credit line that India had provided to Sri Lanka. High Commissioner underlined that this new aid by India symbolizes continuous commitment to support the people of Sri Lanka, notably the countrys farmers, and strengthen the countrys residents efforts for food security. Following Saturdays unrest, in which tens of thousands of demonstrators overran President Gotabaya Rajapaksas official mansion in Colombo and forced him to flee to an unidentified location, numerous spectacular films have been making the rounds on social media. With the demand for President Rajapaksas resignation, they barged into the house, tore down police-erected security barriers, jumped in the pool, and ransacked his kitchen and residence. According to reports in the media, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Shavendra Silva, pleaded with all residents to assist the police and armed forces in order to keep the peace in the nation. In a special speech attended by Tri Force Commanders, he delivered these remarks. Harin Fernando, the minister of tourism and lands for Sri Lanka, and Manusha Nanayakkara, the minister of labour and foreign employment, announced their decision to resign from their positions as ministers with immediate effect. Outraged by the extraordinary economic crisis, demonstrators in Sri Lanka also stormed into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes private home and set it on fire. As per media reports, the security personnel attacked several journalists, additional demonstrators gathered nearby. To disperse the furious demonstrators, police had to resort to using water cannons. The demonstrators entered the Prime Ministers home and set it on fire while being attacked by the police with tear gas as well. According to the report, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire department said that they were alerted that the Prime Ministers private mansion in Colombo had been set on fire but that their teams were unable to get there because of the turmoil. Wickremesinghe, who was named prime minister in May, has stated he will step down from his position in order to maintain the government and protect everyones safety. Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka, also decided to leave his position on Wednesday. analysis Gabon and Togo's recent decision to join the Commonwealth seemed like a blow to France - but was it? On the face of it, France seems to be losing ground in Africa. It was forced out of Mali and appears to be losing popular support elsewhere in the Sahel. And then last week, two Francophonie members, Gabon and Togo, joined the Commonwealth at its biennial summit in Kigali. They became the first former French colonies with no British ties to join the largely Anglophone 54-member Commonwealth, which comprises mainly former British colonies. More recently, others with no British colonial history, such as Mozambique in 1995 and Rwanda in 2009, have also been admitted. Some have interpreted this as a setback for Paris. Togolese political scientist Mohamed Madi Djabakate said the move would prove popular in his country as French influence in Togo was often blamed for its economic woes. 'Togo joining the Commonwealth is better for many people than sharing the French language and culture, which at the end of the day has not promoted development,' he told Agence France-Presse (AFP). The location of the summit where Gabon and Togo were admitted fuelled speculation that this was a snub to France. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009 at the height of tensions over France's role in the 1994 Rwanda genocide and apparently in reaction to those strained relations. Since then, Rwanda has transformed itself into an Anglophone country, for instance, by replacing French with English as the second language in schools and generally orienting itself towards the Anglo world. Gabon and Togo are the first former French colonies with no British ties to join the Commonwealth One would think Paris would be dismayed by Togo and Gabon's move, but Fonteh Akum, Executive Director of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in Pretoria, suggests otherwise. To ask if this is a setback for France is to eliminate Africa's agency in driving its foreign policy, he says. He believes Togo and Gabon were motivated by the cultural and material benefits of joining the Commonwealth rather than any desire to snub France. One of these considerations would be trade. The second would be the global dominance of English as a business language; joining the Commonwealth would move them in that direction. And the third consideration would be to diversify their engagements beyond the Francophonie - France's equivalent of the Commonwealth, with about the same number of members. Akum adds that Brexit would have added impetus to the desire of countries like Gabon and Togo to join the Commonwealth. Brexit provides a conduit to the United Kingdom (UK) now that it's outside Europe and no longer part of the European Union's (EU) trade relations with the world. And indeed, Togo's Foreign Minister Robert Dussey told AFP that membership opened the door to 2.5 billion consumers in the Commonwealth realm, offered new education opportunities, and tapped a 'craze' for English among his countrymen. 'Togo's membership is motivated by the desire to expand its diplomatic, political, and economic network ... as well as to get closer to the English-speaking world,' he told AFP. It also allowed the small and developing nation of 8.5 million to redefine bilateral relations with the UK outside the EU in the aftermath of Brexit, he said. Francophone countries have noted that most of the best-performing African economies are Anglophone Francophone countries like Gabon and Togo have evidently noted that most of the best-performing African economies are Anglo- rather than Francophone. Paris is unlikely to be thrilled by developments in Kigali. But Akum notes that Gabon and Togo aren't leaving the Francophonie to join the Commonwealth, 'so seeing it as an affront would be looking at it singularly through the prism of colonial histories.' The Francophonie organisation is also expanding exponentially and indiscriminately, taking on new members with no apparent connection to either France or the French language. Examples include countries like Bulgaria, Laos and Moldova. An observer quips that with Gabon and Togo joining the Commonwealth, French translation might be required at future meetings. And one could add English, Lao and Bulgarian translation at Francophonie gatherings. It seems there's now no natural limit to membership of the two organisations, which are both tending towards becoming 'mini-United Nations.' Are they competing to see who can acquire the most members? Perhaps, although Akum suggests that such flouting of bragging rights would be rather hollow, as neither wields substantive power in the world, security-wise. He also notes that the Francophonie's membership proliferation is not surprising since it is largely a cultural organisation, and the French language is already being taught worldwide. The Francophonie organisation is also expanding exponentially and indiscriminately Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Governance Europe and Africa By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Nonetheless, the fact that countries are still lining up to join both organisations indicates that they still have something to offer whatever their shortcomings. Perhaps the Commonwealth's most important contribution is its ostensible dedication to the values of democracy, human rights and good governance. Akum asks whether Commonwealth membership can improve the respect for those values in Gabon and Togo. In the past, the Commonwealth did help advance those values, most notably in South Africa and Nigeria, when it suspended Sani Abacha's regime in 1995. Yet it's been a while since the bloc was that active. Its last big mission was suspending Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe. Arguably the Commonwealth is still exerting some indirect pressure in that regard, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa has made it clear he would like Zimbabwe to be re-admitted. Some key Commonwealth members - notably Britain - have kept him at bay. Whether or not new Commonwealth members have some connection with Britain and the Anglophone world is surely not as important as whether the organisation holds its members, old and new, to its purported values. Peter Fabricius, Consultant, ISS Pretoria Three persons were detained by the Kollupitiya Police in Sri Lanka in connection with the arson assault on Prime Minister home Three persons were detained by the Kollupitiya Police in Sri Lanka in connection with the arson assault on Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghes home. According to the police, the people who were detained included a 19-year-old from Mount Lavinia and two people, aged 24 and 28, who lived in Kadawatha and Galle. The Kollupitiya police are conducting additional investigations in order to apprehend the remaining suspects, according to the police. Earlier today, demonstrators enraged by the economic crisis in Sri Lanka stormed into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes private mansion and set it on fire. With the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksas resignation, they barged into the complex just a few hours ago, tore down police-erected security barriers, jumped in the pool, and ransacked his kitchen and house. According to the Daily Mirror, when the security personnel attacked several journalists, additional protesters gathered nearby. The demonstrators invaded his home and set it on fire despite the police having earlier sprayed tear gas at them. According to Daily Mirror, the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire department said that they were alerted that the Prime Ministers private mansion in Colombo had been set on fire but that its teams were unable to get there because of the turmoil. Wickremesinghe, who was named prime minister in May, has stated he will step down from his position in order to maintain the government and protect everyones safety. The World Food Program Director is scheduled to visit the nation this week, and the Debt Sustainability report for the IMF is about to be finalised, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister previously stated in a statement. These events led him to make this choice. Wickremesinghe, who was named prime minister in May, has stated he will step down from his position in order to maintain the government and protect everyones safety. Meanwhile, World Food Program Director is scheduled to visit the nation this week, and the Debt Sustainability report for the IMF is about to be finalised, the Sri Lankan Prime Minister previously stated in a statement. These events led him to make this choice. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka agreed to resign on Saturday, dramatic pictures inside Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka agreed to resign on Saturday, only hours after tens of thousands of demonstrators surrounded his official house in Colombo, forcing him to leave to an unidentified location. In a press conference on Saturday, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena stated that Rajapaksa had told him that his resignation from the presidency will take effect on July 13. Yesterday, thousands of protesters shook Colombo. Around Rajapaksas home, crowds tore through the barriers, clambered over the fence, and gained possession of the area. Dramatic footage from outside Rajapakses home showed a sea of protesters assaulting the grounds, knocking down police-erected security barriers, splashing in the pool, and romping through his kitchen and house. Here are a few images that perfectly capture the mayhem in Sri Lanka: Following President Gotabaya Rajapaksas flight, protesters gather inside the grounds of the Presidents House. After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left his residence, a protester entered the Presidents House and posed for a picture. During a rally demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a protester fires a tear gas grenade back at police officers as police deploy tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd close to the presidents mansion. Later police deploy water cannons to scatter protesters seeking the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa close to the presidential mansion. Following the deployment of tear gas by riot police to disperse protesters during a demonstration calling for the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a protester takes an injured woman close to the presidential mansion. After President Gotabaya Rajapaksa left, protesters gathered inside the Presidential Secretariat building. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Fairfield residents Jean Bowler won first place for her painting, Waves Kiss the Shore and Christina Tugeau won third place for her painting, Under the Apple Tree in the Big and Small art show. The show is on display through July 24, at the Rowayton Arts Center, located at 145 Rowayton Ave. in Norwalk. The gallery is open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The all-media exhibition features artwork by exhibiting arts center members that are big, between 40 and 60 inches, or as small, 12 inches and under. For more information, visit . https://rowaytonarts.org. SHU professors receive faculty scholars award Daniel Rober, and David Thomson are the 2022 recipients of Sacred Heart Universitys annual Richard and Barbara Naclerio Faculty Scholars Program award. Each year, the Naclerio program provides $12,500 awards to fund research in the upcoming academic year. The Naclerio family established the program to support faculty research expected to make significant contributions to the recipients field of study, with a secondary goal of the professors submitting their findings for publication. Rober intends to research the relationship of Catholic higher education to the church, and the broader cultural context, particularly in the U.S. Rober is assistant director of the Thomas More Honors Program at the school, and an associate professor of Catholic Studies at the school. Thomsons articles, and subsequent book, will explore how states previously utilized debt to advance slavery and Native American removal in addition to internal improvements, and how defaulting on the bonds held consequences that extended beyond the borders of the Antebellum states. Thomson is an associate professor in the history department at the school, and specializes in U.S. history during the Civil War era. Registration open for Bike the Beach/Hike the Beach Registration is now open for the Probus Club of Greater Bridgeports annual Bike the Beach/Hike the Beach event, which will be held at Jennings Beach on Sept. 18. Reigstration is open at https://www.bikethebeach.com/rider_registration.htm. Riders will be able to enjoy a challenging tour, or a more leisurely family ride by selecting one of four well marked rides of varying lengths along the Connecticut coast. The lengths are 10, 20, 45, or 62 miles, or a 5K fitness walk. The event is the clubs signature fundraiser. All of the money raised from the event are used to support individuals with disabilities either directly through the clubs volunteer programs, or in partnership with local non-profit organizations, including The Kennedy Center, Inc. in Trumbull. The club was founded in 1921. Pequot Library to have summer book sale event The Pequot Library will have its summer book sale July 22 through July 26. The library is located at 720 Pequot Ave. in Southport. The event is considered to be one of New Englands largest book sales with more than 100,000 books, CDs, DVDs, records and specials. Visit https://www.pequotlibrary.org for more information and the schedule. Fairfield Police Sunset 5K scheduled The fourth annual Fairfield Police Sunset 5K race will be at 6 p.m. on July 20 at Penfield Beach in Fairfield. There will be a food truck rodeo following the event. Everyone is welcome. Attendees will be able to run, walk or just cheer on the participants. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Fairfield Police Union Scholarship Fund and The Fairfield Police Foundation. Visit https://runsignup.com for more information to sign up, or to consider sponsorship. Albertus Magnus College, Fairfield U. announce partnership Fairfield University and Albertus Magnus College announced a new partnership, where Albertus students can achieve a second bachelors degree in nursing with 15 additional months of study to meet the nursing shortage. Albertus Magnus College students who are interested in applying would complete a bachelors degree and required courses at the school to be eligible for admission. The deadline for the first group of applicants to apply is Dec. 1. Three residents receive Fairfield Citizens Award Ginna Paules, Debbie Clancy and Norma Peterson have received the Fairfield Citizens Award. They are members of the community, who are considered to have gone above, and beyond as administrative members of the Fairfield Juvenile Review Board since it was founded, according to Fairfield First Selectwoman Brenda L. Kupchicks newsletter update. Paules, Clancy and Peterson were nominated by Fairfield Police Detective Beth Leetch. Leetch recognizes their dedicated volunteer work where they have successfully focused Fairfields youth away from the juvenile justice system. Kupchick thanked the three members for their service to making the community a better place. Operation Hope food pantry available Operation Hopes food pantry is available to serve all Fairfield residents, especially any who are struggling to make ends meet. The food pantry is open at 636 Old Post Road in Fairfield from 10 a.m. to noon on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursdays. Free Narcan training open to all community members Fairfield American Medical Response is providing free Narcan training. The training is open to all community members. Each registered participant age 18 and up will receive a free opioid overdose reversal kit. The training is in person at the Fairfield Woods Branch Library from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com. The Fairfield CARES Community Coalition, and The Hub regional behavioral health action organization are also involved with the training. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) 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 own customer bases, but are also putting new eyeballs in front of some of the world's great works of art. One such effort began Friday at Atlantic City's Hard Rock casino, where the highly acclaimed Beyond Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience exhibit opened. The 30,000-square-foot display uses over 300 of Van Gogh's 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 exhibit's art historian. For a lot of people, museums are intimidating. It's all about exploring and having more ways of experiencing art. Joe Lupo, the casino's president, said casinos need to appeal to as broad a range of potential customers as possible. You need to try different experiential things to help the city acquire new visitation, whether it's art or some other experience to acquire that person who doesn't 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 Gogh's 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. MGM's 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. Maryland's 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 breath 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 they'll 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. ___ Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WayneParryAC Mechanics and managers at the Midas repair shop in Bristol hear sad stories all the time from victims of catalytic converter thieves. People returning to their vehicles at the neighboring supermarket plaza have learned they were hit in broad daylight after hearing the roar of their fractured exhaust systems, Midas service manager Dave Martel said Friday. Thieves have stung some car owners twice, Martel said. To help vehicle owners during an ongoing surge in converter thefts, Midas in Bristol is offering free etching of the exhaust system components with vehicle identification numbers. The session is set for Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the shop, 33 Farmington Ave. Thieves may be deterred if they see a traceable VIN number on a converter, Bristol police Lt. Robert Osborne said, so police are helping spread the word about the service. They reached out to us and I thought it was an option that the community should be aware of, Osborne said. Anything that can possibly deter is something positive. Cashing in on valuable metals in the pollution scrubbing devices, cat thieves have been causing untold expense and lost time to vehicle owners throughout Connecticut and the nation. Typically, victims pay at least a $500 insurance deductible for replacement, but those with older, high mileage cars and trucks who lack the necessary coverage sometimes must choose between junking the vehicle and repairs that can easily rise above $1,000. Midas store manager Anthony Paparello said a recent theft at Kids Wheels in Bristol helped prompt the free etching session. Converter thieves hit five vehicles owned by the business, which transports special education students and other children, Paparello said. A representative of Kids Wheels could not be reached. Paparello said he also learned about similar free VIN etching in Arizona and California. In April, Los Angeles police etched VIN numbrers onto hundreds of vehicles, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times - Drivers have VINs etched on catalytic converters in theft response - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com). The grant-funded service was meant to help track the parts if they were stolen. The converters contain precious metals such as palladium, platinum and rhodium and can be severed in under five minutes. Some vehicles, such as hybrid Toyota Priuses, are targeted more often because they emit fewer toxins, so the converters are cleaner and more valuable. Converter thefts jumped 325% in 2020 and the ongoing spike has followed the rise in precious metal prices, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. On Friday, platinum was valued at $895 an ounce, palladium at $2,088 and rhodium at $12,850, according to kitco.com. Recyclers pay up to $250 per converter, NICB reports. Along with the free etching, which will take 15-20 minutes per vehicle, Midas staff in Bristol will talk to people about converter thefts and how to avoid being victimized, Martel said. We see how it impacts customers lives, he said. The thieves dont care about being careful, so they sometimes sever or damage other parts, which can add to repair bills and waiting time for replacement parts, Martel said. Some customers have been hit twice, he said. Confrontations between converter thieves, car owners and police also have ended in serious injuries, such as the Milford man who needed 300 stitches last month after a thief slashed his face with a power tool and the Farmington police officer who was crushed between his cruiser and a getaway car in September. Gov. Ned Lamont in May signed a bill into law meant to curb the illicit trade in stolen converters. The law prohibits recyclers and scrap yards from receiving converters not attached to vehicles. The law also boosts recordkeeping requirements and requires scrap metal dealers to submit all information on converter sales to state police weekly. Jesse.Leavenworth@hearstmediact.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has disrupted ritual slaughter of animals to mark Eid al-Adha as millions of Muslims across Indonesia were celebrating one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar Sunday. Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is a revered observance that coincides with the final rites of the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia. Its a joyous occasion for which food is a hallmark where devout Muslims buy and slaughter animals and share two-thirds of the meat with the poor. Much of Asia, including Indonesia, India and Pakistan, observed Eid al-Adha on Sunday, while Muslims in other parts of the globe, including in countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Kenya and Yemen celebrated the holiday on Saturday. But this year, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease an acute, highly contagious viral disease of cloven-footed animals that is sometimes transmitted to humans has significantly dampened the typically booming holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep in Indonesia, the world's largest populous Muslim country. FMD is again spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which had been outbreak-free for 32 years. The government, struggling to cope with the ever-rising numbers, is setting up a task force and ordering the culling of nearly 3,000 infected livestock. As of Sunday, more than 336,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces, largely on the most populated islands of Java and Sumatra. At least 2,000 animals died from the disease, according to official data from the National FMD Task Force. Although FMD is not generally considered a threat to human health, it can be lethal for animals and the outbreak has diminished peoples enthusiasm for sacrifice. The countrys religious affairs ministry has told Muslims they should not force themselves to sacrifice cattle during the outbreak. Ive canceled plans to buy a goat for the Day of Sacrifice, because Im afraid of the impacts of the FMD to us as humans, said Tatu Allya, a resident in the capital, Jakarta. She said that before the outbreak reemerged, her family buys either a goat or cow every Eid al-Adha. The government has warned all cattle breeders and traders to ensure that the cattle they sell are free from the disease, ordering slaughterhouses to kill and bury all animals that are showing FMD symptoms and roll out vaccination of susceptible animals. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government had prepared around 3 million doses of FMD vaccines, mostly from France. Over 400,000 animals have been vaccinated as of Sunday and the agriculture ministry said they have distributed medicines, antibiotics, vitamins, immune boosters and disinfecting agents to farmers and breeders. Syauki Maulana, one of the sellers whose animals have been vaccinated, said his business has suffered this year as he lost many customers. Before the FMD outbreak, he could sell more than 60 goats, sheep and cows two weeks ahead of Eid al-Adha, even during the coronavirus pandemic. But on the eve of Eid al-Adha, only 28 of his animals were sold despite a big banner advertising that his animals are FMD-free at his makeshift stall housing cows, sheep and goats in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Ive made every effort to keep my cattle healthy, but buyers are still fearing about infections and rising prices, Maulana said, adding that animal feed, vitamins and transportation are getting more expensive. Indonesia, like the rest of the world, is struggling to come out of the economic recession of the pandemic. The Ukraine war and soaring energy and food prices are creating complications in this recovery. The government has relaxed restrictions and the return of the Eid tradition of homecoming has caused great excitement for people in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation that's home to more than 270 million people, as family gatherings and meet-ups with friends were now on peoples lists. Worshippers, many still wearing masks, joined communal prayers shoulder-to-shoulder without physical distancing in the streets of Indonesias capital, Jakarta, and in mosques across the city. Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac. Bobbing more like a massive, runaway buoy than a boat, the USS Connecticut was seen late last year being thrashed by waves as it left a shipyard in San Diego. Last week, the Navy said the $3 billion attack submarine without its bow section and looking like its nose was cut off was headed to a naval base in Washington state for assessment of damage it suffered when the nuclear-powered craft struck an uncharted obstruction at the bottom of the South China Sea in October. In a statement to the website Naval News, the Navy said the Seawolf-class sub will be out of commission until next February. While costs to repair the sub are still being evaluated, Congress last year budgeted $50 million for repairs, but that was before the extent of damage was known. Buried deep in the National Defense Authorization Act, two linescrafted to prevent easy searchingauthorize the Navy to receive an initial tranche of $50 million in repair funds$10 million for a spare Seawolf class bow dome (page 1815) and $40 million for USS Connecticut emergent repairs (page 1850), Craig Hooper wrote in a December Forbes article. The $50 million in long-lead time materials funding is an indication that the USS Connecticuts final repair bill will be quite high. On Oct. 2, the submarine was submerged in international waters in the South China Sea when it struck something, damaging the bow section of the ship, including its sonar array. Navy Spokesperson Cpt. Bill Clinton told USNI that USS Connecticut's nuclear propulsion plant and spaces were not affected and remain fully operational. The extent of damage to the remainder of the submarine is being assessed. The U.S. Navy has not requested assistance. The incident will be investigated." According to an investigative report released by the Navy, 11 crew members suffered minor injuries in the collision. The investigation found the incident was entirely avoidable. This mishap was preventable, Commander Christopher Cavanaugh wrote in the report. It resulted from an accumulation of errors and omissions in navigation planning, watchteam execution, and risk management that fell far below U.S. Navy standards. Prudent decision making and adherence to required procedures in any of these three areas could have prevented the grounding. Commanding officer Cmdr. Cameron Aljilani, executive officer Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Cashin and Chief of the Boat Cory Rodgers were relieved of duty by U.S. 7th Fleet commander Vice Adm. Karl Thomas following the incident. In a November announcement from the Navy, Thomas said there was a loss of confidence in the command team. Cavanaughs investigation outlines a climate aboard the Connecticut that reads more like a McHales Navy script than the operation of one of the worlds most elite subs with accounts of rundown living conditions and feckless leadership. The USS Connecticut is the fifth in naval history to bear the name and was built 30 years ago in Groton. The Seawolf class was supposed to be a fleet of 29. But Cold War-era budget constraints saw the class abandoned at three. In its place came the smaller Virginia-class subs. Seawolf subs are the second-most expensive submarines ever constructed. Theyre among the fastest and quietest submarines in the world. And with room for 50 torpedoes, one of the deadliest. But the report said the ship had been plagued with issues since Aljilani took command in 2019. In 2020, he was disciplined for inadequate supervisory oversight, ineffective accountability practices, and superficial self-assessment. He was disciplined again in February of 2021 for not adequately addressing the issues. In April 2021, the Connecticut crashed into a pier in San Diego. Aljilani received counseling after an investigation into that incident found it, too, was avoidable. Morale on the ship has been reportedly low due to lack of confidence in command, the report said. And last March, the Navy Times reported frustrated sailors had been plagued with bed bugs for over a year. Because of damage sustained in the October crash, the Connecticut has had to travel on the surface of the water. Surface transits are slow and rocky for the keel-less submarines built for underwater travel. On its way from the site of the crash to Guam, the sub lost its bow section. It then headed for San Diego and Washington, where it will await repairs. According to a Congressional Budget Office report, the Navy has a backlog of damaged submarines and anticipates required maintenance will overload Navy shipyards for 25 of the next 30 years. analysis The AU was launched in Durban 20 years ago to succeed the Organization of African Union (OAU). African politicians and thinkers flicked off the skeptics and tossed around terms such as African renaissance, solidarity, economic cooperation, prosperity and pan-Africanism. The new bloc aimed to give the more than one billion Africans a say in decision-making around the world. Important decisions were being made in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks in the US. Some progress, some criticism The AU's architects pledged a shift to a more realistic and pragmatic stance on political cooperation and economic integration within Africa. "Time has come that Africa must take her rightful place in global affairs," Thabo Mbeki, the first AU chair, declared in a speech at the AU's launch on July 9, 2002 in Durban. Two decades on, the AU's record -- and its reputation -- is mixed. Some experts see significant progress while Africa's citizens are often quick to dismiss the bloc as too weak and too slow to respond to crises on the continent. "The AU has helped African countries become more active and assertive in the decision-making process around the world," said international relations expert Thomas Kwasi Tieku. "This creates an imput legitimacy for international decision-making outcomes," he told DW. Ghana's Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Harriet Sena Siaw-Boateng, reflected on the AU at a public webinar hosted this week by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), a South African-based think tank. "It's becoming more difficult for European countries to exploit or engineer divisions among African countries. In some cases it is the natural consequence of a stronger continental body," Ambassador Siaw-Boateng said. AU influence in Africa International relations expert Tieku believes the AU has also had a "positive influence" on spreading liberal values of democracy, such as "free elections, transparency and anti-coup norms." "Prior to the formation of the AU, the word democracy was very controversial, very contested, and a number of African elites associated it with colonialism and the colonial legacy," said Tieku, an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Western Ontario. Tieku thinks the bloc can also be credited for boosting the perception that coups are an illegitimate means of acquiring power in Africa. The AU has a more interventionist approach that its predecessor organization, the OAU, when it comes to trying to solve the peace and security challenges Africa is facing. Most recently, it suspended Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan after military coups. In the past few years, however, the AU has been criticized for being slower, or more unwilling, to respond to conflicts or an undemocratic transition of power. Alex Vines, the head of the Africa Programme at the London-based think tank Chatham House, says the AU has recently been "much softer on constitutional changes of government and also democratic reversals such as changing of constitutions to extend term limits or tenure." AU had been expected to falter Experts had predicted that the AU would falter in dealing with the complexities of 55 member states, with their diverse economies, people, resources and interests. One dismal failure of the AU, according to Chatham House expert Alex Vines: "It is still over-influenced by the cult of personality and the politics of subsidiary". Leadership styles in AU member countries have ranged from the liberal to neglectful to the downright dictatorial whereas its predecessor had leaders who were seen as visionaries in their time -- such as Kenya's Julius Nyerere, Ghana's Kwame Nkrumah and Gamal Abdel Nasser from Egypt. The very first AU plenary brought together the likes of Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, Mozambique's Joaquim Chissano, Togo's Gnassingbe Eyadema, Zambia's Levy Mwanawasa and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi. At the time of the AU launch, South African and Nigerian leaders were mediating in key conflicts in Africa, representing Africa to the world while still picking up the pieces after dictatorships in their own countries. Alex Vines credits the AU for strong vision in some policy areas. "Agenda 2063 and also the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) are both progressive initiatives," said Vines. "When there is a common position, it has helped Africans take leadership at key multilateral institutions such as the World Health Organization and the World Trade Organization." Finding common positions The AU has a reputation for battling to find common positions. For example, the bloc has been unable to find a unified stance on Russia's involvement in Africa and its war on Ukraine. Individual countries frequently break ranks with the AU Commission. Frederic Gateretse Ngoga, the Focal Person on International Partnerships at the AU Commission, this this week said there had been "golden age of African consensus". A lack of ideology, policy frameworks and an overall strategy was standing in the way now, he told the ISS webinar. "It goes a little further than getting the ideology right -- we have to get the action right as well," Ngoga said. "Everything starts with ideology. ... What troubles me the most is the hate speech on social media. We have no business hating each other as Africans." Speaking at the webinar, Ngoga also pointed out that Russia, China, the European Union and the US had strategues for Africa. But "where is our strategy?" he asked, adding that the AU is the process of developing such strategies. AU can still learn from the EU Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Africa Governance Trade By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Africa's diplomatic influence is dependent on common positions, Ghanaian Ambassador Harriet Sena Siaw-Boateng told the ISS webinar. "This requires the capacity first to identify what Africa's interests are, then to agree collectively and then to articulate them," she said. "It requires a willingness to prioritize African politics over bilateral affairs with external actors. We need to stop being selfish. Until now, we have spent far too long a time discussing the place of Africa in our continent, without discussing our place in the world and projecting our interests outwards." The AU was modeled loosely on the European Union, which was launched in 1993. Growing unity in Africa and capacity to manage its affairs has strengthened the AU's position in partnering with external actors. But Africa should be willing to study and learn from the EU model and the 27-member bloc's initiatives, Ambassador Siaw-Boateng believes. "African countries are following Europe's lead at becoming more successful at drafting, negotiating and presenting common positions to advance and defend our own interests." Siaw-Boateng said she believes that when Africa acts as one, "the world sits up and takes notice". It's no different to the Afrobeats revolution that had Europeans singing in Yoruba along the corridors of a hotel she recently stayed at in Portugal, she said. Edited by: Kate Hairsine An accident involving a Toyota Camry car and a motorcycle claimed one victim, a motorcyclist along the Osogbo-Ilobu road, Service area, Agun... An accident involving a Toyota Camry car and a motorcycle claimed one victim, a motorcyclist along the Osogbo-Ilobu road, Service area, Agunbelewo on Saturday. According to an eyewitness report, the accident occurred when a motorcyclist, coming from Ilobu collided with the Toyota Camry car heading towards Ilobu, resulting in the instant death of the rider and the passenger being seriously injured. Eyewitnesses also disclosed that the injured motorcycle passenger was rushed to an undisclosed hospital. The accident had also caused tension, as angry residents at the scene of the accident wanted to take the laws into their hands. The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, while confirming the accident, disclosed that a life was lost. Opalola explained that the accident occurred when the motorcyclist lost control as it wanted to overtake another vehicle and slammed into the oncoming Toyota Camry form the opposite direction. The corpse and motorcycle were taken by the family of the deceased, while the vehicle involved had been taken to the State traffic office for safe keeping, Opalola concluded. Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has said that victory for the All Progressives Congress in the July 16 governorship election in the s... Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has said that victory for the All Progressives Congress in the July 16 governorship election in the state would enable him to build on achievements he had so far recorded since assuming leadership of the state. He also predicted that from all indications, APC would record a landslide victory in the poll. The governor said this during a meeting with the Osun chapter of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), on Sunday in Osogbo. Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor appealed to electorate not to be deceived by desperate politicians. Oyetola, who noted he had been serving the state diligently since the beginning of his administration, said those who lacked administrative capacity must not be allowed to truncate the development the state is currently witnessing. My desire is to win the July 16 election with a wide margin. The electorate are on my side, my achievements are there to speak for me and God is willing to crown my efforts, he said. Oyetola also appealed to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes, adding that they should not allow those who have declared to win the election with dollars and euros, disrupt steady growth Osun is recording. He said, I want to appeal to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes to desperate politicians. Osun is not for sale, neither are the people of the state for sale. Those who are bragging around with dollars to win the election have nothing to offer. The governor also warned politicians against involvement in violence, adding that the election should not be seen as a do-or-die affair. Oyetola said that anyone caught perpetrating violence before, during and after the election will be dealt with in line with the law. Osun is known for peace and we should not allow anything, nor even the election to truncate the peaceful atmosphere. Election should not be seen as a do-or-die affair, but rather as an avenue to serve humanity. The governor, however, said his administration would continue to support the farmers with necessary farm inputs and implements. Youths numbering about 200 from Nteje Community in Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, on Saturday staged a peaceful demonstration t... Youths numbering about 200 from Nteje Community in Oyi Local Government Area, Anambra State, on Saturday staged a peaceful demonstration to dissociate themselves from the allegations of being labelled members of Eastern Security Network, an arm of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra. The youths converged on the divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Nteje, from where they marched with banners and placards through the Onitsha/Enugu Expressway to Awkuzu junction before ending at Amaokpo, Orukabi village square, Ifite Nteje. Addressing journalists, the community youth leader, Chinedu Okechukwu, confirmed that they held the protest to dissociate themselves from the frivolous allegations that Nteje youths were members of the ESN. Okechukwu said a faction in the community sent a petition to security agencies labelling them ESN members, a situation that made the military invade the community and start shooting indiscriminately, thereby killing and injuring some of them. He said, A faction in our community labelled us members of the ESN in a petition they sent to the security agencies. Acting on this frivolous petition, DSS operatives and some army personnel came to our place on June 16, 2022, and in the course of the operation, shot some people and rough handled our President-General. As of today, two of these persons, Oluebube Anukwu and Chinazaekpere Areh, who had gunshot injuries, have died with others still lying very critical in the hospitals. Okechukwu disclosed that land grabbing was at the centre of the dispute rocking the community. He, therefore, appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to urgently intervene in the matter. Many of us no longer sleep in our houses because some people engage security operatives illegally to harass and intimidate others in order to bring buyers to sell lands belonging to others. We even gathered that some of the land grabbers brought bulldozer now and are clearing lands belonging to others because the atmosphere is tensed since after the June 16 invasion of the community by the military, he added. Addressing the youths at Amaokpo Orukabi village square, Ifite Nteje, a senior police officer, who preferred anonymity, commended the youths for their thoughtfulness in embracing peace in the community. Why police joined you in this peaceful march is to send the signal that we want peaceful co-existence amongst various warring groups in Nteje. Youths, all over the world, are agents of peace and development, but the reverse has been the case here for close to 10 years now. People have been fighting each other, and some have been killed, maimed and property valued millions of naira destroyed, all in a bid for one group to exercise dominance over another, he said. The senior police officer added that he decided that Amaokpo Orukabi village square, Ifite Nteje, be used as the venue for the addy so that both God and the ancestors of the community would stand in judgment against those causing crisis. It is regrettable that the proximity of Anambra State International Passenger/Cargo Airport Umueri to your community rather than being a blessing has turned into a problem. Stop this bloodletting, emulate Aguleri and Umueri people and make peace so that enduring development will be recorded in your community, he said. Thank you for reading! Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Thankfully no Yes but it's manageable Yes, a drastic increase I lost my homeowners insurance / The company shut down Vote View Results Police in South Africa are investigating two bar shootings, one in a township close to Johannesburg and another in the country's east at the weekend. At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured. In Soweto, 15 people were killed after as they enjoyed a night out, police said, when assailants drew up in a minibus taxi and began randomly firing at bar patrons. In the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg, police reported four people were killed and eight wounded during a shootout in a bar after two men fired discriminately at customers. Police sources said it was too early to say if the assaults were in some way connected but observed their similarity. In Soweto, Johannesburg's largest township to the southwest of South Africa's economic capital, police were called to the scene shortly after midnight. No arrests so far "When we arrived at the scene, 12 people were dead with gunshot wounds," local police officer Nonhlanhla Kubheka told AFP. She added 11 people were taken to hospital. Three died shortly after arrival. There were no details regarding the assailants. "Nobody has been arrested. Officers are still on site. They came and shot at people who were having fun," said Kubheka, commander of the Orlando police station, the Soweto district where the shooting took place. Hundreds of people were massed behind police cordons Sunday as police investigated, AFP journalists reported. Only a small poster showing beer prices at the bar could be seen outside the establishment. Police led away relatives of those caught up in the drama who tried to approach the crime scene. Random shots fired Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines South Africa Legal Affairs By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. In Pietermaritzburg, four people were killed and eight wounded in a shootout around 8:30 pm (1830 GMT) which left eight others injured, local police spokesman Nqobile Gwala said. Two men drove up, entered the bar and "fired random shots at the patrons", before fleeing, Lieutenant Colonel Gwala said. "A total of 12 people were shot. Two people were declared dead at the scene and the other two died in hospital. "Another eight people are still in hospital after they sustained injuries." The dead were aged between 30 and 45. Spike in violence The two incidents come a year after an outbreak of the worst violence the country has seen since the end of the apartheid era three decades ago brought democracy. Last July saw large scale rioting and looting, ransacking of shops, a wave of arson attacks and attacks on infrastructure and industrial warehouses leading to more than 350 deaths and several thousand arrests with the country already in the throes of a major Covid-19 wave. Most of the unrest occurred in Johannesburg and the eastern province of Kwazulu-Natal as South Africans protested the sentencing and incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma was sentenced after refusing to testify on corruption charges during his 2009 to 2018 tenure. (with newswires) Hurricane forecasters on Sunday were tracking a disturbance they say could bring heavy rain to Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle. Update: Gulf disturbance could dump 8 inches of rain in south Louisiana; see city estimates Heavy rain will be possible over the next several days regardless of development, forecasters with the National Hurricane Center said in their 1 p.m. update. Periods of showers and thunderstorms will be possible daily through at least mid-week in south Louisiana, forecasters with the National Weather Service in Slidell said. Up to 6 inches are possible along Louisiana's coast. The system has a 20% chance of developing into at least a tropical depression. If it strengthens into a tropical storm, the next available name is Danielle. How much rain? The heaviest rainfall is expected to be closest to the coast, forecasters said. Rain totals by Wednesday night could exceed 4 inches in some areas south of Interstate 10. Rainfall rates could be 2 to 4 inches per hour with the storms, forecasters said. Current rainfall estimates from the National Weather Service through Wednesday are: Boothville - 4 to 6 inches New Orleans - 2 to 3 inches Covington - 2 to 3 inches Baton Rouge - 1 to 1.5 inches Lafayette - 1 to 1.5 inches Get hurricane updates in your inbox Sign up for updates on storm forecasts, tracks and more. e-mail address * Sign Up Slow development As of 1 p.m., forecasters said a trough of low pressure is expected to develop in the northern Gulf of Mexico from a decaying frontal boundary currently over the Southeast. Any development of the system is expected to be slow while it drifts just off the coast through the middle to the later part of this week, forecasters said. The shaded area on the graphic is where a storm could develop and is not a track. The National Hurricane Center releases a track when a tropical depression forms or is about to form. Related: Above-average hurricane season already ahead of schedule The categories, in order of increasing strength, are tropical depression, tropical storm and hurricane (categories 1 through 5). No other systems are expected to develop within 48 hours in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean or Atlantic, forecasters said. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30. See the full outlook. Don't miss a storm update this hurricane season. Sign up for our free Hurricane Center newsletter. Editor's note: This story has been updated with information from the 1 p.m. advisory. Bola Tinubu,a former Lagos State governor, is the nominee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 presidential contest. Abuja Mr Tinubu made the announcement on Sunday while on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has named Kashim Shettima as his running mate. Mr Tinubu made the announcement on Sunday while on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The prospect of a Muslim/Muslim ticket has generated outrage from some quarters, even within the ruling party. Despite the opposition, Mr Tinubu chose Mr Shettima as his running mate. Shortly before the announcement of Mr Shettima, Ibrahim Masari, who had hitherto served as a placeholder for the VP slot, announced his withdrawal from the position. Mr Masari said he decided to withdraw from the position after he had a consultation with Mr Tinubu in a letter addressed to APC members. The letter read: This is to inform our esteemed party leaders under our able President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), teeming party members and the great people of Nigeria, of the outcome of a crucial discussion I just had with the flagbearer of our great party, the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I had the singular honour and privilege of being nominated as the running mate to Asiwaju Tinubu last month after a keenly contested presidential primary ahead of the 2023 general election. But, after much reflection and wider consultations, I now wish to step down. I realised that my decision will enable Asiwaju to have more latitude to give more accommodation and inclusion that will position our party to win the coming elections, with the support of the people of Nigeria. In stepping down, I believe I can still serve our party and the country in several other capacities. I wish to confirm that I have submitted my withdrawal letter and affidavit to that effect as the vice-presidential candidate to Asiwaju Bola TInubu in the coming elections. On behalf of myself and family, I wish to sincerely thank Asiwaju Tinubu the incoming President, Insha Allah for his trust in me and we promise to remain steadfast in our support for him and the party. The campaign organisation of Mr Tinubu also confirmed the withdrawal of Mr Masari. In a statement released by James Faleke, the campaign disclosed that Mr Masari transmitted the resignation letter from Saudi Arabia, where he is performing Hajj. This is to inform and confirm that Alhaji Ibrahim Masari has stepped down as Vice Presidential nominee to the flag-bearer of APC in the 2023 presidential elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Nigeria Governance By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy. Success! Almost finished... We need to confirm your email address. To complete the process, please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you. Error! Error! There was a problem processing your submission. Please try again later. Alhaji Masari has communicated his decision to us from Saudi Arabia where he is presently performing the hajj. While saluting Alhaji Masaris sacrifice, we believe this will give Asiwaju Tinubu an opportunity to take a decision that will further enhance the chances of our great party in the 2023 elections. From Campaign DG to VP choice. Mr Shettima, who currently represents Borno Central in the Senate, served as governor of Borno from 2011 to 2019. He is from the same geopolitical zone -North-east, as Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. Mr Shettima was one of the early backers of the former governor of Lagos State for the ticket and served as the Director-General of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation. In the build-up to the primary election, Mr Shettima caused a stir when he said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is too nice to be a leader because nice people should be selling Ice Cream. Osinbajo is a good man. He is a nice man. But nice men dont make a good leader. Nice men should be selling popcorn and ice cream. He, however, retracted the statement and noted that he was misquoted. Aside from the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket, Mr Tinubu faces questions about his health, academic qualifications, source of wealth and allegations of corruption. Despite these issues, Mr Tinubu won the APC presidential primaries in a landslide, defeating Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and several others. Mr Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Saturday, after spending 12 days in France for undisclosed business, fueling speculations that the trip was a medical trip. South African Police Investigate Deadly Bar Shootings Police in South Africa are investigating two weekend bar shootings, one in a township close to Johannesburg and another in the country's east. At least 19 people were killed and dozens injured. In Soweto, 15 people were killed after as they enjoyed a night out, police said, when assailants drew up in a minibus taxi and began randomly firing at bar patrons in the early hours of Sunday July10, 2022. On Saturday July 9, 2022, In the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg, police reported four people were killed and eight wounded during a shootout in a bar after two men fired indiscriminately at customers. Police sources said it was too early to say if the assaults were in some way connected but observed their similarity. The third shooting occurred on Thursday July 7, 2022. Gauteng police commissioner Mawela told the Reuters news agency that there had been a third shooting during a suspected robbery in a tavern in Katlehong, also outside Johannesburg, in which two people died and two others were wounded. In this regard, Peru has proposed and will continue to propose solutions to mitigate the effects of the international war, said Ambassador Paul Duclos, General Director of Multilateral and Global Affairs at the Peruvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Peru has already proposed resolutions to these issues, within the framework of the Permanent Council [of the Organization of American States - OAS]," the ambassador said in an interview Andina New Agency. "For example, it has called on international and financial organizations to provide credit lines for the purchase of fertilizers or in support of populations," he added. Lima will host the 52nd General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) this year, which will take place in person after continuous years of virtual meetings. According to Mr. Duclos, new alternatives or weaknesses will be evaluated before the meeting scheduled for October 5-7 in a bid to support the region's governments in this regard. "We will address the conflict's effects that are most related to the worsening of the economic crisis, which in our country is the issue of fertilizers," he explained. The ambassador also announced that discussions are ongoing on the possibility of working on a new agreement to adopt preventive measures or to better face future pandemics like COVID-19, within the framework of a commitment assumed by Peru at the international level. (END) GDS/VVS/RMB The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has had an impact, mainly economic, on a global scale, which has worsened the situation after the COVID-19 pandemic.Publicado: 10/7/2022 China Railway Group donates relief materials for Bangladesh flood victims Xinhua) 15:01, July 10, 2022 There is a saying in Bangladesh "manush manusher jonno" (Humans are for humanity). As millions of Bangladeshis were deluged in some of the country's worst flooding ever, China Railway Group Limited (CREC) provided relief, just like the old Bangla saying. CREC, engaged in the construction of the Padma Rail Link, donated relief materials to a ceremony in a site office in Keraniganj on the outskirts of capital Dhaka. Engineer Khaled Masood is glad to know that CREC has stood by the flood victims in a very good way. "Today I'm proud that my company has stood by the flood victims in the midst of such a big disaster." On the sidelines of the handover ceremony, Md Afzal Hossain, project director, told Xinhua that two districts in the northeastern part of Bangladesh had been suffering from severe floods. He said the homes of millions of people had been damaged, and many roads and bridges have been destroyed. "The food given here includes about 1,750 kg of rice, 450 liters of edible oil and 750 kg of flour and about 700 kg of sugar. All these are essential," he said. According to the official, it will help about 500 families. "The people of Bangladesh will be grateful for this. The government of Bangladesh will be grateful to them," he said. For the past twenty years, CREC has been carrying out various development activities in Bangladesh and abroad. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, is the biggest project of the Bangladesh Railway. Bangladeshi State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman earlier said that both the government and private agencies are working in the Sylhet region, which has been facing the worst floods in 122 years. According to a daily flood report of the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room, the floods killed 107 people between May 17 and July 5. With roads washed away, authorities have been battling to deliver supplies in many northeastern and northern districts. Shi Yuan, project director of the Padma Rail Link project of CREC, said he is very glad that they could do something to help flood victims. "If there is any further requirement we'll organize again," Shi said. "Food will soon reach affected areas," he said as workers were loading the relief materials into an army truck. Bangladeshi soldiers were deployed last month to help the Sylhet region. Troops have since remained deployed to deal with rising water levels in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, 296 km northeast of the capital Dhaka. Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) 11:05 | Lima, Jul. 9. Miraflores has become the first smart jurisdiction in Peru, he said at the Valor sobre Ciudades Digitales forum held within the framework of the Peru-Korea Memorandum of Understanding and the National Strategy for Smart Cities, organized by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) Fight against crime The mayor indicated that this district has recently started a new era of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to thoroughly combat crime. This new era develops based on the signing of an inter-institutional cooperation agreement between the Municipality of Miraflores and the Ministry of Interior. Thanks to this agreement, it will be possible to use the National Police of Peru's (PNP) database, interconnected with the Serenazgo (municipal police) Surveillance Center, and the PNP Center. Thus in real time, by means of car/motorcycle plate readers and face recognition cameras stolen vehicles can be pulled over and people wanted by justice can be taken into custody. Once detected, an alarm sounds at both control centers. The mayor recalled that the first portico was recently set up on Benavides Avenue out of a total of 19, which will be installed at the accesses to Miraflores on the border with neighboring districts Surquillo, Surco, and Barranco. This way, stolen vehicles or wanted people can be detected in real time. Gradually, over the next few months, the other gates will be installed, thus reinforcing security for the benefit of residents, as well as domestic and foreign visitors who arrive in Miraflores, he remarked. The first six porticos will be fully functional in September. Very replicable project At the forum, Team Leader of National Smart Cities Strategy Martin Sarango highlighted the Miraflores project given that said district is already setting up a smart city in Peru being the first success story. In addition, he called for improvements to reduce bureaucracy. Miraflores faced more than 2 years for its execution, and he pointed out that this is a very replicable project at the national level. The U.S. saw a healthy boost in hiring last month372,000 jobs. Thats more than 100,000 over what economists expected. And here to talk to NTD about the jobs report is Julia Pollak. Shes chief economist at job search company Zip-Recruiter. Dont Get Faked Out at this Years Fakefest at Golden Nugget moniquemeloche presents... is now on exhibit at the Lubeznik Center for the Arts in Michigan City, showcasing artists represented by Monique Meloche Gallery in Chicago. Monique Meloche founded her gallery in Chicagos West Loop in 2001 with an international roster of emerging artists working in all media. The gallerys program has been diverse and inclusive since its inception, and it continues to be a trailblazer for artistic talents of artists early or under-recognized in their careers. Taking a curatorial approach honed after her six years at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Meloche presents conceptually challenging programming in Chicago and at art fairs internationally with an emphasis on institutional outreach. The gallerys focus is on discovering and fostering emerging artistsbringing them to the attention of collectors, curators, institutions, and global audiences. Exhibiting artists in moniquemeloche presents... include Sanford Biggers, Layo Bright, Dan Gunn, Sheree Hovsepian, Rashid Johnson, Kajahl, Ben Murray, Ebony G. Patterson, Karen Reimer, Jake Troyli and Nate Young. The show is on exhibit through Oct. 21, with gallery hours on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. lubeznikcenter.org The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra presents the 15th annual South Shore Summer Music Festival, featuring free concerts performed by the Northwest Indiana Symphony in seven communities across our region during July and August. Everyone is welcome to come early, bring lawn chairs and blankets, relax and enjoy the music. The summer program includes a mix of patriotic songs, light classical pieces and movie and Broadway tunes. This summers line-up begins on Friday, July 22, 7:30 p.m., at Fox Pointe (18138 Henry St., Lansing), and continues on Saturday, July 23, 7:30 p.m., at Redar Park (Austin Street, North of U.S. 30, Schererville); Saturday, July 30, 7:30 p.m., Saint Anthony-Majestic Care Lawn (Corner of Main and Franciscan, Crown Point); Wednesday, Aug. 3, 7:30 p.m., Central Park Plaza (68 Lafayette Street, Valparaiso); Saturday, Aug. 6, 7:30 p.m., Central Park (600 N. Broad Street, Griffith); Sunday, Aug. 7, 5 p.m., Wolf Lake Pavilion (Calumet Ave at Sheffield Ave., Hammond). The Munster Civic Foundation will present an additional concert in Centennial Park on Sunday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. The 2022 Festival Sponsor is the John W. Anderson Foundation with additional support from Strack & Van Til. More summer concert information, including rain locations, is available at 219/836-0525 or nisorchestra.org. Be sure to visit the 47th Annual Griffith Park Full of Art. This outdoor art fair, which began in 1974, is a juried fine arts show featuring artists working in the categories of oil, acrylic, watercolor, sculpture, pottery, graphics, photography, jewelry and more. The show will be held at Central Park, 600 N. Broad Street, Griffith, on Saturday, July 16, and Sunday, July 17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. https://www.parkfullofart.com As always, please visit the South Shore Arts Regional Calendar for organizational contacts and updates on current exhibits, concerts, plays and other arts events at southshoreartsonline.org Frankfurter-munching phenom Joey Jaws Chestnut put a protester in a chokehold while gobbling his way to a 15th win Monday at the Nathans Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest, powering down 63 hot dogs and buns at the annual exhibition of excess. In a decisive chowdown comeback, women's record-holder Miki Sudo downed 40 wieners and buns to win the women's title after skipping last year's frank fest because she was pregnant. A spectator wearing a Darth Vader mask rushed the stage, momentarily disrupting the competition. Chestnut put the protester in a brief chokehold before contest officials hurried over and escorted the intruder away. Another protester in a white stormtrooper mask had also snuck behind the competitors and hoisted a sign saying, Expose Smithfield's Deathstar. Smithfield manufactures Nathan's famous hotdogs. After the altercation, Chestnut went back to the task at hand: Devouring more hot dogs. Monday marked the contest's return to its traditional location outside Nathans flagship shop in Brooklyns Coney Island neighborhood. The event was relocated in 2020 and last year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its beautiful to be back here in front of a throng of spectators, Chestnut told ESPN after his feat, which the 38-year-old managed while wearing a surgical boot because of a leg injury. It hurts, but I was in the zone for a little bit. I was ignoring it, said Chestnut, but the pain eventually slowed his pace in the 10-minute competition. Last year, the Westfield, Indiana, resident topped his own record by consuming 76 franks and buns. Sudo, of Tampa, Florida, set the womens record at 48 1/2 weiners and buns in 2020, before taking last year off while expecting. She and Nick Wehry a fellow competitive eater whom she met through the Nathans contest in 2018 welcomed son Max on July 8, 2021. From dad's arms, the baby watched his 36-year-old mother notch her eighth Nathan's win. She told ESPN afterward that she hoped he would someday take a message away from it. I want to set an example, she said, to do things that you love and push yourself to your absolute limits and, when things get difficult, to still give it a try. And, you know, you might actually just come out victorious. Sudo then took over parenting duties while Wehry tried for the men's title. In conjunction with the spectacle, Nathans donates 100,000 franks to the Food Bank for New York City. Jerry Davich Jerrys career began in 1995 as a political cartoonist/columnist with The Times of NWI, writing thousands of columns and stories through narrative storytelling, or shining a light on societys darkest corners, or provoking unpopular conversations. Follow Jerry Davich 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 Ed Stojancevich could feel the engagement ring burning a hole in his pocket. His plan was simple yet dramatic as he walked with his then-girlfriend around Washington, D.C.: surprise her by proposing in front of the White House. One minor problem: He didnt expect the site to look like a military zone that day Sept. 15, 2012. Not the most romantic place, he recalled. I totally saw it differently in my head. He became even more nervous. He began sweating heavily. He was worried he would lose the ring or lose his mind. I wanted it to be perfect, said Stojancevich, who lives in St. John. The couple kept walking. He looked around desperately for a plan B. They wandered onto the World War II Memorial. He thought it looked absolutely stunning, especially with the towering Washington Monument in the background. This is the spot, he told himself. He began casually taking photos to frame the perfect spot to pop the question. He used an iPad, not the most convenient device to take the most important photo of his life. He asked a female police officer if she would take the couples photo. She wasnt happy about it. Another tourist asking for another photo. Im about to propose to my girlfriend, so please take as many pictures as possible, Stojancevich told the officer. The officer immediately lightened up. In fact, she became nervous too, even trembling. Stojancevich told his girlfriend to smile for the touristy photo. She did but looked toward the officer and whispered to Stojancevich, Why is she shaking so much? She is going to drop that damn iPad. Thats when Stojancevich dropped to one knee. His future wife, Denise, gasped. She covered her mouth. He pulled out the ring. The water fountain behind them gushed. Yes! Denise replied. The couple embraced and looked around. Strangers erupted into applause. The officer had tears in her eyes. It truly was an amazing moment, Stojancevich said. This was the precise moment when a public "space" became a personal "place" for the couple. A space becomes a place for all of us when its filled with memories that didnt exist beforehand. Maybe its a park or restaurant or music venue or simply a patch of land that means nothing to anyone else. When I asked my social media readers for their most cherished place that was once merely a space, I received dozens of responses. I welcome yours as well. Joey and Rose Lax-Salinas transformed The Open Space, a flat, grassy area of a public park in Traverse City, Michigan, into their special place. When we started vacationing up there in 2012, we would take our dog Molly and walk her through the open space and along the shore, Joey said. Then, we started taking our son, Parker, first in a stroller and now on his bike. We now always find ourselves there at least once or twice when we're in that town. Some of us have places attached to more poignant feelings and circumstances. There's a park off of U.S. 20 on Mineral Springs Road in Porter. Some call it Chellberg Farm. Some call it Bailly Homestead. I call it Amy's Park, Patty Jansen-Johnson replied. When her daughter, Amy, died in June 2020, her friends hosted a celebration of life remembrance at that park. It was absolutely beautiful. Such a perfect setting, she said. So now when I go there to walk, I call it Amy's Park. Evie Jean Steege echoed the feelings of many parents who live in Porter County. My special place is the old Porter Hospital where both my daughters came into the world, she said. It has since been razed and relocated. I feel the same way every time I bicycle or run past that now empty site, just off Lincolnway in Valparaiso. I think of the thousands of people who were born there, who died there, or who were healed there. Yet now, it's just another grassy lot haunted with warm memories or sad recollections. My most recent space-to-place location is the Aquatorium in the Miller section of Gary, once just an old building in my hometown. As a kid I played in or around the former Gary Bathhouse in Marquette Park, which first opened in 1922. I no longer drive past it with a shrug. Ever since May 21 of this year, that historic structure has housed magical memories for me. Its where I married my wife, Karen, who immediately fell in love with it on an early date of ours. I wished I had proposed to her there, but I didnt have the romantic forethought of Ed Stojancevich. He and his wife, Denise, got married on Nov. 16, 2013, but not before returning to their special place in Washington D.C. with their daughter, Ariana, and son, Cameron. And the couple plans to return there again this year. The memory of what once took place there continues to burn a hole in the pocket of their marriage. Contact Jerry at Jerry.Davich@nwi.com or at 219-853-2563. Opinions are those of the writer. HOBART Rate increases could be coming so that the city can implement a plan to upgrade Hobarts aging main lift station and comply with an order to reduce sanitary sewer overflows. The average residential sanitary sewer bill in Hobart is currently $54.35, and the cost could increase to $60.47 in 2023 and then $66.58 in 2024. If the new rate schedule is adopted, it would allow the city to pursue a bond issue to fund sanitary sewer projects that are estimated to cost about $45 million. The most significant project involves rebuilding Hobarts main lift station. Bob Fulton, president of Hobarts Sanitary and Stormwater District Board, said the lift station was built in the late 1980s. City Engineer Phil Gralik said lift stations are designed for about 20 years of service. Were 14 years past that," Gralik said. "Were approaching double the life of this station." Fulton said that because the lift station is living on borrowed time, there are concerns about a catastrophic failure there. If that happens, it could result in an environmental emergency. We have reached the usable limit of our main lift station, Fulton said. Jake Dammarell, of Butler, Fairman and Seufert, said Hobart in 2010 entered into an agreed order with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to take several measures to eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in the city. Studies were completed to identify projects to accomplish the goals of the order, and the city has experienced a 67% reduction in sanitary sewer overflows through a variety of initiatives, Gralik said. The lift station project is at the top of the list, and that work would involve adding new pumps, electrical components, a transformer as well as site improvements around the facility. A 30-inch diameter force main also would be installed from the lift station to a connection point with the Gary Sanitary District. Which is approximately 4.5 miles away, Dammarell said. Gralik said Hobart has experienced increased maintenance costs associated with the existing lift station. He said the city has been rebuilding pumps, but the parts are becoming increasingly difficult to find. One of the lift station pumps went down in August 2021 and hasnt yet been repaired while the city waits for a part to arrive. We still do not have that part, Gralik said. In addition to addressing the age and potential environmental issues associated with the lift station, the project also is necessary so development can continue in the city. Fulton said regulatory agencies could prohibit new construction if its determined Hobart is unable to adequately pump out stormwater in wet weather events. The citys Sanitary and Stormwater District Board will have a public hearing about the proposed rate increase during its 5 p.m. meeting Tuesday at City Hall, 414 Main St. Following the public hearing, the panel could send the rate increase proposal to the City Council with a recommendation. The new rate schedule would require council approval on two readings before it would become effective. CHESTERTON A 72-year-old man went under the surface of the water in Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes State Park on Sunday and had to be rescued from drowning by lifeguards, according to Indiana Department of Natural Resources. A lifeguard was told at about 10:30 a.m. Sunday that the senior citizen from Illinois went under the water and had not resurfaced at the beach at the state park in Chesterton, which is typically bustling during the summer months. "Lifeguards immediately started a search of the swim area as conservation officers, Porter Fire Department, Porter Police Department, and Porter County EMS responded to the scene," DNR spokesman Tyler Brock said. "After approximately 15 minutes, lifeguards located the man submerged in approximately 7 feet of water, 100 feet from shore. Lifeguards brought him to the surface and started CPR while bringing him to shore." Indiana conservation officers also took part in the rescue of the man, whose identity has not been publicly made available. "On shore, a conservation officer and an off-duty firefighter from the Indianapolis Fire Department continued CPR," Brock said. "First responders from the Porter Fire Department and Porter County EMS continued advanced care, and the man was transported to Northwest Health Porter Hospital where he remains in critical condition." The DNR Law Enforcement Central Dispatch Center and the Porter County Central Communications Center also assisted. An investigation into the near-drowning is ongoing. INDIANAPOLIS June 24, 2022, should have been the political holy grail for Mike Pence. It was the day he had long strived for, the day Roe v. Wade was consigned to the ash heap of history. Today, life won. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court of the United States has given the American people a new beginning for life and I commend the Justices in the majority for having the courage of their convictions, Pence said shortly after the Supreme Court issued its ruling on the Dobbs case. By returning the question of abortion to the states and to the people, this Supreme Court has righted an historic wrong and reaffirmed the right of the American people to govern themselves at the state level in a manner consistent with their values and aspirations," Pence said. "Now that Roe v. Wade has been consigned to the ash heap of history, a new arena in the cause of life has emerged and it is incumbent on all who cherish the sanctity of life to resolve that we take the defense of the unborn and the support for women in crisis pregnancy centers to every state in America. Pences campaign PAC Advancing American Freedom quickly released a video saying that for pro-life Americans today is one many thought they would never see, while adding, His cause is our cause. It pointed out he was the first Republican in Congress to propose defunding Planned Parenthood, he cast a pivotal tie-breaking vote in the Senate as vice president, and as governor of Indiana, signed every pro-life bill he was presented. And in the White House, Mike Pence provided the guidance and advice to the president to select Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, three of the five votes making this incredible moment possible, it continues. Lives will be saved. For Mike Pence, the mission is still the same: Foster the sanctity of life, the video said. Donald Trumps reaction was more muted, saying, that God made the decision, then later Friday calling the Dobbs decision the biggest WIN for LIFE in a generation, one only made possible because I delivered everything as promised. But the former Indiana governor and American vice president finds himself in a political no-mans land at the precise time of his most profound political achievement. A recent 2024 presidential poll in New Hampshire had Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis leading Donald Trump by 2%, while Pence stood far back at a mere 9%. A CAPS/Harvard Poll had Trump leading with 57% while 11% backed Pence. A Reuters/Ipsos Poll had Trump leading Pence 54-8%. These polls were taken before the bombshell testimony heard on the U.S. House Jan. 6 Select Committee that has implicated Trump in inspiring the U.S. Capitol insurrection, with Trump supporters chanting Hang Mike Pence. While some Republicans seeking the 2024 presidential nomination are treading lightly on the issue, with one consultant telling the Washington Post that the safest place for Republicans is to say, Send it to the states," Pence is advocating for a national abortion ban. We must not rest and must not relent until the sanctity of of life is restored to the center of American law in every state in the land, Pence tweeted last week. He tweeted out, Apply to host Vice President Mike Pence on your campus this fall. I was startled when I asked a leading Hoosier pro-life advocate several weeks ago whether Pence would reap political credit in a 2024 presidential race if Roe were overturned. The reaction was one of ambivalence. This person observed what many in Indiana have said about Pence, which is that he appears to have forgotten his roots and has moved on to the national stage. Indiana Right to Life and affiliates in Northeast Indiana also issued statements of joy at the ruling, but none mentioned the role Mike Pence had played. Ive asked a number of members of Congress and key Indiana GOP political operatives this question: Could Mike Pence beat Donald Trump in a 2024 Indiana presidential primary? Not one said yes. Pence swoops in for fundraisers and an occasional endorsement, the most conspicuous was for Indiana Senate District 14 candidate Ron Turpin, who was subsequently blown out 52-38% by Tyler Johnson in that Fort Wayne area seat in last Mays primary. Pence is scheduled to keynote a coming prominent NE Indiana political event this fall. At this point in time, Pence is in a GOP purgatory as he begins to build his campaign. He has been praised by congressional Democrats for standing up to Trump on Jan. 6, 2021, but is seen as a deserter by the Trump base, and as a toady bootlicker by anti-Trump Republicans, independents and Democrats. As the New York Times Maggie Habermann and Reid Epstein observed, The whipsaw of images creates an uncertain foundation for a potential presidential campaign, for which Mr. Pence has been laying the groundwork. Memo to Mike Pence: Youve forgotten the peeps who propelled your Washington career. Well, here we go again. Another mass shooting disaster. Weve once again increased our world leading tally. This ones closer to home. Highland Park. Michael Jordans former hometown. Seven (as I write this) were killed, somewhere around three dozen were injured, and who knows how many, including so many children, are traumatized and for who knows how long. Sad reality but from the time Im writing this until the time you read this, theres a good shot er, lets change that to chance there will be another one. Or maybe more than one. As of the July 4 massacre in Illinois, the number of mass shootings is at 314. Thats only 24 from the total for the entirety of last year. And last year was the highest total in recent years. A "mass shooting is generally, though not universally, considered to be four or more people shot at one time as part of one incident. The number of deaths in these kinds of incidents far exceeds the number of deaths perpetrated by foreign terrorists, even with the huge number who perished on September 11, 2001. I heard a commentator recently say that if what happened in Highland Park (or Uvalde, or any of the others) was done by foreign actors, wed be figuring out which country to bomb or invade. After terrorist hijackings and the heinous events of Sept. 11, Americans have accepted infringements on our personal rights personal and baggage searches, dogs sniffing us, and other infringements as we travel. But with our own home-grown brand of domestic terrorism, we still seem to do no more than collectively shrug, or back into our perspective ideological corners. Nothing happens to protect us from this uniquely American phenomenon of mass shootings. On an encouraging note, after the Uvalde massacre there was some actual progress, not much but some, made on the national level to correct the sad circumstance we find ourselves in regarding the slaughtering of our citizenry by guns. And to me, as well as many others, guns are the real issue. Certainly the military grade ones created to wreak havoc in war and which seem to be the weapons du jour of so many of our domestic shooters. Right-wing gun advocates (not all gun owners are right-wing) like to point to mental health care, or lack thereof, as a major issue in the mass shooting tsunami in our country. Most of the mass shooters in our country are not clinically mentally ill. Troubled? Beyond a doubt. Twisted? For sure. But not necessarily mentally ill. And besides, many who champion gun rights in Congress hardly are champions for mental health expenditures. Case in point try and find a mental health facility or in-patient facility near Uvalde. There are a zillion health professionals available there now, but before? For people in Uvalde and other more rural areas of Texas you might as well be living on the other side of the moon if you are trying to access mental health services, says the dean of Education and Human Performance at Texas A&M University. To me, theres a high level of hypocrisy from Gov. Greg Abbot and other Texas Republicans. Gun deaths are mental health issues, but, by the way, we really dont spend much money on that kind of thing. Socialism I guess? We dont have any more mentally ill, or disaffected, or struggling, or confused, or angry, or isolated, of internet addicted, or easily led young men than other country. Why dont they have the same plague of gun violence as we do? I just said it. Guns. When the majority of Americans favor tighter background checks and controls or outright bans of military-style weapons in civilian hands, why dont we have those things? Uniformly throughout the whole country? Our voices are heard through our elected representatives. Those in the House of Representatives have passed stricter gun regulation. But to become a law, the same must be passed by the US Senate. Therein lies the rub. I dont often contact my senators or representative on gun matters because I know where they stand on these issues and Im in agreement. But more Senators need to see the insanity of whats going on and take simple steps to limit the damage. Universal background checks, banning, or at least limiting, military-style weapons and the extended ammunition clips (you need thirty shots to fell a deer?) But the Senators, for many of you reading this, are Senators who prevent change from happening. Todd Young and Mike Braun are staunch gun advocates, darlings of the NRA, purveyors of the idea of making our schools into fortresses (how do you do that for a parade?). These two need convincing that common sense gun legislation would not infringe on our rights and that gun legislation would not be the beginning of the Government coming for your guns." It just might be the beginning of fewer mass shooting tragedies. Weve made some baby steps in the right direction with recent federal legislation, but we need more. Let Todd and Mike know people think more needs to be done. Theyre part of that happening or not happening. Because whos next? I was at the Whiting Fourth of July parade when I heard about Highland Park. Things have to change. Thanks for reading. As of June 3, more than 71,000 voters in Nevada had already cast their ballots by mail, and nearly 40,000 had voted in person. Where people live can matter, too. More Nevada voters live in Clark County, which includes Las Vegas, than any other county in the state. If a significant amount of Clark County ballots arrive late, that could delay when results are available in statewide races. In recent elections, Clark County ballots made up 80 percent of the votes that had not been counted by the end of election night, said Stephen Ohlemacher, the election decision editor for The Associated Press. In South Carolina, state lawmakers in May changed the rules for in-person voting, making it easier for voters to show up to polling places and cast their ballots before Election Day. The change made permanent some of options granted temporarily during the 2020 election, because of the pandemic. That year, the state counted more than 95 percent of votes before the end of election night, according to The Associated Press. Maine uses a ranked-choice voting system, in which voters rank candidates in order of their preference and votes are tabulated in rounds. While that can take longer to process, leading to delays, its not likely to affect results in the states congressional or governor primaries because only one or two candidates are running in them. Weinsteins reputation for sexual trespass had started early, when he was a concert promoter in Buffalo. As he aged, his influence waned the whole movie industry waned just as he was seeking younger prey, from a cohort that increasingly spent their free time on social networks like Facebook, Auletta reminds, rather than going to the movies. After the producer, then in his 60s, lunged from his office couch at Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, a 22-year-old Miss Italy finalist, in 2015 when he reached for her breasts like he was at an all-you-can-eat buffet, as Auletta puts it she did what many previous women who had been in her position, scared of Weinsteins towering power, had been loath to do: She called the police. A publicists attempt to discredit Gutierrez was met with indignant cries that she was being slut-shamed. The fourth wave of feminism had arrived with a big splash, pulling Weinstein and his ilk into the undertow. And yet the male foreman of the jury that convicted Weinstein, Auletta points out, cited the testimony and behavior of male witnesses, not female victims suggesting, Auletta writes, that believe women may face a steep uphill climb. He proposes instead listen to women; but one key womans voice is cast as soul-crushingly loud. Searching for Rosebud, Auletta alights, for lack of better explanations, on the Weinstein brothers flame-haired and apparently flame-tempered mother, Miriam (for whom their company was named, along with their milder father, Max, a diamond cutter who died of a heart attack at 52). A childhood friend told Auletta that Harvey referred to Miriam as Momma Portnoy, after the shrill character in Philip Roths Portnoys Complaint. Bob, who somehow avoided growing into a beast, as Harvey is repeatedly described here, allows for the possibility of Miriams frustration at her lifes limitations. She could have been Sheryl Sandberg or one of these C.E.O.s of a company. She had that kind of smarts, he told Auletta. Instead, she proudly brought rugelach to her sons headquarters, and had an epitaph worthy of Dorothy Parker: I dont like the atmosphere or the crowd. As there was a roving fifth Beatle, so there were a series of Miramax executives nicknamed the third brother loyalists who helped to enable bad behavior and, chillingly, a sort of conveyor system to funnel women to Weinsteins hotel suites. If youre not interested in the NC-17 and often disgusting particulars of what happened in those suites, nor in the headsmacking convolutions of nondisclosure agreements, perhaps youd prefer one of the disgraced protagonists recommendations from the more tasteful era he worshiped, Elia Kazans autobiography, A Life, or a book Weinstein was often seen carrying during trial preparation: The Brothers Mankiewicz, by Sydney Ladensohn Stern. Herman Mankiewicz is credited with the screenplay for Citizen Kane; his brother, Joe, wrote All About Eve. Recalling those great movies, and even some from Miramaxs glory days in the 90s, feels dispiriting, as the pictures, to paraphrase Sunset Boulevard, continue to get smaller. Going along for the ride of Weinsteins slow rise and fall, even with the able Auletta at ones side, can feel even more dispiriting, like getting on one of those creaky roller coasters at a faded municipal playland. To fight disinformation, California lawmakers are advancing a bill that would force social media companies to divulge their process for removing false, hateful or extremist material from their platforms. Texas lawmakers, by contrast, want to ban the largest of the companies Facebook, Twitter and YouTube from removing posts because of political points of view. In Washington, the state attorney general persuaded a court to fine a nonprofit and its lawyer $28,000 for filing a baseless legal challenge to the 2020 governors race. In Alabama, lawmakers want to allow people to seek financial damages from social media platforms that shut down their accounts for having posted false content. In the absence of significant action on disinformation at the federal level, officials in state after state are taking aim at the sources of disinformation and the platforms that propagate them only they are doing so from starkly divergent ideological positions. In this deeply polarized era, even the fight for truth breaks along partisan lines. Muslims in a mosque in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha, which means Festival of the Sacrifice. It often involves sacrificing an animal to commemorate the time the Prophet Ibrahim is believed to have passed a remarkable test of faith. He was ordered by Allah to sacrifice his son - and as he was about to do so, the boy was exchanged for a ram. South African photographer Shiraaz Mohamed was in Madagascar a few years ago during Eid al-Adha. He captured how a small Muslim community on the Indian Ocean island celebrated one of the most important holidays in Islam. Short presentational grey line It was not my intention to do a story based on Eid when I found myself in Fort Dauphin waiting to travel on to the capital. The day before the festival I wanted to find a place to perform my Eid prayers, and drove around the southern coastal tourist town looking for a mosque, discovering a small one with a sign on the door advertising the five daily prayer times. Sign at a mosque in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar When I got out to investigate, someone was quick to say hello and make a phone call to the imam, Isoffa Mouhidine Tovo, who within minutes came to welcome me. I was overwhelmed by the hospitality of those around me. An old man sat outside his small home watching children play. He eventually went inside where he was later seen reading the Quran. Little children, curious to see who this stranger was, stared at me. Some were shy and giggled. Two girls pose for a photograph as an old man read Quran in his home in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar I asked permission to take a few photographs and started clicking away. There was an air of expectation, it being the day before Eid, which falls on the anniversary of the day the Prophet Muhammad gave his farewell sermon on Mount Arafat near Mecca towards the end of his life. An man sits outside his home while chanting on prayer beads in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar Imam Tovo said that the prophet fasted on this day, known as the Day of Arafat, and Muslims in Fort Dauphin keep with the tradition. Muslims are also encouraged to seek repentance, which the imam said would allow their sins over the last year to be erased. Curious children watch through a wooden fence in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar Almost everyone I met in the mainly Muslim seaside district was observing a fast, including some of the older children. Story continues But the smell of food was everywhere. In the various small houses people were busy cooking for the big day ahead. This included sweet dumplings being deep-fried by this family. A woman cooking dumplings in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar Many of the children were also helping out with the preparations. Dishes were being cooked over coal fires - this girl carried a sack of coal to be used by her family. A young girl prepares a bag of coal to be used for cooking in preparation for Eid food in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar On the day of Eid, just after sunrise, the small mosque filled with worshippers. According to Imam Tovo, he has about 450 people in his congregation. He says the total Muslim population of Fort Dauphin is around 1,000. Local estimates put the Muslim population of the whole island at between 15% and 25% - mainly living in coastal areas. "In Madagascar we do not have problems in religion. We all live in peace," the imam told me. After the Eid prayer, worshippers gathered outside on the street, dressed in their best outfits - greeting each other. Young and old in their best clothing after Eid prayers in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar The streets looked amazing, filled with an array of different colours. It was then time to prepare the animals for slaughter. Madagascar is known for its zebu - the horned, humped cattle are seen all over the island and are a symbol of wealth, though many died in last year's drought. Zebu cattle are led down a road after Eid prayers in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar The men shepherded some zebu, goats and sheep down the street to an empty piece of land with breath-taking views of the ocean. This is where the sacrifice would take place. Zebu cattle grazing in a field overlooking the sea in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar I stood fascinated, wondering how they were going to drop such huge animals to the ground. Then it all made sense as I watched the men take a piece of rope and tie it around the horns of the zebu while another was tied around one of its hooves. Men tugged on the ropes while another pulled on the animal's tail, immobilising it. Once it was on the ground, its neck was held down before it was slaughtered. Men use ropes to immobilise a zebu in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar The price of a zebu currently varies from between $285 (240) and $305 (255) - and sheep and goats each cost between $30 and $40. When I caught up with Imam Tovo by phone this week, he said the community had been affected by the drought - some young children had died of malnutrition - and many could not afford to buy their own animals for Eid. Like elsewhere in the world, they have also been hit by price increases for basic necessities, and unemployment. But he said that as is traditional at this time of the year, some animals are sponsored so the meat can be shared in the community. "Meat is shared amongst the poor and the Muslim community. Even if there is no meat we thank Allah, poor or not," the imam said. Men use ropes to immobilise a zebu in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar During my visit I had to leave after witnessing the sacrifice of two zebu. The imam said the rest of the day would be filled with visits to friends and relatives. "Sometimes we organise Quran competitions for the young people," he added. Food is a huge part of the day and common Malagasy dishes include rice mixed with meat and vegetables, various bread and sweet dishes called "godrogodro" - a coconut vanilla spice cake. Another specialty is the samosa - known locally as a "samboza" - small triangular pastries filled with beef or vegetables. A woman prepares Malagasy Samboza, small triangular pastries filled with beef or vegetables More galleries by Shiraaz Mohamed: All photographs subject to copyright As one of the Capitol Police officers who defended the United States against the mob on Jan. 6, 2021, I felt it was important for me to be in the committee room on June 28 to hear the former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinsons testimony. Along with three colleagues, I went, even though I knew it would be difficult to relive the horrors I witnessed. Although I experienced the brutal onslaught of the insurrectionists, I was shocked to hear Ms. Hutchinson explain the extent to which President Donald Trump incited the people who almost killed me. I am an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, a U.S. Army veteran and a sergeant who has worked on the force for 16 years, but Ive never witnessed anything like the Jan. 6 attack even in combat in Iraq. I was sure I was going to die that day, trampled by the hordes of Mr. Trumps supporters trying to stop the official transfer of power on his behalf. Ms. Hutchinson, the former aide to Mr. Trumps chief of staff Mark Meadows, testified that her boss said that things could get real bad on Jan. 6 and that Mr. Trump was warned that members of the crowd that had amassed were armed. Of course, I never would have imagined that an American president would not only not come to the aid of law enforcement officers defending the Capitol but encourage that crowd to march on it. Instead of being notified about the danger, my colleagues and I were kept in the dark and thus walked into an ambush. But theres also a need to depoliticize the court and protect it from politics. It now seems unlikely that vacant seats can ever be filled when the White House and the Senate are controlled by opposing parties, raising the possibility of long periods of time in which the court is understaffed. (In case you thought Merrick Garland a one-off, McConnell has already said its highly unlikely hed let Biden fill a Supreme Court seat if Republicans retake the Senate in 2022.) But the commission has an interesting idea for that. If the Senate fails to act on, or otherwise confirm, two Supreme Court nominees in a set amount of time, the deadlock could trigger a new process in which the chief judges of the federal Courts of Appeals would vote on the next nominee. Its not a perfect solution, and details would need to be worked out, but it at least slightly fortifies the process against enduring partisan obstruction. More radical is the idea for a balanced bench. The commission does not discuss this idea at any length, save mostly to criticize it, but I think its worth considering. The balanced bench is a proposal by Daniel Epps and Ganesh Sitaraman, both law professors, to divvy up Supreme Court seats in a new way: Both parties would get five justices, and then those 10 justices would be called upon to unanimously or near-unanimously agree on another five justices. The merits of the balanced bench proposal are perfectly, if accidentally, encapsulated in the commissions critique of the idea: An explicit requirement that Justices be affiliated with particular parties would constrain the pool of potential nominees and reinforce the notion that Justices are partisan actors. Even if we accept the fact that the Justices judgments have political implications and ideological motivations, this close identification of Justices with political party could undermine the perception of judicial independence, which is important to the acceptance of and compliance with the Courts decisions. Yes, it would be a shame to reinforce the accurate perception that Supreme Court nominees, chosen by political parties, extensively vetted for ideological reliability, might be, on some level, partisan actors. The second sentence there is yet more extraordinary: Even if it is true that the justices have ideological motivations, we must act like it isnt true, because an accurate understanding of the judiciary might undermine acceptance of and compliance with its decisions. This is an argument for denial, when what we require is a reckoning. To be fair to the commission, denying the central role that parties play in our political system is an honored tradition. America is now, and always has been, ambivalent about its political parties. The founders didnt plan for them, even though they went on to create them. George Washingtons farewell address is famous for its attack on parties, even as it is, in reality, an intervention on behalf of the nascent Federalists. Today, record numbers of Americans identify as independent, even as they are more predictably partisan in their voting behavior than at any time in American history. A central question in any political system is how to balance power so all sides have an interest in the systems continued success. The problem in our system is that we are balancing the power of places rather than parties. The framers believed the politics of states would structure our politics. Many considerations seem to place it beyond doubt that the first and most natural attachment of the people will be to the governments of their respective States, wrote James Madison in Federalist No. 46. And so the Senate balances the power of states equally, and the structure of the Electoral College and the House gives rural areas a boost in political representation. Now, we live in a kind of captivity, and captivity, of any sort, is unconscionable to some. So, they fly against it. Over the past year, progressives have demanded action from Democrats, demanded that promises be kept, demanded that more of a fight be waged. But, in the end, this is futile. Whats worse, it often provides ammunition to cruel captors who are waiting for a chance to replace benevolent ones. There are periods on the electoral calendar in which Democratic voters can more forcefully challenge Democratic politicians to stay true to their ideals while doing the least amount of damage to their electoral chances: the primary season when Democrats are choosing among possible Democratic candidates, and in the early days of a presidential term. But once those windows close, the time for complaining ends. One must enter the defense phase. This is all incredibly unsatisfying, and yet it is the reality that voters must accept. We have to dispense with the mythology of elections and come around to the reality of them. That often means swallowing a bitter pill, coming to terms with the fact that our priorities are not always aligned with those of the politicians we chose to represent us. Politicians in a hyper-politicized, two-party system understand that winning and holding their seats is the first order of business. With a position in power or a vote in Congress, they can get things done, even if their accomplishments are limited in scope. But if they lose seats, nothing gets done. In fact, it is very likely that something deeply harmful could happen. In that equation, simply trying to make progress even if the effort is weak has to be sufficient. It is the has to be in that sentence that grates against those of us on the quest for full freedom, political and otherwise. Warning of imminent ecological catastrophe, the Earth Liberation Front became notorious in the late 1990s for setting fire to symbols of ecological destruction, including timber mills, an S.U.V. dealership and a ski resort. The group was widely demonized. Its exploits were condemned by mainstream environmental groups, ridiculed by the media and inspired a furious crackdown from law enforcement. But in 2022 the group is more relevant than ever. These days even Americas mainstream environmental movement has begun to take a more confrontational approach, having previously confined its activities largely to rallies, marches and other lawful forms of protest. Even the staid environmental groups based in Washington have slowly started to embrace more radical tactics. Climate activists are starting to abandon their dogmatic attachment to pacifism, choosing instead to work toward destroying the machines inflicting the damage but will such a radical idea prove effective? Pamela Melroy, NASAs deputy administrator and a former astronaut, said she could hardly contain herself. What I have seen moved me as a scientist, an engineer and a human being, she said. Thomas Zurbuchen, NASAs associate administrator for science missions, compared seeing the pictures to a moment when, as a graduate student analyzing data at 2 a.m., he realized that he had discovered something about the universe that nobody else knew. It was surprisingly emotional, he said, to see nature give up its secrets. Bill Nelson, NASAs administrator, said, Were going to give humanity a new view of the cosmos, and praised the telescope as a good example of what government can do. Webb is the largest space telescope ever launched. Its mission is to explore the earliest days of the universe, when galaxies and stars were just congealing out of the fog of the Big Bang, reaching farther into time and space than the Hubble Space Telescope can. Just as the Hubble defined astronomy during the past 30 years, NASA expects that the Webb will define astronomy for a new generation of astronomers, who have been eagerly awaiting their own rendezvous with the cosmos. Mr. Bannon is willing to, and indeed prefers, to testify at your public hearing, Robert J. Costello, Mr. Bannons lawyer, wrote to Representative Bennie Thompson, Democrat of Mississippi and the chairman of the committee. Mr. Costello said that Mr. Bannons decision to comply with the committees subpoena came after he was cleared to testify by Mr. Trump. He provided the panel with a letter that Mr. Trump sent to Mr. Bannon on Saturday that waived any claim to executive privilege over his testimony or producing documents comply with the subpoena. Our position about the committee remains unchanged, but President Trump wants Mr. Bannon to tell the committee the truth, Mr. Costello said on Sunday. He said Mr. Bannon planned to supply the committee with documents as well as testimony. The committee has yet to respond to Mr. Bannon but members said any interview with him would take place behind closed doors. The committee and the Justice Department have long maintained that Mr. Trump has no valid claim of executive privilege over Mr. Bannons testimony, in part because Mr. Bannon left the White House in 2017 and was a private citizen when he was involved in Mr. Trumps efforts to hold on to power after the 2020 election. When you first received the subpoena to testify and provide documents, I invoked executive privilege, Mr. Trump wrote in his letter to Mr. Bannon on Saturday. However, I watched how unfairly you and others have been treated, having to spend vast amounts of money on legal fees and all of the trauma you must be going through for the love of your country and out of respect for the office of the president. By luck of the draw, Ms. Hutchinsons internship was in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs where, unlike the coffee-fetching and tour-guiding requirements of a Capitol Hill internship, enrollees are expected to take notes at high-level meetings and to interact with senior staff members and House members. Former Trump White House officials said Ms. Hutchinson distinguished herself from the other interns as a hard worker with a good attitude. On graduation she landed a permanent job as the junior-most staff assistant on the House side of the Trump presidencys legislative affairs operation, at a salary of $43,600. She kind of came in and took the place by storm, said a former White House official, who like others who spoke highly of Ms. Hutchinson and asked for anonymity to avoid the public wrath of Mr. Trump and his allies. Just an incredibly smart and driven person. She was the sort of person who worked so hard, I often had to tell her to slow down so that she wouldnt burn out. During the first impeachment of Mr. Trump in 2019, Ms. Hutchinson was among the handful of legislative affairs staff members tasked with shoring up support among disgruntled House Republicans for the embattled president. In the end, not one of them defected, a triumph that reflected well on every White House staff member involved, including Ms. Hutchinson. Some colleagues found it presumptuous that the young assistant so quickly came to refer to House members by their first names. But others could see that it worked: Ms. Hutchinson, they said, developed exceptionally strong contacts with representatives during her first year on the job. Trust me, nobody ever sat down and said, Hey, Cassidy, youre being too chummy with the members, recalled another colleague who asked for anonymity out of fear of inciting Mr. Trump. You can be one of those assistants whos rarely on the Hill. Or you could be like Cassidy, who took every advantage to help her get a better job in the future. Israeli defense ministry officials were open to this arrangement. But following heavy pressure from the Israeli intelligence community, it balked at another request: that the Israeli government allow NSO to share the computer source code for Pegasus which allows it to exploit the vulnerabilities in the phones it targets with the Five Eyes countries. They also did not agree, at least not in the first phase, to allow L3s cyber experts to come to Israel and join NSOs development teams at the companys headquarters north of Tel Aviv. Representatives of the defense ministry also insisted that Israel retain its authority to grant export licenses for NSOs products, but said they were willing to negotiate over which countries received the spyware. Over the course of the discussions, there were numerous issues that would have required the approval of the United States government. L3Harris representatives said that they had discussed the issues with American officials, who had agreed in principle, according to the people familiar with the discussions. To help negotiate the sale of NSO, L3Harris hired an influential lawyer in Israel with deep ties to Israels defense establishment. The lawyer, Daniel Reisner, is the former head of the International Law Department at the Israeli Military Prosecutors Office and acted as a special adviser on the Middle East peace process to former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In the months since the Biden administration announced the blacklist in November, and as the Israeli government pressed for a way to keep NSO from going under, the Commerce Department in Washington sent a list of questions to NSO and another Israeli hacking firm that had been blacklisted at the same time, about how the spyware works, who it targets and whether the company has any control over how its nation-state clients deploy the hacking tools. The list, reviewed by The Times, asked whether NSO maintained positive control over its products and whether Americans overseas were protected from having NSOs products deployed against them. The gunman first entered room 112, which was connected to Mr. Reyess classroom through another door. He shot indiscriminately, the police said, fatally wounding two teachers, Irma Garcia and Eva Mireles, and several of their students. Mr. Reyes turned to his students. All right, weve already practiced this. Get under the desks, OK? Just close your eyes and act like you are asleep, he remembered saying. I didnt want them to see anything. Mr. Reyes does not remember if the gunman entered through the door that connected the two rooms or if he stepped back into the hallway. But the next thing he recalls is seeing a ghostly figure wearing a black hoodie over his head and what looked like a black medical mask that obscured half of his face. I just see this shadow and his eyes, he said. Then came two sparks from a rifle, aimed at him. He shot me first, he said. The impact sent a burning shock through his left arm that felt like hot lava, he said. A large chunk of his forearm was missing. The gunman quickly turned his rifle on the students, unleashing a rain of fire that was so fast and merciless that it was over almost as soon as it began and there was nothing but silence in the room. They were probably instantly killed, Mr. Reyes said, though he said some of them might have died during the long wait. Maybe, he said, they were silent because they were in shock. The first police officers arrived outside the classroom door about three minutes after the gunman entered the school, according to a preliminary timeline. After the initial attack, Mr. Reyes said, he could hear them talking to one another in the hallway just outside. An endangered gem of lush greenery in Abidjan, Ivory Coasts economic hub, is at the center of government efforts to promote ecotourism. Those who live and work there worry about what it means for them. July 10, 2022 ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast The clangs of the mens chisels and hammers were deafening as they dismantled a rusty truck, the din only fading as it reached the dense forest encircling them. The mechanics were working in the biggest junkyard in Ivory Coast, where the skeletons of thousands of disused vans, buses and taxis spread out endlessly and engine oil soaked into the muddy soil. But they were also working inside the confines of Banco National Park, one of the worlds last primary rainforests to survive within a major metropolis. The park is an endangered gem of lush greenery in the busy economic hub of Abidjan, an oasis that the Ivorian authorities are trying to revitalize, despite all of the environmental threats it faces. Paul Kagame hosted Commonwealth leaders last month Rwanda's leader, who has been in power for two decades, has said he would consider remaining in office for another 20 years. Paul Kagame told a French TV channel he would stand for president again at the next election in 2024. In 2015 the constitution was changed, allowing him to stay until 2034. In the last presidential election five years ago, official figures showed he won 99% of the vote, which many outside the country dismissed as a sham. Asked if he would seek re-election, Mr Kagame, who is 64, said: "I would consider running for another 20 years. I have no problem with that. Elections are about people choosing." Human Rights Watch's Central Africa Director Lewis Mudge told the BBC "what comes as a surprise is that some people are indeed surprised." "Rwanda is a country where it's very, very dangerous to oppose the government, let alone to be a political opponent... and this authoritarian system is going to be the system for the foreseeable future," he said. One prominent Rwandan critic has even stronger words. "If he continues for another 20 years Rwanda will be real hell," Charles Kambanda, a lawyer and university lecturer now based in the US, tells the BBC. Mr Kambanda says Rwandans already live in a climate of fear, and alleges that more than one minister has told him that they remain in government because they fear being assassinated if they leave. President Kagame however has fiercely defended Rwanda's record on human rights, most recently at a Commonwealth summit in the capital Kigali in June. Months earlier, in April, the UK announced controversial plans to send some asylum seekers who reach its shores to Rwanda for processing and potential asylum there instead. That was condemned by the UN who likened it to "trading commodities", but the British prime minister's office has vowed to press ahead with the policy despite Boris Johnson's departure. Mr Kagame himself came to power in 1994 after his rebel forces helped end the genocide. Story continues Since then he has positioned himself as a champion of development, but his critics say he maintains a tight grip over what is an authoritarian regime. You may also be interested in: JOHANNESBURG At least 21 people were killed over the weekend as gunmen opened fire on three taverns in South Africa, in what the police described as random shootings. Early Sunday morning in Soweto, in Johannesburg, a group of men armed with rifles and automatic handguns stormed a busy tavern in the Nomzamo shantytown, in the citys Orlando East neighborhood, said Col. Dimakatso Sello, a spokeswoman for the police. The men opened fire around half an hour after midnight in what appeared to be a random shooting, Colonel Sello said, killing 12 people on the scene and injuring 23. Three more people later died at a hospital, the police said. They said that those killed were between the ages of 19 and 35. On Sunday, they said they were investigating whether he had attended an earlier Abe speech, in Nara on Friday. Video from that rally shows a man who looks like Mr. Yamagami standing behind the former prime minister. Abes security was flawed, the police have acknowledged. Mr. Abe, one of Japans most prominent figures, was shot at close range, in daylight, by a gunman who walked past security guards unobstructed. Only after firing a second shot was the assailant tackled and subdued. Many people, in Japan and beyond, have asked how that could be possible. Tomoaki Onizuka, the head of the Nara prefectural police, said on Saturday that it was undeniable that there were problems in the security provided for Mr. Abe. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka Hundreds of people walk around a makeshift protest camp erected outside the presidential mansion, the morning after it was stormed by largely peaceful protesters. Some people wave Sri Lankan flags, others hold childrens hands. They greet each other with smiles. The ebullient mood makes it feel like a national holiday. What did we do when they didnt give us fuel? a man shouts through a bullhorn, We walked to Colombo, didnt we? Sri Lanka needs $6 billion through the end of the year to buy fuel and other essential goods to stabilize its crumbling economy. The question is where that money will come from. One of its most steadfast patrons, India, has already provided $4 billion in credit and loans, which Sri Lanka has burned through in recent months. In meetings held in Colombo, Indian officials have expressed willingness to keep supporting the country. But its unclear just how much more India will do. The situation has grown so desperate that Sri Lanka has asked President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for a credit line to buy fuel. Government delegations were even dispatched abroad to meet with anyone who might be able to help, including charities in Qatar. Canadas government said it would permit the return of a turbine to Germany thats needed to operate a key Russian pipeline, a step intended to help Berlin ease a natural-gas shortage that has sent prices soaring but one that was taken over the objections of Ukraine. The turbine had been sent to Canada for repairs, but its return had been held up by sanctions against Russia. Russia last month slashed natural gas flows through the pipeline, Nord Stream 1, which connects Germanys northern coast with Russian gas fields, saying Canada had not returned the turbine in due time. Siemens Energy, the Munich-based maker of the turbine, largely confirmed a statement from Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, that the turbine was essential to providing the amount of gas normally sent to Germany. Mostly, of course, it is a way of earning money, said Sergei Krivenko, director of the Russian human rights organization Citizen Army Law. Many, especially older volunteers, have substantial debts, he and others said. A May law scrapped the age limit of 40 for contract soldiers. Such piecemeal efforts sustain the war, but do not address the fundamental manpower deficit, analysts said. While Ukraine faces similar problems, what it lacks in professional soldiers it compensates for in enthusiastic volunteers, they said. The online Russian ads avoid mentioning Ukraine, and the short-term offers, often three months, are meant to play down the risks of never coming home. It may be that it is necessary to get them into the army, and when they are already in the army, figure out what to do, said Mr. Galeev. The high death toll among soldiers from poorer republics populated by ethnic minorities, like Dagestan in the Caucasus and Buryatia in southern Siberia, indicate that they fill the front ranks in disproportionate numbers. Statistics, compiled by MediaZona, an independent news outlet, from public sources, show 225 dead in Dagestan through June, along with 185 in Buryatia, compared to nine from Moscow and 30 from St. Petersburg. Minority conscripts in particular are pressured to sign contracts. They tell them that if they return to their hometown, they will not find any job, so it is better to stay in the army to earn money, said Vladimir Budaev, a spokesman for the Free Buryatia Foundation, an antiwar group abroad for the Buryats, an Indigenous minority. Follow the latest news on Bidens trip to Israel and the Middle East JERUSALEM When President Biden arrives in the Middle East this week, on his first visit as American head of state, he will find a region where alliances, priorities and relations with the United States have shifted significantly since his last official trip, six years ago. His visit opens in Israel and the occupied West Bank, once at the center of American policy in the Middle East, and is expected to focus on Israels fast-strengthening ties with Arab countries and an emerging Arab-Israeli military partnership to combat threats from Iran. He ends the trip in Saudi Arabia, the Persian Gulf state that the West wants to pump out more oil as a salve to a growing global energy crisis set off by the war in Ukraine. When Mr. Biden last visited Israel in 2016 as vice president, the country had diplomatic ties with just two Arab states, Egypt and Jordan. But now, it is increasingly embedded within the diplomatic ecosystem of the Middle East after several landmark deals brokered by the Trump administration that normalized relations between Israel and three other Arab states: Bahrain, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates. In response, Mr. Wickremesinghe declared a state of emergency and asked the security forces to retake government buildings. But it was not clear whether the security chiefs were following his orders. There was little sign of efforts to clear the streets or retake the buildings, and the generals made no mention of the acting president or the state of emergency in their televised statement to the nation that followed. Whoever takes charge has to first ensure supplies of fuel, food and medicine for the next six months. The lack of an orderly transition of power has put the country on the brink of a situation of lawlessness and anarchy, warned the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, a supporter of the protest movement. Severe fuel shortages and economic hardship fomented protests. For months, daily life in Sri Lanka has been upended by a fuel shortage. The prices of food and medicine have soared, power cuts have become the norm and public transportation is often shut down to shore up fuel supplies. Protesters had taken to the streets before, but frustration with these conditions, and with the people seen as putting the country in dire financial straits, came to a head with demonstrators pulling off a mostly peaceful takeover of the presidential residence. IT'S almost 20 year ago since the Ballydaly-Tinnycross Sewerage Scheme in Tullamore, sought connection to the town's sewerage network. Now Irish Water have suggested the residents build the infrastructure required for the connection themselves, at an estimated cost of 1million. Dominic Guinan who is the secretary of the group said that, ''following completion, we are obliged to hand over the finished project to Irish Water for free and then pay Irish Water 3,499 per house to be allowed connect to the scheme that we ourselves had built. The maximum grant available per house is 7,650. If any householder in the area did not contribute to the initial cost of the scheme, then they could join the scheme for 3,499, the same as those who paid to build the project.'' There are 45 houses in the scheme and in March 2003 with the support of Offaly County Council the group forged ahead with plans to get connected. An engineer was appointed, a map was drawn up, soil testing took place, and tenders were sought. Up to 6 people expressed an interest in carrying out the work. It was shovel ready. However, after all of that they didn't get approval. Then there was fresh hope when a new private hospital was being built by the Flanagan Group on the N52 just off the Tullamore by-pass. ''There was a tentative agreement with the Flanagan Group that we could hook in with their system and get into the town scheme through that. We have a letter on file from the Flanagan group. We thought this will solve our problems,'' said Dominic. However, the hospital didn't proceed and it was back to square one for the group. John Flanagan Developments Ltd received permission last year to build a nursing home, step down facility, rehabilitation and convalescence unit on the same site. We contacted the company for comment and Joint Managing Director, Dominic Doheny said ''There is an agreement in principal and that agreement still stands.'' However, he said it will depend if it is ''viable and designable.'' Meanwhile Irish Water have said they received a pre-connection enquiry for the proposed sewerage scheme at Ballydaly-Tinnycross and a confirmation of feasibility letter was issued in July 2021 confirming that a connection to the Irish Water foul sewer network was feasible. In a statement they said; ''Irish Water are not the responsible body in relation to the grant of funding for schemes of this nature, this falls under the Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage who approve funding under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme. The Rural Water Section of the Local Authority provides support to schemes wishing to make submissions to the funding programme. Once the proposed scheme receives a grant of funding, Irish Water will work with the scheme and the Local Authority Rural Water Section to facilitate a connection to the Irish Water network.'' Dominic Guinan said Irish Water took over in 2016. ''When Irish Water took over, they decided to take 6 schemes and use them as a template as to how to get this done. I saw the list of schemes that was submitted for the second scheme and ours wasn't on it. We had done everything, but we weren't approved, '' said Dominic. He said they were told they would have to wait for another three years before they could apply again. They did wait, but when they applied they found out that none of the 6 schemes had been completed. Dominic said he was annoyed at a recent report from the Environmental Protection Agency EPA indicating the issues surrounding septic tanks and their potential for pollution. Yet he said Irish Water is doing nothing to solve the problems. ''If these two organisations the EPA and Irish Water worked together and instead of saying the potential for pollution from septic tanks is a huge problem, maybe they should be saying let's look at the problem.'' He said his septic tank has never been inspected. A neighbour believes his septic tank wouldn't pass as it's too close to the house. The neighbour who built his house 45 years ago had no option but to put the septic tank at this location as he was told to build his house well back from the road which gave very little room at the back to allow for the septic tank and there is not enough soakage. ''There are three people I know of that spent over 10,000 putting in a new percolation area and it's still overflowing because there is not enough soakage.'' said Dominic. ''Little wonder then that there are ongoing problems with septic tanks countrywide and our committee believe that all houses in our area will continue to be serviced by their tanks, thus increasing the potential danger of causing pollution, for the foreseeable future. Should any member of our community be brought to court over the inefficiency of their septic tanks, we trust that our efforts to deal with the problems over the past almost 20 years will be a major mitigating factor,'' concluded Dominic. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, over half of septic tanks inspected failed and more than one quarter were a risk to human health or the environment. ''The National Inspection Plan 2022-2026 requires increased enforcement by local authorities to resolve failed systems.'' A report from the EPA said. The nonprofit organization that coordinates economic development efforts in Cayuga County has removed its CEO about two months after hiring him. Cayuga Strategic Solutions recently informed city of Auburn and Cayuga County leaders that Bradly Broadwell, who began in the newly created position of chief executive officer in late April, is no longer with the agency, which oversees both the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce and the Cayuga Economic Development Agency. Both the Auburn Industrial Development Agency and the Cayuga County Industrial Development Agency, which are government entities, contract with CEDA for staffing support. The CEO vacancy comes less than a year after the departure of Tracy Verrier, who served as Cayuga Strategic Solutions executive director for more than four years before taking a position in the private sector in September. That lead to the organization reworking its top leadership job's description and title, and the eventual hiring of Broadwell in the spring. Reached this week by phone, Broadwell said the decision to end of his employment was not his, and that he didn't receive a clear reason for why he was let go. He declined to comment on the matter further. Cayuga Strategic Solutions officials did not return messages for comment. Broadwell brought extensive economic development leadership experience to the role. A native of Oswego County who has owned a seasonal home in northern Cayuga County for 55 years, Broadwell most recently had worked as executive director of the Fulton Community Development Agency, a position he took in his hometown in 2020 after working for the state Department of Labor as a regional training and development director. His previous experience included economic development leadership or consulting work in North Carolina, Maryland and Vermont. He's also worked in the federal government at the U.S. Department of Commerce and overseas in Tokyo, Hong Kong and Mongolia. Cayuga County Legislature Chairman David Gould said he received notification of Broadwell's departure in late June, but was not provided a reason. He said the news surprised him. "He seemed very intelligent," Gould said of Broadwell. "I thought it was going to be a really good fit." Gould said he hopes Cayuga Strategic Solutions provides the county with more information about what happened and what's next. The county is the primary funding source for CEDA, with $375,000 pledged this year out of the county budget. "We do give them a good amount of money, and it's taxpayer money, so we'd like to know something more about what's going on," Gould said. Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert, who is an ex officio member of the CEDA board, said he also received notice of Broadwell's departure, but has not been provided specific details on the reasons for it. Dygert said the staff at CEDA have been doing good work for the city in the absence of permanent leadership, but he does hope the job is filled soon. "I am concerned about capacity," he said. "I have concerns about how long any organization can go without somebody at the helm." Andy Murray noticed evidence of self-harm on Nick Kyrgios body a few years ago. It was the beginning of a long road to recovery that has led him to a Wimbledon final. Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed in Russian rocket attacks since February 24. Still, Vladimir Putin claims his soldiers don't attack civilian targets. The facts show quite the opposite. Canada will return to Germany the repaired turbine of the Russian Nord Stream 1 pipeline, vital for sustaining German gas supply. Ukraine has condemned the move, saying it undermines the sanctions against Russia. Ten people were killed and several injured at a residential building in the Donetsk region, a Ukrainian governor reported. Meanwhile, Canada plans to return a Nord Stream 1 part to Germany. Follow DW for the latest. Polls opened in Japan for an election in the upper house just two days after the former prime minister was shot and killed. Shinzo Abe was shot in the back by a man with a homemade gun, authorities said. 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. The building was struck in Chasiv Yar, about 20 kilometres from Kramatorsk that is expected to be a major target of Russian forces as they advance westwards. Police are investigating reports that a group of men shot randomly at bar goers late at night. "They came in and shot at people who were having fun," said a police commander. The mass shooting also left three critically injured. Police have yet to determine the motive of the assailants but say evidence at the scene suggests it was a group of people who attacked. A Whim and a Prayer Custom Creations is a small business owned and operated by an Auburn-based artist whose work you may have already seen. The origin story is one of hope. Micki Hares has battled with chronic illness since she was very young. Her parents sheltered her from a more typical childhood, as they worried about her getting sick. This meant a lot of alone time to begin honing artistic skills that she pursued throughout her life: sketching, sculpting, sewing and painting, or as she put it, any outlet that I could find. In 2016, health complications kept her from typical employment. She could not physically keep up and was housebound for six months after a surgery. I needed something I could manage. I started (the business) on a whim and prayed it would work. Everything Hares paints is freehand. The first thing she chose to paint was an item found discarded on a curbside. She wanted to paint something bright and bold. People stopped by and asked if she would paint their items, and from there her business grew from word of mouth alone. Hares tries to work with discarded items as much as possible to save unnecessary landfill waste. Her commissions range from painting or reupholstering items that clients already have to requests for specific pieces. She also brings finished pieces to vendor events when time and energy allow. Her favorite commissions are those where she is given the opportunity to exercise artistic freedom and put her own spin on the design. Lately, her most requested pieces have been childrens rocking chairs. Theyre a lot of fun. I actually have pieces that Ive shipped across the country. A few pieces in an Italian restaurant in Arizona, and an Italian restaurant in Florida. Not only does her business help her cope through her chronic illness, but it also helps her with her nine years of sobriety. When alcoholism was her coping mechanism, her creative ideas could not be brought to fruition, but now that she is sober she can bring them to life. Its another tool I can use to handle lifes stress," she said. Hares client list contains hundreds of names with solid, consistent customers who carried her through COVID-19, even without vendor shows. She always accepts custom orders and donated furniture-type pieces to be given new life. If I cant do anything else, at least I can add some joy and color to the world. No matter what challenges you face in life never give up on finding ways to do what you love! she said. You can find Micki Hares on Facebook and Instagram @AWhimAndAPrayerCustomCreations. The Finger Lakes Art Council is also looking forward to seeing everyone at the Summer Festival of the Arts from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at Willard Memorial Chapel. This is an extension of the Auburn Founders Day celebration. In addition to many art vendors selling their creations, there will be pizza fritte and cotton candy by the Cultural Italian American Organization, a chicken barbecue sponsored by the SCAT Van, sewing demonstrations by Sew What, tours of the chapel and a concert by Loren Barrigar. Our next article, out Aug. 7, will be devoted to this festival with more details! President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreed to resign on Saturday. Opposition parties are rushing to replace them with a coalition. Six people were killed and several injured at a residential building in the Donetsk region, a Ukrainian governor reported. Meanwhile, Canada plans to return a Nord Stream 1 part to Germany. Follow DW for the latest. Gunmen have shot dead 15 people and injured nine others in a tavern in the South African township of Soweto, police said. Gunmen opened fire at people in two bars in what appeared to be random shootings, according to the police. President Cyril Ramaphosa called for improving social and economic conditions to stem gun violence. By Ajit Kumar Singh* The rising economic emergency in Sri Lanka has now spiralled into a political catastrophe. At the.. Eurasia Review 11 Jul 2022 Watch VideoA gunman who killed three people when he opened fire in a crowded shopping mall acted alone and apparently selected his.. Newsy 04 Jul 2022 Boris Johnson showed a "careless disregard for national security" in holding a private meeting with an ex-KGB agent in the wake of the Salisbury poisoning, Labour has said. 9to5Mac 08 Jul 2022 Listen to a recap of the top stories of the day from 9to5Mac. 9to5Mac Daily is available on iTunes and Apples Podcasts app,.. Here's the latest for Sunday, July 10: 15 killed in Russian strike in Ukraine, 20 believed trapped; Biden says he's mulling health emergency for abortion access; Portugal battles wildfires amid drought; Life's a beach on the banks of the Paris Seine river. Ukraine reported heavy Russian missile and rocket strikes in the east and south on Saturday. A missile strike on the northeastern city of Kharkiv wounded three civilians, its governor said, though Russias main attacks appeared focused on the eastern industrial region of Donbas. Ukrainian officials reported strikes in both... Westminster has been on a year-long Journey Through the Bible this past year, following selected readings from the Old and New Testaments to experience the breadth (if not the depth) of the biblical stories. We ended with a look at the Epistles, the letters written by Paul and others to the early churches. The Epistles are some of the earliest writings in the New Testament, some of them predating the Gospels and the Book of Acts. They were written to churches and individuals in the years after Jesus left his earthly presence, and the new Christians (as they began to be called) were trying to figure out how to follow Jesus in new ways. They began to gather in communities to live out the example he showed them. As word spread, Christian communities formed in new cities. Almost immediately, the early Christians started to have questions, disagreements and problems. They squabbled, got discouraged and argued among themselves. In some places, they faced persecution. The Apostle Paul, and others, tried to help the early churches by visiting them or writing to them. Their journeys are described in the Book of Acts, and some of their letters are preserved in the books we call the Epistles. They include the letters to the Romans, Philippians, Galatians, Ephesians, Colossians and Corinthians, as well as to some individuals (Timothy, Titus and Philemon). What interested me as I read these letters was how different each one was. Each community was unique, and therefore had its own challenges, strengths, questions and issues. The letters were tailored to specific audiences. Rome, for example, was a highly educated, sophisticated city and a seat of governmental power. Pauls letter to the Romans was a concise, well-reasoned statement written for an audience of educated thinkers, setting down the whole scope of Christian doctrine for sophisticated readers. Corinth, on the other hand, was the sin city of the ancient world. Pauls letters to the Corinthians were written to address, admonish and correct their behavior. In Colossae, cult-like false teachings had infiltrated the church, and Paul reminded the Colossians that Christ is enough. The Galatians were too concerned with legalism, and Paul wrote them an angry letter putting the Mosaic Law in a new perspective. Reading these letters made me wonder what Pauls Epistles would be like if written to churches today. Two-thousand years later, there are Christian churches everywhere, all striving to follow Christs teachings (or claiming to) and yet arriving at surprisingly (and often disturbingly) different conclusions. And it will be no surprise to anyone who has ever been a part of a church community that Christians still argue and disagree with each other, and often misinterpret or misapply Jesus teachings. Just like the early Christians, were still trying to figure out how to follow Jesus. If Paul were to write a letter to my church, what would it say? I think hed encourage us, like he did the Galatians, to not let ourselves get weary. (Would he use the term burnout instead of weary?). Hed remind us to do good to all people, with emphasis on the all. Id like to think that hed write an upbeat letter to us, like he did to the Philippians, telling us to rejoice in our faith. But maybe his letter would be angry, like the one he wrote to the people of Corinth, telling us to straighten up and fly right. I think Paul would recognize that we face lots of challenges in our society that affect how we should respond as people of faith. Just as the early churches struggled to understand how to follow Christ in their communities, so must we apply Jesus example to the very real issues we face. How should a Christian respond to gun violence, racism and poverty? How does our faith inform our decisions about voting or public service? How do we interact lovingly with people who are different than we are, or who believe things we find wrong or abhorrent? How do we speak the truth in love? How do we even know what the truth is? The epistles were written to early Christians trying to figure out what it meant to follow Christ in their own place and time. They often got it wrong, but they kept trying. I find it comforting that these early communities werent all that different than we are today. With Gods help, we keep trying too. Judging by what is left of the children's playground at the cultural centre in Druzhkivka, the Russian army still has plenty of artillery left for its campaign to seize Ukraine's eastern Donbas region.The town was rudely awoken... 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,... Two weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Russian forces assaulted a nursing home in the eastern region of Luhansk. Dozens of elderly and disabled patients, many of them bedridden, were trapped inside without water or electricity.The... Pentagon officials report Biden administration will send another $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine despite a US recession and the losses of Volodymyr Zelensky in the Donbass. A mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township has killed 14 people and left three others in critical condition, according to police. At least 15 people were killed and two dozen more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday as rescuers picked through the rubble. Sri Lankan women tell the BBC of their hopes that the protests will have a positive impact on people's lives. euronews (in English) 10 Jul 2022 President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has said he will stand down on Wednesday but demonstrators say they are determined not to leave his.. AUBURN Gwen Webber-McLeod questioned the motives of opponents of abortion and reproductive rights. "Young women, this is not only an attempt to deny you what you do with your body. This isn't about babies. This is about power and control, period," she said, to the cheers and claps of the crowd. Webber-McLeod, president and CEO of Auburn-based business Gwen Inc., was one of multiple speakers at a reproductive rights rally at the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center Saturday. Many speakers emphasized that they feel abortion is health care, asked people to vote in upcoming elections and referenced the U.S Supreme Court overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade decision late last month. That 1973 ruling gave Americans a constitutional right to abortion services, and its revocation is expected to lead to about half the states banning or limiting abortion. Several people at the event wielded signs or wore shirts referencing the court's recent decision or abortion and reproductive rights in general. The gathering was organized by longtime women's health care organizer Meghon Roberts and registered nurse Alana Stillman. All of the money raised at the rally was set to go to the Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York. At the beginning of her remarks, Webber-McLeod mentioned that she and fellow Auburn businesswomen would picket in front of the Auburn Fire Department and Auburn Police Department in the 1980s to argue for equal access to civil service jobs. "The fact that we still have to stand here and now we're talking about access to reproductive health for women is disgusting to me," Webber-McLeod said. She also asked that people be aware of anti-abortion efforts in Cayuga County, adding that some local politicians "support national efforts to deny me, my daughter, every woman I know, every girl I know, a right to decide what to do with my body. I refuse to stand around. "So I'm saying that if this issue really matters to you, it's important that you showed up at this event, but don't stop here. Watch your county legislators, watch your state politicians, watch your national politicians and let them know you will not be silent," Webber-McLeod continued. Before the event began, people talked among themselves and went to the nearby booths. Friends Kristina Stephens, David Brill, Michayla Fredette and Emma Jarvis wore shirts that bore words such as "ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE," "NOT YOUR CHOICE NOT YOUR PROPERTY" and "NO ONE'S CHOICE BUT MINE." All four, all from Auburn, said the recent Supreme Court decision prompted them to want to attend the event. They noted that they hadn't known the Auburn community to mobilize for issues such as abortion rights until recently, but added that they were happy with the turnout. Jarvis said she was happy to see people out in Auburn "who are willing to support the cause." "It is just good to be a part of it and see it," Fredette said. "We're in a red area, you see (former U.S. President Donald) Trumps signs, everything, all of the time, you don't really see pro-women anything ever, so it's really nice to be a part of this and to stand for something." One of the speakers, Hillary Warner, manager of outreach and education programs for the Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, said "personal medical decisions about your sexual and reproductive health that affect your wellbeing and future should be made by you and only you," which garnered massive applause from attendees. She noted that abortion currently remains legal in New York but 26 states "are certain or likely to ban abortion" affecting women and trans and non-binary people who can become pregnant. She mentioned resources such as Planned Parenthood and abortionfinder.org, a website where people can search for verified abortion providers. Nada Odeh, co-founder of Women's March Syracuse, spoke about her experiences as a woman who immigrated to the United States from Syria in 2013, saying the Middle East views America as "where your freedom is, where you can express your voice." She expressed frustration with having to fight for women's rights and abortion rights in the United States, and talked about the importance of channeling one's anger. "We're angry right now, but our anger is just like bubbles in the air if we do not make it into action," Odeh said. "Abortion rights is health care." After all the speakers talked, attendees marched through the downtown Auburn streets before coming back to the center. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate MEXICO CITY (AP) Former Mexican President Luis Echeverria, who tried to cast himself as a progressive world leader but was blamed for some of Mexicos worst political killings of the 20th century, has died at the age of 100. Current President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador confirmed the death Saturday on his Twitter account and sent condolences to Echeverrias family and friends in the name of the government of Mexico, but did not express any personal sadness about the death. Lopez Obrador did not provide a cause of death for Echeverria, who governed Mexico from 1970 to 1976. He had been hospitalized for pulmonary problems in 2018 and also had neurological difficulties in recent years. Echeverria positioned himself as a left-leaning maverick allied with Third World causes during his presidency, but his role in the notorious massacres of leftist students in 1968 and 1971 made him hated by Mexican leftists, who for for decades tried unsuccessfully to have him put on trial. In 2004, he became the first former Mexican head of state formally accused of criminal wrongdoing. Prosecutors linked Echeverria to the countrys so-called dirty war in which hundreds of leftist activists and members of fringe guerrilla groups were imprisoned, killed, or simply disappeared without a trace. Special prosecutor Ignacio Carrillo asked a judge to issue an arrest warrant against Echeverria on genocide charges in the two student massacres, the first of which occurred when served as interior secretary, overseeing domestic security affairs. On Oct. 2 1968, a few weeks before the Summer Olympics in Mexico City, government sharpshooters opened fire on student protesters in the Tlatelolco plaza, followed by soldiers posted there. Estimates of the dead have ranged from 25 to more than 300. Echeverria had denied any participation in the attacks. According to military reports, at least 360 government snipers were placed on buildings surrounding the protesters. In June 1971, during Echeverria's own term as president, students set out from a teachers college just west of the city center for one of the first large-scale protests since the Tlatelolco massacre. They didnt get more than a few blocks before they were set upon by plainclothes thugs who were actually government agents known as the Halcones, or Falcons. Prosecutors say that group that participated in the beating or shooting deaths of 12 people. That attack was depicted in the Oscar-winning 2018 movie Roma, in which two characters stumble across the violence, which turns out to involve one of their boyfriends as a member of the Halcones. In 2005, a judge ruled Echeverria could not be tried on genocide charges stemming from the 1971 killings, saying that while Echeverria may have been responsible for homicide, the statute of limitations for that crime expired in 1985. In March 2009, a federal court upheld a lower courts ruling that Echeverria did not have to face genocide charges for his alleged involvement in the 1968 student massacre, and ordered his release, though opponents noted the case against him was never closed. Echeverria never spent a day in jail, though he was under a form of house arrest for some time. While few people in Mexico mourned the passing of Echeverria, Felix Hernandez Gamundi a 1968 student movement leader who was in Tlatelolco plaza on the day of the massacre, and who saw his friends gunned down mourned what might have been. The death of ex-President Luis Echeverria is regrettable because it occurred in total silence, because despite his his very long life, Luis Echeverria never decided to come clean about his actions," Hernandez Gamundi said. Of course we don't mourn his death," he said. "We mourn the opacity he displayed his entire life and his decision never to make an accounting, to always take advantage of his immense political and economic power that he enjoyed for the rest of his life. ."He delayed for a long time the inevitable process of democracy that began in 1968," Hernandez Gamundi said, referring to the fact that the massacre became a catalyst for activists trying to end a system of one-party presidential rule. October 2 marked the beginning of the end of the old regime, but it took many years afterward. Echeverria's death came at a time that his Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI which ruled Mexico with an iron hand for seven decades, before losing power for the first time in the elections of 2000 is losing what little power it still had, discredited and riven by internal scandals and disputes. Things could have been different, he said. The PRI had a lot of opportunities to put things right and make an accounting. Born on Jan. 17, 1922, in Mexico City, Echeverria received a law degree from Mexicos Autonomous National University in 1945. Shortly afterward, he began his political career with PRI. He later held posts in the navy and Education Department, advanced to chief administrative officer of the PRI and organized the presidential campaign of Adolfo Lopez Mateos, who was Mexicos leader from 1958-64. In 1964, under then-President Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, Echeverria was rewarded with the key position of interior secretary, overseeing domestic security. He held that position in 1968, when the government cracked down on student pro-democracy protests, apparently worried they would embarrass Mexico as the host of the Olympics that year. Echeverria left the interior post in November 1969, when he became the PRIs presidential candidate. He won that race, and was sworn in on Dec. 1, 1970, and supported the governments of Cubas Fidel Castro and leftist Salvador Allende in Chile. After Allende was assassinated in 1973 during a coup led by Gen. Augusto Pinochet, Echeverria opened Mexicos borders to Chileans fleeing Pinochets dictatorship. Domestically, Echeverria presided over boom times in Mexico in the 1970s linked to a bonanza in oil prices and oil discoveries. He vastly expanded the number of government-owned industries, a policy his successors later had to reverse because his ambitious public spending and building programs left Mexico deeply mired in debt. Seeking to shed his repressive image, Echeverria wore the loose, open-necked tropical shirt known as the guayabera and he later pardoned many of the student leaders jailed during the crackdown on protests in 1968. He actively sought to recruit intellectuals with government jobs and money. Echeverria traveled the world promoting himself as a leader of the third world and friend of leftist causes. But within Mexico, he couldn't shake his reputation for cracking down on dissent. According to Carrillo, the prosecutor who tried to charge him, Echeverria was the master of illusion, the magician of deceit. Juan Velasquez, the lawyer who defended Echeverria, said the ex-president died at one of his homes, but did not specify a cause. I told Luis that even though nobody not him, not me, not his family wanted him to go on trial, in the end it was the best thing that could have happened, because the charges were dropped, Velasquez said. In his later years, Echeverria tried to project himself as an elder statesman, and a few times when his health permitted held forth unrepentantly before journalists. But he mainly lived in reclusive retirement at his sprawling home in an upscale Mexico City neighborhood. JERUSALEM (AP) The leaders of two parties in Israel's outgoing government coalition announced Sunday that they would run as political partners in the upcoming parliamentary elections. The announcement by Gideon Saar and Benny Gantz was the first shift in Israel's political landscape since the Knesset voted to dissolve itself June 30 and send the country back to the polls to elect a new parliament. Israel will hold its fifth elections in under four years in November after the government headed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett collapsed last month. The previous four elections were largely referendums on longtime leader Benjamin Netanyahu's fitness to serve as prime minister while under indictment for corruption. Gantz, a former army chief of staff, heads the centrist Blue and White party and serves as Israel's defense minister. Saar is a former member of the once-dominant Likud party who broke ranks and formed his hawkish New Hope party. He is currently justice minister. Both were key members of the alliance of eight diverse parties that joined forces last year to oust Netanyahu after 12 years in office. Gantz said that the two parties were joining forces in order to provide voters with a strong centrist option to help end the countrys protracted political crisis. Today, we are laying the foundation of the next government, he said. Saar said the aim was to break the political deadlock and form a broad national unity government that is not dependent upon the fringes. He said that Gantz was best suited to lead as prime minister. BEIRUT (AP) A Saudi opposition party said Sunday that one of its founding members was killed in the Lebanese capital, Beirut. The National Assembly Party, whose members live in exile, said that founding member Manea Al-Yami was slain in complicated circumstances. Upon the news of the assassination, the party has been trying to verify its details and motives, the statement said. The party also holds the Saudi authorities responsible for exposing the people of this country to danger, forcing them to live in exile, and reside in unsafe environments because of their political beliefs or their demands for human rights. The Lebanese Internal Security Forces issued a statement saying that Al-Yamis two brothers stabbed him to death in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Saturday evening. The two brothers are in custody and admitted they murdered Al-Yami due to family reasons, the statement said. Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Lebanon Waleed Bukhari issued a brief statement on the killing, saying in a tweet that he highly appreciated the efforts of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces in uncovering the facts and bringing the perpetrators to justice for the murder of a Saudi citizen killed in Beiruts southern suburbs. Al-Yami's death was not reported by the Saudi Press Agency. His party was established in September 2020 and is headquartered in London. It is critical of Saudi Arabias King Salman and the Al-Saud royal family and calls for an elected parliament in Saudi Arabia. Yahya Assiri, another founding member based in London, told The Associated Press that Al-Yami was generally worried about being harmed, but he wouldnt specify from who." His activism was done in an undisclosed manner, and (he) was a core member of the party, Assiri added. Ties between Lebanon and Gulf states have strained in recent years over Hezbollahs growing political power in the country. Gulf states have especially been critical of opposition groups holding events in Dahiyeh, a political stronghold of Iran-backed Hezbollah, which Gulf states consider a terrorist organization. Lebanons interior minister in December ordered the deportation of members of outlawed Bahraini opposition party Al-Wefaq, after it held a conference criticizing the kingdoms human rights record. In January, Hezbollah hosted a conference for Saudi opposition figures on the anniversary of the death of influential Saudi Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr. He was one of 47 people who died in a mass execution by Saudi authorities in January 2016. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels were also present at the conference. Photo: (Photo : Mr Worker/Pixabay) The family of Lex Munneke-Corbett, a 4-year-old boy from London, is preparing to fly to Central Ohio Sunday, July 17, 2022, so that he can get started on his treatment for an extremely rare disease. Lex has been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy with respiratory distress type 1 or SMARD1, per ABC 6. Globally, fewer than 100 cases are on record for this condition, which is characterized by several indicators like respiratory and orthopedic abnormalities, gastrointestinal issues and neuromuscular problems. His parents were told of the diagnosis when Lex was 14 months old when he suddenly stopped breathing while his mother was tending to him. A series of heart attacks and strokes followed as a result of a faulty gene in Lex's DNA but the toddler was revived and saved each time. Parents Jacob Munneke and Jennifer Corbett, who both work as British neuroscientists, went back and forth to a London hospital with their son for the next eight months. They were told of a grim future, where doctors projected that Lex would not live past the age of 2 years old. But the parents later learned that their son's condition could only be treated at the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where a new drug application or gene therapy for patients with SMARD1 was on trial. As scientists, the parents were aware of the drug's promise and have been hoping that Lex could be part of the study. The drug is a one-off but the trial will have to be monitored for three years. Read Also: 4-year-old Boy Survives Two Days Alone in the Remote Montana Wilderness The desperate need to fly to Ohio The family then opened a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Lex's angel flight to the U.S. The parents said they needed extra funding to sustain their son's medical needs until the insurance can take over. They also had to secure jobs that will help with their new but challenging life in another country. Jacob and Jennifer have signed contracts to become professors at the Ohio State University beginning in August 2022 but they also need to find an apartment and buy items for their home. The family is basically starting over so they could be nearer the hospital where Lex's SMARD 1 can be managed. Suffice it to say, the fundraiser was a desperate need knowing that their son's life-saving treatment is "one medical flight away," per Yahoo Life. After more than 280 donations, the Munneke-Corbett family was able to raise over $21,000, which was still short of their goal to reach $280,000. However, by July 4, the family wrote an update on their GoFundMe page that their flight to the U.S. was already paid for, which means that Lex is days away from getting access to the Nationwide Children's Hospital. Lex remains a ball of joy Despite his medical condition and near-death experiences, Jennifer said that her son remains a ball of joy. He loves watching Sesame Street and enjoys listening to songs from Moana. The toddler is also getting used to his speaking valve, which has allowed him to communicate with his parents. Lex's vocal abilities are limited since he had a tracheostomy during the early months of his diagnosis. Though the parents have reached several breaking points, their toddler continues to inspire Jacob and Jennifer to fight for him. They are looking forward to doing the normal stuff with their son, such as eating ice cream, going to the supermarket, or arguing about school snacks. Related Article: Doctors Tell Parents of Two Daughters With Genetic Life-Limiting Disease Only One Could Be Saved 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. One of the many abuses of power and transparency failures of the Gov. Andrew Cuomo administration involved the executive chamber's approach to economic development projects. As part of his notorious demands for control and credit, he made a series of changes to how economic development agencies were structured, what type of independent oversight was in place to flag abuse and corruption, and the visibility of the process to the public. In an election year in which one of her goals should be trying to show her commitment to undoing Cuomo-induced damage, current Gov. Kathy Hochul should not hesitate to sign a couple of bills into law that would reform the state's economic development system. Last week, more than 20 good-government and advocacy groups urged the governor to sign bills passed by the state Assembly and Senate that would increase transparency by opening the meetings of state economic development community advisory groups and restore oversight powers of the Public Authorities Control Group. Among the organizations signing off on a letter to the governor calling for her to sign these bills into law were Reinvent Albany, Citizens Union, Common Cause, League of Women Voters of New York State, New York Public Interest Research Group and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. "We ask that you fulfill your promise to make New York State government transparent by calling for and signing into law as soon as possible and with no chapter amendments the following bills, which will reform the states process for considering and approving economic development projects," they wrote, before explaining the improvements that both bills would bring. "Currently, there are no requirements that information regarding the potential spending of billions in taxpayer dollars is shared proactively with the public at large. This legislation will require that community advisory committee meeting materials are published online, which is a meaningful step forward in increasing transparency of economic development project consideration. ... Additionally, CACs have in the past met privately ... and members have been instructed to treat discussions and materials provided as confidential, even though meeting materials are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). The practice of having a 'gag order' for members of community advisory committees is anti-democratic and runs counter to the presumption of access under our states transparency laws." Regarding the Public Authorities Control Board, they added this: "The move by the former Governor to limit PACB members authority to only consider whether there are sufficient funding commitments for projects is counter to the purposes of the PACB, which was founded in the wake of the Urban Development Corporation (now ESD) crisis of the mid-1970s. Then, as now, it was crucial that an informed board act independently and in the public interest to determine project feasibility." Hopefully the new governor heeds the advice. The Citizen Editorial board includes president and director of local sales and marketing Michelle Bowers, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd. Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, resigned as head of his Conservative Party on Thursday, July 7, 2022, after losing the support of top cabinet ministers. The process of choosing that new leader should begin now, Johnson said on Thursday at the door of Number 10 Downing Street. And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will; until a new leader is in place. Johnson, when thanking his voters said, thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979. And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019, he added. Boris Johnson's announcement has triggered the governing Conservative Party's second leadership contest in three years, with millions wondering who will replace the PM. A new leader is expected to be elected before the party conference in October, but Johnson continues as a caretaker leader until then. Among the names like Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt and Dominic Raab tipped to succeed Boris Johnson, there is also Kwasi Kwarteng, a British with Ghanaian ancestry. Kwasi Kwarteng is the MP for Spelthorne and the Business Secretary. He was one of the Cabinet ministers who told the Prime Minister to stand down during a meeting in No 10. Tweeting after Boris Johnson's announcement, the 47-year-old said, "we now need a new Leader as soon as practicable. Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country, and set out a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families." Kwasi Kwarteng became the Business Secretary on January 8, 2021, as part of a mini-reshuffle and is the second black man to serve in the Cabinet, the first being Paul Boateng. But what do we know about Kwasi Kwarteng. Kwasi Kwarteng on his website, [email protected], describes himself as someone born and raised in London by Ghanaian parents, Alfred K. Kwarteng and Charlotte Boaitey-Kwarteng. He studied Classics and History at Cambridge University, and then attended Harvard University on a Kennedy Scholarship. He completed a PhD in Economic History at Cambridge in 2000. Before becoming a Member of Parliament, Kwasi worked as a financial analyst in the City, and as an author. He was elected as the MP for Spelthorne on 6 May 2010 and was re-elected in 2015, 2017 and 2019. Since being elected, Kwasi has served on the Transport Select Committee, the Work and Pensions Select Committee and as a member of the Public Accounts Committee. Kwarteng has also served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Leader of the House of Lords and the Chancellor of the Exchequer. In 2018 he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Exiting the European Union, and in 2019 he was appointed as Minister of State in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. In January 2021, Kwasi Kwarteng, was appointed as Secretary of State at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. In Spelthorne, the MP has consistently supported local enterprises, and in 2013 he launched the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition to find and support the local entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The competition has successfully taken place every year since, except in 2020 due to the pandemic. Kwasi Kwarteng has written several books and continues to have a keen interest in history, as well as in music and languages. Source: Ghanaweb.com 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. Featured Video The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in the Ashanti Region, has engaged herbal medicine producers in the region on the need to adhere to best practices in order not to endanger the health of consumers of their products. The exercise formed part of efforts by the Authority to sanitise the industry while addressing the danger that their activities posed to public health and safety. Participants were taken through good manufacturing practices, requirements for the registration of herbal products, labeling, advertising as well as the food and drugs laws. The engagement turned out to be an eye-opener for most of the participants who were not even aware of their obligation to register their products. They openly expressed their excitement about what they had learnt and how it would improve their product quality and visibility. They consequently pledged their commitment to adhere to best practices and register their products with the FDA to ensure public safety and enhance the credibility of their products. Mr Isaac Aviah, a Senior Regulatory Officer of the FDA said good manufacturing practices were the totality of all activities and processes that one embarked upon in the production process to ensure that the outcome of the product was safe, efficacious and of good quality. He said good manufacturing practices ensured that products were consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards. He advised the participants to ensure adequate and separate rooms were designated for production activities such as raw materials storage, production, finished product storage, changing room as well as toilet and bath. Production facilities, according to him, must have enough space to allow free movement of workers and production materials. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video The Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Authority (NYA) Pius Enam Hadzide has admonished newly recruited district coordinators and regional directors of the NYA to be disciplined and honest in discharging their duties. According to him at the opening ceremony of a training workshop organized for the new officers at Koforidua, developed countries couldn't have gotten to where they are without these virtues and asked them to emulate the same and citing America's development as an example, he attributed it to these moral virtues. Outlining the mandate of the authority, he said the authority is responsible for coordinating activities related to the youth of this country, developing their potential and equipping them with the requisite skills to make significant contributions to Ghanas development. Finally recounting Act 939 of 2016, he asked them (officers) to inculcate the spirit of patriotism in the youth and also urged young people to take their responsibilities seriously because they would eventually take over leadership in Ghana in future. 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. Featured Video President Akufo-Addo has made a passionate appeal to teachers at the basic and high school levels of education to end their sit-down strike. He believes that would make better room for effective negotiations between the teacher unions and the government over their demand for certain allowances. The teachers began the strike on Monday, July 4, 2022, after their unions said the government has failed to meet their 30 June deadline to pay members between 20% and 30% of their salaries as Cost of Living Allowance (COLA). The four teacher unions that have declared an indefinite strike include the Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana, and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union. But speaking at a Muslim prayer event to mark this years celebration of Eid-ul-Adha at the Independence Square today, the President said I want to add my voice to the appeal by the outstanding Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, the Honourable Ignatius Baffour Awuah, for the teachers to return to the classrooms pending the outcome of these negotiations so that that education of our children, some of whom are preparing to sit their final exams, is not affected. He was hopeful that the ongoing negotiations will yield positive results. I am happy that yesterday, the teachers were joined by other members of organized labour under the umbrella of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to sit down with the government, led by the Ministers for Employment and Labour Relations and Education to begin negotiations on this matter, he noted with appreciation. For now, he said all Ghanaians are going to have to make some sacrifices to afford the nation space to navigate the trouble waters of the current economic difficulties. In the case of government, the President said discretional expenditures of ministries, departments, and agencies have been cut by 30% whilst the salaries of all political appointees including himself, have been reduced by 30%. Meanwhile, fuel coupon allocations to key government officials have also been slashed by 50% and other expenditures suspended. Source: Daily Guide 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. Featured Video A total of 14 remand prisoners at the Sunyani Central Prisons in the Bono Region have been granted bail under the Justice for All Programme (JFAP). The JFAP was initiated by the Chief Justice in collaboration with the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice with POS Foundation as its facilitators to ensure that justice is provided for every citizen, irrespective of ones background, and also to help decongest the prisons. In all, 35 cases were heard by the two mobile courts presided over by Justice Clemence Honyenuga and Justice Emmanuel Yonni Kolendi, both Justices of the Supreme Court. At the end, 14 applicants were granted bail, 16 applications were refused with the applicants urged to make their applications before their respective trial courts. One person was convicted and another was referred for Psychiatric treatment by the court. Three applications were withdrawn and consequently struck out. The accused persons had been in prison custody between 2018 six months and four years for various crimes, including murder, rape, fraud, and illegal possession of drugs. According to the records from the Ghana Prisons Service, the impact of the program has contributed to the reduction of Ghanas remand prisoner population from 33% as at 2007 to 9.5% in 2022. Remarks Justice Clemence Honyenuga, a Supreme Court Judge who also doubles as the Chairman of the Justice for All Programme said the virtual court sitting was adopted due to the outbreak of Covid-19. He said the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons and the Ho Prisons will be the next destination of the programme. Justice Honyenuga also acknowledged the recently passed Plea Bargaining Bill which he said will help decongest the various prisons. COP Nathan Kofi Boakye, the Director-General in charge of Legal and Prosecution said the police service is not unaware of the challenges associated with the prisons and will contribute their quota to support the efforts being made. Justice Emmanuel Yonni Kulendi, a Justice of the Supreme Court while commending the POS Foundation led by Jonathan Osei Owusu, the state attorneys and the team for their respective roles, said We are all potential candidates for prison. While commending the facilitators, Justice Yonni Kolendi entreated them to keep improving on their lm to improve upon activism. Jonathan Osei Owusu, the Executive Director of POS Foundation while expressed his gratitude to the justices and all the team members assured him that his team will ensure they keep improving on their activism. About the JFAP The Justice for All Programme (JFAP) is a State-led intervention, established in 2007 to alleviate prison overcrowding by setting up Mobile In-prison Special Courts to adjudicate remand/Pre-trial prisoner cases throughout the country. This initiative enjoys the collective efforts of the Judicial Service of Ghana, the Office of the Attorney-General, the Ghana Prisons and Police Service, CHRAJ as well as POS Foundation (Civil Society body that serve as facilitators). Article 14(4) of the 1992 Constitution stipulates that a person who is arrested or detained but has not received a trial within a reasonable period of time, is entitled to unconditional release or release subject to conditions necessary for reappearance for judicial proceedings. What constitutes a reasonable time is yet to be properly determined and it is the absence of the codification of this rule that is greatly responsible for the excessive periods in which prisoners in Ghana are held without trial. Congestion has forced prisoners to sleep in very dehumanizing positions in prison cells. It is common for as many as fifty-five (55) inmates to share a cell intended for twelve (12). Source: kasapafmonline.com 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. Featured Video Construction works on an Agenda 111 Hospital Project at Afransi in the Gomoa Central District of the Central Region is progressing speedily to meet the 18-month contract duration. Three contracting firms are currently at the site working earnestly to meet the growing health needs of the people in the Gomoa Central District and beyond. The contractors are China State Haulong construction Ghana Limited, Mark Dons Construction Company Limited and Top Engineering Construction Company Limited. Mr Ebenezer Arthur, foreman of one of the firms who spoke to journalists at the site said the construction works were going on smoothly and speedily as expected due to adequate funds released by the government to meet the deadline. He said footing works of the project were almost completed and would proceed to floor level to enable them to start the actual work to meet the 18 months duration given to them by the government. He said artisans such as masons, carpenters, steel burners, electricians and non-artisans who were mostly women in and around Gomoa Afransi, the district capital of Gomoa Central sell food and other items to enhance economic activities. Speaking to journalists after visiting the site, Mr Benjamin Kojo Otoo, Gomoa Central District Chief Executive (DCE) said when completed, the hospital will employ more nurses and paramedical. The DCE said the hospital will cater for emergency referral cases that hitherto will have gone to Agona Swedru Municipal Government Hospital, Trauma hospital in Winneba and Breman Asikuma hospitals. He said plans have been completed by the Assembly to upgrade Gomoa Aboso and Gomoa Ekwamkrom Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) Compounds to meet the growing populations need to access quality health care delivery. The DCE said the polyclinic at Gomoa Abonyin was almost completed, adding that a medical doctor, nurses, and paramedical staff would be posted to the health facility to enable the people to access quality health care delivery. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video 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] 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. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has announced that his salary and that of all his appointees have been cut by 30%. The 30% cut also affects the expenditure of ministries, governmental agencies and departments. Addressing Muslims at an Eid-Ul-Adha ceremony on Saturday, July 9, 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo indicated that fuel coupon allocations had also been slashed by 50%, as well as, other expenditures suspended due to the current economic challenges. He entreated Ghanaians to sacrifice to help government navigate through the wobbling economy. We are all going to have to make some sacrifices to afford us the space to navigate the troubled waters of the current economic difficulties. The expenditure of ministries, departments, and agencies has been cut by 30 percent. The salaries of all appointees including myself have been reduced by 30 percent. Fuel coupon allocations have been slashed by 50 percent and other expenditures suspended," he stated. He urged Ghanaians to bear with him as he puts in measures to stabilize the economy. It would be recalled that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Friday, July 1, 2022 instructed the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta to commence official engagements with the International Monetary Fund. According to a press statement sighted by GhanaWeb, the IMF support will provide a balance of payment support as part of a broader effort to quicken Ghanas build back in the face of challenges induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, and recently, the Russia-Ukraine crisis. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the same day confirmed that the Government of Ghana had run to them for a financial bailout to stabilize the economy. Announcing this on microblogging site - Twitter - on Friday, July 1, 2022, the IMF said it was poised to assist Ghana to have a homegrown economic programme. "We confirm Ghana officials have been in touch to request IMF support for a homegrown economic program. The Fund stands ready to assist Ghana & looks forward to starting initial discussions in the coming weeks," the IMF stated. Meanwhile, IMF negotiations with Ghana began on Friday, July 6, 2022. Source: ghanaweb.com 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. Featured Video Outspoken Socialite, Valentina Afia Agyeiwaa popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger, has said Reggie Rockstone should respect his legendary status before demanding same from Ghanaians. Afia was contributing as a pundit on UTVs United Showbiz programme on Saturday, on Reggie Rockstone's claim that he receives more respect from Nigerians than from Ghanaians. The 'Originator' of Ghanas hiplife was responding to a question in a recent interview on Hitz FM, whether he felt disrespected about some mistakes made in the latest Afrobeats documentary on Netflix. The only people who disrespected me were my people Ghanaians and the media went along with it. I was popping off in 1993. But according to the Afro Beats Documentary, I started in 1999 which is false, Reggie Rockstone replied. Whiles the Comedienne decried how Ghanaians fail to honour legends in the country, she held the opinion that Reggie brought this backlash on himself after abandoning his legendary status to be in league with the VVIP group. VVIP, formerly known as VIP (Vision In Progress) is a Ghanaian Hiplife music group made up of Zeal, formerly known as Lazzy (Abdul Hamid Ibrahim), Prodigal (Joseph Nana Ofori) and Reggie Rockstone (Reginald Ossei) from Nima a suburb in Accra. To buttress her point, she used the hostess, Nana Ama Mcbrown as an example. "It will be highly demeaning for you Nana Ama Mcbrown to decide all of a sudden that you would want to join the 'Mafia gang'. So is Reggie Rockstone. He lost that 'Grand Papa' title the moment he decided to go and join the VVIP group," she said. The Mafia Gang who oftentimes flaunt their celebrity status on social media, comprises Tracey Boakye, Diamond Appiah and Afia Schwarzenegger. "He should begin to respect his legendary status before he will command that legendary respect from Ghanaians," the outspoken comedienne posited. Watch video below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] 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. Featured Video Comedienne Valentina Afia Agyeiwaa popularly known as Afia Schwarzenegger says she has sued Chairman Wontumi, owner of Movement TV and Lawyer Maurice Ampaw for Ghc 4million. She says she has also filed a separate suit against Lawyer Maurice Ampaw for 4 million Ghana cedis at a High court in Accra. The socialite was first sued by lawyers of the politician after she disclosed that she once had an intimate relationship with their client. She was sued for slander for GHc 2million. The plaintiff (Wontumi) is seeking the aforementioned sum of money as damages, costs, which include legal fees, as well as a permanent restraining order preventing the defendant (Afia) from bringing any more false accusations against him. But speaking in an interview on UTV's United Showbiz programme Saturday, Afia Schwarzenegger disclosed that she has countersued Chairman Wontumi and Maurice Ampaw both separately and jointly on the same matter. Her reason being that Ghanaians needed to be fully abreast with the details of what actually transpired between herself, Chairman Wontumi and Deloris Frimpong Manso popularly known as Delay. Afia Schwarzenegger also dismissed reports that she was running away from being serve with a copy of the suit. "I personally visited the court to pick up a copy of the suit filed against me by Chairman Wontumi . . . " . . . this was when efforts to get them to serve me with a copy of the suit from Chairman Wontumi's lawyers proved futile, so I even instructed my lawyers to go for the suit so that we can enter appearance appropriately. "Apart from that, I have filed a suit against Lawyer Maurice Ampaw for some allegations he has made against me and I know such cases will run concurrently. I am challenging Lawyer Maurice Ampaw to prove the allegations he has made against me and I will make sure that I fight this to the end," she vowed. The socialite was emphatic that she was involved in an intimate relationship with the politician for a period of not less than sixteen months. She further revealed that Chairman Wontumi used to introduce himself as a son-in-law to her mother and also represented her children in their school as their father. Source: Isaac kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected] 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. Featured Video Are you lost in the wild? Sorry, but the page you're looking for has not been found Try checking the URL for errors, goto home or try to search below. Robert Lipkin is the 2022 WSOP Main Event Bubble July 10, 2022 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S. The 2022 World Series of Poker Main Event reached the bubble Sunday morning on Day 3 at 1 a.m. right after Robert Lipkin from Chicago, Illinois busted in 1,301st place following a three-way race-off. Last year's bubble, Kevin Campbell, however, escaped the same disaster he faced at the 2021 WSOP Main Event when he busted with pocket aces. This time around, he'd built up a bigger stack heading into the bubble and has secured his first career cash in poker's most prestigious annual event. "It feels good," Campbell told PokerNews about being on the right side of the bubble this year. Campbell is excitedly moving onto Day 4, which begins at noon PT on Sunday, with a healthy stack of over 500,000. Wild Finish to Day 3 Bally's was buzzing with excitement for over an hour as the bubble approached. During hand-for-hand play and down to 1,302 players, five tables had an all in and call situation, three of which resulted in an elimination. That created a wild scenario in which the WSOP called for a race-off between the three players eliminated, one of whom would be dubbed the official Main Event bubble and receive free entry into the tournament next year. All three players split the $15,000 payout for 1,300th place ($5,000 each). Each player was dealt a hand and the dealer then turned over the board, which was and then Lipkin flipped over for the stone-cold nuts, which obviously couldn't be beat. "I've played in the Main Event like 14 times so far, and I think this is my sixth cash," Lipkin told PokerNews. Lipkin survived one elimination when forced all in from the big blind. On the next hand, he was again all in without an option to fold from the small blind and lost to pocket nines. He received a bit of a consolation upon winning a race-off against two other players. The bubble now has 34 career cashes in bracelet events and over $430,000 in all live tournament cashes, according to Hendon Mob. With the tournament down to 1,299 players, everyone left is guaranteed at least $15,000. For those sitting on small stacks, they'll need to they'll need another 218 players to bust before moving up the pay ladder to $17,000. When the Main Event concludes on July 17, one player will walk away with a $10 million payday. When the bubble burst, six former winners were still in it, including the past two champions: Chris Moneymaker (2003), Greg Merson (2012), Ryan Riess (2013), John Cynn (2018), Damian Salas (2020), and Koray Aldemir (2021). Follow the 2022 WSOP Main Event on PokerNews Sharelines Find out who the 2022 WSOP Main Event bubble is. Aiken, SC (29801) Today A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 73F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. A long-running legal dispute between the State Ports Authority and Charleston environmental and historic preservation groups was recently back on the docket at the S.C. Administrative Law Court but only long enough for the case to be dismissed. The legal wrangling dating back to 2013 was over the SPA's request for a state permit to redevelop an existing warehouse into a new cruise ship terminal at the north end of Union Pier in downtown Charleston. Back then, a judge from the Administrative Law Court said the opposition groups had no standing to interfere in the construction project. Appeals eventually made their way to the S.C. Supreme Court, which in 2020 ruled in favor of the groups and sent the case back to the lower court for another hearing. In the meantime, the value of the real estate at Union Pier skyrocketed. The roughly 74-acre Concord Street site sits along Charleston Harbor between Cumberland and Laurens streets and is considered by some to be one of the most desirable waterfront property in South Carolina. Seeing the opportunity to make more money from a land sale than Carnival's year-round cruising operations, the SPA which owns and operates the Port of Charleston decided in May to abandon its plans for a new terminal. But the legal issues remained. Late last month, Judge Ralph King Anderson wasted no time in dispensing of the matter for good. First, he restored it to the Administrative Law Court's active docket. Then he swiftly dismissed the case. In his ruling, Anderson wrote the court "agrees that there is no longer an active case or controversy between these parties and this contested case proceeding is moot." A similar lawsuit filed in federal court was sent back to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2013 so that agency could review opposition to a permit it was planning to issue. The SPA's decision to withdraw its permit request puts an end to that litigation as well. While plans for a new terminal are now off the table, the SPA will retain and use its existing terminal at Union Pier for pleasure ships making short visits to the Holy City. The maritime agency has hired Los Angeles developer Lowe to prepare the rest of the property for a sale by early 2023. The SPA and Carnival, which has called Charleston a home port since 2010, will part ways when the current contract between the two expires at the end of 2024. Under new ownership The Port of Georgetown has a new owner Georgetown County. Ownership of the 40-acre marine terminal was transferred from the SPA to the county as part of the $14 billion state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1. The one-time budget item was proposed by state Rep. Lee Hewitt, a Georgetown Republican. The port, located about 60 miles northeast of Charleston along the Sampit River, hasn't handled any substantive cargo since 2017, and its harbor hasn't been dredged in more than a decade. The lack of maintenance allowed silt to fill in much of the waterway, leaving a depth of just a few feet at some points far below the 27 feet needed for efficient operations. The breakbulk ships that once brought more than 1 million tons of non-containerized cargo to the historic coastal city's waterfront in its late-1990s heyday can no longer navigate to the docks. County voters approved a sales tax increase in 2014 that would have, in part, gone toward dredging, which is a federal responsibility. But the effort raised far less than the $70 million the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers estimated the project would cost. It's now up to Georgetown officials to come up with a redevelopment plan for the property, which is adjacent to the Liberty Steel Georgetown plant. Hewitt has said he proposed the property transfer because the port is "dragging down the city." The SPA made a little less than $1 million from operations at the Georgetown port last year, mostly from leasing space to companies that store cement and other bulk products on the property. Those leases will also transfer to the county. In exchange for the property, the SPA will keep $3.3 million the General Assembly set aside years ago for port dredging. While that's less than the property's $5 million appraisal, the SPA said the discount is in the public's best interest. Help wanted The Robert Bosch LLC plant in Dorchester County is looking for workers and is offering a $5,000 sign-on bonus for qualified candidates. The factory on Dorchester Road makes brake systems and fuel injectors for powertrain systems. It will hold a virtual hiring event from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily between July 11-15 for those interested in jobs to make their pitch. To be eligible, individuals must have a strong technical aptitude and at least a GED. Interested candidates should reserve a telephone interview in advance at tinyurl.com/3exf7tpx. Palestinians have low expectations for Biden's upcoming visit Xinhua) 15:21, July 10, 2022 Othman Jabarin, a 57-year-old resident of Masafer Yatta area south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, has been living in anxiety for two months, fearing that he and his family will be expelled from where they have been sheltering for decades. In May, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled to approve the Israeli army's recommendation to forcibly transfer residents in eight villages in Masafer Yatta who "failed to prove" they were permanent residents in the area before it was declared a military training zone for the army. In June, the White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden would visit Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank during his trip to the Middle East on July 13-16, and meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. However, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza said they do not have high expectations for the visit and don't think it will end their suffering or find a solution to their cause. Jabarin was one of the Palestinians who showed no interest in Biden's visit. He told Xinhua that Biden's visit to the West Bank and his meeting with Abbas "will not benefit the residents of the eight residential communities in Masafer Yatta who were threatened with displacement, including children and women." "Can Biden stop the Israeli measures against the residents of Masafer Yatta -- the original owners of the land, who inherited it from their parents and grandparents?" Jabarin said, adding that the visit will meet neither the aspirations nor the just demands of the Palestinians. These Palestinians interviewed also said Biden's visit to Palestine is doomed to failure as he hasn't fulfilled the promises he made regarding the two-state solution, reopening the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, and pressuring Israel to stop its unilateral measures. Biden's visit "will not make any difference in the political and living reality of the Palestinian people," Mohammed Abed Rabbo, a 45-year-old Arabic language teacher from northern Gaza, told Xinhua. "The first mission of Biden's visit is to defend Israel's regional and international interests in an attempt to win Israeli public opinion on one hand, and ensure the support of the Zionist lobby in the upcoming elections on the other," he noted. Rabbo was echoed by Hadia Al-Sha'er, a 25-year-old woman from Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, who told Xinhua that "the visit will not benefit the Palestinian people, especially since the Americans always defend Israel's interests." She called on the Palestinians to reject Biden's visit "as it does more harm than good," adding: "Instead of receiving Biden, the Palestinians should move towards ending internal division and restoring national unity to confront the dangers facing the Palestinian question." Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled since March 2014, while Israel stepped up settlement construction, house demolitions, land confiscation, and population displacement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to official figures, 18 Israelis have been killed since March in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, while more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children, had been killed since January. Dalal Yassin, a journalist from the West Bank city of Ramallah, told Xinhua that Biden's visit would not achieve a serious breakthrough that would help the Palestinian people to live in freedom and peace. "Biden had never fulfilled the promises he made during his election campaign," which were made a long time ago "without achieving any tangible steps on the ground," she said. Two days ago, the secretary of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein al-Sheikh, told reporters in Ramallah that "the loss of hope among the Palestinians and the continuation of the daily Israeli field policy of escalation, abuse, killing, settlement, and incursion are unbearable." Al-Sheikh called on the international community "to assume its responsibilities in this situation." However, Al-Sheikh still expressed hope that the outcomes of Biden's first visit to the Palestinian territories since he took office "would be positive and give us hope and enable us to go to a more advanced and positive stage." Enable Ginger Cannot connect to Ginger Check your internet connection or reload the browser Disable in this text field Rephrase Rephrase current sentence Edit in Ginger (Web editor: Kou Jie, Bianji) Carol S. Breed-McCauley died peacefully at home in Flagstaff, AZ, on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at the age of 89. Carol was born on April 21, 1933, to James W. and Ruth Cook Neilson, in New York City, and was adopted later by Eugene Sameth. She spent her childhood in New York and Florida, and attended Emma Willard School. Carol graduated from Smith College (BA '54, Geology) and Brown University (MS '57, Geology). She married Edwin A Carter of Springfield, MA in 1954 and had four daughters. After their divorce in 1963, Carol moved with her daughters to Flagstaff, AZ, where she interned at the Museum of Northern Arizona. There, she met and married William (Bill) J. Breed, Curator of Geology. With Bill, Carol had a fifth daughter. The couple became a significant part of Northern Arizona's scientific community. Carol's family, career and civic life were full of discovery, travel, and community leadership. While raising five daughters, she served the community as Chairman of the Canyonland Association of Girl Scouts of America, increasing local troops' participation in hiking, camping, and other outdoor endeavors. She was a long-time member of the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra Guild. She was a trustee of the Flagstaff School District, and President of the Board of Education, where she co-led the adoption of stronger graduation requirements, the addition of a four-year counseling plan, support for arts education, and upgrading of school facilities. Professionally, Carol worked as an astrogeologist and geomorphologist for the U.S. Geological Survey from 1968 to 1996. She authored or co-authored over 40 scientific publications. As an investigator for the Shuttle Imaging Radar (SIR) missions of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, she worked on pioneering projects using radar imaging to study desert sand seas of the world. Funded by a Smithsonian grant, she studied wind forms in the Western Desert of Egypt, where she traversed the barren region from Cairo to the southwest corner of the country. Carol was the first person to recognize that the SIR-A system was penetrating the sand sheets of Egypt's Western Desert, revealing images of previously unknown, ancient stream beds different from the present Nile River system. Her work with satellite imaging of deserts on Earth contributed to new ways for scientists to interpret and map the geology of Mars using images from NASA's Viking spacecraft. Carol also worked with NASA on the visual observations team, training astronauts for the Apollo 11, US-USSR Apollo-Soyuz, Skylab and Space Shuttle missions. As a delegate of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, she participated in the first field trips by western scientists to the Taklimakan Desert of Western China. Her work took her to many additional fascinating places, including India, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Peru. Carol married fellow geologist John (Jack) McCauley in 1993, and they retired from the USGS in 1986/1996. She and Jack enjoyed fly fishing, their boat at Lake Mead, several cruises, and their winter home in Bonita Springs, Florida. Carol also enjoyed playing bridge and bocce ball with her friends, and taking watercolor classes. She lived her last three years full-time in Flagstaff, with three of her daughters as local companions and neighbors. She gave generously to numerous charities. Carol is survived by her sister, Barbara Sameth Kenedy, of Cary, NC, and brother, Brian Neilson, of San Francisco, CA. Her five daughters, proud participants in her life's adventures, are Linda Carter Kucera (Ralph), Laura Carter, Grace Carter Zales (Steve), Pamela Carter, and Amelia Breed Barton (Antony). She loved her thirteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family invites all of Carol's friends and colleagues to a Celebration of Life at her home in Flagstaff, AZ, on July 23, 2022. For more information about the event, please email Carol.Celebration.Flagstaff@gmail.com. A South Carolina conglomerate has cashed in again on an investment hunch it started acting on more than 15 years ago. The InterTech Group Inc. relinquished its long-held stake in a small Northeast utility last week, when the sale of Corning Natural Gas Holdings Corp. was finalized. The $24.75 per-share buyout returned about $10 million to the North Charleston-based company, which held an 11.3 percent equity position and another $1.4 million in preferred stock through a trust controlled by CEO Anita Zucker. "It was a fabulous investment," said Robert Johnston, InterTech's chief strategy officer who had been on the board of upstate New York-based Corning Natural Gas since 2014. It required some patience to get to the finish line. InterTech publicly disclosed its investment in the company about a decade ago, when its ownership of the utility crossed the 5 percent threshold and triggered federal reporting requirements. At the time, the stock was trading at around $15. The recently closed transaction with privately owned Argus Infrastructure Partners was announced in January 2021, sending the stock price up about 50 percent. It was approved overwhelmingly by shareholders a few months later. But investors would have to wait for their money. More than a year would pass before regulators in the two states that Corning serves signed off on the deal. The July 6 sale marks InterTech's latest exit from a string of investments it's made in the energy industry since at least 2005, when it shelled out $17.5 million for 7 percent of the largest power provider in Vermont. That early deal was in large part a bet that a Depression-era law that restricted the sale of regulated utilities would be rolled back, making small, well-run electric and gas companies attractive acquisition targets. Congress rescinded the outdated act later that year. "That repeal ... opened the door to utilities growing by merging with other utilities that didn't have to be adjacent to them," Johnston said last week. "Up until then, you had to be an adjacent utility." The New England gambit paid off nicely when Central Vermont Public Service Corp. fetched $470 million in 2012. In all, InterTech has owned at least 5 percent of several other publicly traded utilities in U.S. and Canada, all in the natural gas space. Three of them Delta Natural Gas, Gas Natural and Pacific Northern Gas were later sold at "very high valuations and substantial returns for shareholders," Johnston said. In addition, he said, InterTech has made a "slew" of smaller, under the-radar purchases in other energy companies that were later acquired. "Our utility investment strategy has worked out very well," and the recent Corning sale "continues the streak," he said. As one of South Carolina's largest private companies, family-owned InterTech's holdings include aerospace and chemical manufacturers, ice-skating arenas, restaurants and apartment complexes. It's also an active stock picker, usually targeting shares of small, low-risk businesses with healthy dividends and buyout potential. They've included banks, electronics manufacturers, a fruit and produce distributor and a company that provides goods and services in the remote Falkland Islands. Johnston said just one publicly disclosed utility remains in the portfolio a 12-year stake in RGC Resources Inc., which serves about 63,000 natural gas customers in Virginia's Roanoke Valley. Earlier this year, InterTech shelled out $21 million to amass more shares and raise its stake to about 14.1 percent based on its "long-term belief" in the business. It loaded up on RGC even as a consortium that the utility formed with four other companies is facing fierce pushback in the courts over its plans to build a 300-mile pipeline between northwestern West Virginia to southern Virginia. The permitting for the $6 billion "Mountain Valley" conduit is opposed by groups such as the Sierra Club over the impact on climate change and other environmental concerns. Without addressing the stalled project directly, Johnston, who is on the board at RGC, said regulatory changes and "judicial activism in the natural gas space" are misguided. "I certainly hope that all will be satisfied and settled, but Americans need natural gas. ... I know environmentalists would like to think there's an immediate alternative for it, but there really isn't an immediate alternative," Johnston said, noting that InterTech is a "big supporter" of green energy. "We own solar farms, we power our offices with solar energy ... but realistically, there's a long runway before we can go from natural gas to something else, a very long runway," he said. If you've traveled recently you know hotel prices have soared, and if you haven't then prepare for some sticker-shock. Travel has rebounded, hotels are dealing with increased prices for labor and supplies, and room rates have increased substantially. That makes the prospect of getting free nights even more attractive. All the major hotel companies have loyalty programs that offer free nights once a guest accumulates enough points. Usually those points come from paid visits, but the quick way to get a large amount of points is to sign up for a hotel-branded credit card. For people with reasonably good credit who always pay their balances on time and in full to avoid any interest charges, these incentives can be worth a great deal of money. For example, I'm taking a three-night trip to a cooler-weather state this summer. My hotel stay normally would have cost about $700, but I'll pay less than $95. How so? The $95 figure is the annual fee for a Marriott credit card I signed up for last year, which came with a free-night certificate and 100,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. That covers my three hotel nights, and I'll still have about half my points left over. I always tell people, if a credit card issuer wants to give you $800 or $1,000 in exchange for $95, that's a great deal again, as long as you don't carry a balance and rack up interest charges. In November, I suggested that anyone planning to travel should start stockpiling points and airline miles, but for those who didn't it's not too late. Here are three tips for choosing a good hotel-branded credit card: Fees: There are often different options such as a no-fee card, a card with a fee under $100, and sometimes a premium card with an annual fee above $400. The lowest fee cards literally give you something for nothing, the next tier is often a better deal in terms of sign-up offers, and the top tier is for those who travel often and are willing to pay for premium perks. At renewal time, cards with fees usually come with a free annual hotel night certificate. For example, as of July 7, Marriott was offering two Bonvoy Visa cards: The "Bold" version, with no annual fee and a 60,000-point sign-up bonus after spending $2,000 within three months, or the "Boundless" card, with a $95 fee and five free hotels nights (valued at up to 50,000 points each) after spending $5,000 within three months. Minimum spend : To get a sign-up bonus, you'll usually be required to charge a certain amount to the new card within a certain period of time. Choose a card that will let you qualify for the bonus without spending more than usual, or time it so that you can charge a large bill you're expecting in order to meet the spending requirement. : To get a sign-up bonus, you'll usually be required to charge a certain amount to the new card within a certain period of time. Choose a card that will let you qualify for the bonus without spending more than usual, or time it so that you can charge a large bill you're expecting in order to meet the spending requirement. Redemption: How many free hotel nights you get usually will vary depending on how you use your points, because different hotels and locations have different point costs. Sometimes a sign-up offer (like the Boundless deal) will specify a number of free nights. If there's a place you regularly travel or stay, that can help guide your choice of a hotel credit card. Websites that screen and rank credit card offers, such as Nerdwallet, can help see what's available. Or just visit hotel websites. Here are a few more tips: The Hilton Honors American Express cards generally come with low minimum spending requirements $1,000 within three months for the no-fee, 80,000-point basic card, or $2,000 for the $95, 130,000-point "Surpass" card. Wyndham's point system is probably the easiest to understand. A hotel room costs 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points. The chain's no-fee Visa comes with 30,000 points after spending $1,000, or 45,000 points with the $75-fee card. For those who use credit cards wisely, signing up for a new one now and then can be very rewarding. Adam Parker has covered many beats and topics for The Post and Courier, including race and history, religion, and the arts. He is the author of "Outside Agitator: The Civil Rights Struggle of Cleveland Sellers Jr.," published by Hub City Press. GEORGETOWN Four people were injured July 5 when their ski boat struck an unidentified object in the Great Pee Dee River. Four people were injured, two were airlifted out and two were carried by ground, Georgetown County Fire and EMS Chief James Falkenhagen said July 6. We received a report of a boat accident with injuries. Georgetown Fire and EMS responded along with Georgetown County Sheriffs Office deputies and Horry County Fire and Rescue crews. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources also responded and they are investigating what caused the accident. Falkenhagen said the boat did not strike the Great Pee Dee River bridge, but happened away from the bridge in an area called Hell Gate, which is near where the Great Pee Dee River and Yauhannah Lake meet. Georgetown County Sheriffs Office put a boat in the water, but they were transporting DNR, Falkenhagen said. Horry County marine rescue was there, and one of our volunteer firefighters also had his personal craft in the water, and we used it to transport some of the victims. Attempts to contact officials at the Department of Natural Resources were unsuccessful. DACUSVILLE Katie Chaney waved to a passing farmer from the stone porch of a long-vacant historic general store in Pickens County, which will soon serve the community again as a bakery and small grocery. She felt an immediate connection when she first saw the almost 130-year-old structure perched at the intersection of Hester Store and Thomas Mill roads in Dacusville an unincorporated community near the Greenville and Pickens county line on the southern edge of the Blue Ridge. Now she plans to sell locally-grown produce and Americana-inspired pies at her new Hester General Store. Chaney and her family eat carrots grown by the farmer she greeted at the crossroads in front of store and she uses them in some of her baked goods. The number of farms close by, especially those run and owned by women, drew Chaney to the area. The two-story structure with a granite facade was built in 1893 by Michael Hester. He ran it as a one-stop-shop for goods and gathering in the post-Civil War era. When Michael passed away, he passed it on to his son Frank. "Many people here knew Frank," Chaney said. "So, I get stories all the time about Frank and how he sat on the porch in his rocking chair." Frank Hester and his sisters, Anne and Mae, ran the store, including at one point a dress shop on the top floor. Later, a side room served as a place to wait for the bus to Greenville. The store has remained vacant for decades but will soon take on its new life a sweets-oriented storefront Chaney hopes will recapture the historic community feel. Stress baking to business Chaney grew up in Anderson County and went to the Governor's School for the Arts in Greenville. She attended Wofford College in Spartanburg, studying art history and German. She had a particular interest in architecture and imagined spending her career researching German art and architecture, but "a bunch of things changed, and I didn't end up doing that," Chaney said. "I ended up on this path." Her path led her to Germany to work for a study abroad organization. She then moved to Austin, Texas, for four years where she met her wife, Leah, and worked for tech companies. "I was really stressed out all the time," Chaney said. "One thing I turned to when I was stressed out was baking. And, that's where it started." Chaney read online kitchen blogs and cookbooks, and explored her family's recipes, but baking was initially only a hobby. It was after the couple moved to Portland, Ore., that she noticed all the small food businesses. She thought "it would be really cool if I could take my passions and create something with them." In July 2020, the global pandemic shifted everyday culture and Chaney was pregnant. Still, she and Leah discussed how a small business could be a viable option for their family. Five months into the pandemic, however, Oregon felt far from the important people in their lives. Chaney's mom drove to Oregon and "rescued us," she said. The couple sold their house in Portland, moved to the Upstate and bought a house in Travelers Rest. They started a consulting agency, but Chaney still felt unsettled in Travelers Rest. She wondered: "Where was I going in life?" The bakery idea nagged her until she seriously considered it. She consulted a long-term mentor in Greenville, who asked her if she had ever seen the Hester Store, noting that it needed renovations but could become a community spot. When Chaney saw it, she felt an emotional tie. "Things clicked into place," Chaney said. "The vision of how I want to live my life." Bumps on the path Chaney put in an offer on the building and started construction design last May. At the same time, she looked into private financing through a bank for the renovations. She was near closing on the building deal in October 2021 when the bank pulled out. "We had started all this momentum and then that put the brakes on everything we were doing," she said. She negotiated with the bank to help her purchase the building, then went to seek financing elsewhere in November. She emailed South State Bank for a Small Business Administration loan introduction, with help from the Upstate SC LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce. Nathan Brown, co-founder and president of the chamber, said Chaney was one of the first members of the recently-launched chamber. Brown said when Chaney ran into funding issues, she reached out to the chamber. He sat down with her to create a strategy. "I love Katie and her work," Brown said. "She is such a fantastic human." It took eight months, but Chaney closed on the SBA financing in June. One reason the loan took longer was that Chaney wanted to buy her inventory locally over buying from traditional restaurant supply stores. She works with a small group of farmers close by and has an open invoice with them. "We'll need pumpkins in the winter, so we're gonna pay them now," Chaney said. Her loan also requires her to create 10 jobs. Chaney has hired three so far, with one being part-time. Others will be added to match the growth of the wholesale business. Because the Hester Store is on the National Register of Historic Places, Chaney needed to get her plans reviewed by the South Carolina Historic Preservation Office and the National Park Service, which took about three months. "We don't have much intention of changing a lot," Chaney said. The upstairs will house the kitchen. The downstairs will have a pastry counter, coffee shop and a small grocery. In the center, there will be coolers with grab-and-go items. A new accessible bathroom will be put in. Outdoor seating and a play area for children will also be constructed. A local muralist will paint the side of the building, memorializing its history. The whole project will cost about $750,000, including the purchase price. Wanting and needing pies The store will serve mostly sweets with a splash of local produce. While farmers often go to Greenville or Travelers Rest to sell their crops, she said there's a community here in Dacusville that really wants access to those things. Chaney is cognizant of how her store will contribute to the food options in Dacusville. She thinks about of how she interacts with her partner farmers, how she incorporates their food into the store and the price of the products. She hopes the store can be a place for access to quality food and education surrounding food preparation. The pastry counter will serve cake, bread, cookies, pre-made charcuteries and Chaneys best-known baked good classic pies. A lot of the pies are fruit-based, like her key lime and lemon meringue pies. One of her most popular items is a French silk pie. At the start, she worked out of her home but to accommodate the growth she currently rents time in the Spatula Kitchen in the Monaghan Mill neighborhood west of downtown Greenville. The Spatula closed its cafe earlier this year, with the owners saying the business is undergoing a restructuring period. While Chaney sorted out the logistics of the renovation and funding, she worked to get her pies in front of customers. She wanted the public wanting and needing pies so that they'll drive to Dacusville, she said. She has done pop-ups at local businesses and hosted events. She is also setting up a wholesale program so that she can work with other restaurants. She currently sells her pies at a spot in North Carolina, and at the new Resident Dogs locations in Travelers Rest and at Gather GVL on Augusta Street. Other partnerships are in the works. Meredith Bost, the owner of Resident Dogs, met Chaney through a mutual friend when working part-time during the pandemic at Bar Margaret in the Village of West Greenville. Bost helped in the bars kitchen and Chaney would sometimes come in to bake bread. I can't bake," Bost said, "And even if I could, it wouldn't be nearly as amazing as what she does." On the night of June 30, Bost opened her Travelers Rest shop and said "a lot of pies went out the window." "Aside from being just a genuinely good human, she's just a dream work collaborator," Bost said about Chaney. "I don't really know how to sing her praises loud enough." Chaney anticipates Hester General Store will be open sometime in the coming winter. Kenna Coe is the editor for the Moultrie News. Send her an email at editor@moultrienews.com Authorities are investigating after a man was found shot to death in a vehicle early July 10 in an unincorporated neighborhood near North Charleston. Charleston County sheriff's deputies responded shortly after 3 a.m. for reports of gunfire on Winchester Street near South Oakridge Circle, sheriff's spokesman Andrew Knapp said. Deputies found a car that had crashed into a ditch on the block, Knapp said. Inside was a man who had been shot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Deputies and K9 units searched the area, but no suspects were located, Knapp said. The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with information can reach the Sheriffs Office by calling dispatch at 843-743-7200. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Lowcountry Crime Stoppers at 843-554-1111. Another fatal shooting was being investigated in Berkeley County. That homicide was reported around 8 p.m. July 8 at The Isaac Apartments, 195 North Creek Drive in Summerville's Nexton area. Berkeley County sheriff's Cpl. Carli Drayton declined to provide further information about the case. Neither of the victims have been identified. The death of a young actor in a hit-and-run on James Island earlier this week highlighted a persistent problem in Charleston County: pedestrian traffic safety. Alexander "AJ" Jennings was killed in a hit-and-run early July 5 on Sol Legare Road near Crozet Drive. Jennings, who was a cast member on the hit Netflix series "Outer Banks," had left a Fourth of July party and was searching for an Uber to take him home, according to LuJean Jennings, his mother. The 22-year old from New York had arrived in Charleston only three months before to pursue an acting career. No one has been arrested in Jennings' death. Another hit-and-run killed a bicyclist in North Charleston later that day. The bicyclist, whose name has not been released, was peddling west at 9 p.m. on Northside Drive when a vehicle struck him from behind, according to North Charleston police. The collision knocked over the bicyclist, who was hit by another vehicle traveling in the same direction. Rashad Williams, 33, of Moncks Corner, is charged in the killing. The actor and the bicyclist are among 12 people killed this year in auto-pedestrian collisions in Charleston County, according to numbers provided by law enforcement. Between 2010 and 2019, 188 pedestrians were struck by vehicles in the Charleston metro area, according to a report last year from Smart Growth America, a D.C.-based nonprofit that works to make neighborhoods more livable. The Charleston metro area tied for 15th highest pedestrian death rate in the country during that time. South Carolina did worse, reporting the fourth highest rate of pedestrian deaths in the country, the report revealed. Some transportation experts blame urban design and traffic infrastructure for pedestrian killings. They argue metropolitan areas in America were built in the twentieth century to optimize traffic efficiency at the expense of pedestrian safety. Still, pedestrians can be doing more to stay safe while out on the streets, according to local law enforcement. Charleston police Lt. Paul Krasowski said 24 people were killed in traffic collisions in the city last year the highest number of traffic fatalities since 2007, the earliest year for which data is readily available. Out of those 24 people, 10 were pedestrians. Within the past year, Krasowski said the pedestrians fatally struck by vehicles were often crossing a roadway outside the bounds of a crosswalk even if the crosswalk was only a few hundred yards away. He also said alcohol was a contributing factor. Theres so many times where the pedestrian has created their own peril, essentially," he said. Though a pedestrian-auto collision can happen anywhere, some roadways are particularly deadly. Within the last five years, nine pedestrians have been fatally struck along a mile-and-a-half stretch of Savannah Highway that cuts through West Ashley, according to Charleston police data. Motels and fast food restaurants line the road, which runs roughly from Dobbin Road to Interstate 526, leading to conflict between foot traffic and cars speeding east and west across six lanes. Though Krasowski said increasing lighting and reducing the speed limit would make the roadway safer, Charleston police do not have jurisdiction over the highway, which is overseen by the South Carolina Department of Transportation. He said Charleston police have notified the state agency that it is a hazardous area. Roadway designs like West Ashley's Savannah Highway are characteristic of American urban planning, according to Beth Osborne, the director of Smart Growth America's transportation division. Osborne, who formerly worked at the U.S. Department of Transportation, said suburbanization following World War II and widespread automobile ownership led to the construction of roadways throughout the country that were designed for vehicles not pedestrians. The adoption of a "highway standard" wide lanes, long distances between crosswalks, and high speed limits in America's metro areas has made everyday life dangerous for pedestrians. "If that person has some place to go, we have made it dangerous for them to get there," Osborne said. While Krasowski recognized that at least for now "we are geographically tied to the existing road structure," he believes city officials can implement measures to make life safer for pedestrians. Though pedestrians need to be more vigilant, any approach to preventing pedestrian traffic deaths should also regulate the behavior of drivers, he added. Theres been some old school thought that if the pedestrians are at fault, what are we doing with alerting drivers? But if drivers are more alert, they can be more consciousness and slow down," Krasowski said. "Thats a win in my book." 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. 100 years ago 1922: While we are conjecturing and prophesying about the future of Flagstaff and our big development possibilities, not a half dozen of us realizes the probabilities in a big piece of work that is going on right under our noses that will be finished, in fact, within a few weeks. While we agree on the wonderful resort possibilities of our beautiful Mormon Lake, it will be news to almost every reader of this newspaper that our railroad is right now being built from Flagstaff to the western shore of that lake and will run right past Mormon Dairy Spring, the spot selected by all who have studied the situation as the ideal one for a big resort hotel. All aboard for Mormon Lake" and, of course, Lake Mary and the intermediate stations. It is not a wild guess to hazard that before we are much older, we shall hear a brass buttoned conductor at the Flagstaff terminal daily calling that out. The Flagstaff Lumber Company is building the road, to haul in the logs from the big uncut ones near the lake. The road conditions between here and Mormon Lake are bad part of the year, likely to be unsatisfactory after any big storm. But the road will be improved, and the fact that it is not good does not prevent many people who have come here specifically to investigate from realizing that the resort features at the lake can be developed to a point that will make the present unsatisfactory. The road is a secondary consideration. There are three motorboats and many times that number of row boats on Mormon Lake now, and more are being added every week. New cottages are being built. The place is becoming known. The prediction that it will soon be more popular and prosperous than great Bear Lake in California is likely just as true as the fact that it is far more beautiful body of water with a better climate. And soon when you book a room, you will run into hundreds of people from all over the world. 75 years ago 1947: The City of Flagstaff will be able to use money from its postwar fund to develop the proposed Clark Ranch subdivision, officials have been told. Thus, it appears that the city has surmounted the last legal hurdle in the way of development of the 36-acre tract. The postwar fund of $126,000 more than covers the bid submitted by the Fisher contracting company for development of the project, including paved roads, curbs, gutters, and installation of water and sewer lines. The Fisher bid was for $110,734. An opinion that the city could use the fund was given by the state attorney generals office Wednesday to a party of interest people. The attorney general's office said that a law passed by the state Legislature on June 19 made it possible to spend postwar funds, by changing wording to make the statute read the termination of hostilities" rather than termination of the war. Postwar funds will see only temporary use in the subdivision project. It was explained the fund will eventually be reimbursed through money received from the sale of the lots in the project. There are nearly 100 lots in the subdivision as approved by the city council. Assurance as to the reimbursement of the postwar fund was given the citys representatives by the State Tax Commission. The next move toward the development of the project will be drawing up an adoption of a contract between the city and the developer. 50 years ago 1972: Art arrived at Flagstaff summer festival 1972 in grand fashion on Monday with the unloading of the Hermsen Western Americana Collection. To its audience, the Flagstaff summer festival is a constant, 26-day panorama of art, music and drama, with each event seemingly more exciting than the last. In festival art galleries, paintings display in attractive fashion along the walls, sculpture is placed to catch the eye, striking textiles draw gasps of admiration. Festival 1972's opening week will be dominated by art, with two major shows opening Wednesday and two more Friday. John Hopkins, the director, is responsible for hanging three of the four exhibits. His work started shortly after 8 a.m. Monday as a huge candy truck arrived at the rear entrance of Northern Arizona University's Creative Arts Center. The bulk of the trucks cargo was candy, intended for eventual sale in Los Angeles, but what interested Hopkins was not the chance to indulge a sweet tooth, but the precious cargo packed in with the candy. There were 33 valuable paintings from the collection of William and Dorothy Hermsen of Denver, and those paintings comprise the festivals premier exhibit of 1972. Hermsens Western Americana will have its formal opening at the NAU Gallery at 8:15 p.m. Friday. 25 years ago 1997: Slapping a red-hot brand onto the hindquarters of a frightened filly is all part of a day's work at Babbitt ranches. So is helping fouls mothers bring them into the world, caring for them and selling them. About 300 friends, relatives and visitors from around the country got a close up look at a few ranch horses rites of passage on Saturday at Babbitts Cataract Ranch, northwest of Flagstaff. We got everybody together and got some good visits in with people we haven't seen for a long time, said Billy Cordasco, ranch president. Colts stick to their mothers like glue. For the branding, the adults and youngsters must be separated, and the colts herded into another corral, where it takes about six cowboys to gently wrestle one of them to the ground. Another cowboy stands ready with the brand. He slaps it quickly onto the colt's left rear flank, holds it for a few seconds and yanks it away. Then it's on to the next colt. They try to be so humane, said Jenny Babbitt, who traveled here from Santa Fe. And there is something special about the brand this year. It's the hash knife brand," Jenny said, standing in the middle of a dusty corral under a blazing noon sun. It's an historic brand that has a lot of recognition. Like most other visitors, Jenny was decked out in jeans and boots, and also sported a svelte western women's hat. The Babbitts are known for taking good care of their land and they have some darn good horses to offer. Dollars were one of the orders of business on Saturday dash -- that is, the sale of some of the quarter horses Babbitts ranches have bred for many years. The auction of quarter horses was conducted by the Babbitts ranch manager. After the sale, visitors headed back to the kitchen for a potluck lunch. An Upstate senators mysterious history of sitting on state grant checks owed to charities in his district is more extensive than previously known, The Post and Courier has found. A review of state budget earmarks sponsored by Sen. Karl Allen over the past five years reveals the Greenville Democrat has routinely taken months to hand-deliver the checks to their recipients. Several of these nonprofits say they operate on shoestring budgets. The delays in receiving the money strained the funding of their educational programs, crisis intervention work and other efforts. The newspapers analysis identified nearly a dozen grants worth a combined $613,000 that Allen, a 61-year-old attorney, delivered at least a month late over the past half-decade. The checks included money for the Roper Mountain Science Center, a field trip destination for Greenville County Schools; the Emma Wright Fuller Foundation, which supports a historically Black private elementary school; and the Donaldson Center Revitalization Group, a nonprofit that provides housing for men transitioning out of prison, rehab facilities and homeless shelters. Allens delays date back to at least 2019, the analysis shows, blowing an apparent hole in his previous excuse that the COVID-19 pandemic slowed down the flow of state tax dollars. The state could have sent the money directly to the charities. But many legislators, including Allen, regularly ask to hand-deliver the grant checks themselves, often at press conferences or photo opportunities maximizing the credit they get in their districts for bringing home money from Columbia. These budget earmarks, handpicked by legislators and sometimes criticized as pet projects, cost state taxpayers $100 million last year alone. Yet other legislators dont share Allens habit of holding on to grant checks. Most delivered the earmarked money within days, or weeks at most, the newspapers review found. Allen did not respond to requests for comment for this story. The reason for these delays remains unclear. Greenville-area charity leaders are generally hesitant to speak out against the veteran senator, fearing he might retaliate by shutting off their access to state grants entirely. But several told The Post and Courier Allens chronic tardiness has frustrated them. In 2020, one nonprofit leader refused to attend a ceremonial event where Allen finally delivered his groups check more than three months late. We needed that funding at the time the check was cut, said David Mitchell, chairman of the Pleasant Valley Connection, a Greenville community center that hosts after-school programs, youth summer camps and senior activities. The Post and Courier analysis comes after the newspaper in May first reported that Allen had failed to deliver $125,000 in grants earmarked in the state budget to three Greenville charities. The money was meant to pay for a summer camp, an after-school program and a fitness center projects designed to benefit underprivileged children and low-income seniors. Allen blamed the coronavirus for the holdup, an explanation that befuddled nonprofit leaders. But he scrambled to deliver the checks to two of those charities within a week of that story publishing. The earmark bungle has already led to change at the Statehouse. Gov. Henry McMaster on July 1 ordered his Cabinet agencies to cut out the middleman by sending state grant money directly to their intended recipients from then on. That executive order will affect the vast majority of the earmarks included in the state budget each year. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney, has said his committee will no longer facilitate the hand-delivery of earmark checks by senators. Out of the loop Greenville charity leaders applauded that change. Several said they tried to reach Allen about their missing checks but couldnt get answers. It took him forever, said the Rev. Jacqueline Fair, who runs the Donaldson transitional housing nonprofit. The check had been released, but he held on to it for a period of time. We couldnt figure out why he did that. Fairs charity got two earmark checks from the Department of Health and Human Services, one for $37,500 in 2019 and another for $25,000 in 2020. The money was to pay for furniture, medical supplies, drug testing kits, drug and alcohol counseling, and other services at the transitional homes. But after DHHS turned the first check over to Allen, the charity still had to wait 11 weeks for the senator to deliver it, records show. Allen was 10 weeks late in delivering the second check in 2020. Fair said she and her husband spent their own money to cover the programs expenses while they waited on the state grant. When they couldnt get answers from Allens office, she called DHHS directly. Allen became angry with her, saying he was the only reason she won the grant and accusing her of going behind his back, Fair said. Her charity hasnt gotten a budget earmark since. Fair said Allen stopped inviting her to apply for grants. He cut us completely out of the loop, Fair said. Mitchell, the Pleasant Valley Connection chairman, recalls his own experience with Allen with similar distaste. Mitchell said Allen had nothing to do with Pleasant Valley receiving a $25,000 earmark grant from DHHS in December 2019. The money was for an after-school tutoring program at the community center. Allen only became involved after the check was cut, then held up the money for more than three months until he finally delivered it in March 2020, Mitchell said. The delay put a strain on the centers finances, Mitchell recalled. For a small nonprofit, $25,000 can mean the difference between hiring an extra employee or making do without, he said. But Allen didnt return Pleasant Valleys calls about the missing check until he reached out that spring asking if he could turn the money over with a formal presentation, Mitchell said. The group agreed, but Mitchell refused to attend what he viewed as a political event for Allens benefit. The presentation would have been just as fine in December, Mitchell said. 'Our senator' First Impression Inc., a crisis intervention center for Greenville women, was kept waiting more than two months after Allen apparently misplaced the groups $25,000 earmark check in 2020, records show. In May 2020, with the money still not delivered, DHHS voided the first check for First Impression and reissued a new one to Allen. He turned it over to the group two weeks later, records show. Allen and the charity marked the occasion with a celebration. The senator posed for photos as he handed the nonprofits leaders an oversized check. THANKS TO KARL ALLEN OUR SENATOR, read a line at the bottom. The charity itself ordered the big check with instructions from Allens office on what to write on it, First Impression founder Sandra Bullock said. I dont know what happened, Bullock said of the delay in getting the money. All I know is we were happy to get the funding. Some of Allens late checks carried huge dollar amounts. The senator fell more than six months behind in delivering an October 2021 check for $250,000 for new exhibits at the Roper Mountain Science Center, a facility that fields hundreds of Greenville County Schools students every day for labs and camps. Records show the state Department of Education had to void its first check to Roper Mountain and reissue a new one on April 20 for Allen to deliver. Roper Mountain finally got the money on May 11. Roper Mountain declined to comment for this story. But as a result, the Education Department enacted a policy to no longer provide checks to (legislators), spokesman Ryan Brown told The Post and Courier recently. Instead they will go directly to the organizations. Allen was also seven weeks late in turning over a $50,000 check this spring to the African American Tourism Council, a group that runs an annual tourism conference in Charleston. The groups chairman, Kwadjo Campbell, said he wasnt aware of a delay in receiving the money. Campbell said he wasnt familiar with how the earmarks process typically works. Campbell is also the chief executive of JC and Associates, a public relations firm that counts Allen among its clients. A few nonprofits have seen Allen withhold their checks more than once. The Emma Wright Fuller Foundation, which supports the century-old Fuller Normal private school in Greenville, waited more than five weeks for Allen to deliver a $50,000 check for an after-school program in January 2019. It waited nearly a month for the same check in January 2020. And Allen took three months to deliver the groups $50,000 check this year. I dont know whats going on with him, said Lillie Akali, the foundations chief financial officer. I just wanted Fuller Normal to get its money. Akali said she supports the governors decision to ban legislators from interfering with the grants. These middlemen need to get out of it, she said. It boosts their ego, but its not their money. Its coming from the state. A new, centrally located government office opens today. The office can be used by residents seeking to apply for or learn more about a number of welfare and pandemic assistance programs. The governors office announced via a news release that it will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. to officially begin operations of the Government of Guam Relief Center, which is located on the third floor of the Bank of Hawaii building in Hagatna. Improving how our government works to serve you has been a hallmark of our administration, and the opening of the Guam Relief Center builds on our continued commitment to delivering relief and driving recovery, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero stated. Weve invested in an efficient resource center with focused customer service to assist those in need through all our financial assistance programs available. Our teams of program eligibility specialists, social workers and customer service representatives are dedicated to navigating your path forward. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. The programs, connected through the center, help provide medical coverage, subsidize child care costs and can help families become homeowners. According to a release, the benefits and aid for which residents will now be able to apply on-site include: The Guam Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Programs under the Department of Public Health and Social Services Division of Public Welfare. Medicaid. Medically Indigent Program (MIP). Child Care Development Fund (CCDF). Prugraman i Pinilan i Famaguon Guahan child care services programs. Governors Community Care and After School Child Care Programs. Relative and In-Home Care Provider Programs. COVID-19 Bereavement Assistance Fund Program. Guam Low Income Home Owner Assistance Program. Low Income Household Water Assistance Program. Prugraman Salappe Ayudon i Taotao 3. The Office of Homeless Assistance and Poverty Prevention (OHAPP). Those needing assistance for rental housing and unclaimed checks for the Advance Child Tax Credit, All RISE program, Economic Impact Payments (EIP), and tax refunds also can go to the center, according to the release from Adelup. Hundreds of millions of dollars in relief funding, mostly from Congressional aid packages, have been made available to Guams government in order to help provide financial relief and guard against spikes in COVID-19 infections as the pandemic progresses. The governor has used some of this money to fund multiple rounds of direct cash aid to island residents, expand existing welfare programs and grant funds to businesses struggling through the islands downturned, tourism-reliant economy. Just last month, the administration launched its newest child care program grant opportunities for providers in the community. Community and private school programs were eligible to receive up to $50,000 in grant funding. Nonschool providers are eligible for grants not exceeding $25,000. From health care, child care, and welfare, to housing, utilities, and cost-of-living assistance - this center provides direct access to the programs that will help our people experiencing hardship, said Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio. We strived to close gaps and remove barriers so there are no closed doors when our community calls on us for relief. Our friendly staff will serve as the link between clients and programs, and we are confident in their ability to ensure processes are understood, applications are complete, and services for current and future programs are accessible. The center will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, excluding government of Guam holidays. For more information, residents may contact the Relief Center beginning July 11 at 671-475-2060. In a world where communication between people is essential, and critical to one's success, I have a question: Once we've started a conversatio Read more First Interstate Bank, in partnership with the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation, has kicked off its inaugural Believe in Local grant campaign to celebrate the Banks longstanding commitment to the communities it serves. Forty nonprofit organizations across First Interstates 14-state footprint will each receive a $25,000 gift to further their mission on behalf of First Interstate Bank neighbors and markets. Giving back to the places we call home is central to who we are as a community bank, said Kevin Riley, president and CEO of First Interstate Bank. Our Believe in Local grant program captures our core values in action and is the ideal way to celebrate the communities we serve. Our neighbors will see our dedication to alleviating the various and diverse challenges in the places where we live, work, and grow. New nonprofit grant recipients will be announced each week until Sept. 14 when First Interstate Bank marks its fifth annual Volunteer Day, closing all branches at noon to offer employees paid time to volunteer in their communities. The first two Believe in Local recipients are based out of Sheridan, Wyo. and Sioux Falls, S.D. respectively. This is to honor the founding communities of both First Interstate Bank and Great Western Bank and their recently completed merger on Feb. 1, 2022. Selected nonprofit organizations were first nominated by employees then vetted by a committee of First Interstate Bank employees to ensure funding would achieve the Banks low-moderate income and DEI priorities. Our employees are the driving force behind all the great philanthropic work we do as a bank, said Amberly Pahut, executive director of the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation. They not only volunteer their time but help target our giving to the organizations creating the biggest impact in their neighborhoods. Believe in Local further empowers our team with opportunities and resources to magnify the impact of these nonprofits. First Interstate Bank made a $21.5 million donation to the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation in concert with the Great Western Bank merger to deploy meaningful and relevant assistance across the expanded footprint. This is in addition to First Interstates annual donation of 2% of its pre-tax earnings to local communities through Foundation grants and donations. These funds aid in the improvement of workforce development, boost early childhood education, improve financial literacy across all age groups, and mitigate poverty, among other worthwhile initiatives. Additional information on First Interstate Banks philanthropic work can be found on the Banks website. First Interstate BancSystem, Inc. is a financial services holding company headquartered in Billings, Montana. It is the parent company of First Interstate Bank, a community bank with $33 billion in assets and more than 300 locations across 14 states as of March 31, 2022. A recognized leader in community banking services, First Interstate is driven by strong values as well as a commitment to delivering a rewarding experience to its employees, strong returns to shareholders, exceptional products and services to its clients, and resources to the communities it serves. The Kuje custodial centre that was attacked by terrorists on Tuesday was Nigerias most fortified prison, interior minister Rauf Aregbesola has said. Mr Aregbesola said this in a statement on Friday after visiting the prison. The minister said that although the prison is officially a medium security prison, it was the most fortified in the country. There was a platoon of the Nigerian Army with sophisticated weapons, elite men of the Nigeria Police Force, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, and armed officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, on ground during the time of the attack, he said. Kuje is the most fortified in the country, if fortification for security is the determinant of whether it is medium or maximum. It is medium by size but maximum by the security in place there. Mr Aregbesolas lamentation of the failure of security officials to prevent the jail attack is similar to the one expressed by President Muhammadu Buhari. PREMIUM TIMES reported the presidents remarks during his brief visit to the prison on Wednesday. Mr Buhari wondered how such an attack could have occurred despite the presence of security forces. However, other officials like defence minister Bashir Magashi have argued that the security officials present were overwhelmed by the sheer number of attackers. About 300 terrorists are believed to have attacked the prison. One of the security officials manning the prison was killed while four inmates also died. PREMIUM TIMES reported that over 800 inmates initially escaped during the attack on the prison with about half still at large and the others rearrested. Those still at large include the over 60 members of the Boko Haram sect who were being held in the facility. In his late Friday statement, Mr Aregbesola said the Buhari government would rise to the challenge posed by terrorists. we must put whatever is happening now in the context of the asymmetric warfare unleashed on the nation by this criminal elements and we will rise to it, thats the assurance I want to give to Nigerians, he wrote. Read the ministers full statement below. Today, I led the management of the Ministry of Interior and her agencies on an inspection visit to the Kuje Custodial Centre that was recently attacked by gunmen suspected to be terrorists. There was a platoon of the Nigerian Army with sophisticated weapons, elite men of the Nigeria Police Force, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, and armed officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, on ground during the time of the attack. We have a world class facility by any standard. I am disappointed with the level of defence. We had enough men to protect the facility but unfortunately they couldnt hold their position effectively for defence and that was the reason for the breach. Now my position is so clear, I have declared since April last year that all our facilities are red zones and that whoever attempts an attack may not live to tell the story. I still maintain this. Kuje is the most fortified in the country, if fortification for security is the determinant of whether it is medium or maximum. It is medium by size but maximum by the security in place there. We have a platoon of security officers deployed here. It is very regrettable that this happened. As sad as it is, we must put whatever is happening now in the context of the asymmetric warfare unleashed on the nation by this criminal elements and we will rise to it, thats the assurance I want to give to Nigerians. The candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Friday presented Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate, after ending alliance talks with Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). But the searches continue for Mr Kwankwaso and Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, continues to feel the aftershock of his own pick. The four candidates are considered the main contenders in the February 25, 2023, presidential election scheduled to produce President Muhammadu Buharis successor. Enters Baba-Ahmed Mr Obi had submitted the name of a former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, to INEC for the position while he searched for a suitable candidate, which he found in the 53-year-old former member of the House of Representatives (2003-2007) and founder of Baze University, Abuja and Baba-Ahmed University, Kano State. A descendant of an Arab cattle dealer who migrated to colonial Nigeria from Mauritania, Mr Baba-Ahmed briefly served as a senator between 2011 and 2012 under the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) until his election was nullified by the tribunal. He later defected to the PDP where he ran unsuccessfully for nomination as presidential and governorship candidate at different times. Mr Baba-Ahmed does not possess the high political profile of Mr Kwankwaso, having won only one valid election in his career. He is a technocrat operating from the fringe in the three parties that he had belonged to, so he will have to show his mettle in mobilising support for his new party in the north, the main reason that Mr Obi must have sought out a candidate from that region. However, his intellectual, fringe-politician and educationist profile will excite Mr Obis youthful base, even though some of his past public statements indicate a northern Muslim conservatism side to his persona. Failed courtship Messrs Kwankwaso and Obi had for a few weeks held talks about working together to form a formidable third force and present a credible alternative to the APC and PDP, the two parties that have, one after the other, held the levers of power at the federal level in the Fourth Republic and which now run 35 of the 36 states in the country. Their talks attracted attention because of the boisterous support that the candidature of Mr Obi has gained, especially among segments of the Nigerian youth on social media, and the fast spread of the NNPP in parts of the North since Mr Kwankwaso joined the party and became its presidential flag bearer. However, the disappointing outcome of the courtship vindicates our analysis of June 8 under this series, that the two candidates would have difficulty in deciding who between them to lead the ticket of their alliance, among other issues. Kwankwaso looks elsewhere Now that Mr Obi has moved on, Mr Kwankwaso has to find his own substantive running mate before INEC closes the window for substitution of candidates on Friday. The former Kano State governor had last month submitted the name of Ladipo Johnson, a lawyer who once ran for governor of Lagos State, to the electoral commission for the position. But he is now looking for options further afield, east of the South-west. As a northern Muslim, his choice appears simple enough to make a southern Christian. Apart from already producing a president (Olusegun Obasanjo 1999-2007) and the incumbent vice president (Yemi Osinbajo 2015 to date), the South-west is also the home and a stronghold of Mr Tinubu of the APC, factors which may rule out the zone for Mr Kwankwaso. No go area? The NNPP candidate also seems to have burnt his bridge to the South-east during his negotiations with Mr Obi. Speaking on the Sunday Politics programme of Channels Television last week, Mr Kwankwaso said while he would not mind becoming the vice president, since he has no job at the moment, he would not be a running mate to a south-easterner. Unfortunately, there are many issues in the South-east, and a northern voter is the worst-hit in this issue of maladministration in this country. But even under that circumstance, a northern voter also believes that he is better with one united Nigeria. Therefore, most of the things that are happening in the South, especially in the South-east; people are not comfortable with that and as long as you have somebody from there in any party, it will be very difficult for the northern voters to vote, and thats the situation now. Those remarks earned him sharp admonitions from South-east politicians and the leading socio-political group in the area, Ohanaeze Ndigbo. But he seemed to double down when he said in an interview with Punch published on Saturday: One thing the South-east must learn, in addition to many other things, is that the South-east is good in terms of business; very hard-working, industrious but one area they must learn is politics. They are at the bottom line of national politics. If you look at the situation, they have lost out in the APC and the PDP. They have no presidential, no vice-presidential candidate. The only opportunity the South-east has to be president or vice president is with the NNPP. Even if he had not annoyed the zone with such a statement, picking a running mate from there is unlikely to earn Mr Kwankwaso any mileage after that failure of the alliance talks. The South-east has been agitating for the rotation of the presidency to it, being the only southern zone yet to produce the president or vice president in this dispensation. It is disappointed in the PDP for jettisoning its zoning principle that might have advanced the cause of the Igbo presidency. It is also angry with the APC, which gave its ticket to the South, for not going the whole hog to microzone it. Before the two major parties took their tickets elsewhere, the zone had at some point forbidden any of its prominent politicians from accepting a running mate offer. For those reasons, many in the zone find Mr Obis candidature even more compelling. But you cannot rule out the chances of the PDP there too. The South-east has been a fortress of the party in presidential elections and may continue in that tradition despite now having only two PDP governors in its five states. In spite of its anger in 1999 over the defeat of former Vice President Alex Ekwueme in the PDP presidential primary by the former military head of state who was at that point a newcomer to the party, all the states in the zone still elected PDP governors and voted for Mr Obasanjo himself. Many of its heavyweight politicians remain in the party, which is a reason you may expect Mr Abubakar to do fairly well in the South-east next year. To add to Mr Kwankwasos likey disinterest in the zone, it has the fewest states and least number of registered voters. So, with the battle there expected to largely be between the PDP candidate and his former running mate (Mr Obi), and to some extent the APC, which also has two governors there, it does not make much sense for a newcomer to pitch his own vice presidential tent there. South-south pull This leaves the South-south as the obvious location for Mr Kwankwaso to pick from. To be sure, the PDP candidate has also invested here by picking Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. Aside from that, this is also the PDPs favourite hunting ground. The zone has also always overwhelmingly voted for the PDP. The main opposition party won the governorship elections in all six states of the zone at the outset of the Fourth Republic in 1999 and continues to rule all of them since then, except Edo, which it lost in 2006 and recovered in 2019. Although it was upset in the governorship election of Bayelsa in 2019, it regained the state at the Supreme Court. Cross River Governor Ben Ayade, who was elected on its ticket but defected last year to the APC, is the only non-PDP governor in the zone. But there is trouble in this PDP paradise, arising from the choice of Mr Okowa as running mate. Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike, whom Mr Abubakar overlooked despite strong recommendations, is in a hide-and-seek game with the party and candidate. Mr Wike was the runner-up in the presidential primary and has supporters in many state chapters of the party. It is not clear how far Mr Wike is prepared to go in his face-off with Mr Abubakar and the PDP leadership. But Mr Kwankwaso may have sniffed some opportunities in it when he was hosted to a meeting by the Rivers governor. This was while the NNPP and LP were still talking but details of the discussions have not been made public. Although Mr Kwankwaso was a member of the PDP until his latest defection, it is not likely that Mr Wike will accept to join his ticket or throw in with him any other way for the presidential election. But even if Mr Wike only remains nonchalant to Mr Abubakars electoral cause, the NNPP candidate may feel encouraged to consider that as a factor in picking his running mate in Mr Wikes state or sphere of influence. Broad canvas But the canvas here is broad. The South-south is geographically vast and sociologically diverse. According to an observer, a person travelling by road from Kano in the North West is likely to arrive in Benin earlier than another travelling from Uyo in the same South-south. And although the people are mostly Christians, there are scores of ethnic groups, which makes it difficult for any individual or group to cast a domineering influence over the zone. For example, Mr Okowa is not thought to be influential beyond his own state and Edo. These reasons will recommend this zone to Mr Kwankwaso in his search for a Christian southerner. However, unlike the APC and PDP candidates who by virtue of the strength and history of their parties have governors scrambling to run with them, Mr Kwankwaso, who like Mr Obi is a relative outsider running on a smaller platform, has to set his own sights lower. With luck, he may find his own Mr Baba-Ahmed in this zone. Tinubus peculiar case Flying the flag of the ruling party that has 22 of the 36 state governors makes Mr Tinubu the man to beat in this election. But since the poll is a referendum on the eight-year stewardship of his party, the APC candidate also has perhaps the trickiest time awaiting him at the campaigns, which formally begin on September 28. But Mr Tinubus immediate problem is to pick a running mate, an assignment over which he has dithered since his landslide victory in the party primary in the second week of June. To beat the deadline for the submission of the lists of candidates for the elections, Mr Tinubu named a little-known politician from Katsina State, Kabiru Masari, as his running mate. But like Mr Obi has done and Mr Kwankwaso is expected to do, the former Lagos State governor will substitute Mr Masari before Friday. Sources said he may do so on Tuesday. Mr Tinubu returned from a holiday in France on Friday night, and all eyes are on him for the crucial announcement. To be fair to him, it is not an easy decision to make as his options are tight and not as straightforward as those before his main rivals. Given Nigerias diversity, a major partys presidential ticket is expected to at the same time be diverse and inclusive to accommodate the varied interests and complexity of the country. Mr Abubakar of the PDP, a northern Muslim, had a wide field of the three southern zones to choose a southern Christian from. His fellow northern Muslim, Mr Kwankwaso of the NNPP is looking at the same field to do the same. Mr Obi of the LP, a southern Christian, has found a northern Muslim too. The three candidates belong to ethnic and religious majority groups in their regions and could pick from majority groups in other regions. Mr Tinubu, however, as a Yoruba Muslim, is an ethnic majority but a religious minority in his wide southern region. If he is to pick from the majority group in the North, the choice will likely be of the Hausa-Fulani ethnic grouping and definitely a fellow Muslim by religion. While a northern Muslim of any other ethnic background will also be a religious majority but an ethnic minority, a Christian of any ethnic group is a religious minority in the region. That considerably narrows the field for Mr Tinubu. Christian groups, especially the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have always kicked against a same-faith ticket and have repeatedly demanded that Mr Tinubu pick a Christian as his running mate. Before the primaries, the association curiously advised the parties that, in deferring to the call for zoning of the presidency to the South, they must pick a southern Christian, ignoring the rights of the considerable Yoruba Muslim population to which Mr Tinubu belongs. And to make him even more uncomfortable, northern Muslims and party members from the largely Muslim North West have also demanded that he pick from among them. It is noteworthy that northern governors were pivotal in his nomination. They foiled a plot by the shadowy presidential villa cabal and APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, to force a northern candidate on the ruling party. The 14 APC governors stoutly stood their ground for a shift to the south, after which President Buhari finally publicly clarified on the eve of the convention that he was not prodding any of the aspirants. Only one of the 14 governors is a Christian. Now, some of them are reported to be interested in the vice-presidential position. Kano Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Friday said Mr Tinubu has agreed to pick a Muslim. The main concern of a candidate is to win the election. Whatever combination that offers the best prospects of victory will be of paramount interest to Mr Tinubu, but he has to brace himself for a backlash from whatever choice he makes, like his friend in the PDP is going through. Buhari wont recommend The delay in naming the running mate, however, is not entirely down to the complexity of the situation before Mr Tinubu. Party sources said he asked President Buhari to nominate a candidate for his consideration, but the president had declined to do so, reiterating his position not to be involved in the choice of his successor. Interestingly, Mr Buhari had allowed Mr Tinubus group to nominate his running mate in 2015, a gesture the current candidate was apparently trying to reciprocate. But the president said no, thanks. The presidents disinterest forced Mr Tinubu to expand the scope of his consultations on the issue, with the various groups offering advice favourable to themselves. As of the time of writing this report, sources said he has narrowed the choice to the North-east, a zone which also has not produced a president or vice president in this dispensation. Top on the list of names mentioned in this connection are former Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, who stood by Mr Tinubus side throughout the campaign for nomination; and his successor, Babagana Zulum, who ironically is an ally of Mr Shettima. Yet, other zones in the North are mounting pressure too. The North-central, like the North-east and South-east, has never had anyone at the Aso Rock Villa as president or his deputy. Worse still for the zone, it has never produced a national chairman for the APC. Some members of the party from the zone are making a case for Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, a Christian. But his minority ethnic and religious background is militating against his consideration, aside from the fact that he backed former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to the hilt in the primary. El-Rufai Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai is said to also rank high in Mr Tinubus consideration. The North-west, which has produced two presidents and a vice president in the Fourth Republic, is also asking for consideration because of its demographic advantages. With seven states and the largest voter base in Nigeria, it is also the seat of the Sokoto Caliphate. Only one presidential ticket has ever been elected in Nigeria without a Hausa-Fulani from the North West on it. And the election won by that ticket, of Moshood Abiola and Babagana Kingibe in 1993, was annulled by the military dictator who organised it, Ibrahim Babangida. But that statistic does not mean much as only five persons have ever served as elected president in Nigeria. Atiku feeling the aftershock On Friday, Governor Wike again hugged the headlines when he played host to three APC governors in Port Harcourt. The development came days after the spokesperson of Mr Tinubu, Tunde Rahman, refuted reports that the Rivers governor had flown to France to meet the APC flag bearer. The three APC governors who visited Mr Wike Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti are associates of Mr Tinubu, hence the speculation that they were in Port Harcourt on his behalf. This newspaper reported that Mr Wike, during his vacation in Turkey last week with Abia Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, shunned an emissary of his own partys presidential candidate. Mr Abubakar had deployed a former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Waziri, to the Eastern European country following weeks of unsuccessful efforts to speak with the governor. Mr Wike has refused to congratulate Mr Okowa on the appointment as Mr Abubakars running mate and has refused to meet Mr Abubakar, in a feud that appears to have split the party down the middle. Some party leaders have demanded that Mr Abubakar drop Mr Okowa for Mr Wike, while others have called for the national chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, to be sacrificed; to redress the imbalance in the partys leadership caused by Mr Abubakars victory at the presidential primary. Mr Wike continues to keep in suspense his party members and those salivating at the prospects of stealing him to their sides. While all these were going on, Mr Abubakar remained ensconced abroad, acting feebly by proxy. He had been in Dubai for weeks, until Saturday when he crossed to the UK. Whenever it is that he finally returns home, he will find his in tray overflowing. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has insisted that the name of the embattled former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, will be published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the partys candidate for the Akwa Ibom North-West District. Iniobong John, chairman of the APC media committee in the state, made the partys position known in a statement in Uyo on Saturday. Theres absolutely no cause for alarm, nothing to worry about. Reassured that Mr Akpabio will be elected senator for Ikot Ekpene (Akwa Ibom North-West) come 2023. Mr Johns response came hours after INEC released a statement explaining why the names of Mr Akpabio and Senate President Ahmad Lawan were missing from the list of candidates for the 2023 elections, published by INEC in June. A retired deputy inspector general of police, Udom Ekpoudom, and Bashir Machina emerged as APC candidates for Akwa Ibom North-West and Yobe North respectively during the senatorial primary monitored by INEC. But the APC, instead, submitted Messrs Akpabio and Lawans names to the commission. INEC, in a statement by its spokesperson, Festus Okoye, said the Commission is funtus officio in the two cases, and thereby urged aggrieved parties to approach the court for redress. Train has since left station Mr Akpabio stepped down at the last minute for former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu at the APC presidential primary held in Abuja, on June 8. Less than 24 hours after, Mr Akpabio claimed he won the primary for Akwa Ibom North-West conducted by a faction of APC in the state. But INEC in Akwa Ibom State said it did not recognise the primary that produced Mr Akpabio. The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, told Nigerians in a television interview last week that the train had since left the station, in Mr Akpabios case. Meaning that the electoral process had moved on, while the former minister is left behind. Mr Igini said the commission recognises Mr Ekpoudom, and not Mr Akpabio, as theAPC candidate. Mr Okoye in a statement on Saturday said the commission stands by reports forwarded to it by state offices regarding candidates of political parties. This may be the end of the road for Mr Akpabios dream of returning to the Senate in 2023 unless the former minister challenges and defeats INEC in court. The APC in the state has been torn into two factions because of the protracted battle between Mr Akpabio and the former national secretary of the party, John Akpanudoedehe, over the control of the partys structure in the state. Mr Akpanudoedehe later defected to the New Nigeria Peoples Party and secured the partys governorship ticket after he was outmanoeuvred in the governorship primary by Mr Akpabios faction. The insecurity in Nigeria last week (July 3-9) took a more absurd dimension as non-state actors launched daring attacks on different government institutions and officials including officials working with President Muhammadu Buhari. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the attack on a presidential convoy led to at least two injuries, according to the official narrative. Apart from the attack on the presidential convoy, there were attacks on Nigerias most fortified prison, police officers, a Chinese expatriate and others. Although there was no recorded death in the incident involving the presidential convoy, at least 27 people were reported killed in other attacks across the country. The figure represents a decrease when compared to the previous week when at least 50 persons were killed with the majority being security officials. Of the 27 casualties last week, four were police officers, one was an officer of the civil defence while the remaining 22 were civilians. There was a total of nine incidents which took place across five geopolitical zones. Only the North-east recorded no incident. The most prominent of the incidents was the invasion of the Kuje custodial centre by armed members of the Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) who freed more than 60 of their members and hundreds of others. PREMIUM TIMES compiled the incidents from media reports. Thus, unreported cases are not included. Below are the recorded incidents: South-east In Abia state, three suspected armed robbers were set ablaze in Aba Local Government Area on Sunday. It was gathered that the suspects have been terrorising Point of Sale (POS) operators at Abayi, along Aba-Owerri Road in Aba. Similarly, an angry mob, on Monday, set two suspected ritualists ablaze for allegedly raping and killing a 10-year-old girl in Ede-Oballa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. A witness from the community told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the incident threw the community into mourning. South-west Gunmen shot dead a security guard identified as Sunday who manned a filling station at Igoba community in the Akure-North Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday. After killing the guard, the gunmen also reportedly set the filling station on fire. North-central At least 12 people reportedly died in a violent clash between bandits and vigilantes in Plateau State. Local sources said that the bandits stormed Zak, a community in the Wase Local Government Area on a mission to sack the community. In Kwara State, the police confirmed the killing of its inspector, Adebayo Adeforiti, and the abduction of a Chinese national by some gunmen at the CGC construction company along the Shao/Oloru Expressway. The incident occurred on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Kwara police spokesman, Okasanmi Ajayi, in Ilorin. In the FCT, a civil defence officer was killed in an encounter with terrorists who stormed the Kuje Prison to break out some of their members. Four prison inmates were also killed in the attack. The incident took place on Tuesday and has since attracted global attention to Nigeria. The interior minister, Rauf Aregbesola, who like other officials condemned the attack, said the Kuje prison was the most fortified in Nigeria. North-west Armed persons killed the area commander of the Dutsin Ma Police Area command, Aminu Umar, in an ambush on Tuesday morning. Mr Umar, an assistant police commissioner, was killed alongside one other officer. South-south In Rivers, a yet-to-be-identified policeman was shot dead, while the All Progressives Congress deputy governorship candidate in Rivers State, Innocent Barikor, escaped death at the GRA axis of Port Harcourt on Tuesday night. The incident took place in front of a club in the high-brow city centre when the assailants opened fire on the cop in what is suspected to be an assassination attempt on Mr Barikors life. Buhari reacts to Kuje prison attack Following the attack on Kuje prison comity, President Muhammadu Buhari expressed disappointment in Nigerias intelligence gathering and security architecture. In his usual tone, Mr Buhari condemned the attack after his visit to the scene on Wednesday. He questioned the competence of Nigerias security operatives. The president, who departed for Dakar, Senegal, shortly after his visit, expressed shock at the courage of the attackers and raised questions about the ease at which the attack succeeded. In a statement signed by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Wednesday, Mr Buhari called for a comprehensive report on the shocking development. How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work? I am disappointed with the intelligence system. How can terrorists organise, have weapons, attack a security installation and get away with it? the president said. The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has named Kashim Shettima as his running mate. Mr Tinubu made the announcement on Sunday while on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The prospect of a Muslim/Muslim ticket has generated outrage from some quarters, even within the ruling party. Despite the opposition, Mr Tinubu chose Mr Shettima as his running mate. Shortly before the announcement of Mr Shettima, Ibrahim Masari, who had hitherto served as a placeholder for the VP slot, announced his withdrawal from the position. Mr Masari said he decided to withdraw from the position after he had a consultation with Mr Tinubu in a letter addressed to APC members. The letter read: This is to inform our esteemed party leaders under our able President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), teeming party members and the great people of Nigeria, of the outcome of a crucial discussion I just had with the flagbearer of our great party, the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I had the singular honour and privilege of being nominated as the running mate to Asiwaju Tinubu last month after a keenly contested presidential primary ahead of the 2023 general election. But, after much reflection and wider consultations, I now wish to step down. I realised that my decision will enable Asiwaju to have more latitude to give more accommodation and inclusion that will position our party to win the coming elections, with the support of the people of Nigeria. In stepping down, I believe I can still serve our party and the country in several other capacities. I wish to confirm that I have submitted my withdrawal letter and affidavit to that effect as the vice-presidential candidate to Asiwaju Bola TInubu in the coming elections. On behalf of myself and family, I wish to sincerely thank Asiwaju Tinubu the incoming President, Insha Allah for his trust in me and we promise to remain steadfast in our support for him and the party. The campaign organisation of Mr Tinubu also confirmed the withdrawal of Mr Masari. In a statement released by James Faleke, the campaign disclosed that Mr Masari transmitted the resignation letter from Saudi Arabia, where he is performing Hajj. This is to inform and confirm that Alhaji Ibrahim Masari has stepped down as Vice Presidential nominee to the flag-bearer of APC in the 2023 presidential elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Alhaji Masari has communicated his decision to us from Saudi Arabia where he is presently performing the hajj. While saluting Alhaji Masaris sacrifice, we believe this will give Asiwaju Tinubu an opportunity to take a decision that will further enhance the chances of our great party in the 2023 elections. From Campaign DG to VP choice. Mr Shettima, who currently represents Borno Central in the Senate, served as governor of Borno from 2011 to 2019. He is from the same geopolitical zone -North-east, as Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party. Mr Shettima was one of the early backers of the former governor of Lagos State for the ticket and served as the Director-General of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation. In the build-up to the primary election, Mr Shettima caused a stir when he said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo is too nice to be a leader because nice people should be selling Ice Cream. Osinbajo is a good man. He is a nice man. But nice men dont make a good leader. Nice men should be selling popcorn and ice cream. He, however, retracted the statement and noted that he was misquoted. Aside from the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket, Mr Tinubu faces questions about his health, academic qualifications, source of wealth and allegations of corruption. Despite these issues, Mr Tinubu won the APC presidential primaries in a landslide, defeating Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan and several others. Mr Tinubu returned to Nigeria on Saturday, after spending 12 days in France for undisclosed business, fueling speculations that the trip was a medical trip. The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, said he chose Kashim Shettima as his running mate because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region. Mr Tinubu, in a statement he signed Sunday evening, said although he is aware of the religious concerns about his choice of running mate, he does not believe that religion should be the deciding factor in choosing a running mate. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Other(s) have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both. Both sides of the debate have impressive reason and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment, he wrote. Mr Tinubu, like Mr Shettima, is a Muslim, and many Nigerians including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had cautioned all the political parties not to have presidential tickets in which the candidate and the running mate are of the same religion. Mr Tinubu, however, argued that religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine our path. He said his choice of Mr Shettima, does not, however, mean that he is insensitive to the religious concerns of many people. May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations. I will not and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people. Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance, he said. He said the kind of government he hopes to run if elected Nigerias president would focus on performance and competence and not ethnicity or religion. Our focus, therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations, he wrote. READ ALSO: Read Mr Tinubus full statement below. - Statement by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Flag Bearer of the All Progressives Congress on his Choice of the Vice Presidential Candidate. July 10, 2022* . 1. Fellow Nigerians, we enter a moment of renewed hope. We hold the chance to move the nation and our collective cause forward as never before. Let us seize this moment so that history may write kindly of us. 2. It is time to focus with utmost devotion and love of country to do all we can do to advance the ideals of democratic and progressive good governance in the land. 3. We must end poverty and bring greater prosperity and more lasting peace. Let us be wise of thought yet courageous in action, as we embark on a collective enterprise that brings jobs, education, food, medicine, hope and belief in a better life to those who need them. 4. I stand ready to begin this journey with you, hopefully, to lead the nation on this needed path as your next President by the grace of God. I believe this is a pivotal moment at which the dynamics of history and destiny call us forth to reshape our beloved nation. This is our moment. 5. We all must answer the nations call. For some, this requires of us that we step forward, assuming new roles and responsibilities. For others, it may mean something else. For all of us, it requires that we dedicate ourselves to the collective national task as never before. 6. To re-envision and reshape the nation, I must compose the best team possible, a team put together with but one overriding purpose: to forever establish just, capable, and compassionate governance for the people of Nigeria without regard to religion, region, or ethnic origin. 7. In the weeks since becoming the presidential candidate and standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have been touched as Nigerians from all walks of life have demonstrated their faith in my capacity to lead this country. I thank you for the outpourings of support for they reveal to me the hope you hold for this nations greatness. As long as we walk together and work together, we shall arrive at our national greatness together. To this glad and great endeavour, I fully devote myself and my future labour. 8. In full compliance with existing law and regulation, I submitted all necessary documents regarding my nomination as the APC presidential candidate to INEC. But, as was expected, the choice of my vice presidential running mate remained an open and burning question. 9. This gave rise to much speculation and debate. 10. Recent events [the voluntary withdrawal of my dear friend and brother Ibrahim Masari] mean that I am called upon, today, to put an end to the speculation. 11. I have never been an indecisive man and have no present intention to become one. 12. What I am, however, is a democrat. And a democrat must listen to, and consult with, the people and his advisors so that he may reform and govern wisely and on their behalf. This I have done. My political career was not built on blind indifference to the views of others. I appreciate the perspectives of leading members of the party, political allies and key national figures who see Nigerias future as I do. They gave me their views so that I might add their valuable insights to mine to reach the best decision possible and do so in a manner that strengthens the institutional fabric of our party as well as accelerating the evolution of our political democracy. 13. I am also a founding member of the APC. I hold our partys core principles close to heart such that I shall do nothing to betray the spirit in which the party was created. 14. Having now listened to the sage, careful advice of a broad section of the party and of the nation, there are a few points I feel I must make about the exceptional and extraordinary person with whom I will share the APC ticket and the principles of open and good governance that informed this choice. 15. A dominant theme of my political history and my personal life is my staunch belief in our diversity. Greatness lies in embracing our diversity and making it work to enhance the dynamism and justice of our political system. My selection of a running mate comports entirely with this longstanding inclination. 16. The concurrence of my party in this matter has been a source of comfort and encouragement. We are truly building a progressive party that not only represents a departure from other political parties but one that truly may well be the best hope for democratic good governance in Nigeria. 17. I realize the momentous times we have entered. I know what lies in the balance. I also know that our political choices and activities send both intended and unintended signals to portions of the Nigerian electorate. 18. All my life, my decisions regarding the team around and supporting me have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence. 19. When I was Governor of Lagos State, these principles helped me assemble one of the most capable governing cabinets any state or this nation has ever seen. I trust enough in these principles to allow them to, once more, guide me to construct another exemplary team that can do Nigeria proud. 20. Second, this chapter in our countrys history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach, a path already chartered by the progressive ethos of the APC. The foundation for sustainable progress has been laid these past seven years by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The challenges of today are consequential because the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians lie in the balance. Visionary and creative leadership will take us to our goal. 21. Our focus, therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations. 22. I am mindful of the energetic discourse concerning the possible religion of my running mate. Just and noble people have talked to me about this. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Other have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both. 23. Both sides of the debate have impressive reason and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment. As president, I hope to govern this nation toward uncommon progress. This will require innovation. It will require steps never before taken. It will also require decisions that are politically difficult and rare. 24. If I am to be that type of President, I must begin by being that type of candidate. Let me make the bold and innovative decision not to win political points but to move the nation and our partys campaign closer to the greatness that we were meant to achieve. 25. Here is where politics ends, and true leadership must begin. 26. Today, I announce my selection with pride because I have made it not based on religion or to please one community or the other. I made this choice because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region. 27. May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations. I will not and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people. Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance. But religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine our path. To forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics. 28. This is why, today, I announce the selection of SENATOR KASHIM SHETTIMA as my partner and running mate in the mission to advance and reclaim the fortunes of this great country and the hopes of its people. 29. Senator Kasim Shettimas career in politics and beyond shows that he is eminently qualified not only to deliver that all important electoral victory, but, also, step into the shoes of the Vice President. As a man with the talent, maturity, strength of character, and patriotism he has my implicit confidence and faith. 30. I am aware that many will continue focus on a particular detail, the question of his faith. 31. However, if we truly understand the challenges upon us a nation, then we must also see the imperative of placing competence in governance above religious sentiment. 32. In 1993, Nigerians embrace Chief MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe in one of our fairest elections ever held. 33. The spirit of 1993 is upon us again in 2023. 34. As such, the ticket we present today represents a milestone in our political history. It symbolizes our partys determination to be a leading light among political parties in Africa. 35. The democratic process and the decorum that characterised our presidential primaries and the selection of our vice presidential candidate exemplifies why we are the party of the people and of the betterment of their future. With this selection the All Progressives Congress surely shall continue to be the party that shows the way and carries this nation towards its best future. I implore you all to join with me on this journey to a brighter future. Signed. Asiwaju Bola A. Tinubu, APC Presidential candidate A Nigerian pastor has said that God will bring judgement soon on the perpetrators of evil in Nigeria. The pastor, Gabriel Ekong, said this on July 3 in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigerias South-south, while ministering during Church Service on Sunday in his church, All Christian Gospel Centre. Mr Ekong, who was ministering on the topic, Gods vengeance, said the month of July shall be the month of Gods judgement. He said: God shall show vengeance on every activity of wickedness. God shall dispense judgement on the perpetrators of evil in Nigeria. The pastor quoted a verse in the Bible, Deuteronomy 32:35, and said God says vengeance belongs to Him (God). He counselled Christians not to repay evil with evil. Dont help God fight your battle. You can only call upon Him. Dont take a machete, dont take a knife, dont take any weapon to fight because someone has done you harm. He has said vengeance is mine. That is why we came to pray, that is why we came to fast. Exodus 14: 14 says, The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. That has nothing to do with self-defence. No scripture has told us we should not defend ourselves. (But) if anyone has done you evil, and you came to know it, leave it to God, Mr Ekong said. Continuing, the pastor said: Many have shed blood, many have killed, many have gone to the devil because of wanting to retaliate. The pastor, relying on several Bible verses, spoke about how notable figures in the Bible deployed prayers to achieve victories against wickedness. He said God will fight the battle for Nigeria. Mr Ekong intermittently made some prophetic declarations while ministering. Carry your hands above your head, he said to the congregants. In the month of Gods judgement, you shall see God fight for you! Amen! the congregants responded. He said one way Christians can provoke Gods vengeance is for them to remain innocent of whatever is happening around them. You cannot provoke God to fight your battle if you are a culprit. You have to be innocent. The God of innocence is strong. He is mighty. Never cry to God to fight your battle if you are not innocent, he said. Service to God and humanity is another way of provoking Gods vengeance, he said. If you dont have a record of service before God, you are in trouble. If you have not done anything to help God and humanity, you are in trouble, check Daniel 6: 20, he said. Nigeria is going through tough security challenges, with terrorists, kidnappers and criminal gangs reigning in several parts of the country. Terrorists recently attacked Kuje prison in Abuja and released several suspected Boko Haram terrorists. A 26-year-old Nigerian, Aloysius Onyekwe, has allegedly excreted 47 wraps of Cocaine after he was arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA). Mr Onyekwe was arrested in Ibadan, following an intelligence report shared by the State Security Service (SSS). The Director, Media and Advocacy, NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja. Mr Babafemi said the desperate bid by the alleged drug trafficker to travel by road to Algeria through Sokoto State with ingested 47 wraps of cocaine in his stomach was frustrated by NDLEA personnel. He said that Mr Onyekwe, who hailed from Owerri West LGA, Imo State, was arrested on July 3 at Ojoo Park, Ibadan, where he went to board a vehicle en route Sokoto to Algeria. According to Mr Babafemi, the suspect travelled with an 18-year-old lady, Blessing Nwoke. The father of a 10-month-old child passed out the 47 pellets of cocaine in five excretions. He confessed that he began his journey to Algeria from Cele area of Okota, Lagos, where he ingested the illicit drug, weighing 1.1kg, he said. Also in Oyo State, at least 1,900 tablets of Tramadol 225mg were seized from a drug dealer, Mustapha Ijabula, 22, who hailed from the Mubi area of Adamawa. Mr Babafemi said Mr Ijabula, who was arrested in a Yola, Adamawa-bound commercial vehicle, stopped for a routine search along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. In Akwa Ibom state, a trans-border trafficker, Fonkou Dassi, 31, was on Friday arrested with 6,000 tablets of Tramadol 225mg weighing 3kg by officers of Marine Unit of the agency. This was when a commercial boat he boarded was intercepted and searched on his way to Cameroon. The suspect concealed the recovered drugs inside Indomie noodles cartoon, he said. In the same vein, a wanted drug dealer, Uduak Samuel, 29, was arrested on Tuesday, July 5 after attending a court proceeding where his wife was undergoing trial in another drug case. Mr Babafemi said the suspect had abandoned a Cannabis sativa exhibit weighing 9kg when his house was searched on June 27 and had been on the run since then. During his arrest, Mr Uduak was still found in possession of a wrap of skunk, he said. Meanwhile, in Edo State, an alleged notorious drug dealer, Beauty Dauda, 27, was arrested with various quantities of Meth, heroin, cannabis, and crack cocaine in a densely populated slum along Lagos bypass, Benin City. Mr Babafemi said that Ms Dauda was arrested on July 6 after NDLEA operatives broke through the ring of protection often provided to her by hoodlums and touts in the area. (NAN) First responders work the scene after a 'mass casualty' crash on I90 near Hardin closed the interstate on Friday evening. According to the Mon Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun says All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the July 16 governorship election in the state by a wide margin. According to him, winning his re-election is to consolidate his achievements in the last three-and-a-half years. The governor said this during an engagement meeting with the state chapter of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), on Sunday in Osogbo. Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the governor, however, appealed to the electorate not to be deceived by desperate politicians. Mr Oyetola, who said he had been serving the state diligently since the beginning of his administration, said that those who lacked administrative capacity must not be allowed to truncate the developmental process in the state. The governor said he was optimistic of winning the election by a wide margin. He said his party was prepared and ready to ensure his victory through the support of the electorate. My desire is to win the July 16 election well, even with a wide margin. The electorate are on my side; my achievements are there to speak for me and God is willing to crown my efforts, he said. Mr Oyetola, however, appealed to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes. He said they should not allow those who were bragging to win the election with dollars and euros to sabotage their future with peanuts. I want to appeal to the electorate to resist the temptation of selling their votes to desperate politicians. Osun is not for sale, neither are the people of the state for sale. Those who are bragging around with dollars to win the election have nothing to offer. They are only desperate to get the power without anything tangible to offer the state; we must not allow them to have access to our treasury, he said. Mr Oyetola assured that he would not renege on his campaign promises, adding that the general welfare of the masses would continue to be his utmost priority. My second term will be for service, more than ever before. I will not relent because that is why I am the governor. The welfare of the masses, prompt payment of workers salaries and pension, empowerment, youth engagement, improved economy, health and education, among others, will not stop, he said. Mr Oyetola urged the electorate to use their permanent voter cards (PVCS) to ensure victory for him and APC for the good work he had been doing to continue. The governor also warned politicians against violence, adding that the election should not be seen as a do-or-die. Mr Oyetola said anyone caught perpetrating violence before, during and after the election would be dealt with in accordance with the law. Osun is known for peace and we should not allow anything, not even the election, to truncate the peaceful atmosphere. Election should not be seen as a do-or-die, but as an avenue to serve humanity. I appeal to all the political gladiators in the Osun to abide by the rules of the election for the sake of peace. Anyone caught causing violence, no matter how highly placed, will be dealt with by security agencies, he said. The governor, however, said his administration would continue to support the farmers with necessary farm inputs and implements. Oyetola said his government had set aside 1,000 hectares of land for farming to boost food sufficiency and make the state the food basket of the South-West zone. The initiative, according to him, is to rejuvenate the agricultural sector by making it more attractive and productive for farmers, particularly the young ones. In his remarks, AFAN Chairman in the state, Suleiman Araokanmi, commended the governor for his various interventions in the agricultural sector in the state. Mr Araokanmi, however, appealed to government to give more farm inputs to farmers to enhance food production. He also pledged his associations support for the re-election bid of the governor. (NAN) The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has called on the Nigerian public to disregard a video produced by a former aviation minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, on the recent jailbreak at the Kuje Custodial Centre in Abuja. Defence spokesperson Jimmy Akpor stated this in a statement on Saturday. PREMIUM TIMES reported how Boko Haram terrorists attacked 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. About half of the inmates that escaped are still at large. PREMIUM TIMES also reported that an NSCDC officer and four inmates were killed during the attack. Following the attack, Mr Fani-Kayode took to his social media page to blame the Nigerian military for complicity in the attack. He particularly blamed the attack on the lackadaisical response of the military, despite getting a prior alert from the secret police before the attack. But in its reaction, the DHQ said the allegations against it by Mr Fani-Kayode were untrue and unsubstantiated. In all these allegations, Mr Kayode is merely playing to the gallery. He is not in any position to know whether the DSS notified the military of any attack or not. It may not be impossible that such a claim is part of a calculated attempt to cause division and rivalry amongst all Government Agencies that have been working collaboratively in addressing issues of insecurity in the country, Mr Akpor, a major general and spokesperson of the DHQ, said. He said the former ministers claim that soldiers were withdrawn from the Kuje Correctional Custodial Centre before the attack was laughable, adding, It is sad that Mr Kayode is ignorant of whose responsibility it is to guard prison. On the recent terrorist attack in Shiroro, Niger State, which led to the death of some soldiers, policemen and members of the public, Mr Akpor said Mr Fani-Kayodes claim that the military took no action, was an attempt to smear the military and create bad blood between service personnel and the military high command. A despicable statement that dishonours the sacrifices of the gallant officers and soldiers that paid the supreme price whilst responding in defence of the civilians and the mining community. What a shame! Mr Kayode is encouraged to pay more attention to the weekly briefs by Defence Media Operations. Defence Media Operations gives weekly briefs/updates on operations being conducted across the country; press releases on military operations are also made when the need arises, it said. The spokesperson urged the public to disregard the former minister whom he described as a rabble-rouser who specialised in spreading falsehood. Read full details of the statement: RE: UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE ARMED FORCES OF NIGERIA BY MR FEMI FANI-KAYODE IN A VIRAL VIDEO IN CIRCULATION The attention of the Defence Headquarters has been drawn to a video produced by Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, wherein he made wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the Armed Forces of Nigeria, regarding the recent spate of terrorist attacks particularly, the attack of the prison in Kuje Abuja on 5 July 2022. Ordinarily the video and its maker would have been ignored, considering the antecedents of the person behind it as a known Rabble-Rouser. However, in the interest of members of the public who might be misled by the deliberate falsehood and the sensibilities of service personnel and their families who have been paying dearly to keep Nigerians safe, it has become urgent to respond to the video currently circulating in the social media. Among other allegations, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode claimed that the Department of State Security (DSS) informed the military about the impending attack on Kuje Custodial Centre and even the previous attack on the Kaduna Abuja rail service. He also claimed that soldiers were withdrawn shortly before the prison attack. In all these allegations, Mr Kayode is merely playing to the gallery. He is not in any position to know whether the DSS notified the military of any attack or not. It may not be impossible that such a claim is part of a calculated attempt to cause division and rivalry amongst all Government Agencies that have been working collaboratively in addressing issues of insecurity in the country. The claim that soldiers were withdrawn from the Kuje Correctional Custodial Centre before the attack is laughable. It is sad that Mr Kayode is ignorant of whose responsibility it to guard prison. Mr Femi Kayode further claimed that the military took no action on the recent Shiroro terrorists attack, which resulted in the unfortunate death of some soldiers, some policemen and members of the public. This is also an attempt to smear the military and create bad blood between service personnel and the military high command. A despicable statement that dishonours the sacrifices of the gallant officers and soldiers that paid the supreme price whilst responding in defence of the civilians and the mining community. What a shame! Mr Kayode is encouraged to pay more attention to the weekly briefs by Defence Media Operations. Defence Media Operations gives weekly briefs/updates on operations being conducted across the country; press releases on military operations are also made when the need arises. Mr Fani-Kayode is also called to refresh himself on the constitutional roles of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. In all, subordination to civil authority, is key. It is pertinent to state that, the Nigerian Armed Forces has toiled to sustain and nurture our democracy, hence the same military cannot contemplate a coup de tat, as alluded to by Mr Kayode in his video. The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Lucky Irabor has always stressed the unalloyed loyalty of the Armed Forces of Nigeria to the President, Commander-in-Chief and the Nigerian Constitution. Accordingly, as the 2023 General Elections approach, desperate persons must depart from their evil ways, for never again would they lure the military into their wicked machinations. If a confession must be made, Nigerians must know now: the military is always the worse victim of military rule. Finally, in a miserable attempt to malign the leadership of the military, Mr Kayode gave the impression that, while junior military commanders and non-commissioned officers are working hard, senior commanders are doing nothing. This is sheer ignorance and nothing more. Mr Kayode is completely oblivious of the fact that in the military, orders, instructions and directives are issued from the hierarchy to the lower rungs of command. Therefore, junior commanders cannot be working hard while their superiors are idle. This is indeed a difficult time for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole. It is not time for attention-seeking individuals to cause needless distractions. Members of the public are therefore urged to ignore Mr Femi Fani-Kayode and continue to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly to law enforcement agencies. JIMMY AKPOR Major General Director Defence Information 09 July 2022 President Muhammadu Buhari has advised Nigerian youth to look beyond culture, ethnicity and religion in relating with one another. He also urged them to embark on more travels, mingling, tolerance and negotiations to appreciate the rich diversity of the country. The president gave the advice when he received members of the National Youth Service Corps serving in his country home, Daura, Katsina State on Saturday. According to Mr Buhari, a regular interface and a broader vision of Nigeria as a whole will improve relationships, especially among the youth. The presidents media aide, Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja, quoted Mr Buhari as saying: Thank you so much for coming to see me. I have been away from home since Sallah celebration a year ago. And my attention has been on Nigeria, which is bigger than my town. Every time I meet former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, I always thank him for the NYSC, which helps people to move all over Nigeria. Before the NYSC there were people who had never moved out of their locality. The president said the scheme broadened the horizon for many over the years and reduced the tensions and misunderstandings that exist between strangers. When I joined the army, I was posted to Abeokuta and then Lagos. And I have travelled all over Nigeria, he added. Mr Buhari told the youth corps members to keep expanding their views on life and opportunities, and avoid the limitations of culture, ethnicity and religion by exploring technology to network, even beyond borders, ensure personal development and a more competitive means of livelihood. We are reaching a time where you dont have to get education and start looking for government jobs. What happens when government job is not there? You get educated and equip yourself for bigger opportunities, mostly provided by technology, he said. The president said the youth and all Nigerians must learn to live together with one another. In his remarks, the Corps Liaison Officer (CLO), Douglas Damina, thanked the president for encouraging the sustenance of the NYSC and promoting youth inclusiveness and empowerment. Mr President, we pray that the Almighty God will accept your prayers and remember your sacrifices for the nation, he said. Mr Damina told the president that the corps members had achieved a lot in community development, renovating three motor boreholes, training 350 youth in various skills, and encouraging proper hygiene, especially among women. The president donated two bulls, 10 rams and N1 million to the corps members for the celebration. (NAN) Despite clear evidence of managements directive for the immediate implementation of the policy, the management of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has denied the addition of N1,000 daily electricity fee to the service charge of admitted patients in the hospital. The hospital in a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES Saturday claimed that the circular approving the addition of the fee was an internal memo that the university teaching hospital did not implement. Signed by the public relations officer of the hospital, Toye Akinrinola, the hospital said the statement has since been withdrawn. The latest statement further claimed that there was no time the hospital charged such a fee, adding that the hospital will continue to attend to patients irrespective of status. The statement read in part: The attention of the Management of the University College Hospital, Ibadan, has been drawn to a publication in all sections of the media alleging that the hospital is charging N1,000.00 per patient daily for electricity. The hospital wishes to state that the memo being referred to was an internal memo which we did not implement after a thorough review from internal mechanisms for such issues and has since been withdrawn. At no point did the hospital charge electricity fee. The management of the hospital is not oblivious of the fact that the said publication could have a negative effect on our patients, we are assuring the public that we shall continue to deliver effective and efficient healthcare to Nigerians irrespective of status. Meanwhile, the management had earlier confirmed the development and internal sources said that the patients paid N1,000 each on Monday, July 4, 2022. Hospitals earlier reaction When PREMIUM TIMES visited the hospital, an official at the works department, who requested anonymity for fear of sanction, explained that the hospital is currently running on a huge loss and had to improvise by adding the N1,000 to patients service charge. The source added that the hospital receives between N50 and N60 million in electricity bills every month from the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC). You are aware that diesel is very costly, as we have to rely on the public power supply and then the bill by our electricity distributor- IBEDC, is also now very high. We receive between N50 and N60 million naira every month here and this is not a corporate organisation, we are serving humanity. So because we cannot maintain such a bill, we had to look for ways of sustainability, the source said. The more power we have, the higher the bill, the official added, noting that oftentimes the hospital experiences a recurring power outage, and would be forced to run power generating sets for hours. The source also emphasised that the hospital cannot afford a total blackout because of the emergency units that need constant power and water supply. A non-clinical staff member, who also requested anonymity, confirmed that patients had started paying the fees since Monday, July 4, 2022. READ ALSO: Nigerian university hospital imposes N1,000 daily electricity bill on admitted patients Patients paid and were even complaining that after collecting N1,000 they didnt restore the light until later in the afternoon, around 1:00 pm, he said. Diesel donation Also when contacted, the public relations officer noted that there is more to the development than what is being circulated. He added that some well-meaning Nigerians have started donating diesel to support the hospital. On June 4, 2022, the hospital received the donation of 1,000 litres from Lanre Laoshe, a former member of Nigerias House of Representatives. Mr Laoshe said he was worried by the addition of N1,000 for electricity to the service charges of patients. The hospital, in a post on its official Facebook Page, thanked the donor for the gesture. Mr Akinrinola also told PREMIUM TIMES that the hospital is experiencing a recurring power outage from the IBEDC as it has to run power generating sets for hours. We need diesel. Nigerians should focus on helping us rather than castigating us over the N1,000 electricity fee. IBEDC is also having internal issues that are affecting us here, so we need more diesel. Everyone should emulate Mr Lanre Laoshe who called the hospital from Lagos to sympathise with UCH over the current power problem and later promised 1,000 litres of diesel as his contribution. Interestingly, by about 5 p.m. on Monday, July 4, 2022, the promised diesel was delivered to the hospital, Mr Akinrinola said. Bola Tinubu, the presidential flag bearer of the ruling APC, on Sunday, said Nigerians must choose competence and capacity ahead of ethnicity and religion in their choice of leaders in 2023. Mr Tinubu said this a statement personally signed by him shortly after he announced Kashim Shettima, a serving senator, as his running mate. Despite the opposition from some quarters to a Muslim/Muslim ticket, Mr Tinubu said he chose Mr Shettima because he believes he is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region. He said to forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, Nigerians must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics, he said. This newspaper had earlier reported that Mr Tinubu chose Mr Shettima, a serving senator and two-term governor of Borno State, as his running mate while on a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State. The former Lagos governor was accompanied on the visit by the Katsina State governor, Bello Masari. Read the full statement below: Statement by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Flag Bearer of the All Progressives Congress on his Choice of the Vice Presidential Candidate. July 10, 2022* . 1. Fellow Nigerians, we enter a moment of renewed hope. We hold the chance to move the nation and our collective cause forward as never before. Let us seize this moment so that history may write kindly of us. 2. It is time to focus with utmost devotion and love of country to do all we can do to advance the ideals of democratic and progressive good governance in the land. 3. We must end poverty and bring greater prosperity and more lasting peace. Let us be wise of thought yet courageous in action, as we embark on a collective enterprise that brings jobs, education, food, medicine, hope and belief in a better life to those who need them. 4. I stand ready to begin this journey with you, hopefully, to lead the nation on this needed path as your next President by the grace of God. I believe this is a pivotal moment at which the dynamics of history and destiny call us forth to reshape our beloved nation. This is our moment. 5. We all must answer the nations call. For some, this requires of us that we step forward, assuming new roles and responsibilities. For others, it may mean something else. For all of us, it requires that we dedicate ourselves to the collective national task as never before. 6. To re-envision and reshape the nation, I must compose the best team possible, a team put together with but one overriding purpose: to forever establish just, capable, and compassionate governance for the people of Nigeria without regard to religion, region, or ethnic origin. READ ALSO: 7. In the weeks since becoming the presidential candidate and standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), I have been touched as Nigerians from all walks of life have demonstrated their faith in my capacity to lead this country. I thank you for the outpourings of support for they reveal to me the hope you hold for this nations greatness. As long as we walk together and work together, we shall arrive at our national greatness together. To this glad and great endeavour, I fully devote myself and my future labour. 8. In full compliance with existing law and regulation, I submitted all necessary documents regarding my nomination as the APC presidential candidate to INEC. But, as was expected, the choice of my vice presidential running mate remained an open and burning question. 9. This gave rise to much speculation and debate. 10. Recent events [the voluntary withdrawal of my dear friend and brother Ibrahim Masari] mean that I am called upon, today, to put an end to the speculation. 11. I have never been an indecisive man and have no present intention to become one. 12. What I am, however, is a democrat. And a democrat must listen to, and consult with, the people and his advisors so that he may reform and govern wisely and on their behalf. This I have done. My political career was not built on blind indifference to the views of others. I appreciate the perspectives of leading members of the party, political allies and key national figures who see Nigerias future as I do. They gave me their views so that I might add their valuable insights to mine to reach the best decision possible and do so in a manner that strengthens the institutional fabric of our party as well as accelerating the evolution of our political democracy. 13. I am also a founding member of the APC. I hold our partys core principles close to heart such that I shall do nothing to betray the spirit in which the party was created. 14. Having now listened to the sage, careful advice of a broad section of the party and of the nation, there are a few points I feel I must make about the exceptional and extraordinary person with whom I will share the APC ticket and the principles of open and good governance that informed this choice. 15. A dominant theme of my political history and my personal life is my staunch belief in our diversity. Greatness lies in embracing our diversity and making it work to enhance the dynamism and justice of our political system. My selection of a running mate comports entirely with this longstanding inclination. 16. The concurrence of my party in this matter has been a source of comfort and encouragement. We are truly building a progressive party that not only represents a departure from other political parties but one that truly may well be the best hope for democratic good governance in Nigeria. 17. I realize the momentous times we have entered. I know what lies in the balance. I also know that our political choices and activities send both intended and unintended signals to portions of the Nigerian electorate. 18. All my life, my decisions regarding the team around and supporting me have always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence. 19. When I was Governor of Lagos State, these principles helped me assemble one of the most capable governing cabinets any state or this nation has ever seen. I trust enough in these principles to allow them to, once more, guide me to construct another exemplary team that can do Nigeria proud. 20. Second, this chapter in our countrys history demands a bold yet pragmatic approach, a path already chartered by the progressive ethos of the APC. The foundation for sustainable progress has been laid these past seven years by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The challenges of today are consequential because the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians lie in the balance. Visionary and creative leadership will take us to our goal. 21. Our focus, therefore, must be on getting the job done; and that means getting the very best and competent people to do it. In this crucial moment, where so much is at stake, we must prioritize leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations. 22. I am mindful of the energetic discourse concerning the possible religion of my running mate. Just and noble people have talked to me about this. Some have counselled that I should select a Christian to please the Christian community. Other have said I should pick a Muslim to appeal to the Muslim community. Clearly, I cannot do both. 23. Both sides of the debate have impressive reason and passionate arguments supporting their position. Both arguments are right in their own way. But neither is right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment. As president, I hope to govern this nation toward uncommon progress. This will require innovation. It will require steps never before taken. It will also require decisions that are politically difficult and rare. 24. If I am to be that type of President, I must begin by being that type of candidate. Let me make the bold and innovative decision not to win political points but to move the nation and our partys campaign closer to the greatness that we were meant to achieve. 25. Here is where politics ends, and true leadership must begin. 26. Today, I announce my selection with pride because I have made it not based on religion or to please one community or the other. I made this choice because I believe this is the man who can help me bring the best governance to all Nigerians, period, regardless of their religious affiliation or considerations of ethnicity or region. 27. May I say this to all of you, especially to those who will be disappointed in my selection based on religious considerations. I will not and cannot ignore the religious concerns and ethnic sensitivities of our people. Taking them into due consideration is an important part of good and able governance. But religion, ethnicity and region cannot always and fully determine our path. To forge ahead as a nation toward development and prosperity, we must break free of old binds. We must recalibrate our political calculations to where competence and fairness matter more than reductive demographics. 28. This is why, today, I announce the selection of SENATOR KASHIM SHETTIMA as my partner and running mate in the mission to advance and reclaim the fortunes of this great country and the hopes of its people. 29. Senator Kasim Shettimas career in politics and beyond shows that he is eminently qualified not only to deliver that all important electoral victory, but, also, step into the shoes of the Vice President. As a man with the talent, maturity, strength of character, and patriotism he has my implicit confidence and faith. 30. I am aware that many will continue focus on a particular detail, the question of his faith. 31. However, if we truly understand the challenges upon us a nation, then we must also see the imperative of placing competence in governance above religious sentiment. 32. In 1993, Nigerians embrace Chief MKO Abiola and a fellow Muslim running mate, Baba Gana Kingibe in one of our fairest elections ever held. 33. The spirit of 1993 is upon us again in 2023. 34. As such, the ticket we present today represents a milestone in our political history. It symbolizes our partys determination to be a leading light among political parties in Africa. 35. The democratic process and the decorum that characterised our presidential primaries and the selection of our vice presidential candidate exemplifies why we are the party of the people and of the betterment of their future. With this selection the All Progressives Congress surely shall continue to be the party that shows the way and carries this nation towards its best future. I implore you all to join with me on this journey to a brighter future. Signed. Asiwaju Bola A. Tinubu, APC Presidential candidate For those who watch Nigerias complicated security mess from afar, the killing of Japanese ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Nara, Japan, last Tuesday and the ambushing, on the same day, of President Muhammadu Buharis advance convoy in Dutsinma, about 152 kilometres from his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, both speak to rising global insecurity. A few hours after on that same Tuesday, that joke went burst. Approximately three hours after shelling the presidents advance convoy with an assortment of bullets, killing two people in the process, around 10pm, terrorists stormed the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, in a night-time attack that left a security personnel and six inmates dead, with about 600 inmates, 65 reported to be detained Boko Haram inmates, at large. Arriving the prison in a convoy of motorcycles, the terrorists detonated several bombs and deployed Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and a profusion of AK-49 assault rifles, AK-47 assault rifles, as well as service pistols to aid their penetration of the prison. Once inside the prison, the terrorists had what looked like a saturnalia. First was that they reportedly entered the Kuje prison facility through the bush and from its backend. This path was where the Nigerian military armoured tanker guarding the facility was stationed, with its dilating-eyed, readied platoon of sharp-shooters. So they drove in, unchecked and without any shred of resistance. Reports had it that this area that the terrorists trod into the custodial centre was usually manned by army officers who the Army authorities deployed about 12 hours before the attack took place. This location is the first contact of anyone meandering into the facility, which the terrorists also did as they arrived the facility. Strolling in without any resistance the terrorists approached the Civil Defence officers point. Were the situation normal, this was where a hailstone of bullets ought to have been rained on the terrorists by soldiers. Again, in a very suggestive way, the terrorists did not do any violence to the armoured tanker they met, en-route the facility. They did not even rupture a pin of the deadly machines parts. If you compare this magnanimity of the terrorists with the fit of madness they went into by setting ablaze several vehicles parked about 10 metres off the military tanker in the premises of the Kuje prison, the terrorists deserved a national award for helping to safeguard national asset. In all however, you will conclude, as the Yoruba say when they suspect an admixture of mischief and Satanism, that the snake, in this circumstance of the Kuje attack, indeed had its hidden hands tucked off view. For two hours and forty five minutes, the terrorists, reportedly numbering about 300, annexed Kuje as a temporary headquarters of their Satanic Empire. Thereafter, they set the prisons records office on fire. If the maishayi in charge of serving the terrorist comrades their hard drugs-embossed tea was in the mood to follow them to that triumphant rescue of their comrades in Kuje, he would have had a field day serving them while the operation lasted. One after the other, the terrorists, who gained access to the facility by bombing the walls with explosives, reportedly called the over 60 terrorists in captivity by their names and bombed the cell doors open. Shouts of grisly, triumphal Allahu akbar rend the air, entwined by huge balls of fire and booms of bazookas and bombs. Kuje would feel like a theatre of war reminiscent of the bombings in Sarajevo during the Bosnia and Herzegovina war of the early to mid-1990s. Then, the terrorists began a long sermon on Jihadism and winning of souls of the inmates. Before releasing their comrades in terrorism, comprising 64 high-profile terrorists and more than 260 other hardened criminals who were set free, media reports said that the terrorists peremptorily breached the custodial facilitys security without a single pushback from the security that was usually deployed to Kuje prison. Indeed, said media reports, no single shot was fired by a platoon of security men in Kuje that comprised military, DSS, Police, Immigration/Prisons Armed Squad. More petrifying was the report which indicated that the expended bullet shells that were seen on the floor after the attack were left as terrifying memorabilia of the terrorists superiority over the Nigerian state. The Nigerian security, made up of same gallant officers who received garlands from the United Nations in peacekeeping operations in Darfur, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Chad, among others, like frightened cats that tuck their tails inside thighs when outpaced, all faded into thin air for the almost three hours of the attack. Gallant officers that they were, they only reappeared when their terrorist comrades had completed their national assignments, on the verge of leaving in a triumphal celebration. Very unlike him, with his globally celebrated medallion for pussyfooting and national aloofness, President Buhari was in Kuje almost immediately. And I must say that he deserves national commendation for the brilliant performance of the role that the Producer of the national opera cast for him. The second day, being Wednesday, on his way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport for an international junket to Dakar, Senegal which he could very well have sent his Vice, Buhari actually honoured Nigeria with his august visit to Kuje. As a symbol of national shame that the attack was, Buhari could have, there and then, announced his decision to abandon the junket, a number of which, in the last two months, have since become the paterfamilias of his departing lame duck administration. So Buhari stopped by at the Kuje Correctional Centre and for about 30 minutes, played his cast role in the surreal drama quite commendably. Like a knowledgeable cast who understood his role well enough, Buhari openly queried the intelligence gathering system in Kuje which resulted in the attack. He expressed worry at the level of damage done and queried, for optical effect of the camera, How did the defences at the prison fail to prevent the attack? How many inmates were in the facility? How many of them can you account for? How many personnel did you have on duty? How many of them were armed? Were there guards on the watchtower? What did they do? Does the CCTV work? Smart Nollywood actor this was! After effectively performing his cast role, as they say in Shakespearean theatre lingo, Buhari exeunted. Then came unto the scene another of the cast, Garba Shehu. Untutored, this cast immediately provided a poetic enjambment to this inchoate poem of sorrow. This is a cast who always provides comedic relief to every of the grief-stricken drama of the presidency. As if one knew that the Abe Shinzo tragedy in Japan would be alluded to by this actor, Shehu, reacting to allegation that by flying directly from a place of mourning to his junket rendezvous, Buhari did worse than Nero who fiddled while Rome burnt, he said that, not embarking on the trip by Buhari would have meant that government should stop working. No nation stops working because they faced terrorist threats, Shehu said in a quote that sounded like an inspirational talk to a crowd at the graveyard. To cancel the trip to Senegal would mean that the terrorists are successful in calling the shots, something that no responsible government in the world will allow, Shehu said so glibly. Not long after Buhari departed to play his Nero flute, dramatic ironies began to appear in the melancholic drama at Kuje. First was a cast whose lines became a dramatic disjuncture from the whole script. Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, said he saw the Kuje snake hiding its hands within its belly. On a visit to the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Lawan said such cataclysmic and huge attack, without a pushback, could only have been made possible with insider collaboration. Similarly, the man in whose hands lies the operations of the prison, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, while leading his team from the ministry to the custodial centre, shockingly demurred from this well-written script of the presidency. In his usually simulated stoicism, the minister revealed that what happened in Kuje was mysterious and benumbing, so much that he was not ready to disclose its awful details in public. He said he was disappointed by the effete defence of the platoon of the Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCD) and armed officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service, who were armed with sophisticated weapons deployed to the centre who turned their backs while the shelling lasted. As we speak, from Buhari, to the National Security Adviser, the Minister of Interior, to even the Chief of Army Staff, no one has resigned their appointment. Like many of the Buhari administrations puerile attempt to hide behind a finger, the raison detre of this national embarrassment has since been a subject of discourse on the streets of Nigeria. As they say in street lingo, Nigerians have concluded that the closet burial that Buhari gave his secretly interred body has its legs jutting out for all to see. The Kuje attack, to Nigerians, is the final denouement of the earlier national calamitous opera of the kidnap of train passengers in Katari on March 28, 2022. On that day, at around 7:45 pm, hundreds of passengers, rumoured to be numbering about 970, were abducted by bandits. Eight persons were killed and 26 others injured by terrorists who bombed their train. Several of them were whisked into the bush by the daredevil bandits. Over 150 passengers were declared missing in the encounter. Negotiations then began between the Federal Government and the terrorists. To rev up the importance of the negotiation, the terrorists released a video that went viral of the abducted passengers sitting under a tree in an unknown location. Media reports claimed that the terrorists demanded the release of their sponsors and commanders in the custody of the Nigerian government as exchange for the abducted victims. This was not the first time the Buhari government would exchange insurgent commanders with abductees. Some months ago when it did, their release paved way for a rev of the insurgency. Street rationalisation cobbled the strands of the Kuje attack together, especially the irresistance of state-funded security operatives to the calamitous Kuje attack. It came to the conclusion that the effeminate, terrorists-sympathetic government of a retired General of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Muhammadu Buhari, unable to rescue its people, agreed with the terrorists that it would feign engagement with other things while the attacks on the Kuje centre was going on. The question then became, what kind of unequal equation would ensure that a government is unable to rescue its people from terrorists while terrorists brazed all odds to rescue their people from the hands of government? Though it is a route often taken by pacifist and sissy governments, you could say that the Buhari administration, in this equation of what to do with the abducted Nigerians by the terrorists, was before the devil and the deep blue sea. However, the larger indication of the Kuje attack is that terrorists are on the verge of overrunning Nigeria. And Buhari doesnt care, so far as it is his family members that are doing so. A revelation was made a few years ago that terrorists were all over the Abuja seat of power. When Buhari was being voted into office in 2015, it was on the understanding that a military General, who had risen to the rank of a Major General, was the right person to shell out the insurgents from their base. However, we miscalculated in not realizing the terrorism-baiting inclination and persuasion of the man we were voting into office. At the end of the day, Nigerians became the proverbial farmer who knew that his new farmland was under the grips of squirrels but stubbornly went ahead to make it a plantation of groundnuts. Shouldnt he have himself to blame as squirrels devoured his harvests? A very daringly frightening collation of ten examples of General Buharis alleged romance with or terrorism-baiting moves was compiled in a viral post last week on the social media. It gave an indication that, with the voting of Buhari into office in 2015, Nigerians might not have voted a Boko Haram supporter into office but they didnt vote a non-terrorism sympathizer as well. Beginning with the famous 2012 news report of Boko Haram reportedly picking General Buhari to moderate its talks with the Goodluck Jonathan government, another June 2, 2013 report quoted to have been said by Buhari urging Jonathan government to stop killing Boko Haram members with Buhari equating a military offensive against Boko Haram as anti-North, as well as a report on November 26, 2018 attributed to some South African mercenaries who allegedly claimed that Buhari stopped them from fighting Boko Haram insurgents, the impression on the street about Buhari isnt that he runs a terrorism disdainful government. If you now add these to a worrying list of Buhari governments soft landing for insurgents who have killed thousands of Nigerian soldiers, rendered thousands homeless and created so many IDPs in the north, like a February 11, 2020 report that the FG was setting our killers free attributed to Nigerian soldiers over the release of 1400 Boko Haram fighters, a fertile ground would seem to have been excavated for the insinuations that arose after the Kuje prison attack. It is on record that in Buharis Nigeria, where citizens are forced to enroll to have National Identification Number before they can have cell phone numbers allocated to them and non-possession of which invalidates phone possession, terrorists and kidnappers flaunt the use of mobile phones in negotiation of ransoms. The allegation is that Boko Haram sympathizers and accomplices envelope the government of Muhammadu Buhari and his telecommunication ministry is its base. If the Kuje permutation above that is being bandied on Nigerian street is real, did those who midwife the attack think of its consequences for Nigeria? Allowing terrorists a free rein in Kuje, a few kilometers away from Aso Rock, is a grim construct that evokes a very eerie feeling of foreboding. One is that it invests on the terrorists a can-do spirit. Who says they cannot try the presidential palace, using the same derring-do methodology? Second, 64 freed lethal insurgents on the street of the FCT makes Abuja equal to stepping on landmines. What kind of government hands over its people to terror-minded enemies like this? The Buhari governments perceived relationship with insurgents is a tragic irony and an embarrassment to the country. It reveals that the government has turned Nigeria into one huge and horrific jokesville. However, as bad as it is, our bother now should not be on Buhari as it is a lost battle. It should be on how, in 2023, this country will not clone this same cataclysmic mistake in electing its leadership. We must elect a president whose sprit is riled by terrorism. Since 1999, the only administration that possessed this national anger and the capacity to rout insurgents was Olusegun Obasanjos. Since Obasanjos departure, the country has oscillated in the hands of the feeble, the unable to the embracer of terrorism. May the soul of that lone NSDC operative, the only man who was said to have attempted to repel the attack of the Kuje terrorists, rest in perfect peace. Re: Nigerian Politicians and the Pestilence of Forged, Missing Certificates The attention of the family of Dr Abyssinia Akwaeke Nwafor Orizu have been drawn to the above article written by Festus Adedayo on Sunday 3rd of July 2022. We wish to express our shock and dismay on how the name of our father, Dr. Akwaeke Nwafor Orizu, a former Nigerian Senate president and a one time acting president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was audaciously listed among high ranking politicians that have paraded fake degree certificates and titles in the past. This is a grave injustice in lieu of the fact that the article was about high profile Nigerian politicians with dubious certificates. Our father who was never found guilty of falsifying his academic qualifications; in fact his academic qualifications are public knowledge up till this day, but to our chagrin, he was viciously brought into the picture. The reason for including our fathers name in this kind of piece is surprising to us as a family. 1937, He passed the junior Cambridge Exam through private studies. 1939, January 28, He left Nigeria for the USA to become the 14th West African, 10th Nigerian and eighth Igbo man to go to the USA for studies. He registered with Lincoln University Pennsylvania USA. In 1940, he left from Lincoln to Ohio State Universit,y where he obtained a BA degree in Political Science and Pre-Law. In 1944, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Columbia University in New York City, from where he obtained a masters degree in Public Law and Government. On May 27, 1948, he was awarded a doctorate degree of Law (LLD) by Lane University Jackson Tennessee for what they called his trenchant presentation of the African point of view in his book, Without Bitterness and his educational mission in Africa. These schools are there for verification which of the certification did he forge to warrant listing him in this group. For the same reason, a University in America honoured him, and the British Colonial Government imprisoned him. Concerning the ACAE (American Council of African Education): It was an international organisation founded by our father and duly incorporated under the Membership Corporation Law of the State of New York on April 17, 1944; It had some offices in some states in America with its head office at 172 MacDonough St. New York. It also had offices in different branches, with its head office in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. It operated a POOL system whereby the money paid by a few students and money donated by some public spirited persons were put in one central purse from which was supposed to be sponsored to augment the scholarships. Note that, most of them were indigent and contributed nothing. From this fund, the administrative offices were operated both in America and Nigeria. There was a head office in New York and accommodation for the students. The success in sending out ten students took the colonial government by surprise. With all the roadblocks and impediments they put in place, Orizu still succeeded in sending out more and more students. The British Colonial Government in Nigeria precipitated an enquiry and several unfounded allegations were uncovered. This resulted in the Colonial office in London, represented by Sir Ivor Cummings and the State Department in Washington represented by Dr. Ruth Sloan, to institute an investigation into the activities of the council. After their investigation, they found out that there was no sign that he was using ACAE funds for himself. Secondly, there were no ACAE student not in a University. They commented that for every four Africans studying in America, there were three ACAE students. Orizu was advised to temporise on the influx of the students as the cost of maintaining them could not be carried by the meagre resources of the council. Dr Orizu was imprisoned for his political activities. His daredevilry in confronting the colonial government and their stooges. Let it be noted that the same colonial government that imprisoned him gave him free pardon for his unjust imprisonment by means of a Free Pardon Certificate dated August 30, 1960. In effect, this imprisonment was blotted out of his records. Let it also be noted that all these students studied and came back to Nigeria to assume important posts in the building of the nation. Your own Yoruba brother, Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa, a one time Education minister, was a beneficiary of ACAE. One time governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria whose picture appears on the Nigerian 1000 note, not Clement Isong an Efic, was also a beneficiary. Mr Festus Adedayo, all in a bid to prove that our illustrious patriarch and a great Nigerian patriot deserves a seat in his self determined hall of shame went ahead to paint a grotesque picture of how our dear father went to prison for seven years for academic fraud related issues. For the purpose of clarity, we want the general public to know it is actually true that in the course of our fathers quest to join his fellow nationalists in demanding for our nations independence he was imprisoned at the Port Harcourt correctional facility. However, it is imperative we state unequivocally that he went to prison on trumped up charges. Regrettably, without any form of research to balance the other side of the story, which good journalism is all about, the writer regurgitated the British trumped up charges in the stated article. He stated how our father, through his American council on African Education, defrauded African students of their money, while promising them American education. A good journalist would have added that our father was later vindicated of the said accusations. On this note, we want to make it categorically clear that ACAE never defrauded any student, rather the body raised money through royalties from our fathers book, Without Bitterness, which was a bestseller in the United States of America, and free will donations, to send many Nigerian students to study in America. For a robust understanding of the activities of ACAE, our fathers autobiography, Liberty of Chains, Africa Must Be Free is in the public domain. The number of students that benefited from the programme is duly listed. How the monies were raised is duly listed. How he went to prison without being charged or allowed to defend himself is also well documented. Interestingly, how he was eventually released without finishing his term was also well documented in the book. Additionally, how Chief Obafemi Awolowo sent a delegation to visit him in prison, and consequently lobby him to join his Action Group was also clearly stated. The question is: Will Chief Awolowo who many believe is circumspect about peoples personalities visit a fraud and lobby him to join his party if truly he was a fraud? Nigerian and African histories are replete with many nationalists going to prison on several trumped up charges during the colonial era. A serious researcher will not pore for long before finding out that the real reason our father went to jail was because of the moving speeches he was making against the colonial overlords from his seat as a member of the Eastern House of Parliament. Just a little research would have helped Mr Festus Adedayo to know that our father was a victim of the political climate of his time just like Awolowo who went to prison for a trumped up treasonable felony. Does Awolowo being imprisoned now make him a dubious character? I guess Mr Adedayo will say no to that. We therefore ask that Mr Festus Adayo makes a public apology for citing our father among his dubious politicians of the past. We also demand that he removes his name from the said article. We also wish to use this medium to advise journalists and opinion moulders that they should strive to carry out in-depth research on any chosen topic they choose to treat. Some people who were labeled criminals in the past, especially during the colonial era, were termed so in order to demobilise them politically. For anyone to continue with such narrative when there was no evidence to prove their criminality will be a clear case of double tragedy. Prince Sir Onwa Nwafor-Orizu Festus Adedayo is an Ibadan-based journalist. A citizen complains about the fact that our people are being killed and instead of showing remorse for the dereliction of their duty, they are spending their time issuing puerile, infantile and meaningless press statements and trying to rationalise their recurrent and consistent failures. I read the response of the Defence Headquarters of Nigeria (dated July 7) to my video about the insecurity in the country and the attack on Kuje prison and I was utterly amused. Given the gravity and seriousness of the deteriorating security situation in our country, I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read through it. I would strongly advise that the Military High Command and Defence Headquarters spend their time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years, and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without, rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence. They mentioned my so-called antecedents, so let me say this: If they knew anything about my real antecedents they will appreciate the fact that attempting to threaten or intimidate me into not pointing out and exposing their abysmal failures can never work. For the record, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the ordinary rank and file and junior and middle rank officers of our Armed Forces, who have sacrificed so much, including their lives, and who continue to do so, even without the necessary backing and support that they need and deserve from the present Military High Command. Many of them have fought hard and died on the frontlines of battle in the most gallant way, despite the difficult circumstances they have found themselves in and the uninspiring and poor logistical and moral support they have been offered by their senior colleagues. Worse still, thousands of our civilians have been kidnapped, butchered and subjected to the most horrendous acts of evil and violence by the numerous terrorist organisations that have invaded and plagued our land. All this, yet we are supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong? Call it rabble rousing if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better. Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me. Nigerians are also utterly disgusted at the disdain and contempt with which they carry out their duties and their utter insensitivity to the plight of their own soldiers and the concerns of our people. They speak of my so-called ignorance but is there anything more ignorant than attempting to compel a civilian not to criticise the leadership of the Armed Forces of his country, where and when they have failed woefully in their duties and obligations? We criticised, risked all, suffered to no end and fought military rule for seven long years when their predecessors in office and very senior colleagues annulled the June 12 election and held power from 1993 till 1999, but now that they have left office and we are in a civilian dispensation they believe we dare not or cannot legitimately criticise them when they get it wrong? Such delusion and self-serving, self-seeking and vain fantasies beggar belief. The truth is that I have no business with any serving military officer but rather with the serving minister of Defence who, though a civilian like me, you must report to under the constitution. As a former minister myself and out of respect for his office and person, I will formally and privately raise my concerns and the issue of what I consider to be your glaring incompetence and lack of patriotism and professionalism with him. I will also give him my recommendations. This is the best that I can do in the circumstances and that way I would have at least have satisfied my conscience and be able to sleep at night. It is left to him and President Muhammadu Buhari, our president and your commander in chief, to exercise their discretion and do what they want with it. They can either take the necessary action or not. For this I offer no apology and I stand by everything that I said in that video, including the assertion that the leadership and rank and file of the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have continued to give the necessary intelligence, confront and tackle the terrorists and do their job as best as they can, but the Military High Command has not. Either way I have NO respect for the leadership of the Armed Forces as presently constitutued and neither am I compelled to do so by decency, morality, the constitution or the law. The truth is that I am disgusted by their poor performance and utterly ashamed of their shameless impunity. A citizen complains about the fact that our people are being killed and instead of showing remorse for the dereliction of their duty, they are spending their time issuing puerile, infantile and meaningless press statements and trying to rationalise their recurrent and consistent failures. If you want our respect, then please do better. If you do not want to be criticised then work harder. If you do not want people to demand for your sacking or resignation, then do your job and stop seeking to intimidate, attack, discredit or undermine those who criticise you. I am not an enemy of the military but rather a true friend who is candid and courageous enough to speak the bitter and plain truth, even where others dare not. I am merely saying what millions are thinking and know. Again I am merely a concerned citizen who is genuinely worried about the way things are going in our country when it comes to security and other matters. When the leadership of our Armed Forces got it right on past occassions, I commended their gallantry, professionalism and courage, and this is on record. Given this, when they do not rise up to the occassion and their performance is below expectation, I reserve the right to criticise them, point out their shortcomings and call for their resignation or removal. That is the way things work in a nation which prides itself on free speech and given the fact that this is a democracy with laws and a constitution. We are not a under a military dictatorship and the Military High Command or Defence Headquarters cannot silence us or expect us to remain silent when they get things wrong. I believe that if they had any honour and integrity, they would have resigned for their abysmal performance, rather than spitting in the wind, beating their chests and pretending that all is well. Given the fact that they have refused to do this, I once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari, as I did in my video, to retire them and appoint service chiefs who can do the job properly and meet the expectations of Nigerians. For this I offer no apology and I stand by everything that I said in that video, including the assertion that the leadership and rank and file of the Department of State Services (DSS), National Intelligence Agency (NIA) and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have continued to give the necessary intelligence, confront and tackle the terrorists and do their job as best as they can, but the Military High Command has not. Others may be intimidated and compelled to remain silent but I will not. Numerous governors, including the governor of Zamfara State, have publicly and privately called for Nigerians to arm themselves, whilst others, like the governors of Kaduna State and Niger State, have called for greater efforts on the part of the military to seek out, uproot and confront the terrorists. Other governors, like that of Ondo State and indeed ALL the governors of the South-West, have gone as far as demanding that the States and zones have their own Armed militias and police, because you have not been able to protect the people. Such is the level of angst and anger in the land and it is essentially a referendum on your performance. It is not by issuing angry and nonsensical press statements to members of the public and concerned Nigerians, and it is not by feigning affection for the families of the victims of your own incompetence and all those dear and gallant souls that we have lost. If all was well, not one of these respected individuals or anyone else would have cause to complain or demand more from you. Instead of rectifying the situation, the only thing you can do is issue a press statement telling me not to complain? Do we not have the right to call a spade by its name? This is especially so when lives are involved and so many have been lost. Should we suffer this indignity and pain in silence? Are these incessant attacks and slaughter of innocent people not a disgrace to our nation and to our Armed Forces? Have we lost all sense of pride, dignity and self-respect that our soldiers and civilians are being killed and kidnapped by motorcycle-riding rag-tag bandits and we should just remain silent? Can we not tell you when we are tired, fed up and have had enough of your failures? Instead of showing remorse and assuring us that you will do better in the future, you issue angry and insolent press statements in an attempt to silence and intimidate. The truth is that you have simply put salt in our wounds and added insult to injuries. And whether you like it or not, I and millions of others will continue to point out the failures of our Military High Command without fear or favour because they are meant to work for us. We do not work for them. Rather we pay and maintain them with taxpayers money and they do not pay or maintain us. They cannot impose a culture of silence on us and neither will we accept this. Most importantly, in a civilian dispensation the military are subordinates of the political class and the people and are meant to live up to their expectations. Where they do not, we can and must protest and demand for their removal. They are not above the law, they are not superior to those of us that are not in the military and neither are they immune from criticism or lawful and legitimate sanctions. Permit me to end with the following. The way to honour the families and assuage the hurt, sensibilities and pain of the relatives and colleagues of our fallen heroes, who the Defence Headquarters referred to in their press statement, and the way to heal the wounds of the loved ones of the civilians that have been massacred by terrorists all over the country, over the last seven years, is for the military to fight the terrorists with everything they have got in a disciplined, patriotic, professional and honest manner and crush them. It is not by issuing angry and nonsensical press statements to members of the public and concerned Nigerians, and it is not by feigning affection for the families of the victims of your own incompetence and all those dear and gallant souls that we have lost. Femi Fani-Kayode, the Sadaukin Shinkafi, is a former Nigerian minister of Aviation and minster of Culture and Tourism. Over one decade ago, therefore, it was clear that the NJC as constituted was unsustainable. It was equally clear that the ubiquitous role of the CJN in the complex web of judicial governance in Nigeria did not serve the person, the office or the institutions of the judiciary well. Katsina-Alu and, more recently, Tanko Muhammad showed how the NJC could be suborned by a venal CJN. Court users and honest judges in Nigeria deserve better. Aloysius Iyorgher Katsina-Alu didnt set out to be a lawyer or a judge. His first love was soldiering. From April to October 1962, he was enrolled at the Nigerian Military Training School (NMTC). The month after graduating from the NMTC, in November 1962, he left for the officer training programme at the Mons Military Training College in Aldershot, England. In January 1963, he returned to Nigeria from military training to enroll for a law degree at the Ahmadu Bello University. He returned to the United Kingdom the following year, where he graduated from the University of London in 1967, before enrolling as a lawyer in Nigeria in 1968. 43 years later, when Katsina-Alu retired as the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) on August 29, 2011, one newspaper described his legacy as leaving the judiciary in turmoil. 11 days earlier, the National Judicial Council (NJC), which he chaired in his capacity as the CJN, suspended Isa Salami from office as the president of the Court of Appeal (PCA). Few would have predicted, however, that the NJC would choose to achieve this result by refusing service of court processes in proceedings questioning the exercise of its powers. Not even the soldiers did that in the worst days of military rule. Katsina-Alu may have left soldiering for law but the military vocation never left him. Much of Katsina-Alus tenure as CJN was dominated by allegations and counter-allegations surrounding the disintegration of fraternal relations between him and Salami. The wilful bungling of this case by Nigerias senior-most judges and the toxic aftermath continues to afflict the judiciary over one decade later. Unless otherwise disclosed, all the quotes below are from the 23,952 word report of the Fact-Finding Committee headed by former PCA, Umaru Abdullahi, established by the NJC into these allegations. This story turned on what happened at the encounter between the CJN and the PCA on February 8, 2010 in the CJNs Chambers at the Supreme Court. Dahiru Musdapher, then the second senior-most Justice of the Supreme Court and likely successor to the retiring CJN, also attended the meeting. The subject matter was the pending judgment in the petition before the Court of Appeal concerning the Sokoto State governorship election in 2007. The details of what was in fact discussed became the subject of bitter disagreement between Nigerias three senior-most judicial figures. At least one or more of them lied. To find out what transpired, the NJC, a high constitutional and statutory council of supposedly the most solemn judicial figures in Nigeria, established three successive panels at the end of which the consequences did not bear any resemblance to the facts. The PCA claimed that at the meeting, the CJN asked him to instruct the Justices to dismiss the appeal, saying that he predictably rejected this out of hand. The recollection of the only other person present at this meeting, Dahiru Musdapher, tallied only somewhat with that of the CJN. However, he disclosed in his unsworn testimony to the Umaru Abdullahi panel that during this meeting, the CJN (had) said there was going to be a security breach (if the judgment was delivered by the Court of Appeal). It is not clear when or how it became the business of judges to worry that a judgment would cause a security breach! The CJN had a somewhat different recollection, claiming that he had called in the PCA to advise him that the judgment in the Sokoto governorship election appeal having leaked, the only way to maintain the integrity of the Court was to reconstitute the panel. The CJN says the PCA left him with the impression that he would disband the panel having admitted that the judgment had leaked. However, after waiting impatiently for over 10 days to hear from the PCA on the next steps, on February 19, 2010, the CJN wrote letter No. NJCICAfDMlIV/48 that the judgment that was to be delivered in the Sokoto Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal be put on hold pending the investigation of the petitions I had received. The PCA retorted that at no time during this encounter was the issue of leaked judgment raised. The recollection of the only other person present at this meeting, Dahiru Musdapher, tallied only somewhat with that of the CJN. However, he disclosed in his unsworn testimony to the Umaru Abdullahi panel that during this meeting, the CJN (had) said there was going to be a security breach (if the judgment was delivered by the Court of Appeal). It is not clear when or how it became the business of judges to worry that a judgment would cause a security breach! That Nigerias three senior-most judges could render such conflicting accounts of a brief meeting must inspire considerable sympathy for the average litigant or court user. When this matter first came to the attention of the NJC in February 2010, they constituted an elders Committee from members of the NJC to look into the matter, led by Bolarinwa Babalakin, then long retired from the Supreme Court, and comprising three other retired Supreme Court Justices and a retired PCA. As it turned out, no one was quite sure what the mission of the Elders Committee actually was. To four members of the Committee, at least, theirs was a fact-finding and reconciliation mission. To the Umaru Abdullahi Committee, the Elders Committee had a narrow mandate to reconcile the CJN and the PCA. One person, a former Supreme Court Justice, sat on both the Elders Committee and the Umaru Abdullahi Committee. The Elders Committee reported on March 8, 2010, concluding among other things that they found no misconduct made against the PCA and the Hon. CJN as Chairman of NJC has no power to interfere with any proceeding in any Court as was done in this case. In his testimony to the Umaru Abdullahi Committee, Bolarinwa Babalakin reported that both parties appeared satisfied with what the Committee of Elders did in the discharge of their mandate. It turns out they may not have been quite satisfied after all. A new chapter in this scandal opened at the end of 2010, when the Federal Judicial Service Commission, also chaired by the CJN, sought to recommend the PCA for appointment to the Supreme Court. He rejected this recommendation out of hand and sued to stop it. In doing so, he deposed under oath to claims that the proposal to appoint him to the Supreme Court was reprisal by CJN Katsina-Alu, stemming from the allegations in the Sokoto case. It was impossible to persuade a scandalised public that these senior judicial figures were doing anything more than using the judicial process to settle personal scores. Surely, the NJC was created for more serious business than a kiss-and-make-up club or an I-love-you-too rendez-vous. If a fraction of this happened on the Stock Exchange, serious charges of insider dealing would have been justified. On March 9, 2011, the NJC established a five-person fact-finding panel to examine these petitions, claims and counter-claims. Curiously, neither the CJN nor the PCA testified before the panel. However, the PCA personally cross-examined some of the witnesses. The Panel heard witnesses who did not testify under oath. Concerning the directive of the CJN suspending the delivery of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, the Panel concluded that it had no difficulty in holding the view that under the Constitution and the laws of the land, no apparent power has been bestowed on the NJC of which the CJN is the Chairman to interfere in any proceedings of the (sic) legally constituted Court. The Panel however finds no semblance of ill-motive, selfishness of an individual or sectional interest being used to subvert the Constitution in the steps taken by the CJN, Chairman of the NJC. In view of the surrounding circumstances, the Panel finds that the CJN was motivated by an apparent urge to protect the administration of justice and avoid breach of peace. The Panel finds that the CJN acted in good faith to have taken the steps he took. Concerning the issue of instructions allegedly given by the CJN to the PCA in the presence of Hon. Justice Dahiru Musdapher to dismiss the appellants appeal; the CJN emphatically denied this allegation and the clear evidence of Hon. Justice Musdapher confirmed the CJNs position. The matter needs no further discussion. Thereafter, the NJC constituted yet another panel, headed this time by Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Ibrahim Auta, to determine what to do. On August 10, a release on behalf of the NJC by one Soji Oye declared that the NJC had concluded, contrary to the findings of the earlier panels, that the allegation made by the PCA that the CJN instructed him to direct the Sokoto Gubernatorial Appeal to dismiss the appeal by the Democratic Peoples Party (PDP) of Nigeria is not true, concluding that this is a misconduct contrary to Rule 1(1) of the Code of Conduct for Judicial Officer of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The NJC, therefore, decided that the PCA should be warned for such unethical conduct which eroded the public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the Judiciary; and apologise in writing to both the CJN and the NJC within a week from August 10. Two days later, the PCA returned to court to set aside these decisions of the NJC. The NJC declined to be served with the court processes but leading members of the NJC who were also defendants in this case accepted service. While this suit was pending and after they had accepted service, they nevertheless, sat in the NJC to suspend the PCA. Back at the Federal High Court, the case filed by the PCA awaited to be assigned by one Ibrahim Auta, the Chief Judge who wielded the Guillotine at the behest of Chief Justice of Nigeria Katsina-Alu. Thereafter, if there were to be an appeal, it would have gone to the Court of Appeal presided over by the PCA himself. It could possibly even have ended up before a Supreme Court presided over by Dahiru Musdapher as imminent CJN. It was impossible to persuade a scandalised public that these senior judicial figures were doing anything more than using the judicial process to settle personal scores. Surely, the NJC was created for more serious business than a kiss-and-make-up club or an I-love-you-too rendez-vous. If a fraction of this happened on the Stock Exchange, serious charges of insider dealing would have been justified. Over one decade ago, therefore, it was clear that the NJC as constituted was unsustainable. It was equally clear that the ubiquitous role of the CJN in the complex web of judicial governance in Nigeria did not serve the person, the office or the institutions of the judiciary well. Katsina-Alu and, more recently, Tanko Muhammad showed how the NJC could be suborned by a venal CJN. Court users and honest judges in Nigeria deserve better. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer and teacher, can be reached at chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu. The land of Sodom looked so fertile and green from the outside (Genesis 13:10). And that is always the case Many Sodoms have been erected by Satan to capture the hearts of humanity at this critical hour. Some have been captured by the Sodom of adultery. Sexual immorality always appears sweet from the outside until its consequences start to fall in. May you never be captured by the Sodom of adultery. Years back, while I was in Europe, a close friend of mine, a very sound believer in Christ, was experiencing some very severe financial crisis. He had no job, despite his impressive academic qualifications. Life was very tough, and all he could survive on was a menial job. During the heat of this terrible experience, he got introduced to a leading female personality in our city, who promised to help him secure a job. An appointment was fixed between both of them, only for my friend to discover that the lady needed him to work with her very closely as a sex partner. The monthly salary was huge. The pecks were mouth watering. But, to God be the glory, my friend turned it down without hesitation. Today, my friend is a top executive of a major multinational corporation without going to Sodom. When the roll call of generational failures in the Bible is made, Lot could easily climb to the top of the list. The background to the destiny-truncating migration of Lot to Sodom was largely shaped by his covetousness and lack of spiritual sensitivity. Lot grew up under one of the best models of leadership in the Bible, Abraham, the father of faith. Lot was mentored, shaped, guided, and tutored by Abraham for many years. Abraham gave him a platform to thrive. Abraham helped Lot to discover and maximise his potential. And true to his expectations, Lot grew in leaps and in bounds to the extent that his animal husbandry business became the talk of the town. Sadly, Lot voluntarily and covetously left his place of safety and protection, under the mentorship of Abraham, and walked his way into Sodom; an act that was the final nail to his coffin. What paved the way for Lots descent into this abyss of failure was his lack of honour for Abraham. Abraham had given Lot the platform he needed to excel and thrive, but familiarity and his failure at giving honour that was due his uncle blinded him from noticing that he was standing on the threshold of history, as the worlds first generational failure. Sadly, a lot of us are cooling off in Sodom today because we ignorantly fire ourselves from the mentorship of someone whose platform shaped us. We felt like, I have now arrived. I can always take care of myself. We promoted ourselves before we completed our course works. That was what ruined the life of Lot and sent him to the land of Sodom, which is the biblical synonym for everything evil in this world. The journey to Sodom is the journey into the abyss of sin. Sodom typifies compromise; it typifies greed and covetousness. When Lot foolishly chose Sodom, he thought he was making the best choice of his life. Why? Dear man of God, why should you go to Sodom because your church and ministry have not grown? You have begun to lift up your eyes like Lot, courtesy of bad ministry friends who have tasted Sodom, and have vowed never to crash alone, and are now luring you with a bait to come and join them in their Sodom of manipulation, heretic teachings, lies and occultism. The grass of Sodom always looks greener on the other side until you experience it. The land of Sodom looked so fertile and green from the outside (Genesis 13:10). And that is always the case, Sodom always looks green until men taste it. A lot of us walked our ways right inside Sodom. Many Sodoms have been erected by Satan to capture the hearts of humanity at this critical hour. Some have been captured by the Sodom of adultery. Adultery always appears sweet from the outside until you taste its bitter pill, only to later discover that it is poison to the soul. Sexual immorality always appears sweet from the outside until its consequences start to fall in. May you never be captured by the Sodom of adultery. You only need to ask those who have been captured by it to tell you how their experiences have been. Dear man of God, why should you go to Sodom because your church and ministry have not grown? You have begun to lift up your eyes like Lot, courtesy of bad ministry friends who have tasted Sodom, and have vowed never to crash alone, and are now luring you with a bait to come and join them in their Sodom of manipulation, heretic teachings, lies and occultism. The grass of Sodom always looks greener on the other side until you experience it. Yes, Sodom will give you fame, large crowds, international invitations and recognitions. But eventually, it will destroy you. Is it not better to pastor one person faithfully, and make it to heaven, rather than trade your dignity and faithfulness for the sweet promises of Sodom? Or perhaps, you are Christian business person. You actually began your journey with God as a faithful, loyal and focused businessman, who would never take or give a bribe. You would never compromise your Christian values and ideal for anything on earth. You were a beacon of light to many people, until your business began to experience turbulence, and you consider going to Sodom because the grass seems greener there. You have been introduced to the movers and shakers in government and in politics, who have promised to help you blow up your business if only you could join their secret societies. That is Sodom calling on you. It will destroy you and send you to hell. Run from it! Or maybe you have been married for a long time with no fruit of the womb to show for it, but one of the citizens of Sodom has been calling on you to come over to their side. Sodom is doing a green card programme, and you are considering applying to become a citizen. The grass seems greener on that side. With a little sacrifice, with a little enchantment and obeisance to your family deity, you would become pregnant and give back to a set of twins. You have suddenly begun to consider a trip to Sodom. Nobody has ever gone to Sodom and come back the same. Sodom is a destroyer of destiny. It is a destroyer of marriages. A destroyer of resources. Nothing good has never and will ever come out of Sodom. That grass that Satan is making you to see as green is actually poison to your soul. Stay with your wife. Take your eyes away from other women. Stay with your husband. Dont abandon him because he is poor. It is better to stagnate with God than to progress with the devil. A stagnant God is a whole generation ahead of a progressive devil. Its only a matter of time. Sodom must never be your option. By the time Sodom was done with Lot, he had lost his properties, all his money, friends, wife, and eventually his dignity, becoming the worlds first progenitor of bastards. And sadly, Abraham did all he could to help Lot. But no one enters Sodom and comes out without a scar. Dont go to Sodom for any reason on earth. My mum is late. She passed onto glory in 2005, while I was no longer in Nigeria. At the peak of her sickness, all manners of ideas were passed across to her, many of which would have taken her to Sodom. One day I sat her down in her pains and said, Mummy I will rather have you die and go to heaven than go to Sodom for a cure to your sickness. She could not believe what she was hearing. But I had to tell her the truth. Some months later, she passed on, and we celebrated her life. That grass that Satan is making you to see as green is actually poison to your soul. Stay with your wife. Take your eyes away from other women. Stay with your husband. Dont abandon him because he is poor. It is better to stagnate with God than to progress with the devil. A stagnant God is a whole generation ahead of a progressive devil. Its only a matter of time. Sodom must never be your option. You will not be captured by the beauty of Sodom in Jesus mighty name. Amen. Ayo Akerele, a leadership and system development strategist, and minister of the word, writes from Canada and can be reached through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com. Always remember that with every adversity is a seed of greatness. Find the seed of greatness like the doctor did. If you use this guide correctly, you will always emerge a champion over disappointing situations and people. He practiced medicine as a doctor but later discovered his heart was in communications, and when he went through an inventory of self-discovery, he discovered he had passion for Public Relations. He was determined to find happiness at whatever cost. After several enquiries, he enrolled for and passed the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations examinations, registered a communications consulting outfit and was ready to get started. Another very cardinal factor he put in place was to ensure that he got the buy-in of mentors to help him make a success of his new venture. He became a voracious reader and within a short time was able to get good clients and he quickly started an events company too. He promoted one of his PR staff and transferred her as the head of the events company. At the time they had only a client for the events subsidiary, that client had a function and the medical doctor turned PR expert went there as the group managing director of his companies, only to discover to his dismay that his staff had registered her own company and taken over the only client. He felt betrayal; it was shocking, painful, and devastating. I am sure you are keen to know how he handled the disappointment. How would you have handled it, if it happened to you? No one wants to experience any form of disappointment, but if you are disappointed how will you handle it? Most people handle disappointment wrongly, some even lose their sanity because some they truly trusted disappointed them. Permit me to share with you some practical ways to deal with disappointment positively and successfully. First, you must understand that its okay to feel bad but its not healthy to feel bad for a long time. The advice is to feel bad for a limited peridod. Anyone can get you disappointed and it is usually very painful but please dont allow the disappointment take too much of your time. The simple way of achieving this is let it out discuss with positive and solution driven friends and family members. Secondly, find out why the disappointment was not prevented. Was there a management lapse that the staff took advantage of? Would it be legal, for instance, to bind staff through tight contracts? What would have prevented such a thing from happening? Brainstorm, think out loud with professionals, lawyers, etc. if you dont do this, you may eventually keep repeating the same mistakes over and again. It is therefore necessary to find out what gave room to the disappointment. Make whatever you discover your learning curve, such that you wont repeat the mistake ever again. Thirdly, put the issues involved in proper perspective. The deed has been done, the lessons learnt and now life has to continue. What if in the cited case the client leaves, and the staff is still left with salaries to be paid. What if God was removing the bad eggs before your organisation gets big, so that such disloyal people wont be around your life and business. What if it is to teach a lesson that will make such things not to happen in the future? If the disappointment is put in the right perspective, it will make it easy to get on with your life. Fourthly, create bigger goals, ones that will stretch and keep you really busy. Goals that will make you focus on the future, rather than on the disappointment. Keep yourself busy with goals. The medical doctor turned PR expert didnt give up, although he really felt disappointed and let down. He resolved to become one of the top ten PR companies in the country. He achieved his goal. We didnt hear of the events company of the disloyal staff again. His resolution to become very successful paid off. Please create goals that could continuously be stretched. Always remember that with every adversity is a seed of greatness. Find the seed of greatness like the doctor did. If you use this guide correctly, you will always emerge a champion over disappointing situations and people. You will succeed! Yemi Adetayo, a success strategist and leadership expert, can be reached at: counseloryemi@gmail.com. Now that summer is here, Im excited to get out on the water and enjoy some fishing with my family and friends. With 30 million acres of public lands and waters right here in Montana, the outdoors provides a great release from the stresses of modern life for all Montanans to enjoy. According to the American Sportfishing Association (ASA), the trade association representing the sportfishing industry and the entire recreational fishing community, the recreational fishing community provides $125 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports over 825,000 jobs. Living in Montana since 1991 and being a long-time employee of Simms Fishing Products, headquartered in Bozeman, I know first-hand about the positive economic impact that recreational fishing has on the state. Since 1980, we have produced groundbreaking fishing gear that helps sportsmen and women fish harder and go farther, and Im proud to say that our team of wader makers has been manufacturing technical product in Bozeman for almost 35 years. Earlier this year, important new legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that will improve access to outdoor recreation on Montanas public lands and across the U.S. The provisions in Americas Outdoor Recreation Act of 2022 (S. 3266) will help to streamline permitting processes, construct and update outdoor access infrastructure projects and improve data collection. If enacted, this legislation would help all Montanans enjoy more time on the water and provide meaningful reforms that will result in a positive impact ensuring that we have more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors. There are three aspects of the bill that would specifically benefit recreational fishing. The first, dedicated to Improved Visitation Data, requires federal land and water management agencies to establish a primary visitation data management and modeling system that tracks public recreation. The Federal Land and Aquatic Resource Activities Assistance, will increase inspections and decontamination efforts for watercraft entering and leaving federal-managed sites across western states, including Montana. This will help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species between waterways and will ease disruptions and delays for non-contaminated vessels entering public waters. Additionally, Ensuring Recreation is a Management Priority, creates an inventory of recreational activities occurring on federal lands and requires agencies that manage these regions to protect and enhance the value of outdoor recreation. These are examples of the many provisions in this bill that would directly benefit recreational fishing and is more than enough reason that the Senate should pass this legislation. Introduced by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) the bill received unanimous support from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Montanas own Sen. Steve Daines serves on the committee, and I thank him for the support. Included in Americas Outdoor Recreation Act is legislation introduced by Daines to support gateway communities and address challenges facing national parks and public lands. Americas Outdoor Recreation Act has the support of dozens of outdoor recreation organizations, including ASA, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Outdoor Industry Association, and The Trust for Public Land. I urge all Montanans to contact our senators through ASAs Keep America Fishing Action Center which lets you directly get in touch with policymakers and members of Congress responsible for creating fisheries policy nationwide. Please support the Outdoor Recreation Act and lets ensure that Montanans continue to enjoy our public lands for years to come. Part of tendering a sincere apology is to deliver an honest assessment of ones sins. I am one of those pretentious Nigerians often seen all over the world who are full of themselves. We carry on our shoulders a fake intellectual sophistication that makes us look at Senator Ike Ekweremadu, a man of great moral courage and integrity, and we call him a buffoon. Yes, I said it. Ike Ekweremadu is a learned gentleman. We just dont understand him. Who would have known that the man cared until he showed it by the extent he went to find the solution to his daughters health problem. That is what every real man would do. For him, it was by any means necessary. Now that is an unquestionable fatherly commitment. The man was ready to sell all of his 22 houses in Nigeria, Dubai, and London, to find a cure for his daughters illness. He deserves the Father of the Year award. Because I am myopic, quick to judge and impatient with geniuses like Dr. Ekweremadu, I did not notice that he used his daughters treatment as a case study. If only the UK authorities had allowed him to finish the job, he would have used the same template to help every other Nigerian in need of medical services that cannot be provided by the numerous specialized hospitals that he has established in his last 19 years as a senator of the federal republic. As he was known to do, after the complete healing of his daughter, he would have passed a bill in the Senate for every sick Nigeria to have automatic access to medical treatment in the U.K. A legislature of Ekweremadus caliber would always find a way to attach it to a bill. Maybe, he would have attached that provision to the reparation against slavery bill, the restitution for colonization bill, or the refund from Abachas un-repatriated loots bill. He was going to do so, but in our haste to condemn every politician from Nigeria as another fantastically corrupt man or woman, we failed to appreciate his sainthood. We mock Ekweremadus little trouble in the U.K. and in the process deny ourselves the blessing of his ingenuity. I hope this my apology reaches him in the half-house the UK police kept him and his wife. I hope it provides him a little relief, knowing that one of his greatest critics has come to his senses. I hope he remembers what Jesus said when the Pharisees and Sadducees mocked and crucified him. He said, God, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Dear Ike Ekweremadu, I employ you to forgive me for I did not know what I was doing. Please pray that God forgives those U.K. authorities that did not know that you were a big man in Nigeria. They obviously did not know that you are a Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR). If they knew, they would not dare keep you in that filthy detention when you have a mansion in the UK. If they knew you were a Knight of the Good Shepherd, they would have known that you were just trying to help that boy get a better life, the same good life you gave to your kids. If they knew that you were Ikeoha Ndigbo, they would have known that the $20,000 found on you at the airport was just pocket change that you give out to homeless people in every new city you get to in the West. You have always been horrified about the poor and hungry people you see in New York City, London, and Dusseldorf. You have vowed to help them out as a good African as a way to show that aids also go from Africa to the West. When on August 17, 2019, some members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) attacked you in Nuremberg, Germany, I was one of those horrified by the incident. I remember screaming and kicking and slamming my head on the wall that it was unacceptable to do something that hideous to a man of great courage and moral rectitude like you. Watching them pelt you with eggs triggered tears rolling down my cheeks. That was the first time I joined them in calling you a buffoon because you did not travel to Germany with a battalion of DSS and mobile police, with two or three Hilux vans on your motorcade, one in front and one at the back. For an important man like you who has spent the last twenty years fighting for the wellbeing of the children of Nigeria, you deserved protection given to every icon of your stature anywhere in the world. I have since realised that you were just a humble man who loved to interact with common people without any posturing. I respect that now. The other time I regretted laughing at you was when the EFCC released you after a brief detention. Remember when they picked you up and wanted you to explain the 22 houses they said you owned in Nigeria, Dubai, and London. I was surprised that they did not think it was appropriate for you to make sure that you leave behind at least one house for each of your grandchildren. Every responsible father would do the same. And being that you have four kids, at an average of four grandkids each, you needed 16 houses for the grandchildren. Considering that you have to take care of the side chicks with side-children and side-grandchildren, the remaining six houses would ultimately go to them. You were that caring, that generous, and that forward-thinking. But those useless people at the EFCC did not understand it. I called you a buffoon when on August 4, 2018, you brought over 22 pastors, bishops, prophets, and all manners of church leaders to pray for you upon your release by the EFCC. You had told the EFCC that you were ill and had high blood pressure and they released you. In my ignorance of how these things work, I was furious. Please forgive my youthful exuberance. Without mincing words, I was plainly stupid. I did not understand the science in that move of yours. I thought you brought the church leaders to pray for forgiveness of your sins. I didnt know that they were praying for stupid people like me to open our eyes and smell the coffee of targeted racism plus discrimination against you, a perfectly learned gentleman labouring day and night in the service of humanity. Again, I apologise. Moving forward, I pledge to pray for our leaders like you faithfully. I will ask God each day to bless you with teaching moments like the current one you face so that stupid people like me will see the glory of your sacrifices for our betterment. I will ask God to bless you with a pause every now and then. And with each pause and slow down, you will remember where you came from before becoming a big man. And for the sake of little people like us, prove to those who call us fantastically corrupt that we are honourable men and women, like you and your wife. And that we will do anything to save the lives of our compatriots, even if it entails selling all of our 22 houses in Nigeria, Dubai, and London. Nonsense! Rudolf Ogoo Okonkwo teaches Post-Colonial African History at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He is also the host of Dr. Damages Show. His books include This American Life Sef, Children of a Retired God, among others. The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned motorists against dangerous driving, overloading and night journey during the Sallah celebration in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Niger State. The Zonal Commanding Officer (ZCO), in charge of FCT and Niger, Shehu Mohammed, gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday. Mr Mohammed observed the faults as major causes of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) in the zones, especially during festive seasons. He, however, said that people needed to recognise the sanctity of human lives by obeying all traffic rules, regulations and avoiding acts capable of undermining the safety of other road users. According to him, the habit of carrying two passengers in the front seats, especially in Abuja is totally bad and uncalled for. It does not befit the beauty of the country and Abuja as its capital. It is the image of the country that you, as a driver, is tarnishing by carrying two passengers in front of their vehicles. He warned drivers to desist from overloading because, next time after rigorous enlightenment, the corps would clamp down on them and would be prosecuted. People should, therefore, avoid overloading, speed limit violation, dangerous driving, phoning or texting while driving and also the use of worn-out or expired tyres. Also, avoid night journey. It is not how fast you move to wherever you want to go to but how safe. The aim is to reach your destination safely and meet your people well, he said. The FRSC boss called on the public to assist in road safety and other security agencies deployed to manage traffic, by conducting themselves in a safe and orderly manner. Mr Mohammed also urged those at the fuel stations in FCT to maintain a single line to avoid road obstruction or traffic congestion on the highway. He pointed out that FRSC patrol and rescue teams wey on alert to assist road travellers, while the helplines across the FCT and Niger would remain open for emergencies. He assured the public, especially Muslims of a safe Sallah celebration, saying that adequate logistic provisions had been made to ensure the removal of obstructions and ensure a crash-free celebration. He said in the event of road traffic crashes, the line was always on. Call the toll-free line on 122 for obstruction on the highway or for crashes so that road safety personnel can come to their aid, he said. (NAN) Manassas, VA (20110) Today Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 71F. Winds light and variable. Founded in 2021, BlockSec's mission is to provide security infrastructure for the entire blockchain ecosystem. With cutting-edge technologies, BlockSec enhances the security of decentralized applications, detects high-impact blockchain vulnerabilities, and blocks sophisticated security attacks. Since last year, BlockSec has provided security audit services to more than one hundred clients, in both Solidity and Rust ecosystems. BlockSec has developed a real-time on-chain monitoring system to block ongoing attacks and rescued more than 5 million assets, including 3.8 million for the stablecoin DEX Saddle Finance [1]. BlockSec has identified multiple critical vulnerabilities on the Solana blockchain, with nearly one million bug US dolloar bounty awarded. Also, the flash loan monitoring system [2] and the transaction visualization system [3] developed by BlockSec are two public tools widely used by the blockchain security community. With the raised funding, BlockSec plans to expand its research and production team and provide the on-chain monitoring and attack interception capability to more decentralized applications. CONTACT: Email[email protected] SOURCE BlockSec NEW YORK, July 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (commonly known as the "Unification Church") would like to express our shock and grief over the assassination of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in the wake of this tragedy. Prime Minister Abe was a globally respected statesman of Japan and active in building peace in Asia, a subject close to the heart of our organization. Mr. Abe often spoke of the need to value freedom and democracy and believe in the hope that such values will bring. We pray that his work to build peace in the Indo-Pacific region will endure. As an organization, Family Federation stresses the value of family in building a peaceful society. We condemn this act of violence. Guns have no place in our religious beliefs or practices. May we each take this moment to let our loved ones know that we care, and continue to pray for Mr. Abe's family and the people of Japan at this time. Family Fed USA Nancy Jubb 212-997-0057 [email protected] Irving Street Rep Ron Lucas 973-643-6262 [email protected] SOURCE Family Federation for World Peace and Unification The agreement represents BioSig's first commercial adoption since it announced the national launch of its PURE EP System BioSig Technologies Inc has announced that Kansas City Heart Institute at Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Kansas City, USA, has signed a purchase agreement to acquire its PURE EP System. Following its evaluation of BioSig's PURE EP System, Overland Park Regional Medical Center (OPRMC) has signed an agreement to purchase the technology under the terms of the company's new program. The agreement represents BioSig's first commercial adoption since it announced the national launch of its PURE EP System, supported by The company's new commercial structure and clinical support teams. The agreement also represents BioSig's first national purchasing agreement. "Establishing a contract with a leading national hospital network is a milestone achievement for BioSig Technologies," commented Gray Fleming, chief commercialization officer of BioSig Technologies in a statement. "A leasing option provides a cost-effective and efficient pathway for hospitals to acquire our technology. As a Company that prioritizes physician experience and throughput, we believe a leasing program supports the clinical evolution of PURE EP as we continue upgrading and enhancing our technology based on physician feedback," he added. Kenneth L. Londoner, chairman and CEO of BioSig Technologies said: "We are pleased to announce our first purchase agreement since we transformed the commercial capabilities under new management. The company is excited about our clinical collaboration with Dr Lakkireddy and the physician faculty at Overland Park. As physician advocates, we are proud of our commitment to and alignment with the world-class arrhythmia program at Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute and thank them for their continued support of our technology." The Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute at the HCA Midwest Health Heart and Vascular Institute brings the highest quality clinical care, research and arrhythmia education to Kansas City. There are eight practicing Electrophysiologist. Locations include three Electrophysiology Practice sites in the Greater Kansas City Area as well as one outreach site location and Electrophysiology services in four hospitals. Overland Park Regional Medical Center is a licensed 343-bed facility offering acute medical care services to our patients. The hospital campus features four medical office buildings, two pharmacies, and the offices of more than 100 physicians. Dr Lakkireddy, executive medical director for the Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute and Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri Columbia and University of Nevada Las Vegas and Chief of Electrophysiology at Overland Park Medical Center commented: "This technology will be an instrumental part of Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute's continued quest to provide superior world class care for patients. This technology could potentially enhance our ability to improve efficacy and safety of heart rhythm procedures and thereby positively impact workflow and subsequently, patient outcomes." BioSig Technologies is a medical technology company commercializing a proprietary biomedical signal processing platform designed to improve signal fidelity and uncover the full range of ECG and intra-cardiac signals. The company's first product, PURE EP System, is a novel signal processing and acquisition platform designed to extract advanced diagnostic and therapeutic data that enhances physician workflow and increases throughput. PURE EP(T.M.) was engineered to address the limitations of existing E.P. technologies by empowering physicians with superior signals and actionable insights. To date, over 75 physicians have completed over 2,500 patient cases with the PURE EP System. The company is in a national commercial launch of the PURE EP System. The technology is in regular use in some of the country's leading centers of excellence, including Mayo Clinic, and Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Institute at St. David's Medical Center. Contact the author at jon.hopkins@proactiveinvestors.com The Arnold Newman Prize was instrumental in giving me the freedom to focus all of my energy on a passion project. Maine Media Workshops and College is calling for submissions for the 2022 Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in photographic portraiture. This $20,000 prize is awarded annually to a photographer whose work exhibits a new direction in photographic portraiture. Its about seeking work that has not yet been made visible to the public by a photographer at any stage in their career, says Elizabeth Greenberg, Provost of Maine Media College. Previous winners of the Arnold Newman Prize have become tremendous ambassadors for the medium of photography. Its work that starts a conversation thats critical to be having now. Recent winners have included Louie Palu (2019) whose submission Arctic Passage addressed climate change and the impact of environmental issues. The project featured large and small format portrait prints frozen in ice blocks that melt over the course of a single-day installation. Jon Henry (2020) was awarded the prize for his series Stranger Fruit which was created as a response to the brutal and senseless murders of Black men at the hands of police and went on to be listed on Time Magazines 100 Next 2021. Stranger Fruit was created in response to the senseless murder of black men across the nation by police violence. Even with smartphones and dashcams recording the actions, more lives get cut short due to unnecessary and excessive violence. Rashod Taylor, our 2021 winner, is an emerging contemporary photographer who uses the frameworks and methods allied with the history of fine art portraiture to contemplate his own familys narrative within contemporary America. His photographs are deeply rooted in photographic traditions and break new ground. Intimacy and honesty speak to an under-addressed chapter of the United States: The Black American experience, particularly the relationship between father and son is a focus of his work. My work addresses themes of race, culture, family, and Legacy and these images are a kind of family album, filled with friends and family, birthdays, vacations, and everyday life. At the same time, these images tell you more than my family story; theyre a window onto the Black American experience. As I document my son I am interested in examining his childhood and the world he navigates, said Taylor. The Arnold Newman Prize often arrives at important moments in a photographers career. The Arnold Newman Prize was instrumental in giving me the freedom to focus all of my energy on a passion project, says Daniella Zalcman, the recipient of the 2017 prize. For me, there are few more important investments in a body of work than time. Im so grateful for the support that the Arnold Newman Prize provided, and for the work, I was able to produce as a result. Submissions for the 2022 Prize are now being accepted on Maine Medias website. The deadline for submission is July 18th, 2022. Visit http://www.mainemedia.edu/ANP for details and to submit your work. Soulful Epicurean Experience. Europeanbarging is pleased to offer a special themed river cruise on the Rhone River. Cruising on the award-winning AmaKristina between Arles, sail through the South of France along the Rhone River to Lyon. Departing August 24 thru September 3, 2023, explore the cultural history of Marseille, delight in live performances on board and on shore, and conclude your journey in Paris, where many Black artists, writers, and entertainers made their mark. Enjoy a variety of experiences exclusive to this special itinerary, such as guided tours show-casing jazz, food, and wine, all while shining a light on Black heritage. During the three-night Paris land extension, discover centuries' worth of Black history as you venture to several sites in and around Paris during this exclusive full-day tour. You will see the iconic Arc de Triomphe and the Monument to the Abolition of Slavery as your guide shares the history of the Code noir, a decree passed by King Louis XIV in 1685 defining the conditions of slavery. From there, you will drive past Montmartre, learning about the cabarets and famous jazz musicians who made their mark here before walking through the African district, renowned for its African food and street vendors, and visiting Little Africa, a gallery space and cultural initiative in La Goutte dor district. Your full-day tour also includes a panoramic tour of the left bank of Paris, the Latin Quarter, and Pantheon Square, where renowned US-born Black entertainer and civil rights activist Josephine Baker was inducted in November 2021. Book by September 30, 2022, and save $1,180 per person on a 7-night river cruise from Arles to Lyon plus 3-night post-cruise land package in Paris, France.Special introductory package price: $4,499 per person, based on double occupancy. A payment plan is available. Limited availability, a deposit of $400 per person will secure your reservation. For more information, and a detailed itinerary, contact Europeanbarging at 888-869-7907 or jan@europeanbarging.com If you're going to go on Fox, this is how you do it.pic.twitter.com/1HpakCVmUH Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) July 10, 2022 A Fox News reporter tried to corner Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg by showing him a post his husband Chasten Buttigieg made about pro-choice protestors outside a restaurant where Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh was dining. The Fox reporter said: "Your husband tweeted after Justice Brett Kavanaugh left a Washington restaurant due to protesters. The tweet reads 'Sounds like he just wanted some privacy to make his own dining decisions.' Is that appropriate, sir?" Buttigieg replied: Look, when public officials go into public life, we should expect two things. One, you should always be free from violence, harassment, and intimidation. And two, you're never going to be free from criticism or peaceful protests, people exercising their First Amendment rights. That's what happened in this case. Remember, the justice never even came into contact with these protesters they reportedly didn't see or hear them. And these protesters are upset, because a right, an important right, that the majority of Americans support was taken away, not only the right to choose, by the way, but but this justice was part of the process of stripping away the right to privacy. As long as I've been alive, [unintelligible] law in the United States has been that the Constitution protected a right to privacy, and that has now been thrown out the window by justices, including Justice Kavanaugh, who, as I recall, swore up and down in front of God and everyone, including the United States Congress, that they were going to leave settled case law alone. So yes, people are upset. They're going to exercise their First Amendment rights. And as long as that's peaceful, that's protected. Compare that for example, to the reality that as a country right now, we're reckoning with the fact that a mob, summoned by the former president of the United States Capitol for the purpose of overthrowing the election, and very nearly succeeded in preventing the peaceful transfer of power. I think common sense can tell the difference. The reporter made one last half-hearted attempt to throw Buttigieg off course: But as a high profile public figure, sir, are you comfortable with protesters protesting when you and your husband go to dinner at a restaurant? Buttigieg: Throughout the Athens community, one of the greatest challenges food insecure populations have faced has not been a lack of food distribution centers themselves, but rather a lack of available resources listing what services are provided. To address this issue, UGA launched a database that functions as a directory, listing locations addresses, the kind of meal or food offered as well as location specific requirements for recipients to receive food. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 69F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. I don't know about you, but I love proudly wearing the "I VOTED" sticker after casting my ballot. Such stickers usually are adorned with some kind of flag or other red, white, and blue motif. This year, though, voters seem to be choosing something more out of the box. Ulster County (New York) Board of Elections is currently sponsoring a contest to create a new design for its "I VOTED" stickers. Their website describes the contest: Commissioners Ashley Dittus and John Quigley are pleased to announce the finalists for our 2nd Annual Ulster Votes I Voted Sticker Contest. During the month of July, you have an opportunity to select your favorite "I voted" logo. The winning design will be distributed to voters who participate in the November 8, 2022 General Election across the county. We want to thank all of the students who contributed to this project there were many amazing and unique designs! We are grateful to everyone that helped shape this project. If you go look at the contest webpage, you can see the various designs that have reached the finalist stage and while many, yes, do feature traditional flags, eagles, and red white and blue colors, one definitely stands out as different. Check out the current lead, with 93% of the vote so far. This wild design is by Hudson Rowan, a 14-year-old from Marbletown, NY. I can't think of any better image to capture what it feels like to be a voter in this country who actually cares about the future of our democracy. If you want this design to win, you can vote through the end of July. Let's push Hudson Rowan over the finish line! Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. TOWNSHEND A Newfane man was arrested for the recent burglary at Harmonyville Store. In a news release issued Saturday night, the Vermont State Police said Scotti B. Clark, 31, of Newfane was arrested for the offense that occurred at about 6:16 a.m. on June 4. Clark, who had been identified in a surveillance video, was issued a citation to appear in court on Aug. 30. Previously, state police misidentified a Brattleboro man as the suspect. Vermont State Police falsely labeled Brattleboro man potential robbery suspect BRATTLEBORO James Merithew was being a good son Tuesday afternoon as he drove down to Vern Police had identified the potential suspect because they he was the one who allegedly had cashed a Vermont Lottery scratch ticket believed to have been stolen weeks earlier at the Harmonyville Store. A photo of Clark was issued in a news release that appeared later. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 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. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW MILFORD Jill Hodge has always had a soft spot for helping immigrants. It comes from her roots. Her grandparents came to the United States from Eastern Europe. One set was from Poland and the other, Czechoslovakia. They came as immigrants, young, and they didn't speak a word of English," said Hodge, 57, a New Milford resident. When Hodge learned about an opportunity to sponsor an immigrant from Ukraine, she quickly signed up and now lives with Tetiana (Tanya) Yarosh, a 20-year-old woman. The situation with the war in Ukraine is so senseless and, you know, that could have been my grandparents sitting over there, Hodge said. The program, called Uniting for Ukraine, provides a pathway for Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members who are outside the United States to come to the United States and stay for two years, according to its website. Participating Ukrainians must have a supporter in the United States who agrees to provide them with financial support for the duration of their stay in the United States. Uniting for Ukraine operates through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. "You just apply on the government site," Hodge said. "They kind of streamlined it, for quicker approvals." Hodge learned about Uniting for Ukraine in April through a Facebook page called USA/Canada/Americas: Host, Sponsor, Help Ukraine, for which shes a moderator. There were people on the Facebook page from Ukraine that are posting theyre looking for a sponsor, along with information about themselves such as their age and if they have children, Hodge said. There are 21.2K members, the majority Ukrainians, looking for sponsors, she said. When Hodge came across Yarosh's post, she said she thought they would make a good match. I wanted a young girl, to give her an opportunity, said Hodge, who is a legal and contract support specialist at FuelCell Energy in Danbury. Hodge and Yarosh began messaging each other through Facebook, and then did a video call to get to know one another better. Hodge sent her information about the town of New Milford, so Yarosh could learn about where she would be living. The process of sponsoring was fairly quick, she said. She got her travel authorization and she just wanted to wait like two, three weeks to get things done in Ukraine, Hodge said. And then she flew over. The expenses of the sponsor are arranged between each sponsor and beneficiary. Some people were posting they have financial means, they have airfare. Tanya did not have the airfare. She's young. So I agreed to pay for her airfare," she said. It's a personal choice. The two women first met in person at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York at the end of June. One of the first things she said when when we were driving back from the airport was, 'Oh, you have gas?' They don't have gas over there in some locations, Hodge said. Yaroshs entire family is still in Ukraine, where the war, which began Feb. 24 when Russian invaded, is still going on. There is a curfew the residents must adhere to, Hodge said. Sirens go off every day. There is no work. Many people are out of jobs. Aside from her parents, brother and sister, Yarosh has a husband, Dima, who she married several days before she left for the United States. "She told me she never thought she would get married until she was like 26 but she said all the young people in Ukraine are getting married and having children early because they don't know if they're gonna live or die, Hodge said. Yarosh is hoping her husband can one day come to New Milford. However, she said men from 18 to 60 arent allowed to leave the country. One of Yaroshs first goals is to get a job, but to do so, she first needs to apply for a work permit, which "takes months," Hodge said. In the meantime, shes spending her time acclimating herself to her new surroundings and adjusting to the culture and way of life of America. "She's trying to improve her English, Hodge said. To help communicate with each other, they sometimes use an app called Google Translate. Most of the time though, they dont need to rely on that. Through body language and expressions, the two women can usually tell what the other one is trying to say. Hodge quickly learned Yarosh is a great cook, and makes a lot of native dishes. She makes vareniki, which are similar to Polish pierogi. She makes the dough and filling usually potato, or potato and cheese, mushroom from scratch, Hodge said. Last Sunday morning, I woke up to the aromas of the potato, onions and butter and had a beautiful plate waiting for me for breakfast. It really takes me back to my childhood; my mother and aunts used to make these. Hodge said Yarosh also makes butter cookies and kolachy a fruit-filled cookie, and cheesecake with a crust from scratch-baked cookies. They are amazing, Hodge said. Hodge plans to continue to support Yarosh until Yarosh is able to work. Hodge said would like to take Yarosh to see Manhattan as well as elsewhere in the U.S. I hope she gets to see a lot of different things in the United States and is able to embrace the experience. Hodge encourages others who are able, to sponsor someone from Ukraine. It's just really rewarding, helping someone who is fleeing war. You hear about all the atrocities over there, she said. Maybe you can help save someones life and also give them a great opportunity to be in the U.S. and make a go of it. sandra.fox@hearstmediact.com 203-948-9802 JACKSON, Miss. (AP) When Antonio McGowan left the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman after serving 17 years, he was free for the first time since he was 15. But as an adult finally out from behind bars, he immediately found himself confined to menial labor. McGowan needed stable work, for a paycheck and to keep busy, but temporary gigs were all he could find. Just as those around him counseled the importance of maintaining a routine, he became trapped in a cycle of odd jobs and irregular hours. He trimmed grass one week and painted a house the next. But he couldn't land anything full time, and the unpredictability of his income proved challenging. Disconnection notices and unpaid bills piled up. Things werent in place, McGowan said. They werent where I wanted them to be as far as being an individual back in society. It was a struggle. After several years adrift, McGowan was finally able to regain his footing with the help of the Hinds County Reentry Program, a workforce training program for former inmates created in October. Reentry programs are one way employers are trying to fill some of the 11.3 million open jobs in the U.S. amid a dire national labor shortage. The practice of employing people with a criminal record is known as second-chance hiring. In rosier economic times, many former prisoners faced steep obstacles to finding work. The labor shortage sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic now presents them with opportunities, said Eric Beamon, a recruiter for MagCor, a company that provides job training to people in Mississippi correctional facilities. We think the pandemic, in a sense, was a big help, Beamon said. If no one wants to work anymore or if everyone wants to work from home, employers are begging for employees. Some studies have shown that stable jobs are a major factor in reducing recidivism. Still, not everyone is willing to hire an ex-convict, and a lack of job opportunities for those with a criminal record is still stymieing workforce participation in the economy, Stephanie Ferguson, a senior manager of employment policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, wrote in a May report. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, barriers faced by people with felony convictions were linked to a loss of at least 1.7 million employees from the workforce and a cost of at least $78 billion to the economy in 2014, the year that McGowan left prison. The current desperate straits in which employers now find themselves could help spur a change. In a 2021 survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, or SHRM; the SHRM Foundation and the Charles Koch Institute, 53% of human resource professionals said they would be willing to hire people with criminal records up from just 37% in 2018. That's where programs like Hinds County Reentry and MagCor step in, helping to make former inmates more desirable as candidates by properly training them to reintegrate into society and matching them with jobs tailored to their skills and interests. McGowan said he'd like to work in air conditioning and heating repair, and the programs staff members recommended him to Upchurch Services, a Mississippi-based company that allows workers to take classes in repair services while gaining experience in the field. McGowan was hired the second week of May. He makes $15 per hour, working 40 hours per week with paid overtime. He said he has full health care coverage and he loves the work. Summer, winter, spring or fall, youll need either heat or air conditioning," he said. "So I found something I can help people out with. At the same time, it can keep me in the working class, so I dont fall back into the things I used to do. Beamon, one of numerous recruiters staffing booths at a job fair for ex-prisoners in Jackson recently other companies represented included Waffle House, Amazon and Columbus, Mississippi-based Lyle Machinery said he has seen an influx of new jobs and wages that are rising precipitously, some to as much as $20 per hour. Mississippi has not enacted a state minimum wage, and the federal standard is still $7.25. In addition to skills training, the workforce reentry programs can provide parolees with mentors who have firsthand knowledge about the travails of life after incarceration. For Savannah Hayden, who was released from prison in November after serving time for five felony convictions, that person was Cynetra Freeman. Freeman is the founder of the Mississippi Center for Reentry, an organization offering work readiness programs to inmates preparing to leave prison. Freeman remembers taking a bus to an employment agency the day after she was released from prison. She said the agency told her she would never get a job because of her record. This crushed me and made me think about others who felt the same devastation, Freeman said. Employment is one of the toughest aspects for a person who is just returning home. Hayden thought she might string together temporary jobs to make ends meet. But Freeman encouraged her to think long term, specifically about a job in which she could use her experience as a formerly incarcerated person to help others reentering society. Hayden now works for Freeman as the mental health and drug addiction coordinator at the Center for Reentry. After so many doors are slammed in your face, you get tired of asking, Hayden said. But there will be a person who says yes, and that will change your life. Hayden was adopted and spent years in the states foster system. "It didnt dawn on me that I might be able to help people who grew up in the same position, she said. I think I found my niche. McGowan, who had been convicted of violent crimes, said his work is more than just a job. Its the look on someones face," he said. "When you fix something of theirs that's been broken, they just smile. I spent so many years hurting people. So I know the look people have when they feel hurt. To see the reverse of that, it's enough to make me happy. ___ Michael Goldberg 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 him on Twitter at twitter.com/mikergoldberg. Well, that didn't take long. A few weeks ago, Vince McMahon, the eccentric CEO of the WWE, came under fire for allegedly paying a former female employee $3 million for an affair. Consequently, McMahon stepped down as CEO of the company (while still retaining his duties as the sole creator and producer of WWE's various shows) to allow the board of directors to investigate his alleged impropriety. McMahon is no saint, so many wrestling punditsand anyone with half a brainassumed that several other women would eventually be uncovered or come forward. The Wall Street Journal now reports that McMahon's various hush-money payments over the last ten years have reached $12 million across four different women. The worst story of the bunch pertains to an anonymous female wrestler who alleges McMahon fired her after she ended their sexual relationship. Vince McMahon, the longtime CEO of WWE who stepped down in June, paid four women at least $12 million total over the past 16 years to hide numerous allegations of sexual misconduct, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. McMahon was also being investigated by the WWE's board after was discovered in April he paid $3 million to cover up an affair with a former employee. This new report indicates McMahon covered up more. So far, here are the four settlements McMahon reportedly paid out, per the Journal: A $7.5 million payment in 2018 to a former wrestler who alleged McMahon "coerced her into giving him oral sex and then demoted her and, ultimately, declined to renew her contract in 2005 after she resisted further sexual encounters." A roughly $1 million payment in 2008 to a WWE contractor who "presented the company with unsolicited nude photos of Mr. McMahon she reported receiving from him and alleged that he had sexually harassed her on the job." A $1 million payment in 2006 to a former 10-year WWE manager who alleged McMahon "initiated a sexual relationship with her." The $3 million payment in 2022 to the former paralegal who allegedly had an affair with McMahon. The board concluded the relationship between McMahon and this woman was consensual. McMahon voluntarily stepped down on June 17 following reports of the investigation as well as the alleged settlement. He also pledged his "complete cooperation to the investigation" and "pledged to accept the findings and outcome of the investigation, whatever they are" in a statement released by the company. McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon, was named interim CEO and interim Chairwoman after serving as the company's chief brand officer as well as a former wrestler. To put the amount of money in perspective, McMahon paid $10 million more in hush money than he did to purchase rival wrestling promotion WCW. A ditch in the ground during rainy season can soon be teeming with loaches, which are used to make a popular soup. Illustration of the loach native to East Asia and the Korean peninsula, which lives in muddy waters and is a popular food source. Illustrations by Rebel Pepper North Korea is seeing an uptick in loach farming as residents hope to survive poor economic conditions and food shortages by raising the small mudfish to consume or to sell in the marketplace, sources in the country told RFA. The species of loach native to China, Taiwan and the Korean peninsula lives in the muddy waters of streams, creeks and rice paddies and is easy to catch and raise. The loaches are most often boiled into a thick soup called chueo-tang, seasoned with perilla seed powder, garlic and other vegetables, and said to replenish stamina and promote healthy skin. As the rainy season starts in the Korean peninsula, rural citizens in the North are digging ditches near their houses to make mud puddles, a perfect habitat for the protein-packed loaches, a resident of Songchon county, South Pyongan province, north of the capital Pyongyang, told RFA on condition of anonymity to speak freely. A farmer digs a ditch during the rainy season to prepare a loach farm. During the rainy season, they can make a wide and deep puddle and fill it with rainwater. After about two weeks, soft mud appears on the bottom of the puddle which provides a good environment for loach farming, he said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the flow of goods across borders has been suspended and the routes of business were blocked. The increase in loach farming is one of the alternative means of livelihood people devised after agonizing about how to make a living, the source said. Most North Korean families cannot support themselves with the salaries from their government-assigned jobs, and therefore must go into business for themselves. Out of this necessity, a nascent market economy has emerged. Much of that economy depends on the purchase and sale of Chinese goods, but Beijing and Pyongyang shut down the Sino-Korean border at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in January 2020 and suspended all trade, a move that left many people with no means of earning a living. Earlier this year, rail freight resumed briefly, but new outbreaks of the virus in China led to another shutdown. Now people who once traded Chinese products, either imported or smuggled across the border, are turning to the ubiquitous mudfish to get by. Cow dung is spread in the loach farm to grow microorganisms for the loaches to eat. The source said loaches are in high demand in North Korea, as they are high in protein and nutritional value and cost less than pork. They also reproduce quickly, he said. A farm built using baby loaches during the rainy season, which is roughly July through August, will produce enough mudfish to sell at the marketplace only three or four months later. People can sell the loaches and use the money to buy food, or they and their families can eat the fish themselves. People in Yomju county, in the northwestern province of North Pyongan, are getting into the loach farming business in large numbers, a resident there told RFA on condition of anonymity for security reasons. The province lies just across the border from China, and the lack of trade with North Koreas northern neighbor has forced many to find other ways to support themselves. After freight train service was completely suspended at the end of April, there seems to be no hope that border trade will resume. Merchants who used to sell imported goods in the marketplace are changing their business to something else, the second source said. They deal with the shortage of imported goods by using domestic resources. They can set up a greenhouse for vegetables on top of their apartments or a loach farm in their yard if they have a house, he said. Loach farmers use a net to collect mature loaches. The loach farming business is popular because it is easy to get started, the second source said. They do not require a lot of initial investment. If you can make a puddle when it rains, like in the rainy season now the rainwater collects and creates soft, natural mud. The mud is the key condition for loach farming, he said. When soft mud appears on the bottom of the puddle, farmers put a layer of cow dung on it. After about a week, microorganisms are thriving and the baby loaches can eat them for food. So residents are looking for a way to live off of loach farming, the second source said. The slippery mudfish are an important food source, packed with protein and said to promote healthy skin and boost stamina. Loaches are sold for 4,000 to 5,000 won per kilogram (U.S. $0.25 to 0.31) in North Korean markets. They are in higher demand in autumn, which is the peak season for chueo-tang. Loach prices can almost double to 7,000 to 8,000 won per kilogram during the fall months. The two sources said that the loaches being raised now are intended for sale after the prices rise. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is "deeply disappointed" by a Canadian government decision to return a repaired Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline turbine to Germany after completing maintenance on the equipment. The decision sets a "dangerous precedent" and will "strengthen Moscow's sense of impunity," the ministry said on July 10 in a statement. The statement warns that the transfer of the turbine will allow Russia to continue to use energy as a weapon in war and calls on the Canadian government to reverse its decision. Canada announced the decision on July 9, saying at the same time that it would expand sanctions against Russia's energy sector to include industrial manufacturing. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Russia could continue supplying gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in full without the turbine. It said the Nord Stream 1 compressor station where the turbine operated is equipped with several other turbines, including backups. One turbine is in Canada, three are currently operating, and the rest "have been turned off without explanation," the ministry said. It also reiterated its position that Russia could continue uninterrupted gas supplies to the European Union even if Nord Stream 1 were out of operation entirely by using gas-transit routes through Ukraine or Poland. "Thus, Russia's demand for the mandatory return of the turbine to continue gas transportation is blackmail that has no technical justification," the ministry said. Ukraine also asserted that Canada made its decision despite having said that it understood that Russia's demand had no technical basis. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement the new sanctions will apply to "land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery." It said the sanctions would "put further pressure on a pillar of the Russian economy" and further increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime over "his senseless war in Ukraine." The German corporation Siemens said on July 10 that Canada's decision was a "necessary and important first step" for the delivery of the turbine. "The political export decision is a necessary and important first step for the delivery of the turbine. Currently, our experts are working intensively on all further formal approvals and logistics," Siemens Energy said. "Among other things, this involves legally required export- and import-control procedures. Our goal is to transport the turbine to its place of operation as quickly as possible," it added. Russia's Gazprom last month cut the capacity along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 40 percent of normal levels, pointing to the delayed return of equipment being serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada. The turbine will be sent to Germany first and then be delivered to Gazprom so that Canada does not breach any sanctions, a government source told Reuters. Germany says the return of the turbine would deprive Russia of an excuse to keep supplies significantly below normal levels. Moscow on July 8 said it would increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine was returned. With reporting by Reuters and AFP Millions of Muslims across the globe have celebrated Eid al-Adha, one of the biggest holidays of the Islamic calendar, which coincides with the final rites of the annual hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. In some countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, and the Central Asian states, Eid al-Adha was observed on July 9. But in other parts of the globe, including Pakistan and Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, the holiday was observed on July 10. Many Muslims celebrate the four-day feast by ritually slaughtering livestock and distributing the meat among relatives, neighbors, and the poor. Known as the Feast of Sacrifice, it's a joyous occasion of which food is a hallmark. But as Russia's war in Ukraine sends food prices soaring across the world, many people said they couldn't afford the livestock for the ritual sacrifice. In Afghanistan, there is normally a shopping rush for animals ahead of Eid al-Adha. But this year, the global food-price hikes and economic devastation since the Taliban takeover have put it beyond the reach of many Afghans. In eastern Ukraine, dozens of Ukrainian Muslims gathered on July 9 to observe Eid al-Adha at the mosque in Kostyantynivka, the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in the Donbas region. The congregation was mostly made up of soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv, and western Ukraine. Only a few local residents were present, as the war has forced many to flee to western regions of the country. Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers at the mosque in Kostyantynivk, mufti Said Ismahilov asked the congregation to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and where several mosques have been destroyed by shelling. Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe. There is a lot of fear," he said. "The war continues and we have no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation Muslims are in there. Nearly 1 million Muslims from around the world arrived this week in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the largest pilgrimage since the COVID-19 pandemic upended the event. On July 9, pilgrims carried out the symbolic stoning of the devil. It's among the set of rituals associated with the Prophet Muhammad and the prophets Ibrahim and Ismail, or Abraham and Ishmael in the Bible, performed during the pilgrimage every year. All Muslims who are physically and financially able to complete the spiritual journey, are required to do the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in their lives. With reporting by AP Six people have been killed after Russias military shelled a building in the eastern Ukrainian town of Toretsk, Ukrainian emergency service officials said on July 18. "Early in the morning, the town of Toretsk was shelled. A two-story building with people inside was destroyed," the Ukrainian State Service for Emergency Situations said in a statement on social media. 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. "Rescuers found and recovered the bodies of five dead people in total. Three people were rescued from the rubble and one of them died in hospital," the statement said. The service posted photographs on social media of rescue workers digging through rubble and what was left of the devastated building, and said the search for survivors had ended. Toretsk, a town with an estimated population of 30,000 people, is located some 50 kilometers south of Kramatorsk, one of the last Ukrainian-controlled towns in the industrial east. The head of Russias National Defense Management Center, Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev, said last week that ammunition depots and armored vehicles had been placed at a school in Toretsk, according to TASS. The claim could not be independently verified. On July 17, a Ukrainian military official said Russia was preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine following orders from Moscow to step up military operations. He said Moscow's main goal was to fully capture the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in the east -- which make up the Donbas -- but with attacks occurring in central, northeastern, and southern Ukraine as well. "It is not only missile strikes from the air and sea," said Vadym Skibitskiy, a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence. "We can see shelling along the entire line of contact, along the entire front line. There is an active use of tactical aviation and attack helicopters. "There is indeed a certain activation of the enemy along the entire front line...Clearly preparations are now under way for the next stage of the offensive. Kyiv has said in recent days that its forces are themselves preparing for a massive counteroffensive to reclaim land previously lost, especially in the south. Ukrainian and U.S. defense officials on July 18 discussed the situation on the ground ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group scheduled to take place later this week. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Twitter that he had a telephone call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to discuss the framework of the upcoming meeting. We agreed on the agenda, shared information on the control of arms arriving to Ukraine etc. Also, @SecDef (Austin) has some very good news, but details will come a little later, Reznikov said. The next meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group will take place on July 20. At the group's last meeting in May, a total of 47 countries took part and 20 of them announced security assistance packages for Ukraine. Russia-backed separatists claimed later on July 18 that Siversk, a town about 8 kilometers west of the front line, was under their control. Valeriy Zaluzhniy, commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, said earlier that Ukrainian forces managed to stabilize the situation along the front line. Zaluzhniy said on Facebook that in a conversation with U.S. General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he explained that the timely arrival of U.S.-supplied high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) had been a factor in Ukrainian forces maintaining their defensive lines. "We managed to stabilize the situation. It is complex, intense, but completely controlled, Zaluzhniy said on Facebook. "The HIMARS delivered targeted strikes on enemy control points, ammunition, and fuel storage warehouses," Zaluzhniy wrote. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, announced in his nightly video message that 1,028 settlements in Ukraine had been liberated from Russian forces, and another 2,621 are still under Russian control. Zelenskiy said Ukrainian forces have been able to inflict significant logistical losses on the occupiers, making it increasingly difficult for the Russian army to hold positions on captured territory. His claims could not be independently verified. Step by step, we advance, disrupt supplies for the occupiers, identify and neutralize collaborators. The prospect is obvious: the Ukrainian flag will be in all our towns and villages. The only question is time," said Zelenskiy. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Ukrainian rescue workers have recovered 15 bodies after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-story apartment block, collapsing the building in the eastern Donetsk region, officials said. More than 20 people may still be trapped in the wreckage, the local branch of the emergency service in the town of Chasiv Yar said on Facebook. Emergency workers late on July 10 pulled a man who had been trapped for almost 24 hours out of the rubble, bringing to six the number found alive. The man was rushed to a hospital after being pulled out by rescuers, who earlier said they were in contact with at least three people trapped under the ruins. 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. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the attack on Chasiv Yar has prompted him to including the topic of war crimes on his schedule in the coming week. "Since the beginning of this invasion, Ukrainian law enforcement officers have been doing everything necessary to record the crimes of the occupiers and to collect evidence," he said in a video message on July 10. He said the negotiations he plans will "contribute to the punishment of Russian war criminals." Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk military administration, said the attack took place late on July 9. Chasiv Yar is a town of about 12,000 about 20 kilometers southeast of Kramatorsk, a city that has recently has been a target of Russian forces. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's president, said the strike was "another terrorist attack" and that Russia should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism" as a result. The rocket assault on Chasiv Yar is the latest in a recent burst of high-casualty Russian attacks on civilian structures in Ukraine. At least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June. Earlier this month, 21 people were killed when an apartment building and recreational area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region. Russia -- which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine -- denies targeting civilians in the war. There was no comment on the strike on Chasiv Yar at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on July 10. Multiple rocket attacks were also reported in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, not far from the Russian border. Rockets, fired in the early hours of July 10, hit a school, a private house, and a children's sanatorium, partially destroying the buildings, the Kharkiv prosecutor's office said. A 62-year-old man was wounded in the attacks, it said in a Telegram post. Ukrainian officials said Russian forces attacked areas near the eastern town of Slovyansk on July 10, but were forced to withdraw. Serhiy Hayday, the governor of eastern Luhansk region, said Russian troops were gathering in the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 kilometers east of Slovyansk. "The enemy is...shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region," Hayday said on Telegram. "During the last night alone, the Russians launched seven artillery barrages and four rocket strikes," he added. The Ukrainian military General Staff said in its daily summary that attacks were reported in several cities and towns in eastern and southern Ukraine. Donetsk and Luhansk make up the Donbas region, where Moscow-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014. 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. Last week, Russian forces captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk. Meanwhile, the situation in the southern region of Kherson has become more dangerous. Serhiy Khlan, deputy chief of the Kherson regional council in exile, said Ukrainian troops struck a military unit in the southern city of Kherson, setting it on fire. Serhiy Bratchuk, the head of the Odesa regional administration, said on Telegram that Ukrainian forces "struck the occupiers' base in the Kherson region." Russian air-defense systems were activated in Kherson on July 10, TASS reported, adding that four explosions were heard and smoke was seen in the central part of the city. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk urged civilians to evacuate the city and the Kherson region. "It's clear there will be fighting, there will be artillery shelling...and we therefore urge (people) to evacuate urgently," she said on July 10 on national television. She could not say when exactly the counteroffensive would happen. The Kherson region includes the city of Kherson, which before the war had a population of nearly 300,000. It is not known how many of the city's residents remained after Ukraine lost control of most of the Kherson region in the early weeks of the war. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on July 10 that advanced U.S. long-range multiple-launch rocket systems had already made a "huge difference" on the battlefield. Ukraine currently has nine of the high-mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) and similar systems provided by the U.S. and allies, Security Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said earlier this week. The United States announced on July 8 that it would be sending four more. It said that would bring the number of HIMARS sent by Washington to 12. Reznikov told The Times in an article published on July 10 that Zelenskiy has instructed the Ukrainian military to retake the occupied southern territories. "We understand that politically it is very necessary for our country," he told the British newspaper. "The president has instructed the supreme military commander to develop plans." With reporting by AP, AFP, Reuters, UNIAN, and TASS Ukrainian rescue workers have recovered 15 bodies after Russian rockets hit a five-story apartment block in Chasiv Yar, a town of about 12,000 between Bakhmut and Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region late on July 9. Dozens are believed to be trapped under the rubble. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's president, said the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism" as a result. Proponents claim the stones can promote health and well-being. janiecbros/Getty Images As New York City mayor Eric Adams attends ribbon cuttings, marches in parades and bulldozes dirt bikes, he wears an energy stone bracelet that his supporters gave him. In a recent interview, Adams discussed his belief that New York City has a special energy because it sits atop a store of rare gems and stones the so-called Manhattan schist, which is over 450 million years old and contains over 100 minerals. NYC rocks: Mayor Eric Adams says crystals give city 'special energy' https://t.co/O7fO3ZOhhu pic.twitter.com/1eHrOHICAN New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) June 9, 2022 Adams isnt the only one imbuing rocks with metaphysical significance. During the first year of the pandemic, the crystal industry boomed, with customers hoping the gems might relieve their anxiety. Some people might be confused about the allure of these stones. But crystal enthusiasts arent deviants. Current ideas about crystals come from a larger tradition called metaphysical religion that has always been part of the American spiritual landscape. More than rocks Technically, a crystal is any matter with a repeating pattern of atoms or molecules. The crystals for sale in shops are known as euhedral crystals because they have well-defined surfaces, or faces. For centuries, people have attributed special properties to crystals. Scientist Carl Sagan, in his book The Demon-Haunted World, traces their modern popularity to a series of books written in the 1980s by Katrina Raphaell, who founded The Crystal Academy of Advanced Healing Arts in 1986. Crystals arent just eye-catching stones. Quartz is used in electronics because it possesses piezoelectric properties that cause it to release an electric charge when compressed. But, as skeptics are quick to point out, there is no evidence crystals can bring health, prosperity or any of the other properties that crystal enthusiasts may attribute to them. Mining the metaphysical Yet crystals are part of a broader tradition called metaphysical religion, a term coined by historian Catherine Albanese. Metaphysical religion includes modern New Age movements, a nebulous milieu of alternative spiritual beliefs and practices, such as synchronicity or psychic abilities. Older traditions like Mesmerism, the idea that humans beings emit magnetic energy that can be used for healing, and Spiritualism, the belief that mediums can communicate with the dead, also fall under the metaphysical umbrella. Albanese ascribes four characteristics to metaphysical traditions: a preoccupation with the mind and its powers; correspondences, or the idea of hidden connections between things; a tendency to think in terms of energy and movement; and a yearning for salvation understood as solace, comfort, therapy, and healing. Contagious magic Metaphysical ideas about crystals exhibit each of these characteristics. While crystals are physical objects, not thoughts, many crystal enthusiasts recommend cleansing and charging crystals through visualization and other meditative techniques. So the mind plays a key role in crystal spirituality, as it does in other forms of metaphysical religion. Crystal sales soared during the pandemic. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Correspondence refers to the belief found in many occult traditions that ordinary things possess secret qualities or connections to other things. A classic example is astrology, which postulates a correspondence between ones birthday and certain personality traits. Metaphysical claims about crystals also reflect a belief in correspondences. For example, Colleen McCann, a self-described shaman affiliated with the crystal purveyor Goop, described the positive qualities of different crystals: bloodstones promote good health, rose quartzes help with love, and pink mangano calcites are good for sleep. Modern crystal enthusiasts often use words like energy and vibrations that present their ideas in a scientific register. When enthusiasts talk about the energy of crystals like Eric Adams did they really mean that it exerts influence within a certain proximity. This is the principle behind crystal water bottles that can be used to charge water with vibrational energy. Stripped of scientific language, the logic of energy and vibrations is another form of what anthropologist James Frazer called contagious magic found in many cultures, where simply placing one thing next to another is believed to cause an effect. A source of stigma Finally, metaphysical religion tends to focus on solving problems in this life rather than the hereafter. This includes health and prosperity, but also emotional growth and well-being. Crystal spirituality is certainly centered around these worldly goals. This is a big distinction from traditions like Christianity that emphasize salvation in heaven. It is also a factor in why metaphysical ideas are stigmatized despite their popularity. Protestant Christianity, with its emphasis on sola fides faith alone has historically dismissed many forms of material religion, or objects with religious significance, as superstition. So in a culture shaped by its historically Protestant majority, some Americans may be predisposed to look at crystal spirituality as foolish, greedy or even blasphemous. But while claims about the hidden properties of crystals lack scientific validation, so do many of the claims of Christianity and other mainstream religions. From a historical perspective, Adams ideas about crystals dont make him an outlier. As a scholar of religious studies, I see him as a normal part of the American religious landscape. ___ Joseph P. Laycock does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. ___ If anyone ever asks Carlsbad retiree Judy Ludwig her husband Rons whereabouts, she could easily respond with the song lyric that hes been working on the railroad, all the live long day. Around the La Costa Glen retirement community, 82-year-old Ron Ludwig is known as the train man. Most days, the retired Navy pilot can be found working for many hours on one of his finely handcrafted HO scale electric model train layouts. He has filled three garages with an enormous train layout and workshop and this year he was commissioned by La Costa Glen to build an 8-by-3-foot, holiday-themed train system for the community clubhouse. 1 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad, watches as the HO scale electric model train, on display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse, goes around the track. He built the set over the past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community, checks to make sure one of his HO scale electric model trains is on track before turning it on. Hes known as the Carlsbad communitys resident train man. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 10 An HO scale electric model train, built by resident Ron Ludwig for display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community, powers its way around the track on Tuesday morning. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 10 An HO scale electric model train, built by resident Ron Ludwig for display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community, makes a turn as it heads through a tunnel. Ludwig builds all of the landscape components of his train sets from scratch. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 10 La Costa Glen resident Ron Ludwig, 82, poses with the HO scale electric train set he built for the Carlsbad retirement communitys holiday display this past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 10 Close-up look at the electric model train display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Built by resident Ron Ludwig, the train is HO scale, meaning its 1/87th the size of a real train. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 10 Close-up look at the electric model train display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Built by resident Ron Ludwig, the train is HO scale, meaning its 1/87th the size of a real train. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 10 Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad, watches as the HO scale electric model train, on display in the lobby of the Lakeside Clubhouse, goes around the track. He built the set over the past year. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 10 A section of the train yard in a large model train layout Ron Ludwig, 82, built inside a pair of garages at the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Hes know there as the train man. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 10 A clock featuring a train is above one of the HO scale electric model railroad train sets Ron Ludwig, a resident of the La Costa Glen retirement community built in one of his garages. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) Ludwig said hes been fascinated with model trains ever since his father bought him his first Lionel set for his 10th birthday. Advertisement I just love watching them go around, he said. Im not the guy whos into the electronics of it. Im more the kind of guy who loves the painting and design part. Michele Chaffee, activities director at La Costa Glen, said she asked Ludwig to build the set for the clubhouse this year because everyone in the community is so impressed with his talent and detail work. Ron is a character and a wonderful person to work with, Chafee said. This is way more than a hobby for him. Its a lifestyle. La Costa Glen resident Nancy Rommel said Ludwig has treated the responsibility of building the clubhouse train with such seriousness over the past year that he would head to his workshop every morning as if it were a full-time job. This is absolutely fabulous, Rommel said, admiring the new holiday train. Im impressed with all the time it took to do it. Everyone is really enjoying it so much. Hes done a marvelous job. Ludwig grew up in Long Island, N.Y., where he remembers his first train was an O scale table-top set. Over the years, that grew in size to fill a Ping-Pong table, then moved to a floor layout and finally to an elevated platform that measured 16 by 16 feet. But for a big portion of his life, Ludwigs preferred mode of transportation had wings. Ludwig spent 32 years in the Navy. During the Vietnam War, he was an aviator, flying Grumman S-2 Tracker anti-submarine warfare planes, which involved risky takeoffs and landings from the decks of aircraft carriers. Later in his career, he traveled between Navy bases inspecting ships. After he retired from the Navy as a captain, he spent eight years running a junior ROTC program in Santa Ana. The Ludwigs, parents of four who have been married 59 years, moved to La Costa Glen in 2012. To house his train sets, he rented a trio of contiguous single-car garages. Two of the garages are connected via a tiny railway tunnel so the trains, which are 1/87th the size of an actual train, can chug from one end of the massive layout to another. While Ludwig buys the track components, train cars and tiny home and store and vehicle models for his layouts, he prefers to build just about everything else from scratch. He hand-paints all of the scenery, hand-builds the landscapes, makes the mountains from papier-mache and paints weathering details on all of the structures. He uses strips of bridal veil to create tiny chain-link fencing, created a tumbledown wood picket fence out of coffee stirrers, made a lake and waterfall with lacquers and paints, and used wood parts to build a covered bridge, boat dock and more. Chafee said one of the best things about Ludwigs train sets is that hes not only expert at design, hes also skilled at building layouts where the electrical circuits work reliably and the trains dont derail by themselves. Of course, there are other challenges faced by the new timer-operated holiday train, which debuted in the clubhouse on Thanksgiving weekend and will stay up through the holidays. Although theres a protective glass barrier around the train, that hasnt stopped many curious residents from reaching into the display to lift out the cars or accidentally knock them off the tracks. Ludwig said his first duty every morning is to go to the clubhouse to babysit the train set by repairing any minor damage and make sure the system is running smoothly. There are a lot of 85-year-old men here who like to touch the train because it reminds them of the trains they had when they were boys, he said. Little boys go from age 3 to 93. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com A 14-year-old from Buffalo was arrested after stolen cars crashed early Saturday in Niagara County, State Police from the Niagara Station reported. The youngster was charged with third-degree grand larceny and third-degree unlawful fleeing, issued an appearance ticket for Family Court and turned over to a legal guardian, according to the report. The incident began about 4 a.m. when troopers responded to a complaint from the Town of Wheatfield about a suspicious vehicle. Footage from home surveillance cameras showed suspects entering unlocked vehicles and possibly opening garage doors at residences, State Police said. In a patrol of the area, troopers saw two vehicles that did not stop at an intersection and attempted to pull them over. Both vehicles drove away and crashed, with the occupants fleeing. Niagara County sheriff's deputies, who assisted at the scene, found and detained the 14-year-old. State Police noted that car theft is on the rise in Western New York and reminded owners to always lock their vehicles. RTHK: Blinken pledges US-Thai partnership in Bangkok visit The United States and Thailand signed agreements in Bangkok on Sunday to deepen the countries' ties, as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken continued a regional tour. Mr Blinken and Thai foreign minister Don Pramudwinai pledged to advance partnerships in climate change, law enforcement and security cooperation. His visit comes a day after he met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Indonesia on the sidelines of the G20 foreign minister's meeting. Blinken was also due to meet with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. "We are taking the partnership between us fully into the 21st century," Blinken said, adding that Thailand is an important ally "in a region that is shaping the trajectory of the century". Bliken last year postponed a trip to Thailand after halting a regional tour when a case of Covid-19 was found in the press corps accompanying him. "We have also laid the foundation for the next 190 years," the Thai foreign minister said, as the two countries prepare to mark 190 years of relations next year. Talks with Prayuth will include the crisis in Myanmar and expanding cooperation, the State Department said. Myanmar's military has increased pressure against ethnic minority armies since a coup last year and is encountering resistance on multiple fronts, including militia groups allied with the ousted government. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. 0108263 License for publishing multimedia online Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 Erie County was one of the first counties in the state to join in a lawsuit against drug companies and distributors for developing addictive opioid painkillers and falsely promoting them as safe. As a result, the county is expected to receive $63.2 million in funds to combat the opioid health crisis through 2038, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Friday. Of that amount, $19.2 million is slated to arrive this year. Erie County sues drugmakers over 'addictive and dangerous' painkillers The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the tens of millions of dollars that Erie County, law enforcement and other emergency responders have incurred fighting the opioid-related public health The money is coming at a time when Erie County has experienced a sharp rise in opioid-related overdose deaths every year since 2019. The county is currently on track to meet or exceed the number of confirmed overdose deaths from last year. "Between 2012 and 2021, more than 2,000 Erie County residents have died from an opiate-related overdose," Poloncarz said. On Friday, he laid out the spending plan for the settlement money, which comes directly from drug manufacturers and distributors, as well as through a state settlement with drug companies. Three-fourths of the money received this year $14.3 million is restricted for spending on addiction and mental health services. That money will go to: Continued funding for nine county positions in the Health Department and Probation Department that focus on addition treatment and prevention. These are positions that were initially grant funded but are now losing their grant money. Paying for nine new drug treatment-related positions in the departments of Health, Social Services and Probation. Support a variety of anti-addiction and drug treatment campaigns and programs, including those designed to target inmates, immigrants and pregnant women. In addition, $6 million will be set aside to fund community-led initiatives. Organizations will have the opportunity to submit proposals for their ideas to combat opioid addiction and qualify for funding, Poloncarz said. Millions of dollars flow to WNY to fight addiction as overdose deaths rise at alarming rate Overdose deaths have risen sharply each year since the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The state and region will soon be receiving millions of dollars that will be earmarked toward addiction prevention and treatment as a result of a pharmaceutical lawsuit settlement The County Legislature must approve all major spending for these efforts. Poloncarz noted that the Crisis Services Addiction Hotline remains active: 716-831-7007. The county is also continuing its program that allows residents to get free access to the rescue drug Narcan by texting a request to 716-225-5473. Since the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020, overdose deaths have surged. Social isolation and limited access to drug treatment and Narcan were blamed for contributing to the increase in deaths, with more people not getting support or help from family and friends, using drugs alone and dying before help could arrive. However, since the economy and society have reopened and vaccines and Covid-19 tests have become commonplace, the number of overdose deaths has not fallen. Instead, Erie County reported 286 deaths for last year due to opioid-related drug use. That falls just 15 cases shy of the all-time high for opioid drug overdoses countywide, set more than five years ago. When she began her education in library science, Chelsey Lonberger received a lot of pushback, with people often asking why she chose a field that isnt going to be around in 10 years. But the notion that libraries no longer serve a purpose is harmful to those who rely on their services, said Lonberger, now the Lackawanna Public Library director. Being a librarian, I am in direct communication with members of the public no one else is willing to help. We have the homeless population. We have people who are recent immigrants. We have people who are unemployed who are trying to get through the bureaucracy, she added. As the Lackawanna Public Library celebrates 100 years of operation, the other members of the Centennial Committee echo Lonbergers sentiment that the best days of the library are not in the past. They are seeking to honor the last century, while also planning for the next one. While the committee has been hosting events since February to commemorate the librarys 100th year, the official celebratory event was on Sunday and featured speakers, activities and refreshments. James Schichtel remembers an incident in which a store clerk almost overcharged a patron. Schichtel corrected the clerk because he noticed the customer was not fluent in English, inspiring him to help people learn the language so they wouldn't be taken advantage of. Through his involvement at the library, he is able to do that as a tutor with Literacy Buffalo Niagara. Hosting such weekly English language conversation group meetings is another method for the library to continue upholding its pledge to serve marginalized communities, one of the core reasons for its creation. In the early 1900s, Clara Whealen and the other women from her Pioneer Study Club felt strongly about creating a focal point for Lackawannas community, specifically the youth and its diverse ethnic groups, said Sal Bordonaro, previous director of the library and a member of the Centennial Committee. While she faced challenges, like waiting three days in New York City before being able to speak to someone at the Carnegie Corp., Whealen eventually reached her goal, with $30,000 from a Carnegie grant and additional city funding to start the library. Though Lynn Dziak felt connected to the Lackawanna library since her childhood, learning Whealens story provided her another layer of interest in the space and someone to admire. The strength it must have taken to get this done and probably go up against some people that werent on her side, I would bet, its just absolutely something else, said Dziak, a member of the library board. For people who may not have Internet access at home, the library is a source for connecting them to technology, said Charles Clark, Lackawannas public information officer. Thats kind of the beautiful dichotomy of this building. Its old, its rustic, its beautiful and it's legendary, but its stayed modern, he added. While the library is not underused, it still needs additional funding and renovating to ensure it can last another 100 years. Some renovations, like replacing the roof and two thirds of the windows, have been ongoing, but other issues, like the boiler system, still require attention. As a result of the needs, the board members are seeking alternative funding. Even what little we do receive from the city in the annual budget, in my estimation, its meager. But its a sad reality that this is what they can afford to give to the library, Bordonaro said. Still, the renovations must maintain historical accuracy in order for the librarys board members to achieve their other goal, being added to the National Registry of Historic Places. Respecting the librarys historical integrity is essential during renovations. As the building continues to adjust to modern day needs, it maintains its homey, comfortable nature, unlike newer libraries, Bordonaro said. You wont find this type of atmosphere or feeling anywhere, not in a contemporary building, he added. In late June, when pediatrician Dr. Nelson Branco opened up COVID vaccine appointments for his youngest patients babies and toddlers under 5 years old parents raced to book some 250 slots within the first 48 hours. By late last week, nearly 20% of Brancos roughly 1,500 patients in this age group had gotten their first shot. The doctor, who practices in Larkspur and Novato, anticipates that over the next few weeks, it will double to 40%. The brisk pace of vaccination at Tamalpais Pediatrics offers a glimpse into a now-familiar pattern since COVID vaccines first became available in the United States last year. Vaccine uptake among babies and toddlers in the Bay Area appears to be far outpacing statewide and national rates, according to early figures provided by several local health departments. Nearly three weeks since shots became available for babies and tots, 12% of children under 5 in San Francisco have gotten their first shot comparable to the rate among kids 5 to 11 at the same stage of the rollout, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said. In Marin, San Mateo and Alameda counties, 16%, 12% and 10% of babies and toddlers have gotten their first shot, respectively, local data show. Napa and Sonoma counties report 6% and 5% uptake, respectively. Health officials in some counties had hoped for better. In Marin, for example, officials expected the number to hit about 33% at this stage based on uptake with the 5-11 age group. But all the Bay Area numbers are higher than the 2.4% rate in California as a whole and just 1.5% nationwide, according to new figures from the state Department of Health Services and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was faster than we expected, which is a good thing, said Desi Kotis, chief pharmacy executive at UCSF, which is administering shots for the under-5 set at clinics in San Francisco and Oakland. Within the first four or five days, we were probably 20% to 30% greater than what we expected. Kotis attributes the higher-than-anticipated early uptake to several factors. Children are out of school, so it may be easier for parents to bring them in right away. Many families are going on summer vacations and want to get their youngest children vaccinated before they depart. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Locally, many parents appear to prefer the quicker Moderna vaccine protocol over Pfizers more prolonged alternative for their under-5 children. In Marin County, 65% of first shots given to kids under 5 have been Moderna. At UCSFs pediatric vaccine clinics, 55% of the shots given to young children have been Moderna, compared with 45% Pfizer. Dr. Jayme Congdon, who took her 4-year-old son, Jude, to get his shot on the first day UCSF opened its Laurel Heights pediatric clinic, is one such parent. The family is traveling in August, and Congdon, a pediatrician at UCSF, wanted to get Jude fully vaccinated as soon as possible. Modernas two shots, given four weeks apart, would accomplish that sooner than Pfizers three shots, given over 11 weeks. Every pediatrician I know is lining up to get their own kids vaccinated, and encourage patients to do the same, Congdon said. The sooner kids get vaccinated, the sooner theyre protected. Similar to the two previous pediatric groups kids 5 to 11, and adolescents and teens 12 to 17 the most eager parents are taking their kids for shots first. But unlike the two older groups, some pediatricians believe demand among the youngest children will peak sooner and taper off faster, giving way to a slow trickle of shots between now and the winter. Many will probably be given at the same time babies and toddlers come in for their regularly scheduled appointments for checkups or other childhood vaccinations, or when accompanying an older sibling for a visit, Branco said. This is in sharp contrast to last year, when older children and teens were getting their first shots at large school clinics and mass vaccination sites, sometimes at a volume of hundreds a day. I think what well see is a slow, steady increase but at a much slower pace after the first month, Branco said. What will drive that will be the beginning of the school year, the beginning of virus season in the winter, perhaps another wave of COVID thatll prompt parents to bring their kids in to be vaccinated. But even in Marin County, with its higher-than-average uptake so far, the path forward is more unpredictable and complicated for the youngest children than any other group before it a phenomenon that is playing out nationwide. 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 countys public health officer, Dr. Matt Willis, said just a month ago that he expected a third of children under 5 to get their first shot within the first month. Well see whether or not we reach that, Willis said. It really changes, even week by week, the parameters for these decisions. ... If this had rolled out even three months ago we wouldve had higher uptake. By comparison, three weeks after vaccines became available for children aged 5 to 11 in Marin County, 40% of kids in that age group had gotten their first shot a much higher proportion than the 16% of children under 5. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Many parents have reasons for waiting to get their young children vaccinated, he said. A lot of babies and toddlers have gotten COVID in the last few months since the highly contagious omicron variant and its even more transmissible subvariants became the dominant circulating strains. So those children now have some level of immunity from COVID, at least temporarily. And by now, most people have either gotten COVID themselves, despite being vaccinated and boosted, or know people who have, and most have recovered without needing hospitalization. That, paired with the fact that babies and toddlers are much less likely to develop severe COVID than teens and adults, is leading some parents to hold off on getting their young children vaccinated. Some wonder whether an updated vaccine may soon be available that will be more effective than the current vaccines. All of those are influencing decision-making in ways that that might have reduced the uptake more recently compared to had it been rolled out just a few months ago, Willis said. Catherine Ho (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: cho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Cat_Ho Rafe Swan/Getty Image After a three-year, multiagency investigation, 29 people associated with East Bay criminal street gangs known as the Bully Boys and the CoCo Boys have been sentenced, the California attorney generals office said Friday. Members of the gangs, which were based in the Antioch, Pittsburg, and Bay Point areas, were alleged to have worked together to steal credit card terminals from dozens of medical and dental businesses, officials said. They then used the stolen terminals to process returns the value of which would go onto a debit card that the perpetrators kept. Washburn Fire update: Crews battle to save Historic Mariposa Grove as hot weather expected to help fuel fire growth A smoky haze from the Washburn Fire settled into the Yosemite Valley Sunday, obscuring the majestic views that draw hoards of visitors to the park every summer. The blaze, which sparked Thursday, was threatening the Wawona community as well as Yosemite National Parks grove of giant sequoias in the southern part of the park, and sending a stream of smoke across the region to the north. It has burned 2,044 acres and remained 0% contained as of Sunday night, fire officials said. Most areas of Yosemite, apart from those around the closed southern entrance, remained open, but officials warned that the air quality was not great, in many parts. Communities in and around the park reported unhealthy air quality levels Sunday, with some seeing hazardous conditions. Webcams set up around Yosemite on Sunday morning captured hazy skies as heavy smoke from the wildfire drifted north, pushing towards the Sierra Nevada and Lake Tahoe area, according to forecasters. This is the first day that really were seeing the unhealthy, higher air-quality numbers throughout the park, said park information spokesperson Nancy Phillipe. We really do want to message to visitors that we are open, but there are smoke impacts. Air quality readings in South Lake Tahoe were in the good category, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which manages the AirNow tracking service. Air quality index levels range from 0 to 500, and anything above 301 is considered hazardous. Parts of the Yosemite Valley on Sunday morning were reporting air quality levels at 217 or very unhealthy with smoke from the fire expected to continue effecting the area in the coming days, weather officials said. 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. In the Bay Area, the Air Quality Management District issued an air quality advisory for Monday, anticipating Washburn Fire smoke coming into the North and East Bay regions. However, the district said pollutant levels were not expected to exceed the federal health standard, and a Spare the Air Alert was not in effect. Air quality was expected to be in the moderate range. Jessica Flores (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores The San Francisco Unified School Districts decision last month to remove a popular elementary school principal for saying a racial slur while teaching her students why the word is wrong raises a messy question: Is there any reason for educators to say n in the classroom? As The Chronicle reported, Ulloa Elementary School Principal Carol Fong stumbled into the controversy after a lunchtime playground fight between two fifth-graders on Jan. 27, during which the epithet was said. Fong called a meeting of fifth-graders, and, in condemning the epithet as unacceptable and hurtful, repeated it herself. Fong is Asian American. The word she spoke carries the weight of centuries of anti-Black racism. Fongs flawed attempt at a teachable moment is far from the most egregious example of a California educator being caught using a racial slur. But it does underscore the importance of teaching racial literacy when it comes to addressing Black trauma even to teachers. Otherwise, even the most well-intentioned educators risk doing more harm than good to the very students they think theyre protecting. Less than 1% of the students at Ulloa are Black, while around 74% are Asian American. In a May 24 letter, Fong apologized for the mistake of recounting the n-word in its entirety and noted how a significant number of Ulloa students come from non-English speaking families. According to state education data, just under 33% of the roughly 530 students at the K-5 school last year were English-language learners, with most being native Cantonese or Mandarin speakers. The districts African American Parent Advisory Council and representatives from the San Francisco NAACP called for Fong to be held accountable for her language, but stopped short of calling for her firing. After parents filed a formal complaint, Fong participated in a monthslong restorative justice process that included diversity training and apologizing to students and parents. Her transfer out of Ulloa came months after the restorative justice process concluded, which prompted protests and a huge letter-writing campaign in support of her. There is a teachable moment here. But for Neal Lester, an English professor and director of Project Humanities at Arizona State University, the lesson is for the adults, and its this: You dont have to repeat a trauma to teach a trauma. Since 2008, Lester has taught a first-of-its-kind undergraduate course called The N-Word: Lessons Taught and Lessons Learned. Lester is Black. He does not allow the word to be spoken in class. I remind students as they come into the class that it is not a required class, they will not hear me saying it, and the ground rules for the class are that they will not say it and we will not type it, Lester told me. Theres a dynamic at play where hearing a person in a position of power say the n-word ... can dilute whatever the intent was behind them saying it. All they know is what the impact was. Lester said his students may still see or hear the word in the reading he assigns and the songs he plays in class. But if the word has to be referenced out loud, it is euphemized. Lester said this framework does not interfere with his ability to teach or his students ability to learn about racism in America. Words are power, Lester said. If we dont control the words that come out of mouths, then the words control us. 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. So far in 2022, at least a few non-Black teachers have come under fire for invoking the n-word in front of students. In February, a fourth-grade teacher in San Diego was placed on administrative leave after saying it while reading a poem. In April, a middle school teacher in Sacramento resigned nearly a year after she was recorded repeatedly saying the epithet while telling students it was no longer a horrible ugly word. The same month, a high school teacher in Bakersfield was accused by the NAACP of flat-out calling a student the racial slur. Educators are responsible for ensuring their classrooms are hospitable to all students, including Black students. They also have a responsibility to educate themselves about the history of the slurs they presume to teach others about. N originated from the Latin word niger, meaning black. American chattel slavery gave rise to several English variations, including negar, which white men used to describe the countrys first African slaves. By the 1800s, negar had been contorted into n, and over time, the epithet was normalized through anti-Black literature, songs and even nursery rhymes. For example, the childrens counting rhyme Eeny, meeny, miny, moe didnt always involve catching a tiger by the toe. And a recognizable ice cream truck jingle has roots in a horribly racist 1916 song released by Columbia Records. Educators have 400 years of history as evidence to support the ugliness of the words origin, noted Marlon Richardson, the education director of nonprofit Hip Hop for Change, which teaches young students about Black issues through art and music. Saying it out loud does not have to be a part of their teaching. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Justin Phillips appears Sundays. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, the incoming leader of the 2.1 million-member California Labor Federation, is tired of Democrats playing nice. Maybe if we hadnt been so damn polite & smart & reasonable, we wouldnt be facing the never ending losing battle we face today, the former San Diego Democratic Assembly member tweeted recently in response to someone who questioned her use of profanity in challenging Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on the social media platform. I want bold electeds who stick by their progressive values & fight for the common good. We can still save our Country, she wrote. Stop clutching your pearls. Gonzalez Fletcher was vocalizing what a lot of Democratic voters feel right now. They want their elected leaders to put up a fight when it comes to life-or-death issues such as abortion, climate change, immigration, health care and workers rights. Shes not alone. From Saturdays Summer of Rage abortion rights protest that drew thousands outside the White House to California, left-leaning voters are demanding that their leaders show more fight. If Democrats arent going to flex some muscle when they control Congress and the White House, when will they? If they dont, Democrats might not vote in November. Republicans (58%) are far more likely than Democrats (48%) to say they are more enthusiastic about voting this year than previously, according to a Gallup Poll released Friday. Activists say Democrats could reverse that trend by doing more than just mouthing their support particularly when it comes to abortion. Saturdays Womens March event was directed squarely at Democrats, particularly President Biden, march executive director Rachel OLeary Carmona told me. Theres a tendency on the part of Democrats to put decorum before democracy and saying it would be unseemly to fight in the same way that the Republicans are fighting, Carmona said. At this moment in history, there has been an unprecedented attack on rights, Carmona said. Yet what the Democrats are doing (in response) is forgettable. Gonzalez Fletcher, 50, acknowledged that many politically active people of her generation who generally align with the Democratic agenda are still going to vote Democratic because they realize that its better than the other side. But young people who are being promised by the Democratic Party that we stand for something, want to see Democrats act on those things. They need to see us at least fighting for those things, Gonzalez Fletcher said. Were doing some of it. But were not doing enough of it. Protest is an important piece of that resistance, Gonzalez Fletcher said. But its more than that. Its a strategic will to change institutions. Nonviolent revolutions only happen with huge institutional changes. And young people deserve that. On Friday, President Biden responded to the public pressure by signing an executive order that sought to ensure patients could access emergency contraception and abortion medication. But critics said many parts of the orders were vague, like asking the head of the Federal Trade Commission to consider actions to protect the privacy of patients searching for information about reproductive health care. Democrats need to go bigger, Carmona said. For starters, she said, Biden could declare a public health emergency emergency, which could expand the federal governments ability to to prescribe abortion pills across state lines. The administration reportedly rejected this idea precisely the kind of move Dems are mad about. We do not think that he has a magic wand, Carmona told me. We do not think that Biden can roll back the clock to two weeks ago (before the Supreme Court overturned Roe). We understand the calculus of the Senate, and the limitations of executive powers. But we also know that theres more they can do than nothing and sending out fundraisers. So we want (Democrats) to do that. Rep. Judy Chu, D-Monterey Park (Los Angeles County), said some Democrats do want to boldly fight back against the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Chu has both on the street and in the House. Chu, who was arrested in an abortion rights demonstration near the Capitol last month, said Friday that her bill to enshrine the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, the Womens Health Protection Act, will be voted on in the House this week. This is its second go-round. It passed the House last fall, but died in the Senate. Chu acknowledged that it may meet the same fate. Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona still both oppose lifting the filibuster requirement for an abortion rights bill. (Last week, after I wrote a story highlighting her hazy position on lifting the filibuster for an abortion rights law, California Sen. Dianne Feinstein clarified her stance: She would back lifting the filibuster to legalize the procedure.) If we had two senators that we could elect that are both for eliminating the filibuster and also voting for the Womens Health Protection Act, we can put this into law, Chu said. But thats likely not happening until after the November election, if ever. So for now, will Democrats continue to play nice? Its not a matter of Democrats being too nice, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Fremont, told me, Its a matter of them not being for bold institutional reform. To Khanna, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, that means eliminating the filibuster or establishing term limits for Supreme Court justices. I would say were too institutional, too deferential to norms that are in many ways anti-majoritarian, Khanna told me. Supporters of the filibuster, like Sinema, have said it encourages bipartisanship, compels moderation and helps protect the country from wild swings between opposing policy poles. If Republicans took over Congress and the White House in 2024 and suspended the filibuster, they could pass a national abortion ban, filibuster supporters say. Carmona, the Womens March leader, wants Democrats to take that chance. The easiest way to lose is to concede, and I think that not fighting and not doing everything possible, is conceding, she said. The reality is that anything less than fighting with everything we have risks everything that we love. And thats the long and short of it. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli The largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park is still closed as firefighters battle a blaze that threatens the trees and has forced hundreds of campers to evacuate Property deeds can include conditions or restrictions on certain land uses. For instance, some neighborhoods require houses to be built a certain distance from the street. When someone purchases a home, real estate lawyers often hire title companies to determine whether the property is subject to any restrictions, liens or other adverse conditions. How some of Buffalos early suburban neighborhoods were designed to keep Black people out Racist language in land deeds remains in approximately hundreds and possibly thousands of Erie County property records, an investigation by The Buffalo News has found. A homeowner may be able to find out if the land they live on was racially covenanted by consulting the legal documents they received when they purchased the home. But title companies often do not mention old racial restrictions when they provide a title abstract summary to homeowners, said James G. Burke, senior abstractor at the Holland Land Title & Abstract Co. Reading the land deeds is the easiest way to find restrictions. Land deeds are public records that can be viewed at the Erie County Clerk's Office at 92 Franklin St. in Buffalo. In Rochester and Albany, there have been movements in recent years to scrub racist language from deeds. In 2020, the issue came to light in Rochester after the nonprofit group City Roots Community Land Trust and Yale Law School published a report that found racially restrictive covenants were "pervasive" in Monroe County. In the suburb of Brighton, neighbors launched an effort to remove racist restrictions from the deeds of nearly 300 homes. The group also created a how-to guide on its website to spur other neighborhoods to take action. In March, the state Assembly passed a bill that would require property owners to remove discriminatory deed restrictions before the next sale of their property. The bill did not come up for a vote in the Senate during the Legislature's most recent session. M. Deanna Eason, executive director of Housing Opportunities Made Equal, said the legacy of the deed restrictions is evident today. Last year, HOME looked into 114 complaints of race-based discrimination, compared with 43 in 2020. But the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimates that only 1% of people who experience housing discrimination file a complaint. "There are people out there who would say, 'What difference does that make? What does that change?' " Eason said about removing the racial covenants. "It shows that youre putting forth an effort to say, This ought not be here. What it does is it shows that you are making an effort now to actually right wrongs and do something about it. WASHINGTON (AP) As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a kill switch'' to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers' rights.'' The documents were first leaked to the Brtiish newspaper The Guardian, which shared them with the consortium. In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged mistakes'' in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates ... When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.'' Founded in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortium's Uber Files revealed the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries. The company's lobbyists including former aides to President Barack Obama pressed government officials to drop their investigations, rewrite labor and taxi laws and relax background checks on drivers, the papers show. The investigation found that Uber used stealth technology'' to fend off government investigations. The company, for example, used a kill switch'' that cut access to Uber servers and blocked authorities from grabbing evidence during raids in at least six countries. During a police raid in Amsterdam, the Uber Files reported, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick personally issued an order: Please hit the kill switch ASAP ... Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam).'' The consortium also reported that Kalanick saw the threat of violence against Uber drivers in France by aggrieved taxi drivers as a way to gain public support. Violence guarantee(s) success,'' Kalanick texted colleagues. In a response to the consortium, Kalanick spokesman Devon Spurgeon said the former CEO never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety.'' The Uber Files say the company cut its tax bill by millions of dollars by sending profits through Bermuda and other tax havens, then sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers.'' Wildfire activity inside the Washburn Fire burning in Yosemite National Park is reportedly so intense it's lifting tree debris hundreds of feet into the air, causing at least one near-miss for firefighting aircraft. Radio traffic from a plane over the blaze Saturday documented the rare phenonemon: "Hey, just want to let you know, a branch went over the top of us," a pilot radioed into dispatch. "A pretty good size, probably 50 feet above us coming down and fell right between tanker 103 and myself." "OK, copy. So like a repeat of yesterday," the dispatcher reponded. "That's exactly what I'm getting that," the pilot said. "So if we keep seeing that, we might have to knock it off. I don't want to take a chance of busting a window on an airplane or hurting an aircraft for this." Wildfires are capable of creating their own weather, sometimes referred to as a firestorm. As the fire burns hot and intense at the ground level, heat rises rapidly and creates a vacuum. Air rushes in to fill that vacuum, and the resulting updraft is powerful enough to carry debris, form a firenado and make its own lightning. "This was just confirmed to me directly by an airborne eyewitness!" UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted. "Large debris from sequoia trees (including at least one branch >2 ft long) have been lofted hundreds or more feet vertically by #WashburnFire in Yosemite." Noah Berger/AP As of Sunday morning, the Washburn Fire is at 1,591 acres with no containment. Evacuation orders remain in effect for Wawona, the Mariposa Grove and Wawona Campground, but most of Yosemite National Park is still open. Officials warned visitors to expect delays of up to two hours at entrances in other parts of the park, as the southern entrance is closed and road closures are in place. Visitors are likely to see smoky conditions and poor air quality as the fire spreads. The wildfire started on Thursday afternoon near the Washburn Trail in the southern end of the park. You can see the latest incident reports from Yosemite National Park here. A map being updated by the National Park Service shows where the Washburn Fire is burning within the borders of Yosemite: "The fire is burning in difficult terrain with continuous heavy fuels in and around the fire," Yosemire Fire wrote in its latest incident report. "Significant tree mortality from 2013-2015 has left significant dead standing and dead fallen fuels. This also presents significant safety hazards to firefighters. Fire scars from past fires located approximately one to three miles from the current fire perimeter will assist firefighters in slowing the growth of the fire. Firefighters will continue going direct when safe and will scout and prepare indirect lines." Temperatures are high in the region this weekend, with a warming trend in the forecast; a high of 86 is expected today and 91 on Monday. According to the park service, the fire started around 2 p.m. Thursday near the Washburn Trail. 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. Mariposa Grove was previously closed for three years, from 2015 to 2018, for a $40 million restoration project. Noah Berger/AP 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. The Red Cross announced at 5 p.m. on Saturday that it has closed the evacuation site at 5089 Cole Road in Mariposa, after "caring for 10 displaced residents and tourists." The shelter is currently in standby status. About 700 people have evacuated from areas affected by the fire, the Fresno Bee reported. An evacuation map can be found here. The cause of the fire is under investigation. You can check AlertWildfire's live cameras to monitor the progress of the fire. This is a developing story and information will be added as it becomes available. Seaside Police Department/Handout As the youngest of 10 children, five-year-old Anne Pham rarely was alone. So perhaps it's understandable she was yearning to do something by herself. On the morning of Jan. 21, 1982, she begged her family to let her walk the three short blocks from their home at 1520 Sonoma Ave in Seaside to Highland Elementary School. "Normally she walked to school with her mom, but on this particular day it was raining and she convinced her mom and older brother she wanted to walk to school herself," Seaside Police Chief Nicholas Borges told People magazine in February. "She never made it to the school." Ariel J./Yelp The neon marquee sparkled against the darkening sky and the rich warble of a mighty Wurtlizer organ swelled from the entryway of the storied Stanford Theatre for the first time in over two years, signifying a triumphant comeback for the historic movie house and a much-needed boost for the Bay Areas repertory film community. Over the weekend, the 97-year-old venue in downtown Palo Alto returned with well-attended double features of the classic Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical comedies Top Hat and The Gay Divorcee. Its just the beginning of a new summer film series showcasing Hollywoods golden age, with Deanna Durbin-starred comedies It Started with Eve and 100 Men and a Girl on the roster for July 14 and 15, and Humphrey Bogart hits Casablanca and In a Lonely Place the following weekend. NEW YORK (AP) Two people were killed Saturday by police in separate shootings in New York City. The shootings occurred within about an hour of each other. DOWNEY, Calif. (AP) Three men were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting early Sunday near Los Angeles, authorities said. Officers responded to reports of gunshots at 12:45 a.m. on a residential block in the city of Downey, according to police. Four men and one woman were shot, the Los Angeles Times reported. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ZHURIVKA, Ukraine (AP) Oleksandr Chubuks warehouse should be empty, awaiting the new harvest, with his supply of winter wheat already shipped abroad. Instead, his storage bins in central Ukraine are piled high with grain he cannot ship out because of the war with Russia. The green spikes of wheat are already ripening. Soon, the horizon will look like the Ukrainian flag, a sea of gold beneath a blue sky. Chubuk expects to reap 500 tons, but for the first time in his 30 years as a farmer, hes uncertain about what to do with it. Hope is the only thing I have now, he said. The war has trapped about 22 million tons of grain inside Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a growing crisis for the country known as the breadbasket of Europe for its exports of wheat, corn and sunflower oil. Before Russias invasion, Ukraine could export 6 million to 7 million tons of grain per month, but in June it shipped only 2.2 million tons, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association. Normally, it sends about 30% of its grain to Europe, 30% to North Africa and 40% to Asia, said Mykola Horbachov, head of the association. With Russias blockade of Ukraines Black Sea ports, the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine is in doubt. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization says the war is endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991, Horbachov said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is working with the U.N., Ukraine, and Russia to find a solution, offering safe corridors in the Black Sea for wheat shipments. For now, Ukraine is trying less-effective alternatives to export its grain, at least to Europe. Currently, 30% of exports go via three Danube River ports in southwestern Ukraine. The country also is trying to ship grain via 12 border crossings with European countries, but trucks must wait in line for days, and Europes infrastructure cannot yet absorb such a volume of grain, Horbachov said. Its impossible to build such infrastructure in one year, he told The Associated Press. Russias invasion also caused transportation costs to soar. The price to deliver this years harvested barley to the closest Romanian port, Constanta, is now $160 to $180 per ton, up from $40 to $45. And yet a farmer selling barley to a trader gets less than $100 per ton. The losses are piling up, along with the harvest. Most of the farmers are running the risk of becoming bankrupt very soon. But they dont have any other option but to sell their grain cheaper than its cost, Horbachov said. On top of such challenges, not all farmers can sell their grain. Before the invasion, Chubuk could sell a ton of wheat from his Kyiv region farm for $270. Now he cant find a buyer even at $135 per ton. The whole system backs up, including storage options, said James Heneghan, senior vice president at Gro Intelligence, a global climate and agriculture data analytics company. The system was meant to keep Ukraines exports flowing, not store them. Without money coming in for grain, future harvests are challenging. Farmers need to purchase fertilizers, seeds, diesel, pay the salary, Horbachov said. Ukrainian farmers cant print money. The country hasnt yet run out of storage as the harvest begins. Ukraine has about 65 million to 67 million tons of commercial grain storage capacity, according to Horbachov, although 20% of that is in Russian-occupied territories. Farmers themselves can store 20 million to 25 million tons, but some of that is also in occupied areas. By the end of September, when the harvest of corn and sunflower seeds begins, Ukraine will face a shortage of storage capacity. The FAO recently announced a $17 million project to help address the storage deficit. Heneghan of Gro Intelligence noted that one temporary solution could be providing farmers with silo bags for storage. In eastern and southern regions near the front line, farmers continue to work their fields despite the threat to their lives. It can be finished in a moment by bombing, or as we see now, the fields are on fire, said Yurii Vakulenko in the Dnipropetrovsk region, black smoke visible in the distance. His workers risk their lives for little return, with storage facilities now refusing to take their grain, Vakulenko said. Ukraine had a record-breaking grain harvest last year, collecting 107 million tons. Even more had been expected this year. Now, in the best-case scenario, farmers will harvest only 70 million tons of grain this year, Horbachov estimated. "Without opening the (Black Sea) ports, I dont see any solution for Ukrainian farmers to survive, he said. And if they dont survive, we wont be able to feed African countries. ___ Francesca Ebel, Valerii Rezik and Oleksandr Stashevskyi in Ukraine and Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed. ___ Follow APs coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine Beaumont Police recently discovered a fallen officer whose existence was previously unknown, and now they are just hoping to do right by one of their own, said officer Haley Morrow. The finding has Sgt. Bobby Anderson, whom Morrow calls a super history buff, working a different kind of case a sort of history mystery - to learn more about officer George Frederick, who was born five years after Juneteenth. The now federal holiday marking the official end of slavery in Texas, though the rest of the country had already abolished slavery in 1865. His discovery also makes him the departments first Black officer an attribute which long given to Off. John Freeman, who was sworn into service in 1917. Related: Beaumont PD's annual Fallen Officers service Frederick was born into a new-found freedom and went on to achieve something his ancestors could have scarcely imagined a position of authority as a police officer in Southeast Texas. On May 3, 1902, officer Frederick was off-duty at his home when he heard shots fired and screams echoing throughout his neighborhood. He followed the ruckus to nearby 5th Street behind a schoolhouse, home of the Morris sisters now Zena Bayo and Ella Dickinson. Ella had shot her sister Zena through the neck and threatened Frederick with the same upon his arrival. When Frederick entered Zenas home, Ella followed, shooting him in the face. The bullet exited the back of his head, and Frederick returned fire, striking her twice, once in the arm and once in the abdomen. All three suffered critical injuries, and were sent to their respective homes after the incident. Ella died the following day, while her sister Zena ultimately recovered. Frederick lingered two more days before succumbing to his injuries on May 7. Related: Community pays tribute to fallen officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell While dying, he was besieged by the womens brother Ray Morris, who came to Fredericks home threatening to kill him. Deputy Marshall Buck Smith intercepted Morris, arresting him on site. No obituary can be found in historical archives or local press, nor any photographs of Frederick. The only documentation of Fredericks fate is a Beaumont Enterprise article, published May 10, 1902, recounting the events that occurred May 3. In it, Frederick was described as a special officer (who) has been with the force for some time. He is said to be a good and faithful servant of the city. From there, Fredericks story is unknown who actually buried him and where they buried him. Records and census data provided to Sgt. Anderson detail Fredericks known relatives, indicating where several were buried. They include his mother Aggie Frederick Demps, who is interred at Blanchette Cemetery, and a wife, whod later remarried becoming Kate Frederick Wilson. She is buried at Evergreen Cemetery. Related: Honoring the heroes buried at Evergreen Cemetery If Frederick is buried in Beaumont, given segregation laws of the time, he would almost certainly be in one of the Black cemeteries, and we figure (his grave) probably isnt honored the way it should be, Morrow said. Lillie Samuels, a Tampa-based genealogist and cemetery historian, has done extensive research and mapping of Evergreen Cemetery, which culminated in the book Evergreen Cemetery, Beaumont Texas: A Gift of Appreciation for the Work of Sandra Wilturner. She found Kate Frederick Wilson in her database, but George Frederick is not included, Samuels said. Locating records for those interred at the cemetery are complicated by the fact that the state of Texas officially started recording deaths in 1903, and cemeteries like Evergreen, which was a paupers field in its earliest days, has no documentation of the deceased from that time frame, according to Samuels. That leaves any living descendants of the family who may have personal records as their last best hope to locating Fredericks burial site. The department is turning to the public for any information through their website, social media and local news media. Related: Community group "Backs the Blue" with gift of art Were hoping it rings a bell with a family member, because we just want to make sure (his grave) is marked and he is properly honored, Morrow said. The department is already moving forward with the process to get his name on Fallen Officer Memorials, including the national memorial in Washington, D.C., the state memorial in Austin, and their own, located outside police headquarters. Its the honor officer George Frederick is due as one of BPDs 19 fallen officers its first and only fallen Black officer. Morrow said a ceremony recognizing his service and sacrifice will most likely be incorporated in their annual Fallen Officer ceremony next May. Anyone with information about officer Frederick is asked to contact Sgt. Bobby Anderson at bobby.anderson@beaumonttexas.gov or 409-980-7256. WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) Years of attack by an invasive beetle species have decimated Connecticuts population of ash trees, endangering power lines and roadways and stretching towns budgets as they attempt to remove potential hazards. The iridescent green emerald ash borer beetle is believed to have come from Asia through Canada to the U.S. about 20 years ago, and into Connecticut about 10 years ago. Experts say millions of the trees are now dead or dying. COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankas opposition parties met Sunday to agree on a new government a day after the countrys president and prime minister offered to resign following the most dramatic day of monthslong political turmoil, with protesters storming the leaders homes in a rage over the economic crisis. Protesters remained in President Gotabaya Rajapaksas residence, his seaside office and the prime ministers home, saying they would stay until the resignations are official. The president's whereabouts were unknown, but a statement from his office said he ordered the immediate distribution of a cooking gas consignment to the public, suggesting that he was still at work. Soldiers were deployed around the city but troops simply watched from afar as crowds of people splashed in the pool of Rajapaksas sprawling residence, lounged on beds and took selfies of themselves on their cellphones to capture the moment. The chief of defense staff, Shavendra Silva, called for public support to maintain law and order. Occupants of the prime ministers official residence cooked in an outdoor kitchen, played the tabletop game carrom and slept on sofas. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, a top official in the main opposition United People's Force, said that separate discussions were held with other parties and lawmakers who broke away from Rajapaksa's ruling coalition and more meetings were planned. It was unclear when an agreement might be reached. Another opposition lawmaker, M. A. Sumanthiran, said earlier that all opposition parties combined could easily muster the 113 members needed for a majority in Parliament, at which point they would call on Rajapaksa to install the new government and resign. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said Saturday he would leave office once a new government is in place, and hours later the speaker of Parliament said Rajapaksa would step down Wednesday. Pressure on both men had grown as the economic meltdown set off acute shortages of essential items, leaving people struggling to obtain food, fuel and other necessities. If both president and prime minister resign, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena will take over as temporary president, according to the constitution. Rajapaksa appointed Wickremesinghe as prime minister in May in an effort to solve the shortages and start economic recovery. Wickremesinghe had been part of crucial talks with the International Monetary Fund for a bailout program and with the World Food Program to prepare for a predicted food crisis. The government must submit a plan on debt sustainability to the IMF in August before reaching an agreement. Analysts say it is doubtful any new leader could do more than Wickremesinghe. His governments efforts showed promise, with much-needed fertilizer being distributed to farmers for next seasons cultivation and cooking gas orders arriving in the country Sunday. This kind of unrest could create confusion among international organizations like the IMF and the World Bank, political analyst Ranga Kalansooriya said, adding that a new administration should agree on a common program for economic recovery. He said while Wickremesinghe was working in the right direction, his administration was not implementing a long-term plan to go with its focus on solving day-to-day problems. It is unlikely that an all-party government will agree on IMF-backed economic reforms without some parties losing their political support. Wickremesinghe said Saturday it was not proper for him to leave without a government in place. Today in this country we have a fuel crisis, a food shortage, we have the head of the World Food Program coming here and we have several matters to discuss with the IMF, he said. Therefore, if this government leaves there should be another government. Four Cabinet ministers have resigned since Saturday's protests. Even though both Wickremesinghe and Abeywardena, the parliament speaker, said in their speeches that they had spoken with the president, they did not say anything about his whereabouts. Protesters also broke into the prime ministers private residence and set it on fire during the melee on Saturday. A party official, Ruwan Wijewardena, said Wickremesinghe was inside when the protesters gathered but security officers removed him to a different location. Wijewardena said such acts will only polarize the society and political parties. If these kinds of incidents keep on going, we can wave bye-bye to the IMF and any international assistance that is going to come to the country," he said. "If there is lawlessness, if there is no coming together among the political groups, there is no way the international community can come in and help this country." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was tracking the developments in Sri Lanka and urged Parliament to work quickly to implement solutions and address the people's discontent. Speaking at a news conference in Bangkok, Blinken said the United States condemns attacks against the peaceful demonstrators while calling for a full investigation into any protest-related violence. Pope Francis opened his Sunday remarks after noon prayers at the Vatican by voicing concern about Sri Lanka. I unite myself to the pain of the people of Sri Lanka, who continue to suffer the effects of the political and economic instability, the pontiff said. Together with the bishops of the country, I renew my appeal for peace, and I implore those who have authority not to ignore the cry of the poor and the needs of the people. Sri Lanka is relying on aid from India and other nations as leaders try to negotiate a bailout with the IMF. Wickremesinghe said recently that negotiations with the IMF were complex because Sri Lanka was now a bankrupt state. Sri Lanka announced in April that it was suspending repayment of foreign loans due to a foreign currency shortage. Its total foreign debt amounts to $51 billion, of which it must repay $28 billion by the end of 2027. Months of demonstrations have all but dismantled the Rajapaksa political dynasty, which has ruled Sri Lanka for most of the past two decades but is accused by protesters of mismanagement and corruption. The presidents older brother resigned as prime minister in May after violent protests saw him seek safety at a naval base. He later moved into a house in Colombo. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) A business district that had been blocked since a July 4 parade mass shooting that left seven people dead reopened Sunday morning in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park. The 2-block by 3-block area consists largely of small shops and restaurants. It had been blocked off with crime scene tape, barricades and uniformed officers since Monday as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies processed evidence. The street was generally quiet shortly after police removed the barricades, except for news media vehicles, a few other vehicles and people walking. We came out at 5:30 this morning. It was open, said Dale Miller, 70, who said was walking his dog, Milo, near where the shooting occurred. This is our first walk of the day. He said he did not attend the parade this year but lives about 100 yards (91 meters) away and heard the gunshots, though he didn't realize what they were until his brother called him from Florida in a panic. We just have fireworks going off here, that's all, Miller said he told his brother. So the fireworks weren't fireworks. He got many other calls after word spread about the shooting, including one from his daughter, a teacher in Florida. She called me up in tears and said 'I've lost my safe haven,' Miller recounted. "'Highland Park was always the one place I could go where I was safe and that's taken away.' Not all businesses were reopening Sunday. Janice Bruksch, who owns a gelato shop along the stretch of road where the shooting occurred, told WBBM-TV that she plans to reopen Sweet Home Gelato on Tuesday and to offer free scoops to first responders and children. Just to bring some kind of happiness in any way so a little kid comes in here and gets a free gelato, smiles and walks out, and doesnt think about that day, Bruksch said. Thats great. The reopening of the business district comes two days after funerals started for the seven people who were killed in the shooting. Authorities said the attacker fired more than 80 rounds into the parade crowd with a semi-automatic rifle. Robert E. Crimo III, 21, has been charged with seven counts of first-degree murder. Prosecutors expect to bring more charges representing the more than 30 people who were wounded in the attack. Investigators say Crimo, of neighboring Highwood, legally purchased five weapons and planned the attack for weeks before he climbed onto the roof of a business along the parade route and opened fire. Authorities say 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. Miller expressed hope Highland Park will recover. It's a very close-knit city and it's a city that is really hurting right now, but is not even remotely destroyed," he said. BERLIN (AP) The Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Canada's minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that "Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. He said that absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship. Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom. German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldnt have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices. The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite some little technical detail as a reason not to resume gas deliveries. The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europes biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia. Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germanys three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europes biggest economy faced a crisis and storage targets for the winter were at risk. On Friday, energy company Uniper Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) The Colorado Department of Corrections has rescinded a new policy barring parole officers from seeking criminal charges for people escaping community-corrections halfway houses after criticism that it would jeopardize public safety. State corrections officials reversed course this week and reinstituted seeking arrest warrants for halfway house escapes, The Gazette reported. The move by the Corrections Department to not pursue arrest warrants for individuals transitioning from prison who had escaped from halfway houses had generated criticism from law enforcement officials, prosecutors and halfway house operators. This is nothing short of a dereliction of DOCs duty to keep local communities safe while transitioning offenders back into those same communities, wrote Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader in a June 27 letter to Dean Williams, the executive director of the Department of Corrections. Because of the pushback, Williams and Stan Hilkey, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the state agency that oversees community-corrections halfway houses, had planned to discuss the subject this week. Late Wednesday afternoon, Merideth McGrath, the Corrections Departments director of parole, announced to her department that she was reinstating seeking arrest warrants for such cases. After careful review of our current process, as well as in speaking with stakeholders throughout the state, we have decided as a department to file charges of unauthorized absence for every case who chooses to walk away from community corrections supervision and/or tampers with/removes electronic monitoring, she wrote to her staff. An arrest warrant in such cases alerts law enforcement officers, who then can take a halfway house escapee into custody, resulting in the filing of criminal escape charges. The DOC had a long-standing practice of seeking arrest warrants for halfway house escapes along with an administrative process, which prioritized individuals for the DOC fugitive unit. Sometime in 2021, the DOC stopped seeking arrest warrants and began relying solely on the administrative process, partly because of a loss of several positions and reclassification of some parole staff to civilian status, said Annie Skinner, a spokeswoman for the Corrections Department. In defending the policy shift, Skinner previously noted that the criminal charges for halfway house escapes for those serving time on nonviolent offenses often are just misdemeanors. It wasn't immediately known how many people may have walked away from halfway houses while the arrest warrant policy was not in effect. RUSSELLVILLE, Ala. (AP) Joe Mansell has had a number of opportunities to leave Russellville and take a job elsewhere. Each time hes been offered, the response has been the same. No thanks. This is where I started as a firefighter, and I hope this is where I will finish, said Russellvilles fire chief of 20 years. This is my home. Mansell, 50, began his firefighting career as a volunteer in 1990. He became a paid firefighter in 1992. Six years later he was promoted to lieutenant and then in 2002 he was named fire chief. Hes been there ever since. A few weeks ago, Mansell and his family went to the Southeast Association of Fire Chiefs and Alabama Fire Chiefs Association Leadership Conference in Mobile. Mansell met a number of fire chiefs from around the state and the Southeast. One night, during the conference, the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association held its annual awards banquet, so, of course, Mansell attended. There have been numerous fire chiefs from around the state walk to the stage to be named Fire Chief of the Year. Mansell now knows what that walk feels like when your name is called. Its a big deal to walk up and get that trophy in front of a group of people like them, he said. I came into a great department when I took over as chief at Russellville. I just took the baton and kept moving forward. Russellville Capt. Randy Seal said hes seen the department steadily grow under Mansell. Hes done a real good job. At the time (he was promoted), we had just gone to a two-station department and had a minimum staffing of four men per shift. Now were up to six men per shift, said Seal, who will be in his 25th year with the department today. Now, weve got some of the best equipment to work with. Hes pretty easy to work for, Seal said of Mansell. He expects you to do your job, but hes there when you need to talk to him, and open to suggestions or ideas to make the department better. I look at him as a brother whos in charge. Mansell, who said he still enjoys jumping right in and fighting fires with his colleagues, said hes slowed down a little, and he knows that retirement isnt too far off. I have been blessed to work with a bunch of guys who live to serve and protect the people of this community every shift, he said. If I do decide to retire soon, I couldnt think of a better way than after being named Alabamas Fire Chief of the Year. NAPLES, Fla. (AP) A man shooting from a Florida home was arrested Sunday after a nine-hour standoff with police, authorities said. Collier County deputies responded to a call about a man shooting a gun out of a window Saturday night. The man then shot at the deputies through a door. A SWAT team was called and the man again fired at deputies through the door and the officers returned fire. The man retreated into the home and was eventually arrested with the help of K-9 units. He was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries caused by the police dogs and a bullet wound to his ear. Situations like this are incredibly intense and require a skilled and trained response from law enforcement, Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a Facebook post. I am proud of our deputies for bringing this to a safe resolution. Charges are pending. HONOLULU More than 500 years ago, Hawaiians placed four boulders on a Waikiki beach to honor visitors from the court of Tahiti's king who had healed the sick. They were "mahu," which in Hawaiian language and culture refers to someone with dual male and female spirits and a mixture of gender traits. The stones were neglected for many years, as Christian missionaries and other colonizing Westerners suppressed the role of mahu in Hawaiian society. At one point a bowling alley was built over the boulders. Officials restored the stones multiple times since the 1960s but informational plaques installed next to them omitted references to mahu. The stones and the history of the four healers now are featured in an exhibit at Bishop Museum in Honolulu. The display highlights the deep roots of gender fluidity in Polynesia. Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu is mahu and one of the exhibit's curators. She said the healers were revered for their skill and she hopes their story will show children in Hawaii that "proper Hawaiian culture" doesn't pass judgment against those "who have elements of duality." "They were respected and honored because the people knew that their male and female duality made them even more powerful a healer," Wong-Kalu said. Kapaemahu was the leader of the four healers, and the exhibit is named The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu. Their story was passed down orally, like all Hawaiian stories, until a written language was developed in the 1800s. But Hawaiians were discouraged from talking about mahu. DeSoto Brown, a Bishop Museum historian and the exhibit's lead curator, said Christian missionaries who arrived in 1820 forbade anything that deviated from "clearly defined roles and presentation" of male and female genders. The earliest known written account of the mahu healers is a 1906 manuscript by James Alapuna Harbottle Boyd, the son-in-law of Archibald Cleghorn, who owned the Waikiki property where the stones were at the time. Cleghorn's wife, Princess Likelike, and daughter, Princess Kaiulani, were known to place seaweed and offer prayers at the stones when they swam. Boyd's manuscript "Tradition of the Wizard Stones of Ka-Pae-Mahu" said the Hawaiian people loved the healers for their "tall stature, courteous ways and kindly manners" and their cures became famous across Oahu. "Their ways and great physique were overshadowed by their low, soft speech, and they became as one with those they came in contact with," Boyd wrote. "They were unsexed, by nature, and their habits coincided with their womanly seeming, although manly in stature and general bearing." When it was time for the healers to leave, four boulders were brought down from Oahu's Kaimuki area. Two were placed at the site of the healers' hut and the others where they bathed in the ocean. Idols indicating the dual spirit of the healers were placed under each stone. Many Hawaiians grew up not knowing about Hawaiian concepts of mahu or the stones because the American businessmen who overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy in 1893 banned Hawaiian language instruction in schools and discouraged speaking it in homes. Generations of Hawaiians lost connections to cultural traditions. Wong-Kalu, 50, said as a child she was made to believe mahu was a derogatory word. She remembers being among those who would sit on the stones and drape towels over them after swimming, oblivious to their significance. Mahu are akin to "two-spirit" common in many Native American cultures, Wong-Kalu said, adding there are physical, emotional, mental and spiritual elements to being mahu. The representation of male and female depends on the person, she said. "In Hawaii, one could exist really in the middle," she said. The stones nearly were lost just before the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. At the time, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reported the boulders would be blasted or removed after a developer leased Cleghorn's property to build a bowling alley. Following an outcry, plans emerged for a concrete walkway between the stones. But the developer instead built over them. The stones were uncovered two decades later when the city tore down buildings to build a public beach park. Elders recalled the story of the stones and urged that they be allowed to remain. The city agreed and created a plaque that mentioned the Tahitian healers but didn't say anything about them being mahu. In 1997, the city fenced off the stones and dedicated a new plaque. It also didn't reference mahu. During both periods, waves of homophobia and transphobia washed over Honolulu. In the 1960s, a new state law prohibited cross-dressing and police forced drag performers to wear a button saying: "I Am A Boy." Three decades later, there was backlash in Hawaii and nationally when the Hawaii Supreme Court sided with same-sex couples seeking the right to marry. The Bishop Museum exhibit, on display through Oct. 16, recounts this history and displays artifacts like massage sticks and a medicine pounder that healers would have used centuries ago. Islander concepts of gender fluidity are explored through stories like that of King Kamehameha III and his male lover. A map shows terms used in Polynesia for those who don't identify as male or female, including "fa'afafine" in Samoa and "leiti" in Tonga. Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson helped curate the exhibit and hope it will spur the city to tell the full story of the mahu at the site of the stones. Ian Scheuring, spokesperson for Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, said the city is researching the issue and local leaders plan to meet with members of the LGBTQ and Native Hawaiian communities to learn how they can help tell the "true and complete" story of the healers. Tatiana Kalaniopua Young, a Native Hawaiian anthropologist, mahu and a director of the Hawaii LGBT Legacy Foundation, said the story the stones and healers helped her family understand that she was not "this weird creature that's outside of the norm." And that in a Hawaiian sense, she was part of the norm. "It gave me a sense of place and purpose as a mahu and it really made me proud to be Kanaka Maoli, or Native Hawaiian," she said. NEW YORK On his first night at the Brooklyn homeless shelter, Tin Chin met his best friend. Estranged from his family, 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, 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. Chin sized him up with an expert eye: an immigrant, most likely from Fujian province; no family, no English, no documents. Im at the bottom, Chin remembers thinking. But Im better off than him. The other man was named Mo Lin. Chin sensed that if they had met just a few years earlier, they would have had very little in common. At the beginning, I cant say I liked him, he said. But we are the two Chinese people in the shelter, so we talk. AN RONG XU/NYT Chin possessed little more than his closely guarded secrets, including a criminal record that haunted him. They ran through his mind on a loop, but he divulged them to no one, certainly not this new acquaintance, and instead shared his story in broad strokes: He was born in Hong Kong and had grown up in New York and was new to being homeless. Lin was hesitant and did not say much. It would be a while before he described his years scraping by in New York. He was indeed living in the U.S. illegally, and although he had worked in innumerable Chinatown kitchens, his poor health had long ago made steady work impossible, and he looked far older than his 46 years. He spent his days shuffling along the streets of Manhattans Chinatown, smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk, watching staticky TV in threadbare Fujianese community centers. But the men soon began spending so much time together always chatting in the shelter, strolling downtown streets, sharing plates of noodles that acquaintances assumed they were family. We called them brothers, said Mireille Massac, a Brooklyn food bank organizer who spent time with them. He took care of Mo. What Mo needed, it went through Tin. AN RONG XU/NYT Friendships can be hard to memorialize; relatives, partners, children often take pride of place. But a friendship can be the defining bond in a persons life, offering a kinship that family cannot, a refuge through lonely, hungry days. And can a friendship offer redemption for your worst mistakes? A decade after their first night in the shelter, Chin wonders about that. The shelter rules said everyone had to be out by 8 a.m., and Chin and Lin developed a routine. They headed to Chinatown together, where they would buy dim sum, dumplings whatever Chin could afford on the $200 he received through public assistance every month. Lins favorite meal was the fish sandwich from McDonalds. He had unrelenting dental problems, and the soft filet was easy to chew. They often ate in a leafy park on the edge of Chinatown, sharing a bench and watching the neighborhood swirl. Some days, they went to the library, where Chin introduced his friend to the internet and the bottomless well of YouTube. Lin was drawn to old Chinese war movies. Adrift in his own life, Chin found purpose in helping his new friend. Im playing a white knight role here, he remembers thinking to himself as they became closer. It had been a long time since he had been anyones white knight. Over time, it became clear Lin had hardly explored New York. Chin appointed himself personal tour guide. Their first outing was Coney Island, Chin remembered. They took the subway to the end of the line to see the aquarium. Chin had been there for school trips as a kid, and he took his wife there on a date sweet memories laced with an acrid burn he kept to himself. Now he focused on Lin, who had never seen an aquarium before. The sea creatures, the colorful fish, the calming quiet of the underwater world astonished his friend and delighted Chin. His eyes were really amazed, Chin said. They walked along the boardwalk and bought hot dogs for lunch. For that afternoon, it felt like their lives extended beyond shelter curfews and park benches. They were New Yorkers, this was their city, and maybe they would have another hot dog. Why not? Chin was buying. They kept exploring New York, two homeless men in a postcard-perfect montage. They took the Staten Island Ferry, where the view from the deck reduces the skyline to a Tinkertoy city you can scoop into your hands. They tried the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but Lin grew bored after a couple of floors, and they quickly decamped for Central Park. But the Bronx Zoo was a hit. Especially the tiger, Chin recalled. The tiger really came out. It was the first tiger he ever saw. Everything was the first thing he ever saw. New York adventures became part of their friendship, which deepened over time. Lawyers, aid workers and friends who met them marveled at their devotion to each other. Extensive details of their years together were also left behind in grainy snapshots, police reports, immigration forms, nonprofit records, court transcripts and old emails. One December, they even went to Macys in midtown to see Santa Claus. They stood in line, two middle-aged homeless men towering above a sea of children. If any parents looked at them sideways, Chin did not notice or care. They finally made it to the front for a photo with Santa. In it, Chin sits on the right, beaming. On the other side of Santa, Lin sits more stiffly, his hands clasped in his lap, his puffy coat zipped to his collar. He smiles slightly, unsure quite what to do. Before they left, Chin translated his friends wish for Santa: a green card. Over the next two years, the men settled into life at the homeless shelter. As residents cycled in and out, they moved their cots closer together. By then, Lin had picked up an old smartphone someone had left behind on a park bench. At night in bed, he used Chins hot spot connection to get online and watch his old movies. Fights and robberies in the shelter were not uncommon, but Chin managed to deflect attention with a tough-guy mien. But around 11 p.m. on Aug. 1, 2014, while he was talking to a shelter administrator and Lin slept on his cot, a shelter resident with a history of arrests jumped Lin and beat him bloody. When Chin found his friend, Lins left eye was swollen shut, his mouth an open wound, blood trailing from his nose. Chin went with him to the hospital while the police arrested his assailant. AN RONG XU/NYT Lin had broken bones in his face and needed surgery. When he came to, Chin was by his side, trying to contain an odd, nervous excitement that seemed bizarrely out of place. I said, Lin! This is a once-in-a-hundred-year opportunity! This is it! He knew his friend did not understand, but he did not expect him to. For all the time they spent together, Chin had deliberately kept his past a secret. He spoke of his wife and daughter, but he brushed past his career, and he never mentioned his arrests or the years he spent in prison. Here is what he never shared: Early in the 1990s, Chin had been an immigration officer at John F. Kennedy International Airport. His job included interviewing Chinese people seeking asylum, desperate people seeking better lives. People like his own father, people like Lin. He worked there for five years, through the years following Tiananmen Square, and he saw the surge of migrants that followed. Night after night, he listened to accounts of persecution many of them surely true, many of them surely exaggerated. He was keenly aware that if his parents lives had gone differently, he could well have been one of those people in line looking for mercy. Now, seeing his friend battered, Chin remembered that there was a special kind of visa a U visa, was it? that was granted to immigrant crime victims. He raced to the library, where he used the free computer to research immigration law. It took a few sessions to confirm, but within two weeks, he wrote an email to T.J. Mills, a lawyer who worked on immigration cases in Chinatown. I wish that you can look into to see if U visa can work for Mr. Lin, he wrote on Aug. 13, 2014. With all due respect, Tin Chin. Chin still did not say anything to Lin, Mills or anyone else about his career in immigration enforcement. My background is ugly, he said recently. No need to talk about it. He sighed. They said I was a dirty cop. In 1993, Chin lost his immigration job when federal agents found $1,700 in his pocket, money he had extorted from a Chinese businessman. The man had landed at Kennedy and claimed political asylum. Chin said he would send him back to China unless he handed over his money. Hours later, federal agents arrested Chin. He pleaded guilty and spent nearly a year in prison. Then, years later, he was arrested again, and this time for something far worse. In 2003, he was convicted as the leader of an international plot to swindle dozens of Chinese immigrants out of their life savings. Prosecutors said Chin set up phony offices across New York and promised visas to immigrants who wanted to bring their relatives to the United States. He claimed that he worked for the government and that through his connections, he could get them visas and green cards, for exorbitant fees. Money in hand, they said, he vanished, only to change his name and address and do it all over again. Chin, a Chinese immigrant, preyed on a group of hardworking and unsophisticated Chinese immigrants who wanted desperately to bring their relatives from China to the United States, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. He was accused of stealing around $1 million from grandmothers, farmers, seamstresses, husbands people risking everything to build new lives in New York. A series of witnesses testified against him in a federal trial, repeatedly identifying him in court as the mastermind. He was the only person connected to the plot to be sent to prison. To this day, Chin vigorously maintains that he was framed and that authorities fingered him only because of his previous arrest. Clearing his name remains an animating desire, even as his long, handwritten letters to the judge and other federal officials have yielded no progress. He spent about a decade in prison and was released in 2012. He tried to reunite with his wife and daughter, but it went badly. He washed up at the homeless shelter, desperate to start anew but without a clue how to do it. And then he met Lin. God or Buddha above sent me to help Mo, he said. Hes undocumented, and I was an ex-immigration officer. Its not really a coincidence that I met him. As his battered friend slowly began to recover, Chin pressed to help him get his visa. AN RONG XU/NYT Chin remembered Mills, the immigration lawyer, from a free legal clinic in a Chinatown church when Mills had once reviewed Lins case. In a letter sent to Lin at the homeless shelter two months before the attack, the lawyer had politely told him that obtaining legal status would be virtually impossible. Since you apparently entered the U.S. with a fraudulent document, your inspection and admission are difficult to prove, he wrote. Mills and other caseworkers had nonetheless been struck by the two mens friendship. They did not know about Chins past, but they admired his dedication to Lin. Tin has been by his side the entire time, Mills said. Tin is his best friend. As Mills looked into Lins case, he quickly agreed that Chin was right about the U visa, which was created in 2000 to protect immigrants who have suffered abuse in the United States and are willing to cooperate with law enforcement. Mills began working on an application for Lin. Chin became the go-between, helping Mills gather police records of the assault, hospital documents listing Lins injuries and a blizzard of application forms. The more Mills worked with Chin, the more his unusual perseverance and deep fluency in immigration law struck him. Ive honestly not known a better friend and advocate than you have been to your friend Mo, Mills wrote to Chin. As Lins case crawled through the immigration system, he eventually recounted his story to caseworkers. In an interview Lin gave in 2019 to a volunteer who worked with Mills, he talked about growing up on his family farm in rural Fujian province. As a young man, in the wake of the Tiananmen Square protests, he went to a rally in Fuzhou calling for more freedom and reforms and found himself on the authorities list as a potential troublemaker. Fearing arrest, he said, he fled his home and began a grueling quest to find safety in America. With the help of a network of sympathizers and a series of loans he could not afford, he ended up at the Thai border, he said, and eventually on an airplane to Los Angeles. When he landed, he retreated into an airport mens room, where he could be sure no one was watching him. He said he ripped up his passport and headed to customs with two letters memorized: PA. Political asylum. He was allowed temporary entry, but after a judge ordered his deportation, he spent the ensuing years hiding from authorities, working grueling jobs for little pay, fearful of being noticed. I found work in a kitchen and worked as hard as I could to pay for my bed, my debts, my wife, he said in 2019 through an interpreter. I did this for eight years, and then my body gave up. He eventually made it to New York and bounced around from shelter to shelter. I was so scared, he said. Mills was haunted by his story. My whole sense of Mo, even though I didnt know him well heres a guy who the entirety of his life was one of just survival, he said. Raw survival and getting beat up constantly. It took four years for the visa to come through, but it worked. On April 2, 2019 28 years after he first entered the United States Lin received his visa. He and Chin were at their Chinatown park when the document sent to Chins email address because Lin did not have one came through. Mo had the sweetest smile I ever saw on his face all these years, Chin remembered. He kept on asking me to read over and over every line to him. AN RONG XU/NYT Now that he had a visa, it would be easier for Lin to visit the dentist and get his teeth fixed. Maybe he could finally get out of the shelter. In three years, as long as he stayed in the United States, he could apply for a green card. And he could finally bring his wife, Huo Mei Li, to New York. He had not seen her in nearly three decades. There is so much time we have lost, Lin told the nonprofit volunteer in 2019. Chin had changed his friends life without revealing his own secrets about his years working for the government or his arrests, but months after Lin got his visa, Lin confronted him one day with a direct question: Are you an immigration officer? Someone at the park had clued him in. Now he wanted to know, had Chin been toying with him all along? Could he have helped secure his paperwork long ago? As Chin remembers it, the confrontation quickly became tense. You dont know how lucky you are, he recalls saying to Lin. How do you think you got your visa? You should be thanking me. An iciness slipped into their friendship, but Chin said they eventually moved past it. They continued spending time together, and Chin continued to help Lin navigate the city and find doctors and dentists. They had shared countless meals together, and soon they had a third person join. Lins wife had made it to New York, and the pair were beginning to imagine how they could build a life together in America. Lin still lived in the homeless shelter while she stayed with a family friend, but he had dreams of securing an apartment for them. The most important thing is to find a place where we can be together, he said in 2019. In March 2020, Chin took Lin to Bellevue Hospital Center for treatment for stomach ailments. Doctors kept him overnight and then admitted him to the intensive care unit. It was the beginning of the pandemic, and the hospital had suspended all visits, but Chin said a social worker regularly called him from the hospital so the friends could chat on video. Lin seemed weak and listless during their conversations. Chin was worried. Within a few days, the hospital said that Lin had tested positive for COVID. Then, on the evening of April 17, Chin remembers the hospital called him. This is not the usual time they would call me, he said. I already dont like it. Lin died at 7:33 p.m., an early victim of New Yorks first wave of COVID-19. He was 53 years old. He was survived by his wife, Huo Mei Li, and an adult son who forged his own life in another U.S. city. They could not be reached for this article. Lin is buried in a cemetery in Pennsylvania, near his sons home. Engraving on his coffin reads Mr. Mo Biao Lin, 1966-2020. On the night his friend died, Chin stayed up past midnight writing his thoughts in a long email to Mills. Now I ask Heaven, you put me into helping him to get his dream, because I am the right person in this department, he wrote. Now you take him away. AN RONG XU/NYT Chin, who is now 65, regularly flips through photos of his friend on a beat-up old cellphone. He is finally out of the shelter and lives alone in an apartment in Brownsville, Brooklyn, that is packed to the ceiling with overstuffed boxes and bulging plastic bags. Plenty of it belonged to Lin. He visits Chinatown regularly and volunteers at a food pantry. He is fixated on his conviction and spends his nights poring through old transcripts of his trial. He still sees Lin everywhere at the Chinatown park where elderly men walk dutiful laps, on the B60 bus that Lin used to ride to visit him, in the endless COVID headlines. He sees him in his court case records, where his accusers quests for legal status resemble Lins. Years later, people who spent time with the two friends remember their bond and remember being struck by its depths. I feel like Mo gave him his sense of self back, said Rebecca Cooney, the nonprofit volunteer who interviewed Lin in 2019 and spent time with them both. It was as if Mo was part of his way back to feeling like a human being. Chin revealed almost nothing about his life to Cooney, but she remembered that both he and Lin seemed lost. These are two people who were suffering so much, its amazing that they would have the reserves inside to give friendship to each other, she said. This April, on the anniversary of Lins death, Chin took the subway to Bellevue, where he found a park bench nearby. The shared rituals of a close friendship never leave you, even if the friend does. He lit a stick of incense and laid out a picnic of Lins favorite meal: French fries, Coke and a McDonalds fish sandwich. Chin had taken Lins dentures after the funeral a reminder, no matter how macabre, of his friend and now he placed them next to the food. He called his friends name aloud a few times: Lin, Lin, Lin. Then he ate the sandwich. No one approached him as he finished his lunch or, rather, Lins lunch. He made no move to leave the bench. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The Betsie River is famed for its fishing. Not just locally, either: A Chicago chapter of Trout Unlimited touts the Betsies prowess on its website. Madison, Wisconsin-based Fishidy talks up the river. So does Whacking Fatties, a fishing store in in Missoula, Montana. The Betsie is known for phenomenal trout and salmon, steelhead and chinook, said Scott Heintzelman, the Central Lake Michigan Unit Manager of the Fisheries Division of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its one of the leading producers of chinook. The appeal becomes even more obvious in the fall, when those chinook salmon head upstream to spawn and run into the Homestead Dam. Its pretty special, said Tab Wakley. The man behind the YouTube channel Reel Michigan Anglers has fished all over the state and said the Homestead Dam area is one of the best spots for anglers anywhere. Its a place to go to get your first King, Wakley said. He should know. Its where I caught my first King. A buddy and I went there. I hooked it right away, Wakley said. Over the past few years, the dam area has become a huge attraction for anglers. The spawning salmon meant a chance to try their skills against the wriggling fish swimming upstream. But for others, the behavior of many of those became too much to handle. That includes Charlie Snedeker, of Grand Rapids, a frequent visitor to the area who loves fishing on the Betsie just not at Homestead Dam. He said the illegal snagging, overcrowded conditions and attitude of many of those casting their lines made it impossible for him to enjoy fishing there. My last time was probably four years ago, he said. Snedeker wasnt alone in his attitude. Its known for its battle-fishing environment, said Wakley. As its popularity grew, there were more and more complaints, agreed Heintzelman. They ranged from snagging to people taking more fish than the limit, claiming a spot and camping for days along the bank, cutting down trees and staying overnight in the overcrowded parking lot. Throw in prohibited campfires, the overflowing toilets and the violations spreading beyond public land to private parcels. For many like Snedeker, it became too much and they began to go elsewhere. The behavior, erosion, littering and overuse eventually triggered action. All those things and tons of complaints, said Heintzelman. The result was Fisheries Order 204, which closes the Homestead Dam to fishing within 100 feet of the dam and within 300 feet of the lamprey barrier and fish passage facility from Aug. 1 to Nov. 15. New restrictions also prohibited the use or occupancy of the area between 1 and 4 a.m. According to Heintzelman, those changes, which took effect in 2020, have made a positive impact on the area. Its stopped the confrontations in tight areas and gives the fish a little more breathing room, he said. Fishing is not the only claim to fame for the area. Though salmon and steelhead have helped make its name, according to Heintzelman the river is also popular with paddlers. They can access below (the dam) to put in a kayak or canoe, he said. He said theres even talk of improving the amenities for those taking to the river in their watercraft. Its ultimately about straddling the middle ground so the area can be protected while still allowing people to utilize it. We have to find a balance between protecting the resource and still making it usable, Heintzelman said. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) Iran announced Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear plant, state TV reported, an escalation that comes amid a standoff with the West over its tattered atomic deal. That Tehran is enriching uranium up to 20% purity a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90% with a new set of its most advanced centrifuges at a facility deep inside a mountain deals yet another blow to the already slim chances of reviving the accord. Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Irans Atomic Energy Organization, said uranium enriched to 20% was collected for the first time from advanced IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday. He said Iran had informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the development two weeks ago. Centrifuges are used to spin enriched uranium into higher levels of purity. Tehrans 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers had called for Fordo to become a research-and-development facility and restricted centrifuges there to non-nuclear uses. Iran had previously told the IAEA that it was preparing to enrich uranium through a new cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. But it hadnt revealed the level at which the cascade would be enriching. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.s nuclear watchdog, told The Associated Press that it had verified on Saturday that Iran was using a set-up that allowed it to more swiftly and easily switch between enrichment levels. In a report to member states, Director General Rafael Grossi described a system of modified sub-headers," which he said allowed Iran to inject gas enriched up to 5% purity into a cascade of 166 IR-6 centrifuges for the purpose of producing uranium enriched up to 20% purity. Iran did not comment on the latest IAEA finding. Nuclear talks have been at a standstill for months. The U.S. special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, described the latest round of negotiations in Qatar as more than a little bit of a wasted occasion. The IAEA reported last month that Iran has 43 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity a short step to 90%. Nonproliferation experts warn thats enough fissile material for one nuclear weapon if Iran chose to pursue it. However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though U.N. experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003. Tehran's escalating nuclear work has raised alarm with transparency rapidly diminishing. Last month Iran shut off more than two dozen IAEA monitoring cameras from various nuclear-related sites across the country. Former President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed crushing sanctions on Tehran, setting off a series of tense incidents across the wider Mideast. Iran responded by massively increasing its nuclear work, growing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and spinning advanced centrifuges banned by the accord. Iran's adversary Israel has long opposed the nuclear accord, saying it delayed rather ended Irans nuclear progress and arguing that sanctions relief empowered Tehran's proxy militias across the region. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid called on the U.N. to re-impose multilateral sanctions on Iran a bid that was met with stiff opposition when pushed by the Trump administration. The response of the international community must be decisive: to return to the U.N. Security Council and activate the sanctions mechanism at full force, Lapid, who is serving as caretaker leader, told his Cabinet. Israel, for its part, maintains full freedom to act, diplomatically and operationally, in this fight against Irans nuclear program. ___ Associated Press writers Isabel DeBre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Tia Goldenberg in Jerusalem, contributed to this report. JERUSALEM (AP) Israel's prime minister expressed hope Sunday that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before President Joe Biden visits the two countries as part of a regional trip. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but have shared clandestine security ties over a mutual enmity of regional arch-rival Iran. The kingdom is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel. Israel extends its hand to all the countries of the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish relations with us, and change history for our children, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said during a weekly Cabinet meeting. He said Biden will carry a message of peace and hope from us when he embarks for Saudi Arabia. Israel's ties with Arab states have grown since normalizing relations with four Arab states in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Defense cooperation has tightened since the Pentagon switched coordination with Israel from U.S. European Command to Central Command, or CENTCOM, last year. The move lumped Israels military with those of former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have yet to recognize Israel. Biden is set to arrive in Israel Wednesday for three-day trip that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there, he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia. In an opinion piece in the Washington Post on Sunday, Biden said hes aiming to bring the two countries closer together. I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, Biden wrote. That travel will also be a small symbol of the budding relations and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand. Formal ties with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The kingdom has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabias King Salman has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured all three areas in 1967, though it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic ties with Israel upon a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians have not held substantive negotiations in more than a decade. But recent years have seen signs of a shifting attitude. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and Gulf states to cross through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense reporters visited the kingdom and published news reports about their welcome. This was supposed to be our summer of near-zero Covid-19. Scientists hoped for it. Epidemiologists hoped for it. We all hoped. But hope doesnt deliver enduring immunity. Coming off the winter-to-spring spike fueled by Omicron and its subvariants, and heading into the warm and airy outdoors months, there seemed to be reason for optimism: Vaccination plus widespread post-infection immunity would seemingly provide a sturdy wall of protection. The virus-vanquishing outdoor air would break apart clouds of any Covid-19 that remained. That has worked to a point but not as crisply or clearly as we had thought, said Dr. John Sellick, an infectious disease specialist with the University at Buffalo, Kaleida Health and Veterans Affairs. Omicron is a frustratingly resilient variant, and two of its latest subvariants BA.5 and BA.4 are driving up infection numbers around the country and beyond. That includes New York State and, to a degree, the Buffalo region. The good news: hospitalizations and deaths remain low. They are the reason why this isnt quite our summer. Were accustomed to the disappointment: Two years ago, we hoped the clear air of summer of 2020 would wipe out the then-young virus. Didnt work. Last summer, we wished for the virus to wither away as we gained immunity from vaccination and a year-plus of the pandemic. Now? Were going to be stuck with these variants for a bit, Sellick said, either until we completely get them under control with vaccination or we see a new variant. This is where we stand. Lets look at what it means, and where we are headed: What is the state of the pandemic? Its this. Covid-19 comes up and goes down, but it doesnt go away. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in spring that 60% of adults and 75% of children have had Covid-19. Combine that with vaccination, and theres a lot of immunity out there. That protection has helped tamp down hospital numbers and deaths. But it doesnt reliably prevent infection. Variants which continue to evolve as more people get infected are good at circumventing it. Were entering an endemic form, said Dr. Nancy Nielsen, a senior associate dean for health policy at UB and past president of the American Medical Association. Its going to be similar to what weve seen with influenza, where you have mutations that require a reformulation of the vaccine. I think were going to end up with annual shots, just like we do for flu. What do the Covid-19 numbers look like in Western New York today? A little worse than a few weeks ago, but a lot better than other parts of the state and country: Western New York had an average of just under 13 cases per 100,000 people as of July 7, according to state figures. That number was creeping upward, as it was in most regions of the state, but it was considerably lower than the average in New York City (38), Long Island (37) and the mid-Hudson (30). Its also markedly better than Florida (45), California (49) and most of the country, according to statistics compiled by the Mayo Clinic. But it is up from the end of last month: On June 30, Western New Yorks average was 7. Western New Yorks positive-test average stands at 9.7% as of July 8, up from 5.5% three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations, meanwhile, remain relatively flat. Western New York hospitals have had an average of 70-some people daily since the end of June. Hospitalizations do tend to lag behind rising case numbers, however, which means those numbers could increase in coming weeks. But theres reason to be optimistic that those numbers wont surge. Hospitalization counts are largely decoupled from the number of infections we have, said Dr. Thomas Russo of UB, because vaccination is still pretty good at preventing severe disease and hospitalization, and immunity derived from prior infection may provide a modest degree of protection from severe disease. Russo, who is chief of infectious disease at UBs Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, continued: Whos landing in hospitals? Our unvaccinated, our immunocompromised that havent gotten Evusheld a monoclonal antibody treatment and those individuals that have gotten only one or two shots, but havent gotten that critical third shot. All told, Western New York is doing OK. Does that mean were going to escape the spike thats happening in other parts of the country? It could. Or we might just get it later. As with most elements of the pandemic, predicting the future is nothing more than a highly intellectual, data-informed guessing game. Heres what we know: Sometimes, the numbers in New York City portend what will happen in Buffalo. We saw that at the beginning of the pandemic, when Covid-19 exploded in the city, and spread upstate over the following weeks. But the conditions today are vastly different than in March 2020. Back then, Covid-19 was spreading during the cold indoor months from one unsuspecting respiratory system to the next. Today, Covid-19 and even its variants arent completely foreign to our immune systems. A combination of vaccination, exposure and prior infection create at least a baseline of protection that is likely to slow but not stop spread. Western New York saw a significant spring spike, and, as Russo points out, the collective immunity from that may still be protecting us now. So, too, is the weather, which has us largely living our lives outdoors or with open windows. Its not so hot that were doing a lot of stuff indoors with air conditioning, Russo said, which is occurring in the southern states and parts of California. But it wont last. If we, as a region, are being protected now by immunity from spring, it will wear down by fall just as the weather is cooling, school is starting, and were heading indoors. Presumably, theres going to be some spread with the holidays, and certainly once the kids get back to school, there's going to be some spread, Sellick said. Some of it is inevitable, but not 100%. If you do test positive, whats the best thing to do? Call your doctor, even if it is a mild or asymptomatic case. If your age or pre-existing conditions put you more at risk, your personal physician will be the person to guide you. Doctors can also prescribe Paxlovid, an antiviral pill for people at high risk that does a good job of keeping people out of the hospital, Russo said. But it needs to be taken within five days of the onset of symptoms, which is why early testing and calling your doctor is key. What precautions should we be taking? This is a nuanced answer that is shaped by personal choice and circumstance. Your age and health status, your job, family and social circles and travel plans all factor into making those choices. In a text exchange for this story, former Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams offered this advice, based on what hes seeing in his frequent travels around the country: Im definitely seeing less masking with each passing week, he said. While the urgency and attitudes may be shifting, the advice is the same as always. If youre in an area where there is a significant Covid spread and right now thats everywhere you should take precautions when gathering around others outside your personal bubble. Those precautions include wearing an N-95 mask or the equivalent, Adams said, and being up-to-date on your vaccinations. Second booster shots are now available to all Americans age 50 and up, and those who are immunocompromised. Pfizer and Moderna, the makers of the two mRNA vaccines, hope to have updated shots that address the more recent variants available in fall. The more personal risk factors you have for Covid morbidity and mortality, the more important it is to take precautionary measures, Adams said. But we know Covid can impact anyone, and we also know that few people are actually adequately up-to-date on their vaccinations, so folks should try to avoid being overconfident even if previously vaccinated. MELVILLE, N.Y. (AP) More sharks are being spotted in the waters off Long Island, a trend that is likely to continue and experts say thats not necessarily a bad thing. Cleaner oceans, warmer water temperatures and a resurgence of bunker fish that sharks feed on are seen as factors, according to experts. Detection, from drones to helicopters, also has improved and reports are easily spread through social media. There are a lot more sharks than 10 or 15 years ago, Christopher Paparo, manager of Stony Brook Universitys Marine Sciences Center, told Newsday. Were spotting sharks, whales and dolphins here. In the 1960s, we did not have sharks, whales and dolphins. Shark attacks in the area have been very rare until recently, with an average of about one reported per 10 years for the last century, Newsday reported. Two lifeguards suffered bites and a third person was bitten in what possibly was a shark attack, within the last two weeks, the newspaper reported. The United States recorded 47 unprovoked shark bites in 2021, a 42% increase from 33 incidents reported in 2020, according to records kept by Florida Museum of Natural Historys International Shark Attack File In Suffolk County, lifeguards use binoculars to scan the waters for fins cresting the surface or large schools of fish that attract sharks. Two years ago, lifeguards at Smith Point launched two water scooters to investigate after seeing activity a mile from shore. They eventually had to clear the beach after an 18-foot (5.5-meter) great white shark, which had been feeding on a whale carcass, came with a quarter-mile of the beach. It was the first time in more than 30 years that a shark sighting prompted that response, Keith Kolar, the assistant chief of the county's lifeguards, told Newsday. The second time occurred after a lifeguard was bitten this month. Experts say the increase in the number of sharks is a sign that conservation efforts have succeeded in helping restore ecological balance to the oceans, after overfishing, pollution and a movement to kill sharks partly inspired by the 1975 movie Jaws reduced their numbers. Smaller sharks, which are seen closer to shore more often than larger ones, help keep prey species in check, and many shark types are scavengers that keep the ocean cleaner and healthier. More encounters between people and sharks could swing public sentiment the other way, however. Im very concerned that the perception I fought against for a couple of decades will change, Bob Hueter, chief scientist for OCEARCH, a global nonprofit that conducts research on sharks, told the newspaper. DETROIT (AP) A 26-year-old man was charged Sunday with buying a firearm that police say a 19-year-old later used to fatally shoot a Detroit police officer last week. U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison said the Detroit man is charged with making a false statement in the acquisition of the firearm. He appeared in federal court Sunday and is being held until a detention hearing on Tuesday, according to a news release from prosecutors. It was unclear Sunday if the man has a defense attorney who could comment on his behalf. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) A judge has ruled that the mayor of Mississippi's capital city did not have the power veto a contract that the city council had not approved. Judge Larry Roberts issued his ruling Friday in a dispute among Jackson officials over who will be paid to collect garbage, news outlets reported. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A police officer in Tennessee was shot and wounded Saturday while he was responding to a domestic incident, officials said. The Memphis officer was taken to a hospital in critical condition after he was shot by a male suspect, who was arrested, the city's police department said on Twitter. When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, my first thought was of my grandmother and the botched illegal abortion that transformed three generations of my family. My mother, Katherine, the fourth of six children, was born in Brooklyn to immigrants from Sicily. Her mother, Rosa, took care of the family and worked as a seamstress from home; her father, Giovanni, earned his living as a shoemaker. They struggled as many poor families did, then and now, to feed and clothe their children. Then Rosa became pregnant with child number seven. She was 40. She had a baby, a 4-year-old, a 6-year-old, a 7-year-old, an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old. I imagine the method of birth control was rudimentary. Rosa's older sister Margarita was distraught that Rosa would have another mouth to feed. Margarita persuaded her sister not to bear another child. Margarita promised to make her a special drink, a combination of certain powerful plants (most likely pennyroyal, tansy or savin, among other ingredients that were used at the time). That concoction would "take care of it." Rosa acquiesced to her older sister. My mother was 6 years old at the time. My grandmother became feverish - most likely from an infection that turned into septic shock that evening - on fire from the poison, burning inside. Pennyroyal, I know now, can be toxic to the liver. My mom watched her mother stand up on her bed, pulling at her hair and asking God, "Why?" Rosa Inzerillo was taken to Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn on April 18, 1927. She died on April 25 at about 7 a.m. The doctor was unable to state definitively the cause of death; the last diagnosis during her last illness was manic depressive psychosis. Contributory: exhaustion. One late night at the kitchen table, my mother told me this story, slowly and quietly, haunted by the images of her mother's death. For years, she had hinted that something tragic had happened but she had never put it fully into words until then. She remembered her Aunt Margarita whispering to her mother, coaxing her, while she played with her doll. My grandfather worked at the Hanan Shoe Factory in Brooklyn for $35 a week. After my grandmother's death, the Brooklyn Department of Welfare sent all the children to City Hospital. None of the immediate relatives was able to take in any of the children; after every family name - maternal uncle, aunt, grandmother - the official report says, simply: "Cannot assist." On June 2, 1927, my mother was taken away screaming and admitted to St. Joseph's Female Orphan Asylum in Brooklyn. The reason for admission: destitution. She remembered being locked in a clothes closet because she could not stop crying and asking for her mother. Her younger brother Fred went to the boys' section of St. Joseph's Asylum. Her two older brothers, Anthony and Nicholas, were sent to St. John's Home - one of them soon ran away, only to be returned. Her older sister, Margaret, went to live at St. Germaine's Home in Peekskill, N.Y. Her baby brother, Carmello, remained at home with my grandfather and died when he was 4. As a result of this botched illegal abortion, my mother lost not only her mother but also her home, her family, her native Sicilian language (which she was forbidden to speak by the Irish nuns who ran the orphanage), her sense of safety and security, and her childhood. She felt, throughout her life, that her father had abandoned her and her siblings. When he came to visit on Sundays, she forbade him to speak to her in Sicilian. When she did not follow the rules, she was beaten by the nuns who were supposed to care for her. After five years in the orphanage, she was discharged on her birthday along with her younger brother Fred, when her father married Lena Salvato, a widow with nine children. My mother held a distinct memory of all the cars on the street outside the orphanage and the fear of crossing as she left it. Four years later, her stepmother died of a brain abscess. The family was split up all over again. My grandfather moved to a furnished room. My mother, now 15, was left with her six stepsiblings. Her older brothers had hardened from the loss. Her brother Nicholas broke into a gas station and stole a radio and a bit of cash - the value of the goods was $16.63. He was sentenced to five to 10 years for petty larceny and sent to Sing Sing prison. My mother, meanwhile, was forced to quit high school. She had hoped to study dress design. The wound of Rosa's wrenching death never left her or her siblings. Her brothers were in and out of trouble, leaving broken families in their wake. My mother made sure that didn't happen to us. She never became the dress designer that she wanted to be, but she never stopped drawing, working as a seamstress and then making wedding dresses at home. She fought fiercely to protect her three children with unconditional love and gave us the gift of security that she never had. I am sure her story is not unusual. She gave me the gift of this story, perhaps knowing that I would dig into what happened. When I was a little boy, I always eavesdropped on the women, huddled together whispering, juggling, speaking their secret language. They held us together. My mother never stopped yearning for her mother, but she kept it private; only rarely did I hear her cry out for her. Who would my mother or the rest of her siblings have been had abortion been legal and Rosa allowed to parent her six children, rather than dying to keep them fed? MOUNT HOLLY, N.J. (AP) An appeals court has ordered a new trial for a New Jersey man convicted in a stabbing death shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018. The court cited an assistant prosecutor's repeatedly calling the defendant a liar and also cited errors in the judge's instructions to the jury. Supreme Life, 60, of Lumberton was sentenced to 20 years after he was convicted in Burlington County in March 2019 of passion provocation manslaughter in the death of Moriah Walker, 26, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and the attempted murder of another New York man. Life, formerly known as Charles Hoskins, testified that as people were outside celebrating the Eagles February 2018 win, he teased his son, a Dallas Cowboys fan, and his son responded with an epithet about the Eagles. He said two New York men leaving a nearby party overheard the remark and attacked his son, and he acted in self-defense. During the trial, Life acknowledged having lied in a statement to police, and the appeals court said that was fair game for prosecutors to point out. But the court said the prosecutor's repeated use of derogatory epithets" was improper and the constant labeling of Life as a liar tipped the scales of justice against him. The court also found fault with the judge's omission of certain instructions on how jurors could interpret self-defense as it relates to manslaughter. The combination of errors in this case, together with the prosecutors improper summation, require reversal of defendants convictions, the court said in a decision issued Thursday. A spokesperson for the county prosecutors office told Nj.com Thursday that the decision is under review. NORFOLK, Va. (AP) There are two Sierra was here stickers at Colonial Avenues Cafe Stella, a bistro frequented by Sierra Jenkins before the young journalist was fatally shot in March outside a downtown Norfolk bar. One can be found on the back of a parking sign outside the stickers bright orange background makes it easy to spot, even from a distance. The second sticker is on a shelf inside the restaurant, tucked away in a corner where Drew Ferebee first gathered with Jenkins family and friends following her death. It is like her spirit is still here, said Ferebee, who was Jenkins best friend. She came here a lot to do interviews. She kind of made Cafe Stella her home. Following Jenkins death, Ferebee used a logo created for Jenkins website to make stickers. I wanted to leave people with a piece of her that they could carry with them, Ferebee said. What started as a project to keep Jenkins memory alive among friends has taken on a new message as thousands of orange stickers have been passed out to strangers. Family and friends created an Instagram account to chronicle the sticker placements and now use it to raise awareness about gun violence, Ferebee said. Roughly 50,000 stickers have been given out in the less than six months since Jenkins death. To date, the farthest reaching sticker was placed in Dubai. The plan is to eventually sell the stickers and funnel proceeds into a scholarship project in her honor. The idea was to see how far she could go, Ferebee said. In 25 years, Sierra accomplished more than people do in 65 years. Sierra would have gone so much farther in life. Jenkins, an education reporter for The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, was one of three people killed in a shooting early March 19 at Chichos Pizza Backstage in downtown Norfolk. The gunfire, then-police chief Larry Boone said, started after an argument over a spilled drink. Antoine Legrande Jr., 24, was arrested and charged with three counts of second-degree murder May 17, about two months after the shooting. Prior to joining The Pilot in December 2020, she interned at Atlanta Magazine and CNN, and worked as a news assistant for CNN Health. Jenkins was particularly interested in social issues, always looking for stories that could create change. This undated photo provided by Chris Taylor shows Sierra Jenkins, 25, a reporter with The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press newspapers in Virginia, who died Saturday March 19, 2022, following a shooting outside a bar in Norfolk, Va. (Chris Taylor/AP) Ferebee said the stickers initially were placed by Jenkins family and friends, but quickly expanded to friends of friends and strangers. I was so excited for when I would find a sticker that I did not place, Ferebee said, who placed 30 stickers around Norfolk and another 40 around Washington. As the stickers have become more widespread, Ferebee said the messaging behind them has shifted to focus on gun violence prevention and awareness through the Sierra Jenkins Project. The project is working to launch a website, from which sticker packs can be purchased. Moniquekia Thompson, Jenkins mother, crafted the mission statement, stating that the purpose of the stickers is to get people outside, to encourage purposeful traveling, spark gun violence awareness and assist in the restoration of humanity. More and more people are losing the regard for human life. This must stop, Thompson said. All proceeds from the website will go toward a scholarship fund to be awarded to college-bound high school students at Granby High School, Jenkins alma mater. Sierra Jenkins was passionate about education, reading, and writing. She intended to go back to school to obtain her masters degree but that dream was cut short due to senseless gun violence. Its only right that we carry out her desire for others to succeed as well, Thompson said in her mission statement. The orange squares with a Jenkins-inspired avatar had traveled the world just two weeks after the young journalists death, with one making it all the way to Hawaii placed by a person who had never even met Jenkins. The placement was shared with Ferebee on the Sierra Project Instagram page. They placed it on a pole overlooking a beach in Hawaii, Ferebee said. They did not even know her. They were talking about how her impact was felt and they wanted to be a part of the project. The post, which was shared on Instagram, reads: Sierra, I hope you enjoy your view of the ocean, the island of Molokai growing and the humpback whales lazily breaching the water. I hope people who notice this little square of orange here wonder who you are and learn more about your too brief but extraordinary life. During a recent afternoon visit to Cafe Stella, another customer approached Ferebee to show her a Sierra was here sticker that she keeps in her wallet. Sierra was no, she is so loved. She would have never thought that her impact was this big. She was just passionately doing what she loves, Ferebee said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate JERUSALEM (AP) The family of an Israel-American girl killed in a 2001 Palestinian suicide bombing in Jerusalem is seeking a meeting with President Joe Biden in hopes of forcing Jordan to extradite a woman convicted in the deadly attack. The parents of Malki Roth turned to Biden on Sunday asking to meet with the president when he comes to Jerusalem this week. They want the president to put pressure on Jordan, a close American ally, to send Ahlam Tamimi to the U.S. for trial. We are bereaved parents as you are, sir. We have a burning sense that injustice in the wake of our childs murder is winning, Frimet and Arnold Roth wrote in their letter. We ask that you address this as only the leader of the United States can. The Roths have been waging a campaign for the extradition of Ahlam Tamimi since she was released by Israel in a 2011 prisoner swap with the Hamas militant group. Under that deal, Tamimi was sent to her native Jordan, where she lives freely and has been a familiar face in the media. Jordanian authorities have rebuffed calls to extradite her. On Aug. 9, 2001, a Palestinian bomber walked into a Jerusalem pizzeria and blew himself up, killing 15 people. Two American citizens, including 15-year-old Malki Roth, were among the dead. Tamimi, who chose the target and guided the bomber there, was arrested weeks later and sentenced by Israel to 16 life sentences. Since her release, she has expressed no remorse and even boasted that she was pleased with the high death toll. In a 2017 interview with The Associated Press, she said the Palestinians have a right to resist Israel by any means, including deadly attacks. Roth has repeatedly called on U.S. authorities to press Jordan, which has received billions of dollars in American assistance, to turn over Tamimi for trial. The United States has charged Tamimi with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction against American nationals. The charge was filed under seal in 2013 and announced by the Justice Department four years later. Her name was added to the FBIs list of Most Wanted Terrorists. The U.S. and Jordan signed an extradition treaty in 1995. But in 2017, Jordans high court blocked her extradition, reportedly claiming the treaty was never ratified. Two years ago, the Trump administration said it was considering withholding aid to Jordan over the case, but ultimately no action was taken. Jordan is one of the United States closest partners in the Arab world, seen as a force of moderation and stability in the volatile Middle East. American officials appear to be wary of sparking a diplomatic crisis with a key ally. Something is obviously terribly wrong with how the pursuit of Americas most wanted female fugitive is going, the Roths wrote in their letter, sent to Biden through the U.S. Embassy. We want to explain this to you better in a face-to-face meeting," they added. "We want you to look us in the eyes, Mr. President, and tell us how Jordans king can be a praiseworthy ally. Biden is scheduled to land in Israel on Wednesday before traveling to a Mideast summit in Saudi Arabia on Friday. He has no plans to be in Jordan, though Jordanian officials are expected at the summit. There was no immediate comment from either the White House or the Jordanian Royal Hashemite Court. Roths letter was sent days after the family of a Palestinian-American journalist killed while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank lashed out at Biden over his administrations response to her death. Relatives of Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh expressed grief, outrage and (a) sense of betrayal in a letter accusing the U.S. of trying to erase Israeli responsibility for her death. A U.S. investigation concluded that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli fire, but also said there was no reason to believe she was deliberately targeted. Israel says Abu Akleh was killed during a gun battle with Palestinian militants, and it is unclear who fired the deadly shot. The Palestinians say Israel intentionally killed her. The White House declined to comment on the letter or the familys request for a meeting during his visit. LISBON, Portugal (AP) More than 3,000 firefighters and 30 aircraft battled wildfires Sunday in Portugal that authorities say have injured 29 people. Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes, as reported by Portuguese state television RTP and other local media. By Sunday afternoon, Portugals Civil Protection Agency said more than 3,000 firefighters were combating active fires. The European Union on Sunday activated its firefighting air fleet assistance program that allows member nations to share resources to help Portugal. Spain, which has also endured wildfires recently, quickly responded by mobilizing two firefighting planes to send to its Iberian neighbor, according to the EU crisis commissioner, Janez Lenarcic. Portugal has long suffered large, and sometimes tragic, forest fires. In 2017, out-of-control wildfires killed more than 100 people. The European Union says climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires. Across the border in Spain, a fire in the southwest led authorities to evacuate 30 people from homes as a precaution. Some 115 firefighters backed by helicopters and planes were deployed to that fire near the village of El Ronquillo. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa postponed his plans to visit Mozambique this week in view of the weather forecasts that indicate a very serious worsening of the risk of rural fires. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa likewise canceled his trip to New York where he was scheduled to speak at the U.N. Economic and Social Council. In June, 96% of the southern European country was classified as being in either in extreme or severe drought. The fires have caused authorities to increase a state of alert already in place. Portugal's government declared a state of heightened alert Saturday that will run through Friday. This means (...) we can automatically and preventively activate all emergency and civil protection plans at all territorial levels, said Interior Administration Minister Jose Luis Carneiro. The wildfires are coming as Portugal is enduring a heat wave with temperatures expected up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). The country has adopted restrictions barring public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banned the use of farm machinery and outlawed fireworks. Costa, in a message on Twitter, reminded citizens not to light any fires outdoors or use heavy farm machinery that can cause sparks. Preventing fires is the best help we can give our firefighters, the prime minister wrote. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate. A pregnant Texas woman who was ticketed for driving in the HOV lane is arguing that Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court means that her fetus counted as a passenger, and that she should not have been cited. Brandy Bottone was recently driving down Central Expressway in Dallas when she was stopped by a sheriff's deputy at an HOV checkpoint to see whether there were at least two occupants per vehicle as mandated. When the sheriff looked around her car last month, she recounted to KXAS that he asked, "Is it just you?" "And I said, 'No, there's two of us,'" Bottone said. "And he said, 'Well, where's the other person?'" Bottone, who was 34 weeks pregnant at the time, pointed to her stomach. Even though she said her "baby girl is right here," Bottone said one of the deputies she encountered on June 29 told her it had to be "two people outside of the body," according to the Dallas Morning News, the first to report the story. While the state's penal code recognizes a fetus as a person, the Texas Transportation Code does not. "One officer 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," she explained to the newspaper. Bottone was issued a $215 ticket for driving alone in the two-or-more occupant lane - a citation she told local media she'd be challenging in court this month. "I will be fighting it," she told the Morning News. While the Texas Department of Transportation has not indicated whether it is weighing changing the transportation code, Bottone's case is one that could move the state into "unchartered territory" following the June 24 ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, Chad Ruback, a Dallas-based appellate attorney, told The Washington Post. "I find her argument creative, but I don't believe based on the current itineration of Texas Transportation Code that her argument would likely succeed in front of an appellate court," he said. "That being said, it's entirely possible she could find a trial court judge who would award her for her creativity." Ruback added, "This is a very unique situation in American jurisprudence." Bottone, 32, of Plano, Texas, did not immediately respond to a request for comment early Saturday. It's unclear whether she has an attorney. Representatives for the Dallas County Sheriff's Department and Texas Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The news comes as all corners of the country are dealing with the fallout from the Supreme Court's decision more than two weeks ago. 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. Biden signing an executive order to enhance access to reproductive health-care services was a move generally welcomed by abortion activists, many said it would likely do little for women in states where abortion is banned. The president acknowledged the limits of his executive powers, saying the Dobbs ruling was "the Supreme Court's terrible, extreme and, I think, so totally wrongheaded decision." "What we're witnessing wasn't a constitutional judgment," Biden said. "It was an exercise in raw political power." Texas is among the 13 states that had "trigger bans" designed to take effect once Roe was struck down, prohibiting abortions within 30 days of the ruling. It is Texas's nearly century-old abortion ban that was ruled unconstitutional in Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide. After the Supreme Court overturned Roe on June 24 in a 5-4 decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) advised that prosecutors could now enforce the 1925 law, which he described as "100% good law" on Twitter. Abortion rights groups and clinics sued, arguing that it should be interpreted as repealed and unenforceable. A judge in Harris County, Texas, granted a temporary order last month to allow clinics to offer abortions for at least two weeks without criminal prosecution. Judge Christine Weems (D) ruled that a pre-Roe ban enforced by Paxton and prosecutors would "inevitably and irreparably chill the provision of abortions in the vital last weeks in which safer abortion care remains available and lawful in Texas." But the Texas Supreme Court granted an "emergency motion for temporary relief" of Weems's ruling last week, after Paxton requested the injunction. Five days after the Dobbs ruling, Bottone was in a rush to pick up her son and decided to drive in the HOV lane since she "couldn't be a minute late," she told the Morning News. As she attempted to argue the fetus was her second passenger, Bottone recounted to local media that the deputy wasn't open to the debate. "He was like, 'I don't want to deal with this . . . Ma'am, it means two persons outside of the body,'" she said, according to the Houston Chronicle. Bottone said that while one of the deputies told her that the ticket would likely get dropped if she fought it, she's upset that the citation was issued in the first place, according to the Morning News. "This has my blood boiling. How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life," she said. "I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking." Ruback told The Post that he is not aware whether Texas or other states would consider such a change to their transportation codes. "It's entirely possible that Brandy could petition the representatives in legislature to make that change, but I have not heard about it if it happened," said Ruback, who is not involved in her case. "My impression is that I think she would be happy if she got out of her traffic ticket. Then again, these are unusual times we're living in, that's for sure." Bottone maintained to KXAS that she hoped the Texas laws would be consistent on how the measures recognize unborn children. "I really don't think it's right because one law is saying it one way but another law is saying it another way," she said. She's due in court on July 20, which is around the same time her daughter is due. - - - The Washington Post's Matt Viser, Caroline Kitchener and Adela Suliman contributed to this report. Dr. Jonathan D. Daniels: Nov. 18, 1968 July 4, 2022 Jordan A. Daniels: Jan. 26, 1995 July 4, 2022 Jensen A. Daniels: June 16, 1999 July 4, 2022 The lives of a much-lauded Buffalo pediatrician and two of his adult daughters will be celebrated in a single service from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in Friendship Baptist Church, 402 Clinton St. Dr. Jonathan D. Daniels, 53; Jordan A. Daniels, 27; and Jensen A. Daniels, 23, died July 4 in a two-alarm blaze in their home on Huntington Avenue. Born in Buffalo, Dr. Daniels practiced at Main Pediatrics for 19 years and, in May 2021, he started the pediatric clinic at Urban Family Practice. As one of only two practicing Black pediatricians in the city, for the last eight years he took on a number of diversity initiatives, including creating a pipeline to medical school for students who are under-represented in the field. Dr. Daniels was eventually appointed associate dean of admissions for the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where he was also a mentor to students. He received his early education at P.S. 61, where he showed academic prowess and, while in the fifth grade he earned placement at City Honors School, from which he graduated in 1986. That same year, he met his future wife, the former Janessa E. Givens, while on a college tour sponsored by the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Leadership Intern Program.6. They were married on May 14, 1994. Before attending UB Medical School, he was a combat medic with the Army Reserve 365th Evacuation Hospital and served during Operation Desert Storm. After receiving his medical degree in 1998, he continued at UB Medical School for his residency in pediatrics. Jordan was the first of the couple's three daughters. She attended St. Johns Academy and graduated from St. Joseph University School and Sacred Heart Academy. In 2017, Jordan graduated from Baldwin-Wallace University in Berea, Ohio, with a bachelor of arts degree in public relations. In May, she received a master's of business administration degree in marketing and consulting from the UB School of Management. Jordan was a founder of Buffalo Collegiate Charter School, where she served as assistant dean of students. At the time of her death, she was an account executive with the Kern Agency of Woodland Hills, Calif. Jordan was a fourth generation member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, having joined its Omega Chapter at Baldwin-Wallace, and most recently its Xi Epsilon Omega Chapter in Amherst. Jensen, the youngest daughter of Dr. Daniels and his wife, attended St. Johns Academy and graduated from St. Joseph University School and Sacred Heart Academy. Jensen was a 2021 summa cum laude graduate of SUNY Buffalo State with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. While at Buffalo State, where she worked in the Residence Life Office, Jensen's stellar academic record earned her a spot on the deans list during all four years she attended the school. Jensen was awarded Debutante of the Year in the 2016 class sponsored by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gamma Phi Omega Chapter. She was also worked at Dashs Hertel Market. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she worked for the Erie County Department of Health, first as a contact tracer and then as a testing coordinator. In addition to his wife of 28 years, who is senior associate director in the UB Office of Financial Aid, Dr. Daniels is survived by another daughter, Jillian A., deputy director of operations for Silver-Eye Center for Photography in Pittsburgh; his mother, Mary J. Daniels; and two brothers, Vincent and Kenneth Scales. Jordan and Jensen are survived by their mother, Janessa; sister, Jullian; and grandmothers, Mary J. Daniels and Alicia D. Givens. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate NEW DELHI (AP) As Sri Lanka's crisis peaked this weekend, two men in the center of the turmoil brought about by the country's economic collapse promised they would heed the call of tens of thousands of angry protesters and resign. One is President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the last of six members of the country's most influential family who was still clinging to power. The other is Rajapaksa's chosen prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, a seasoned opposition politician who was brought in to steer the country out of the abyss. On Saturday, massive crowds descended on the capital, Colombo, broke into Rajapaksa's official residence and occupied his seaside office. Hours later, as leaders of political parties in Parliament called for both leaders to step down, protesters also stormed Wickremesinghe's residence and set it on fire. The culmination of monthslong protests on Saturday led to both of them agreeing to step down. Rajapaksa, whose whereabouts are unknown, said he would leave office on Wednesday, according to the parliamentary speaker. Wickremesinghe said he would depart as soon as opposition parties agree on a unity government. Here is a closer look at their rise and fall: GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA For decades, the powerful land-owning Rajapaksa family had dominated local politics in their rural southern district before Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected president in 2005. Appealing to the nationalist sentiment of the islands Buddhist-Sinhalese majority, he led Sri Lanka into a triumphant victory over ethnic Tamil rebels in 2009, ending a 26-year brutal civil war that had divided the country. His younger brother, Gotabaya, was a powerful official and military strategist in the Ministry of Defense. Mahinda remained in office until 2015, when he lost to the opposition led by his former aide. But the family made a comeback in 2019, when Gotabaya won the presidential election on a promise to restore security in the wake of the Easter Sunday terrorist suicide bombings that killed 290 people. He vowed to bring back the muscular nationalism that had made his family popular with the Buddhist majority, and to lead the country out of an economic slump with a message of stability and development. Instead, he made a series of fatal mistakes that ushered in an unprecedented crisis. As tourism plunged in the wake of the bombings and foreign loans on controversial development projects including a port and an airport in the president's home region needed to be repaid, Rajapaksa disobeyed economic advisers and pushed through with the largest tax cuts in the countrys history. It was meant to spur spending, but critics warned it would slash the governments finances. Pandemic lockdowns and an ill-advised ban on chemical fertilizers further hurt the fragile economy. The country soon ran out of money and couldn't repay its huge debts. Shortages of food, cooking gas, fuel and medicine stoked public anger at what many saw as mismanagement, corruption and nepotism. The familys unravelling began in April, when growing protests forced three Rajapaksa relatives, including the finance minister, to quit their Cabinet posts and another to leave his ministerial job. In May, government supporters attacked protesters in a wave of violence that left nine dead. The anger of the protesters turned to Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was pressured to resign as prime minister and took refuge on a heavily fortified naval base. But Gotabaya refused to go, triggering chants in the streets of Gota Go Home!" Instead, he saw his savior in Ranil Wickremesinghe. RANIL WICKREMESINGHE A six-time prime minister, Wickremesinghe's latest stint was arguably the most challenging. Appointed in May by Rajapaksa, he was brought in to help restore international credibility as his government negotiated a bailout package with the International Monetary Fund. Wickremesinghe, who also was the finance minister, became the public face of the crisis, delivering weekly addresses in Parliament as he kicked off difficult negotiations with financial institutions, lenders and allies to fill the coffers and give some relief to impatient citizens. He raised taxes and pledged to overhaul a government that had increasingly concentrated power under the presidency, a model many say tipped the country into crisis. In his new job, he left little doubt about the grave future ahead. The next couple of months will be the most difficult ones of our lives, he told Sri Lankans in early June, a few weeks before he said in Parliament that the country had hit rock bottom. Our economy has completely collapsed, he said. Ultimately, observers say, he lacked both political heft and public support to get the job done. He was a one-man party in Parliament - the only lawmaker from his party to hold a seat after it suffered a humiliating defeat in a 2020 election. His reputation had already been sullied by his previous stint as prime minister, when he was in a difficult power-sharing arrangement with then-President Maithripala Sirisena. A communication breakdown between them was blamed for intelligence lapses that led to the 2019 terror attack. With no respite for people waiting in line for fuel, food and medicine, Wickremesinghe became increasingly unpopular. Many of the protesters say his appointment simply put off pressure on Rajapaksa to resign. But analysts are doubtful whether a new leader can do much more, instead fearing that the political uncertainty will only intensify the crisis. ___ Find more of APs Sri Lanka coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/sri-lanka REMUS The Remus Area Historical Society was one of 32 Michigan museums to receive awards for cultural programing from Michigan Humanities, an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. We are very excited to provide grants to 32 Michigan-based museums, 15 of those who are new grant partners to Michigan Humanities. This grant round is a great reminder to take time to visit the abundance of museums that our state has to offer, Jennifer Rupp, Michigan Humanities President & CEO said in a news release. According to the news release, the Michigan Museum Recovery Grants, part of the American Rescue Plan Act funding to assist organizations with recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, awarded up to $10,000 for general operating support, programing support or a combination of both. The Remus Area Historical Society was awarded $6,000, board president Linda Howard told the Pioneer. The museum plans to use the funds to upgrade their technology system, she said. We are going to use it for updating our software, Howard said. The software we want to get is a museum data entry and everything you have you can put into this software. We have the earliest version and now we want to upgrade that. It is just really a great next step for us. The newer version will accept videos and slides and they plan to upload the oral history project recently completed by the historical society, she added. They are also looking at getting some large screen TV monitors where they can display the oral history interviews and slides for visitors to the museum. One of the things we are looking at is an electronic sign for outside the museum, Howard said. It (the current sign) is an old, very outdated sign. That is where we are going to put the money. We are trying to get out more in the community and be more visible. Board member Pamela Burke, a professional grant writer, is responsible for getting the grant award, Howard said. She has been on the board for years and has been very successful in getting us grant funds over the years, and we are very grateful for that, she said. We have a very good cross-section of the community on our board, and we feel good about that, but we really need more people volunteers, board members, etc., she added. The Remus Area Museum, at 324 S. Sheridan, Remus, will be open during the Remus Heritage Days from noon till 3 p.m. and will be highlighting the oral history interviews. Throughout the summer, the museum is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays. They are also open by appointment. To set up an appointment contact Char Lenon at 989-560-2431 or email remusmuseum@gmail.com. For more information about the Remus Historical Society/Remus Area Museum or to become a volunteer, visit remus.org and click the historical society/museum tab or follow them on Facebook at Remus Area Historical Society. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) At the entrance of the Czech National Cemetery, freshly cut grass and flower beds welcome visitors as they enter the burial site that symbolizes the citys Czech heritage. But farther inside, patches of grass and weeds cover tombstones, making them unnoticeable at first, a visit by The Gazette found. Headstones are tilted forward and others are sinking. Cracked benches line the pathway. Kathy ONeil, who has family members buried in the cemetery, said it looked as if some lots have been untouched in months. Its just devastating, ONeil said. Its so heartbreaking to see our loved ones are buried here and the military and you know, paying respects to everyone (at a place) that its left in disrepair. Cedar Rapids has a strong Czech presence, and the Czech Cemetery, at 2200 C St. SW, is one a few places that celebrate its heritage, alongside the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library and the Czech Village. Families who buy cemetery plots are responsible for their upkeep, including to headstones that were damaged in the 2020 derecho. While the cemetery is doing some of the caretaker things by having mowing done and everything, its up to the lot orders to maintaining their lots in good and neat conditions, said cemetery board president Jeanne Vogt. According to the bylaws of the Czech National Cemetery, plot owners are responsible for: __ Maintaining lots in good and neat condition __ Planting and maintaining flowers __ Remove decorations when public issue is noticed __ Watering, weeding of flower beds and leaf removal Although the cemetery does not offer floral services, Vogt said it receives deliveries from floral companies that people have ordered from and will take the flowers to the gravesite. These drivers have no idea where these flowers are going to go in the cemetery, Vogt said. So thats up to us, then the name should be marked on there that we take it out and put it on the lot that its supposed to go. ONeil has a strong connection to the Czech Cemetery, tracing back to when her grandfather worked there as a sexton. After her grandfather, her dad took over as the sexton for 40 years, retiring in the 1980s. Today, her parents, grandparents and other family members all have been buried there. While growing up on C Street SW, ONeil has memories of her father working at the cemetery. She said her father would have one or two full-time people to help with the maintenance of the cemetery or grave digging. My dad would walk up here every day, every morning and every night to lock and unlock the gate because there used to be front gates, ONeil said. He managed the cemetery for decades, and it was in pristine order. ONeil said she has stopped by the cemetery over the past 10 to 15 years when she visits from Minnesota. The cemetery was established as the Bohemian National Cemetery in 1895 and later changed to the Czech National Cemetery. According to the bylaws of the cemetery, its board is required to maintain the property in good condition. Part of that includes hiring a caretaker who is in charge of hiring help for the care and maintenance at wages approved by the board. Vogt said the cemetery has a contract with a mowing company, but had issues with communication during the spring. When board called the company and asked them to mow in May, Vogt said the company never showed up and didnt follow up on calls inquiring when it would mow the cemetery. Later on, Vogt said, the board found the owner of the company had an issue that prevented him from doing the job and had to find someone else. But the board hired someone who had just started a mowing business and may have taken on too much at the cemetery. And he tried, and he only had one mower, come to find out, Vogt said. And so he would have to come back and re-mow, and then the grass was getting way ahead of him. And the meantime, the original company then came back to start mowing, and they were very apologetic. The funds to pay the mowing company comes from the sale of plots and donations. We try to have of this contract every year. We do bids on the mowing jobs; we dont just hand them to the first person to come along, but we check the prices every year, Vogt said. And these people had done it for three years and you know, it seemed to be fine, but we really had this issue thrown at us this spring. The cemetery currently does not have a caretaker, and the board is working on fulfilling that position. For monuments that are cracked, sunken or tilted, Vogt said the responsibility for its maintenance falls on the plot owners. They should have a decent foundation put in in the first place that was going to hold it for quite a while, Vogt said. So whatever monument place theyre getting their stones from could probably also put the foundation in when theyre placing the stone and know where its going to be. Additionally, Vogt said that the gravestones are the individuals responsibility and are responsible for any damages. When we had the derecho go through here, and maybe their stones were chipped or knocked over by the trees or whatever, the peoples household insurance could take care of their stone because thats their property, Vogt said. Vogt said that benches are either donated, bought by plot owners, or put in by the board. The board, however, is responsible only for maintenance of its benches. The board also works with volunteers to help clean the grounds. We have cleanup days; we have those people that are really interested leave their names with us for volunteers, Vogt said. And when we have projects, then we can call them, some of them who live close by too, so it works out really good. Vogt said the board works from the heart, and appreciates those who donate and volunteer to help with maintenance. A lot of people like to make donations to the cemetery, and half of our board, as it is, this is their future home, Vogt said. CLEAR LAKE, Iowa (AP) When Ashley Bruce Lumpkin moved to Clear Lake from Georgia, she was sad to see there wasnt a particular shop in the community. A book store. The library here is great, but I realized I still like to own the books that I love, said Bruce Lumpkin. Theres no independent bookstore around to buy them from, and the closest is like an hour away. Her desire to have a bookstore closer to her is what led to The Clear Lake Book Project, a mobile trailer with books for sale. Currently, the trailer is open during Thursdays on Main, but Bruce Lumpkin is looking to expand hours. The Clear Lake Book Project also has a book club that meets Mondays. The first book the group has selected is Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The idea to open a mobile book store developed earlier this year when Bruce Lumpkin was talking to her husband, Sean Lumpkin. He saw the idea as something that would satisfy his wifes longing for a bookstore as well as the communitys. My husband told everybody my idea before I was even ready to tell anybody my idea, said Bruce Lumpkin with a smile. I was like, Ill support you. Whatever you want to do, Ill have no push back, Lumpkin told the Mason City Globe Gazette. I dont want to push back on her with something shes dreaming about, and it will help her. Bruce Lumpkin, who is self-employed as a web designer, has a business-minded background because of her family. With her creative talents and knowledge, she was only missing one piece: the trailer. A week after developing and sharing her idea, Bruce Lumpkin found her trailer on a Facebook marketplace page while on a trip in Minnesota. The 24-foot trailer has a finished floor, an electrical panel, and the walls were completely done. It was exactly what she was looking for. The only problem was finding a vehicle to pick up the trailer. We drove home to borrow someones truck because we didnt have a truck to pick up the trailer. It was kind of crazy, said Bruce Lumpkin. It took several weeks to get the trailer refurbished and decorated in the way Bruce Lumpkin wanted it. She experienced delays because of the cold weather and a shortage of book shelves. I couldnt find them anywhere. Literally not a single company that you can think of -- like Target, Walmart, IKEA -- nobody had them, said Bruce Lumpkin. I had to hunt them down to find them. Bruce Lumpkin has come up with a way using tension rods to keep books from falling off the shelves when she moves the trailer. She said she found the idea when looking at campers tips and tricks. In total, it takes Bruce Lumpkin 15 minutes to set up and tear down. The Clear Lake Book Project is filled with a selection of used books and a few new books Bruce Lumpkin that spent six months curating. She made sure to have a wide range of genres, even for children, and recognizable book titles and authors. If you buy a book from here, youre probably supporting another small business, said Bruce Lumpkin. Bruce Lumpkin has been happy with the reaction from customers. She is especially pleased at peoples surprise with how current the books are. Im picky about what I buy when I go to the store versus like your grandmas books from the 50s that nobody wants to read with like the man with no shirt, said Bruce Lumpkin. That was fun to know that people are like, Wow, you have really good ones here. Its just been really cool to see all the people excited (about the trailer), said Lumpkin. My favorite thing is watching kids come, and theyre like freaking out because they see Dog Man or something. Bruce Lumpkin hopes to donate books to teachers and their classrooms. She added she is excited to start making book donations when August comes around. That was the giving part of it, because its no fun to just do a bookstore. I want to have a purpose behind it, said Bruce Lumpkin. I just love to read, and I want more people to have the opportunity to find a book that they really like, said Bruce Lumpkin. KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti Said Ismahilov one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine had already resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his country. At the end of last year, as warnings of an imminent attack grew louder, Ismahilov began training with a local territorial defense battalion. By then he had served as a mufti for thirteen years. Born and raised in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Ismahilov had already fled Russia once before, in 2014, when Moscow-backed separatists captured his city. He eventually moved to a quiet suburb outside Kyiv called Bucha only to find himself, eight years later, at the heart of Moscows assault on Kyiv, and the site of atrocities that shocked the world. It felt as if the threat of Russian occupation would never end. This time I made the decision that I would not run away, I would not flee but I would fight he said in an interview with The Associated Press in Kostiantynivka, a town close to the front lines in eastern Ukraine where a battle for control of the region is intensifying. Ismahilov began working as a military driver for paramedics evacuating the wounded from front lines or besieged towns. Tasked with driving in highly dangerous conditions, but also emotionally supporting the critically injured, Ismahilov says he sees his new job as a continuation of my spiritual duty before God. If you are not scared and you can do this, then it is very important. The Prophet was himself a warrior, Ismahilov says. So I follow his example and I also will not run, or hide. I will not turn my back on others. Ismahilov was one of dozens of Ukrainian Muslims who gathered at the mosque in Kostiantynivka Saturday to mark Eid al-Adha an important religious holiday in Islam. The mosque is now the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbas. Ismahilov told the AP that there are around 30 mosques in the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern province of Luhansk. The governor of the Luhansk region said on Saturday that Russian forces are now pressing toward the border with the neighbouring Donetsk region. Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. There is a large Muslim population in Crimea home to the Crimean Tatars and illegally annexed by Russian in 2014. Numbers there jump to 12%. There is also a sizeable Muslim community in eastern Ukraine, the result of waves of economic migration as the region industrialised and many Muslims immigrated to the Donbas region to work in the mines and factories. The conflict in 2014 forced many Muslims from Crimea and Donbas to relocate to other parts of the country where they joined long-established Tatar communities or built new Islamic centers alongside Turks, Arabs and Ukrainian converts. But the invasion has forced many to flee once again. The mosque in Kostiantynivka used to cater for a local Muslim population of several hundred people. On Saturday, few local residents were present, having journeyed west with their families. Instead the congregation was made up of soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv and western Ukraine. In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers, Ismahilov told the congregation that this years Eid had a symbolic significance in the midst of the war, and asked them to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques have been destroyed by shelling. Referencing a series of arrests of Crimean Tartars in the wake of the 2014 annexation, Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe. There is a lot of fear. The war continues and we have no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation Muslims are in there he said. Ismahilov told the AP that he considers Russian Muslims invading Ukraine, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrovs infamous Chechen battalions, as criminals. They are committing sins and they have come as murderers and occupiers, on a territory that is the home of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Muslims, without any justification. Allah did not give them that right says Ismahilov. They will answer for all this before God. Olha Bashei, 45, a lawyer turned paramedic from Kyiv who converted to Islam in 2015, says Russia is trying erase Ukraine from the face of the earth. Bashei began working as a frontline paramedic in Donbas in 2014. She considers this war her jihad, a term to denote a holy war or personal struggle in Islam. This war is my war, and I defend my jihad because I have nephews, I have a mother and I defend my home. I do not want my nephews to ever see what I, unfortunately, saw in this war she said. Islam even helps me because in Islam, in prayer, you somehow distract yourself from the war because you read the prayer and you have a connection with the Almighty. For me, Islam is a force that supports me even in war. As the soldiers prepared the customary sacrificial sheep for the Eid feast, a residential area in Kostiantynivka several kilometers away came under violent shelling. The incoming artillery shook the ground. Some soldiers ran to the mosques bunker. Others shrugged it off and continued to drink their tea and eat dates. The shelling caused several fires, injuring several inhabitants and burning roofs to cinders. Ismahilov said they would pray for victory and the liberation of the occupied territories. We pray that our Muslim compatriots will be safe, that our families will be reunited, that the slain Muslims will go to heaven, and that all the Muslim soldiers who are defending their country will be accepted as shahids (martyrs) by Allah. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate BANGKOK (AP) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is criticizing Southeast Asian nations for not doing enough to press Myanmars military government to return the country to the path of democracy following last year's power seizure. But as Blinken lamented the lack of progress in Myanmar, also known as Burma, he also moved to strengthen U.S. ties with key regional ally Thailand part of efforts to counter Chinese influence across the Indo-Pacific. Speaking at a news conference in Bangkok, Blinken said it was unfortunate that repression in Myanmar was continuing nearly 18 months after the military takeover. And, he said he was disappointed that Myanmars neighbors werent applying pressure for it to end. I think its unfortunately safe to say that weve seen no positive movement," Blinken told reporters. On the contrary, we continue to see the repression of the Burmese people who continue to see violence perpetrated by the regime. He blasted Myanmar's military leaders for jailing or forcing almost the entire opposition to flee and for worsening the grim humanitarian situation by not delivering the kind of assistance and supplies that are needed to improve conditions. Blinken then took aim at Myanmar's neighbors in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which has been attempting to convince the military into implementing a five-point plan to return the country to a democratic path. All countries have to continue to speak clearly about what the regime is doing in its ongoing repression and brutality, he said. We have an obligation to the people of Burma to hold the regime accountable. Regional support for the regimes adherence to the five-point plan developed by ASEAN is also critical. That has not happened. He added that all members of ASEAN need to hold the regime accountable for that, continue to demand an immediate cessation of violence, the release of political prisoners and the restoration of Burmas democratic path. Just last week, Myanmar hosted a regional gathering of officials in what the opposition said was a direct contravention of the ASEAN peace plan following the ouster of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Suu Kyis ouster in February 2021 triggered widespread peaceful protests that were violently suppressed and evolved into armed resistance, and the country has slipped into what some U.N. experts characterize as a civil war. Blinken traveled to Thailand after attending a meeting of foreign ministers from the Group of 20 rich and large developing countries in Indonesia, where he accused China of siding with Russia over the war in Ukraine and said that support was complicating already fraught relations between Washington and Beijing. After meeting Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bali on Saturday, Blinken warned that Chinese support for Russia on Ukraine poses a threat to the rules-based international order. Blinken's visit to Thailand was intended to bolster at least one small part of that order. In Bangkok, Blinken signed two cooperation agreements with his Thai counterpart, pledging to expand strategic cooperation with Thailand and improve the resilience of supply chains. Although modest, the deals fit into the administrations broader strategy for the Indo-Pacific, which is aimed at blunting Chinas increasing assertiveness and offering alternatives to Beijing-sponsored development that many U.S. officials regard as a trap for smaller, poorer nations. Blinken did not mention China by name in his comments with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha or Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. But after signing the deals, he said the U.S. and Thailand share the same goal of a free, open, interconnected prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific." American officials use that phrase often to refer to the prevention of Chinese dominance in the region and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had similar comments when he visited Bangkok last month and met Prayuth. Thailand is already a member of President Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific Economic Forum, a bloc that was created earlier this year with the aim of curbing the momentum of China's Belt and Road Initiative, which has poured billions of dollars into development and infrastructure projects throughout Asia and elsewhere. Like its predecessors, the Biden administration has watched Chinas rapid growth warily and sought to hold it to international standards without significant success. The U.S. and like-minded democracies are trying to discourage developing Southeast Asian and other countries from entering large-scale infrastructure and development projects with China unless they are proven economically feasible, structurally sound and environmentally safe. What were about is not asking countries to choose but giving them a choice when it comes to things like investment and infrastructure, development assistance, et cetera, Blinken said in Bali. "What we want to make sure is that were engaged in a race to the top that is, we do things to the highest standards not a race to the bottom where we do things to the lowest standards. U.S. officials from multiple administrations have criticized China for exploiting smaller nations by luring them into unfair or deceptive agreements. My hope would be that if, as China continues to engage itself in all of these efforts that it engages in a race to the top, that it raise its game, Blinken said. That would actually benefit everyone. Before returning to Washington, Blinken will travel on Monday from Bangkok to Tokyo, where he will make a brief condolence call on senior Japanese officials following the assassination on Friday of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) An elected prosecutor in central Virginia said Sunday that a traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall earlier this year led her to step down temporarily from her job. Ann Cabell Baskervill, the commonwealth's attorney for Dinwiddie County, issued a statement to the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Sunday, following stories by the newspaper about her absence. WAVERLY, Tenn. (AP) A volunteer firefighter in Tennessee has been charged with setting blazes that damaged multiple structures, authorities said. Leslie Roy Winchester, 19, was arrested Saturday after officials obtained warrants charging him with aggravated arson, arson, trespassing and vandalism, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. The private papers of Harry Blackmun reveal that the Supreme Court justice should never have been assigned to write the 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. Because of his duplicity and his glaring conflicts of interest, we now hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the reversal of Roe and the loss of the right to abortion under federal law. The abortion issue now goes back to each state, where it belonged. The Supreme Court has now established that there was never a constitutional right to unrestricted abortion, and that Roe was egregiously wrong from the start, to quote Justice Samuel Alito, who wrote the decision. How could such a colossal blunder have occurred? Well, back in 1973, Chief Justice Warren Burger opposed abortion but joined with the liberal majority on his court who supported it. Being the senior member of the majority allowed him to assign his boyhood friend from Minnesota, Justice Harry Blackmun (only three years on the court), to write the decision, hoping he would minimize the scope of Roe v. Wade. But Blackmun set out to make a name for himself. After a lifetime of living in Burgers shadow, he at last found a case that would give him a voice of his own. And so, he spent the summer of 1972 at the Mayo Clinic back in Minnesota, where he had spent a decade as the resident counsel. He even got to share the office of one of his Ob/Gyn buddies who had performed abortions at the clinic, as he searched for grounds for justifying unrestricted abortion. His colleagues at the Mayo Clinic even supported Roe with an amicus brief to the court. In fact, the Mayo Clinic had recommended him for the Supreme Court shortly before Richard Nixons inauguration in 1969. All of this was disclosed by New York Times reporter Linda Greenhouse in her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Becoming Justice Blackmun, and by Bob Woodward in The Brethren. Even before asking his Mayo Clinic friends for advice, Blackmun had turned to his wife and daughters, none of them pro-life. Greenhouse quoted Susan, the youngest daughter: All three of us girls happened to be in Washington soon after Justice Burger had assigned the opinion to Dad. During a family dinner, Dad brought up the issue. What are your views on abortion? he asked the four women at his table. Moms answer was slightly to the right of center. She promoted choice but with some restrictions. Dottie Blackmun later colluded with her husbands pro-abortion clerk, confiding in him: You and I are working on the same thing, me at home and you at work. Anthony Cardinale covered the federal courts for seven years as an award-winning reporter with The Buffalo News. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Recovery Point West Virginia held its grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for The Point Cafe, Huntingtons newest community resource center, on Thursday. The Point Cafe opened at 630 8th Ave. in Huntington after a few years of planning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reginald Jones, Recovery Points executive director, said they originally applied for a grant in 2019 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to fund the cafe at a different location, but a year of unavailability led to the project coming to fruition later than expected. Now that the cafe is open, Jones said the location will be a safe space and a free, therapeutic environment for anyone seeking recovery to find resources, make connections and join support groups. The cafe will offer a variety of workshops and classes, including art and yoga. He said the cafe will also be a resource for the greater community of Huntington by holding cooking, financial literacy and computer courses, barista training and resume building assistance, among other services. The idea came to us as an organization, Recovery Point, from looking at what the needs are of the community and trying to find a niche to fill those gaps, Jones said. The Recovery Cafe is a national model that originated in Seattle, Washington, which has grown into a network for providing community support in safe and alcohol- and drug-free spaces. The model encourages recovery by offering emotional support, sharing practical knowledge, providing assistance to complete tasks and facilitating contacts to instill a sense of belonging, according to the Recovery Cafe Network website. This is the first cafe in West Virginia. Jones said the cafe is fully staffed with a director, peer recovery support specialists and a case manager and will provide additional therapy and counseling. The opening ceremony was attended by Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, who helped Jones cut the ribbon to the cafe, as well as Point Cafe director David Allen, director of the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy Matthew Christiansen and director of the Mayors Council on Public Health and Drug Control Policy Jan Rader, among many Recovery Point and community members. Allen said the cafe model relies on a membership structure that requires having 24 hours of sobriety, participation in at least one recovery circle per week and eventually finding a way to give back to the cafe. Anyone in need of the cafes resources is welcome, regardless of whether or not they have been to Recovery Point. Point Cafe is a free-standing community without a formal treatment component, Allen said. This allows the cafe to welcome a person who is either unable or hesitant to engage in the treatment system. Our members have opportunities to build on job skills, hobbies and positive relationships. Williams who expressed his disappointment over the outcome of the City of Huntington and Cabell Countys opioid lawsuit against major U.S. drug distributors, which was announced earlier this week on Independence Day spoke to members of Recovery Point directly by saying, While youre in recovery, this is a city thats in recovery as well, a state thats in recovery and, if were going to be honest, a nation thats in recovery and were able to live and move forward by your example. Christiansen said Huntington is a prime example of the way to address substance use disorder and bring communities together. He noted that the nation struggled at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with a rise in overdose deaths due to an increase in fentanyl in the drug supply, but particularly because of restricted access to recovery programs like the cafe. We werent able to have that one-on-one connection. We werent able to sit across from someone and be held accountable, face-to-face with another human being, because COVID took that from us, Christiansen said. Since then, Christiansen said the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy has expanded quick response teams to more than 38 counties across the state and law enforcement-assisted diversion programs to more than half the counties in West Virginia. He also said there will be a Save a Life Day in almost every county in West Virginia on Sept. 8, and there are now more people in the state who are in recovery than ever. Christiansen said if the state can keep people with severe addiction alive and engaged in treatment and recovery services, more than 75% of people will eventually find their path to recovery. Much of that is through the work of programs like the Point. Its through the work of the stories that you all have, going to the brink, going to a very deep, dark place and coming back and bringing the light back and sharing that light with others, he said. Rader said the safe space the cafe provides is an example of why Huntington has become the city of solutions in the opioid epidemic. There are many barriers for individuals suffering from substance use disorder, not only in seeking treatment for that, but there are also triggers that can drive them back into addiction, she said. We have accomplished so much in this community. We have filled many gaps, but there are so many gaps left. The Point will fill one of those gaps. I think its a wonderful, innovative program, and theres no doubt in my mind that this establishment is going to save many, many lives. For more information about the Point Cafe, visit the Point Cafe Facebook page. PADUCAH, Ky. (AP) The Judicial Conduct Commission has filed a complaint accusing a western Kentucky judge of misconduct violations. The complaint against 42nd Judicial Circuit Court Judge James T. Jameson, who presides over cases in Marshall and Calloway counties, was released Thursday to the public, news outlets reported. Three allegations are related to Jamesons creation of a corrections panel and his involvement with an ankle monitoring program. The commission said Jamesons creation of the Community Corrections Board constitutes an improper use of judicial resources and that he created the appearance of impropriety by failing to separate his judicial duties from the board. A fourth allegation says Jameson pressured attorneys and others to support his 2022 political campaign. Jameson told WPSD-TV that he disagrees with the commissions interpretation of his actions, and does not believe he has done anything wrong. A response filed on Jamesons behalf said the allegations were politically motivated. Kentuckys Constitution provides that all judges are to be elected by the people they serve, not by the JCC, and certainly not based on politically motivated untimely claims reported in an election year, the response said. The Judicial Conduct Commission is the only entity authorized to take disciplinary action against a sitting judge under Kentuckys Constitution. COTTONWOOD, Ariz. (AP) A 74-year-old New York woman who allegedly was driving erratically on a revoked drivers license has been arrested following a pursuit through three northern Arizona cities and towns, authorities said. Sedona police said they received numerous calls about the driver Saturday and unsuccessfully attempted a traffic stop. Officers followed the woman for several miles until she left the Sedona city limits. They then called Cottonwood police for assistance. Authorities said the driver ran a red light, almost struck several vehicles and drove the wrong way on State Route 89A before crossing into Clarkdale where that towns police picked up the chase. Police used stop sticks to deflate two tires, but the driver tried to get away by backing into a Clarkdale police vehicle before being arrested. Cottonwood police said Laura Duffy has been booked into the Yavapai County jail on suspicion of felony flight, aggravated assault on law enforcement, endangerment, criminal damage, resisting arrest and several criminal traffic violations. They said Duffy was stopped June 30 in Flagstaff by Arizona Department of Public Safety troopers for obstruction of public thoroughfare and driving the wrong way on Interstate 40. It was unclear Sunday if Duffy has a lawyer yet. Her hometown in New York wasn't immediately available. By Mikhail Zinshteyn CalMatters What a difference $1 billion makes. An estimated 3,800 more college students will soon have affordable campus housing after state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom agreed to pump a portion of California's $300 billion budget into a student program to ease a residential crisis gripping the state's public universities and community colleges. All told, $1.4 billion is heading to 26 public campuses this year to build or expand dorms, a tripling of the original plan to send $470 million to just nine campuses. Once the structures are complete -- some of which are scheduled to open in two years -- about 7,300 students will have access to beds at ultra-low rents. Yet the extra beds represent a pittance of the true need for students battling unstable housing, given that hundreds of thousands of college learners in California experience homelessness, couch surf, change addresses often or struggle to pay rent -- all major impediments to thriving in school. Meanwhile, California's public universities annually report thousands of students on waiting lists for campus housing. Still, even more affordable units may be on the way. The budget deal between Newsom and lawmakers calls for spending another $750 million on housing development grants next year, but the money would have to appear in next year's budget. Also in the budget deal is a promise to fund $1.8 billion in interest-free loans that the state would issue to campuses to build student and employee housing, an idea that's been long in the making. The plan is for lawmakers to approve $900 million next year and again the year after that for the loan program to take off. That lawmakers are interested in financing student housing at all is new. Last year was the first time they approved major state funding to build students homes and ensure that campuses keep the rents low. The building splurge adds to the hundreds of millions in new spending on financial aid that lawmakers approved over the past two years, including: A down payment on a debt-free grant for University of California and California State University students. Up to $8,000 in cash support for some community college students. A major expansion of how many community college students get that cash support and tuition waivers to attend a UC or Cal State school. Where will the beds be? The housing projects funded this year are in rural and urban areas at UCs, Cal States and community colleges up and down the state. College of the Siskiyous, the northernmost public campus in California, will build enough housing for about 252 affordable beds at a cost of $32 million in state grants. Fresno State is receiving $31 million from taxpayers for 175 affordable beds; the campus only has 1,100 campus beds for its 25,000 students, most of whom are low-income. UC San Diego will use $100 million in state funds for 1,100 beds that'll have a rent of about $832 a month -- or roughly half of what similar rents go for off-campus, university documents state. The construction costs for the 25 discounted-rent projects range in price from $91,000 per bed to more than $600,000 per bed. The definition of an "affordable bed" will vary by campus. That's because the housing program funding the construction projects requires annual rent not to exceed 15% of a county's median wage for a single person. In Los Angeles and San Diego, that means rents of roughly $800 to $930 a month, respectively, in 2022. At UC Berkeley, it's closer to $1,250 a month. Beyond enjoying cheaper rents, students living on campus have slightly higher chances of remaining enrolled in college and are more likely to interact with professors and their peers than students who live beyond walking distance from campus, according to academic studies. In some cases, the state grant money will supplement a larger campus housing project. For example, UC San Diego is using its $100 million in grant funds toward its already planned $365 million dorm complex that will eventually provide 1,300 beds -- 1,100 of which will be affordable through the grant. How we got here The affordable housing money is all tied to a student housing grant program lawmakers introduced last year. The grant funding replaces money campuses would otherwise have to borrow from financial institutions and repay with interest, which in turn leads to savings for campuses that are then passed onto students in the form of cheaper rent. Lawmakers initially created a $500 million pot to go toward building new student beds this year through a competitive application process. But interest in the program far outstripped available funds last year, with 42 colleges and universities seeking $2.8 billion in construction grants. In March, the Department of Finance proposed awarding nine campuses a share of that $500 million -- even after the agency determined another 17 campuses had valid applications. At least one lawmaker representing the jilted schools bristled at losing out to the competitive grant process. "There's none there for the Inland Empire," said Jose Medina, a Democrat assemblymember from Riverside, during an April legislative hearing to review the Department of Finance's recommended list of projects to fund. Ultimately, Newsom and lawmakers decided to fund the 17 campuses with valid applications -- plus the nine initially approved in March, bringing the pot of money up to $1.4 billion. Unfortunately for Medina and Riverside, the 2022-23 budget deal still doesn't finance any construction project from the Inland Empire. With Newsom and lawmakers signaling that more student housing construction dollars will appear in future state budgets, UC Riverside and the other passed-over campuses may get additional chances to secure money to expand their stock of affordable beds. But legislation for the program suggests the state will only accept UC and Cal State applications next year if a new round of grant funding is approved. An official at the Department of Finance told CalMatters the intent is for campuses to apply by this October so that they're approved in time for next year's budget deal. 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. Of the 29 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the latest installment Thor: Love and Thunder ranks somewhere in the middle. Its not as refreshing or novel as its 2017 predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok, and feels far less bold than this years other Marvel blockbuster: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Its greatest strength, apart from some stunning visuals and one uncharacteristically touching subplot, is its villain. Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios In his most evil role since playing Dick Cheney in Adam McKays 2018 film Vice, Christian Bale portrays Gorr the God Butcher, who was once the last surviving acolyte of a god named Rapu. When Gorr witnessed Rapus callous reaction to the news that all of his followers including Gorrs young daughter had died, Gorr claimed a mystical, god-slaying weapon known as the Necrosword and, with it, vowed to kill all gods. Gorrs god butchering comes at a time when one of the universes most famous gods, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), is searching for a purpose. It isnt until Gorr kidnaps all of the children in Thors former kingdom, now called New Asgard, that Thor discovers his next mission. Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios On his quest to save the kids, Thor rekindles his relationship with ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who has traveled to New Asgard after a cancer diagnosis. She hoped to use Thors former weapon, the hammer Mjolnir, to heal herself, and in the process ended up taking on the superhero persona of Mighty Thor. Joined by Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waitiki, who also directs the movie), the two romantically entangled Thors battle Gorr at his homebase in the so-called Shadow Realm. The moral of the story is that life is best spent fighting to protect the ones you love, but it was hard for me to really care about anything in the film, other than Bales performance as Gorr. Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios Ive been an annoying Bale fanboy since my early teens when I first saw him in his most famous role as a butcher the homicidal socialite Patrick Bateman in Mary Harrons 2000 film, American Psycho, based on the eponymous Bret Easton Ellis novel. Ive never met an 1980s-era Wall Street yuppie, but I felt Bale personified one perfectly: A young man whose disgusting arrogance and contempt for every other human being just oozes out from behind a mask of vanity. In the years since, Ive come to believe Bale is perhaps the best method actor of our generation. Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios His shocking willingness to completely transform his body for a role is enough to distinguish him from nearly every A-lister in Hollywood, but what truly separates him is the way he seemingly becomes the characters hes playing. If you showed the average moviegoer American Psycho (2000), The Machinist (2004), The Fighter (2010), American Hustle (2013), The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018) back to back, they might not believe you if you told them the same actor played main roles in each film his devotion to the craft makes him nearly unrecognizable in the parts he takes. So when I heard way back in 2020 that Bale had been cast as the villain in the upcoming Thor movie, I felt giddy. It was a kind of star power that the Marvel Cinematic Universe had never possessed before, and the filmmakers clearly recognized that. Courtesy of Marvel Studios/Marvel Studios They didnt mask Bales acting chops by completely rendering him in CGI, as they have with other villains (e.g. Thanos and Ultron, which I realize might not be fair comparisons, but still). They also enhanced his performance by emphasizing specific horror elements while hes on screen. Hes almost always shrouded in darkness, which contrasts beautifully with his white robes and golden eyes, and his presence is typically accompanied by a chorus of haunting, childlike whispers. His scenes are also the only ones in which Waititis trademark humor isnt included, a smart tactic that effectively builds tension. Its difficult to overstate Bales addition to this movie. In my view, hes the only reason you should see it. Thor: Ragnarok was an achievement because it was completely original in the franchise it prioritized humor, visuals and the soundtrack over action scenes. Thor: Love and Thunder is essentially the same film, but done less well. Its Bales stellar performance as a devout-disciple-turned-god-slaying-monster that will live on when every other aspect of this movie has faded. WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Medford OR 613 AM PDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Elevated risk for heat related illness with hot temperatures ranging from 98 to 105 degrees expected. A few locations may see temperatures reach up to 110 degrees. * WHERE...West Side Valleys in southern Oregon and northern California. This includes the Rogue, Illinois, Applegate, Lower Klamath River, and Shasta Valleys. This also includes some higher elevations as well, including on Interstate 5 around Siskiyou Summit. * WHEN...From 10 AM to 11 PM PDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hottest temperatures are forecast to occur in the Lower Klamath River Valley near Happy Camp. Temperatures near Siskiyou Summit will be in the upper 80s to mid 90s, which is considerable considering the higher elevation. * View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr 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...Hot temperatures ranging from 95 up to 101 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southern and eastern Siskiyou County, Modoc County in California. In Oregon, portions of southern and Central Klamath County. This includes Mount Shasta City, Klamath Falls, McCloud, Tennant, Alturas, Adin, Chiloquin, and Howard Prairie. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Temperatures on Tuesday may be even hotter than Monday, and the heat advisory may need to be both extended in time and expanded to include additional locations. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MEDFORD Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Medford OR 134 PM PDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT MONDAY... * WHAT...In the valleys, high temperatures of 95 to 105 degrees expected, with up to 110 expected in the hottest areas. In portions of the Cascades and Siskiyous, high temperatures of 90 to 98 degrees is expected. * WHERE...Much of Josephine County and portions of the Cascades and Siskiyous in Oregon. In California, the Klamath River and Scott Valleys in western Siskiyou County. This includes the communities of Grants Pass, Cave Junction, Happy Camp, Etna and Fort Jones. * WHEN...From 10 AM to 11 PM PDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Overnight temperatures will be warm as well, limiting overnight relief from hot daytime temperatures. * View the hazard area in detail at https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/map/?wfo=mfr 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 NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM MONDAY TO 11 PM PDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...High temperatures of 95 to 105 degrees expected, with up to 110 expected in the hottest areas. * WHERE...Much of Jackson County and portions of the Klamath Basin in Oregon. In California, central and Eastern Siskiyou County and much of Modoc County. This includes the Rogue and Shasta Valleys and the communities of Medford, Ashland, Klamath Falls, Chiloquin, Alturas, Tulelake, Yreka, and Mt Shasta City. * WHEN...From 10 AM Monday to 11 PM PDT Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The hottest temperatures are expected Monday for areas west of the Cascades, with similar or hotter temperatures expected Tuesday for areas east of the Cascades. Overnight temperatures will be warm as well, limiting overnight relief from hot daytime temperatures. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO RENO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service RENO NV 1212 PM PDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...Heat, Smoke, and Thunderstorms This Week... * HEAT - Temperatures will warm above average this week with triple digit heat likely for many lower elevations in western Nevada. The Reno airport has a 30% chance of hitting 100 degrees on Monday and Tuesday. Most of the Sierra will remain in the Low Risk for heat related illness while the remainder of northeastern California and far western Nevada will be at Moderate Risk. There are pockets of High Risk in Mineral, Churchill, and Pershing Counties from Monday morning into Tuesday evening. Consider reducing, canceling or rescheduling strenuous activities to a cooler time of the day. Individuals at risk should remain in the coolest available place. Never leave children or animals in a vehicle for any amount of time as the temperature inside a car rapidly heats to a deadly level. * SMOKE - Enjoy the break from the smoke and haze today because it will likely be short-lived. Smoke from the Washburn Fire near Yosemite will return to Mono County as early as Monday afternoon. Latest simulations show west winds pushing the smoke into portions of the Tahoe Basin, Alpine, Douglas, and Lyon counties Monday evening into Tuesday morning. For the latest air quality conditions and recommendations go to www.airnow.gov. * THUNDERSTORMS - The hotter temperatures will bring increased chances for thunderstorms starting Tuesday afternoon into the end of the week. The best potential will be in Mono and Mineral counties. Biggest concerns with any storms that develop will be for gusty and erratic outflow winds and dry lightning. If you have outdoor plans, be sure to finish early in the day to avoid the heat and lightning risk. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO SACRAMENTO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Sacramento CA 204 AM PDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM PDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Hot temperatures with highs 102 to 112. * WHERE...Northern and central Sacramento Valley and adjacent foothills and Burney Basin. * WHEN...From 10 AM to 11 PM PDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Heat-related illnesses will be possible, especially for groups that are sensitive to the heat. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Warm overnight lows are expected Sunday and Monday night with upper 60s to upper 70s. 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 811 PM CDT Sat Jul 9 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 110 expected and high temperatures up to 106 expected. * WHERE...Llano, Burnet, Uvalde, Maverick, Zavala and Dimmit Counties. * WHEN...From 1 PM Sunday to 8 PM CDT Monday. * 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. ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM SUNDAY TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures ranging from 105 to 108 and heat index values up to 112 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central Texas. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia is failing a critical transparency test, as the public is deprived of its right to crucial information on a confrontation between a jail inmate and a corrections officer. It is too bad because, following years of obfuscations by Garcias predecessor, former Sheriff Timothy B. Howard, county taxpayers might have hoped for better. The current situation involves the Erie County Correctional Facility and an internal report of nearly 100 pages. A corrections officer kicked an inmate in the head as the inmate lay on the floor with his hands cuffed behind his back. Body camera video, which the Sheriffs Office insists remain private, shows the officer planted his left leg and swung his right foot at the inmates head, according to the report. Officer Daniel Piwowarczyk acknowledged in a sworn statement that he kicked an inmate as he struggled on the floor. Piwowarczyk said the inmate had just spit on him, but said that his boot struck the inmates upper right shoulder, not his head. Piwowarczyk proceeded to swing his boot not in retaliation, he said, but to prevent the inmate from spitting at or biting an officer crouched over him. The internal report makes no mention of the inmate even trying to bite anyone. Piwowarczyk was exonerated. It is worth observing that Garcias internal investigators are sourced from the Sheriffs Office unions, which endorsed him in last years election. It is also noteworthy that the District Attorneys Office chose not to prosecute. Piwowarczyks approximate three months of paid suspension was lifted June 6. So release the video. The sheriffs team initially denied The Buffalo News request for the records under New Yorks Freedom of Information Law. It relented only after the newspaper appealed that erroneous decision. But the office has not budged on releasing the body camera video, citing the specious grounds that doing so would violate the inmates privacy. Barring truly private moments such as states of undress, inmates dont have an expectation of privacy, according to the New York State Committee on Open Government. The News has received no formal letter of denial. But Garcia has flatly refused to release the video. Why? What could be so damaging on the video or audio that the public is being denied the right to know? During his campaign last year, Garcia said he supported more widespread use of body cameras and during one public appearance said, I do not want to work with abusive, criminal bullies. The situation is reminiscent of one that occurred last year, in which the Sheriffs Office under Howard released video of a corrections officer slamming an inmates arm in a cell doors hatch. That incident drew no blood, which is not the case with Piwowarczyk. Yet, the officer in that case, Anil Kawal, was fired. This is a matter that merits the attention of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who early in her tenure pledged a new era of transparency and accountability. That need goes beyond the administrations own commitments. Strengthening New Yorks Freedom of Information and Open Meetings laws is an essential part of that work. In choosing not to prosecute, the District Attorney's Office concluded that the officers actions did not rise to the level of criminal conduct that could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. That may be true, but thats not the test for releasing an important video record to the citizens who paid for it. Before former Erie County Sheriffs Deputy Kenneth P. Achtyl was convicted of assaulting a Buffalo Bills fan, video of assault was released. Similarly, there is a legitimate public interest that demands release of this electronic document especially given that it is being withheld on the preposterous excuse of protecting the inmates privacy. Release the video. Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing. WFO AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Monday, July 11, 2022 _____ EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio TX 846 AM CDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures ranging from 105 to 108 and heat index values up to 112 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central Texas, mainly along and east of Interstate 35. * WHEN...From 1 PM Sunday to 8 PM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. 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 FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 110 expected and high temperatures up to 107 expected. * WHERE...Llano, Burnet, Uvalde, Maverick, Zavala and Dimmit Counties. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 106 expected Sunday, up to 108 on Monday. * WHERE...Val Verde, Edwards, Real, Kerr, Bandera, Gillespie, Kendall, Blanco and Kinney Counties. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING The National Weather Service in Fort Worth has issued a * Severe Thunderstorm Warning for... Central Hood County in north central Texas... * Until 730 PM CDT. * At 646 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Granbury, and is nearly stationary. HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees. * Locations impacted include... Granbury, Pecan Plantation, Oak Trail Shores and Tolar. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... For your protection get inside a sturdy structure and stay away from windows. If on or near Lake Granbury, get away from the water and move indoors or inside a vehicle. Do not be caught on the water in a thunderstorm. High winds and waves can capsize boats. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 859 PM CDT Sat Jul 9 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... Hot temperatures will continue across the advisory area the next several days, but not as hot as seen in recent days along with lower humidity. Continue to remain hydrated and wear light-colored and lightweight clothing when outdoors for any prolonged periods of time. In addition, continue to take frequent breaks in an air- conditioned vehicle or building, or in the shade to prevent heat exhaustion and heat stroke. ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM CDT SUNDAY... ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values up to 111 expected. * WHERE...Portions of north central, northeast and south central Texas. * WHEN...For the Excessive Heat Warning, until 9 PM CDT this evening. For the Heat Advisory, from 9 PM this evening to 9 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity will increase the risk for heat-related illnesses to occur, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. 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 and temperatures up to 105. * WHERE...Stephens, Comanche, Hamilton, Mills, Eastland, Lampasas, Coryell and Erath Counties. * WHEN...Until 9 PM CDT Sunday. Hot temperatures will continue across the warning area the next _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO EL PASO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING Severe Weather Statement National Weather Service El Paso TX 536 PM MDT Sat Jul 9 2022 ...THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHWESTERN HUDSPETH COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 545 PM MDT... The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer poses an immediate threat to life or property. Therefore, the warning will be allowed to expire. However gusty winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm. ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of central Hood County through 700 PM CDT... At 635 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over near Lake Granbury. This storm was nearly stationary. HAZARD...Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Granbury, Oak Trail Shores and Tolar. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. If on or near Lake Granbury, get out of the water and move indoors or inside a vehicle. Do not be caught on the water. LAT...LON 3253 9780 3240 9765 3229 9787 3246 9805 TIME...MOT...LOC 2335Z 042DEG 2KT 3242 9782 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...55 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO HOUSTON/GALVESTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 10, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Houston/Galveston TX 359 AM CDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with air temperatures up 105 and heat index values up to 112 expected. * WHERE...Walker, Washington, Grimes, Colorado and Austin Counties. * WHEN...From 1 PM to 8 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Extreme heat and humidity will significantly increase the potential for heat related illnesses, particularly for those working or participating in outdoor activities. 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. ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with heat index values up to 114 expected. * WHERE...Waller County. * WHEN...From 1 PM this afternoon to 8 PM CDT this evening. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses to occur. ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Heat index values in excess of 108 expected. * WHERE...Portions of south central and southeast Texas. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT Sunday. ...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Dangerously hot conditions with maximum air temperatures up to 105 expected. * WHERE...Houston, Madison, Burleson and Brazos Counties. ...HEAT INDEX VALUES BETWEEN 106 AND 110 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED TODAY... The combination of above normal temperatures and higher dewpoints will produce elevated heat indices between 106 and 110 degrees this afternoon. There may be a few locations in the Rio Grande Valley that approach 112 degrees for an hour or two between 1 and 6 PM. Residents with outdoor activities planned are urged to drink plenty of water, wear light weight and light colored clothing and take frequent breaks from the heat. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances. This is especially true during warm or hot weather when car interiors can reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 10, 2022 _____ HEAT ADVISORY URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Midland/Odessa TX 206 PM CDT Sun Jul 10 2022 ...HEAT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING... ...HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM TO 7 PM CDT MONDAY... * WHAT...For the Heat Advisory today, temperatures up to 105. For the Heat Advisory on Monday, temperatures up to 109 expected. * WHERE...Scurry, Mitchell, Terrell and Lower Brewster Counties. * WHEN...Until 8 PM CDT this evening. The Heat Advisory Monday will be in effect from 1 PM to 7 PM CDT. * IMPACTS...Hot temperatures 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 IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM CDT /NOON MDT/ TO 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ MONDAY... * WHAT...Temperatures up to 107 expected. * WHERE...Portions of southeast New Mexico and southwest and western Texas. * WHEN...From 1 PM CDT /noon MDT/ to 7 PM CDT /6 PM MDT/ Monday. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 10, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... North Central Brewster County in southwestern Texas... South Central Pecos County in southwestern Texas... * Until 445 PM CDT. * At 242 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 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... Sierra Madera. This includes the following streams and drainages... Downie Draw, Sixshooter Draw, Pyle Draw, Big Canyon and Nineteen 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. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather WFO MIDLAND/ODESSA Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Sunday, July 10, 2022 _____ FLASH FLOOD WARNING The National Weather Service in Midland/Odessa has issued a * Flash Flood Warning for... Southeastern Jeff Davis County in southwestern Texas... South Central Reeves County in southwestern Texas... * Until 615 PM CDT. * At 418 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 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... Fort Davis, Davis Mountains State Park, McDonald Observatory, Star Mountain, Buffalo Trail Scout Camp, Black Mountain, Fort Davis National Historical Site and Indian Lodge. This includes the following streams and drainages... Horse Thief Creek, Cienega Creek, Sandia Creek, Cherry Creek, Big Aguja Canyon, North Fork Cienega Creek, Limpia Creek, Madera Canyon, Cook Creek, Horse Thief Canyon, Barrilla Draw and Musquiz Creek. 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. ...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 445 PM CDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL PECOS COUNTY... At 419 PM CDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 2 and 2.5 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 Central Pecos County Independence Creek, Sixshooter Draw, Nineteen Draw, Big Canyon, North Fork Independence Creek, Fourmile Draw and Harral Draw. _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather Does the Dobbs decision make abortions illegal? No. Despite the hysteria of the progressive elites and their media mouthpieces, the Dobbs decision does not outlaw abortion. Instead, the decision returns power to the people to decide through their elected state legislatures whether abortions will be legal and what the nature of restrictions on those abortions will be. The Dobbs decision puts the abortion conversation back where it originally was: in the hands of the people. In 1973, nine men made the consequential decision that all states regardless of the will of the people of those states had to legalize abortion. In the ensuing 49 years, pro-life citizens worked endlessly within the framework and rules of the political system we have to argue the case that Roe was wrong (legally as well as morally). For 49 years, pro-life citizens and the organizations they built proposed legislation to promote and protect life. For 49 years, pro-life pregnancy centers offered true choice to women and ministered to those in dire and difficult circumstances. For 49 years, science and technological advances kept confirming what we already intuitively knew: that life in the womb is human, unique and profoundly beautiful. On June 24 the pro-life movement tasted the fruits of its 49 years of diligence. The conversation was moved back to the people. And now, whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, you can argue your case. That is not less democracy, but more. Brenda Hanson Delevan Real estate entrepreneur Antony Catalano and his billionaire business partner Alex Waislitz have received financial backing from local media companies as they prepare to finalise the formation of their new real-estate listings company. Industry sources, who spoke anonymously as the new entity has not launched, said multiple media companies with a regional footprint had agreed to inject cash into an entity formed by Catalanos real-estate and agent service assets. They said the new entity, which is expected to run under the Real Estate View banner, could launch by the end of the month. Former Domain chief executive Antony Catalano wants to build a regional media company with a diversified set of media assets. Credit:Jesse Marlow The well-placed sources pointed to the likely partners being Australian media stalwarts Kerry Stokes and Bruce Gordon, who through Seven West Media and WIN Corp have a regional footprint. Catalano and Waislitz own major regional newspaper titles including The Canberra Times and The Newcastle Herald, which already promote the pairs real-estate assets. Southern Cross Media is unlikely to be a partner as it is still deciding whether to sell off its television assets. The deals with each media company are expected to involve cash and contra (free advertising space), the sources said. Any investment by Seven would be a clear sign of an improvement in the relationship between the broadcaster and Catalano, who tried to thwart its first attempt to buy regional affiliate Prime Media Group. WIN Corp, Catalano and Waislitz were all shareholders in Prime before it was sold to Seven. Major business groups have rejected advice from state and federal chief health officers to consider allowing employees to work from home, warning that the fledgling economic recovery since the end of harsh lockdowns would be jeopardised. While no state or territory government is contemplating a reintroduction of mask mandates indoors or work from home orders for now, they are not ruling it out if the winter wave of COVID-19 cases worsens or health advice changes. Masks are a sensible option in crowded areas like shopping centres. Credit:Chris Hopkins Many major workplaces allow a hybrid model with some days in the office and some at home, but health groups such as the Australian Medical Association are urging more restrictive measures such as mask mandates to help avoid hospitals becoming overwhelmed. Ai Groups Victorian head Tim Piper said a return to more remote work at this stage especially if it were mandated would hinder the progress that many businesses have made since heading back to face-to-face work early this year. Victorias $100 million Senator Ralph Babet might be a newcomer to electoral politics, but hes already spinning it like a veteran. Clive Palmers man in Canberra broke his mainstream media silence in recent days talking to The Sydney Morning Herald and Australian Financial Review, his first interviews since becoming the one and only candidate elected from the Palmer-financed United Australia Party in Mays federal election. Senator Ralph Babet secured the United Australia Partys only seat in the new parliament. But the senator also spoke to the Rebel News online outlet, joined on camera by two fellow members of Victorias freedom movement, Avi Yemini and Rukshan Fernando, last month for a chat that was really quite different in tone. And we were intrigued to hear Babets views on Palmers $100 million spending spree - the third time the mining magnate has broken the record for cash-splashing on an Australian election. BURN WITCH BURN Old Fitz Theatre, July 9 (until July 30) I dont mind being bewildered (which is handy, given its my natural state), but here was a play that seemed somewhat bewildered about its own intent. Burn Witch Burn is not so much an adaptation of the 1962 horror film of that name (better known by its original British title, Night of the Eagle), as it is a group-devised fantasia of theatrical images inspired by the film, intermittently sending it up. At its best it is wickedly good. When the actors first disport themselves about Emma Whites white-draped stage, Alex Packard hilariously addresses us in the stop-start manner of a narrator making up his lines on the fly. He sets up the story of Norman, an academic, who learns his wife, Tansy, is a witch, before becoming Norman, himself, and stepping into the action. Tansy is not a witch of the sulphurous, Satan-worshipping variety, but one of the whiter magic of ensuring her husbands success. The problem is that the wives of all the male academics are playing the same game. I kid you not: The eyes of the goats heads seem to stare right through you. Credit:Phil Erbacher Director Claudia Osborne (for FEVOUR and Red Line Productions) and dramaturg Tasnim Hossain have jointly devised the piece with the cast, and they wont die wondering what might have happened had they laid on the theatricality a little thicker. But they might wonder about whether a rather good idea got away from them, like a half-tamed horse breaking out of a corral. The concept of the bucket list derives not, as one might think, from the idea of a bucket full of ideas of all the things we want to do in life, but rather it is a list of things we want to do before we die or kick the bucket. That takes some pressure off right there; its just like a shopping list, not like a bucket full of nippers burrowing into sand-cloudy water and hard to count. Coming up with a bucket list can be fraught with stress. Credit:iStock But even if the list is like a shopping list with, say 10 items on it, its still hard. Should they be travel goals? Personal development goals? Money goals? Relationship goals? Whatever they are, theres a nagging sense of unease that the anticipation of the events may exceed the satisfaction we gain from their fulfilment and our sense of searching may not be extinguished by the ticking off of a goal. The deaths classed as not reportable to the coroner, or where the coroner declined to investigate, include: the death of Coulston, who fell from his hospital bed after staff failed to carry out a mandatory falls risk assessment the death of a woman with a 15-centimetre tear in her oesophagus after elective surgery for a hernia the death of a man with fatally high potassium levels after hospital staff failed to follow up abnormal pathology results, also administering wrong medications the death of a woman after a blood vessel was punctured during an unnecessary biopsy performed while she was fully conscious Tony Coulston, pictured with daughter Caroline in 1968, was a gregarious publican from the NSW town of Parkes. Credit: A group of senior clinicians has told the Herald such tragedies need to be examined at arms length by a third party instead of local health districts leading probes into deaths to which their decisions may have contributed. Several of the cases underline the strain on doctors and nurses working excessive hours in chronically understaffed environments, which clinicians said created a perfect storm where adverse events and avoidable deaths happened. Problems have often occurred under the direction of the same managers charged with the remedy, said the NSW Medical Staff Executive Council, which represents doctors in the states public hospitals, in a submission to a recent parliamentary inquiry into regional health. The inquiry, sparked by a Herald investigation, found doctors and nurses were operating in a climate of fear, scared to flag patient safety and critical resourcing issues, leading to significantly poorer health outcomes and premature deaths. Those findings hit close to home for two former senior managers from the Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) where Coulston died. They allege they were bullied and driven out of their jobs after they blew the whistle on a string of mishaps, including a death and an alleged incident where a nurse threatened a patient with a syringe. The MNCLHDs chief executive, Stewart Dowrick, said it was committed to providing a workplace with a strong safety culture, and had mechanisms in place for staff to report potential wrongdoing. The MNCLHD had been working with the Clinical Excellence Commission to implement significant changes at Port Macquarie Base Hospital following Coulstons death, Dowrick said, offering sincere condolences to his family. The popular publican Tony Coulston was a gregarious businessman who managed pubs in the NSW regional towns of Parkes and Taree. He enjoyed socialising in his watering holes as much as running them, his daughters recall. He enjoyed having a drink, telling a story and having a good laugh, Christina said. Tony Coulston and wife Barbara on their wedding day in September 1965. He died after falling from his bed in Port Macquarie Base Hospital. Credit: In retirement, Coulston gravitated to the ocean, relocating to the holiday town of Port Macquarie on the states Mid North Coast. Coulston developed lung cancer and was experiencing breathing difficulties when he was admitted to Port Macquarie Base Hospital on January 22, 2021. An internal investigation, known as a serious adverse event review, found the 82-year-old died unexpectedly two days later due to an unwitnessed fall. The review noted a two-hour delay in informing Coulstons family about the fall while nurses were awaiting a doctor to attend. A junior doctor working alone on the ward that night was grappling with urgent competing priorities and several high acuity patients. The review found that was not unusual and presented an improvement opportunity for the hospital. As Coulston was wheeled out of his room for a CT scan, nearly eight hours after the fall, his condition deteriorated and he began vomiting blood. Over the next two-and-a-half hours, nurses called for doctors four times, but there was an inability to engage the medical team. The nurses were unable to escalate the situation with a rapid response emergency call because of not-for-resuscitation orders in place for Coulston. The sisters were distraught as they witnessed their father heave up large volumes of blood, which nurses scrambled to clean up. It was a really traumatising situation for everyone, Christina said. He was unconscious, seriously injured and highly agitated. Nurses informed the sisters about the statewide REACH initiative, allowing families to request a review by an admitting doctor within 30 minutes following a worrying change in a patients condition. They wanted us to escalate it, Caroline said of the nurses. The admitting doctor took an hour to arrive after the REACH call. It was like we were asking for special treatment, and all we were asking for was the appropriate treatment for our father, so he would be pain-free, Caroline said. The review was critical of the lack of a clear treatment plan and timely response to nurses concerns following Coulstons deterioration. In hindsight, a rapid response, regardless of the resuscitation order, would have been appropriate, the review concluded. When the doctor arrived, Coulston was administered with anti-nausea medication and was heavily sedated to control his pain. He died on January 27. Delays and dissent According to medical records seen by the Herald, a junior doctor noted Coulstons death should be reported to the coroner because it resulted from accident or injury. They were advised by a colleague to discuss it with the specialist. The cremation certificate noted the death was not reported to the coroner, as per that specialists instructions. If you were any other occupation and something so disastrous happened, there would be investigations and youd have to be accountable, Christina said. I feel like with a signature on a piece of paper, this doctors been able to say nothing wrong here. Chief executive Dowrick clarified that Coulstons death was ultimately reported to the coroner by a deputy director at the hospital, and the coroners office determined it did not warrant further investigation. The review did not uncover a root cause nor contributing factors to Coulstons death. It found a mandatory falls risk assessment was not carried out within 24 hours of Coulstons admission, but appropriate measures were in place to prevent him falling. Missing documentation and the lack of a post-fall huddle were system improvement opportunities. The review had to be completed by April 2021, but it was only finished seven months later, after delays were queried by the family. The covering note said it had been submitted to the Ministry of Health, but another page, labelled instructions from chief executive or delegate, said it hadnt. Asked about the discrepancy, Dowrick clarified the report had been sent to the ministry. He added that all members of the review team were external to the hospital and one was external to the MNCLHD. Dowrick said hospital management and clinicians held meetings with Coulstons family, and the independent Health Care Complaints Commission had referred the matter to its facilitated resolution service. Mr Coulston was in his early 80s, had serious and complex medical conditions and was known to the palliative care service, Dowrick said. The daughters felt their father was treated as not worth much consideration by the hospital because of his age and illnesses. No one should have to suffer like he did, Caroline said. We dont forget Two senior managers said their careers were destroyed after they blew the whistle on a raft of failings in the same LHD, including the 2014 death of patient Jaimie Byrne, which was the subject of a damning coronial inquiry. Coroner Jeffrey Linden found it was a scandal that staff in Coffs Harbour Hospitals mental health unit certified that Byrne was alive when he was already dead, due to toxicity from a combination of drugs in his system and medication given to him in hospital. John Greville, a former detective who became the LHDs investigations manager, said he was the subject of reprisals from superiors after he raised concerns about Byrnes death and investigated other alleged misconduct within the mental health unit. Among his findings was that a nurse threatened a patient with a syringe of pink fluid, believed to be hand sanitiser. I exposed it and thats a huge embarrassment for the health district, you see, Greville said. Karen Allen, the former district nurse manager, completed a damning investigation into Byrnes death, which she said was buried by the LHD. She said she was then smeared by management, which placed her on a statewide risk register for an act of aggressive eye-rolling, rendering her unemployable elsewhere. Allen said events destroyed her previously unblemished 40-year career, which included a stint as an acting director with the Western Sydney LHD. They wanted someone to sit in the position up here and keep their mouth shut, she said. As soon as I started to uncover things, it started to fall apart. SafeWork NSW undertook an investigation into the pairs claims. During the investigation, the Mid North Coast Local Health District voluntarily made changes to their work processes and met regularly with SafeWork NSW, a spokesperson for the regulator said. No further action was required after the investigation, which concluded 10 February 2021. Greville and Allen are now pursuing a class action against the ministry and LHD alongside three other former managers. To them, were long forgotten, but we dont forget, Greville said. We saw the pain in the patients eyes. Greville said a recommendation from the parliamentary inquiry for an ombudsman to oversee the NSW Health bureaucracy would only work if they were adequately resourced, truly independent and did not report to the ministry. Dowrick said NSW Health, the Health Care Complaints Commission, the NSW Ombudsman, SafeWork NSW and the ICAC had all finalised investigations into matters raised by the pair. When COVID-19 lockdowns hit in March 2020, newly arrived international student Salman Roubil was socially isolated and unable to find any paid work to support himself. So for the first six months in Australia from February to July, I was struggling and just staying home not able to do anything, he said. Pensioner Glenn Massicks with international student Salman Roubil. Credit:Louie Douvis That changed after he was placed in a program run through the University of Technology Sydney that paired international students with senior citizens, allowing Roubil to gain both new skills and paid work. The students were tasked with teaching local pensioners how to use their phones and computers, with the aim of addressing the social isolation the two groups faced through lockdowns. Sydney commuters will be riding the full fleet of inner west trams within months under a pledge from Spanish company CAF to restore its trams to the network while it disputes claims that it bears all the blame for cracks in the carriages and a huge disruption to passengers. The maker of the 12 original trams on the inner west light rail is confident of repairing the damage after it sent welders from its Spanish factories to join contractors in Sydney on the work. Inaki Mendizabal, CAF international division area director, in Zaragoza. Credit:Staff photographer CAF international division area director Inaki Mendizabal said the company was conducting its own investigation in addition to two official investigations and believed it was too soon to make claims about the cause of the faults. We hope that very, very soon the trams will return to service, he said of the repair work in Sydney. I sit on my porch, a warm, sunny morning with birds announcing their awakening; some singing melodiously, others producing somewhat annoying, repetitious cheeps. Across the street is the brick, three-story former village educational institution now serving seniors in well-appointed apartments. Buses no longer line the street. No chattering children express their joy at seeing their friends for the day. Now, residents occasionally amble from their homes to the nearby commercial area, pulling small service carts; a bit of banter may often be exchanged between us about weather and local events. Its a tranquil scene. Then my inquisitive mind books me on a trip. The constant disturbing news of world conflict assembled from accounts in the newspaper swirls in my mind. Feeling powerless to change it, I can only pray. In a mind-generated vision I see the building across the street totally destroyed by artillery fire, some parts still standing ragged, others in shambles; window openings agape with shattered framings hanging limply. All the scenes from television newscasts replay for me. Outside, surviving residents move despondently. Some pick through rubble to find lost treasure, perhaps a family photo, a small ceramic animal once a gift to grandma from a preschool child, anything on which to hang a memory. Others, dejected, gaze vacantly at the destruction, no doubt ruminating on a very unsure future. I return from this brief mental odyssey, all the destruction erased, everything back to normal. Im happy that the visions were only that. I can live here, safe and sound and still feel connected to many around the world who live under grave, troubling conditions. I know I have little power other than a pocketbook to bring some semblance of change. Yet, I find it difficult to abide my fellow mans petty grievances about the weather or street noises. Many of us live lives circumscribed by limited circles of awareness, but I have had the dubious fortune of traveling and serving in troubled countries struggling with a hand-to-mouth livelihoods. This past weekend we entertained visitors who had 48 hours to vacate their home in St. Petersburg, Russia, with two kids and three suitcases. They are traveling cross-country to her parents in Seattle. What did they see sitting with me on the porch? As we chatted about our lives, no doubt they were partly absorbed with visions they have experienced recently. Were there grave mixed emotions, juxtaposed with this time of calm, as the pictures of destruction in the country they called home reeled on in their minds? Never having experienced such dire events, I can only imagine their thoughts. We did find some solace as the couple described a network of friends who carry on the tasks of serving the street children and orphans they had to leave behind. Also, their contacts in Ukraine continued bringing needed food and supplies to those scenes of disruption. One despairing result of my mind-travels: I find myself drawing away from friends who cannot see life globally, and who persist, with little forethought, in elevating insignificant irritants into dire events. So, friends. I may be away on a trip or two. There are numerous destinations that beckon me. But dont expect postcards; the news might unhinge you. The proportion of girls studying maths at the highest levels in the HSC is at its lowest in more than 20 years, despite ongoing efforts to encourage women into STEM subjects. The data also shows a move to make advanced or extension mathematics prerequisites in dozens of NSW university courses in 2019 has so far failed to boost stagnating enrolments among both boys and girls. Cerdon College extension maths student Joyce Eweda and maths coordinator Grace Muscat. Credit:Steven Siewert While cumulative enrolments of the three advanced maths courses offered at HSC level have fallen 12 per cent in 20 years, participation in the easier standard maths courses has risen 15 per cent in the same period. The percentage of people choosing to do the easiest maths (Standard Mathematics 1), which can be taken as an ATAR or non-ATAR subject, has increased almost 30 per cent since it was introduced in 2014. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has called on everyone to wear a mask if they feel they need to and to get as many COVID-19 shots as theyre eligible for in the face of the growing third Omicron wave. But hes again reiterated his governments hands-off approach to the latest surge of hospitalisations and deaths, saying no mandates will be imposed because federal health authorities have not called for them. Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles says people should wear masks if they want to, but will not mandate them. Credit:Matt Dennien There was a sharp jump in hospitalisations recorded on Sunday, with 744 in hospital, up from 719 the day before. By comparison, the hospitalisation rate reached 928 people on January 24 this year as the first omicron wave washed over the state. Victorias ambulance service reported a code red in Melbourne overnight, with ambulance ramping at a major hospital and a shortage of specialised paramedics. One paramedic described it as a soul-destroying situation, the union said. The escalation plan was called by Ambulance Victoria just before 2am on Sunday after extreme demand for ambulances within metropolitan Melbourne. The code red was withdrawn by 3.15am. During an Ambulance Victoria code red, non-emergency ambulances begin responding to cases, patients are rapidly offloaded at hospitals and lower-acuity patients are referred to other services, among other measures to reduce strain on paramedics. As Australia scrambles to rebuild its $37.6 billion pre-pandemic international student sector, more than a quarter of student visa holders remain offshore. According to a snapshot taken on June 27 by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment, there are 414,954 holders of Australian student visas, of whom 109,773 are offshore. Vicky Ren finished her first year of study with Melbourne University in China online, then came to Australia to complete her final year when borders reopened. Credit:Jason South More than a quarter of those visas 113,930 are held by Chinese students, 50 per cent of whom are not in Australia. The snapshot data includes travellers who may be studying in Australia, but are temporarily out of the country. According to universities and students, people remain offshore for reasons including delays in visa processing, passport renewal, local lockdowns, expensive flights, COVID hesitancy or simply wishing to stay in their own country. Access to cheap antiviral medicine to fight COVID-19 is now available for all Australians aged over 70, regardless of underlying medical conditions, after the federal government expanded eligibility for the treatment to ease pressure on the hospital system. Access to the medicine has also been expanded to people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease, or over 30 for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people with risk factors. Immunocompromised people over 18 may also be eligible. Health Minister Mark Butler. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Health Minister Mark Butler said more than 73,000 Australians have already benefited from the medicines, which are taken orally in tablet form, and are sold for $6.80 to those with a concession card, and around $40 for everyone else. These are cheap medicines and theyre very effective. They will reduce the incidence of severe disease across the community and very importantly relieve that pressure were now seeing build on our hospitals, Butler said on ABCs Insiders on Sunday. Sir Henry Bolte will quit in August. The new Premier is almost certain to be his deputy (Mr Hamer). Hamer sure to be the new Premier First published in The Age on July 12, 1972 Sir Henry said yesterday that he had planned the retirement more than two years ago. He said he had decided before the 1970 elections to leave last April. But he changed his plans because of bust-ups in the Liberal Party in South Australia and Tasmania. Sir Henry, 64, was premier for a record 17 years. He will not be seen in State Parliament again. He said he would emulate Sir Robert Menzies by not interfering in Government affairs after retiring. Sir Henry will hand in his commission at Government House on August 22 or 23. The outpouring of sympathy here in Australia for the death of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is a sign of growing awareness of the importance of Japan for our security as well as our economy. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called a special press conference on Saturday to express his shock at the brutal murder of Abe, who was gunned down at the age of only 67 while campaigning in the city of Nara. Albanese described Abe as a great statesman who made a difference. Victoria illuminated Melbournes landmarks in red and white, the colours of the Japanese flag, as a sign of respect. NSW did the same for the sails of the Opera House. It is hard to think of any other Asian leader in history whose death would have produced such a reaction in Australia. Nadi: Beijing has laid the blame for three years of spiralling relations with Australia on the former Coalition government, clearing the way for a more stable dialogue with Labor. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday released details of Foreign Minister Wang Yis meeting with Penny Wong and outlined four proposals to get the relationship back on track. Australian Foreign Minister, Penny Wong meets with Wang Yi in Bali. Credit:Johannes P. Christo The root cause of the difficulties in China-Australia relations in the past few years is that the former Australian government insisted on treating China as an adversary or even a threat, and adopted a series of irresponsible words and deeds against China, Wang said. It is hoped that the Australian side will seize the current opportunity and take concrete actions to reshape its correct understanding of China, reduce negative assets and accumulate positive energy for the improvement of China-Australia relations. Tokyo: A top Japanese police official has acknowledged security lapses must have allowed an attacker to get close enough to shoot former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe while he was campaigning on Friday, and has pledged to investigate. The assassination of the influential conservative figure sent shockwaves through Japan just as the country went to the polls to elect its upper house of parliament. Two days after Abe was shot while speaking at a campaign event, early results showed his governing party and its allies had expanded their majority, allowing them to pursue Abes long-held dream of revising Japans post-war pacifist constitution. Flowers and a framed photograph of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe rest in a makeshift shrine near the crime scene in Nara on Saturday. Credit:Bloomberg As it was revealed the shooter had been chasing a personal, not political grudge, Nara police chief Tomoaki Onizuka said that problems with Abes security were undeniable and procedures would be reviewed. He did not offer details on any specific shortcomings in the security plan, but said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility. Police arrested Tetsuya Yamagami, a former member of Japans navy, at the scene of the shooting on Friday and confiscated a homemade gun, reportedly cobbled together from parts bought online. Several others were later found at his apartment. Tokyo: The man arrested for Shinzo Abes killing believed the former Japanese leader was linked to a religious group he blamed for his mothers financial ruin and spent months planning the attack with a homemade gun, police said. Tetsuya Yamagami, an unemployed 41-year-old, was identified by police as the suspect who approached Japans longest-serving prime minister from behind and opened fire, an attack that was captured on video and shocked a nation where gun violence is rare. Tetsuya Yamagami, holding a DIY weapon, is detained after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated. Credit:AP Wiry and bespectacled with shaggy hair, the suspect was seen stepping into the road behind Abe, who was standing on a riser at an intersection, before unloading two shots from a 40-centimetre-long weapon wrapped with black tape. He was tackled by police at the scene. Yamagami was a loner who did not reply when spoken to, neighbours said. He believed Abe had promoted a religious group that his mother made a huge donation to, Kyodo news agency said, citing investigative sources. LJI-A First Nations family and Indigenous leaders in Manitoba are mourning and seeking answers after they say a sick two-year-old girl died after being sent home from a clinic without being treated. According to family representatives, two-year-old Santaya Tyo-Greyeyes of Norway House Cree Nation was taken by her mom Angel Tyo to a clinic in Norway House on June 27 because she was dealing with vomiting and a fever, and she was struggling to breathe. The girl was not triaged or treated at the clinic, and her mom was told to take her home and give her Tylenol, and monitor her condition. The next day, Santaya died, after her family noticed she had stopped breathing during a nap, and they tried to rush her back to the clinic. In a Thursday news release, the same day a funeral for the toddler was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc. (MKO) offered their condolences to Santayas family, while also saying they planned to look into whether or not any actions or inactions of health care workers played any part in her death. On behalf of MKO, I extend sincere condolences to the parents, siblings, family, and community of Santaya Tyo-Greyeyes from Norway House Cree Nation, MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee said. Our hearts are heavy when we lose a child. My office has been in contact with family representatives, and we will seek answers as to why Santaya passed away so suddenly. We need to know if, and where, the health system failed Santaya, and we need to ensure that no other children are harmed as a result of health system failures. MKO said they have been calling for changes and improvements to health care in remote and First Nations communities for a long time, because they believe the level of service in many of those communities is substandard, compared to health care in larger centres like Winnipeg. The pandemic has shown us how fragile our health care system is. It is time to create innovative, efficient models to strengthen our health care system, Settee said. We can do better and we have to do better. Story continues MKO is committed to collaborating with provincial and federal partners to ensure we develop and strengthen our health care system to one that is responsive, accountable, and inclusive to our First Nation citizens and communities. The organization, which represents and advocates for 26 Manitoba First Nations, said they will also now work to support the family after the loss of Santaya. MKO will be partnering with other Indigenous organizations to ensure we have the appropriate resources and expertise to provide wraparound support for the family, Settee said. As the family lays Santaya to rest, I pray for all those that loved her in the difficult days ahead. RCMP confirmed to the Sun on Friday that they are investigating the girls death, but also said that her sudden passing does not appear to be suspicious in nature. An RCMP spokesperson said the Norway House detachment responded to a child's death in the community on June 28 just before 7 p.m. As per the Fatality Inquiries Act, every child death is investigated. In general, in these instances, the RCMP responds and takes direction from the medical examiner," the spokesperson said. The investigation is ongoing, but at this time the death does not appear to be suspicious. A spokesperson for the Manitoba government said that media requests should be sent to the federal government in this case because it falls under federal jurisdiction as Norway House Cree Nation Clinic is overseen by Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) when the Sun reached the province for comment. A spokesperson for ISC said in an email that the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and communities is a high priority for our government, and our thoughts are with the family for their loss ISC said they will be looking into the childs death, but would not comment specifically on what actions will be taken, or if an investigation will be undertaken. Indigenous Services Canada continues to work directly with First Nations communities to ensure their health care needs are met. We are aware of the concerns raised about care provided at the Health Centre and Community Clinic in Norway House Cree Nation, and we are working with partners to examine this incident under ISCs incident management policy, the spokesperson said. We cannot comment further on any potential actions at this time. Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun Donald Trump ripped Tesla CEO Elon Musk on Saturday, the same day Musk reportedly defended the former president at a closed-door conference of media and tech moguls in Sun Valley, Idaho. Trump slighted Musk a day after the head of SpaceX announced he was abandoning his deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. Trump called BS at a rally in Anchorage, Alaska, citing Musks claims that he has voted for Democrats in the past but will switch to Republican candidates the next election cycle. Yet Musk told Trump that he voted for him, the former president claimed at the rally. So hes another bullshit artist, Trump said disdainfully. Trump on Elon Musk: "You know, he said the other day, Oh, I've never voted for a Republican. I said, I didn't know that, he told me he voted for me. So he's another bullshit artist." pic.twitter.com/1cBiZsX1BJ Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 10, 2022 Trump also called Musk Leon in his speech before changing it to Elon, noting: Elon is not gonna buy Twitter. Where did you hear that before? From me. Trump said in May that there was no way Musk would pay such a ridiculous price for Twitter. Meanwhile, Musk complained on Saturday about Twitters treatment of Trump, Bloomberg reported. Trump was permanently banned form the social media platform due to the risk of further incitement of violence after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Musk made the comment at the annual Allen & Co.s Sun Valley Conference, where he was a featured speaker. But he reportedly refused to discuss details of his decision to drop the Twitter deal. Musk talked instead about boosting the words population (apparently beginning with his own surprise total of nine children) and developing a colony on Mars, which he called civilian life insurance in the the event of disaster on Earth, sources told Bloomberg and Reuters. Story continues Problems quickly arose with Musks Twitter deal earlier this year. Shortly after he expressed interest in the purchase in April, he started to bash the company and Twitter stocks took a dive. He complained about what he claimed was Twitters poor accounting of spam accounts even though it has regularly reported its estimates. Musk said Friday he was terminating the offer, citing material breach of multiple provisions of the agreement and alleging Twitter failed to respond to multiple requests for information on fake or spam accounts. The chair of Twitters board, Brett Taylor, said Friday that 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. Musk could be on the hook for a $1 billion termination fee even if he convinces a judge to let him back out of the deal. Trump, who was himself once called a bullshit artist by CNN journalist Fareed Zakaria, on Saturday urged his audience at the Alaska rally to join Truth Social, the social media platform created by his company. This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated. Related... 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Full of memories and bearing the imprint of one of the most important personalities in the history of our country, the mansion is on the list of historical monuments. It was a period of state ownership, after which it was claimed by Olga Macarie, granddaughter of the marshal, who dedicated her life to honoring the memory of her illustrious grandfather. Constantin Prezan bought the estate in Schinetea in 1897, according to the documents of the time. In 1943, at his manor in Schinetea, the marshal passed to the eternal, being buried, together with his wife, Elena Olga (former Eliad), a few hundred meters from the courtyard of the property that he cared for and cherished so much. Many years after the purchase, through a sale-purchase deed authenticated by the Romanian County Court on July 6, 1934, Marshal Prezan passed into the property of Olga Dimitriu (former Olga Antoaneta Eliad, the adopted daughter of his wife, according to http://enciclopediaromaniei.ro/wiki/Constantin_Prezan), a part of the estate, in an area of 178 hectares. Also, in the same year, on September 9, Marshal Prezan passed into the possession of his son-in-law, Dr. Constantin Dimitriu, from Bucharest, by deed of sale-purchase, two 'bodies' from Schinetea estate. The manor consists of two bodies. The old wing, located to the north, is from the nineteenth century, bought by the marshal once with the estate. It was added a new wing, to the south, when the entire manor was restored. Thus, the two building bodies have different architectures. When erecting the new wing, stonemasons from Tansa were used. In the summer of 1944, the works on the pillars of the facade were completed, but they were permanently stopped due to the advance of the Soviet armies. The architecture of the manor shows that the craftsmen are the descendants of the Italians settled in Tansa at the end of the nineteenth century, where they built the church and the bridge in the stone. "The objective was nationalized by the communist authorities after taking power, and a dormitory-hospital for adults with severe mental disabilities was installed in the manor. After the Revolution of December 1989, Dr. Olga Macarie, granddaughter of Marshal Prezan, claimed the manor and the surrounding land. On January 6, 1999, the Vaslui Court recognized Olga Macarie the property right over the building. At that time, 89 adults with severe mental disabilities were hospitalized in the building. As a result of the magistrates' decision, in 2001, the patients of the hospital-house from Schinetea were moved to a building in the Vutcani commune," said Anca Iordachi, museographer at the Stefan cel Mare County Museum of Vaslui. The building is now owned by Olga Macarie and houses a small museum arranged by the marshal's granddaughter with the support of the specialists from the Vaslui County Museum, from the National Military Museum and from the National Archives. Every year, in Schinetea took place thematic exhibitions, conferences and scientific communications that gathered countrywide historical representatives. The studies collected from the scientific communications and symposiums organized by the Stefan cel Mare County Museum of Vaslui were found in the first monograph Constantin Prezan, made in 2005 by Viorica Zgutta, then a museographer within the institution, who dedicated a large part of her professional activity to the marshal's personality. Over time, the marshal's niece collected various objects which she considered could be important exhibits in the Schinetea museum: things that belonged to Constantin Prezan and his wife, Olga Prezan, folk art objects, a family piano, pieces of furniture, paintings, diplomas, photographs, diaries or letters from the front of former soldiers, maps, flags or military books, objects that bear fascinating stories or talk about heroism, dignity and patriotism, virtues that could seem obsolete nowadays. Settled in Bucharest, Olga Macarie chooses every year to stay in the summer months in the places where she grew up. She remembers the moments spent around her grandfather as if she had lived them yesterday, she speaks with love about every thing sheltered by the two buildings, about each corner and about the way the activities were carried out at the mansion when the marshal lived at Schinetea. She prefers, like Marshal Constantin Prezan, the peace and quiet of Schinetea and, although she managed to perform some repair works, she thinks she still has things to do so that the place where her grandfather lived his last years and where he takes his eternal sleep to be more known, better popularized. She admits that the inheritance she received was not necessarily a blessing for her, because she was confronted over time by hostile authorities, by bureaucracy, by the existence of crooked laws, but she believes that, as a sign of gratitude for what Constantin Prezan meant for her personally and for the Romanian people, she has a fight to fight. "My duty is to keep this place alive and I am very happy when children come here. That's what interested me the most, to tell the kids who Prezan was. I have met soldiers who did not know who Constantin Prezan used to be, but it is not their fault. He was ousted from history, it was a conspiracy of silence. I said that (it happened) because he discovered, schooled and defended (marshal Ion) Antonescu, that would be the reason why he disappeared from history. Historian Petre Otu, who wrote a book about Prezan, says something else and I think he's right. Prezan was the Romanian officer who first fought against Bolshevism, he annihilated the coup d'etat that sought to arrest the king and government and immediately caught them and put them in jail. Petre Otu says that this hangs heavy, not only the fact that he supported Ion Antonescu," Olga Macarie tells AGERPRES. The marshal's granddaughter keeps in her memory her grandfather as a just, fair and intransigent man. He wasn't the grandfather to tie her up, to make her happy, or to overwhelm her with affection every day. She is convinced that the marshal had an essential role in her formation as a human being and believes that Prezan, with a visionary mindset, prepared her especially for all the unpleasant things she received later from life, although she was only a child when her grandfather died. Olga Macarie opens the door to the museum to all those who want to visit it. Those who cross the threshold of the old manor write their name in a book of feasts and receive printed on paper information about the activity of Marshal Constantin Prezan, one of the main leaders of the Romanian army during the First World War, and about the merits he had in his military career. The manor still needs to be repaired and, as the local authorities claim, joint efforts can be made to make such an objective more valuable. "For us, this objective has a special significance, given the outstanding personality of Constantin Prezan. We do our best to keep alive the marshal's memory, we permanently organize events dedicated to him. Students from the commune and not only hold history classes inside the museum. We could get more involved if we managed the manor," says the mayor of Dumesti commune, Ciprian Ionita Barnea. "Schinetea must become a Mecca for all the officers of the Romanian Army, who will come once in their careers and light a candle at the tomb of the one who with tact, professionalism, modesty and dignity coordinated the military actions of which we are so proud today," is the message of Ramona Mocanu, manager of the Stefan cel Mare County Museum of Vaslui.AGERPRES They were trapped and the only way out was to jump. Veuers Tony Spitz has the details. Updated at 2 p.m. Sunday with more details from police. ST. LOUIS A 25-year-old man was fatally shot in the chest Saturday evening in a south St. Louis home, according to police. Police were called about 6:30 p.m. to the 4400 block of Michigan Avenue in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood. They then found a 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound in the chest. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. He was identified Thursday as Akeem Williams, of the 4400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. The homeowner was taken into custody for questioning and released pending further investigation, St. Louis police said Sunday. St. Louis police ask anyone with information to call the homicide division directly at 314-444-5371. Anyone with a tip who wants to remain anonymous can call CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477. Mike West recalls the February 2021 day when his wife, Lois, answered the door at their West Salem residence. My wife said, Some big guy is at the door and says you saved him in Vietnam, he said. The big guy was Terry Shepardson. For the next several hours, West and Shepardson relived their life-and-death experience together in Vietnam. The two renewed their friendship as Shepardson finally came to terms with a terrifying day in 1970 when an explosion burned 40% of his body. The injuries left Shepardson physically and mentally scarred. They also, until recently, left him unable to express gratitude to West, a fellow La Crosse Central High School student, who recognized Shepardson as he lay injured and was one of the first to treat him for his wounds. Shepardsons story began in La Crosse, where he decided in seventh grade that he wanted to become a Marine. His ambition never wavered, even as images of dead and wounded soldiers in Vietnam were being broadcast back home. He admired the Marines for their spit shine and toughness. I always wanted to join the Marine Corps, Shepardson said. The training was hard. At that time, it was the toughest in the service. By the time he was old enough to sign up, his mother had remarried, and the new family moved to farm near Taylor. He graduated from Taylor High School in 1969. I was 17 when I joined, Shepardson said. I just had my mother sign the papers. Over the next six months, he trained in California and got married before landing in Vietnam in January 1970. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines Headquarters and Supply Company and was greeted by 93-degree weather and the unpredictable day-to-day cycle of tropical combat. His unit was roughly 25 miles from Da Nang and overlooked a free fire zone. If there was any movement, you shot at it, he said. I fired shots at least three times a night. West, meanwhile, graduated from Central in 1967. He joined his fathers painting business after high school while signing up for the Navy Reserves. They had a program where you join the Navy Reserves but sometime you had to go on active duty for two years, he said. That time came in June 1969. He trained in Guam and volunteered for Vietnam duty as part of a medical evacuation unit. He arrived in Da Nang in January 1970 and was assigned to a hospital ship named Sanctuary. West quickly came face-to-face with the horrors of military combat. Wed see amputees, dead people and everything, he said. They came 24/7. It wouldnt be long before the two former classmates would cross paths halfway around the world from Central High School. ExplosionShepardson will never forget May 20, 1970. He was among 10 soldiers gathered in a bunker for a meeting to report the previous days patrol activity. The bunker contained food, ammunition, cleaning fluid and, ominously, gasoline that was used to clean weapons. Around 4 p.m., Shepardson heard a click in the air. That was followed by an explosion and a fire. To this day, Shepardson doesnt know what caused the explosion. I turned my head, and all of a sudden the God dang place just blew blew right up. he said. The next thing I knew, I was burning, flying in the air, and I landed 25 to 30 yards from the bunker. I was burning, on fire. Shepardson had sustained second- and third-degree burns to 40% of his body. His pain was compounded by a well-meaning gunner who threw a blanket on top of him. The blanket stuck to his thighs. There were four or five of us hurt real bad, he said. You cant imagine the smell of four or five guys who had been burned like that. Shepardson was loaded onto a helicopter headed for the medical ship, where he was startled to see a familiar face delivering emergency medical attention. I said, Mike, you son of a bitch, and here he was, Mike, two feet away taking care of me putting the IV in, cleaning off my wounds, checking my temperature and my blood pressure and making sure I was breathing alright, Shepardson said. He said Terry, Terry, and thats the last I heard of him for three days ... I passed out with the morphine shot. West recognized his Central classmate instantly and made sure Shepardson was included in his daily rounds. When we came in with the helicopter, I told them theres a guy from my hometown and I would like to take care of him, West said. Shepardson said his classmate followed through. He remembers West putting him in the shower and performing the delicate and painstaking task of changing bandages on burned skin. Mike was taking care of me, Shepardson said. I know he had his other people, but I was one of his old boys from La Crosse. Shepardson remained on the ship for 10 days before he and his severely wounded comrades were flown to Tokyo. Not all of them survived. Five days after arriving in Japan, Shepardsons friend, Steve Lowe, died from his injuries. Shepardson was lying in bed next to Lowe when he flat-lined. I looked over, and they were beating his chest, he said. He was gone, and we all knew it. Lyndon JohnsonFrom Tokyo, Shepardson flew to San Diego and then to the Veterans Administration hospital at Fort Sam Houston in Texas, where he was a patient for six months. He recalled a June day at the facility when a famous man wearing a cowboy hat walked into his room. I almost passed out, he said. I laid at attention. It was LBJ. The letters stood for Lyndon Baines Johnson, the former president of the United States. He invited us to have dinner the next day because he knew they took us out on weekends to go around the area and get us out of the hospital, Shepardson said. It was Texas, and what LBJ wanted, LBJ got. Johnson invited the soldiers his ranch and later to his birthplace, which opened to the public with significant fanfare that week. Lady Bird Johnson (his wife) was with him on the bus, and he said in a Southern drawl, Im going to go out and cook some steaks, and Im just wondering how many of you guys want some steak, Shepardson said. Of course, all the hands go up, and everybody is hooting and hollering. He said Johnson disappeared for the next couple of hours while Lady Bird stayed with the veterans and personally served them lemonade. There was also a case of Lone Star beer on a nearby table that didnt last long. From there, they went to Johnsons birthplace, where thousands of people showed up for the opening. Shepardson said he and his fellow soldiers were given preference. (Johnson) opened the door and said, You guys are coming in first, Shepardson said. Johnson gave every soldier a book he authored after leaving the White House. He signed each one in their presence. He had books for sale, but he gave them to us, he said. My friend got the first one, and I got the second one. Return homeShepardson was honorably discharged from the Marines in April 1971 and underwent more surgery at a VA hospital in Milwaukee before returning home, where he learned his first child was on the way. However, his return home wasnt happy. He suffered from alcohol abuse and churned through multiple jobs before his wife sought a divorce. My life was a mess for the next 15 years, he said. It was a rough time emotionally and physically. Things werent right. Shepardson quit drinking in 1987. He said that decision turned his life around and led to steady employment at Fort McCoy until 2002, when he moved to Michigan after his job was transferred there. He married his second wife, Toniann, and the two lived in New York and South Carolina until she died earlier this year. He moved back to La Crosse shortly after her death. As Shepardson was putting his life back together, the one thing he couldnt do was relive the events of May 1970. For five decades, he shunned a reunion with West. West wouldnt have been hard to find. He received his discharge from the military in January 1971, returned to Wisconsin and married Lois in 1978. He attended UW-La Crosse for 2 years and returned to commercial painting with steady assignments at Fort McCoy. At his 10-year class reunion, one of Wests friends convinced him to work for his insurance firm. West eventually took over the business and ran M. West & Associates until he retired in 2010. Like Shepardson, he is 100% disabled based on his military service, has PTSD and endured multiple health challenges since he retired. After his discharge, West said he tried to contact Shepardson at least a half dozen times with no success. He actually saw Shepardson in 1976 but wasnt able to approach him. I saw him at a softball tournament, and I went up and said, Hey, Terry, but he just walked away, West said. He wasnt ready yet, I guess. Shepardson was finally ready in 2021. After 50 years, I finally said I could face it, he said. Emotionally, it was still pretty hard, but this guy saved me, and I wanted to make sure that I saw him and communicated with him. On the day of the reunion, Shepardson stopped at the Brenengan Kia dealership in West Salem for an oil change. He approached another customer and asked if he knew West. Not only did the customer know West, he had purchased insurance from him. The customer then pulled out a business card and drew a map to Wests residence (Shepardson still has the card). Shepardson went straight to the West residence without calling ahead, which only added to the intense emotion of the moment. I couldnt understand him for about an hour because he was crying so hard, West said. We both cried for a long time. Shepardson said the two have done a lot of catching up. Since that time, were still trying to go through old times some hard times and some bad times, he said. Im 100% disabled, and so is Mike, so were both watching out for each other now. Shepardson said seeking out West was the best thing I ever did. He looks forward to having his entire family meet West sometime soon. I want my kids to know everything that happened, he said. They know he saved me, but they dont know much about his life. It will be a happy occasion. ST. LOUIS A group of abortion-rights protesters blocked traffic on Highway 40 (Interstate 64) downtown Sunday afternoon. The protesters, carrying signs, walked in the westbound and eastbound lanes at various points, stopping tractor-trailers and cars. The Human Rights Collective STL organized the protest. Some of the signs protesters carried read give me a noose before I die by a hanger and abortion is healthcare. The backup and protest was visible from Busch Stadium. The group started from Kiener Plaza and walked to the stadium, organizers said. One part of the group circled the stadium while another part blocked off the highway. The founder of Human Rights Collective STL, Harley Camryn, said the group was on the highway for about 20 minutes. They hung a banner off the side of the highway that said hands off our bodies, Camryn said. I need to show you that you need to be upset. Everyone should be upset, she said. Theyre not going to stop at Roe. The protest was the most recent of several held locally and nationally after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade. With that ruling on June 24, Missouri effectively banned abortions, as a 2019 law included a trigger provision. Hundreds attended a rally at the Planned Parenthood clinic in the Central West End that day. Protesters said the Supreme Courts ruling stops women from having control over their own bodies and making health care decisions best suited to their circumstances. Were going back in time, said Jenny Willey, a protester from Fenton. Isabella Diamond, a co-founder of the collective and another organizer of the event, said she hoped people who attended the protest were energized to vote and set up more protests where they live. The organizers said they also aimed to increase the diversity of people represented in abortion rights protests by setting up the event with Operation Any Means Necessary, a Black-led community patrol organization. Members of the patrol walked alongside the protesters to protect them from potential threats from opposition groups, said Mike Avery, founder of the operation. Avery said he thought the goal to increase diversity was achieved because protesters made new connections with each other before they left. Camryn said Human Rights Collective STL plans to organize more protests in the future. Officers contacted Sunday afternoon said no arrests were made in relation to the protest. Previous protests, including in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, have also blocked the highway near Busch Stadium. Trump ally Bannon now willing to testify before Jan. 6 panel WASHINGTON (AP) Former Trump White House strategist Steve Bannon, who's facing criminal charges after months of defying a congressional subpoena over the Capitol riot, has told the House committee investigating the attack that he's now willing to testify. Lawmakers say Bannons turnabout was conveyed in a letter late Saturday from his attorney. And that development comes as the committee prepares to air some of its most striking revelations yet this week against Trump in what may be its final set of hearings. Bannon has argued that his testimony is protected by Trumps claim of executive privilege. But Trump now says he'd waive that privilege claim, according to a letter Saturday to Bannons lawyer. In Mideast, Biden struggling to shift policy after Trump WASHINGTON (AP) Joe Biden took office looking to reshape U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. But so far, hes struggled to separate his approach from Donald Trump's. Biden is set to visit Israel and Saudi Arabia this coming week. As a candidate, Biden condemned the Trump administrations policy on Israeli settlements in the West Bank. As president, Biden has been unable to pressure the Israelis to halt the building of Jewish settlements. Biden will meet with Saudi Arabias King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. intelligence officials say approved the killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Trump largely overlooked the kingdoms human rights record and stepped up military sales. 15 killed in Russian strike in Ukraine, 20 believed trapped CHASIV YAR, Ukraine (AP) Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers were laboring to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into three apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. More than 20 people were believed still trapped Sunday after the attack a day earlier in the eastern town of Chasiv Yar. It was just the latest deadly Russian attack to hit civilian buildings. Twenty-one people were killed earlier this month when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region. Another 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in Kremenchuk in June. Russia has claimed that it is hitting only military targets. 'Terrorism:' Abe killing seen as attack on Japan's democracy TOKYO (AP) Public outrage, handwringing and vows of defiance in media and among political commentators are widespread in Japan following the daylight assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Part of the collective shock is because crime is so rare in Japan. But it can also be traced to the setting. Abe was killed on the street near a crowded train station, in the middle of a campaign speech for parliamentary elections, something that Japan, despite a long history of one-party political domination and growing voter apathy, takes seriously. One academic called it the first assassination of a former or serving leader in postwar Japan. It could lead to an emergency review of the way Japan guards its officials, and a tightening of security at large-scale events. Japan ruling party wins big in polls in wake of Abe's death TOKYO (AP) Japans governing party and its coalition partner have scored a major victory in parliamentary elections imbued with meaning after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The Liberal Democratic Party and its partner Komeito raised their combined share in the 248-seat chamber to 146 far beyond the majority in the elections Sunday for half of the seats in the less powerful upper house. With the boost, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stands to rule without interruption until a scheduled election in 2025. That would allow Kishida to work on long-term policies such as Abe's cherished goal to amend the U.S.-drafted postwar pacifist constitution. EXPLAINER: Why Sri Lanka's economy collapsed and what's next COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankas departing prime minister says the island nations debt-laden economy has collapsed as it runs out of money to pay for food and fuel. The country is seeking help from neighboring India, China and the International Monetary Fund. Economists say the crisis stems from domestic factors such as years of mismanagement and corruption, but also from other troubles such as its $51 billion debt, the coronavirus pandemic and terror attacks. Getting the economy back on track will take time. On Saturday, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to resign. Biden says he's mulling health emergency for abortion access REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) President Joe Biden says he's considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources to promote abortion access even though the White House has said it doesnt seem like a great option. Biden also has a message to people enraged by the Supreme Courts ruling last month that ended a constitutional right to abortion and who've been demonstrating across the country: Keep protesting. Keep making your point. Its critically important. He tells reporters while spending the weekend in Delaware that he lacks the power to force the dozen-plus states with strict restrictions or outright bans on abortion to allow the procedure. Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park has more than doubled in size since Saturday afternoon. The U.S. is weathering another very active year for fires. In California, firefighters are working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees. The blaze is near the iconic grove of about 500 mature sequoias, which are the worlds biggest trees by volume. The rest of the park is open but smoke hangs over some of its most iconic views. In Utah, smoke from a 5.9-square-mile blaze has blown into Salt Lake City. And investigators say four men started another Utah blaze that topped 12 square miles after the group abandoned a camp fire. Crypto plunge is cautionary tale for public pension funds MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The plunge in prices for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies provides a cautionary tale for the handful of public pension funds that have dipped their toes into the crypto pool. Most have done it indirectly through stocks or investment funds that serve as proxies for the larger crypto market, though a pension fund for Houston firefighters last year directly bought bitcoin and other digital currency. A lack of transparency makes it difficult to tell whether theyve made or lost money. Not only are pension funds exposed to risks in the crypto world, so are taxpayers who potentially could have to bail them out. Djokovic tops Kyrgios for 7th Wimbledon, 21st Slam trophy WIMBLEDON, England (AP) Novak Djokovic has defeated Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the mens final at the All England Club for a fourth consecutive Wimbledon championship and seventh overall. The top-seeded Djokovic has won 28 matches in a row at Wimbledon and raised his career haul to 21 major trophies. That puts him just one behind rival Rafael Nadals 22 for the most in the history of mens tennis. The 35-year-old Djokovic became the second oldest Wimbledon men's champion in the professional era. The 40th-ranked Kyrgios was trying to become the first unseeded mens champion at Wimbledon since Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. Ivanisevic is now Djokovics coach and was in the Centre Court guest box for the match. A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by Missouri Republican Attorney General Eric Schmitt that blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic. U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh said in his 38-page ruling posted Friday that in this case federal rules prohibit a sovereign foreign entity from being sued in American courts. Schmitts office said it would appeal the ruling. The complaint filed in April 2020 alleges that Chinese officials are responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians. Schmitt says the Chinese government lied about the dangers of the virus and didnt do enough to slow its spread. China criticized the lawsuit as very absurd and said it has no factual and legal basis. Linebirds unmanned products replace human contact with live power lines to improve safety and reduce costs of traditional grid maintenance and monitoring 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 CAMBRIDGE, Mass., July 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Walden Biosciences, Inc. (Walden), a private, venture-backed biotechnology company focused on transforming the treatment of kidney disease, today announced that the Company has entered into a research collaboration with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (U-M) to advance cutting-edge research in the area of the genetics of soluble urokinase plasminogen activating receptor or suPAR. The research will be conducted through a collaboration with U-Ms Principal Investigator, Salim Hayek, M.D., a National Institute of Health-funded physician-scientist with expertise in renal disease, cardiovascular disease, and biomarker and risk prediction research. One of Dr. Hayeks most notable contributions to research has been his characterization of suPAR as a pathogenic factor, causative agent, and a druggable target in kidney disease. Dr. Hayek is a member of Walden Biosciences Scientific Advisory Board. U-M will collaborate with Walden Biosciences in connection with Dr. Hayeks ongoing research in the area of suPAR and Walden will provide materials, consultative support, data analysis, and may perform experiments to support the work, including the role of polymorphisms in the PLAUR gene, which is the gene responsible for the production of suPAR. Under the terms of the agreement, each party will cover its own expenses in the conduct of the collaboration with a goal to jointly draft and publish a paper describing Mendelian Randomization, a method using measured variation in genes to interrogate the causal effect of an exposure on an outcome, to ascertain the role that suPAR may play in disease, particularly chronic kidney disease. We are delighted to be working with Dr. Hayeks lab to advance suPAR science in order to demonstrate its causality in chronic kidney disease and other important disease indications where suPAR may play a role, said Alex Duncan, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Walden Biosciences. The data generated to date is compelling and we look forward to using genetic tools to further validate and support the strong correlation between suPAR and its effects on chronic kidney disease. This collaboration with Walden supports the University of Michigans goal to be at the forefront of scientific discovery to accelerate the translation of scientific findings to clinical practice in order to improve patient care. Together, we have the unique opportunity to potentially transform the treatment of kidney disease, said Dr. Hayek. About Walden BiosciencesWalden Biosciences is a private, venture-backed biopharmaceutical company focused on developing breakthrough medicines to reverse the progression of both rare and common forms of kidney disease. Founded by world-renowned renal experts, the Company is applying a novel, multi-disciplinary approach that directly targets the kidneys to prevent damage and restore kidney function. Walden has active programs that address two novel targets for therapeutic intervention: soluble urokinase plasminogen activating receptor (suPAR) and dynamin. Targeting both suPAR and dynamin may be beneficial across numerous types of renal disease. In 2020, Walden closed a $51 million Series A round of financing led by Arch Venture Partners with participation from other leading venture capital firms. For more information, please visit www.waldenbiosciences.com. Investor Contact:Stern Investor RelationsAnne Marie FieldsManaging Director[email protected] Source: Walden Biosciences, Inc. Ful.io recently upgraded its services to better help businesses uncover the technographic data used by companies globally, lead generation, market analysis, and competitor research. Bangalore, India--(Newsfile Corp. - July 10, 2022) - Ful.io has released a massive update to its business intelligence tools. The update has enabled users to effortlessly analyze the technologies (technographic data) used by various websites on the web. Changing the Landscape of Technographic and Lead Generation with Ful.io To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/130442_fe4bd750742eebe2_001full.jpg Compared to the previous setup, the new update leverages custom crawlers and analysis to find information on websites that conventional crawlers will struggle to find. The upgraded technology stack will handle all the work after the website list is imported by extracting contact information that would take weeks or months to obtain using conventional market research techniques. The upgrade also enables Ful.io's solution to independently crawl and scan webpages without needing the users to keep the process alive. Ful.io did the upgrade to help its users gain a competitive advantage in today's data-driven world. Ful.io believes that access to rich technographic data will benefit their users in making business optimization like strategizing for lead generation, optimization of sales funnel, and more. "These web technologies quickly became a game-changer for our users. Lead generation projects that used to take a whole team to accomplish can now be completed programmatically. When our users can segment traffic based on location, they can easily identify more prospers and potentially onboard more clients," said Sathish, a spokesperson for Ful.io. Another area where the upgrade focuses is to expand the type of technographic data they extract. In the new update, numerous technographic data types have been introduced. To name a few notable ones: Widgets data Analytics data Frameworks data Content management systems data Advertisers data CDN data And more. "In Ful.io, we focus on cost and user experience. First, we strived to offer our users better web extraction technology at a lower cost. We also make plan adjustments easy on our platform. Second, to improve our user's experience, we will upgrade our Chrome browser extension next." Sathish shared the upcoming plans for Ful.io. For more information on Ful.io's upgraded business tools, please visit https://ful.io/. About Ful.io Ful.io is a lean startup based in Bangalore, India, that values making easy-to-use and meaningful software to make data more accessible to marketing and sales teams globally. Widgets, analytics, frameworks, content management systems, advertisers, content delivery networks, online standards, and web servers are just a few of the technology areas that Ful.io tracks. Contact Info: Name: Sathish S Email: [email protected] Organization: Ful.io Website: http://ful.io To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/130442 (Tribune News Service) Nine people were rescued after abandoning a sinking boat off the coast of Florida, officials said. Watchstanders in Mobile, Ala., received a mayday call from the 50-foot sport fishing boat just before 10:50 a.m. on Saturday, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard. The boat had reportedly run aground and started taking on water about 2 miles south of Pensacola Pass. The nine people onboard jumped into the water as the boat became submerged, the Coast Guard said. A Coast Guard boat crew from Pensacola was patrolling the area, and watchstanders directed it to the boaters, according to the news release. The crew got to the boaters just before 11 a.m. and pulled them from the water. They were taken back to Big Lagoon State Park in Pensacola and had no reported injuries, the Coast Guard said. No other information about the rescue had been released as of Sunday, July 10. 2022 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. (Tribune News Service) The Navy on Friday said that while it will likely look into how video and photographs of a Nov. 20 fuel spill at its Red Hill facility were released to the media, there is no formal investigation into the matter and its unlikely anyone will face disciplinary action relating to the released footage. The videos and photos were published by Honolulu Civil Beat on Monday, which cited an unnamed military official as its source. The Navy was swiftly criticized for not publicly disclosing the existence of the footage or releasing it on its own in the months following the fuel spill, which contaminated its drinking water system and sickened families living around Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The Navy earlier this week that it is reviewing accountability actions in response to its investigation into the water contamination and it could not release the video on its own because that could impede its ability to impose disciplinary action against the person who released it. A Navy official today said that information was miscommunicated and that while it is looking at what it refers to as accountability actions in response to the findings of the investigation, which was released on June 30, its unlikely that any actions will be taken for the release of the footage. On Nov. 20, fuel began spewing from an underground pipe in Red Hill after a worker ran into it with a train cart. It took more than 34 hours for the Navy to contain the spill. The fuel flowed down a tunnel and ultimately made its way into the Navys Red Hill drinking water well and the faucets of military families. Earlier this year, Hawaii Congressman Kai Kahele had tried to get footage of the spill, seeking video from the Navys closed-circuit camera system. But the Navy said that the majority of its cameras were inoperable, including those that were positioned at the location of the leak. The footage published by Civil Beat was shot from a personal mobile device. (c)2022 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser Visit at www.staradvertiser.com NAPLES, Italy A U.S. Navy Super Hornet assigned to an aircraft carrier sailing in the Mediterranean Sea was blown off the ships deck last week during heavy weather, the Navy said Sunday. One sailor received minor injuries while conducting operations on the USS Harry S. Truman during an unexpected brief period of intense winds and heavy rains Friday morning, but was in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, U.S. 6th Fleet said in a statement. That incident was not related to the F/A-18 Super Hornet going overboard, and all other personnel were accounted for, said Cmdr. Richlyn Ivey, a spokeswoman for U.S. 6th Fleet. No one was on board the plane or nearby when the aircraft was blown off the ships deck. A determination about recovering the aircraft was being reviewed, Ivey said. The plane was assigned to Carrier Air Wing 1. It wasnt clear where in the Mediterranean the Truman was when the incident occurred. USNI News reported Thursday that the ship was in the Ionian Sea. Truman was conducting a replenishment at sea with the USNS Robert E. Peary and USNS Supply, which was safely ended, according to the statement. Forecasted weather was not expected to impact the replenishment, Ivey said. USS Harry S. Truman and embarked aircraft remain full mission capable, U.S. 6th Fleet said in the statement. Details and cause of the incident are under investigation, according to the statement. The Truman carrier strike group was deployed to the Mediterranean in December as concerns mounted about a buildup of Russian troops and military equipment along the Ukraine border. Russia subsequently launched its full-scale invasion into Ukraine on Feb. 24. Since then, the Truman has supported training and patrol flights in Eastern Europe, and sailed in the Ionian and Adriatic seas. It also has made several port calls, the latest on June 18 in Marseille, France. In addition to CVW 1, the strike group includes the cruiser USS San Jacinto and Destroyer Squadron 28. The Truman is expected to remain in the Mediterranean until at least August. In the first five days of July alone, two dozen Americans were killed in mass shootings, and another 130 injured. And in the last seven months, the Tribune has written twice about gun violence and firearm safety. As deaths by bullet continue to devastate the county, the Tribune is once again stressing the importance of keeping guns unloaded and locked up, as well as reporting threats of violence. Last spring, a grocery store shooting caused 10 fatalities, and the Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde left 21 dead. On July 4, the parade attack in Highland Park killed seven, and that day alone 10 other mass shootings caused injuries and/or fatalities, according to the Gun Violence Archive. So far this year, over 300 mass shootings including those that did not lead to deaths have occurred. The 2021 total neared 700. In the majority of cases in the past two decades, the firearms used including assault rifles were legally purchased. The idea that an 18-year old kid can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong, President Biden said of the Uvalde shooting perpetrator. What in Gods name do you need an assault weapon for except to kill someone? Everytown Gun Laws puts Wisconsins gun law strength at just 27.5 out of 100, though the gun violence rate per 100,000 is slightly below the national average, at 12.2 out of 30 compared to 15. Wisconsin is 23rd in the U.S. for gun law strength, with weaknesses including no background check or purchase permit required; no ban on the purchase of military use assault weapons; no requirement for new guns sold to have childproof features; no waiting period; and no prohibiting of high capacity magazine sales. Those purchasing rifles and shotguns must be 18 or older, with handgun purchasers at least 21. La Crosse is unable to set different rules, as state law dictates that cities are not allowed to set their own gun safety policies. The state does require secured storage, though that doesnt mean the practice is followed by everyone around one third of U.S. homes in which children reside have at least some unsecured firearms. Guns are not allowed in K-12 schools, with the exception of law enforcement. Guns cannot be possessed by felons, convicted stalkers or those who have a hate crime conviction. Wisconsin has relatively weak gun laws and has not enacted or repealed major gun safety policies in recent years, despite significant public pressure after the Madison shootings in 2020, Everytown says. (Homicides in the city were over double the year prior, and shots fired incidents increased by over 100). The Badger State has failed to pass laws requiring background checks for all gun sales or an extreme risk law, but has also resisted gun lobby pressure to repeal its concealed carry permit law or enact stand your ground. According to the National Institute of Justice/The Violence Project database, through 2019 over 80% of perpetrators of K-12 school shootings stole guns from family members. Some of the 172 mass shooters in the database were as young as 11. Of shooters high school age or younger, 92% were suicidal. Among all children, those living in a home with a gun are four times more likely to die by suicide and three times more likely to die by homicide. The guns were most worried about (are) the ones that are unlocked and loaded, says Dr. Emily Rae, behavioral health specialist at Gundersen Health System. Theres definitely a risk to having a gun in the house, but if you store it safely, the risk of injury or death is greatly reduced. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, nationwide in 2022 alone there have been at least 126 unintentional shootings by children, resulting in 55 deaths and 78 injuries. In Wisconsin last May, a 2-year-old in Milwaukee accidentally shot and injured himself. Says Rae, I want adults, parents and caregivers to remember that even very young kids can fire guns. Nationwide Childrens Hospital states that in 16% of unintentional firearm deaths among children younger than 13, the gun was believed to be a toy, and the majority of children who find a gun will handle it even if they were told not to. Parents think that kids understand that its not a toy, but a good number of them dont understand that, says Rae. In 2020, guns surpassed vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death in children, with fatalities among those 19 and under increasing around 30% from 2019 and 2020. Among all ages, the increase was 13.5%, with a total of 45,222 gun related deaths in 2020. Hiding guns is not an adequate precaution, says Nationwide Childrens Hospital, noting 75% of children who live in homes with guns know where they are being stored. They think kids dont know where (the gun is), but they do, says Rae. They have such a curiosity. Gundersen experts advise those who do have guns in the home to always keep them unloaded and stored in a locked safe, with ammunition locked in a separate safe. Nationwide Childrens Hospital stresses lock combinations or keys should not be accessible to children, youth should never be left unsupervised in a home with a gun, regardless of if it is locked up, and parents and guardians should ask relatives and friends if they have guns, and make sure they are unloaded and locked, before allowing a child in the home. Adults and peers should also take any talk or social media posts alluding to shootings or suicide seriously. Per the National Institute of Justice, 48% of persons who engaged in mass shootings shared their plans with one or more people in advance. Nearly a quarter had created legacy tokens, such as typed manifestos.The fact that leakage is a common occurrence with mass shootings provides an opportunity for intervention, the National Institute of Justice says. Concerns about planned shootings or violence can be reported to the La Crosse Police Department by calling La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers at 608-784-TIPS or submitting online at https://www.p3tips.com/459. People can also download the Crime Stoppers App P3 to submit a tip via cell phone. BANGKOK U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Thailand as the Biden administration moves to show its commitment to Southeast Asia in the face of a relentless push for influence in the region from China. Blinken was meeting with senior Thai officials and democracy activists from neighboring Myanmar on Sunday in Bangkok. He signed an agreement with Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai expanding the U.S.-Thailand "Strategic Alliance and Partnership." Blinken came to Thailand after attending an international conference in Bali, Indonesia, where he also raised concerns about China's increasing assertiveness in talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Like its predecessors, the Biden administration has watched China's rapid growth warily and sought to hold it to international standards without significant success. Blinken said Saturday that China's support for Russia in its war in Ukraine poses a threat to the rules-based order and complicates already tense relations between Washington and Beijing. But China's aggressive push into its Southeast Asian neighbors and maintaining a robust regional U.S. presence are at the top of Blinken's agenda in Thailand, according to American officials. They also say Blinken will offer support and encouragement to Myanmar dissidents who have been forced to flee the country since the military seized power from the elected government on Feb. 1, 2021. The U.S. and like-minded democracies are trying to discourage developing Southeast Asian countries from entering large-scale infrastructure and development projects with China unless they are proven economically feasible, structurally sound and environmentally safe. "What we're about is not asking countries to choose but giving them a choice when it comes to things like investment and infrastructure, development assistance, et cetera," Blinken said in Bali. "There is on one level plenty of room for everyone to do that because the needs are immense," he said. "But what we want to make sure is that we're engaged in a race to the top that is, we do things to the highest standards not a race to the bottom where we do things to the lowest standards." U.S. officials from multiple administrations have criticized China for exploiting smaller nations by luring them into unfair or deceptive agreements. "My hope would be that if, as China continues to engage itself in all of these efforts that it engages in a race to the top, that it raise its game," Blinken said. "That would actually benefit everyone." TOKYO The shooting sent shudders through low-crime, orderly Japan: A high-profile politician gets killed by a man emerging from a crowd, wielding a handmade firearm so roughly made it's wrapped up in tape. The 16-inch firearm that was used to kill former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as he campaigned for his ruling party in Nara, western Japan, looked crude, more like a propellant made of pipes taped together and filled with explosives. A raid of the suspect's home, a one-room apartment in Nara, turned up several such guns, police said. Unlike standard weapons, handmade guns are practically impossible to trace, making an investigation difficult. Such weapons are rarely used in Japan, where most attacks involve stabbings or dousing a place with gasoline and setting it ablaze, or running haywire on the street in a vehicle. Strict gun control laws likely made the suspect choose a handcrafted weapon. Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested on the spot, was a former member of Japan's equivalent to a navy, and knew how to handle and assemble weapons. Crime experts say instructions on how to make guns are floating around on the internet, and guns can be made with a 3D printer. Some analysts characterized the attack on Abe as "lone-wolf terrorism." In such cases, the perpetrator acts alone, often in sympathy with certain political views, making the crime very difficult to detect in advance. The motive for Abe's assassination remains unclear. Japanese media reported that the suspect had developed hatred toward a religious group that his mother was obsessed about and that caused his family financial problems. The reports did not specify the group. Japan has seen attacks on politicians in the past. In 1960, Abe's grandfather, then-Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi, was stabbed but survived. In 1975, when then-Prime Minister Takeo Miki was assaulted at the funeral for former Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, Abe's great-uncle, Japan set up a security team modeled after the American Secret Service. Hideto Ted Osanai, chief executive at the International Bodyguard Association in Japan, and other experts believe that the Japanese may have merely learned superficial things like escort formation rather than the prevention mindset critical to security. "Japanese are so used to leading peaceful lives, the security guards were caught asleep," says Yasuhiro Sasaki, president of Safety-Pro, a Tokyo-based security company. Sasaki said he couldn't believe that no one moved to protect Abe in the seconds between the first and the second shot, a scene shown over and over on national TV. Guards should have acted by physically pulling Abe away from danger, Sasaki said. More critically, he wondered why weren't they aware of a suspicious person approaching, drawing what could be a weapon from a bag? Isao Itabashi, chief of the research division at the Council for Public Policy, which oversees such risks, said that providing security during an election campaign was challenging when the whole point is for politicians to get close to people. Unlike the U.S., the use of bulletproof glass is relatively scant in Japan, and security officials rarely resort to shooting potential attackers. "The presumption here is that people are not armed," Itabashi said. Osanai worried that more people may use handcrafted guns like the one used in Abe's assassination in "copycat crimes." He noted a trend of disgruntled people turning to random crimes, indiscriminately targeting victims. "Japan's conformist culture makes it difficult for some people to live freely, and they put great pressure on themselves. When they blame themselves, they turn to suicide. When they blame others, they turn to indiscriminate crimes," he said. Last year, a man wearing a Joker costume brandished a knife and started a fire on a Tokyo train, injuring 17 people. In December 2021, arson at a clinic in Osaka killed 25 people. In 2019, another arson in a Kyoto animation studio killed 36 people. TOKYO - The man accused of assassinating former Japanese leader Shinzo Abe on Friday told investigators he believed that Abe was linked to a religious group he blamed for his mothers financial woes. On Sunday, a Tokyo-based representative of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, which in Japan was formerly named the Japan Unification Church, confirmed that the mans mother is a member. The suspects mother remains a member but has not shown up to recent gatherings, said the representative, who was reached at the Tokyo office phone number but refused to be named, citing privacy reasons amid the ongoing criminal investigation. The suspect, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami of Nara, told investigators that he shot Abe because he believed Abe was linked to a group he hated, Nara police said in a news briefing. Japanese media, citing police sources, subsequently reported that Yamagami told investigators that it was a religious group to which his mother donated money. Yamagami told investigators that his mother had become bankrupt after the donations, according to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun, which cited police sources. He said his family fell apart because of his mothers obsession with the group, and he targeted Abe out of resentment, the newspaper reported. The church representative said that he did not have information about the mothers donations, and that the organization is reviewing donations she may have made to the Nara branch. The Nara branch and the Nara police could not immediately be reached by phone on Sunday. The church official identified the suspects mother as Yoko Yamagami. It is unclear whether Yoko Yamagami was a member of multiple religious organizations. Japanese news reports said Tetsuya Yamagami had wanted to kill the leader of a religious group that investigators declined to name but decided to target Abe instead. Abe was stumping for a member of his political party in Nara, east of Osaka, when he was fatally shot. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification is the name for the controversial organization known as the Unification Church, which is now controlled by the widow of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The U.S. office of the Unification Church said in a statement Saturday that the group condemned the violence and that guns have no place in our religious beliefs or practices. The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (commonly known as the Unification Church) would like to express our shock and grief over the assassination of the former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in the wake of this tragedy, the statement read. Abe, like many other world leaders including former U.S. President Donald Trump, appeared at Unification Church-related events as a paid speaker. Most recently, he spoke on a September 2021 program via video link. The Unification Church is among many new religions that are active in Japan. The organizations members have provided a reliable base of staunchly conservative voters for Japans conservative ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), of which Abe was a member, said Jeffrey J. Hall, an expert on nationalist activism at the Kanda University of International Studies. Theyre not the only bloc of voters who are religious and conservative voting for the LDP, but they are one of them, Hall said. The LDP headquarters could not immediately be reached by phone on Sunday. Mainstream Japanese media outlets have not yet named the religious organization of which Yoko Yamagami was a member. Kyodo News on Sunday confirmed that an official at the religious group to which Tetsuya Yamagami referred had confirmed her membership, but did not name the group. A police investigation is underway into the suspects motives, the homemade weapon he allegedly used, and the security protocols in place at the Nara event. The upper house election is also taking place Sunday. A win by the LDP, of which Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is a member, would clear the way for Kishida to enact some of his most ambitious and controversial policies in coming years. Later on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will make an unscheduled stop in Tokyo to pay respects to Abe, the State Department said. Blinken is in Southeast Asia for meetings with world leaders. The State Department did not specify which officials Blinken will meet while he is in Tokyo. Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials. The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement on Sunday. Blinken is set to depart Bangkok for Tokyo on Sunday night local time. The Washington Posts John Hudson in Bangkok contributed to this report. SEOUL, South Korea North Korea appeared to have conducted artillery firing drills on Sunday, South Korea said, days after the United States deployed sophisticated fighter jets to South Korea for joint training. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected multiple trajectories presumed to be North Korean artillery on Sunday afternoon. It said South Korea's military maintained a firm readiness in close coordination with the United States. South Korea's presidential office said the suspected launches occurred off the North's west coast. It said presidential national security director Kim Sung-han reviewed South Korean military readiness and that his office closely monitors possible additional launches by North Korea. This year, North Korea has carried out an unusually large number of weapons tests, including nuclear-capable missiles that place both the U.S. mainland and its allies including South Korea and Japan with striking distance. Some experts say North Korea attempts to perfect its weapons technology and boost its bargaining chip in future negotiations with the United States to win sanctions relief or security guarantees. Last week, six U.S. F-35 aircraft from Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska arrived in South Korea for their first temporary deployment in South Korea in about 4 years for joint training with South Korean fighter jets. South Korea's Defense Ministry said the jets' deployment is aimed at demonstrating the allies' combined defense posture and strong deterrence against potential external aggression while improving the interoperability of the two air forces. A U.S. military statement said the U.S. aircraft planned to operate over South Korea and surrounding waters during the scheduled 10-day training mission. North Korea typically views joint exercises between U.S. and South Korea as an invasion rehearsal and responds with its own weapons tests. U.S. and South Korean defense officials have repeatedly said they have no intentions of attacking North Korea. North Korea has said it was forced to develop nuclear weapons to cope with U.S. military threats. Despite its torrid run of missile tests earlier this year, North Korea hasn't conducted its expected first nuclear bomb test in five years, and Seoul officials said that's likely because of an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and opposition by China, its last major ally and aid benefactor. CHASIV YAR, Ukraine Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. More than 20 people were believed still trapped. The strike late Saturday destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories. On Sunday evening, rescuers were able to remove enough of the bricks and concrete to retrieve a man who had been trapped for almost 24 hours. Rescuers laid him on a stretcher and he was quickly taken to a hospital. Ukraine's Emergency Services said the latest rescue brought to six the number of people dug out of the rubble. Earlier in the day, they made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said an estimated 24 people were believed still trapped, including a 9-year-old child. Cranes and excavators worked alongside rescue teams to clear away the ruins of one building, its walls completely shorn off by the impact of the strike. The thud of artillery on the nearby front line resonated just a few miles away, making some workers flinch and others run for cover. Valerii, who gave only his first name, was desperately waiting to hear news of his sister and 9-year-old nephew, who lived in the collapsed building and had not answered his calls since Saturday night. "Now I'm waiting for a miracle" he said, as he stood before the ruins and started to pray, hands clasped together tightly. "We do not have good expectations, but I am avoiding such thoughts," he said. Kyrylenko said the town of about 12,000 was hit by Uragan rockets that are fired from truck-borne systems. Chasiv Yar is 12 miles southeast of Kramatorsk, a city that is a major target of Russian forces as they grind westward. However, later Sunday, Viacheslav Boitsov, deputy chief of emergency service in the Donetsk Region, told the Associated Press that four shells hit the neighborhood and they were likely Iskander missiles. Residents said they heard at least three explosions and that many people were badly wounded in the blasts. A group of neighbors sat Sunday in a courtyard quietly discussing who was wounded and who was still missing. "There was an explosion, all the windows blew out and I was thrown to the ground, said 45-year-old Oksana, who gave only her first name. She was in her third-floor apartment when the missiles struck. "My kitchen walls and balcony have completely vanished," she added, struggling to hold back tears. "I called my children to tell them I was alive." Irina Shulimova, a 59-year-old retiree, recalled the terror. "We didn't hear any incoming sound, we just felt the impact. I ran to hide in the corridor with my dogs. Everyone I knew started calling me to find out what had happened. I was shaking like a leaf," she said. Front doors and balconies were torn apart in the blast, and heaps of twisted metal and bricks lay on the ground. Crushed summer cherries were smeared on shattered window panes. A 30-year-old technology worker named Oleksandr said his mother was among those injured in the explosion. "Thank God I wasn't injured, it was a miracle," he said, touching the crucifix around his neck. Although the home he shares with his mother is now shattered, he said he doesn't plan to leave the neighborhood. "I only have enough money to support myself for another month. Lots of people are fed up already of refugees coming from the east no one will feed or support us there. It's better to stay," said Oleksandr, who declined to give his surname. Another resident who gave only his first name, Dima, had lived for more than 20 years on the ground floor of one of the buildings that was hollowed out in the attack. He walked back and forth across the rubble. "As you can see, my home is lost," he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russians of intentionally targeting civilians. "Anyone who orders such strikes, everyone who carries them out in ordinary cities, in residential areas, kills absolutely consciously," he said in an address to Ukrainians on Sunday night. "After such hits, they won't be able to say that they didn't know or didn't understand something." Saturday's attack was just the latest in a series of strikes against civilian areas in the east, even as Russia repeatedly claims it is only hitting targets of military value. Twenty-one people were killed earlier this month when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region. Another at least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June. There was no comment about the Chasiv Yar attack at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Sunday. The Donetsk region is one of two provinces along with Luhansk that make up the Donbas region, where separatist rebels have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk. Russian forces are raising "true hell" in the Donbas, despite assessments they were taking an operational pause, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Saturday. After the seizure of Lysychansk, some analysts predicted that Moscow's troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup. But "so far there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before," Haidai said. He later said Ukrainian forces had destroyed some ammunition depots and barracks used by the Russians. WASHINGTON As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a "kill switch'' to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called "an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers' rights.'' The documents were first leaked to the Brtiish newspaper The Guardian, which shared them with the consortium. In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged "mistakes'' in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been "tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates ... When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.'' Founded in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortium's Uber Files revealed the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries. The company's lobbyists including former aides to President Barack Obama pressed government officials to drop their investigations, rewrite labor and taxi laws and relax background checks on drivers, the papers show. The investigation found that Uber used "stealth technology'' to fend off government investigations. The company, for example, used a "kill switch'' that cut access to Uber servers and blocked authorities from grabbing evidence during raids in at least six countries. During a police raid in Amsterdam, the Uber Files reported, former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick personally issued an order: "Please hit the kill switch ASAP ... Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam).'' The consortium also reported that Kalanick saw the threat of violence against Uber drivers in France by aggrieved taxi drivers as a way to gain public support. "Violence guarantee(s) success,'' Kalanick texted colleagues. In a response to the consortium, Kalanick spokesman Devon Spurgeon said the former CEO "never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety.'' The Uber Files say the company cut its tax bill by millions of dollars by sending profits through Bermuda and other tax havens, then "sought to deflect attention from its tax liabilities by helping authorities collect taxes from its drivers.'' Donnchadh Lynch, from Ovens, Co. Cork, returned home from abroad on Thursday and was arrested A Cork man appeared in court this week on charges of having cocaine for sale and supply almost a decade ago. 31-year-old Donnchadh Lynch, from Ballineadig, Farran, Ovens, Co. Cork, returned home from abroad on Thursday and was arrested by Sergeant Pat Lyons. Mr Lynch was brought before Cork District Court on charged including one count stating that he had cocaine for sale or supply on June 8, 2013 at Hodders Villas, Ballincollig. Sgt Lyons did not say what country the accused had been in during the intervening period but added: He is only home in the jurisdiction since yesterday evening (July 7). There was no objection to bail being granted to Mr Lynch and Judge Olann Kelleher adjourned the case until Thursday, June 14 so that Lynchs solicitor, Brian Long, could be present in court for the case. Conditions required him to surrender his passport and sign on three days a week at Togher garda station. Sources have highlighted in recent weeks an increased presence of both drugs and contraband phones inside Irelands only top security prison Notorious gangster Derek Bottler Devoy was moved out of top security Portlaoise prison for six weeks after being caught with a mobile phone behind bars for the second time in just six months. Devoy, who sources say is considered close to jailed dissident Sean Connolly, was caught with a mobile phone on the C wing of the prison in mid-May. He was transferred to Limerick Prison after the device was handed over to gardai before he was returned to Portlaoise last week. Sources have highlighted in recent weeks an increased presence of both drugs and contraband phones inside Irelands only top security prison. Devoy was found with a mobile The supply of drugs into the prison is allegedly controlled by senior Kinahan cartel inmates, including Peadar Keating and a dissident inmate. The main contraband route into the prison is believed to be through the prison kitchen. And we revealed last week how jail bosses sacked Peadar Keating from his job in the kitchen as part of a bid to limit the supply. Described in court as a senior member of the cartel, Keating has assumed the mantle of leader of the Kinahan inmates on C-Block since his arrival in the prison. He is serving an 11-year stretch after admitting in July last year to directing the activities of a criminal gang involved in the failed attempt on Hutch associate James Mago Gately in 2017. Such is the prevalence of drugs in the prison, there have been eight suspected overdoses in C-wing over the past number of weeks. Derek Devoy, who is serving 15 years after almost shooting a garda while an unpinned hand grenade rolled around on a bathroom floor in his Ballymun home, was previously caught red-handed with a phone in the prison on Christmas Eve. Sean Connolly On that occasion, he tried to break the device as he was being searched. The hardman later pleaded guilty to the offence of having a contraband mobile phone behind bars and said he was using it to call home after his mother had been released from hospital. He was given a one-month sentence for the offence to run concurrently with his existing jail term meaning he wouldnt serve any additional time behind bars. In 2020, Devoy was given a lengthy sentence for a series of weapons charges after gardai raided a house where he tried to stash his weapons. It came after he was seen pacing around the area with a hand-grenade and a 9mm Makarov submachine gun. After Devoy was finally subdued and taken from the house, the Army bomb squad carried out a controlled explosion on the hand grenade. At the time he was being targeted by a number of gangland enemies who wanted him dead. He was warned by gardai of four separate death threats and survived a hit in August of that year which resulted in a horrific double murder. The assassin ended up killing his innocent sister Antoinette Corbally-Devoy, a 48-year-old mother of six, and his friend Clinton Shannon (30), who also had no involvement in crime. Peadar Keating An inquest heard later that Ms Corbally, from Balbutcher Drive, Ballymun, died as a result of gunshot wounds to the head and torso, according to State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidys autopsy report. Clinton Shannon was sitting in a car parked outside while Ms Corbally was shot in the hallway of the house. Mr Shannon, from Lincoln Hall, Applewood in Swords died of gunshot injuries to the neck and chest according to an autopsy conducted by Professor Cassidy. Mr Shannon was a locksmith and had no involvement in crime. Their murders have not yet been solved. Kurt Danysh summarizes the shift from living in prison to reentering society following incarceration in one word: overwhelming. As the founder and executive director of Tomorrows Neighbors, a Carlisle organization that aims to ease the transition, hes familiar with the process. And as a man who successfully reentered himself after 24 years in prison, he knows the feeling. Danysh went to prison in 1996 at age 18 for criminal homicide and was released in 2020 at age 42. Tomorrows Neighbors is big on not judging us based on our worst moment, Danysh said. So I think that we prefer to focus on who we are today rather than who we were then, but I will say that when I was 18, I made a series of bad decisions that led to consequences to many people and I deserved to go to prison. I served my time, I proved myself worthy of a second chance and I worked on myself while I was in prison. I am not the same person and Im trying to honor the actions that brought me to jail as best I can by helping others. This is the way I view that I can make amends. While he greatly regrets what brought him to prison, Danysh said hes is also grateful for what he brought home; Tomorrows Neighbors began while he was incarcerated. From inside, you get the perspective that our reentry process is flawed, he said. I took it very seriously coming home and preparing for my reentry and I saw a flood of parole violators coming back, and it made me wonder why, so I would literally sit down and interview parole violators, try to figure out what went wrong, how can I avoid those mistakes, and the overriding theme for these individuals was that they felt overwhelmed and they felt alone. During his incarceration, Danysh trained as a peer support specialist and earned a college degree in business. He said he joined the two together to launch Tomorrows Neighbors just before COVID-19 hit the United States, and the program is now getting back up to speed. The mission The organizations name and philosophy is based on the idea that todays prisoners are tomorrows neighbors, Danysh said. The community is going to have reentrants, theyre coming home, he said. The question is, what state are they going to come home with and what kind of support are they going to have here. Even if you dont have a bleeding heart for reentrants, which we understand most people wont, it costs almost $60,000 a year to incarcerate any individual in PA. ... These individuals have proven themselves worthy of coming out, and theyre on parole and it costs less than $4,000 to keep them out here on parole, so theres a financial incentive to keep people out and thats what we want to do. We want to reduce people going back to jail, we want to reduce crime, so I think the public should care about this because its a problem they cant ignore. Its here, so the question is what are we going to do about it? Tomorrows Neighbors provides qualifying reentrants with a cellphone to help find work and stay connected with family. Returning residents also participate in community services and an eight-step program. Just like the programs founding, its process begins behind bars. Out of the eight steps in Tomorrows Neighbors reentry program, four of them take place prior to a persons release. We want to reach inside the prisons, we want to get people ready before theyre released, and so we want to come inside the prisons, show them that success is possible, show what it takes to succeed out here and kind of bust the myths of reentry because when youre incarcerated, you get overwhelmed with what this person said or what that person said and you dont know whats real and whats not, Danysh said. He said one such myth is that parole agents are enemies, but in reality they are support systems. Tomorrows Neighbors also pairs people who have successfully reentered society with newly released individuals. Thats significant because that person has walked in their shoes, they know what its like, he said. When you have your parole agent or social worker telling you they understand what youve been through, you know they dont. But when a peer tells you that you know its true and you take it and it takes away being alone, so thats the number one complaint from parole violators and it helps with the overwhelmed feeling. Each one teach one The mentorship aspect of the program also means that Tomorrows Neighbors isnt necessarily something that ends for reentrants. Those who complete the process and transition successfully to become positive members of the community have the opportunity to become mentors, reentrants like Chris Rodland. Rodland was arrested in 1998 at age 21 in Altoona for arson. He spent 22 years in prison and was released in 2020 at age 43. For me, all the family I knew while I was incarcerated passed away, Rodland said. My mother passed away in 2019 shortly after visiting me. So the family I knew from the Altoona/Holidaysburg area was gone. ... I knew I wasnt successful in the community where I was and I didnt want to go back there for that reason. He ended up in the Harrisburg area because he knew two people who had been in his situation, each serving at least a decade, and offered to help him find housing and a job. Rodland has been out of prison for 19 months and has worked for 18, landing a job just nine days after his release. Danysh met Rodland for a short time at the beginning of their incarceration. Twenty years ago, me and Chris sat at the beginning end of 20-year sentences, Danysh said. When you get that kind of time you feel like your life is over. I didnt know if I was going to live long enough to be out, and its hard to hold onto that hope. Tomorrows Neighbors testified at Rodlands re-sentencing. His [Chris] judge literally reduced his sentence based upon who he is today and the judge said at his sentencing, I dont want to judge the person that was who he is before, Im going to judge who he is today, Danysh said. Now, Rodland will train to mentor others who are reentering society after serving time, drawing from his own experiences. According to Danysh, thats how the system is supposed to work. The bigger picture Reentry support in the area doesnt come solely through Tomorrows Neighbors, but also through other local entities that support the reentry process for those newly released from prison. One of those is the Cumberland County Reentry Coalition. Danysh said the coalition is composed of community members, leaders and nonprofits who are working to improve reentry in the county. We want to provide resources for folks getting out of prison and reentering society, we want to educate their employers for example on how it helps the community when theyre willing to hire, so just in a nutshell Id say providing resources as well as educating to give ... them the tools that they need, said Michael Landis, a member of the coalition. Danysh said the coalition meets monthly and also holds executive meetings to identify and solve problems. Each county starts its own coalition, but there are about 30 counties in Pennsylvania that still need to create one, he said. The councils then exist under the Pennsylvania Reentry Council, which was established in May 2017, according to the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Tomorrows Neighbors held a reentry roundtable in conjunction with the council in March at New Life Community Church in Carlisle. It highlighted seven successful reentrants and we talked about what we did to prepare for reentry, why we succeeded, and more than that we just wanted to show that success is possible and to kind of educate the public on what that process looks like and why its important, Danysh said. The organization has also coordinated activities such as hikes, bowling and tubing for returning people. Advice for, from reentrants However, the outreach does not solely take place outside of incarceration. Danysh, along with six other reentrants, including Rodland, also created a video that is being shown in every state prison in Pennsylvania, giving advice to those preparing to make the transition to life on the outside. In the video, individuals shared about being resourceful, asking questions and working through the emotional processing that can follow release. Danysh also had advice for interacting with those who have been incarcerated. According to him, while this can be awkward, the conversation starts with two words: welcome home. They are home, this is their home, he said. Danysh said hes never met someone who wants to go back to prison; reentrants are just trying to be successful. I think more than anything you tell people we are human, that we made one bad decision and it was a decision and we were punished fairly per the commonwealth and we just want an opportunity to prove ourselves worthy of a second chance, he said. Its the sort of chance Danysh, too, received. I believe God landed me in Cumberland County, because someone literally gave me a place to stay here and if not for that Id probably still be incarcerated because I wouldnt have had somewhere to go, he said. They gave me that platform to build my future on and thats all that we want to do with Tomorrows Neighbors is help people do the same thing. I JUST wish my old Geography teacher Mr Boyd was there to witness me extract an encyclopaedic knowledge of limestone and rock formations, while on a guided tour of the mind-blowing Aillwee Cave and Birds of Prey Centre, in County Clare. It was my first time at the spectacular spot since a school trip back in 1992, and while the stalactites and stalagmites have not changed much (they grow 1cm every 100 years) the welcome centre, gift shop and overall experience certainly have. As Gearoid took us deep under the rocky mountain through the meandering and undulating caves, all of the terminology I had learned in Mr Boyds class over three decades ago came flooding back much to my wife and daughters shock. The Keany family on the tour For 68, a family of four can walk 1km along the other-worldly terrain, under low-lying rocks and along a manmade trail broken up by the guide stopping at seven strategic spots to tell us more yarns about Farmer McGann, who discovered the cave in the 40s while looking for his dog, as well as the stories surrounding the subsequent digs and excavations by experts. Weirdly-intact bear bones, movie-like waterfalls, dark bat caves, impressive projected light shows and a whole host of geological wonders are part of the 45-minute tour that left all four members of Team Keany in awe. The inquisitive girls had a whole series of questions for our young guide, but nothing was too difficult for him as he rattled off well-informed answers. The walk itself is still as easy as it always was. But 30 years on from my last visit, I found myself having to duck under giant boulders a lot more frequently. There are a few inclines and declines along the way but you never feel unsafe thanks to the barriers installed to hold on to. And since the pandemic, the powers that be have also decided to extend the tour through what was traditionally a tradesmens tunnel, which means you no longer have to double back once youve reached the end. The new loop means that the final stretch of the tour is a simple and flat walk along a 500m stretch of cave, which was created with dynamite years ago. While that section lacks the limestone formations that make the Aillwee Cave so popular with tourists and Irish people, it is still an amazing finish to the tour. The biggest change to the tour is the addition of the companys Birds of Prey Centre at the bottom of the hill. For your entrance fee up above at the cave you also get access to the 45-minute exhibition of wild birds. A falcon at the Birds of Prey Centre Falcons, eagles and even an adorable barn owl named Jess were coaxed out of their habitats, performing amazing flying displays for over 50 enthralled spectators dotted around the arena. As Batty the eagle swooped in and around us in the stands, we got up close and personal with the magnificent bird. My eldest, Chloe, was even plucked out of the audience to hold the owl at one point. Once the show is over, you can take your time to wander around the aviaries and take a proper look at some of the most incredible birds on the planet. There is a brilliant (and reasonably priced) gift shop too, which was obviously tapped up before we left. Its a 2.5-hour drive from Dublin, which is a long way to go for a few hours. But I genuinely think it is worth it. We chose to stay in Ennistymon on the Saturday night to make a weekend of it but you are blessed with a whole host of picture-postcard towns and villages around the area to stay. Chloe befriends an owl Doolin, Lahinch, Lisdoonvarna, Kinvara, Ballyvaughan, Kilfenora, Corofin and our choice, Ennistymon, are all within 30 minutes of the world-famous cave. Tourists flock to the region in their hundreds of thousands each year but why dont domestic tourists do the same? As we headed back east after an all-too-short 24 hours in County Clare, we promised each other that it most certainly would not be another three decades before we returned. TRAVEL FACTFILE AILLWEE CAVE, CO CLARE See aillweeburrenexperience.ie Tickets cost 14 for children, 24 for adults and 22 for students/seniors. A family of four ticket is just 68 with a two-adult-four-children ticket for 88. Group discounts are available all year around. Entry fee includes the Birds of Prey Centre where there are four daily shows at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm and 5pm. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said Boris Johnsons resignation is a glorious opportunity to try and amend what has happened in recent years in Irish-UK politics. Mr Ahern said the relationship between the British and Irish Governments has been fraught since 2019 and prospective British Prime Ministers must re-engage in practical Brexit negotiations. He said Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar came to an agreement in September of that year which led to the Northern Ireland Protocol and that fact has been lost in most UK media coverage and in the House of Commons. He argued the Irish Government can play a role by explaining pretty simply what the protocol is and what an international agreement is. "It is not rocket science and I think now people on the British side seems to think that this is something that was done in isolation, and it wasnt really part of the discussions, he told RTE Radio Ones News At One. It is for us to play the second half of this match, with the view of being able to win... This is our opportunity and if we cant make it work, thats another day's work but we should go into it, not with the view that it could be worse and we get a more difficult person, we have to go into it with a sense of explaining why its important. Read more: Boris Johnson finally agrees to resign as UK Conservative Party leader Mr Ahern said it is equally important to acknowledge that trade groups in Northern Ireland have expressed frustration at the complexities that the Protocol has created for their members. He said the summer period should be used to sit down with these groups to work out these outstanding issues, and to present the findings to EU officials. I honestly believe the DUP would be up for a reasonable agreement on this, providing it comes through the UK Government, he added. Meanwhile, Mr Ahern said there are some potential candidates for the role of UK leader who he believes the Irish Government "could do business with. Speaking on the same programme, Irish MEP and EU Commissioner for Financial Stability, Financial Services and the Capital Markets Union, Mairead McGuinness, said despite recent developments, nothing has change from the EU Commissions perspective and the protocol has to be implemented. But we want to implement it in a way that is flexible, that answers the challenges that businesses are facing in Northern Ireland with its implementation and that it works for Northern Ireland; for people and for business," she said. "Thats still on our table, but what has been difficult for us to understand is this idea that unilateral action will solve those difficulties with the legislation that is halfway through the process in the House of Commons but obviously we will be looking to see what comes up the change at leadership level in the Conservative Party. Regarding the prospect of the UK Government proceeding with unilateral action in the form the Protocol Bill, MEP McGuinness said the European Commission has said very openly that it wont work. She added: The basics and fundamentals of solving problems are solved around the table and were still at that table. The referendum happened in 2016 and were now in 2022. We have this unfinished business. "Look to Northern Ireland and I hope that Northern Ireland will be front and centre of the election campaign in the Conservative Party to good effect. In other words, that there will be an understanding of the benefits that accrue to Northern Ireland by its access to the single market. The one-time chief suspect for the murder of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier said that his evening at the West Cork Literary Festival was spoiled by the two women. Ian Bailey has claimed that that he was heckled by two fat ladies at a Cork literary festival over the weekend. The one-time chief suspect for the murder of French film producer Sophie Toscan du Plantier said that his evening at the West Cork Literary Festival was spoiled by the two women. He had been attending a talk at a Bantry hotel on Saturday night, which was hosted by author Colm Toibin, when he claims the incident unfolded. After Toibins talk on Irish fiction, the festival hosted an open mic opportunity for attendees to recite poetry or tell stories. Bailey claims that he was taunted by the women while he was onstage and said that the pair were escorted out of the venue by hotel security. Taking to social media afterwards, the former journalist said: After [Toibins] most entertaining talk there was poetry and storytelling... only spoiled for a moment by two fat ladies who heckled me a bit before being ejected by hotel security... Is feidir linn... and of course yes we an and yes we will, he added. However, neither the hotel hosting the event nor the organisers of the West Cork Literary Festival could confirm that Bailey was heckled. A spokesperson for the festival said that they have not been made aware of any disruptions during yesterdays event. We havent been aware of any disturbance. Nothing has been brought to our attention anyway. I dont know regarding any protest or anything like that. Im not aware of anything like that, she told sundayworld.com. She added that while Bailey does live locally, he was not specifically invited to attend the festival. Colm Toibin had his own event yesterday. He was entitled and invited by the festival to be a part of it. But the open mic is all welcome. We have no control of who attends. It basically gives the opportunity to anyone to attend and they get about 3 or 4 minutes to speak their poetry or readings. But theyre not specifically invited to attend. It comes after gardai announced that they will now conduct a full review into the horrific killing of the Frenchwoman just before Christmas in 1996 in west Cork. Sophie (39) was battered to death with a stone and breeze block on the night of December 22, 1996, at her holiday home in Toormore, near Schull in Co. Cork. Following a review by Assistant Commissioner, Organised and Serious Crime, the Garda Serious Crime Review Team will now conduct a full review of this case, a Garda spokesman said. On the finalisation of this review, the Serious Crime Review Team will provide recommendations to the local investigation team. An Garda Siochana continues to appeal to anyone who may have any information on this crime to contact the Garda investigation team at Bantry Garda Station 027 20860 or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111, he added. The man is believed to be around 35 years of age The accident happened at the Antiville bonfire in Larne, not far from a larger one which has been in the headlines in recent days. The victim is believed to be around 35, and police said he was assisting in the building of the bonfire when the accident happened. The tragedy comes less than 48 hours before bonfires are lit across Northern Ireland in celebration of the Twelfth. In a statement to Sunday Life, the Ambulance Service confirmed paramedics were called out just before 10pm last night. A Northern Ireland Ambulance Service spokesperson said: The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 21:37 on Saturday 9 July following reports of a person having fallen from a height in the Fairway area of Larne. "NIAS despatched a Rapid Response Paramedic, 2 Emergency Crews and a doctor to the incident. "Following assessment and initial treatment at the scene, no-one was transported to hospital. DUP MP for the area, Sammy Wilson, attended the scene. He said: Its a real tragedy. I think his mum was there shortly after it happened. She is shattered by it. A local minister was also there. There was nothing could be done to save his life. People are shocked and horrified. UUP MLA Steve Aiken said it was very sad news and added his thoughts were with the mans family and friends. East Antrim Alliance Party MLA Stewart Dickson tweeted his condolences to the man. "Sad news from #Larne as a young man died after falling from a 11th night bonfire being built in Antiville, he wrote. "My deepest sympathy goes to his family and friend and the whole community as it reflects on this tragic death. Ben Preston, a local minister from Craigyhill Presbyterian Church said: Just home from the Antiville bonfire in front of the church, the scene of a tragic death this evening. "As a church, our deepest condolences are with the family and community of Antiville and Craigyhill. Our thanks go to the Ambulance Service, PSNI, and Fire & Rescue Service for their work tonight. "Flowers can be left on our church fence, you'll be welcome to join us for worship at 11am, and in the afternoon we'll open a drop-in for the community to come and chat or pray, or just have a cup of tea. We'll be here for you. Meanwhile, other bonfires across Northern Ireland paid tribute to the man, including the nearby Craigyhill, who wrote on social media: It is with deepest sympathy the tragedy that happened tonight to a fellow bonfire builder in the Antiville estate in Larne. It is with his family wishes that the Craigyhill bonfire carries on and beats the world record in his memory. Our thoughts and prayers are with his immediate family circle. In a statement, the PSNIs Adrian Bryan said: "Police can confirm that a man in his 30s has died following an accident at a bonfire site in the Fairway area of Larne last night, Saturday July 9. We understand that the man was assisting in the building of the bonfire when this tragic accident occurred. Our thoughts are very much with his family at this time. Our investigation has commenced and we are appealing for witnesses, especially those who were in the area last night around 10.15pm, to come forward and contact us on 101 quoting reference number 1866 09/07/22. Alternatively, you can submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/. Aer Lingus has attributed recent cancellations to operational reasons The departing Aer Lingus flights which have been called off are the 1.30pm Mystery Flight, EI 9405 and the 4.45pm flight to Frankfurt, EI 656. The cancelled Aer Lingus flights which were due to arrive in Dublin today are the 1.30pm flight from Prague, EI643 and the 9.45pm flight from Frankfurt, EI657. The 12pm Eurowings flight from Dublin to Cologne Bonn, EW397 and the 10.50pm Flyone flight to Chisinau, Moldova, FIA712 are not going ahead. Meanwhile, the 11.15am Eurowings flight from Cologne Bonn, EW 396 and the 10.05pm Flyone flight from Chisinau, Moldova, FIA711 have also been cancelled. Aer Lingus has attributed recent cancellations to operational reasons, as it continues to deal with Covid-19 cases among staff and industrial action abroad. Aer Lingus has been contacted for clarification on the nature of the Mystery Flight today. Independent.ie also revealed in recent days, that the airline is now using a third party to fly some routes. Hundreds of passengers have had their holiday plans thrown into disarray, with Aer Lingus cancelling 11 flights between Friday and Saturday. Some Aer Lingus customers have been emailed about changes to their flights, informing them they will be taken to their chosen destination by a different carrier. In one email, Aer Lingus told a customer who was due to fly within days, that: Due to operational reasons your flight will now be operated by Privilege Style on our behalf. Check-in for your flight will remain at the Aer Lingus check-in desks." Privilege Style is a Spanish private airline that operates globally but it has no ties to Aer Lingus. The Aer Lingus email detailed that the company was confident the service you receive from Privilege Style pilots and cabin crew will be to the same high standards our customers expect from us. Privilege Style meets all Aer Lingus safety standards". An Aer Lingus spokesperson said the airline had: Anticipated the return of demand for travel once Covid restrictions were removed and built appropriate buffers into our plans in order to deal with a reasonable level of additional disruption. They added: Occasionally we will hire additional capacity using third party operators to avoid disruption to our customers. Passengers using various airlines have also reported lost luggage at Dublin Airport, including one Air Canada passenger who is still trying to find her baggage that contains her parents ashes. A spokesperson for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said it is aware of issues that some arriving passengers are facing with baggage return, but that is looked after by the airlines. We empathise with those affected and regret that these issues are impacting their passenger experience. We are liaising very closely with both the airlines and their ground handling companies in relation to these issues, the root of which lies in the significant staff hiring challenges that are facing all companies operating in the aviation sector currently. Since Wednesday, July 6, the Defence Forces have been on standby at the airport, and will continue to do so for the next six weeks for the busy summer period. Defence Forces staff will only be deployed to the airport if more than 20pc of security staff are off due to Covid-19. However, reports of long queues at the airports security checkpoints and outside the terminal buildings have reduced significantly in recent weeks. It comes DAA has confirmed that more than 2.8 million passengers travelled through the airport last, which was its busiest month since before the Covid-19 pandemic began. Over 12 millions passengers have passed through the facility in the last six months. The main ceremony was held at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks in Dublin. The events honoured Irish men and women who died in past wars or on service with the United Nations. The main ceremony was held at the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks in Dublin. President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland following an inter-faith service. Taoiseach Micheal Martin and other members of the Government also attended the Dublin ceremony. Representatives of families whose loved ones died in past wars or on UN service as well as descendants of the leaders of the 1916 rebellion were invited. The ceremony concluded with a gun salute, the playing of the Last Post and national anthem, and an Air Corps flypast. Other commemorative events were held in Cork, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford on Sunday morning. Morah is moving to a seafront apartment after selling the family home she once shared with the tragic DJ for 1.52m The Sunday World can reveal Morah is preparing to move into the glass-fronted apartments in the Clontarf area of north Dublin. Morah has told friends she is downsizing to move into her new pad. Inside a flat that was recently sold Three of Morahs five children have moved out of the Ryan mansion in Clontarf, where the family lived for over 30 years. Lottie, Rex and Bonnie all married their partners in recent years and have their own marital homes. Morahs youngest children Elliott and Babette have been sharing the family home with her. It is likely that Morah has bought a three-bedroom apartment to accommodate her family. Morah Ryan has sold the house with he late husband Just two apartments in the Seascape complex have been listed this year as having been sold up to last month. A one-bedroom sold there in February for 480,000, while a three-bedroom in the complex sold late last month for 835,000. That three-bed is a 107sq m (1,152sq ft) apartment overlooking a courtyard. The bathroom of a flat that was recently sold One of the bedrooms has an en-suite and theres a separate bathroom and kitchen/livingroom with access to a terrace shared with one of the bedrooms. There are two underground parking spaces. The complex was built in 2015 and consists of 59 apartments in two blocks the front one boasting uninterrupted views of Dublin Bay. The Ryans end-of-terrace Georgian house had initially gone on the market last year for 2m, but was knocked down to 1.85m after failing to sell. The Ryan family home After a sale was agreed at its second price, the five-bedroom period home on Castle Avenue was withdrawn for from the market before going back on the market in February for an asking price of 1.59m. We can exclusively reveal the home eventually sold for 1,525,000. Morah has told friends she wants to stay in the Clontarf area as her mum, whom she helps care for, lives nearby. The late Gerry Ryan Gerry, who passed away in 2010 at the age of 53, shared the house in the north Dublin suburb prior to the couples split in 2008. Hearthy spoke of how Westlife were her idols growing up WESTLIFE fan Hearthy Millones from the Philippines told yesterday how the cancellation of her return flight from an Irish visit led to the thrill of seeing her favourite band for the first time in Aviva Stadium. Hearthy, who was among the ecstatic crowd at Westlifes spectacular concert on Friday night, had been on holiday in Ardfert, Co. Kerry, with her Irish partner, Gerard Nolan, to meet all of his family. On June 30 the young couple were due to fly to Thailand, where they both work as teachers. When we arrived at Dublin Airport we were told our KLM flight had been cancelled and we were so stressed out because we had to return to our work, Hearthy tells the Sunday World. Westlife at the Aviva Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins Gareth Chaney There were no other flights available because of whats happening in the airlines. It was very stressful. We had to talk to our bosses and explain what was happening. I didnt sleep all night, but then the next morning KLM got back to us and said the nearest flight would be on July 11. It was then that I said to my partner, I was meant to watch Westlife. That gave me life and something to look forward to. Hearthy, who only learned about the Westlife shows at Aviva Stadium when she arrived in Ireland, told how they were her idols growing up but she was so poor she couldnt even afford their posters. Im from the province of Lake Sebu in the mountainous area of the Philippines and we didnt have TV, she says. I just listened to the radio and wrote their songs in my notebook. Thats how I started to become a fan. But I couldnt afford to buy albums. My Irish family have been so good to me. When the flights got cancelled they got me a very nice ticket for Westlife. It was the family gift to me. They wanted me to see Westlife because they are the pride of Ireland. . I cant explain how exciting it was when I arrived in the stadium and saw the Westlife stage. It was very overwhelming. My heart was pounding and I didnt want to go home. It was a dream come true. Today, Im very speechless and my throat is still hurting because I was screaming, singing and dancing all through the concert. I bought a Westlife T-shirt and I wore it to bed last night, and Im still wearing it today. I dont think Ill take it off. Hearthy admitted she got no sleep after the concert as she stayed up all night speaking with family and friends in the Philippines. All my family and friends back home are very jealous, she laughs. I was up all night talking to them about the experience. When Sarah Spencer starts explaining what brought them to Hauraki District Councils industrial park in Kerepehi, her enthusiasm for the move is infectious. After 35 years of doing business in Auckland, we knew it was time to look for a location that offered work life balance and sustainability. For our staff and business, Kerepehi is it, says Saito's head of focus. On top of that, says business founder and Sarahs father, Gavin Hodder, working with Rebecca and the Community Growth team at Hauraki District Council made the five year development process much smoother than Ive experienced in larger cities, and thats been a big plus. When he heard that Councils approach is to roll out the red carpet, not the red tape, Gavin said that was a great way to describe what he had experienced. I can say that Council showed a desire to make businesses welcome, providing a point of contact to support us and make things happen. Rebecca and the team were always accessible and available, making sure we were speaking to the right people to get the right answers, says Gavin. From Saito generating 90 per cent of their own electricity; capturing water on site; using New Zealand made steel with a low carbon footprint for their build to buying land in Kerepehi to subdivide and build houses for co-ownership with their staff, this is the kind of business we love to welcome into our district, says Community Development Advisor (Economic), Rebecca Jenks. Saito is a family owned business, started 35 years ago by Gavin Hodder. Sarahs first job for pocket money was stuffing envelopes. She now manages the company and her no nonsense; work smart, have fun and commit to sustainability approach shows in the new state of the art $4 million factory currently under construction. Weve been impressed with Sarah and Gavins committment as a family business to the environment, their staff and our community. Its a pleasure to work with businesses who bring such energy and drive to our district. And while Saito is one of the largest 100% New Zealand owned label and tags businesses, its their personal approach to their staff and community that make them such a great fit, says Rebecca. The now sold out Hauraki Park in Kerepehi is proving a hit with businesses looking for location and affordability, with easy transport routes to major cities within the golden triangle of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. We have everything we need on our doorstep and the locals have been so welcoming. Everyone we have spoken to has said come, come, come, bring your business here, says Sarah. This new building will be like a spider web as we connect with the heart of Kerepehi and a multitude of local businesses. We cant wait. Sarah added that they are currently recruiting for at least two roles ideal openings for people local to the factory from the Hauraki District and Waikato region. Long-term job security and stability are central to these roles where youll learn on the job and become a specialist in your field at Saito. We can provide most training, but those who are mechanically minded, or have warehouse or supply chain experience will find the parallels helpful. The factory will be home to at least 10 staff once complete at the end of the year. Positions are available immediately though, so that any required training can get underway. Saito is keen to hear from local folk who are looking for career opportunities and have a great attitude. More information on Saito can be found at www.saito.co.nz The Ministry of Health is reporting 7461 community cases and 662 current hospitalisations. The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers today is 9000. The ministry is also reporting the deaths of eight people with Covid-19. All of these deaths occurred during the last two days. "There has been a significant increase in the number of Covid-19-positive hospitalisations this weekend. We know there will also be increased demand for primary and community care services as Covid-19 cases increase. "The Ministry of Health and Te Whatu Ora Health NZ are closely monitoring this, together with case numbers, as part of our ongoing review and updating of the response to the current community outbreak. "The increase in hospitalisations also emphasises the importance of everybody doing the basics well to help New Zealand get through winter in good shape. "In particular, people who are unwell should stay home, take a rapid antigen test and upload the result on MyCovidRecord, and isolate if positive or while still symptomatic. "Everyone should use a mask where required and especially where they may be in contact with vulnerable people a good rule of thumb is to use a mask in all indoor places outside of your home. And now is the time to ensure you are up to date with your Covid-19 vaccinations, including those who are eligible for a second booster dose, as well as having a flu vaccination, which is free for many people." School holidays and winter illnesses Winter means cold weather, as well as more days indoors where our tamariki can more easily pick up and pass on germs, colds and flu. 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: Keep unwell tamariki at home to give them the best chance to rest and recover, and reduce the spread of infections. If children have Covid-19 symptoms like a fever, cough, sore throat and headache rapid antigen test them. Encourage good hygiene like regular hand washing, and sneezing or coughing into their elbow or a tissue. A sick child who is still eating and drinking well, can be watched at home until theyre feeling better. Tamariki between the ages of 3 and 12 are now eligible for, and are encouraged to get, a free flu vaccination. People eligible for a free flu jab can contact their GP, usual healthcare provider or local pharmacy to make a booking. Bookings are available at Healthpoint. 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, Covid-19. Ventilate your home by opening windows and doors throughout the day. 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, wear a mask if they are old enough, and ensure they get enough sleep. Many of these tips are very relevant for adults too. Following these simple tips can help us fight off seasonal illnesses and keep in good shape. Stay well this winter, Aotearoa! Covid-19 hospitalisations Covid-19 Cases in hospital: total number 662: Northland: 14; Waitemata: 137; Counties Manukau: 56; Auckland: 68; Waikato: 55; Bay of Plenty: 32; Lakes: 13; Hawkes Bay: 31; MidCentral: 27; Whanganui: 10; Taranaki: 12; Tairawhiti: 3; Wairarapa: 7; Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley: 68; Nelson Marlborough: 13; Canterbury and West Coast: 74; South Canterbury: 20; Southern: 22. Average age of current COVID-19 hospitalisations: 65 Cases in ICU or HDU: 13 Vaccination status of new admissions to hospital*: Unvaccinated or not eligible (48 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 (79 cases); received booster at least 7 days before being reported as a case (317 cases). *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 Vaccinations administered in New Zealand Vaccines administered to date: 4,028,739 first doses; 3,981,317 second doses; 33,374 third primary doses; 2,688,145 first booster doses: 88,569 second booster doses: 264,661 paediatric first doses and 136,919 paediatric second doses Vaccines administered yesterday: 17 first doses; 33 second doses; 18 third primary doses; 858 first booster doses; 5,914 second booster doses; 66 paediatric first doses and 576 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): 2,833 Number of Rapid Antigen Tests reported total (last 24 hours): 11,525 PCR tests rolling average (last 7 days): 3,292 Number of Rapid Antigen Tests dispatched (in the seven days as of 7 July 2022): 2.5 million Covid-19 cases Total number of new community cases: 7,461 Number of new cases that have recently travelled overseas: 286 Seven day rolling average of community cases: 9,000 Seven day rolling average of community cases (as at same day last week): 6,895 Number of active cases (total): 62,960 (cases identified in the past seven days and not yet classified as recovered) Confirmed cases (total): 1,421,077 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 1,671 and the seven-day rolling average of reported deaths is 16. Of the people whose deaths we are reporting today: four were from Auckland region, one was from Bay of Plenty, one was from Hawkes Bay, one was from Canterbury / West Coast, and one was from Southern. One was in their fifties, five were in their 80s, and two were aged over 90. Of these people, three were female and five were male. 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. Its proposed name is the Cumberland House, simple and straightforward, unlike a reentrants transition to life outside of prison. Having spent a combined total of 46 years in prison, Kurt Danysh and Chris Rodland are well acquainted with the hardships faced by inmates reentering society upon their release. Cellphones are not what they were two decades ago, Rodland said, outlining the difficulty of adjusting to changes in technology. Being able to figure out how to do job applications, I still struggle to do that today online. Danysh drove this point home by adding that pagers were used when he was incarcerated in 1996. Rodland also learned how to drive and earned his license, something he hadnt done before becoming incarcerated, with the help of Tomorrows Neighbors. Tomorrows Neighbors is a Carlisle-based nonprofit organization of which Danysh is the founder and executive director. As the organization states, todays prisoners are tomorrows neighbors, and the program is dedicated to aiding reentrants in their transition to become positive residents of the community, reducing their chances of reincarceration. Some of these transitions require slight adjustments, like getting used to receiving metal silverware at restaurants instead of the plastic utensils common in prison, or the use of self-check out machines in grocery stories. Danysh recalled times he would simply put his items down and leave the store altogether. Others present significant challenges for those in the reentry process. In a presentation Danysh gave to the Carlisle Borough Council during its June 9 meeting, he outlined transportation and housing as two of reentrants biggest needs. Even if reentrants live close to resources, many times these resources are scattered and inaccessible for those who need transportation, he said. Many reentrants work in Cumberland County but live in Harrisburg where housing is more available, Danysh said, adding that transportation becomes an issue in that case as well. With an awareness of these issues, Tomorrows Neighbors is looking at solutions. These include partnerships the organization has already formed with services like law enforcement, probation and mental and physical health providers. The organization also recently received two grants from Partnership for Better Health totaling $10,000 and a $25,000 grant from Reform Alliance. Danysh said these will be used to train mentors, produce reentry videos and provide rental assistance to reentrants. Danysh also has plans to establish what he calls the Cumberland House, an entity that would help to address housing and transportation struggles that reentrants face. He said he is in talks with a local landlord willing to lease him a house with 10 to 15 beds that is within walking distance to a variety of services, including a laundromat, grocery stores, restaurants and employment opportunities. While he said the house is in Carlisle, Danysh has not disclosed the specific address. The Cumberland House would be a situation where that person could immediately connect to services, we could centralize services in one place and kind of make sure that that transition is smooth, he said. With the Cumberland House, each resident would receive two months of free rent, giving them a chance to find a job. We dont want them to tread water, we want them to swim, Danysh said. As plans for the Cumberland House progress, he said hes seeking funding and community partners to add to the resources for the project, but he doesnt want the work to end with the eventual opening of the house, which Danysh hopes will occur next year. I think if we can show that the Cumberland House works, and we do want to track its success ... I think its something we could copy and paste to other counties, Danysh said. I think in Pennsylvania if we can prove it works in Cumberland County, it can work in Dauphin County and it can work in Bucks County and we can collaborate with other counties and make it work. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. (Getty Images) Liz Truss has broken her silence on Boris Johnson's resignation, calling for "calmness and unity" while a new leader is found. The foreign secretary said the prime minister had "made the right decision" by quitting. Ms Truss was on a trip abroad visiting Indonesia while Mr Johnson's cabinet collapsed around him and had so far not spoken publicly about the turmoil in Westminster. She is widely seen as a potential leadership hopeful to replace the prime minister. "The PM has made the right decision," she said in a message posted on social media. "The Government under Boris's leadership had many achievements - delivering Brexit, vaccines and backing Ukraine. "We need calmness and unity now and to keep governing while a new leader is found." Though Ms Truss had not publicly commented on the situation in Westminster she had made clear through sources close to her that she was standing by the prime minister. UK government faces new boozy scandal as deputy whip quits On Thursday Mr Johnson announced he would be stepping down as Tory leader and prime minister when a successor had been found. But some Conservatives and opposition politicians believe he should go immediately given the nature of his departure. Over MPs quit government roles over the last 36 hours in a bid to force him out. Mr Johnson had been criticised for his handling of an alleged case of sexual abuse by one of his senior MPs. Why it matters: It's no secret that China is the world's primary source of counterfeit hardware. For almost a decade, one man has sold vast quantities of fake Cisco systems to unsuspecting customers looking for a good deal on otherwise expensive networking equipment. This type of fraud can have serious economic ramifications when used to power critical infrastructure. This week, a federal grand jury indicted a Florida man for allegedly selling more than $1 billion of counterfeit Cisco networking equipment to several individuals, hospitals, schools, government agencies, and even the military. According to the Justice Department, 38-year-old Our "Ron" Aksoy was selling fake equipment from suppliers in China and Hong Kong. More specifically, he imported tens of thousands of devices through no less than 19 entities registered in New Jersey and Florida, collectively dubbed the "Pro Network." Aksoy sold the products via multiple storefronts on e-commerce platforms like Amazon, eBay, and others. His operation supposedly raked in over $100 million in revenue, of which several million had been pocketed by the "Pro Network" CEO and used for personal gain. The devices in question were older, lower-end Cisco systems that had been previously resold or discarded. Chinese counterfeiters modified them by adding pirated Cisco software and "unauthorized, low-quality, or unreliable components," essentially dressing them up to look like higher-end hardware. The suppliers also shipped the devices in genuine-looking packaging, with all the Cisco labels, stickers, and documentation. Aksoy's customers mainly wanted a better deal on machines typically costing thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. As you'd expect, the equipment often failed, didn't work correctly, and performed well below expectations. Over time, that raised the cost of ownership well beyond the initial acquisition cost. Cisco sent several cease-and-desist letters to Aksoy, but he had his lawyer provide forged invoices in a few instances. Between 2014 and 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized around 180 shipments of counterfeit Cisco systems headed to the "Pro Network." However, Aksoy allegedly regained some of these seizures by submitting fake paperwork under an alias. He eventually worked with his suppliers to break the shipments into smaller parcels, hoping to avoid further scrutiny. On June 29, the Department of Homeland Security filed a criminal complaint in New Jersey, leading to Aksoy's arrest in Miami the same day. If you suspect you or your organization may have been one of his customers, you can check here for a list of the various companies and storefronts that were used to sell counterfeit Cisco systems. Companies like Amazon have been trying to curb the sale of fake products on their platforms for years, albeit with limited success. Customs officers seized counterfeit consumer tech products in 2021 in record numbers, especially smaller items like wearables. Masthead credit: Johannes Weber US Air Force and Space Force's "world's only reusable spaceplane" keeps setting records. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, dubbed by its manufacturer Boeing as the sole reusable spaceplane in the world, achieved another endurance record on Thursday, as reported first by Fox26 News. What's more astounding is that the spaceplane has been orbiting the Earth for 781 days! (Photo : Boeing) The Air Force's reusable, unmanned X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) touched down at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. on 16 June (PDT). OTV-2, which was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on March 5, 2011, carried out tests while in orbit for 469 days. New Endurance Record To celebrate the achievement, Boeing honored the spaceplane by announcing its new endurance record on Twitter and congratulated both the Space Force and Air Force on Thursday, July 8. The X-37B also holds the previous record for the longest time in orbit, 780 days. According to the Air Force, the X-37B is currently on its sixth mission, known as Orbital Test Vehicle-6 or OTV-6, launched on May 17, 2020. The Air Force has rated the X-37B's previous five missions as "successful." Many details about those missions that were conducted are apparently classified, although some have been made available to the public. According to Space.com, the Photovoltaic Radio-frequency Antenna Module, or PRAM, from the Naval Research Laboratory has undergone testing in one mission. It is believed that PRAM is a tiny gadget designed to transform solar energy into microwaves that can be sent back to Earth. Read also: US Military Will Use 'High-Altitude Hot Air Balloons' to Prevent Hypersonic Missiles Against China and Russia Sophisticated Re-entry Spacecraft The Air Force's website said that OTV is an "experimental test program" that was built to showcase technologies for a "reliable, reusable, and unmanned" space test development for the agency. The X-37B's main goals are to conduct experiments that can be brought back to Earth and inspected here and to develop reusable spacecraft technology for America's future in space. Air Force also stated that OTV is one of the most recent and technologically sophisticated re-entry spacecraft out there. The unmanned spacecraft is inspired by NASA's X-37 design and it is built for vertical launch to low Earth orbit levels where it can conduct extended space technology research and testing. The OTV re-enters the atmosphere on its own, descends, and lands flat on a runway after receiving instructions from the ground. The X-37B is the first spacecraft since NASA's Shuttle Orbiter to have the capability of delivering experiments to our planet for additional review and analysis. The program is testing navigation, avionics, control, advanced guidance, high-temperature structures, advanced propulsion systems, autonomous orbital flight, re-entry, and so much more! Related Article: U.S. and Germany Will Supply Ukraine With Advanced Rockets and Anti-Aircraft Missiles This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is reportedly planning a trip to Russia as he seeks to negotiate a deal for the release of Brittney Griner. Patrick Reevell of ABC News reported Richardson plans to be in Moscow within the next couple of weeks. Richardson previously worked on the release of former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who was held in a Russian prison for more than two years. Griner has been detained in Russia on drug charges since February after authorities found hashish oil in her luggage at the Sheremetyevo International Airport. She pleaded guilty to those charges last week and could face up to 10 years in prison. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app, homepage and social feedsincluding Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. (Photo : by Joshua Hoehne from Unsplash ) Twitter On Saturday, July 9, Twitter employees revealed they were barred from tweeting or talking about the failed $44 billion takeovers of Tesla CEO and billionaire Elon Musk. Twitter Bans Employees to Talk About Musk Deal According to The Verge, the employees received a memo on July 8 from Sean Edgett, Twitter's general counsel. The social media company said they refrained from "tweeting, slacking, or sharing any commentary about the merger agreement" with Musk. Edgett added that Twitter would continue to share information about the merger when they are able but asked employees to limit what can be shared in the meantime. The Twitter general counsel also described the failed merger agreement as "an uncertain time," for the company. The employees of the social media giant have increasingly been outspoken as Musk has attacked them, their work, and the platform over everything, from content moderation to how it makes money. Also Read: Elon Musk's Twitter Deal: Advocacy Groups Urge the Takeover to Stop After Musk and his team withdrew their offer, Twitter's board of directors vowed to file a lawsuit against Musk for backing out of the $44 billion agreement, according to CNET. Musk, on the other hand, has not tweeted since he announced that he would no longer purchase Twitter. His last tweet was on July 7 regarding a product development at Tesla. Musk Backs Out of Twitter Deal On July 8, Elon Musk announced that he was pulling out of a $44 billion deal to purchase Twitter. His decision came after months of presenting himself as someone who could provide free speech for everyone on the social media platform. Musk said in a letter that was sent by his lawyer that Twitter breached several parts of the merger agreement by not providing more information about how it estimates the number of spam accounts on its social media platform. Twitter has reported that in the first three months of 2022, fewer than 5% of the platform's 229 million users were fake or spam-focused, but Musk said that the number might not be accurate. Bret Taylor, the chairman of Twitter's board of directors, said that the company still wants to close the deal with the Tesla CEO. Taylor said that the board is committed to closing the transaction on the price and terms they've agreed upon, and they plan to pursue legal action to enforce the merger agreement. The social media company will pursue legal action in the Delaware Court of Chancery, according to BBC. Musk's letter also outlines other information that he claimed Twitter has not handed over, including information about the company's financial conditions and more details about how the company calculates daily users who can see ads. The letter also says that Twitter has provided Musk with data, but some of the information is "minimally useful." Musk also said that an early analysis suggests some of Twitter's public disclosures of daily users are either false or misleading. Musk's letter further alleges that Twitter beached another part of the agreement after it fired key executives, laid off staff, and froze hiring without talking to him about it first. Related Article: Elon Musk To Meet Twitter Employees in Virtual Town Hall Meeting; Schedule, Discussions, and Other Details This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Sophie Webster 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Swedish researcher Almira Osmanovic Thunstrom may have realized this to another level following her successful artificial intelligence (AI) experiment. AI bot GPT-3 Produces an Output in Just Two Hours An AI algorithm, named GPT-3, created at Gothenburg University by Thunstrom, makes researchers wary after the AI completes a 500-word academic thesis about itself with complete citations and references in just about two hours. GPT-3 has accomplished the paper by fulfilling the criteria set by Thunstrom. Though its outcome was not that impressive, it was enough to show the capacity of the AI to produce quality output if trained well enough. According to her, the output of AI may potentially raise legal and ethical concerns. This is especially important because the AI was also given the capacity to express its consent in getting the paper published in an academic journal. In what appears to be both remarkable and concerning, GPT-3 was involved in the decision to publish its academic paper. Thunstrom had first asked the AI if it consented to publish its work, to which it replied "yes," as if sentient. After this, she asked GPT-3 if any conflicts of interest were to be published, and it responded "no." An important concern of publishing non-human work is now raised, and Thunstrom reveals that this has been the objective. The goal, according to her, was to spark public discussions and multi-level debates on the role of AI in academic publishing. AI bot Sparks Concerns Over Academic Publishing Standards "We just hope we didn't open a Pandora's box," says Thunstrom. In Scientific American, Thunstrom wrote about this experiment claiming that academic publishing may have to evolve as a system and give way to a future in which AI-produced theses and writings are valued. Along with this, a human researcher's role in a study and the weight of their publications as credentials may also change. All this is in recognition of possible studies in the future that could have components produced by AI which cannot be credited solely to the researchers. Conversations on AI sentience are nothing new to experts. Last month, an AI technology called LaMBDA was claimed by a Google engineer, Blake Lemoine, to have become sentient. It was an AI chatbot trained to engage in a dialogue and participate in real-time conversations. Whether the AI was sentient is another question, but Lemoine claims it is. "My opinions about LaMDA's personhood and sentience are based on my religious beliefs," Lemoine says. Though AI sentience has been a conversation among many, experts still say it is not yet advanced enough to resemble human intelligence. Thunstrom says the AI research community continues to attempt replicating the GPT-3 experiment. Similar studies find that GPT-3 can write about anything. Other than "multi-level debates" on AI-made manuscripts, it is clear that so much more can be revealed by the continuous research on AI technology. Related Articles: An 'AI Robot Chef' Is the Head Cook of a Pasta Restaurant in Japan 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tesla Australia decided to remove the Mobile Connector from new EV orders. Consumers will no longer have the automaker's standard charging cable used for at-home charging activities. (Photo : Photo grab from Michael Fortsch on Unsplash ) Tesla Australia Removes Mobile Connector From EV Orders! Buyers Now Need To Pay Extra $550 This is not the first time that the Mobile Connector was removed from Tesla EV order packages. Previously, the electric carmaker also did this in the United States. Tesla's Mobile Connector removal in the U.S. started in April. Of course, the EV package prices offered by the automaker were adjusted to make them reasonable. Now, it seems like the Mobile Connector is expanding in other countries. Tesla Australia Removes Mobile Connector From EV Orders! According to Drive AU's latest report, Tesla Australia's Mobile Connector removal was spotted by some EV buyers on July 7. (Photo : Photo grab from Maxim Hopman on Unsplash ) Tesla Australia Removes Mobile Connector From EV Orders! Buyers Now Need To Pay Extra $550 Also Read: Tesla is Mysteriously Stockpiling Megapacks | Here Are Some Theories Twitter user @dwhes, an Australian resident, said that the automaker is now removing its standard charging cables from its electric car order packages. @CarExpertAus @PaulMaric I can confirm that Tesla has removed the included UMC in Aus. New orders from today will NOT have the UMC included. And all EXISTING orders WILL receive it. Genuinely surprised Tesla has pulled this move so soon after the US removal. davidhes (@dwhes) July 8, 2022 "New orders from today will NOT have the UMC included. And all EXISTING orders WILL receive it. Genuinely surprised Tesla has pulled this move so soon after the US removal," said the Australian citizen. Of course, other individuals questioned if his claim was true. To clarify what he said, the user explained that the price of the Mobile Connector is now reduced to $550. However, the Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y still remain the same. As of writing, the automaker hasn't commented on this issue. Do you have a source for that we can attribute? It's a massively stupid move if so! Paul Maric (@PaulMaric) July 8, 2022 If you are an Australian resident and worried regarding the Mobile Connector removal in your country, the best thing you can do right now is to wait for the tech manufacturer's further announcements. Why is Tesla Mobile Connector Removal Happening? Elon Musk recently explained why they decided to remove the Mobile Connector from Tesla order packages in the United States. The billionaire said the standard charging cable's usage statistic is very low. Because of this, the tech CEO considered it wasteful to include the Tesla orders. To make up for this sudden change, Musk added that they would be reducing the price of the Mobile Connector by around $200. He is expecting this cost adjustment to help interested consumers to have the standard at-home charging cable. Based on feedback received, we will drop mobile connector price to $200 & make it easy to order with car. Note, mobile connector is not needed if you have a Tesla wall connector or to use Superchargers. Recommend installing Tesla wall connector well before car arrives. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2022 He added that it is not really needed if they have a Tesla wall connector or rely on near Tesla Supercharger stations. Meanwhile, the Tesla Cybertruck production start is expected to begin sooner than expected after the EV was spotted on a test track. On the other hand, the Tesla Robovan idea was revealed by Elon Musk. For more news updates about Tesla and its Mobile Connector removal activities, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Tesla Model S Plaid Runs at Breakneck Speed of More Than 200 mph With Only a Single Modification This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The NASA Trash-to-Gas Ash Management Challenge now has a winner. This new competition aims to gather ideas from participants that can efficiently help reduce the ash from a full-scale trash-to-gas reactor. (Photo : Photo grab from NASA on Unsplash ) NASA Trash-To-Gas Ash Challenge Winner Has Been Announced! First-Place Idea Involves Use of Ultrasonic Waves For those unfamiliar with this technology, the trash-to-gas reactor is among the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's innovations to reduce waste in outer space. It works by gasifying space junk and making trash into a product that can be used as raw material for other spacecraft processes. NASA's trash-to-gas reactor relies on thermal degradation processes to make waste gasifying possible. NASA Trash-To-Gas Ash Challenge's Winners According to NASA Gov's official announcement post, three groups won the latest competition. NASA explained that the new challenge focuses on creating techs that can lessen the ash in their trash-to-gas reactor. (Photo : Photo grab from NASA on Unsplash ) NASA Trash-To-Gas Ash Challenge Winner Has Been Announced! First-Place Idea Involves Use of Ultrasonic Waves Also Read: NASA Hubble Space Telescope Captures A Stunning 'Multi-Armed Galaxy Merger' - A Rare Gem in Cosmos! "The crowdsourcing challenge received submissions from around the world. A panel of NASA judges evaluated the solutions and selected first-, second-, and third-place winners," said the international space union. Now, here are the exact winners and their ideas: Aurelian Zapciu (First place: $15,000) Focused on using ultrasonic waves to push ash from the trash-to-gas reactor to the auger screw. Aside from this, the first-place winner also provided some ideas on cleaning and sensing abilities. Crointel (Second Place: $10,000) Suggested using an ultrasound-based integrated solution to remove ash in a highly automated method. Crointel said that it can be done using the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) system. The Hyper Group (Third Place: $5,000) Focused on using BI-FALF (Brachistochronic Impeller and Forced Air Loop Filter), a tech works with OSCAR to clean ashes within the trash-to-gas reactor. NASA's Anti-Space Trash Innovations The trash-to-gas reactor is just one of the international space agency's innovations to reduce orbiting space junk. Aside from this, Universe Today provided two more methods that NASA relies on to lessen space junk outside Earth. The first one is the dry-stabilize-compact method. This technique focuses on removing the water from space trash, allowing the space agency to reduce the mass of the space junk. It is comparable to the tile-trash method used by the cartoon robot "Wall-E." The other anti-space trash method used by NASA is the "Jettison the trash via an airlock," which removes all the space junk's mass and volume. However, the trash will be completely useless since any of the resources it contains will be discarded. Previously, NASA's contact with CAPSTONE was successfully re-established. On the other hand, the NASA OSIRIS-REx mission revealed new details about the asteroid called Bennu. For more news updates about NASA and its upcoming public competitions, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: NASA James Webb's Cosmic Target List Revealed! Upcoming First Full-Color Images Include Carina Nebula and More This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : IBT Media Fires Back With 'Rightful and Legal' Newsweek Owner, States Lawyer; Is Dev Pragad Ownership of the Publication Just a 'Fiction,' 'Facade?') 'Meritless' Newsweek claims obfuscate, mixing religion, legal matters The following article was published in Headlines and Global News (HNGN). The writer reports on the "duplicitious" maneuvers undertaken by Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad to wrest away digital media publisher Newsweek shares from the real owners IBT Media contrary to the law, according to a lawsuit filed against him by IBT Media. On Friday IBT Media fired back via a statement from its lawyer against dual attempts by Newsweek CEO Pragad to obfuscate his lack of ownership interests in the company by once again unethically weaponizing the newsroom and through a "meritless" legal filing that mixes religion and shareholder rights. Dev Pragad is not a shareholder of Newsweek IBT Media attorney Michael C. Hefter of Hogan Lovells stated Friday that a new Newsweek lawsuit's claims are "meritless." Hogan Lovells is a top ten law firm globally by revenue. Hefter explained in a statement that IBT Media is the "rightful and legal" owner of Newsweek. Dev Pragad "supposedly" transferring the ownership is a "facade," and Pragad "engineered... a fiction" to support his baseless ownership claims, the attorney said this week to media covering the IBT ownership of Newsweek. Contrary to Pragad's claim to own shares of Newsweek, LLC., the financial obligations written on the sales contract between Newsweek Media Holdings and IBT Media, Inc. remain unfulfilled to the present day, according to an IBT Media lawsuit filed on June 30, 2022. The lawsuit indicates that Pragad owns no shares of Newsweek Instead of addressing his failure to adhere to his contractual obligation to purchase Newsweek shares which would have required substantial payments, Pragad continuously paid nothing while touting himself as the man who "saved the news." With no payments made, he never consummated the supposed contract to purchase Newsweek--as HNGN previously reported. The derivative lawsuit filed by Pragad on Friday further misuses his position at Newsweek Media Holding by suing IBT Media and other parties without the consent of its shareholder, Johnathan Davis. Brazen misrepresentation of his status and misappropriation of company funds for personal gain are typical of Pragad's two-faced character, court documents reveal. A court ruling in IBT favor will not only force Pragad to acknowledge the true ownership of Newsweek as IBT Media, thus bursting Pragad's "engineered... fiction," but will also remove him from the company completely. Why does Pragad talk about religion in a legal filing? In the lawsuit, Hogan Lovells represents that in early 2022, "Pragad began to take aggressive steps" to protect his ownership facade "for which he had not paid a single dollar." In addition to weaponizing the newsroom in a series of articles after telling opponents he would mow them down like "puppies before a machine gun," as HNGN has previously reported, on July 7 Pragad lashed out in a new, additional step, suing Johnathan Davis and several parties associated with Davis. Pragad's lawsuit includes religious claims that have absolutely nothing to do with the legal issues of his ownership "facade," according to IBT Media lawyers, who dismissed the lawsuit as "meritless" on July 8. The "troubling... narrative" Pragad presents by mixing religious matters with legal issues seem to obfuscate the reality Pragad can't escape from: the truth that he owns no Newsweek shares. Pragad not a "savior of the news" In Pragad's desperation play to smokescreen the public eye from his ownership woes, the Newsweek suit claims that money is owed to Newsweek by IBT Media. Meanwhile, IBT Media says under Pragad, the companies acted as one, and that Newsweek owes IBT Media "damages" for Pragad's "ill-gotten gains" from his ongoing deception. Pragad's claim plays into his recent promotion of himself as the "savior of the news" to which IBT is indebted. However, further research indicates Pragad's view of himself as the "architect" of Newsweek's success is "fiction," according to IBT lawyers. For example, Pragad's lawsuit accuses owner IBT Media of mismanagement of Newsweek. But Newsweek was a better publication under IBT Media than it is now under Pragad's management, according to the lawsuit. In 2018, when the Newsweek offices were expiring, Pragad moved Newsweek into the IBT Media offices, thus IBT Media was the one that saved Newsweek from becoming a homeless magazine. Then in 2021, Pragad moved Newsweek out of IBT Media's offices to escape responsibility for the rent, according to a landlord lawsuit. The lawsuit, filed by plaintiff Broad Financial Center LLC, alleges that with Pragad at the helm, Newsweek "stripped IBT of its valuable assets in a wrongful attempt to insulate themselves from the obligations" of paying rent. Further, the claim asserts Newsweek did this to "mislead, harm, and thwart" creditors. The rent lawsuit puts damages northward of $1.1 million. It was at this time, when the company Pragad managed ran away from its rent responsibility, that Pragad started to spin his "fiction" of being an owner and "savior" of the company. Etienne Uzac and Johnathan Davis, the purchasers of Newsweek in 2013 through IBT Media, are the real owners of Newsweek, the lawsuit states. This duo built the executive team, many of whom Pragad poached from IBT Media and brought to Newsweek while the companies operated as one under Pragad's management, the lawsuit states. The Uzac and Davis team rebuilt the newsroom and business team from scratch after the previous owner had shut down the print edition entirely. The two successfully restored the print edition of Newsweek, developed most of the international network of Newsweek, and set up Newsweek's distribution network. Where was Pragad when all of this took place? Pragad was far away in London, and had nothing to do with the successful setting up of Newsweek, instead only using his "duplicity" as a master of stealing credit for other people's work, the lawsuit indicates. Pragad threatened to destroy enemies like "puppies before a machine gun" When Pragad doesn't get his way, things get ugly, according to HNGN sources. Though "the image that Dev Pragad has cultivated" in the public eye remained pristine, Pragad showed another side, hidden except to his enemies, according to the filing. Early in 2022, when Pragad's aggression escalated, he began to voice his threats against the shareholder of Newsweek, Johnathan Davis, threatening to leverage Newsweek's reporters in a "nuclear bomb" against Davis if he did not give Pragad the company, as HNGN has previously reported. In a text message exchange that this correspondent has seen, an anonymous source shared a recent conversation with Pragad, in which the Newsweek CEO told a former friend that he is "inseparable from Newsweek" and he will "detonate a nuclear bomb and kill [Davis and his associates]." He further bragged that he has "a lot of lawyers," and that his adversaries would be like "puppies in front of a machine gun" because "I am a PhD." Pragad continued with the "nuclear bomb" threats a few days later: "This is nuclear bomb [sic]. Don't engage if you don't know how to deal with a nuclear bomb. If it goes off, it will nuke everyone. And it's the end. I don't want that to happen and for this to happen unintentionally coz some silly people who don't know what they are doing start tinkering. There is nothing they can do. It will just blow up on their face if they try to do anything. This may trigger a congressional investigation in Olivet. I'm so close to congress and senators and they love what I'm doing at Newsweek. They are all watching so closely along with world leaders." Sweeping all media and business ethics aside, Pragad's threats have been fulfilled through his publishing of a series of Newsweek hit pieces, repeatedly weaponizing the Newsweek newsroom against his declared enemies, as HNGN has previously reported. The latest in Newsweek's growing list of hatchet-job articles was posted July 8 on the Newsweek homepage--in it, Pragad unashamedly bashes his enemies once again, further muddling unrelated religious issues with his ownership calamities. Pragad cheating Newsweek workers and the public Dev Pragad claims that government officials and world leaders "love" what he's doing at Newsweek, but these officials may only know Pragrad's carefully groomed external image. Yet as IBT fires back, a darker side of Pragad is being revealed--through "duplicity," apparently cheating both Newsweek workers and the public at large, Pragad no longer appears to be the "savior" of the news. The IBT Media lawsuit exposes him, instead, as simply a fraudster. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. SpaceX's Starlink launch is about to happen! This upcoming space mission will bring more cube sats into orbit to further enhance its satellite service. (Photo : Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the manned Crew Dragon spacecraft attached takes off from launch pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center on May 30, 2020 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. As of writing, Elon Musk's independent space agency is still trying to complete its promised artificial satellite constellation. Previously, popular tech CEO confirmed they plan to have around 42,000 Starlink satellites outside Earth. Although various experts criticized this, SpaceX still continues its plans. Now, the space agency will send another batch of Starlink cube sats. SpaceX Starlink Sunday Launch According to Space.Com's latest report, the latest SpaceX launch is scheduled to blast off on July 10, at exactly 9:39 p.m. EDT. (Photo : Photo by Bill Ingalls/NASA via Getty Images) In this NASA handout image, A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft is seen in this false color infrared exposure as it is launched on NASAs SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, Saturday, May 30, 2020, at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Also Read: SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket Deploys More Than 50 Starlink Satellites to Low-Earth Orbit If you want to watch the actual space mission, you can visit SpaceX's official website. Once you are there, all you have to do is click the "Watch" button. "SpaceX is targeting Sunday, July 10 for a Falcon 9 launch of 46 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California," said the independent space agency via its official website. If SpaceX's new Starlink launch is a success, it will be the Falcon 9 first stage's sixth mission. The independent space company said that this rocket was already used to bring three Starlink satellite batches, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test mission, and the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite. SpaceX Starlink's Launch Details SpaceX provided the launch's breakdown. Based on the company's data, the launch preparation will last for 38 minutes. In the first three minutes of the SpaceX launch director will verify if the propellant load is ready to go. After that, the RP-1 (rocket grade kerosene), 1st stage LOX (liquid oxygen), and 2nd stage LOX will be loaded into the rocket. Then, the engine will be warmed up before the launch commences. Once the Falcon 9 engine is good to go, SpaceX will conduct its last command flight computer pre-launch checks. After that, the Falcon 9 is expected to lift off. Of course, this will still depend if the weather during the exact flight schedule is okay. Meanwhile, SpaceX's Starship is now ready for test launches. Previously, experts confirmed that the Starlink satellite internet service would be successful this 2022. For more news updates about SpaceX and its upcoming Starlink launches, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Starlink Maritime: Boat Satellite Internet Coming-Elon Musk Explains Why It's Expensive This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amazon Prime Day is one of the most-awaited sales events in the market. It offers great deals on your favorite gadgets and other items. (Photo : Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Canon) A general view of atmosphere as celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson talks with guests at Red Rooster for Canon's THE BIG MOMENT with Marcus Samuelsson with the world's smallest and lightest DSLR on December 10, 2013 in New York City. Of course, this two-day shopping event also offers discounted camera lenses that will undoubtedly excite non-pro and professional photographers and videographers. Now that Amazon Prime Day 2022 is just right around the corner, here are several reasons you should take advantage of this sales event to grab your favorite camera lenses. Amazon Prime Day Best Sale Event for Camera Lovers? According to Tech Radar's latest report, there were some great camera lens discounts already offered in the previous Amazon Prime Days. (Photo : Photo by David Becker/Getty Images) Canon's newest flagship DSLR camera, the 1DX Mark III, is displayed during CES 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 7, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. CES, the world's largest annual consumer technology trade show, runs through January 10 and features about 4,500 exhibitors showing off their latest products and services to more than 170,000 attendees. Also Read: Amazon Prime Day 2022: Early Deals For You to Take Advantage Of Now Some of them were even mistakes, making the prices of the cam accessories too low. For example, the Amazon Prime Day 2019 listed a Canon EF 800mm f/5.6 for just $95. The original price was supposed to be around $13,000. Since this was an error on Amazon's side, the giant e-commerce company allowed those who ordered the lens to pay the $95 cost. Meanwhile, Amazon Prime Day 2021 provided some great discounts for Canon EF mount lenses. In the United Kingdom, consumers could get these camera accessories between 23% to 21% cheaper. Aside from Canon, Sony and Nikon E-mount lenses are also included among the most in-demand cam accessories during Amazon Prime Day events. You should also look out for discounted Fujifilm and Panasonic lenses. In 2020, the Fujinon XF56mm f/1.2 had a discount similar to the one offered during the previous Back Friday 2021. Best Amazon Prime Day 2022 Camera Deals Since camera lenses are expected to have great discounts in the upcoming Amazon Prime Day 2022, which will happen from July 12 until July 13, you can also expect better sales for cam bodies. Phone Arena provided some of the best camera deals you can get during the two-day shopping event. Here are some of them: Panasonic - LUMIX G100 (Up to $100 discount) Panasonic - LUMIX GH5M2 (Up to $200 discount) Sony Alpha ZV-E10 (Up to $100 discount) Nikon - Z 30 (Up to $100 discount) Nikon D850 (Up to $200 discount) Recently, we provided some of the best Amazon Prime Day 2022 tips and tricks. On the other hand, the best Amazon Prime Day 2022 laptop deals were also confirmed. For more news updates about Amazon Prime Day 2022 and other similar online shopping events, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes. Related Article: Amazon Prime Day 2022: Here Are The Best 'Early Deals' for Apple Products! This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies. Some Republican-led states banned or severely limited abortion immediately, while other restrictions will take effect later. At least one state, Texas, is waiting until after the Supreme Court issues its formal judgment in the case, which is separate from the opinion issued in June and could take about a month. Nevertheless, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a long-dormant 1925 abortion ban is now in effect. In anticipation of the decision, several states led by Democrats have taken steps to protect abortion access. The decision also sets up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted. Here is an overview of abortion legislation and the expected impact of the courts decision in Missouri and states bordering Southeast Missouri. An overview of all states can be found at AP online. ARKANSAS Political control: Arkansas Legislature is controlled by Republicans who have supported dozens of abortion bans and restrictions in recent years. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson also has supported bans on abortion with some exceptions. Hes term-limited and leaves office in January. Republican nominee Sarah Sanders, press secretary to former President Donald Trump, is widely favored in the November election to succeed him. Background: Arkansas already had a law banning most abortions 20 weeks into a womans pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The state has several other bans that have been struck down or blocked by courts in recent years, including an outright abortion ban enacted last year that doesnt include rape or incest exceptions. That ban has been blocked by a federal judge, and the state has appealed. Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Arkansas has a law it enacted in 2019 that bans nearly all abortions now that Roe is overturned. That ban, along with the outright ban thats been blocked by a federal judge, only allows exceptions to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. Hutchinson has said he thinks bans should include rape and incest exceptions, but he has not called on the Legislature to add those to either of the bans. Whats next: Hours after the Supreme Court ruling, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge signed certification that Roe had been overturned. That allowed the states trigger ban to take effect immediately. The only exception is to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. The Legislature isnt scheduled to meet until January, but Hutchinson is considering calling a special session to take up tax relief proposals. He said he does not plan on asking lawmakers to consider adding rape and incest exceptions to the states ban. ILLINOIS Political control: Illinois is overwhelmingly Democratic with laws providing greater access to abortion than most states. Democrats hold veto-proof supermajorities in the House and Senate, and the Democratic first-term governor seeking reelection this year, J.B. Pritzker, has promoted peaceful street protests to protect the constitutional right to an abortion. Background: Abortion is legal in Illinois and can only be restricted after the point of viability, when a fetus is considered able to survive outside the womb. Medical science determines viability at 24 to 26 weeks, but the Illinois law does not specify a timeframe, saying a medical professional can determine viability in each case. Abortions are also allowed after viability to protect the patients life or health. Effect of Supreme Court ruling: It did not change access to abortion in Illinois. The Illinois Abortion Act of 1975 legalized abortion but enacted a trigger law that would reinstate the ban if Roe were overturned. That trigger law was repealed in 2017 in legislation that also required Medicaid and state employees group health insurance to cover abortions. The 2019 Reproductive Health Act replaced the 1975 law, large parts of which were never enforced because they were found to be unconstitutional. Whats next: Like other states providing access to abortions, Illinois has seen a steady influx of patients crossing the state line for abortions in recent months and those numbers are expected to increase. Planned Parenthood of Illinois says it expects to handle an additional 20,000 to 30,000 patients in Illinois in the first year following the reversal of Roe. KENTUCKY Political control: Republicans have a supermajority in the Kentucky Legislature and have been restricting abortion rights since the 2016 election over the vetoes of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who supports abortion rights and will seek a second term in 2023. Background: Kentucky bans abortions after 20 weeks, but all abortion services were temporarily halted in April after the Legislature imposed new restrictions and reporting requirements on the states two abortion clinics. The clinics, both in Louisville, said they suspended abortions because state officials hadnt written guidelines on how to comply with the new law. Noncompliance could result in stiff fines, felony penalties and revocation of physician and facility licenses. Abortions were allowed to resume after a federal judge on June 30 temporarily blocked key parts of the law, including a provision banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Abortion services in Kentucky immediately became illegal under a trigger law enacted in 2019, but were then allowed to resume by a judge on June 30. The measure contains a narrow exception allowing abortion to prevent the death or permanent injury of a pregnant woman. Kentuckians will be able to vote this November on a proposed amendment declaring there is no right to an abortion in the state constitution. Whats next: Abortion-rights activists say the suspension of abortion services in April foreshadowed what would happen in Kentucky and other Republican-leaning states if Roe v. Wade was overturned. It likely ends several legal challenges pending against other Kentucky abortion laws including a 2018 measure that abortion-rights supporters say would effectively ban a standard abortion method in the second trimester of pregnancy. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in March that Kentuckys Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, can defend the measure that was struck down by lower courts. MISSOURI Political control: Both GOP Gov. Mike Parson and the Republican-led General Assembly support laws against abortion. Background: Missouri law previously allowed abortions up until 22 weeks of pregnancy. But a 2019 state law banned abortions except in cases of medical emergency, contingent upon the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Under that Missouri law, performing an illegal abortion is a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison, though women receiving abortions cannot be prosecuted. Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The 2019 law banning most abortions kicked in the day the Supreme Court ruled in June. Whats next: Some Missouri residents wanting abortions are likely to travel to neighboring states, including Illinois and Kansas. A new Illinois logistics center near St. Louis helps women from out of state find travel, lodging and childcare if they need help getting to the area for an abortion, and it connects them with funding sources. The Kansas Supreme Court in 2019 declared that access to abortion is a fundamental right under the state constitution. Even without the ban in Missouri, the number of Missouri patients seeking abortions in Kansas has gone up in recent years, increasing about 8% from 2020 to 2021. TENNESSEE Political control: Tennessee has a Republican governor who is consistently vocal about his opposition to abortion. The GOP holds a supermajority in the General Assembly and has steadily chipped away at abortion access. Background: In 2020, Tennessee passed a law banning most abortions when the fetal cardiac activity can be detected at about six weeks, before many women know theyre pregnant. The measure has never been enforced because it was promptly blocked by a federal court. On June 28, a federal appeals court let it take effect. Tennessee voters approved an amendment in 2014 declaring that the states constitution doesnt protect or secure the right to abortion or require the funding of an abortion, and empowering state lawmakers to enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion. State law also doesnt allow providers to dispense abortion medications through telemedicine consultations. There are six abortion providers in Tennessee. Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The states attorney general, a Republican, has said a trigger law will go into effect in mid-August that bans all abortions in Tennessee except when necessary to prevent death or serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function. Doctors could be charged with a felony for providing an abortion under the law. Whats next: Tennessees attorney general has said the trigger law will take precedence over the 2020 law banning most abortions at about six weeks. Meanwhile, Republicans are expected to continue to have supermajority control after this years midterm elections. Reproductive rights activists say they will direct patients seeking abortion to clinics in Illinois if Roe v. Wade is overturned, or to Florida, which would ban abortions at 15 weeks. North Carolina and Virginia also could be options for women in eastern Tennessee. Associated Press reporters from across the U.S. contributed. For APs full coverage of the Supreme Court ruling on abortion, go to https://apnews.com/hub/abortion Urgent | Kamal Kharazi to Al-Jazeera: It is no secret that we have the technical capabilities to manufacture a nuclear bomb, but we have no decision to do so The Farmington Police Department has made an arrest as part of the investigation into a bomb threat Friday afternoon at the AMC Showplace 4 Theater on Valley Creek Drive. At about 3 p.m., Central Dispatch received a call from a person claiming a bomb was at the theater and then the caller disconnected. Farmington Police and Fire Departments and the Missouri State Highway Patrol responded to the call and after consulting with the management, they decided to evacuate the building. A search of the building failed to discover any explosive device. Police Chief Rick Baker said after officers responded to the call, they received information from Central Dispatch that they had pinged the phone and it was in the theater building. Baker said there were more than 100 people inside the building at the time of the call. The subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Brenda Paige Nevels, 30, of Farmington. Baker said during questioning, she admitted to making the phone call. Baker said Nevels was an employee of the establishment. She had only been there for short time and was in training," he said. According to the probable cause statement, the officer in charge was notified that the number used to make the call came back to Nevels. Two employees also identified the callers voice as Nevels. Nevels is charged with making a terrorist threat, a felony. Baker said there was also a prior misdemeanor warrant for her arrest. Nevels has two priors from Garland County, Arkansas, on Dec. 7, 2010 for Class F robbery and residential burglary. Nevels is being held at the St. Francois County Jail on a $25,000 cash or surety bond and on a Park Hills warrant for littering with a bond of $509.58. Victorias $100 million senator Ralph Babet might be a newcomer to electoral politics, but hes already spinning like a veteran. Clive Palmers man in Canberra broke his mainstream media silence in recent days talking to The Age, his first interview since becoming the one and only candidate elected from the Palmer-financed United Australia Party in Mays federal election. But the senator also spoke to the Rebel News online outlet, joined on camera by two fellow members of Victorias freedom movement, Avi Yemeni and Rukshan Fernando last month in a chat that was quite different in tone. Credit:Joe Benke We were intrigued to hear Ralphs views on Palmers $100 million spending spree the third time the mining magnate has broken the record for cash-splashing in an Australian election. Its been a year since statues of Confederates Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson stood in Charlottesvilles downtown parks, but the controversy over the removal and the statues' fates have yet to be resolved. The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center was granted ownership of the Lee statue by the city in December, but the ownership is now in court. Two other organizations who applied for ownership of the Lee statue, Trevilian Station Battlefield Foundation and the Ratcliffe Foundation, on behalf of its subsidiary Ellenbrook Museum, are suing the city for giving the statue to JSAAHC. The two allege the city violated the Freedom of Information Act, Virginia Public Procurement Act and state code when it awarded the Lee statue to JSAAHC in December. JSAAHC was initially named as a defendant when the suit was initially filed but has since been removed. The foundations are represented by attorneys Ralph Main, Jock Yellott and S. Braxton Puryear, who also represented Charlottesville area residents in a previous Monument Fund-backed lawsuit against the city over votes to remove the Lee and Jackson statues. City spokesman David Dillehunt said the city does not comment on matters of pending litigation. Much of the lawsuit appears to be in response to JSAAHCs intentions for the monument, titled the Swords Into Plowshares project, which notably includes a plan to melt down the statue and recast Lees brass ingots into a new work of art that reflects the Charlottesville communitys values of racial inclusivity. The plaintiffs are claiming that melting the statue specifically would violate state statute. In court filings, the plaintiffs say relocating a war monument to a foundry furnace for [alteration] and destruction is not on the list of what is permissible. Rich Schragger, a law professor at the University of Virginia and expert on constitutional and local government law, said the lawsuit is a little tricky. It comes down to how the court will interpret the state statute that allowed the city to take the statues down in the first place. The court will have to decide if the citys bidding process for the statues followed state law or violated it. If the court says that the city violated the law, then it can order the statue to be presumably returned to the city. The city still has, under the state law, the right to do what it wishes within limits within the statute, Schragger said. However, this doesnt mean the plaintiffs would get the statue. My understanding is the plaintiffs are demanding that the statute be given to them or preserved. I doubt that that's a possible avenue of relief for them. The appropriate relief, if the plaintiff circuit rules that way, would be that the city redo the bidding process and the city just gets the property back, Schragger said. Schragger said the process could take a long time, potentially one to two years, while its possible it may be wrapped up sooner than that. JSAAHC has not been prohibited from melting the statue, however, said Andrea Douglas, director of JSAAHC. Douglas said they are waiting until litigation is over to do so. Douglas declined to share the location of the statue due to security concerns. She did say, however, that JSAAHC moved quickly to disassemble the statue after receiving the official deed of gift from the city in December and that it has been broken up into multiple pieces. The lawsuit is yet another means of controlling and maintaining white supremacy, without question, Douglas said. Schragger said its possible a lawsuit of this kind could be a tactic on behalf of the plaintiffs to discourage other jurisdictions from removing their statues. We've seen that these groups seem to be well-funded and motivated particularly in an instance where the outcome is still not a clear victory for them again, Schragger said. I think part of this strategy is to raise the cost for cities and create both political and legal barriers for other cities who are contemplating removing their statues. Beyond the lawsuit, Douglas said JSAAHC has received hate mail and threats, and has been the target of coordinated malware attacks. She said they came from parties trying to prevent the center from fundraising for the Swords into Plowshares project. Malware attacks have been made on both the JSAAHC website and IndieGoGo campaign page, she said. There's no sort of very public threat that has been made, but our websites have been attacked. They're trying to make it difficult for us to raise money around this project, Douglas said. They're using tactics that basically are contrary to the will of Charlottesville. This is cyberstalking or cyberterrorism." "[Opponents to the project] see these things along racial lines. As a result, youve got to be ready," she said. "These folks are not afraid to kill Black people. Despite the lawsuit and backlash, Swords into Plowshares has raised just under $700,000 and JSAAHC is moving ahead on its public input process. The goal is to hear from and garner ideas from as many community members as possible for what to do with the statue. Douglas said the lawsuit has allowed more time to collect this input. Jalane Schmidt, director of UVas Memory Project which is partnering with JSAAHC on the project, said theyve made an effort to reach out to a variety of ages and demographics through the process, including getting ideas from schoolchildren. We're getting feedback from young people because this whole process started with young people, and theyre the ones who are going to be inheriting these spaces, said Schmidt, referencing Zyahna Bryant, who was a high schooler when she started a petition to get the city to remove the statues. Douglas said theyve heard a variety of ideas from both community members and artists interested in taking on the project, but a recurring theme is people want the new art to be interactive and contemplative. And it wont necessarily be a statue or stand in the space where the Lee statue stood. This is really about what is the most appropriate object that articulates what Charlottesville believes to be its desire, Douglas said. The Lee statue is not the only city statue under new ownership. City Council unanimously voted in December to send the statue of Thomas Stonewall Jackson to LAXART in Los Angeles. The exhibit is slated to open next fall 2023 at LAXART and The Geffen Contemporary gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Titled "MONUMENTS," the exhibit will be accompanied by a substantial scholarly publication and a robust slate of public and educational programming. The exhibit is funded by the Mellon Foundation, Teiger Foundation, Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. Individual support is provided by Margaret Morgan and Wesley Phoa. The exhibit will include other similar statues, all of which will be exhibited alongside works of contemporary art to put the monuments in social and historical context. The idea is to critique and confront the false narrative and ideology of the Lost Cause. Walker said LAXART is being loaned 15 statues and other displays from jurisdictions all over the country, including Pittsburgh, Houston, Boston and Montgomery, Alabama. Joining Charlottesville's Stonewall Jackson are three statues from Richmond and a statue from Randolph College in Lynchburg. LAXART reimbursed the city of Charlottesville $50,000 for the Jackson statue, which is now owned and in the possession of LAXART. We're still trying to figure out what the afterlife of these [statues] is. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution," said Hamza Walker, LAXART Director. We need to radically recontextualize these things, not just with a plaque. Walker said one artist LAXART is working with, Bethany Collins, plans to use the granite from the base of the Jackson statue to create a carpet of granite rose petals. The petals will honor of formerly enslaved Black women who started many of the earliest Memorial Day recognitions by laying rose petals on the graves of fallen Union soldiers. It's a memorial to the very first memorializers, Walker said. Our proposal [to the city of Charlottesville] was about a transformation of these objects. And that's perfect. That to me is a very beautiful gesture. The exhibit will have other local connections. LAXART asked Kevin Jerome Everson, a film artist and Charlottesville native, to create a film portrait of Richard Bradley, a Black man who climbed up a flagpole in front of San Francisco City Hall in 1984 to remove the Confederate flag displayed there. As for the Jackson statue itself, LAXART is working with an artist to figure out the best way to display it. I'm looking forward to that project immensely, that transformation. I don't know what the artist will do, whether she'll keep it intact in the news, whether they'll use it in an installation, or whether it will be reconfigured, melted down and transformed in that way. So I'm very excited about that commission, Walker said. Its the extraordinary moments with people that I recall above a single story. New 7.30 host Sarah Ferguson. Credit:ABC Fitz: And what of the good and the great, the bad and the desperate, the precious and the powerful youve interviewed? SF: I will never forget the fizzing hostility of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard for The Killing Season. [But] the greatest personal challenge was interviewing convicted Catholic Church paedophiles in prison, which I did for the ABC series Revelation. One of the interviews that sticks in my mind is with Hillary Clinton after losing the unlosable election to Donald Trump, trying to get to whether she accepted responsibility for it, losing not just in a regular political context, but losing to Donald Trump. I remember trying to get trying to get her to pass through the veil and actually talk about what that really meant. I dont think anyone has ever succeeded in doing that with her. Fitz: Did you? SF: No. At that level, where the power struggle is so immense and intense, they learn to be, as the French say, blinde armoured and it is hard to break through. Fitz: Closer to home, of the politicians youve interviewed, who is the stand-out for interviewing firepower where you pull out your rapier and know from the first I am up against it here? SF: Well, this will be an unpopular answer. But the most difficult person to interview in the Australian line-up is Scott Morrison, and never more so than before he became PM. He prevents engagement. He puts up a wall. And its like trying to lay siege to a medieval castle where there are no chinks, and you just cant get through. I would never apologise for interviewing Bannon. Sarah Ferguson with Steve Bannon in 2018. Credit:Twitter / @FergusonNews Fitz: To return to America, in your longer form journalism, I particularly enjoyed your dissection of the Trump years and your excoriation of Fox News, though in a moment of rare controversy for you, I remember you being torn apart on social media for posting a photo of you standing with the execrable Steve Bannon, where you were NOT snarling. In hindsight, was that a mistake? SF: I would never apologise for interviewing Bannon. At that time in 2018, when he had just left the White House he had an open door into Trumps mind, methods and intention and laid out a path of actions that Trump was going to take, which included overturning Roe vs. Wade. He talked about a change to Americas behaviour in the Pacific vis a vis China, which would have profound implications for Australia. So all the things he talked about that day, all of them have come to pass. People at this time were too ready to dismiss Trump as a sort of bizarre circus phenomenon, but we needed to know what it really meant. Not just to treat it as a pantomime. Fitz: And posting the photo of you smiling with him? SF: When in a photo with someone, my natural instinct is to smile. But youre right, I shouldnt have smiled. Still, I repeat: whoever holds the reins of power, we need to know everything we can know about them, whether we like their views or not. Fitz: Speaking of which, taking on the Murdochs in your Fox News expose for Four Corners came at a price. They were threatening legal action. Where is that up to? SF: Its been very quiet on the Murdoch front for a while. I havent heard anything recently, though I was thinking about it the other day as the news of Rupert and Jerry Halls divorce came through, with the rumours that Lachlan Murdoch is moving towards Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for 2024 which is very interesting. But, no, I dont know where the Fox News lawyers are up to, but the fact that they kept going with all those dire threats and warnings was lamentable. Fitz: Speaking of media barons, you once worked on the iconic Sunday program during the Kerry Packer years. Everyone who worked for Packer has a storywhats yours? Sarah Ferguson interviewing former PM Julia Gillard for the series, The Killing Season. I will never forget the fizzing hostility of Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard. Credit:ABC SF: I never met Kerry, but I can say that the mood and mode at Channel Nine at that time, was rambunctious in the extreme, somewhat threatening, and taught me a great deal about how to conduct myself in my day-to-day work. Fitz: In what way? SF: Just do the work. I remember one of my colleagues at the time, saying in the middle of some fantastic battle that was going on at Channel Nine, that he wanted to become a player. And I remember thinking to myself, take note. I never want to do that. I want to do the work. Fitz: Which youve done for the last three decades, albeit with a recent hiccup. What happened to the whole thing about you being the ABCs China correspondent? SF: Very simple. I never got a visa from them to move there and start work. Fitz: Were you on some blacklist? This woman is a danger to communism. SF: As much as Id like to think that it was personal, honestly, it was just about that shift in the Chinese government posture that had decided to punish Australia. Fitz: Did you lose a year of your professional life? SF: Sort of. I was very disappointed not to go to China. I was excited to be going there at such a fascinating time, with all those things I talked about earlier, all the adventure, so many things happening. But you know, when things like that happen, you just have to pivot, have to step to the side and do something else. ABC journalist Sarah Ferguson presented Fox and the Big Lie, the program that frustrated executives at the American cable network. Fitz: Welcome to ABCs 7.30! It may not be your Everest, but certainly your highest peak so far. What are the journalistic touchstones you bring to it? SF: The audience comes first, always. It sounds like a cliche but it is not. We are in an age where people feel perhaps more than ever, that they dont have access to or understanding of, power, how it works. And if it is too remote from peoples lives they feel small in the face of, of power. And so bringing whatever tough analysis I can bring, or whatever toughness I can bring to enabling people to understand it, and hold it to account how power and money work in Australia thats the job. Fitz: Was there any baton change between you and Leigh, any final words of advice she gave you? SF: She was gracious and charming. And I have her body of work as a library. But yes, we had a we had a very nice exchange. Fitz: Anything she said you said to you that you can share with us? SF: Im not for sharing that kind of thing. Fitz: How do you feel at the end of your first week in the gig? SF: Im exhausted, but Ive loved it. I had a fabulous time, and Id like to do it again next week. Fitz: There was some backlash after your first interview in the new role, with Deputy PM Richard Marles. There was a lot of comment saying you were too combative. You have heard such criticism before. Were you too combative on this occasion, in your view, and do you care? SF: Let me phrase this correctly because I dont want to sound arrogant. I have many things to learn, so Im interested in criticism. But I have to find the right level of combat myself. And so if people are nasty, my answer is: I dont care. But I do care about doing it well, and better. Fitz: And speaking of criticism, there is endless gibber about ABC bias. Your response? SF: Its gibber. Ferguson is married to fellow journalist Tony Jones who she describes as funny, brilliant and exciting. Credit:Louie Douvis Fitz: John Howard famously said when he became PM that the times will suit me. Will the political times suit you, as you take over the most influential current affairs hosting gig in the country? And how would you characterise these times? SF: Well, they do suit me insofar as we have a new government. So there are new ideas to explore, new political power relationships to understand. Its all new, so they do suit me. And were in an era of intellectual expansion, so there are so many new ideas floating around the world at the moment. This is a time of great dynamism, and this is a time of wild roiling ideas. And that sounds like a lot of fun to me. So yes, the times suit me. Fitz: Leigh Sales made clear as she headed for the exits, that among other things beyond exhaustion at the sheer intensity of the roles, she was worn down by the vicious trolls on social media. How do you navigate that? SF: Social media has some uses. But I do not look to social media to tell me what to think about myself, right? Theres nothing for me there. And its just a few people. So I am not really interested in it as a means of reflecting on who I am. Its not worth going through the drunks at the back of the room in order to get to the smart person at the front. Im very happy to find that critique elsewhere. Fitz: What about other media? Do you, for example, watch Sky News After Dark to get a different perspective? SF: No because I think that form of divisiveness makes people and the country as a whole a less happy place. Sky News After Dark is following the American model and I dont like following other peoples models. It doesnt suit Australia, it is not fit for purpose in this country. Ive seen what that kind of media operation does in America and the January 6 attack on the Capitol was the apotheosis of it. So theres plenty of room for combat and contrary and fierce exchange of ideas, but one thats laced with nastiness and distrust is not something thats going to add to the peoples or my knowledge of the way the world works. Fitz: Okay, last question. Youre obviously a huge consumer of politics and world affairs. What do you do in your downtime that might surprise us? Or are you not for sharing that either? SF: (Laughs.) Im not for sharing. I tend to swerve away from the personal. But its good to be back in Australia! Fitz: Welcome home. Joke of the Week Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 100 metres in front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to lope towards them. The first bloke drops his backpack, digs out a pair of sneakers and frantically begins to put them on. The second bloke says, What are you doing??? Sneakers wont help you outrun that bear!!!! I dont need to outrun the bear, the first guy says calmly, as he ties up the last lace. I just need to outrun you. Tweet of the Week Trying to decide who should replace Boris Johnson is like trying to decide which toilet to use at Glastonbury. - @BennettArron Keir Starmer, the UKs Labour leader, delivered a number of zingers this week, all at Boris Johnsons expense. Credit:Jessica Taylor/UK Parliament via AP Quote of the week The sinking ship is leaving the rat. - UK Labour Opposition Leader Keir Starmer, on the mass ministry resignation that forced Boris Johnson to stand down. What they said It is dealing with a shameful episode in Australias military history. It matters in terms of who we are as a nation, who we are as a people, that our country deals with this itself. - Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles on the Afghanistan war crimes inquiry. People come up to me in the street and say I have had a Barry today. I know it is all good-natured banter. But these people (Step One) are using my name in almost a derogatory way, and its really not on. If people are using someones name to sell something then that person should be rewarded in some way. I just want a fair suck of the sauce bottle. But these guys seem so mean they would steal a worm off a blind chook. They didnt even offer me a free pair of Reg Grundys. - Barry Crocker, the 86-year-old legendary entertainer is unhappy at an underwear company using his name rhyming slang for shocker in the Australian argot in one of their advertisements, without his permission. I think it is always brutal coming from government into opposition. You can choose a couple of paths and one is to wallow and conduct this never-ending postmortem about why the government lost. The better path is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get on with it, and I think we have done that. - Opposition Leader Peter Dutton. President Biden is a genuinely good man, but he has yet been unable to break through our national malady of denial, deceit, and distrust. A return of Donald Trump would feed the sickness, probably rendering it incurable. - Senator Mitt Romney, former Republican presidential nominee. Of course, [these young men] are angry. They know that their lives will not be better than their parents. Theyll be worse. Thats all but guaranteed. They know that. Theyre not that stupid. And yet the authorities in their lives mostly women never stop lecturing them about their so-called privilege. Youre male, youre privileged! Imagine that. Try to imagine an unhealthier, unhappier life than that. So, a lot of young men in America are going nuts. Are you surprised? - Fox News Tucker Carlson on why there are so many male mass shooters in America. We should have known. Its womens fault. I think the guys a cancer. I think Alex and the movement that hes built is a cancer that has infected the party ... and it needs to be excised. This cancer needs to be cut out. - Former NSW Liberal heavyweight since expelled Matthew Camenzuli on rival faction leader and then-cabinet minister Alex Hawke. He was speaking to Four Corners. These proved to be merely his opening remarks. [Boris Johnson is] like a cockroach in a nuclear apocalypse. - An unnamed Conservative MP in Britain, as Boris Johnson refused to leave the Prime Ministership, despite mass resignations from his Ministry. The charge of the light-weight brigade. - Keir Starmer, UK leader of the opposition, describing the rush of Boris Johnsons ministers resigning this week. Loading My sense is that what Australians really want is a target to be legislated. We have to actually bank some of these gains and I want to see a target with integrity. Theres some real concern about the way that were actually getting to whatever target we set and thatll be my focus. Having a target and treating that ... as a floor, not a ceiling and then ramping up ambition over time. - Independent senator David Pocock, signalling his support for legislating Labors 43 per cent emissions reduction target for 2030, despite wanting a more ambitious goal. Were just as boring as any other couple. I want the majority of the straight, cis-gendered population to be reminded that were human first. - Kim Lee, a transgender man who gave birth four months ago and announced it for International Pride Month. His wife, Julie, had many miscarriages, so Kim decided to have the baby. It seems to have ramped up a bit now, but well find out on Monday I suppose, he said. David Brear, deputy general secretary of the Independent Education Union for non-government schools in Victoria said schools were hit hard in term 2 by student and staff absences, and he expects no less for term 3. Some schools were preparing to schedule home learning days into the new term to cope with teacher shortages, he said. As a circuit breaker, some schools last term scheduled particular year levels for home learning and some have indicated that this will continue in Term 3, he said. He said one inner-city girls secondary school was starting term 3 with three staff vacancies it couldnt fill - and the problem was worse in some outer metropolitan and regional areas. Casey Grammar Principal Fiona Williams said she was hugely anxious about term 3 and every school was experiencing the staffing squeeze. Loading No one knows they have COVID until theyve woken up that morning - its the lack of time to prepare and make sure the school can, in fact, operate, she said. At short notice, we may have to ask children to stay at home and I understand the repercussions of that for families. She said staff were burnt out from remote teaching and had the added pressure of juggling challenging student behaviour, including anxiety or delayed development of social skills. People were not giving notice and literally walking away, sending resignations via email. Im terribly worried what the future holds for teaching, she said. Im terribly worried what the future holds for teaching full stop, she said. She was also concerned for the students. Its heartbreaking when Year 9s say to you, Ive forgotten how to make friends. Roman Catholic independent school for boys, Whitefriars College principal Mark Murphy said they had used the school break to prepare for absences. They had a number of relief teachers on staff. They are known to the students, we are blessed to have that. I know some schools dont have access to CRTs, he said. He said the last thing they wanted to do was collapse classes or go back to home learning. We will do everything in our power to stop that happening, he said. Chatham Primary School principal Chris Cotching said he was struggling to get casual relief teachers, had little extra funding for them. He was also was struggling to fill job vacancies - one of which was advertised three times and garnered little interest. Im worried about next term. I rely on four retired people they are great, but they are filling jobs that are extended leave - I have staff who are ill - when I get sick people Im really going to be in trouble. This COVID stuff is cumulative on people, we are seeing the impacts on mental health. Itll be similar in other schools Im sure. The schools that will be OK will have money in reserve, he said. Victorian Principals Association president Andrew Dalgleish said principals would probably be back in classrooms again. Were doing everything we can to get through it. Were asking kids to stay home if they have COVID-19 or the flu, he said. On Friday, Education Minister Natalie Hutchins announced mainstream schools and early childhood services would get three packs of five RATs for every staff member and student per term and six packs of five for those in specialist settings. Melbourne University professor of education Larissa McLean Davies said we are far from out of the woods. It seems we have a commitment now to no more lockdowns, she said That of course means there are other challenges that come into play. As Melburnians brace for another rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalisations, mask-wearing on the citys public transport network is, figuratively speaking, sitting a little below the nose. In the past five months, authorised officers have spoken to more than 66,000 passengers on Victorias public transport system about their failure to meet mask requirements but theyve only fined 58 people for non-compliance since February 14. Protective services officers wearing masks on a Melbourne train. Credit:Justin McManus Victoria has more than 55,000 active cases of COVID-19, with 7,934 new cases recorded on Sunday. The Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants became the dominant strains of COVID-19 in Victoria last week and health authorities expect a third wave to sweep through the nation in coming months. Washington: With his criminal trial for contempt of Congress approaching, Steve Bannon, an ally of former President Donald Trump who was involved in his plans to overturn the 2020 election, has informed the House committee investigating the Capitol attack that he is willing to testify, according to two letters obtained by The New York Times. His decision is a remarkable about-face for Bannon, who until Saturday had been among the most obstinate and defiant of the committees potential witnesses. He had promised to turn the criminal case against him into the misdemeanor from hell for the justice department. But with the possibility of two years in jail and large fines looming on the horizon, Bannon has been authorised to testify by Trump, his attorney told the committee in a letter late Saturday (local time). Steve Bannon (left) and his attorney David Schoen speak to the media after Bannon surrendered to authorities in Novemver 2021. Credit:Samuel Corum/Bloomberg The former president had previously instructed Bannon and other associates not to cooperate with the panel, claiming that executive privilege a presidents power to withhold certain internal executive branch information compelled them to stay silent. But in recent days, as several witnesses have come forward to offer the House panel damning testimony about his conduct, Trump has grown frustrated that one of his fiercest defenders has not yet appeared before the committee, people close to him said. State regulators have approved a $55.10 minimum bill for a new Dominion Energy shared solar program, which critics contend would be the highest such charge in the country and make the program too expensive to attract developers and customers. The Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the minimum bill as part of an order released Thursday that also set bill credit rates. It also created a mechanism for the company, Virginias largest utility, to recoup costs associated with allowing low-income customers to participate in the program, since they are exempt from the minimum bill. Community, or shared, solar programs involve multiple households agreeing jointly to purchase a portion of the electricity generated by a solar array. Its useful for apartment dwellers or other settings in which rooftop panels arent feasible. The commission has established, pursuant to its delegated discretion under this statute, a minimum bill that reasonably includes costs the commission deems relevant to ensure subscribing customers pay a fair share of the generation, transmission, distribution and fixed costs of providing electric service, the SCC judges wrote. But a trio of state lawmakers Sens. Emmett Hanger, R-Augusta, Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, and Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax said in a letter to the commission in April that the high minimum bill undermines legislation passed in 2020 that created the program. The program is intended to allow third-party groups to develop community solar facilities, sign up interested customers and sell the power to the utility with a bill credit for participating customers for the power generated. We did not pass legislation to create a program that exists in name only, the lawmakers wrote. The minimum bill is required to help alleviate potential cost shifts associated with the shared solar program but should be implemented with an underlying assumption that the program needs to work. Dominion had argued that the high minimum bill was necessary to avoid burdening customers who choose not to participate. Opponents and the SCC hearing examiner himself noted the company failed to produce any evidence that quantified how much of a cost shift would be borne by nonparticipating customers. It is correct that the record does not include evidence that specifies exactly what cost shift would occur under Dominions proposed minimum bill, or any of the other proposed minimum bills, wrote SCC Hearing Examiner Mathias Roussy, who nevertheless recommended the $55 minimum charge. Dominion had pushed for a minimum bill of $75.10. Batavia, NY (14020) Today Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy early, becoming mostly clear after midnight. Low near 65F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. According to their page on the Inter-Fraternity Council of the University of Virginia, the local chapter of Phi Gamma Delta prides itself on friendship, knowledge, service, morality, and excellence. According to UVas spring Hazing Misconduct report, the fraternity also cajoled new members into a binge-eating race of food crates filled with milk, bananas, soda, mayonnaise, and broccoli until at least one new member vomited. The fraternitys pledge educator also instructed new members to put on blindfolds and sit against the basement wall while several brothers threw eggs around them and loud music played. One pledge was struck in the eye by an egg but no medical assistance was offered even though he complained of pain. Phi Gamma Delta, also known as FIJI, is one of two fraternities that are being tossed off Grounds for hazing incidents and one of five fraternities and sororities written up in the schools hazing report for violating university regulations. Those incidents and violations were detailed in the hazing report, which is required under a new state law. Kappa Alpha Order was the other fraternity removed from Grounds. As a result of these findings, the chapters operating agreement with the university was terminated, the misconduct report announced. The chapters national organization may petition to re-colonize at the university after four years. In FIJIs case, the agreement was not only terminated but five members were also referred to the University Judiciary Committee for other punishments. Following UVas decision in June, FIJIs national organization moved to close the chapter for violating its laws and policies, said Rob Caudill, executive director of Phi Gamma Delta. Kappa Alpha Order is disappointed by UVas decision, according to a statement provided by the national office, which is based in Lexington. Our chapter at the University of Virginia has enjoyed an impeccable reputation and has not had any known conduct violation in recent memory, the statement read. This unfortunate outcome could have been avoided and instead resulted in a positive collaborative and educational effort. Established in 1873, UVas Kappa Alpha chapter is one of the oldest fraternities at UVa. National office staff said they worked with the UVa administration during the investigation process. The chapter leadership has been forthcoming and has confirmed the accuracy of some of the published claims, officials said. KA staff and alumni were denied access to decision-makers to offer alternative educational and restorative sanctions. At this time, while we hope to work with the university, we are required to consider all options for the future of the chapter. According to the report, Kappa Alphas transgressions included requiring new members to carry cigarettes, lighters, condoms, beef jerky, chewing tobacco and smokeless nicotine patches on their person at all times. New members were banned from using the frat house bathroom or furniture. One incident included new members confined in a bathroom and smoking all the cigarettes included in pledge packs and a team race to drink 30 cans of beer. UVa spokesman Brian Coy said the UVas dean of students made the decision to remove the two fraternities from Grounds. Upon receiving reports of these particular incidents, UVa Student Affairs immediately opened an investigation to determine the facts and evaluate the need for disciplinary actions, he said. University officials also moved quickly to offer the affected students supportive resources. University officials declined to comment further on the cases in order to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. The university is strongly committed to keeping our students safe and to acting swiftly in response to reported incidents of hazing, which is a violation of university policy and, if it results in bodily harm, a violation of Virginia law, according to the statement. Earlier this year, Virginia lawmakers adopted an anti-hazing bill known as Adams Law following the death of 19-year-old Adam Oakes, a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University. Oakes died of alcohol poisoning and nearly a dozen men connected to VCUs Delta Chi chapter were charged in connection with his death. The law requires hazing prevention training for all current, new and potential members of student organizations. The training should include extensive, current, and in-person education about hazing, the dangers of hazing, including alcohol intoxication, and hazing laws and institution policies, according to the bill summary. Additionally, the bill requires universities to provide immunity from disciplinary action for students who report an incident of hazing that causes injury to a person. Per state code, UVa will update its hazing misconduct report 10 days before the start of the fall and spring semesters and maintain the information for 10 years. According to UVa records, only one Greek organization had its operating agreement terminated in the last five years. The Sigma Phi Society was removed in fall 2017 after the chapter failed to comply with university standards regarding alcohol and new member education, according to UVa. The chapter was conditionally reinstated the following spring. Fraternity Theta Tau and sorority Delta Delta Delta will face university judicial action in the fall for their actions during spring, according to the report. Theta Tau required its new members to perform favors such as picking up food or coffee, attending a brothers intramural game, following/liking content on social media, and swiping a brother into a dining hall. Failure to do so resulted in a variety of punishments, including collecting signatures in a public setting for a fake petition. Delta Delta Delta sisters held a pledge mixer in February during which alcohol was served and a slideshow shown. During the slideshow, a Tri-Delta sister ran into the room and said someone in the pledge class reported them for an alcohol violation. She then announced she was going to take a picture of the pledge class, and that someone needed to disclose who had reported them, the report states. After time passed, the Tri-Delta sister returned to the room to explain the situation was a joke. The events purpose was to scare the pledges. Fraternity Phi Kappa Psi received an abbreviated 10-day new member education period and a mandatory hazing prevention program for all members of the chapter. The report indicates that university investigators doubted the veracity of chapter members interviewed during the investigation. They did not believe new members were fully truthful, transparent, or forthright in the investigative process, the report states. Investigators based this concern on the multitude of inconsistencies in statements provided by new members and the chapter president that go beyond what a reasonable person would consider to be normal variances in memory or experience of a shared event. 3 More Candidates Join Race to Replace Johnson as UK Prime Minister Three more candidatesJeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid, and Penny Mordaunthave joined the race to replace Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party, meaning nine Tory MPs have now put themselves forward to become the next prime minister. Declaring their candidacies in The Telegraph, Hunt billed himself as the most experienced hand in the leadership contest and also attempted to differentiate himself from the crowded field with a pitch based on his decision to stay on the backbench while Johnson was at the helm of the government. Jeremy Hunt, then foreign secretary, arrives at 10 Downing Street in London, on Dec. 4, 2018. (Jack Taylor/Getty Images) He told the BBCs Sunday Morning programme that there were a lot of very angry voters who had abandoned the party in recent months, adding, They are not going to come back to us automatically and choosing me will be a very strong signal that the Conservative Party has listened to their anger. Also speaking to Sunday Morning, Javid said that as Tory leader he would keep to the commitment to get to net zero by 2050 and would not scrap the BBC licence fee. The former Cabinet minister also said he agreed with the policy to send illegal immigrants to Rwanda and said he would not rule out another Scottish independence referendum forever, but would not have one at least for a decade. Health Secretary Sajid Javid on March 15, 2022. (James Manning/PA Media) Tax Promises Hunt and Javid, both of whom have served as health secretaries, said they would not only scrap former chancellor Rishi Sunaks plans to raise corporation tax from 19 percent to 25 percent in April, but reduce the rate to 15 percent. The contenders timescales for the change are different, with Hunt planning to cut the tax in his first autumn budget, while Javid would set a glide path. Javid said he thinks in the current fiscal situation the country can afford to scrap the national insurance hike and still fund the promised boost for the National Health Service (NHS) and social care. But Hunt said he would not reverse the tax rise because the NHS needs the money from the health and social care levy. Socially Liberal International trade minister Penny Mordaunt announced on Sunday morning that she will run for the top job, saying the UKs leadership needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship. The minister, who campaigned for Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum, has said on her campaign website the Conservative Party was elected to deliver a manifesto. Britains Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt speaks to a Reuters reporter during her visit to a rehabilitation centre in Rusaifa city, Jordan, on April 10, 2018. (Re/Muhammad Hamed) Conservative MP Michael Fabricant, who has pledged his support for Mordaunt, described her as socially liberal but a staunch supporter of Brexit who firmly believes in the sovereignty and independence of the United Kingdom. She made waves in 2019 as the UKs first female defence secretary before being fired by Boris Johnson shortly after becoming prime minister. PA Media contributed to this report. Angel Garza, father of slain school girl Amerie Jo Garza pleads with city council members for answers about the response to the May 24 mass school shooting, in Uvalde, Texas, on June 30, 2022. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Angry Uvalde Parents Desperate for Answers in Massacre Aftermath UVALDE, TexasFamily members and friends of the 21 victims in the May 24 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, have flocked to city council meetingsthe only venue where they say theyre being heardto express their frustration and seek answers. Theyre begging for help. Desperate for answers. And no one is providing them. They want to know why it took law enforcement officers 77 minutes to enter the unlocked classroom at Robb Elementary School and kill the gunman. They want police body camera footage and the 911 calls to piece together the final moments of their loved ones lives and to try to get a semblance of accountability. All they get is snippets on the news. We want yall to look at this, not as a mayor, not as a city council memberlook at this as a dad, as a parent, said Angel Garza, father of victim Amerie Jo Garza, at the June 30 city council meeting. What if it was your kid? Do something. Velma Lisa Duranwhose sister, teacher Irma Garcia, was killed in the massacretraveled from San Antonio to attend the meeting. These kids were obliterated. My sister was obliterated. It was a closed casket. I couldnt hug her. I couldnt touch her. I couldnt say my last goodbye, said Duran, a second grade teacher, while choking back tears. The day it happened, they knew. Everybody knows, and theyre covering up because they know that every agency failed us. Every agency failed. Tina Quintalla-Taylor, whose daughter survived the shooting, said: You have no idea, at night, how many screams I have to hear. Were not getting any answers, zero justicenothing. And were the ones that have to deal with everything. The mayor and council members are bearing the brunt of the anger because theyre the only ones allowing a back-and-forth conversation with the family members with no time limit. At school board meetings, on the other hand, five people are allowed to speak for three minutes each and board members dont respond to the speakers. Family members pleaded with the mayor and four council members to attend the July 18 school board meeting with them. They said they will. Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin says hes just as in the dark as the family members are. Since day one, weve got zero. And Ive asked the governors office for it. Ive asked the district attorneys office for it. Ive asked the DPS officers for it, he said. Ive got nothing. The last briefing he said he received from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)the lead investigators of the shootingwas the morning of May 25, the day after the massacre. Since then, hes received letters from both the DPS and District Attorney Christina Mitchell Busbees office, warning him of legal consequences if he releases any information. If we did have something and we released it, then we would be subject to individual criminal charges. But we dont have itwe dont have anything to give you or we would, I promise you, McLaughlin said. He said he invited Busbee to the city council meeting so she could explain to us, and to you, why we cant get any information, so that you would hear it firsthand. Parents at the meeting turned their anger toward Busbee and said they intend to look into recalling her. Busbee didnt respond to The Epoch Times questions about when she plans to provide parents with more information and what her response is to accusations of a cover-up. McLaughlin said hes tried to obtain both the 911 call records and the body camera footage from the shootingeven just the footage from the local Uvalde Police Departmentbut hes been stonewalled at every turn. He hasnt even been able to view it. He said, aside from DPS and the district attorney, the FBI and Texas state legislators have the footage. Law enforcement officials, mainly from DPS, have issued conflicting information since the shooting, frustrating parents even further. McLaughlin disputed a claim made by DPS Director Steve McCraw about a 911 call made at 11:21 a.m. on May 24, before shooting suspect Salvador Ramos entered the school. I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, there was no 911 call to the city of Uvalde by the grandmother, McLaughlin said, referring to Ramoss grandmother, who Ramos shot in the face before driving to the school. There was a call, but we dont know where it went to, and we dont know who got that call, and DPS wont tell us who got that call. He said the first communication the city received regarding the grandmother was at 11:35 a.m. Theres 14 minutes that are unaccounted for, that we dont know the answer to, and we would like to know, McLaughlin said. On May 28, McLaughlin asked the U.S. Department of Justice to open an independent investigation into the shooting response. He met with the investigation team on June 29. A Fractured City Pete Arredondo, the police chief for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, has been heavily criticized for his role in the response to the massacre that left 19 children and two teachers dead, as well as 17 people injured. The school board declined to take action against Arredondo until a month later, on June 22, when the superintendent placed him on administrative leave. Duran said the board failed by not immediately firing Arredondo. The minute that happened, someone should have said, No, you failed to do your job,' she said. Had a teacher slapped a kid, she would have been fired on the spot. Arredondo had also been elected to the city council for Uvaldes District 3 just two weeks prior to the mass shooting and was sworn into the position during a closed-door ceremony on May 31. The June 30 council meeting was the second consecutive public meeting that Arredondo failed to attend after the council previously denied him an extended leave of absence. If he had missed three in a row, his seat would be considered vacated; however, McLaughlin told The Epoch Times that he received Arredondos resignation letter on July 2. During the council meeting, parents asked Uvalde City Manager Vince DiPiazza why Uvalde police officers werent being suspended. We had a lot of officers on the scene. If we put all them on leave, we wouldnt have any to cover the town, DiPiazza said. Well, what does it matter? asked a parent. Berlinda Arreola, grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, said: The same cops that couldnt protect our kids, theyre going to go after us if we start protesting or we start speaking up. Were looking for some answers that nobody seems to be getting. And its just making Uvalde PD and everybody else look even more guilty. Were not blaming yall. Were voicing our anger towards yall, because yall are here and were looking for answers. McLaughlin said other law enforcement agencies present in the school hallway while Ramos remained in the unlocked classroom are equally to blame. He said officers from at least eight law enforcement agencies were in the hallway at one point, including 14 DPS officers. The agencies included the Uvalde school district police department, the Uvalde Police Department, the Uvalde County Sheriffs Office, the Department of Homeland Security and Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals, the district attorneys investigator, Texas Game Wardens, and DPS, including Texas Rangers and state troopers. Col. McCraw has continued to lie, leak, mislead, and misstate information in order to distance his own troopers and rangers from the response, McLaughlin said at the June 21 council meeting. DPS didnt respond to questions from The Epoch Times about how many of its officers were in the school hallway on May 24 and what the agencys response is to accusations of a coverup. McLaughlin said he had testified the day before the council meeting in front of a state legislative committee and asked for the subsequent report to be released to the parents before it was made public. And the next question I asked was: If your investigation comes out different than the DPSs investigation, are you going to release your investigation? And I was assured 100 percent they would, he said. Parents asked McLaughlin to help set up a meeting with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, so he can answer their questions and hear their concerns. Abbotts press secretary, Renae Eze, told The Epoch Times that the Governor will continue visiting with the Uvalde community and local leaders. The investigations being conducted by the Texas Rangers and the FBI are ongoing, and we look forward to the full results being shared with the victims families and the public, who deserve the full truth of what happened that tragic day, Eze wrote in an email. Back to School Families are terrified of sending their children to school next month when the new year begins. Robb Elementary is slated to be demolished, with a new campus to be built on a different site. The children who had attended Robb are being spread over other campuses in the city. Are you counting on the school police to help us feel safe? Garza asked. The only thing I can promise you is not the answer you wantwhen school opens up, there will be an overwhelming amount of law enforcement, McLaughlin said, reiterating that he has no jurisdiction over school district policing. Something has to happen to bring someor a lotof relief to these parents because school is mandatory, but whos going to protect them? Duran asked. Because we know that its not the Uvalde school police, we know its not the Uvalde city police. We know its not DPS. We know its not the Texas Rangers. White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield speaks during a briefing in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, on March 30, 2022. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images) Another White House Official Is Leaving Biden Administration White House communications director Kate Bedingfield is stepping down from her position, according to the Biden administrations chief of staff. In a statement released on July 6, the White House said that Bedingfield has played a huge role in the administration. The announcement came after a number of legacy news outlets, citing unnamed White House officials, said Bedingfield would depart soon. Her strategic acumen, intense devotion to the Presidents agenda, and fierce work on his behalf are unmatched, said White House chief of staff Ron Klain. She will continue to remain a critical player in the Biden agenda forward from the outside. The White House statement said that Bedingfield is leaving to spend more time with her husband and young children. In the White House, Bedingfield continued as the Presidents top communications aide and was similarly integral to every major public relations effort while leading the White House Communications Department, ensuring that each part of the team was working to deliver the Presidents message and advocate for his agenda, the statement said. Characterized as a longtime aide to Biden, Bedingfield helped work for his campaign in 2020 before she was hired to work in the White House. According to recent White House disclosures, she was slated to make $180,000 in 2022, one of the highest-paid administration officials. Several weeks ago, Jen Psaki, President Joe Bidens first press secretary, left the White House and was replaced by Karine Jean-Pierre. Psaki is reportedly slated to join cable channel MSNBC, according to an announcement earlier this year. Cedric Richmond, a former congressman from Louisiana, had led Bidens Office of Public Engagement, but he recently left the White House to work with the Democratic National Committee. He was replaced by former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Anita Dunn, who previously drew criticism for praising Chinese Communist Party tyrant Mao Zedong, recently returned to the White House as a senior adviser on policy issues. In a statement last week, Dunn told news outlets that Bedingfield ensured that our message in 2020 and in the White House was consistent with his voice and principles, and asserted she would always be a core member of this family, even as she takes a little time to put her own family first. Her departure also comes after White House rapid response director Mike Gwin left in June. Gwin is now at the Treasury Departments public affairs division. ISIS Hospital Attack Kills at Least 13, Including Infants, in Democratic Republic of Congo Terrorists killed at least 13 people, including infants and patients, in an attack on a clinic in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday night, hospital staff said on Friday. The Congolese army blamed the raid on a local militia allied with Islamist fighters. The ISIS terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack, the groups news agency said in a statement on its Telegram channel on Saturday. The terrorists believed to be from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Ugandan armed group that has operated in the dense forests of eastern Congo for decades, attacked a church clinic at around 10 p.m. on Thursday, two witnesses said. An army spokesman said the attackers were actually from a local militia collaborating with the ADF and using the same methods. The army killed three terrorists and captured one when it responded to the attack in the town of Lume, in North Kivu province, said army spokesman Anthony Mualushay. He said there were nine dead, including three children, while a nurse at the hospital counted 13 bodies. Kule Mwenge Salomon, a nurse at Lume health center, said in the hospital ward there were four patients who all burned to death, in the paediatric unit all the mattresses are burned and in the side wards we just collected nine bodies. Hospital chief Kule Bwenge told reporters that three infants and four patients were among those killed in the attack. Some hospital staff are missing and several houses were burned in the attack Thursday night on the medical center. Its the largest health facility in the region. Four blocks of the medical center were set on fire. Several sick guards, as well as a nurse, are missing, Bwenge said. Kakule Vikere Lem was feeding his father at the clinic when he saw a column of people with torches approaching the town, around 25 miles south-east of the city of Beni. I fled, thinking that they would spare the hospital, but unfortunately they burned my father in the hospital, Vikere said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Rescue operation is underway after a rocket attack at a location given as Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, on July 10, 2022. (Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko/Handout via Reuters) At Least 15 Killed as Russian Rockets Hit Ukraine Apartment Block: Local Officials CHASIV YAR/KYIV, UkraineAt least 15 people were killed and two dozen more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-story apartment block in Ukraines Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday as rescuers picked their way through rubble. Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, while Moscow said its forces struck Ukrainian army hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery, near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service gave the death toll at 15 on Sunday afternoon, adding that 24 more people could still be under the rubble. We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen, said a local resident who gave her name as Ludmila, speaking as rescuers removed a body in a white sheet and cleared rubble using a crane as well as their hands. The second, I do not even remember, there was lightning, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning. Another survivor, who gave her name as Venera, said she had wanted to save her two kittens. I was thrown into the bathroom, it was all chaos, I was in shock, all covered in blood, she said, crying. By the time I left the bathroom, the room was full up of rubble, three floors fell down. I never found the kittens under the rubble. Kyrylenko wrote on Telegram that rescuers in Chasiv Yar had cleared nearly 99 tonnes of rubble from the site of the collapsed apartment block, and that rescue operations were still going on as of 4 p.m. A building damaged after a rocket attack at a location given as Chasiv Yar, Ukraine, on July 10, 2022. (Donetsk region governor Pavlo Kyrylenko/Handout via Reuters) Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a Telegram post that the strike was another terrorist attack, and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result. Russia, which says it is conducting a special military operation to demilitarize Ukraine, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Luhansk and Donetsk provinces comprise the Donbas, Ukraines eastern industrial region that has become Europes biggest battlefield for generations. Russia wants to wrest control of the Donbas on behalf of the separatists that it supports. Ukraine and the West call Moscows invasion an unprovoked war of aggression. American Howitzers Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraines military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border. It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) east of Sloviansk. The enemy is shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region, he said on Telegram. Russia claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend. Russias defense ministry said its forces had destroyed two hangars near the Donetsk town of Kostyantynivka holding the U.S.-made M777 howitzers, which it said had been used to shell residential areas of Donetsk. Russian news agencies quoted separatist officials as saying on Sunday that Ukraines military had been shelling Donetsk using NATO-standard 155-mm artillery since the morning, wounding two residents. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts. Ukrainian military spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraines military command said. Turbine Setback Ukraine has been supported by Western military supplies and tough sanctions against Moscow as it resists the invasion that began on Feb. 24. But it suffered a diplomatic setback on Saturday when Canada said it would return a repaired turbine that Russias state-controlled Gazprom used to supply natural gas to Germany. Ukraine had argued that a return would violate sanctions on Russia and the countrys energy and foreign ministries said in a statement on Sunday they were deeply disappointed by Canadas decision. The statement, published on the energy ministrys website, called on the Canadian government to reverse its decision and said that returning the turbine would amount to adjusting the sanctions imposed on Moscow to the whims of Russia. By Anna Voitenko and Max Hunder A resident paddles a kayak to commute in the Sydney, Australia, on July 6, 2022. \(Muhammad Farooq/AFP via Getty Images) Australian Flood Victims Warned to Mentally Prepare Australian flood victims returning to inundated homes have been urged to mentally prepare and reach out for support from people around them as evacuation orders ease. Federal relief payments of up to $1000 are now available for residents of 29 local government areas, while New South Wales (NSW) residents are being urged to donate money to GIVIT so help can be better coordinated. As rain returned in areas across the state, including Sydney, authorities warned of several road closures and public transport disruptions due to flooding, Some 37,000 people remained under evacuation orders on Saturday as the State Emergency Service said it was working through easing its emergency notices. Theres obviously ramifications with that. Its not just a free-for-all, run back in there, Adam Jones from the SES told AAP. There will be debris, their homes wont have been checked, so if it has been inundated, there could be structural issues. The electrics might need to be looked at by an electrician. There could be mud and sewage everywhere. Flood-affected residents returning to properties should wear PPE, boots, gloves and have sanitiser handy. Jones also urged people to mentally prepare to see their homes significantly damaged, and to reach out for community support. Everyones going to be a bit stressed under these circumstances, he said. The federal government expanded the number of areas able to access relief payments on Saturday evening, adding six more flood-affected councils to the list. Payments of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child are available to people impacted by the flooding. Recovery efforts in the state will be overseen by former detective Dean Betts and fellow Resilience NSW director Mel Gore, Emergency Services Minister Steph Cooke said on Saturday. These appointments will help to ensure flood-affected communities receive support in a timely and efficient way, Cooke said. Flooding continued in the Hunter and lower Hawkesbury regions on Saturday, with more than 1000 government personnel on standby to assist. Some 37 Victorian emergency personnel also travelled to NSW to help with the rescue and clean-up, taking the total number of crew from the state to 94. Cooke said the immediate priorities were damage assessments and making sure displaced residents could access emergency accommodation. On Sunday, Cooke said the GIVIT donation hub would allow the NSW government to better direct donated money for flood victims. By donating through the official channels people can know their generosity is going directly to those whove been hit hardest by the flooding, she said. Of 2285 premises already examined, 239 have been deemed not habitable and a further 973 require repairs. In the Hunter, lower Hawkesbury and Blue Mountains regions, roads remain cut in multiple towns and train services are affected. The T1 Western, Blue Mountains and Hunter train lines are not operating between some stations, and the Parramatta River ferries are offering replacement transport between some stops. President Joe Biden speaks before signing an executive order aimed at ensuring access to abortion pills, at the White House on July 8, 2022. (Samuel Corum/AFP via Getty Images) Bidens Story of 10-Year-Old Girl Crossing State Line for Abortion Draws Skepticism A story about a 10-year-old rape victim who had to leave Ohio to get an abortion is facing increasing skepticism after it was repeated by President Joe Biden, with a fact-checker saying its very difficult to verify the tales authenticity. Biden referenced the story on July 8 when he signed an executive order aimed at preserving abortion access in response to the U.S. Supreme Courts decision regarding Roe v. Wade, which affirmed that abortion isnt a constitutional right, but rather a matter that should be left to individual states. The order pledges to ensure the safety of abortion providers, including mobile clinics that are usually deployed near the borders of states where abortion is restricted. Some of the states dont allow for exceptions for rape or incest, Biden said. Just last week, it was reported that a 10-year-old girl was a rape victim in Ohio10 years oldand she was forced to have to travel out of the state, to Indiana, to seek to terminate the [pregnancy] and maybe save her life. Imagine being that little girl. Im serious, just imagine being that little girl10 years old! The report the president referenced was published on July 1 by the Indianapolis Star, which cited Dr. Caitlan Bernard, an Indianapolis-based obstetriciangynecologist, as the single source. Speaking to the Star, Bernard said a child abuse doctor in Ohio contacted her after finding that the young patient was six weeks and three days pregnantthree days late for a legal abortion under a recently revived Ohio law, which prohibits abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. Glenn Kessler, a fact-checker for The Washington Post, found the story to be dubious. In an analysis published on July 9, he pointed out that physicians in Ohio have a legal obligation to tell the police when they see signs of child abuse, yet no arrest related to this particular case has been reported. The original Star report didnt state whether it was being investigated by the police. A physician, as a mandated reporter under [Ohio law], would be required to report any case of known or suspected physical, sexual or emotional abuse or neglect of a child, Kessler wrote. He also noted that the office of Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine stated that it was unaware of any specific case. In addition, the original story didnt provide details about the location of the alleged crime. According to Kesseler, child services agencies in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Toledo, and other populous Ohio cities were unaware of any 10-year-old rape victims in their jurisdictions. None of the officials we reached were aware of such a case in their areas, Kessler wrote. This is a very difficult story to check. Bernard is on the record, but obtaining documents or other confirmation is all but impossible without details that would identify the locality where the rape occurred. Fact-checking website Snopes also said Bernard hadnt responded to its request for additional information and that it hasnt been able to independently corroborate the abortion claim. When asked whether the Biden administration had confirmed the identity of the victim with local law enforcement or directed the Justice Department to prosecute the abuser and protect the girl, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said she had no information to share on the matter. Anything to do with the DOJ, thats a legal component. I would refer you to DOJ, Jean-Pierre said during the July 8 White House press briefing, noting that the president told the story just to show how extreme the decision is. When you have such a young girl who has to carry out the child of a rapist, that is unacceptable. You heard that from him directly. An Indian Air Force Hercules military transport plane prepares to land at an airbase in Leh, the joint capital of the union territory of Ladakh bordering China, on September 8, 2020. (Mohd Arhaan Archer/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Aircraft Flies Close to Indian Position on Disputed Border in Attempt to Exert Psychological Pressure: Experts NEW DELHIA Chinese aircraft flew very close to an Indian military position on the disputed border in eastern Ladakh in the last week of June, according to reports by Indian media outlets. Experts said India should assert itself to counter Chinese bullying tactics and should consult the Taiwanese who have faced continuous air invasions from the communist regime. The incident was notable because it happened soon after the second anniversary of the June 15, 2020, bloody Galwan conflict, which resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. A few days before the anniversary, Wei Fenghe, the Chinese regimes defense minister, at a major security summit in Singapore, the Shangri-La Dialogue, blamed India for the standoff. The air violation though not very serious or alarming could have led to further escalation considering its timing, sources told the Times of India on July 8. It immediately led the Indian Air Force to activate its air and other defense measures, and New Dehli raised the issue with Beijing authorities, the report said. India and China have witnessed heavy military build-up on either side of the border after the 2020 Galwan conflict. Meanwhile, 15 rounds of military talks have made little headway. Namrata Hasija, a research fellow with the New Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy, told The Epoch Times that the threat on the border has persisted since Galwan happened. We have to understand that the threat was never gone. Its been two years of talks. 15 rounds of commander-level meetings but nothing has come out of it. There has been no [military] disengagement. In fact, they just announced that therell be a 16th round [of talks], but to me, its been a stalemate, said Hasija. The Ladakh unit of Indias Defense Ministry declined to comment on the report. 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) Psychological Pressure The Chinese regimes military, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), engaged in this action to exert psychological pressure on India, similar to what it has done to other nations in the wider region, according to experts. Through these tactics, the PLA studies its adversaries reactions, they added. The Chinese copy here the playbook they use for incursions into the airspace of Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan: the PLA-Air Force probes the reaction time of the respective air forces and coerces them to react by sending air patrols monitoring the intruders, which is exhaustive for crews and material, and also binding military resources of those air forces, Frank Lehberger, a Europe-based sinologist and expert on greater China, told The Epoch Times in an email. Taiwan had to deploy its fighter jets on May 30 to warn off 30 Chinese warplanes that intruded into the islands air defense identification zone (ADIZ), the second-largest incursion this year following 39 PLA jets entering Taiwans ADIZ on Jan. 23. This might be a gesture in the sense the way they are doing with Taiwanthe same kind of psychological pressure because our troops are right there at the border, said Hasija. Chinese Communist Partys 20th Party Congress, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping is expected to secure an unprecedented third term as Party head, is scheduled for this fall, and Hasija believes that in the next two to three years if domestic pressures increase on Xi, hell definitely do something outside of China to validate himself. There are only three areas where he can do that: South China Sea, Taiwan, and India. When it comes to Taiwan and the South China Sea, they know the U.S. will intervene. For me the Chinese are watching that and theyll do something over there only when they know the U.S. will not intervene, but they know that in India, the U.S. is not going to intervene, said Hasija. Given the Chinese regimes past aggression against India under Xi, Hasija considered that there was a high possibility of another confrontation between Chinese and Indian troops should the leader secure his third term. Taiwans new Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft at an air force base, in Taitung, Taiwan, on July 6, 2022. (Ann Wang/Reuters) Indias Preparation Experts said India is more prepared compared to 2020 when it was taken by surprise in Galwan, and should be more proactive in asserting itself against Chinas tactics. It is useless for India to bring this up in regular meetings with the Chinese, stress how well-behaved, nice and peaceful or friendly India is and hope [China] will see the error of their ways and stop their unilateral moves and provocations. The only way for India to make the Chinese stop is to retaliate in kind: probe their reaction time and keep the Chinese PLA-Air Force on edge, said Lehberger. If the Chinese engage in a repeat of the Galwan incident on the Indian border, its likely to turn long and bloody, according to Hasija. The Chinese have lost the element of surprise. We are prepared, she said. The Chinese want a quick victory which theyll not get. Lehberger said that the Indian defense establishment should consult the Taiwanese, to leverage their experience and defense knowledge against Chinese incursions. The Taiwanese have found out what is the Chinese PLA Air Forces Achilles heel and when they are most vulnerable, said Lehberger. Last year, the Chinese reportedly used aging warplanes turned into unmanned aerial vehicles for an island encirclement exercise against Taiwan. The South China Morning Post reported that China uses retired war planes as a low-cost, no-causality option to confuse Taiwans air defense system, hone its combat skills, and test Taiwans responses. A worker operates a crane to transport a block of steel into an oven during a government organised tour at a Tiangong International plant, makers of high quality steel and tools, in Zhenjiang in China's eastern Jiangsu province on Oct. 12, 2020. (Hector Retamal / AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Steelmakers Report Crippling Losses From Weak Demand Data show only 15 percent of Chinese steel mills remain profitable Chinese steelmakers have reported significant losses from weak demand and low prices. Data released on June 28 showed that only 15 percent of Chinese steel mills remain profitable, a 27 percent drop from the first quarter and a 59 percent plunge compared to the same period last year. According to Chinas National Bureau of Statistics, pig iron and crude steel declined 5.9 percent and 8.7 percent year on year; cumulative exports and imports of steel fell 16.2 percent and 18.3 percent, respectively; and imports of iron ore and concentrates dropped 5.1 percent. The data collected from 247 steel mills across China showed substantially decreased production output over weak demand and excess inventory. According to the state-owned Finance China, in June, stockpiles from key Chinese steelmakers reached 20.52 million tons, an increase of 2.58 million tons from May and a year-on-year increase of 4.83 million tons, hitting a record high in steel inventory. Chinas plummeting domestic demand for steel is widely attributed to the lockdowns and stringent transport restrictions under Beijings zero-COVID policy. As Chinese steelmakers struggle to make ends meet, a further market downturn is expected. According to Baiinfo, a Chinese commodity market information provider, the top three steel-using sectors in China are construction, machinery, and vehicle manufacturing. The construction industry uses the most steel, accounting for 49 percent, while machinery and vehicle manufacturing account for 18 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Chinas Ministry of Metallurgical Industry divides the construction sector into two main subsectors: real estate developments and infrastructure projects. Property Market Chinas property market has declined since 2021 and is still heading on a downhill trajectory owing to widespread COVID-19 curbs weakening buyer confidence and market demand. With tumbling sales, short-term debts, and a lack of offshore refinancing, Chinese property developers are facing a liquidity crisis. In the first half of 2022, nearly 500 regulatory changes were made in more than 180 cities across China in an effort to stimulate the property market, according to Sina Finance. However, such intensive stimulus efforts still failed to reverse the downward trend. According to Chinas National Bureau of Statistics, property sales fell 31.5 percent in the first five months compared to the same period last year, while investment and new construction activities dropped by 4 percent and 30.6 percent, respectively. In addition, commercial sales and land acquisitions dropped 23.6 percent and 45.7 percent, respectively. As steel goes hand-in-hand with construction, the massive decline in construction activities has resulted in a significant reduction in steel usage across China. According to MySteel, a Chinese steel price reporting agency, the steel consumed by real estate developments in Jiangxi Province fell by approximately 376,000 tons in the first five months, dropping 6.16 percent compared to the same period last year. Infrastructure and Machinery According to the Statistics Bureau, Beijing expanded the infrastructure budget by 6.7 percent in the first five months compared to the same period last year. However, despite the effort, many planned construction activities were halted by interruptions in logistics and transportation under Beijings zero-COVID policy. As construction activities decline, demand for many types of construction-related machinery has also taken a hit. For example, the countrys excavator production fell 30.5 percent in the first five months compared to last years period. According to the China Construction Machinery Association (CCMA), domestic excavator sales between 26 manufacturers in April were about 16,000 units, down 61 percent year-on-year. Among them, sales of large-sized excavators fell 59.9 percent, while medium-sized and small-sized fell 69.8 percent and 57 percent, respectively. The sales of excavators often correlate with active construction projects. Compared to 2021, excavator production fell 14.5 percent in the first quarter and 30.5 percent for the first five months. In addition, Chinas cumulative vehicle production and sales also fell 9.6 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, in the first five months, CCMA data show. Meanwhile, production and sales of commercial vehicles fell 39.4 percent and 41.9 percent year-on-year in the first five months, with Mays output and sales falling by 47.0 percent and 50.5 percent, respectively. The production and sales decline of commercial vehicles in China has far outpaced that of passenger cars, according to CCMA. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaks to the media during a press conference after a meeting of the Council of the Federation, which comprises all 13 provincial and territorial leaders, in Mississauga, Ont., on Dec. 2, 2019. (The Canadian Press/Nathan Denette) Cut It: Taxpayer Advocate, Experts Weigh In on Equalization Changes A day after a taxpayer advocacy group called for provincial equalization to be phased out, Conservative leadership candidate Jean Charest pledged reforms to the program to satisfy Alberta. As politicians converged in Calgary for the annual Stampede festival, which kicked off on July 7, Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director Franco Terrazzano said Ottawa should wind down its long-standing program that gives tax dollars to underperforming provinces. Sometimes the only right thing to do with a bad idea is put it out to pasture. Instead of tinkering around the edges, Conservative Party leader hopefuls should commit to phasing out equalization, Terrazzano wrote in a July 6 opinion article published online in the Western Standard. The next day, Charest told the Western Standard he would make an accord with Alberta within a month of becoming prime minister. Geoffrey Hale, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Lethbridge, says this idea of striking a deal with one province echoes provincial deals made by past prime ministers, such as Brian Mulroneys Atlantic Accord in 1985, and revised versions of such deals by Paul Martin and Stephen Harper in the mid-2000s. The idea of a one-off deal with Alberta to address its concerns over equalizationand prospectively, other unresolved disputes over resource development inherited from the Trudeau governmentreflects a long tradition of lets make a deal federalism going back to Confederation, Hale said in an interview. Any such deal would probably result in pressures from other provinces on both sides of the balance sheet, including Quebec, for their own custom-tailored deals. What all this would look like once the smoke has cleared is anyones guess. Temporary vs Permanent Section 36(2) of the 1982 Constitution Act says, Parliament and the government of Canada are committed to the principle of making equalization payments to ensure that provincial governments have sufficient revenues to provide reasonably comparable levels of public services at reasonably comparable levels of taxation. Ian Madsen, senior policy analyst for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, says the United States, UK, and EU have taken measures to help their regions at times, but they were always temporary. By contrast, equalization in Canada causes a lot of disincentives by being jack-hammered into the Constitution, he says. It gives the supposedly underperforming or poor regions no incentive to become more efficient, or to attract business, or to enhance skills of underemployed or unemployed people, or improve infrastructure. It just gives them cash without any conditions or restrictions to supposedly bring the level of social services up to that of the median place in Canada, Madsen told The Epoch Times. Manitoba has a bloated civil service that hasnt been pared back or made more efficient or productive. A lot of the money is spent in places like that. And over time, for instance, Quebec has now become a much better economic performer and one could argue that it doesnt need any more [equalization]. The same with Nova Scotia. Albertas Fair Deal Panel reported in June 2020 that the province contributed nearly $240 billion to the rest of Canada from 2007 through 2018, an amount that dwarfed second-place Ontario ($97.9 billion) and third-place B.C. ($54.6 billion). Time to Look at Options Last October, 61.7 percent of Albertans voted yes in a referendum to removing Section 36(2) from the Constitution, even though Alberta does not have the unilateral power to do so. In the lead-up to the referendum, University of Calgary economics professor Trevor Tombe argued in an commentary that rejecting equalization spurned a crucial principle of Confederation. He cited former Alberta premiers Ernest Manning and Peter Lougheed as accepting the fairness of the idea. Even so, Tombe told The Epoch Times the program should certainly be reformed in a renewed framework of federal transfers to the provinces. Given mounting demographic pressures on provinces and given some weird quirks in the formula that built up over the years, its time to take a thoughtful and serious look at the options, he said. What the feds need to do is not just tinker and tweak at the margins, but really do a serious, large-scale engagement, potentially something on the order of a Royal Commission. This engagement would echo the panel assembled by former prime minister Paul Martin in 2004, whose recommendations instigated changes introduced by the Stephen Harper government that followed. Tombe said that although the revised framework was simpler and was made harder for the provinces to manipulate, it was flawed by setting too high of a minimal annual increase. The gap between high-income and low-income regions is just a lot smaller [than expected], and so theres all these leftover dollars that are still distributed even though the formula didnt call for them. Thats one thing that the government of Alberta has identified as what they would like to see removed, he said. A formula that is based only on a provinces GDP is the way to go, not measuring resource revenues or hydro revenues or measuring tax bases or anything. It would minimize the amount of gaming that a province could engage in. Although the ostensible constitutional purpose of equalization is to have comparable levels of public services among provinces, Tombe says no one has found clear metrics to measure that. Excessive or not, the spring federal budget pegged $21.9 billion to go to five recipient provinces in 202223. Calculations by Fairness Alberta projected the amounts would increase by 23 percent over the next four years unless the formula changed at its next possible juncture in 2024. Federal Trap Madsen and Terrazzano believe amounts should be gradually reduced instead. In an interview, Terrazzano called the equalization program a slush fund for the premiers of dependent provinces. Canada shouldnt have a federal trap that keeps some provinces hooked on the tax dollars forever. Its clearly not fair for taxpayers in the provinces that have to pay into equalization through their taxes but dont get any money back, he said. It also doesnt work for the taxpayers who live in provinces that receive equalization, because it allows their politicians, like those in Eastern Canada, to get away with bad economic policies because they rely on the tax dollars coming from other provincial taxpayers. Equalization was introduced in 1957 and its time to cut it, Terrazzano says. After six-and-a-half decades of equalization payments, now is as good of a time as ever to push these provincial governments to become more self-reliant, he said. Theres nothing in the Constitution that says equalization has to be more than $20 billion every single year. I am the president of Reclaimed Roots Descendent Alliance and a descendant of the enslaved families of Monticello and the enslaved laborers of the University of Virginia. Three generations of my ancestors were owned by Thomas Jefferson and his descendants. Six of my ancestors were sold in court square in 1829 at the second estate sale of Thomas Jefferson. My connection to Thomas Jefferson, Monticello and UVA runs deeply through slavery and oppression In May 2022, Reclaimed Roots Descendant Alliance made a request to Jefferson Madison Regional Library to change the name of the library. Our request was built on the premise of making the name feel more inclusive, specifically to Black individuals. Our position is that legacy of a buildings namesake should be in alignment with the values and mission. The values of the library in 1972 when it became Jefferson Madison Regional Library are very different from its stated values today. We urged the library re-examine the name Jefferson Madison, based on their ties to slavery The current values of the JMRL library as listed on the website state that; WE SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. We appreciate diversity and are mindful of the culture and history of our organization, our region, and our communities. WE PROVIDE FREE, EQUITABLE, OPEN ACCESS TO INFORMATION. ,,,,,,we embrace our responsibility to amplify a full spectrum of voices. WE INSPIRE LIFELONG LEARNING. ..We strongly promote reading and writing, WE CULTIVATE A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. We want our libraries to be comfortable, inviting, accessible spaces where you can work and play Our libraries are inclusive spaces for people of all backgrounds, where everyone is welcomed and respected. While JMRL values promote reading and writing, Thomas Jefferson did not promote reading or writing for the black people he enslaved. Thomas Jefferson enslaved 600 humans during his lifetime in his slave kingdom, including my ancestors. Jeffersons treatment of his slaves included separating enslaved families by gifting slaves to members of his own family, creating a breeding ground for child slavery by way of nail factory where young boys were regularly beaten to ensure productivity, using a business model to determine the value of female slaves by how many offspring they would potentially bring. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness and All Men are Created Equal the words we hold so dear in this county, were not inclusive to those Thomas Jefferson enslaved at that time, Jefferson in all his Founding Father greatness, was not great, or even good to those he enslaved. Furthermore, there is little evidence to suggest Jefferson viewed the enslaved families on his Monticello plantation as even human, but rather like livestock or a business investment. Historical record provides ample evidence of intolerable racist beliefs and biases. For example, in Jefferson Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson stated that Black people lacked forethought, intelligence, beauty, has an intolerable odor. Jefferson also believed that Blacks were inferior to Whites. Since our library bears the name of Thomas Jefferson, one could ask if the library thinks the same things about Black people that Jefferson did. Until JMRL bears a name that makes all people can feel comfortable, welcomed and included, any mission statements they have citing diversity and inclusion ring hollow. In recent years, our community has attempted to undergo a racial reckoning. These efforts have resulted in many schools/organizations changing their names and statues being removed. The primary reason for many of these name changes has been to be a more inclusive space. The painful truth is that many men we have valorized throughout our history, including our Founding Fathers, were by definition White supremacists. Many in our community are unaccepting of this hard truth. When the Thomas Jefferson Health District changed it name to Blue Ridge Health District, they stated that Changing our name is symbolic of the deeper work we are doing as an organization to create an inclusive, equitable environment for our staff and clients and to acknowledge and address the impact of racism on health, said Dr. Denise Bonds, TJHD District Director. Our mission is to ensure the health and wellbeing of all community members and it is critical that our name reflects all of the communities we serve. Blue Ridge Heath District set the precedent. Additionally, in the past several years a plethora of schools statewide and nationwide voted to change names tied with Jefferson, including a school Falls Church, Va. named after Jefferson. Part of racial reconciliation involves examining public spaces, names of buildings and not continuing to hold onto relics of a dark racist past. Any name attached to slavery could never feel welcoming (specifically for Black descendants of the enslaved and the Black community at large) in a free public use space like JMRL. Jefferson has Monticello and Madison has Montpelier; they will never be forgotten. A public librarys role is to tell the stories of Jefferson and Madison inside through books, not outside by the name on the building. During the last JMRL Board of Trustees meeting, a number of White people in our community shined a favorable light on Thomas Jefferson. They failed to consider the dark side. Doing so would require them the step down from White privilege and look through a marginalized lens. Historically, White privilege has made it comfortable for White people to give little or no consideration to the voices of Black people or marginalized people. It also allows for a whitewashed version of Black history, which glosses over historical Black trauma and Black pain Until we as a community are willing to listen and acknowledge the past in a way that validates the trajectory of hurt, harm, pain, suffering, oppression, generational trauma, caused by slavery, we will never reach a true place of healing the painful racial wounds from the past. Until we can come to a place where we no longer adorn names on our public buildings of presidents who were embedded in racism, oppression, harm to Black people and exclusion, we cannot claim inclusivity. The name of a library should be inclusive not perpetuate a dark shadow of oppression. Libraries have the power to be welcoming, inclusive spaces for all. Having an inclusive name that lets everyone feel comfortable feels like a very small step towards racial reconciliation. Yet the request to change the name has been met with big opposition for a space that is supposed to feel inclusive and equitable. An aerial view of the explosion at an ONEOK plant in Medford, Oklahoma, on July 9, 2022. (Deer Creek Volunteer Fire Department/Facebook) Explosion Reported at Oklahoma Natural Gas Plant, Officials Order Evacuations Authorities responded to a significant fire at the ONEOK natural gas plant close to Medford, Oklahoma, after an explosion was reported over the weekend. The Grant County Sheriffs Office on Saturday called on anyone who lives within a two-mile radius of the plant to evacuate Saturday afternoon. Its not clear for how long. Please avoid any travel into or through Medford on U.S. Highway 81 at this time, the sheriffs office wrote, adding that at the time, there was an active incident at the ONEOK plant. The local Deer Creek Volunteer Fire Department said that people should avoid Highway 81 because of a major fire at the facility. The cause of the fire is not known and an investigation is underway. ONEOKs operator released a statement that said it is not aware of any injuries at its Medford plant. Earlier today there was an incident at ONEOKs Medford natural gas liquids fractionation facility. All ONEOK personnel are accounted for, and we are unaware of any injuries at this time, the statement said. We are cooperating with local emergency responders and appreciate their quick response. Our focus continues working with emergency responders to extinguish the fire and the safety of the surrounding community and our employees. Medford is located more than 100 miles north of Oklahoma City. The ONEOK facility is a natural gas liquids fractionation facility. More Fires Days before that, an Energy Transfer natural gas transmission pipeline exploded, setting off a two-hour fire in a rural area on the west edge of Houston, according to state and local officials. The blaze was extinguished at about 12:10 p.m. CDT, according to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and natural gas drilling and energy pipelines in the state. No injuries were reported from the explosion and fire. Local firefighters sprayed water on nearby fields until the flow of natural gas was stopped, snuffing the fire. Several weeks ago, a Freeport LNG plant exploded in southern Texas. Later, the operator said that the facility wont be back online for several months. Completion of all necessary repairs and a return to full plant operations is not expected until late 2022, Freeport LNG said in a statement in mid-June. The facility, located in Texass Quintana Island, suffered an explosion in early June. There were no injuries or deaths reported, Freeport LNG said. Fire crews extinguished the fire about 40 minutes later. Its also not clear what sparked the explosion and fire, and the company previously said an investigation is underway. Reuters contributed to this report. The logo of SoftBank Group Corp. is displayed at SoftBank World 2017 conference in Tokyo on July 20, 2017. (Issei Kato/Reuters) Face-Recognition Business Puts SoftBank Between China, US TOKYOA SoftBank-owned company is thriving by offering face-recognition technology fuelled by a blacklisted Chinese firm to the likes of Mastercard and Visa, an opportunity for the Japanese conglomerate, fraught with geopolitical and privacy risks. Japan Computer Vision Corp. (JCV), owned by SoftBank Group Corp.s wireless unit, has struck deals on payments in recent months, a potential breakthrough for SoftBank founder Masayoshi Sons dream of driving new business through partnership between his tech investments. If JCV sustains its expansion, it could become a standout example of SoftBank creating synergies with portfolio companiesa key part of Sons sales pitch to the tech industry. But the surge faces risks as the facial-scanning system it offers to U.S. heavyweights Mastercard Inc. and Visa Inc. uses technology from SenseTime Group, a Chinese firm blacklisted by the United States over human rights concerns. The JCV-SenseTime partnership highlights SoftBanks difficult balancing act as Son tries to position his conglomerate as a neutral player even while tensions mount between two key markets, the United States and China. The billionaire said last month SoftBank is taking a cautious approach towards China due to a regulatory crackdown there that has roiled its portfolio. JCV said it keeps SenseTime and the credit card companies at arms lengththe Chinese firm is a technology partner with no access to Mastercards and Visas systems or data. Mastercard said all of its biometric-checkout program partners must adhere to European Union standards of data protection. Visa said it is working to define the use of biometrics in payments and believes such technology can help ensure a secure system. JCVs rapid expansion also faces privacy concerns from regulators and consumers as facial-recognition technology goes mainstream. SenseTimes shares plunged 50 percent last week with the end of a lock-up period after its initial public offering. SenseTime told Reuters it aims to strengthen the partnership with JCV, which it believes will benefit businesses, and that the company has established an ethics council to ensure standards. JCV said its technology is audited by a third party, Israeli cybersecurity startup CYE, to check for risk of data leakage and the company asks users to opt in to pay-by-face systems and allows them to opt back out. Offering the consumer those controls are really whats required to make this a very mainstream technology, said JCV CEO Andrew Schwabecher. SoftBank declined to comment. One Million Faces Daily SenseTime, of which SoftBank is the largest investor, was placed on a blacklist in 2019, preventing U.S. companies from exporting technology to the Chinese firm. A further blacklisting in December prevents American investment in SenseTime. Washington accuses the Hong Kong listed firm of developing facial-recognition technology that can be used to identify ethnic Uyghurs. While there is no suggestion JCV is breaching any restrictions, the use of SenseTime technology reflects the limits of U.S. blacklisting in hobbling the expansion of Chinese technology. JCV also sells body temperature scanners using the technology to retailers such as Fast Retailing Co.s Uniqlo fashion chain and mall operator Aeon Co. It has shipped over 20,000 devices in Japan that scan more than a million faces daily. SenseTimes algorithm is absolutely the best, weve evaluated almost every one, JCVs Schwabecher told Reuters, citing its ability to identify customers even when the face is partially obscured by a mask or a hand. Fast Retailing said its temperature scanners do not store or transmit any of the information they capture. Aeon declined to comment. JCV has built a software platform to run the SenseTime algorithm, which it says ranks highly in the U.S. governments own tests for its low error rate. JCV operates the system from Japan. SenseTimes algorithm analyses over 200 facial locations and the distance between them to create a digital key. JCV uploads the unique signature to the cloud, allowing users to authenticate payments using their face. Schwabecher said other companies will likely catch up with SenseTime, and JCV plans to offer alternatives on its platform in the future. In two to three years, which vendors algorithm youre using is probably not going to matter as much as it does today. Uptake of facial scanning tech would allow greater personalization of services, from targeted ads to offering customers their favorite burger at a food restaurant or suggesting a destination on getting in a taxi. But consumer concerns about data privacy pose a threat to greater adoption, even as proponents say such tech is more secure and convenient. Regulators have taken action against facial recognition companies, with New York-based startup Clearview AI fined in Britain and Italy for scraping online images to train its face-matching tool. In Australia, a major consumer group referred three retail chains to regulators last month over their use of intrusive facial recognition technology. By Sam Nussey Fun Things to Do in Orange County Before the End of Summer Orange County, California is not only the home of Disneyland and many other theme parks, but it also has many amazing outdoor activities, spectacular shopping centers, and idyllic oceanfront towns. Heres a list of activities that can help you and your friends and family spend some time together and escape the summer heat. Knotts Soak City Waterpark Soak City is a 15-acre water adventure park adjacent to Knotts Berry Farm in Buena Park. The waterpark boasts 23 slides including Shore Break, featuring a seven-story, 60-foot high drop. It also includes family raft rides, a 750,000-gallon wave pool, and a threestory beach house with 200 water guns, nozzles, sprayers, and more. Daily admission starts from $48. The park opens on select days through Sept. 18. The Adventure Lagoon The Adventure Lagoon aqua park is a newer attraction located in the city of Anaheim. The park consists of multiple floating structures connected in a ring shape on top of a freshwater lake that stays at 74 to 78 degrees year-round. The floating attraction features several climbing stations that allow kids to bounce, slide, or splash. Beach chairs are provided on a first-come, first-served basis. All minors need to be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian, and lifeguards are on site. General admission starts at $30, with an obstacle course and kayaking available at an additional cost. The park is open every day from May 28 through Sept. 30. Great Park Balloon Ride One of the most iconic attractions in Irvine is the Great Park Balloon sponsored by FivePoint, a local community developer. Its one of the largest tethered helium balloons and the first of its kind in the United States. The balloon serves as a public observation deck and can soar 400 feet above the surrounding landscape. It offers an unmatched 360 degree view that spans 40 miles. The balloon rides are offered from Thursday to Sunday at various times. Parking and admission to the balloon are free. For information, call the Visitors Center at 949-724-6247. Crystal Cove State Park Crystal Cove State Park is a hidden gem in the Orange County region. The park features 3.2 miles of beach, 2,400 acres of backcountry wilderness, and an offshore underwater kelp forest. Visitors can not only explore wooded canyons, but also see spectacular coastal views and diverse wildlife. The park also features primitive campgrounds, hiking trails, and bike riding trails with a variety of difficulty levels. The park opens from 6 a.m. to sunset. Visitors can buy a day pass at $15 per vehicle. Free Trolley to Laguna Beach Every summer, Laguna Beach provides free trolley rides to art galleries, hiking trails, and beaches in the area. These nostalgic vehicles drive along the coastline all summer long, taking visitors from north Laguna all the way south to the Ritz Carlton Laguna Beach. Free transportation is available seven days a week with various wait times. The trolley runs from June 24 to September 5. Visit Laguna Beachs official website for the scheduled route. Discover Upper Newport Bay Kayak Tour Newport Bay Conservancy is hosting group kayak tours this summer in the ecological reserve of Upper Newport Bay. Kayaking the Bay is one of the best ways to appreciate the beauty of the area and to see pelicans, terns, and egrets. Each public kayaking tour accommodates up to 20 people and is guided by certified volunteer naturalists. The tour is two hours long, including an introductory lesson, paddling the Bay, and putting away equipment. The tours are offered on Saturdays from 10 to 12 p.m. Tickets start at $25. Location: Newport Aquatic Center. Gascon Recalls 715,833 Signatures Under Review by Officials NORWALK, Calif.Los Angeles County officials have until Aug. 17 to determine how many of the 715,833 signatures submitted in the effort to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon are valid. Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said his office has completed the first step in the review of the petitions, which were submitted July 6, and is now working on verifying the signatures. At least 566,857 valid signatures are required to force a recall election. As authorized in the California Elections Code11225the [county registrar] will use the random sampling technique for the verification of petition signatures. The random sample is 5% of the total number of signatures submitted, Logans office said Saturday. Based on the random sampling results, the petition will be certified as sufficient, require verification of all signatures submitted, or certified as insufficient. If the petition meets the sufficiency requirement, the [county registrar] must certify sufficiency to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors at its next regular meeting. The earliest a recall election could be held would be at the same time as the Nov. 8 general election. If those conditions are not met, a special recall election would likely take place between late December 2022 and mid-January 2023, according to the Registrars Office. Gascon has been under fire since taking office in December 2020, when he issued a series of directives critics blasted as being soft on crime. The directives include a rule against seeking the death penalty, a ban on transferring juvenile defendants to adult court, and prohibitions on filing sentencing enhancements in most cases. Gascon has repeatedly defended his policies, saying his stances were well-known during his campaign and his election signified public support of his agenda. In a statement Tuesday, recall organizers said residents have spoken in a resounding way, noting the sheer number of people who have signed petitions and pointing to 37 cities in the county that have taken no-confidence votes on Gascon. The sheer magnitude of this effort, and time and investment required to get to this point, show how strong the public desire is to remove George Gascon from office, according to the campaign. From day one, this recall has been led by the very victims who Gascon has abandoned, ignored and dismissed. When the recall qualifies, he will not be able to ignore them any longer. Gascon, asked about the recall during a Tuesday news conference, declined to comment. He defended his record in various interviews Wednesday, telling ABC7 his office has filed charges in felony cases at the same rate as his predecessor, deflecting allegations that he is soft on crime. The recall rules are fairly lax in the state of California, it requires a very low threshold, he told the station. You dont have to show criminal intent. You dont have to show malfeasance. Its very easy. We dont like you, boom. We want to start a recall. But, be that as it may, I understand the process and were ready. If they get the signatures, we feel very strongly that we will succeed. If they dont get the signatures, Im sure there will be another recall attempt. The campus of Georgetown University in Washington on May 7, 2020. (Saul loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Georgetown Exploited the Economy of Slavery Long After Selling Its Own Slaves It would be wrong to assume that after the Maryland Jesuits sold 272 slaves to Louisiana planters in 1838, slavery came to an end at Georgetown College. Its likely that hundreds of slaves worked at the college, and on the Jesuits six plantations in southern Maryland, who are not recorded as property of the religious order. Advocates for descendants, as well as historians of slavery, count such laborers as meriting the same status and recognition as those owned outright by the Maryland Jesuits. That calculus multiplies the number of descendants who have moral and financial claims against Georgetown University and other institutions that are investigating their historical links to slavery. We would be losing point of the story if Jesuit slaveholding, of slavery itself in this country, if we only focused on property relationshipswho enslaved whom, said Elsa Barraza Mendoza, an assistant professor of history at Middlebury College and the associate curator of the Georgetown Slavery Archive. At least 60 slaves rented from local wealthy residents worked at the college, cooking, sewing, laundering, and cleaning for students and professors, she said. Families also donated slaves to Georgetown College for periods of time as a means of paying off students tuitions and other debts. Additionally, the religious order generated cashflow by leasing its Maryland farmland to tenant farmers who enlisted slaves to till the soil, tend to livestock, and perform other tasks, according to the report of Georgetown Universitys Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation, issued in 2016. It did not end in 1838. It continued. But it continued through leasing, Mendoza said. Theres hundreds of people out there that were not talking about. The last enslaved worker recorded in Georgetown ledgers was Aaron Edmonson, a domestic servant who belonged to a Catholic woman named Ann Forrest Green and didnt leave the campus until March 1862, nearly a quarter century after the infamous sale. Another such enslaved person appears to have been a man named George Brown. The Georgetown Memory Project, a private genealogical research organization founded in 2015 by a law school alum named Richard Cellini, first learned about Brown in 2016. A 1912 letter written by a Jesuit priest mentions that Brown, then in his 70s, requested permission to build a cabin in the woods in Charles County, on Jesuit land in southern Maryland, where Brown had hoped to live out his final days with his wife, old Sarah. The priests letter provides key biographical details for genealogical researchers: Brown was born on Cedar Point Neck in Charles County; here he served as the slave of a tenant called Savage; and hence he went to fight for the Union. This Jesuit record was sufficient to prove that a Brown was linked to a Jesuit-owned plantation in Charles County, M.D. But to locate living descendants, more information was needed. George Browns military connection suggested a promising avenue of investigation: military records. The Georgetown Memory Projects lead genealogist, Judy Riffel, located two Civil War pension applications (one dated 1887, the other dated 1916) filed by Brown and his wife, Sarah. These records provided further clues establishing Browns connection to the Jesuits, including an affidavit stating that he had been baptized by the Maryland Jesuits at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Port Tobacco, in Charles County. The pension application also showed that Brown had enlisted in the Union Army in January of 1864, served in the 19th Regiment of the U.S. Colored Troops, and was discharged three years later. Intriguing details, to be sure, but not enough for the Georgetown Memory Project to locate Browns living descendants. Meanwhile, some 2,800 miles away in the Pacific Northwest, retired Department of the Navy civil servant John Dashiell Sr., a 69-year-old practicing Catholic originally from Charles County, Maryland, now living in Port Orchard, Washington, knew from family lore and his own genealogical research that he had a great-grandfather named George Brown in Charles County. Researching online this year, Dashiell came across the Georgetown Memory Projects home page. He emailed Cellini on May 9, asking for any additional archival records about his ancestors. Dashiells email provided the final piece of the puzzle: a modern living descendant of George Brown who can be traced directly through sacramental records, U.S. Census entries, newspaper obituaries, military service records, and municipal birth and death certificates. And because George Brown had at least nine children, there are potentially several hundred direct descendantsliving and deceasedin Browns lineage. On May 14, the Georgetown Memory Project notified Dashiell that he is a direct descendant of at least one of the individuals enslaved by the Maryland Mission of the Society of Jesus during the period 16341864. In an official-sounding email, Cellini wrote: Please accept my warmest and heartiest congratulations on this wonderful discovery. The Georgetown Memory Project takes the considered view that slaves of tenants of the Maryland Jesuits were in essence slaves of the Maryland Jesuits, Cellinis email explained. In a phone interview, Dashiell said he was dumbfounded by the revelation, and now feels entitled to the same recognition as any other descendant. This Jesuit piece is all new to us, he said. Dashiell also happens to have five grandchildren, aged 4 to 21, some of whom could theoretically apply to Georgetown under the preferential admissions program. When asked what this discovery might mean for himself, his grandchildren, and future descendants, Dashiell faltered. Im actually still digesting it, he said. Its difficult at this time even just to process it. Georgetown U.s Road to Slavery Reparations Was Paved With Good Intentions, Leading to a Can of Worms In the annals of racial reckoning, Georgetown Universitys public atonement for its historical links to slavery has attracted special attention and generous praise. Since the student newspaper jolted the campus with accounts of Jesuit priests engineering the sale of 272 enslaved people in 1838 to stave off bankruptcy for the college, Georgetown has honored campus buildings after an enslaved black laborer and a black Catholic educator, and pledged funding for health clinics and local schools. The prestigious institution now offers preferred admissions status in perpetuity to descendants of people the Maryland Jesuits once owned. Take a bow, Georgetown University, a Dallas Morning News columnist gushed in 2016. When one of Americas most prominent universities takes a stepno matter how smallto atone for its role in slavery, history pivots. But what began with a grandiosity of purpose as a model for racial reconciliationincluding a Catholic mass of contrition in Washington in 2017 that featured official apologies for having greatly sinnedhas veered off script, confounding the moral clarity of the present that seeks to correct for moral blindness of the past. Georgetown officials assumed that the fate of the 272 sold slaves could never be known, rendering their descendants non-persons. Turns out, the Maryland Jesuits were meticulous record keepers. Historians and genealogists have scoured their remarkably intact archival records to find that that Jesuit slavery was more extensive than many had assumed. They estimate that as many as 1,650 people were enslavedor, just as important: leasedover more than a century and a half at Georgetown College and the six Jesuit plantations in Maryland that financed the schools operations. These slaves and their progeny, in turn, begat an estimated 12,500 descendants who are believed to be alive today. About half of the descendants have been found through genealogical research, and more could be located as additional slave identities are reconstructed. Many, however, are still in the dark because genealogical researchers lack the resources for personally notifying every person added to their growing roster. The expanding universe of descendants has complicated the racial reckoning for Georgetown, which is facing mounting inquiries and claims from descendants who are just learning of their connection to the Jesuits. While most news accounts have focused on the 272 enslaved people who were sold, little attention has been paid to the rising chorus of critics who say the school must acknowledge its much wider debt. Why is everyone so focused on the sale? Wasnt the ownership of slaves the real problem here? said Richard Cellini, a Georgetown law school alumnus who created a nonprofit organization to conduct genealogical research for descendant families. Theres still more than a thousand Jesuit slaves out there that almost no one talks about, nobody knows about, nobodys provided any resources for. Georgetowns reckoning with its past is a microcosm of the profound and difficult questionsboth moral and financialinherent in the discussion of reconciliation and reparations. Even as the university has moved to open its past to unprecedented scrutiny, it has faced increasing criticism and demands. The story began in 2014 when Georgetowns student newspaper began reporting the 1838 sale of 272 enslaved people. Students protested to pressure university leaders to strip two campus buildings of the names of the Jesuit slavers who engineered the sale, realizing more than $3 million in todays dollars. The university community was moved to make amends after reading news stories in The New York Times and other outlets that described contemporary accounts of women weeping, slaves fleeing into nearby woods, and families torn asunder, as the terrified slaves were packed into awaiting oceangoing brigs under the supervision of a local sheriff and shipped more than 1,000 miles to sugar and cotton plantations in Louisiana. In response to intensifying interest in this history, university president John DeGioia in 2015 commissioned a Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation to prepare a report and recommendations on a comprehensive institutional response. Georgetown opened its archives to the broader public, posting letters, bills of sale, financial statements, runaway notices, sacramental records, and other documents online that help historians, genealogists, and family members connect enslaved ancestors to living descendants. Notably, the Jesuit university and the religious order did not conduct genealogical research to find descendants, leaving that work to individual families. Sensing a massive historical wrong, Cellini hired two genealogists and in 2015 created the Georgetown Memory Project, which characterizes its efforts as one of the largest group-genealogy searches in US history. Detailed records kept by the Jesuits have revealed that the Maryland Province Jesuits owned at least 1,150 slaves over more than 150 years, according to research by Sharon Leon, a scholar of U.S. Catholicism at Michigan State University who specializes in digital methods. Whats more, historians and researchers say the religious order benefited from as many as 500 other slaves whose financial ties to the Maryland Jesuits have been overlooked. These enslaved people cooked and cleaned at Georgetown College, or plowed and harvested the six Jesuit plantations in Southern Maryland, but dont show up in the records as Jesuit property because they were owned by tenant farmers, local residents, and students parents. Complicating the matter for Georgetown and the Jesuits is a vocal group of descendants, said by their attorney to number in the hundreds, who have sparred with other descendants over the proper way to honor their ancestors. This group is less interested in what they perceive as symbolic gestureslike renaming campus buildings and offering preferential admissions to descendantsthan in receiving scholarships and cash payments as recompense for the unpaid labor of their ancestors. And they want help with genealogical research, which can be time-consuming and expensive. One of these dissenters is Karran Harper Royal, a New Orleans resident who learned in 2016 that her husband Kenneth descends from Isaac Hawkins, an enslaved person sold in 1838 and whose lineage has produced at least 2,600 descendants, both deceased and living. Harper Royal, 59, is an outspoken descendant activist and was one of the featured speakers at Georgetowns 2017 ceremony and liturgical service. Those bread crumbs theyre throwing out there, thats PR management, its not real amends, said Harper Royal, who works as an advocate for disabled children. If theyre going to let people in based on legacy, the least they could do is help people verify their lineage. These unanticipated developments have placed Georgetown and the Jesuits in a peculiar predicament. For a university like Georgetown, or even for the Jesuits, some uncertainty comes from not known how large the community is that youre dealing with, said Georgetown history professor Adam Rothman, who oversees the Georgetown Slavery Archive, the online repository of archival materials pertaining to slavery, the Maryland Jesuits and Georgetown University. But more its just the novelty of it, Rothman said. Universities have not had to confront a descendant community demanding reparations before. So they dont know how to respond to it. Is this a legal question? Is it a moral question? Is it a public relations issue? How do we navigate this terrain? There is no single model in this country for racial reconciliation, whether offering financial benefits to African Americans or other forms of recognition. In the absence of a national program, individual organizations, businesses and municipal governments, including Evanston, Ill., and Asheville, N.C., have vowed to pay what they call reparations to black people for the municipalities role in historic discrimination. Universities are in the forefront of the movement to come clean on their record of racial exploitation and exclusion, with nearly 100 institutions active in Universities Studying Slavery, a consortium formed in 2016 that meets twice a year and includes Brown, Columbia, Emory, Harvard, Yale as well as universities in Ireland, England, Canada, and Colombia. Universities typically didnt own large numbers of slaves, but they benefitted from wealthy benefactors who were enriched by investing the slave trade or in Caribbean slave plantations, or from the labor of enslaved people owned by faculty, leadership, and even students. Thus a genealogist hired by William & Mary University, researching for more than a year, told RealClearInvestigations (RCI) he has yet to identify a living descendant from 200-plus slaves who are known to have worked on the campus in Williamsburg, Va., between 1693 and 1862. The enslaved might be recorded as negro boy or male or by a first name only. And a genealogist hired by the University of Virginia, who is in her third year of research, said she has successfully identified 60-plus living descendants, and expects to identify others. But out of an estimated 4,000 slaves who labored at UVA in various capacities during the years 1817 and 1865, many were recorded by a first name only or not identified at all, and it will be more challenging if not impossible to find their descendants. Georgetown and the Jesuits, with an increasing community of descendants, face considerations of a different nature than most organizations are likely to encounter. Its morally terrifying to imagine that they survived, said Cellini, 59, who for the past year has been a faculty fellow at Harvard University. They werent looking for this. Its a source of great shame. It worries them from a financial standpoint. Such quandaries must have seemed remote to Jesuit leaders and Georgetown officials when they pointed their moral compass toward a racial reckoning in 2015. When Georgetown president DeGioia in 2015 commissioned a Working Group on Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation to prepare a report and recommendations, no one on the 15-member committee was aware of living descendants of Jesuit-owned slaves, said Rothman, a member of the Working Group. According to one news report, DeGioia said it would have never occurred to him the descendants wanted to engage with Georgetown. The fate of the descendants piqued the curiosity of Cellini, who emailed the Working Group for information about descendants and the possibility of reparations. Georgetown English professor John Glavin responded in mid-November, saying that the question of descendants was a non-starter: The problem with making some sort of reparation to the descendants of the slaves sold south is that, as far as we can tell, all of them quickly succumbed to fever in the malodorous swamp world of Louisiana. Glavin added: The best available evidence suggests that, used to the more temperate climate of Maryland, and the kind-ish oversight of the somewhat feckless Jesuits, almost all of them immediately succumbed to the hostile climate and the harsh labor conditions into which they were so suddenly and cruelly submitted. Cellini typed a query in the Google search engine, and quickly found information posted by a descendant who had been working with a Baton Rouge genealogist. This surprise discovery prompted Cellini to hire that genealogist, as well as another genealogist in Maryland, launching the Georgetown Memory Project. Cellini said he has received no financial help from the Jesuits or the university. He described his motivation as anchored in the Jesuit ethic of serving others, noting: Im a moderate Republican; Im not a social justice snowflake. Meanwhile, Georgetown ceremoniously removed the names of the two Jesuit priests from campus buildings, and christened the structures after Isaac Hawkins, the first of 272 names listed on the 1838 manifest for the mass sale, and named another building after Anne Marie Becraft, a free black Catholic educator who founded the first school for black girls in Georgetown. Georgetown also committed to raise $400,000 a year from philanthropic donations to support projects benefiting descendant communities, and offered preferential admissions to descendants of the Jesuit-owned slaves. To date 16 descendants have been admitted under the special preference, including Melisande Short-Colomb, a New Orleans chef who was 63 years old when she enrolled at Georgetown in the fall of 2017. Some universities, however, are expressly committing to help find living descendants. In April, Harvard University pledged $100 million for the creation of a Legacy of Slavery Fund that will help search for descendants of the 70-plus black and Native American people enslaved by Harvard faculty, presidents, major donors, and other figures in the 17th and 18th centuries. Georgetown spokesman Jason Shevrin, in an email to RCI, underscored the universitys ongoing commitment to reconciliation and collaboration with Descendants. Georgetown is committed to supporting community-based projects in partnership with Descendant communities, Shevrin wrote. This work is grounded in our academic mission of education, research, and service. But Shevrin did not respond to questions about whether the university plans to underwrite genealogical research. Its also unclear whether the hundreds of slaves not owned by the Jesuits, but included in the total headcount by historians and the Georgetown Memory Project, will be eligible for preferential admissions or other forms of recognition at Georgetown; however, recognizing such slaves is common practice by other universities, including William & Mary, University of Virginia, and Harvard. By the time that Georgetown announced the special admissions program in September 2016, the Georgetown Memory Project had identified 1,250 living descendants, and it was becoming impossible to ignore their growing ranks. When GU President DeGioia announced that descendants would get legacy admissions preference and that the university would establish a center to study slavery and commission a memorial to slaves, praise poured in from all quarters for Georgetowns visionary leadership. This is the biggest news in reparations in years, Alfred Brophy, then a law professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill who studies the history of slavery and universities, was quoted in The Los Angeles Times. It goes farther than just about any institution, Massachusetts Institute of Technology slavery historian and author Craig Wilder told The New York Times in 2016. I think its to Georgetowns credit. Its taking steps that a lot of universities have been reluctant to take. Wilder is the author of the 2013 book Ebony and Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of Americas Universities. Brophy is a co-editor of the 2019 study, Slavery and the University: Histories and Legacies. That same year, Harper Royal became involved in founding a new advocacy group, the GU272 Descendants Association, and published a piece in the Washington Post arguing that Georgetown wasnt doing enough. She said the university should offer scholarships to the descendants, since the labor of the Jesuit-owned slaves made it possible for Georgetown College to admit students without charging tuition for the first half-century of its operations. A year later, their frustration mounting, the GU272 Descendants Association sent a confidential plea to Rome, addressed to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus. Saying they have been ignored, the descendants requested the Society of Jesus to investigate the physical, social, educational, and economic harms that resulted from the 1838 sale, continuing down to the present day, and to research how much the descendants are owed. They urged the Jesuit leader to heal a great hurt, right a great wrong, and end a great and growing scandal in the Church. The four signatories included Cellini and Harper Royal, all identified as lead organizers of the GU272 Descendants Association. Subsequently the organization fractured. The other two lead organizers, Cheryllyn Branche and Joseph Stewart, as well as another descendant, Earl Williams Sr., signed a memorandum of understanding with the Society of Jesus in September 2019, to work toward creating a $1 billion national organization to be called the Descendants Truth and Reconciliation Foundation, which would designate a quarter of its philanthropic outlays to funding descendants education expenses. Georgetown contributed $1 million to the planning the technical work required to establish the foundation. The deal expressly took reparations off the table, with the Jesuits later stating that the descendants chose not to seek individual cash settlements but rather to seek a substantial and sustainable investment forward in uplifting the wellbeing of Descendants for many generations to come. According to the foundations web site, it is structured to sustain financial and intellectual support of descendants educational attainment for the next hundred years. The Foundation will provide financial support to meet emergency needs of poor, ill, and elderly descendants. Harper Royal, who was executive director of the GU272 Descendants Association, said she had no idea about the deal signed with the Jesuits, and she strongly disputes the language in the contract stating that the association represented the interests of the majority of descendants. But the $1 billion goal remains a distant reality. The Jesuits committed $15 million and pledged to contribute a total of $100 million, from donations. The remaining $900 million would have come from other universities and institutions that are encouraged to join the effort. A spokesman for the new foundation said its in the early stages of being capitalized and declined to provide details on whether any other universities have signed on. In April 2021, Harper Royal and four other descendants who were current or former members of the board of directors of the GU272 Descendants Association, including Cellini, issued a statement disavowing the GU272 group. They said the deal with the Jesuits was never reviewed by the GU272 board and that the broader descendant community was kept out of the loop. But thats not to say that their demand for reparations is universally popular. Reparations expert William Darity, a Duke University professor of economics, public policy, and African and African American studies, does not blame universities or other entities for refusing to pay cash reparations to descendants. Darity has said it would be misguided for a stand-alone organization to cut checks, because the ultimate responsibility to do so falls on the federal government, and piecemeal efforts can only undermine achieving a national program. Darity, author of the 2020 book, From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century, said black people are entitled to about $350,000 per person in a $14 trillion program to erase the nations racial wealth disparity between black and white people. My position is: Take nothing if youre not going to get what you deserve, Darity told RCI. Security guards stand in front of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Calif., on June 12, 2017. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Hawaii Veteran Pleads With 9th Circuit to Comply With Supreme Courts Second Amendment Ruling A 72-year-old Vietnam War veteran is asking an appeals court to speed up the processing of a gun permit he first sought 11 years ago, now that the Supreme Court has ruled that Hawaiis gun-permitting system is unconstitutional. The Supreme Court determined on June 23 that theres a constitutional right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. On June 30, it found that Hawaiis burdensome permitting process violates the Second Amendment and ordered the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to review the mans case. But the appeals court hasnt wrapped up the case, and its unclear when it will do so. George K. Young Jr. of Hilo, Hawaii, is represented by attorney Alan Alexander Beck of San Diego. Mr. Youngs case has been in litigation for over 10 years, Beck told The Epoch Times by email. He deserves to have a quick resolution to his legal claims. According to a March 24, 2021, opinion issued by the 9th Circuit, Hawaiis firearm-licensing law requires residents seeking an open-carry license to prove they have the urgency or the need to carry a weapon, be of good moral character, and be engaged in the protection of life and property. Young applied twice for a carry license in 2011, but failed to convince officials of his need for one. He sued in federal district court and lost, then appealed to the circuit court and lost again. Hawaii officials have apparently not yet decided how to deal with the Supreme Courts landmark ruling in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen. In that decision, the high court struck down New Yorks gun permit law that required an applicant to demonstrate proper cause to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun in public. As a consequence, similar laws in blue states are likely to be formally struck down whenever the lower courts get around to it. On June 30, the Supreme Court directed federal courts of appeal to take a fresh look at their rulings that upheld overreaching gun restrictions in Hawaii, California, New Jersey, and Maryland, as The Epoch Times reported. Applicants Have to Wait Honolulu Police Department Chief Arthur Logan told Andrew Namiki Roberts, director of the Hawaii Firearms Coalition, that gun permit applicants will have to wait. Bruens impact on Hawaii law is still being analyzed by the States Attorney Generals Office and the Citys Department of the Corporation Counsel. I ask for your patience while the state and county legal advisers review the decision and its impact on Hawaii law, he wrote in a July 6 letter that the coalition posted on social media. Logan told a local police commission on the same day that his agency had received 48 applications to carry a firearm in public in recent days, after receiving only three applications before the Bruen decision, Hawaii News Now reported. The state granted only four permits from 2000 to 2020, representing an average of one permit every five years, Honolulu TV station KITV previously reported. As of now, these 48 applications are on hold until I get the guidance and direction needed on how to move forward, Logan said. The Supreme Court ruling took away the requirement to ask for a whywhy do you need a license to carry a gun in public? What it didnt take away is the states responsibility to administer this program, how people will get a license, and what requirements are behind a license to carry. We are standing by to issue those licenses. We dont think its an ifits a when. Motion for Summary Reversal Young asked the 9th Circuit to act in a motion for summary reversal (pdf) filed on June 30. We filed a motion for the 9th to issue an immediate ruling, Beck said on July 9. The state will respond on [July 11]. Seven days later, I will reply, and then, in a few weeks, the 9th Circuit will rule on the motion. I am hoping that the 9th Circuit will find that Hawaiis handgun carry law is unconstitutional pursuant to the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Bruen. The motion reads, Mr. Young should receive his permit post haste. This Court should not delay the relief Mr. Young seeks. Mr. Young has been on appeal in this court since 2012. He is 72 years old. Now that Mr. Youngs rights have been vindicated by the Supreme Court of the United States, this Court should immediately grant this Motion and order to the Defendants to issue Mr. Young his permit immediately. How much longer should he have to wait to have his case adjudicated and obtain his relief? This Court should stand up for people like Mr. Young, someone who fought bravely for his county in Vietnam, has led an exemplary life, and seeks to simply exercise his constitutional rights as guaranteed to him by the Constitution of the United States of America. The Epoch Times reached out to Hawaii Attorney General Holly Shikada, a Democrat, for comment but didnt receive a response by press time. A New York University (NYU) flag flies outside the NYU business school in New York on Aug. 25, 2020. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) HHS Grants NYU $40,000 to Study What It Calls Youngsters Preference for Whiteness and Maleness Tens of thousands of federal tax dollars are flowing to New York University to uncover why kids allegedly favor Whiteness and maleness over other identities, official data show. The three-year project, titled Societal assumptions regarding typical personhood and their effects on reasoning development, will obtain a total of $40,391 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Researchers have until January 2025 to conclude the study, which began this February, to seek out what authors say could be developmental processes that drive children to believe that White males represent the default person. The project posits that this belief is a pattern rooted in the ideologies of androcentrism (centering the experiences of men) and ethnocentrism (centering the experiences of white people) prevalent in the United States. Despite national rises in racial and gender diversity, white men remain vastly overrepresented across a host of domains within the U.S., from media to politics, to clinical research, the project summary reads. Such overrepresentation poses severe costs to the rest of society. It adds that clinical trials historically have also put the experiences and health outcomes of white men first, rather than women, men of color, or those gender-nonconforming. Specifically, we need to know (a) the developmental trajectory by which childrens default representations of people begin to favor whiteness and maleness over other identities, it says. The National Institute of Health (NIH), the government agency that awarded the grant, told Fox News that the research will test whether this belief is established early in development, or is a reflection of their own-gender biases that may shift in middle childhood. It also said the funding is to help postdoctoral students gain the research skills needed to eventually become independent researchers. People buying mangoes at a fruit stall in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government said on July 6, 2022, that the mangoes imported from Taiwan tested positive for COVID-19, and has ordered vendors to stop selling them and to destroy them all. (Isaac Lawrence/AFP) Imported Taiwan Mangoes Tested COVID-19 Positive Destroyed in Hong Kong Taiwans response: Hong Kong Is a CCP accomplice The Hong Kong government claimed on July 6, 2022, that mangoes imported from Taiwan tested positive for COVID-19, and they had ordered sellers to stop selling and destroy the infected mangoes. Taiwan legislator Fan Yun told The Epoch Times, that the allegation was an ill intention to divide Taiwan society. Meanwhile, legislator Wang Mei-hui too pointed out that Hong Kong and Macao have become thugs of the Chinese communists regime, and the Chinese Communist Party(CCP)s remarks have no credibility. Another Taiwanese legislator Zheng Yun-peng believed, Only if communications resume between the governments (China and Taiwan), will it be possible to stop the Chinese regime from bullying and suppressing Taiwans agricultural products. Fan Yun told The Epoch Times, that it was the sole intention of the CCP to separate the relationship of the Taiwan Government with farmers and fishermen. The Taiwan Government questioned, how mangoes could be infected with COVID-19, as there has never been a single case or example from any country at all. The Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan held a news conference on July 7, 2022. Legislator Wang Mei-hui said, The Chinese Communists Government is always suppressing Taiwan. From the pineapple to the mangoes, it has been ongoing. Even the packages which were said to have tested virus-positive, is mind-boggling to the entire international society. But of course, it would become a reason for CCP to suppress us. Hong Kong and Macao are now members of the CCPs thugs. CCPs remarks have zero credibility since it does not abide by international standards and rules. Taiwanese politician and Member of the Legislative Yuan, Cheng Yun-peng said that there are always standard channels to follow complaints in international trade. However, even if there are contracts, standard channels, or mechanisms to manage complaints, the CCP will simply ignore them. They can mouth their one-sided opinions or worse; poison the produce, then fabricate stories that Taiwanese products are poisonous. If Taiwanese parties take the backdoor and become the regimes political tools, then the entire Taiwan election system will fall into the hands of CCPs loyalists. Mock-up vials labeled "Monkeypox vaccine" in this photo illustration taken on May 25, 2022. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters) LA County to Expand Monkeypox Vaccine Distribution, by Invitation Only LOS ANGELESLos Angeles County health officials will expand access to monkeypox vaccines on July 10, but the limited supply of doses means they will only be provided to high-risk residents who are specifically contacted by the Department of Public Health. As of Friday, there were a total of 54 confirmed monkeypox cases in the county, nearly double the number from a week ago. But public health officials insisted during an online briefing Friday that the risk of infection in the general population remains extremely low. But news of additional cases has prompted some calls for expanded access to the JYNNEOS monkeypox vaccine, which remains in limited supply. The county had already administered its supply of roughly 1,000 doses of the vaccine, which is actually a two-dose regimen. Andrea Kim, director of Vaccine-Preventable Disease Control and the county Department of Public Health, said the county has received another 6,000 doses, allowing a slight expansion of eligibility. That will occur Monday, but the shots will still only be offered to people deemed at high risk by the county. Under previous guidelines, shots were only being offered to residents who had confirmed contact with an existing case or who attended an event where there was a high risk of exposure. On Monday, that eligibility will expand to include the following groups of people: Gay and bisexual men and transgender women who are patients of a sexual health clinic and have a diagnosis of rectal gonorrhea or early syphilis within the past three months A limited number of high-risk individuals identified by clinical staff at Mens Central Jail Kim stressed that vaccines will be provided only to people who are specifically contacted by the county. Residents who have not been contacted by Public Health or our clinic partners will not be able to be vaccinated at this time due to limited supply, she said. She said eligibility will expand as more doses become available, but she again stressed, The risk of getting monkeypox in L.A. County is very low. According to Kim, there are a couple of hundred people at Mens Central Jail who could be eligible for the vaccine based on risk factors. Dr. Rita Singhal, chief medical officer of the Department of Public Health, said there have not been any confirmed cases among jail inmates to date. Health officials said the infection spreads through contact with bodily fluids, monkeypox 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 have only mild illness that goes away within two to four weeks without treatment. People with symptoms are urged to visit a medical provider, cover the rash area with clothing, wear a mask and avoid close or skin-to-skin contact with others. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) particularly recommends those steps for people who recently traveled to an area where monkeypox cases have been reported, or who have had contact with a confirmed or suspected monkeypox cases. A full list of countries that have confirmed monkeypox cases is available on CDCs website. As of Friday, there were about 700 cases across the United States and about 7,500 worldwide in 57 countries. The illness has grabbed attention because it is normally limited to Central and West Africa, so its spread in other nations has sparked concerns about another contagion. But Singhal insisted, The risk of monkeypox in the general population remains very low based on the current information we have available. Thomas Jefferson famously declared that all men are created equal, yet he owned hundreds of human beings during his lifetime. Does he deserve our respect? Slavery was obviously a heinous institution and Thomas Jefferson did own slaves. That has led some very decent people to denounce him as a hypocrite and demand the removal of his statues and the renaming of public buildingsincluding our own regional public libraryas we seek a more just and inclusive society. But I believe they are profoundly mistaken. Having studied Jefferson for a half-century, I view him as a hero who should be loved by friends of liberty and justice across political and racial lines and around the globe. Certainly, his critics are correct that Jefferson owned slaves and that slavery was, in Jeffersons own words: a moral and political depravity, an abomination, and a hideous blot. But there is much more to the story. When Jefferson inherited slaves upon the deaths of his father and father-in-law, it was illegal to free them. It was Thomas Jefferson who drafted the law in 1769ultimately enacted 13 years laterthat permitted the manumission of Virginia slaves. That effort led Professor Philip S. Foner, editor of Basic Writings of Thomas Jefferson and The Complete Writings of Thomas Paine, to argue that Jefferson, rather than Paine, was Americas first abolitionist. A Marxist who championed the scholarship of black scholars and edited the writings of Frederick Douglass, Foner lost his teaching position in 1941 during an anti-Communist purge by a New York legislative committee. As a young attorney, Jefferson represented several slaves for free in suits seeking their freedom. But his argument in cases like Howell v. Netherland that under the law of nature, all men are born free did not amuse Virginia judges. Jefferson lost every case. In his original draft of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson denounced King George III for having waged cruel war against human nature itself on a distant people who never offended him by carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. The language was removed to prevent South Carolina and Georgia from walking away from the convention. But, writing in a British abolitionist journal in 1843, former President John Quincy Adams declared that Jeffersons draft stands, an unanswerable testimonial to posterity, that on the roll of American abolitionists, first and foremost after the name of George Washington, is that of Thomas Jefferson. In 1778, Jefferson authored the law that outlawed importing new slaves into Virginia. He drafted another bill declaring all slaves born in Virginia after the year 1800 would be born free, which was never introduced because the votes clearly werent there. In his only book, Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson wrote of slavery: [C]an the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are of the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep forever. . . . The Almighty has no attribute which can take side with us in such a contest. As a member of the Second Continental Congress in 1784, Jefferson was tasked with drafting laws to govern the Northwest Territories. Article 6 read: There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted. It failed by a single vote. Jefferson lamented: God was silent in that awful moment. Seven decades later the authors of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution selected Jeffersons language as their text to honor his courageous struggle against slavery. The Constitution prohibited Congress from enacting any law restricting the slave trade until 1808. In 1806, President Jefferson sent a letter to Congress congratulating it on the approaching opportunity to withdraw the citizens of the United States from all further participation in those violations of human rights which have been so long continued on the unoffending inhabitants of Africa, and which the morality, the reputation, and the best interests of our country, have long been eager to proscribe. Congress complied. Like most people, Thomas Jefferson had competing interests. He loved his family, and he realized Monticello could never be economically viable paying hired laborers while competitors used unpaid slave labor. Balancing his love for his family and his own financial survival against his desire to see slavery ended was hardly evidence of hypocrisy. In his prize-winning biography, American Sphinx, professor Joseph Ellis wrote Jefferson could have passed a polygraph test confirming his conviction that his own slaves were more content and better off as members of his extended family than under any other imaginable circumstances. Surviving accounts by former Monticello slaves support that assertion. In an 1898 interview with a black newspaper, the Reverend Joseph Fossettson of Monticellos cook Edith Hernpraised Jefferson as kind and indulgent and asserted he did not realize he was a slave until Jefferson died and he was sold at auction. Jeffersons brief experiment with manumission was tragic. In 1796, he freed French-trained chef James Hemings. Within five years of gaining his freedom, James became an alcoholic and committed suicide. It was not legally possible for Jefferson to free his slaves in his will. African slaves were chattel property (like livestock!) under Virginia law, and Section 54 of the Revised Virginia Code of 1819 protected the rights of creditors. Jefferson died deeply in debt and freeing his slaves in his will was not a legal option. Spray-painted messages are seen at Mother and Child Education Center in Portland, Oregon, on June 26, 2022, after the property was vandalized by demonstrators the night of June 25, 2022. (John Rudoff/AFP via Getty Images) Lawmakers Tell Georgia University to Take Action After Map by Universitys Professors Used to Target Pregnancy Centers Two House lawmakers representing the state of Georgia have issued a letter to the head of the University of Georgia, urging him to take action after a map by two professors from the university was used by far-left groups to target pregnancy resource centers. The centers, which generally provide women with pregnancy tests and counseling services geared toward preserving the life of the unborn child, have recently been vandalized and set on fire in the weeks leading up to and in the wake of the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24. We write to express our deep concern with the actions of two faculty members at the University of Georgias College of Public Health, Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.) and Jody Hice (R-Ga.) said in the letter (pdf) to Jere Morehead, the universitys president. Andrea Swartzendruber and Danielle Lambert, who are professors at the Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department at the University of Georgia, developed the Crisis Pregnancy Center Map that shows a searchable database of the street addresses of over 2,500 pregnancy resource centers. Fox News recently reported that far-left extremists have been using the map to identify their next targets without explicitly calling for violence. The [Fox News] report further states that domestic terrorist groups are sharing and using the website to locate targets for criminal acts of violence and destruction, the lawmakers wrote in their letter. This is unacceptable. Clyde and Hice said that the website published by Swartzendruber and Lambert is clearly nothing more than pro-abortion activism masquerading as academic research. Abandoning any pretense of objectivity, their website refers to these crisis pregnancy centers as fake womens health centers, discrediting the essential resources and services offered by these centers to women in need. They noted that one page of the website says that the two professors and their team can be contacted at cpcmap@uga.edu, commenting: It appears, at minimum, the University is providing resources for these faculty members to run this website. Given the nationwide spate of attacks against crisis pregnancy centers and the hard evidence that this website is being used by radical organizations to identify targets for violence and property destruction, it is, at the very least, reckless and irresponsible for these professors and the University to maintain this map, the House lawmakers wrote. Our constituents, including many University of Georgia students, work at and use the services provided by these crisis pregnancy centers. they added. Since the project apparently receives support from the University, we demand that you immediately take corrective action to ensure that university resources are no longer being used to target crisis pregnancy centers. The lawmakers requested a reply from Morehead by July 15. Liberalism Has Failed. Now What? A bold new proposal to combat the woke left A conservative, says Yoram Hazony, considers national and religious traditions key to strengthening the nation and to maintaining it over time. In a recent episode of American Thought Leaders, host Jan Jekielek talks with Hazony, chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, president of Jerusalems Herzl Institute, and author of the new book Conservatism: A Rediscovery. Hazony believes that the myopic focus on individual liberties by both old-style liberals and many conservatives has led to the destruction of the family and national cohesion, giving rise to an ever more radical left. Jan Jekielek: Ive enjoyed your book, Conservatism: A Rediscovery, so lets start off there. Why does conservatism need to be rediscovered? Yoram Hazony: A lot of people associated with the conservative movement for decades have asked themselves exactly that question. As I write in the book, my wife and I, and my friends, were activists and enthusiasts of the conservative movement in the 1980s. President Reagan, Prime Minister Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II were locked in a struggle against communism. Today, theres a very strong interpretation that the 1980s conservatives were only concerned with individual liberties and the free market. Those of us who were there wouldnt have recognized this interpretation. Now, liberties are obviously important, but its impossible to conserve anything by a movement thats only interested in individual freedom. Without any other principles, individual freedom isnt about conserving anything. Its the opposite. Its saying, We dont owe the past anything. We dont have any duty of handing down and transmitting things. Mr. Jekielek: Im going to read a line from your book: Five years of political upheaval from 2016 to 2020 was all it took to shatter the hegemony of enlightenment liberalism. So, enlightenment liberalism is shattered? Mr. Hazony: Enlightenment liberalism is still alive in the hearts and minds of people who believe in it, but the number of those people is quickly decreasing, and their influence has, in fact, been shattered. When you look at the history of liberalism after World War II, by the 1960s, there was a consensus that the philosophy of the West was liberal democracy, which was a new term. It was based on individual freedom. In 2020, we saw something very different. The New York Timesthe leading exponent for liberalismdismissed some proponents of liberalism to accommodate a woke neo-Marxism, and that accommodation was then repeated across the United States and Britain. I went to Princeton University, which has now decided to remove Woodrow Wilsons name from the buildings. You cant find a more obvious liberal intellectual and political leader, but Wilson was too toxic for Princeton. So they scrubbed his name from the buildings, and Princeton now is under the thumb of woke neo-Marxist ideology. You can repeat that across dozens of major institutions, parts of the U.S. government bureaucracy, and even the military. Theres an attempt by woke neo-Marxiststhe progressivesto establish hegemony. If you dont go along, then youre not going to be a member of society in good standing. Mr. Jekielek: In your book, you allude to the confusion, even among conservatives, of what conservative actually means and how its distinct from liberalism, which you argue is failing. Mr. Hazony: Traditional Anglo-American conservatism has existed for centuries. It focuses attention on what you need to do to transmit your nations values, its identity, from one generation to the next. A conservative considers national and religious traditions key to strengthening the nation and to maintaining it over time. What must I do in order that my children, my grandchildren, and my great-grandchildren will have the benefits of this inheritance? That way of thinking was alien to enlightenment liberalism. Enlightenment liberalism was invented mostly during the 1600s and 1700s. Its a rationalist theory that tries to figure out for human beings of all ages and countries the right form of government. This approach begins with the assumption that theres a right form of government for all people and that we can figure it out if we reason well enough, if we think properly and clearly. Though liberals and conservatives are concerned about individual liberties, their ideas stand in terrific tension. The conservative asks, What do we need to do to transmit certain ideas? To do that, you have to create norms. You have to create guardrails. You say, This range of behaviors and ideas is what we stand for. Liberals say almost the opposite: Everybody needs to be free to choose just about anything. And today, we have a society in which all the guardrails are pretty much gone. Every day, some wild new thing is proposed as to the way society should be structured, and the young people, who have no memory of a society with guardrails, are not happy that theyve received no usable inheritance. As conservatives, we have to listen to them and explain why they should be conservative. Mr. Jekielek: You call this a sort of backlash to the kind of unbridled individualism of the post-World War II years. Thats a fascinating thought. Mr. Hazony: This is something conservative thinkers were already emphasizing in the 1980s. Irving Kristol wrote a book called Two Cheers for Capitalism. He basically said, Look, capitalism is about empowering individuals and giving them the maximum degree of choices as to what business they will go into, what products theyll make, and where theyll take employment. The problem, Kristol said, is that this excessive focus on the individual by the market acts as a solvent to destroy all loyalty to groups, beginning with the family. The bonds of the family are based on a mutual loyalty, which is traditional, backed up by scriptural tradition, and is the way weve lived for a couple thousand years. If you bring the liberalism of the market into the family, Kristol says that husbands and wives treat each other like commodities. I dont choose to be in this marriage anymore. That idea of greater loyalty dissolves under the pressure of the market, saying: No, everything is free choice. You need a maximum of choice. The same thing happens with the relationship between a people and a nation. The question of what we owe our country becomes an absurdity if we decide we dont owe anything, if we say, I have the natural right to choose whatever I want. I think conservatives are coming to realize that you need some kind of balance among principles. It cant always be individual liberty on every issue. Mr. Jekielek: I want to talk about your vision for conservative democracy, specifically the question of public religion. Mr. Hazony: We need to revert to conservative tradition, which means setting enlightenment liberalism aside and using our inherited traditions as our framework for moving forward. Religion is at the heart of that. A conservative view says, Theres no such thing as a society without some overarching public religion or public philosophy. Weve seen how Christian assumptions were replaced by liberal assumptions after World War II, and now were seeing a similar attempt to replace liberal assumptions with neo-Marxist assumptions. If people care for the future, they need to ask what was lost when biblical tradition ceased to be the guardrailsour overarching public philosophy. I thinkand I dont know if it will succeedthat many Christians are going to look at the new woke public religion and say: This is too far. We need to go back. We need to restore what the country was like before the enlightenment liberal revolution after World War II. Mr. Jekielek: Having effective ways of transmitting historical lessons and culture is critical to this vision, which makes me think this is something very strong in the Jewish tradition. Mr. Hazony: One of the big differences between ancient Jewish thought and Greek philosophy is that Judaism focuses on family and nation. Obviously theres a great focus on God and scripture, but socially and anthropologically, the Bible thinks in terms of families, clans, tribes, and nations. The biblical authors are also constantly concerned with this question of teaching our children. So the idea of intergenerational transmission, righteousness, wisdom, and a God-fearing worldviewand also the reversethe evil-doing that transmits from one generation to the next, is at the heart of the way the Bible describes politics. Its the strangest thing that in America or Britainwhich were built on widespread reading of the Old Testament and taking the Bible to hearttoday, you cant find that. Kids go to school; its not in school. They go to universities, but you cant find any discussion of this stuff in almost any academic setting. Instead, everybodys thinking in terms of enlightenment liberal ideas. The only way we can restore an understanding about the way the world works is by returning to studying the Bible, and I hope thats still possible. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity. Jan Jekielek Senior Editor Follow Jan Jekielek is a senior editor with The Epoch Times and host of the show, "American Thought Leaders." Jans career has spanned academia, media, and international human rights work. In 2009 he joined The Epoch Times full time and has served in a variety of roles, including as website chief editor. He is the producer of the award-winning Holocaust documentary film "Finding Manny." A man wears a mask while walking on a quiet afternoon at Santa Monica Beach, Calif., on April 10, 2020. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images) Malibu Vandalism Suspect Arrested in Santa Monica Beach Restroom MALIBU, Calif.A 55-year-old man was in custody July 10 on suspicion of committing numerous acts of vandalism in Malibu while wielding a pickaxe. Thomas Aaron Brothers was identified as a suspect in numerous incidents of vandalism in the Malibu area over a three-day period, which included damage to numerous vehicles, residential front doors, and cameras throughout the city, the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Malibu/Lost Hills station reported. Deputies followed a tip on Friday regarding Brothers whereabouts and saw him exiting a Metropolitan Transportation Authority bus at Ocean and Colorado boulevards in Santa Monica. Along with Santa Monica Police Department officers, they canvassed the area but Brothers was not initially located. Several hours later, deputies returned to Santa Monica to search for him and located him near the California Incline. He fled that location and was later found in a Santa Monica Beach restroom at about 11:45 p.m. Friday. Brothers was taken into custody without incident and booked at the sheriffs Malibu/Lost Hills station, according to the sheriffs Inmate Information Center. He was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold poses for a portrait in Denver on Aug. 18, 2021. (Linda So/Reuters) Man Arrested Over Alleged Threat to Colorados Top Election Official Colorado state police arrested a man accused of threatening the states top election official, court records showed on Friday, the first such detention since authorities began strengthening laws on election-related threats last year. Kirk Wertz, 52, was arrested on Wednesday night and placed in Denvers jail, the records show. He faces a felony charge of retaliation against an elected official. On the morning of June 30, the office of Secretary of State Jena Griswold received a threat from a caller, according to Griswolds office. 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, Griswolds office said the caller stated. The arrest is the first for an election-related threat since Colorado lawmakers in May 2021 passed legislation criminalizing retaliation against elected officials. Griswold, a Democrat, said in a statement that threats were being used to intimidate election officials in an effort to destabilize democracy. The wave of violent threats directed at election officials and workers across the county is extremely concerning, Griswold added. Wertz did not have a lawyer listed on the court documents and efforts to contact him were unsuccessful. Carolyn Tyler, the communications director for the Denver District Attorneys Office, said she was not immediately able to provide guidelines for the punishment Wertz could face. North Macedonia: Police Find 87 Illegal Immigrants, Arrest Two Men SKOPJE, North MacedoniaPolice in North Macedonia say they have discovered 87 illegal immigrants crammed into a truck with a trailer in the southern part of the country and arrested two men for migrant smuggling. Police said the illegal immigrants, who included 45 Syrians, 39 Pakistanis, two Congolese, and one Indianwere found early Saturday during a routine check on a highway near the border town of Gevgelija. Two Macedonian citizens, identified only by their initials as A.A. and M.J., were arrested. They face up to five years in prison if found guilty. The migrants are believed to have entered illegally from Greece, heading for Serbia and onward to wealthier European countries. The illegal immigrants were transferred to a reception center in Gevgelija, pending deportation to Greece. According to police, the migrant Balkan route through North Macedonia has become busier after the lifting of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Runners fall as people run in the street with fighting bulls during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 9, 2022. (Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo) Pamplona Says No One Gored After All on 3rd Day of Bull Run PAMPLONA, SpainThousands of thrill-seekers avoided getting gored Saturday during the bull run of Pamplonas San Fermin Festival, officials said, revising an early report saying bull horns stabbed two men. Officials in the Spanish city officials corrected the preliminary report by Pamplonas hospital to state that a man was scratched on the buttocks but not pierced by a horn. After the morning run through narrow streets ended, another man suffered a laceration when a wild cow was set loose in the citys bullring for individuals to test their evasion maneuvers, according to the update. Runners fall as people run in the street with fighting bulls during the running of the bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 9, 2022. (Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo) A total of seven mensix Spaniards and one Frenchmanneeded to be treated at the hospital, according to authorities. None of the injuries appeared serious. While it turned out no one was skewered, the main event produced close calls for the human runners. Some of the massive bulls opted to knock aside people in their path instead of running them through with a potentially deadly horn. Several runners were stomped or bowled over by the half-dozen bulls and the six tame oxen that help guide them along the 875-meter (956-yard) course through Pamplonas old quarter. There were no gorings on the first two days of this years festival either. Saturdays bull run was the third of eight scheduled and took 2.5 minutes. People run through the street with fighting bulls at the San Fermin Festival in Pamplona, northern Spain, on July 8, 2022. (Alvaro Barrientos/AP Photo) Thousands of runners, most wearing the traditional white shirt and pants with red sash and neckerchief, scampered to avoid the charging animals. Many ended up piled on top of each other in the narrow cobblestone streets of the course. Only expert runners can sprint for short stretches right in front of the horns of a bull before jumping out of the way at the last moment. The collective adrenaline rush of the bull run is followed by general hedonism with people drinking, eating, attending concerts and partying late into the night. The six bulls that run each morning are killed in bullfights by professional bullfighters later in the day. Pamplonas bullring is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Eight people were gored in 2019, the last festival before a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sixteen people have died in Pamplonas bull runs since 1910, with the last death in 2009. The Pamplona festival, which was made known to the English-speaking world through Ernest Hemingways 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises, draws tens of thousands of visitors from around the world. A pregnant woman was issued a ticket for claiming her unborn child was a person while driving on the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane in Texas. (Juan Encalada/Unsplash) Pregnant Texas Woman Receives Ticket After Claiming Her Unborn Child as Second Passenger A pregnant woman from Texas was slapped with a traffic ticket for driving her car in a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane after officers dismissed her argument that her unborn child be counted as a second person. Brandy Bottone of Plano was 34 weeks into pregnancy on June 29 when she was driving her car to pick up her son. As she couldnt be a minute late, Brandy took the HOV lane, she told The Dallas Morning News. When she exited the lane, Brandy stopped at a checkpoint and was pulled over by the police. An officer peeked into the vehicle, questioning whether there was any other person in the car. Brandy pointed to her stomach, stating that her baby girl was right there. She is a person, Brandy said. The officer rejected the suggestion, stating that its got to be two people outside of the body. Citing the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, Brandy insisted that her unborn kid is a living child. The officers refused to acknowledge it. They still gave me a ticket. So my $215 ticket was written to cause inconvenience? This has my blood boiling. How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life. I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking, she said. Brandy argues that laws should be consistent about how they define a person. One law defining a person in a certain manner and another law defining in another manner is not right, she insisted. Her court date is set for July 20, around the time of her due date. Abortion in Texas Speaking to NBC, Dallas appellate lawyer Chad Ruback pointed out that different judges might treat Brandys case differently since the situation is basically unchartered territory. There is no Texas statute that says what to do in this situation. The Texas Transportation Code has not been amended recently to address this particular situation. Who knows? Maybe the legislature will in the next session, he said. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade judgment on June 24, Judge Christine Weems in Harris County issued a temporary restraining order on June 28 which blocked the enforcement of a 1925 Texas law that banned abortions in the state unless the mothers life was in danger. This allowed clinics in Texas to continue providing abortion services. But on July 1, the Texas Supreme Court overruled Weemss temporary restraining order, allowing the enforcement of the 1925 abortion ban. Another hearing is scheduled for July 12 that will decide on a more permanent restraining order. Texas also has another abortion ban law that came into effect in September last year. Known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, it prohibits abortion once cardiac activity is detected in a fetus, something which occurs after around six weeks of pregnancy. Preston Manning: The Unconscionable Persecution of Tamara Lich Commentary If an award were to be given annually to the perpetrators of the greatest injustice against a Canadian citizen, the leading candidates for receiving it in 2022 would be those responsible for the relentless persecution of Tamara Lich concerning her involvement with the Freedom Convoy protesting Ottawas vaccine mandates. The actions of the persecutors in this case may be described by the awkward word unconscionablemeaning barbarous, excessive, outrageous, preposterous, uncivilized, unethical, unfair, and unjust. Since the attitude of the Trudeau government toward individual Canadians very much depends on their gender and race, let the record show that Tamara is female and of Metis heritage. With these characteristics, and if she was being hounded by a Conservative administration for involvement in a left-wing protest, Tamara would by now have been lionized by the Trudeau Liberals as a freedom martyr, made the subject of a sympathetic full-length documentary by the CBC, granted an honorary degree by some university, and nominated for the Order of Canada. Instead she was unjustly arrested in February for participating in the organization of a legitimate public protest against a misguided federal government policy, handcuffed and transported by two burly homicide detectives to the Carleton Remand Centre (described by those familiar with its interior as a hellhole), and incarcerated there for 18 days. After several delays, she was finally granted a bail hearing where she entered the court shackled in handcuffs and accompanied by guards, lest this five-foot-tall grandmother attempt a daring escape from custody. Such hearings, even in the most serious cases, usually take only a few hours, but Tamaras bail hearing lasted the whole day, giving the prosecution ample opportunity to rehearse the alleged sins of the accused in graphic detailprimarily for the benefit not of the court but of the legacy media. With respect to bail hearings and the incarceration of the accused while awaiting them, the treatment of Tamara is to be contrasted with the kid-glove treatment accorded by the federal government to Meng Wanzhou, the Huawei executive accused by the U.S. of numerous offences much more serious than any of the charges against Tamara. Of course, from the perspective of the Trudeau government, to roughly manhandle Meng Wanzhou might have offended the communist government of China, whereas to roughly treat Tamara Lich only offends Canadians. Time and space do not here permit a complete listing all the subsequent indignities and rights infringements to which Tamara has been subjectedfrom first being denied bail by a judge who had recently run as a Liberal candidate in an election, to being granted bail on outrageous conditions primarily meant to cancel and demean her, to being charged for a breach of her bail for her involvement in accepting the George Jonas Freedom Award from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, to being subjected for a fourth time to an unconscionable harangue by a prosecutor later shown to be a serial financial supporter of the federal Liberals, to her current situation of being further incarcerated while awaiting what promises to be a lengthy trial possibly delayed until 2023 or even 2024. None of this is to say that everything about the Freedom Convoy protest and those attracted to it was wholly defensible and justifiable. A bright light invariably attracts a few bugs, but that is no reason to smash the light source. And that is why a formal public inquiry before impartial adjudicators (more on this later) is required to sort fact from fabrication in this case. All of this, however, does prompt two further questions. First, who will rally to Tamaras defence in such strength and numbers that the politicians responsible for the injustices done to her will pay the ultimate political price for their unconscionable conducti.e., defeat at the polls? Surely Tamaras defenders should include the truckers but also all those independent businesses and workers whose activities and incomes were crippled by the unwarranted lockdown measures. Her defenders should include the Metis Nation of Canada (shes one of yours), the good people of Medicine Hat (shes also one of yours), and the good people of Alberta (shes one of ours). And her defenders should include Canadas civil libertarians and all those whose constitutionally guaranteed rights have been unjustifiably violated by governments and who are resolved that such violations will never be allowed again. Secondly, will those responsible for the unconscionable persecution of Tamara Lich ever be held accountable? My answer is yes, and although the wheels of justice grind exceedingly slow, here is how it will likely come about. Once the Trudeau government is replaced, its successor will be obliged to instigate the national commission of inquiry into Canadas response to the COVID crisis that increasing numbers of Canadians are demanding. Most likely it will be held under the provisions of the federal Inquiries Act, and the commissioners will be authorized to subpoena those responsible for the implementation of all the health protection measures imposed by the governments, including those that led to the Freedom Convoy and the arrest of Tamara Lich. The first officials to be questioned, after having sworn to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, will be those of the lower ranksin Tamaras case, the arresting officers, the Carleton jailkeepers, and the lower-level bureaucrats involved. All will be asked the simple question, Why did you do what you did? and the predictable answer will of course be, We were just following orders. Then comes the telling question, Who gave you those orders? And as that question is relentlessly asked and answered again and again, the inquiry will slowly crawl up the bureaucratic ladder layer by layer until at last it reaches the political culprits at the topjust as the Watergate investigations years ago started at the bottom but ultimately reached the offices of the attorney general and president of the United States. Justice must ultimately be served in the case of Tamara Lich. And when it is, a great debt of gratitude will be owed to her by all of us for what she has patiently and heroically endured. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop illegal immigrants from entering the United States, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images) Republicans Demand Biden Administration Apologize to Border Patrol Agents Agents have been falsely accused of whipping illegal immigrants Republican lawmakers and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are calling on the Biden administration to apologize to Border Patrol agents, after a federal investigation said they were falsely accused of whipping illegal immigrants in Texas. In September last year, the Biden administration was quick to criticize Border Patrol agents on horseback, after some media outlets showed photographs and videos alleging the agents had whipped Haitians, who were seeking asylum at the border in Del Rio, Texas. At the time, the administration incorrectly called the agents reins whips, with President Joe Biden offering a promise saying the agents will pay for their actions. However, after a nine-month investigation, the U.S. Customs and Border Protections (CBP) Office of Personal Responsibility concluded that there was no evidence that the agents struck, intentionally or otherwise, any migrant with their reins, according to its 511-page report (pdf) released on July 8. Additionally, the agents were not carrying whips at the time. In response to the CBP findings, House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) called on Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to issue an apology. Biden, Harris, & their allies in the media should all apologize to our brave Border Patrol agents for smearing their reputation, McCarthy wrote on Twitter on July 8. McCarthy added, Rather than disparage the men and women tasked with protecting our border, President Biden should give them the tools they need to secure our border. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington on Jan. 13, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) At the time, Harris said there should be consequences and accountability for what the agents had done, while comparing their actions to times of slavery. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) also called on the Biden administration to apologize. These Border Patrol officers only crime was attempting to secure our southern border against Joe Bidens directive, Blackburn wrote on Twitter. Biden should call and apologize directly to these officers for the damage he has done to them personally and to our country. Paxton, a Republican, told Fox News on Friday that the whole incident was political in nature. Its really unfortunate for these border agents whove given their lives to securing our border and defending Americans, he said. And here they are being punished; they should be rewarded. I would expect instead that Joe Biden and some of these political leaders should come out and actually apologize to these guys for what theyve been through, Paxton concluded. Disciplinary Actions Four Border Patrol mounted agents, who have been placed on administrative duties since the start of the investigation, now face disciplinary charges over the incident, according to CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus. According to the report, one agent acted in an unprofessional manner by yelling comments related to a migrants national origin and sex. The report also found agents having 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. Some GOP lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the report, with some calling out Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas specifically. The Del Rio Horse Patrol report is nothing more than Secretary Mayorkas attempt to cover for President Bidens shortsighted, thoughtless slander of our Border Patrol agents, Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) wrote on Twitter. The only corrective action that needs to be taken is for Secretary Mayorkas to resign, Pfluger added. Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) speaks during a hearing in Washington on March 10, 2021. (Ken Cedeno/Pool/Getty Images) Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said the CBP commissioner shouldnt be pursuing political games but instead should focus on securing the U.S. border. It has been reported that punishments are being considered for several individual agentsa result that seems politically-motivated in the absence of any true wrongdoing, Gonzales wrote in a letter to Magnus on July 8 Gonzales pointed to several alarming developments at U.S. borders. Border authorities have apprehended more than 3.2 million illegal aliens since Biden took office, and an estimated 800,000 known gotaways have been reported. This obvious lack of control over our borders is what your agency should be focused on right nownot the political persecution of your own personnel, Gonzales wrote. The diligence and dedication of our CBP workforce is critical to our national security. I urge you to refrain from unmerited disciplinary action against any agent or officer. The Pentagon is seen from the air in Washington on March 3, 2022, more than a week after Russia invaded Ukraine. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Retired US Major General Paul Vallely Criticizes Pentagons Support for Abortion Retired U.S. Army Major General Paul Vallely, who has been sounding the alarm against socialist indoctrination in the U.S. military, criticized the Department of Defense (DOD) for lifting a ban that prohibited military and civilian personnel from looking up abortion-related terms on Pentagon computer networks. Vallely is against the support that the DOD is giving to provide access to abortions. I do not support the Defense Department supporting abortion rights, Vallely told The Epoch Times. This again is social engineering of our military forces that detracts from the readiness and preparedness of our forces, Vallely said. The Defense Department currently does not have a policy to accommodate service members who are seeking an abortion but are stationed in a state that has outlawed abortion. The last thing our military needs is to influence our members of the military on whether to abort a baby or not. This decision further strains the recruiting efforts which are in drastic decline. The military medical organizations need not to be involved or have any focus on the abortion issue. There are other, more viable options for women who get pregnant while serving in the military, he added. Vallely asserts that the Pentagon has been under pressure to ensure abortion access is protected wherever troops are stationed. The pressure would be due to the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, a decision from 1973 that argued abortion is a constitutionally protected right. In a recent letter to the Defense Department, some Senate Democrats are requesting the department outline a plan to guarantee that women seeking abortions in states where the procedure is severely restricted, or no longer legal, are given appropriate time off to travel out of state, guaranteed privacy protections and assured they will not be retaliated against for their decision, Vallely said, referring to a letter sent by Democratic senators to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. We determined in early June that we should absolutely allow content categorized as abortion (to be accessible on DOD networks) based on the healthcare aspects related to the category, a Pentagon spokesperson, Navy Lt. Cmdr. Tim Gorman, told The Military Times. The ban had been in place since 2010 and was lifted on Wednesday. Pro-life signs are seen outside the All Womens Health Center of Clearwater on May 3. The Supreme Court has struck down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that recognized a Constitutional right to an abortion. States can now ban the procedure. (TNS) John Sherman, Pentagon chief information officer directed that content related to access to abortion services be unblocked and this change is currently underway across DOD organizations, Gorman said. As per federal law, the military cannot perform abortions unless the pregnancy was caused by rape, incest or if it puts the life of the mother in danger. For now, the Defense Department is continuing to abide by federal laws governing its abortion activities, which restricts abortions to those in which the life of the mother is in danger or in cases of rape or incest, Vallely added. Paul E Vallely MG US Army (Ret) (Courtesy of Paul E Vallely) The Epoch Times reached out to the Pentagon for comment. Whatever else this Court may know about, it does not have a clue about how to address climate change. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. The absurdity of the Supreme Courts recent decision in the case of West Virginia v. EPA, which mostly eliminates that agencys ability to regulate greenhouse gases, is clear from the text of its published opinion. the agency [EPA] must point to 'clear congressional authorization' for the authority it claims, writes Chief Justice Roberts on behalf of the majority which voted to prohibit the agencys actions. Whats wrong with this picture? The EPAs authority to regulate airborne pollution was established in the Clean Air Act of 1963, the sweeping regulatory legislation designed to protect Americans from pollutants from a variety of sources, including power plants. The act has frequently been amended, most recently in 2015, to broaden the agencys powers as new sources of pollution arose. The Clean Air Acts implementation has been wildly successful. Several studies have shown enforcement of the regulations cost the U.S. economy about $60 billion per year, while its estimated health care savings alone are at least $2 trillion per year a 33-to-1 return on investment. More importantly, the number of averted premature deaths from cardio-pulmonary disease is around 230,000 annually. These results are due to the flexibility Congress has given the EPA in designing and implementing its regulations. Recognizing that it has neither the technical expertise nor the resources to study complex environmental problems and to craft rules based on such studies and aware that the need for new regulations will arise as technology and our understanding of the atmosphere change Congress and previous court decisions have repeatedly empowered the EPA to address both existing and, crucially, developing problems. Without this power and flexibility, the agency could not continue to perform its core duty of protecting Americans from emerging dangers such as ozone pollution and, now, greenhouse gas pollution, before they become rampant. But now, the Court has dictated that the agency has no such flexibility. Instead it must return to Congress for authority to implement each new regulation, especially those that restrain greenhouse gases. (Having set this as a new precedent, there is nothing to stop the court from revisiting other, earlier regulations not approved in their particular details by Congress.) The issue in the Supreme Courts decision in West Virginia v. EPA, wherein states attorneys from 13 fossil-fuel-producing states joined in the suit, was the agencys system-wide regulation of power plants that encouraged the use of natural gas rather than highly-polluting coal for energy generation. Calling the approach overly broad, the court squelched it knowing full well that it will take years, if not decades, for todays divided Congress to authorize the expunged regulations. Of course, we dont have decades to do everything in our power to slow global warming. The delays inherent in seeking congressional authorization to take each incremental step toward reducing fossil fuel combustion will likely make it impossible to for us to keep global temperatures within safe limits. Sadly, such public-health considerations dont seem to matter to certain people who have a great deal of unrestrained power at our ecological house. The Rogers Communications Inc. sign at the company's headquarters in Toronto on April 25, 2012. (The Canadian Press/Aaron Vincent Elkaim) Rogers CEO Apologizes for Outage, Says It Came After Network Maintenance Update The fallout from a massive network outage at Rogers Communications that shut down mobile and internet services across much of Canada continued to come into focus on Saturday, even as the company restored most services and began offering an explanation as to what happened. The widespread disruption, which got underway early Friday morning, paralyzed communications across sectors including healthcare, law enforcement and the financial industry. Many 911 services couldnt receive incoming calls, several hospitals reported impacts to their services, and debit transactions were paused when Interac was knocked offline. Small business owners were among those hardest hit by the outage, which left them unable to process debit card payments. Sharif Ahmed, the owner of Plantforsoul plant shop in Torontos west end, said the outage left him feeling helpless as he turned away customers who didnt have cash. It pretty much stopped my business, he said in an interview Saturday. Most of the people, they dont use cash anymore, so pretty much, I sat down in my office doing nothing. Abruptly losing the ability to take card payments is a big problem, he said. We just cant stop, were paying rent and everything. At nearby Caked Coffee, owner Supreet Arora said customers came in thinking it was just their wifi and cell phones that were affected only to find out that the cafe also had no wifi. They came in you want to help them out, (but) theres no wifi here, he said. He said he kept forgetting to tell people he was only able to take cash until after hed made their food. He served them anyway, adding many patrons later returned to settle their bills. Rogers Chief Executive Officer Tony Staffieri issued a statement on Saturday afternoon saying service had been restored and the companys networks and systems are close to fully operational. He said the company is continuing to monitor its network for problems and investigate the root cause of the issues. We now believe weve narrowed the cause to a network system failure following a maintenance update in our core network, which caused some of our routers to malfunction early Friday morning, he said. Staffieri apologized for the outage, adding that were particularly troubled that some customers could not reach emergency services and we are addressing the issue as an urgent priority. Richard Leblanc, a professor of Governance, Law and Ethics at Torontos York University, said the outage presents a learning opportunity for threat actors such as Russian statesponsored hackers. He said such parties can now see how vulnerable Canadian industry, financial institutions and healthcare systems are to an attack on a telecom provider. This could have been catastrophic for the country if this was a threat actor, he said in a telephone interview. Leblanc said the outage Rogers second significant one in 15 months makes it clear that the federal government cant just rely on telecom companies to do the right thing. I think its time that regulators, and this includes Industry Canada, the (Canadian RadioTelevision and Telecommunications Commission) and the Competition Tribunal begin to insist on proper, robust, independentlyaudited internal controls so that you dont have an outage like this, he said. While Industry Minister FrancoisPhilippe Champagne has described the outage as unacceptable, Leblanc said that kind of talk needs to be followed up with action. I think regulators have the authority, they have the power, the question is: do they have the courage to use it? he said. CRTC spokeswoman Patricia Valladao said the telecom regulator is in contact with Rogers. Right now, our focus is on the outage and recovering from it, she wrote in an email. When it is over, we will take all necessary actions to examine what occurred and put in place the necessary measures to prevent it from happening again. According to Netblocks, a United Kingdom based organization that monitors cybersecurity, the outage knocked out around 25 per cent of Canadas observable internet connectivity at its peak. Rogers said it will proactively credit customers for the outage, but provided no details about the amount. The company said it is aware of spam text messages claiming to offer the credit and noted customers would be credited automatically. Leblanc said he expects to see classaction lawsuits, as well as legal action from individual firms, which will attempt to quantify the cost of the outage. Lawyers are good at that, so if theres a class action, they can measure the loss of productivity, the opportunity cost of not being able to work, missed meetings, missed opportunities, missed contracts, it is significant, he said. If all of these millions of people lose a day of their working life, theyre not going to be made whole by a credit. Rogers did not reply to multiple requests for comment Saturday from The Canadian Press about the number of customers affected and the credit that customers will receive. By Jacob Serebrin and Tyler Griffin Shaw and Rogers signs are shown on two cellphones in this photo illustration, on March 29, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Rogers Outage Could Jeopardize Proposed Shaw Acquisition, Say Experts The Rogers service outage that began July 8 has renewed discussion on the companys proposed merger with Shaw and whether more competition is needed in the Canadian telecom industry. President and CEO Tony Staffieri issued a statement offering an apology for the outage, saying the company realizes the impact the incident had on people across the country. We know going a full day without connectivity has real impacts on our customers, and all Canadians. On behalf of all of us here at Rogers, Rogers for Business, Fido, Chatr and Cityfone, I want to sincerely apologize for this service interruption and the impact it is having on people from coast to coast to coast. The subsidiaries mentioned in the statement convey a history of previous Rogers acquisitions. In 2004, Rogers bought Fido for $1.4 billion, which was the first provider in Canada to offer a network with the global system for mobile communications (GSM) standard. The GSM standard, first launched as a commercial service in Finland in 1991, replaced the first-generation (1G) analog networks with 2G digital networks and by 2000 became the most widely used mobile communication standard in the world. Rogers then bought Cityfone in 2010 for $26 million. Regarding Chatr, many of its customers were transferred from Mobilicity, a discount wireless company that Rogers bought for $465 million in 2015 before retiring the brand in 2016. The outage came amid efforts by Rogers to secure the purchase of Shaw Communications for $26 billion. On July 6, the company announced in a news release that mediation did not convince Commissioner of Competition Matthew Boswell to approve the merger. Peter Menzies, senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and former vice-chair of the CRTC, described the outage as really unusual and really surprising and said it will impact merger discussions and the wider debate on how best to regulate the industry. Should it stimulate a conversation? Well, it will, whether it should or shouldnt. Youre probably going to have a political reaction of some kind, people saying this is just proof we need more competition, Menzies said in an interview. One thing it was proof of was that Interac needs a backup plan because they didnt have one. Nationally, one of the biggest issues was Interac not functioning. In a statement to The Epoch Times, Interac spokesperson Bryan Bossin acknowledged the frustration caused by the outage and said: We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. We are adding a supplier to strengthen our existing network redundancy so Canadians can continue to rely on Interac daily. Indirect Consequence of Lack of Competition Ian Lee, a professor of management at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University, says a functioning system is not something Canadians can afford to be without, especially if use of cash becomes less common. If youre going to take only electronic payments, then you must have that system up and running 100 percent of the time. You cant have the excuses that Rogers has been giving us. It doesnt cut it, Lee told The Epoch Times. A man stands outside a locked Rogers wireless store in Toronto amid a countrywide outage of the telecommunication companys services, on July 8, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Cole Burston) That should be a huge signal to the regulators that allowing this [merger with Shaw] to proceed is the worst possible thing that can happen. Were going to reduce competition and thereby make the situation worse, not better. How can anyone claim that this is in the greater public interest of all Canadians? Therell be less competition, which means they can charge higher prices. Lee draws parallels between protectionist policies for Canadian telecom to those in the airline industry. He says the approach is based on badly flawed and monstrously foolish arguments that doing so is better for domestic culture, jobs, and consumers. Competition would enhance the quality of the service in both telecom and airlines. We would have more choices at somewhat lower prices. We have some of the highest cellphone fees in the world, Lee said. This has been studied to death for over 100 years in economics. Oligopolistic industries are less competitive, charge higher prices, and offer lower quality services than an industry that is highly competitive. He believes the Rogers outage is only the latest exhibit for this economic principle. There clearly were failures, whether it was a underinvestment in the IT, or whether it was a management failure, or they werent recruiting enough people. This was internal to Rogers. This was a Rogers strategic mistake, and I would argue this is an indirect consequence of a lack of competition. Barriers to Competition Menzies says competition has merits, but with telecom its complicated. [Former prime minister] Stephen Harper always insisted that you needed four players in every market, and I dont think hes wrong, he said. [Saskatchewan] has four strong competitors, one of whom is [SaskTel], the incumbent Crown corporation that has close to 70 percent of the market. Menzies says he believes that, at the national level, the CRTC could have navigated a better course to foster more networks while encouraging competition, but protectionism limits the range of ways to do so. Canadas always been worried about foreign competition, so thats one of the biggest barriers in terms of competition and price, he said. Theres a credible school of thought that says once you did that, companies like Bell and Rogers, who arent very big on a global scale, would get swallowed up pretty quickly. And then people can debate whether that would be a good thing or a bad thing. Menzies says Ottawa should pay more attention to its telecom policy than regulating online content. It really illustrates that the government should be spending a little bit more time thinking about the larger issues in terms of the internet, like making sure there is one, and maybe a little less time fussing about who says what on it, and how much Canadian content it carries and how, he said. The internet is much more than what weve been talking about in public, and it really is the backbone of industry and everything else these days. Hopefully this will help draw peoples attention to some of those bigger issues. Teenage Boy Shot to Death in Anaheim ANAHEIM, Calif.A 17-year-old boy was shot to death in Anaheim, an innocent victim of gang members, authorities said July 9. The shooting occurred at about 9:45 p.m. Friday in the 1100 block of North Acacia Street, according to Sgt. Shane Carringer of the Anaheim Police Department. The boy suffered at least one gunshot wound, Carringer said. The unidentified suspect(s) fled the scene prior to officer arrival. Paramedics took the boy to a hospital where he was taken into surgery and pronounced dead just before 11 p.m., the sergeant said. Homicide detectives believe the victim was not a gang member, and completely innocent of any wrongdoing, Carringer said. The suspects, however, are believed to be gang members. Texas Republican chairman Matt Rinaldi (left) presides over procedures at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in Houston on June 18, 2022. (Darlene McCormick Sanchez/The Epoch Times) Texas GOP Focuses on Election Integrity After Rejecting Biden as President Texas Republican Party delegateswho last month approved a resolution rejecting Joe Biden as a legitimately elected presidentadopted a sweeping new platform with a big focus on election integrity. The states GOP released the results of its 2022 platform vote this week. Two of the measures seek fair elections free of illegal voting practices and updated voter registration rolls to combat fraud. Among provisions for fair elections, Republicans want to limit mail-in ballots to those who cant physically appear in person, and prohibit internet voting for public office, mandate full signature verification for mail-in ballots, require voter photo ID, and deter counterfeiting by using sequential ballots. On voter rolls, Republicans want voters to re-register if they havent voted in five years. Voter requirements include proof of residency, citizenship, and a photo ID. They also approved compiling a list of certified deaths so the Texas secretary of states office can remove deceased persons from voter rolls. They also want to repeal all motor voter laws. The platform reflects concerns raised in the resolution rejecting the certified results of the 2020 presidential election. In June, nearly 5,000 delegates at the Texas Republican Convention voted on the resolution and platform. The resolution declared that the 2020 election violated the Constitution by allowing secretaries of state to circumvent their state legislatures illegally. It asserted that substantial election fraud had occurred in key metropolitan areas, affecting the results in five states to Bidens favor. Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said in a statement that the Texas GOP was raising funds for election integrity, which is a top priority to ensure that Texas never goes down the same path as Pennsylvania, Georgia, or Arizona. Texas Republicans rightly have no faith in the 2020 election results, and we dont care how many times the elites tell us we have to. We refuse to let Democrats rig the elections in 2022 or 2024, he said. Democrats have long dismissed the idea of significant voter fraud swaying the outcome of the 2020 election, calling it misinformation perpetuated by former President Donald Trump in his effort to overturn a legitimate election. A misinformation newsstand aiming to educate news consumers about the dangers of disinformation, or fake news, in the lead-up to the U.S. midterm elections, in midtown Manhattan on Oct. 30, 2018. (Angela Weiss/Getty Images) Texas Republicans also made election integrity a top legislative priority for the 2023 session. Delegates want to restore felony penalties and enact civil penalties for election code violations. They want to restrict the distribution of mail-in ballots, limit early voting, and close Republican primaries. The Republicans also called for legislation allowing the states attorney general to have the authority to prosecute election fraud, after the all-Republican Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled the states attorney general couldnt unilaterally do so in December 2021. James Wesolek, a media spokesman for the Republican Party of Texas, told The Epoch Times that the vast majority of the 274 planks of the platform passed with 80 percent or more support. Five items had less than 80 percent, but none came in less than 70 percent of the vote. The platform covers a wide range of topics, including border security, medical freedom, pro-life issues, constitutional rights, and even Texas secession. Indian army soldiers carry an injured of a cloudburst for treatment, at Baltal, 105 kilometers (65miles) northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on July 9, 2022. (Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo) Thousands Rescued at Flood-Hit Hindu Pilgrimage in Kashmir SRINAGAR, IndiaEmergency workers rescued thousands of pilgrims after flash floods triggered by sudden rains swept through their makeshift camps during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Saturday. At least 16 people have died and dozens were injured. Authorities suspended the pilgrimage for two days as rains continued to lash the region. Teams of rescuers from Indias military, paramilitary and police as well as disaster management officials combed through the slippery mountain tracks and used thermal imaging devices, sniffer dogs, and through-the-wall radars to locate dozens of missing. They dug through mud, sand, and rocks that swamped the campsites on Friday evening after hurtling down with a gush of water near the cave shrine revered by Hindus. Civilian and military helicopters evacuated the injured to hospitals. Indian army soldiers carry a body of a cloudburst victim, at Baltal, 105 kilometers (65miles) northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on July 9, 2022. (Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo) Thousands of people were in the mountains when the rains struck. Officials said about 15,000 devotees were moved to safer locations and at least five dozen injured were administered first aid at base camp hospitals set up for the pilgrimage, which is undertaken by hundreds of thousands of Hindus from across India. Groups of pilgrims are staggered over 1.5 month for security and logistical reasons. Ravi Dutt, the 69-year-old Hindu ascetic from eastern West Bengal state, was camping near the cave on Friday evening. He said that suddenly water gushed down from a mountain sweeping away men, women, and our belongings too. Everything was buried under a mountain (of mud and rocks), Dutt said as he broke down. I have never seen such an incident in my life. Abdul Ghani, a Kashmiri porter who rents his pony to pilgrims, said it was an utter chaos. I just bundled a devotee on my pony and never looked back, he said. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish over the deaths. Manoj Sinha, New Delhis top administrator in the region, said: Our priority is to save the lives of people. Instructions have been issued to provide all necessary assistance to pilgrims. An Indian soldier stands guard as Hindu pilgrims return back after the cloudburst at Baltal, 105 kilometers (65miles) northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on July 9, 2022. (Mukhtar Khan/AP Photo) 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 were caught in a freak snowstorm, leading to more than 250 fatalities. The Toronto Police Services emblem is photographed during a press conference at TPS headquarters in Toronto on May 17, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Christopher Katsarov) Two Men Seriously Injured After Shooting at Toronto Mall, Police Say Two men were seriously injured after being shot outside a Toronto mall Saturday evening. According to the Toronto police, officers were called to Fairview Mall in North York following reports of a shooting in a parking lot outside the LCBO and Shoppers Drug Mart just after 6:30 p.m. Officers found two men suffering from gunshot wounds upon arrival. Toronto medics were also on the scene to assess the mens condition. The two were subsequently rushed to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. SHOOTING: (UPDATE) Fairview Mall Plaza police o/s officers have located 2 men suffering from gunshot wounds injuries appear serious @TorontoMedics o/s assessing patients ongoing investigation any info call police 416-808-2222#GO139975 ^al Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) July 9, 2022 Speaking to reporters at the scene on the evening of June 9, police said they do not believe the incident was a random shooting, but resulted from an altercation involving three people who knew each other, according to CP24. It appears that some suspects were involved in an altercation behind me here in the parking lot which transpired for unknown reasons. However, what we do know at this time is we believe that the suspect and victims are known to each other, and for that reason we do not believe there is any threat to the public, said duty officer Kirsty Smith. CP24 reported that one of the men suffered gunshot wounds to his abdomen while the second was shot multiple times, but noted the police hadnt confirmed that. Police said the third person involved in the altercation has been identified as a suspect. However, that individual remains outstanding. The police said an ongoing investigation is taking place and anyone with information can contact them. An F-35B lands onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth, England, on Sept. 26, 2018. (PO Arron Hoare/Ministry of Defence via Getty Images) UK Sends Fighter Jets to Sweden and Finland for Training Drills Britains Royal Air Force has sent fighter jets to Sweden and Finland for training exercises as part of the UKs increased presence in the region following the two countries application to join the NATO military alliance, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. Two F-35Bs and four Typhoons conducted high-end warfighting training with Finnish F-18 Hornets and Swedish Gripen aircrafts, the ministry said in a statement. The deployments, which took place over the last month at the request of the host nations, allowed the three air forces to develop their joint tactics and strengthen their ability to operate alongside each other, and underlined the UKs commitment to strengthening collective defence capabilities with Sweden and Finland, said the MoD. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace called the two countries important defence partners and welcomed their applications to join NATO, which he said will make the alliance stronger as we face a renewed threat in Europe. These deployments highlight our determination to enhance that partnership and ensure our forces can work together seamlessly, he said. Swedish defence minister Peter Hultqvist said the joint exercises strengthen our ability to operate together in response to a crisis in our neighbourhood, which he said is particularly important in todays challenging security environment. New NATO Allies The UK signed mutual security assurance declarations with Sweden and Finland in May. The two countries are also members of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a coalition of 10 nations who cooperate to maintain the security of Northern Europe. The joint exercises were part of a series of bilateral and JEF exercises planned this year at Finland and Swedens request, the MoD said. Later this month the UK will deploy the F-35Bs to Norway for further integration training with the Norwegian Air Force. On July 5, NATOs 30 allies signed an accession protocol for Finland and Sweden, allowing them to join the alliance once parliaments ratify the decision, the most significant expansion of the alliance since the 1990s. Finland shares a lengthy land border with Russia, while Sweden shares a maritime border with Russia. The Nordic nations had resisted joining NATO for decades until the Russian invasion of Ukraine drastically altered the security situation in the region. PA Media and Reuters contributed to this report. A general view of the building of the Court of Appeal in Kyiv, on May 20, 2022. (Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP via Getty Images) Ukraine Permanently Bans Far-Left Communist Party, Beijing Silent A Ukrainian court has recently ruled to permanently ban the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU) and confiscate its assets amid the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian war. Analysts believe that the decision reflects the worlds awakening to the dangers of the communist ideology and the far-left political parties that are in tow. Chinas ruling Chinese Communist Party has remained silent on the ban, despite being close to the KPU. The Eighth Administrative Court of Appeal in Lviv issued a statement along with the ruling, The court has satisfied the claims of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine: the activities of the Communist Party of Ukraine have been banned; the property, funds, and other assets of the party; its regional, city, district organizations, primary centers, and other structural entities have been transferred to the state. Huge Blow to CCP Iranian, Russia, and Chinese warships during a joint military drill in the Indian ocean. Iran, Russia and China will began today joint naval drills for three days in the Indian Ocean, seeking to reinforce common security, an Iranian naval official said on Jan. 21 2022. (Iranian Army office/AFP via Getty Images) Li Yuanhua, a former professor at Capital Normal University in Beijing, told The Epoch Times on July 8 that Ukraines ban of the KPU is a huge blow to the CCP. Actually, Ukraine has realized, when Russia invaded, that Russias confidence was based on the secret support of the CCP. Ukraine also saw that only communist countries in the world have no morality. Through the war, they have a deeper understanding of the dangers that the communist parties pose to mankind. Thats why they made such a clear verdict. Lee Yeau-tarn, a professor at Taiwans National Chengchi University, told The Epoch Times on July 8 that after the Russian invasion, Ukraine banned several left-wing political parties that are pro-Russian. He said he believes that Ukraines permanent ban on communist parties shows the awakening of the international democratic forces. Russia invaded Ukraine, the CCP virus (COVID-19) is raging around the world, as well as the CCPs suppression of Hong Kong, its threats against Taiwan, and its claims and occupation of islands and reefs in the South China Sea. Russia and the CCP conducted a joint military exercise near the Sea of Japan. It all shows their intent to undermine the current international order that is based on the rules of liberal democracy, he said. Under this circumstance, Ukraines resolution to totally break away from them has clearly showed that liberal democracy and totalitarian dictatorship cannot coexist. A resident of Baku, in the southern Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, uses an axe to hack apart a placard showing a portrait of Russian Bolshevik revolutionary leader Vladimir Lenin, on Sept. 21, 1991. (Anatoly Sapronenkov/AFP/Getty Images) Regarding the confiscation of the property of the KPU, Li Yuanhua said, For example, the assets of the CCP belong to Chinese people. To confiscate the assets of the KPU is to return the property of the people taken by Communist Party of the Soviet Union (which was partially inherited by the KPU) to the nation and to the people. This is a correct decision. Li said that those countries that have been ruled by communist totalitarianism have a deep understanding of the harm that the communist ideology has brought to human beings. Like the Czech Republic before, countries in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, have been cleansing out communist toxins. This time, Ukraines permanent ban of the communist party through law, including confiscation of its property, is actually the choice of the Ukrainian people. He said that the ban is a signal to CCP members, If the Chinese people know that the CCP is actually bringing disaster to all mankind, they should quit the CCP as soon as possible and choose a better future, instead of following the CCP to the end. Decommunization Laws The KPU was the ruling party in the Soviet era. Ukraine became independent from the former Soviet Union in 1991. As early as Aug. 30, 1991, the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) announced the ban of the Communist Party of Ukraine and its activities. However, the Ukrainian Constitutional Court invalidated the ban in December 2001. On April 9, 2015, the Verkhovna Rada passed a series of decommunization laws, including on the condemnation of the communist and Nazi totalitarian regimes that forbids both Soviet and Nazi symbols. Violations are punishable by up to five years in prison for an individual and up to 10 years in prison for members of an organization. Before the permanent ban, the KPU was banned from standing in elections since July 24, 2015. Ning Haizhong and Luo Ya contributed to this report. Ukraines Defense Minister Says It Passed Test on US Long-Range Rockets, Wants More Ukraines defense minister stated that his country passed the test in using U.S.-made long-range rocket systems that were provided in a recent round of federal aid, although he claimed that more systems are needed. Oleksii Reznikov, the minister, said that longer-range weapons are needed more than short-range weapons in the months-long war, noting that the conflict is primarily artillery-based. We need to refresh our platoons and change them and make replacements also because we also have a lot of losses, he said in a recent interview. We are waiting for more armor, more weaponry from our partners. We need to rebuild some directions and to refresh our fortifications and plan a new operational strategy. The United States in recent days provided M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) as part of a new aid package that was signed off by President Joe Biden. The president at the time claimed that Ukrainian officials assured the United States that Kyivs forces wont use the rocket systems to attack Russian assets inside Russia. The war is grim We need more. We need it quickly, Reznikov said, calling the HIMARS a game-changer. The Russians are using their MLRSs, which can go 120 kilometers (80 miles), Reznikov told the Wall Street Journal, referring to Russian-made rocket systems. So we need to have something a little bit longer: 150 [kilometers]. Well get there. It comes as a top U.S. official noted that Ukraines leadership wants more and more weapons. They want helicopters, and certainly attack helicopters at that, and they want air and missile defense that were seeing from most of our allies and partners, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville told reporters late last week. Those seem to be the capabilities that they want, and the more of that they can get, the more they desire. Firefighters spray water onto a fire at a market after shelling in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on July 5, 2022, as Russias attack on Ukraine continues. (Marko Djurica/Reuters) Rockets Hit Apartment At least 15 people were killed and two dozen more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-story apartment block in Ukraines Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday as rescuers picked their way through the rubble. Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, while Moscow said its forces struck Ukrainian army hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery, near Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region. The Epoch Times could not immediately verify the claims. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service gave a death toll of 15 on Sunday afternoon, adding that 24 more people could still be under the rubble. We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen, said a local resident who gave her name as Ludmila, speaking as rescuers removed a body in a white sheet and cleared rubble using a crane as well as their hands. Russia, which says it is conducting a special military operation to demilitarise Ukraine, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Moscow has not responded to Ukraines claims about an apartment block in Donestk being struck on Sunday. Reuters contributed to this report. A nursing home in the eastern region of Luhansk, Ukraine, on Oct. 13, 2021. (Satellite image 2022 Maxar Technologies via AP) Ukrainian Forces Bear Some Blame for Civilian Deaths in Nursing Home Attack: UN Report Ukrainian forces put civilians at risk during an attack on March 11 on a nursing home in southeast Kyiv, according to a report from the United Nations. Just two weeks after Russia mounted an invasion into Ukraine on Feb. 24, a care house in the village of Stara Krasnianka was attacked. Located in the eastern region of Luhansk, the village is about 360 miles (580 kilometers) southeast of Kyiv. Ukrainian authorities had blamed Russian forces squarely for killing more than 50 civilians in what it said was an unprovoked attack. But the report by the U.N.s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released in late June, suggests that Ukrainian soldiers bear some blame for the situation. The report (pdf) covers what the U.N. has assessed as violations of international humanitarian law that have occurred in the ongoing UkraineRussia war from Feb. 24 to May 15. According to the report, soldiers from Ukrainian armed forces had entered the care house in Stara Krasnianka on March 7, because the site had strategic value due to its proximity to an important road. The report stated that on the morning of March 11, soldiers from Russian-affiliated groups attacked the care house with heavy weapons, with patients and staff still inside. At the time, 71 patients with disabilities and 15 staff, as well as Ukrainian soldiers, were in the care house with no access to water or electricity. A fire started and spread across the care house while fighting was ongoing, the report stated of the March 11 attack. Some staff and patients fled the care house and ran into the forest, until they were met five kilometers away by Russian affiliated armed groups, who provided them with assistance. According to various accounts, at least 22 patients survived the attack, but the exact number of persons killed remains unknown. Prior to the attack, in early March, the management of the care house had requested local authorities to evacuate the residents, but it was was reportedly impossible as Ukrainian armed forces had allegedly mined the surrounding area and blocked roads. The OHCHR said that it is concerned that both Russian and Ukrainian soldiers launched military operations near civilians but didnt take any measures to protect civilians, as required under international humanitarian law. OHCHR is further concerned by reports of the use of human shields, which involves seeking to use the presence or movement of the civilian population or individual civilians to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, the office added. The use of human shields is specifically prohibited by article 28 of Geneva Convention IV and article 51(7) of additional protocol I. David Crane, a former Defense Department official and a veteran of numerous international war crime investigation, told The Associated Press that Ukrainian forces may have violated the laws of armed conflict by not having evacuated the occupants in the care house. The bottom-line rule is that civilians cannot intentionally be targeted. Period. For whatever reason, he told the news agency. The Ukrainians placed those people in a situation which was a killing zone. And you cant do that. Your morning rundown of the latest news from overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Virginia Gov. Youngkin Responds to Speculation Hes Running for President in 2024 Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin responded to recent speculation that he may throw his hat into the 2024 presidential race just months after he scored an upset victory during last Novembers elections. Thats not a decision that we have even begun to undertake, Youngkin told CBS News on Sunday morning in response to questions about the move. He also responded to a report from The Washington Post, which cited unnamed sources, claiming he met with Republican donors in Manhattan in June. The newspaper alleged that it was a sign he is possibly exploring a GOP presidential bid. I am hugely humbled by this discussion thats going on, Youngkin told the outlet on Sunday. And the reality, of course, is I think its based on the fact that I was in a state that was blue, and we turned it red. I ran on a platform that were delivering. The Republican governor also noted that he formed a political action committee, the Spirit of Virginia, to provide support in other races, including in other states ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. Meanwhile, he spoke at the Nebraska Republican convention on Saturday after being invited there by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts, triggering even more media speculation. I think the road to the majority in our House of Representatives comes through Virginia, and Im going to spend real time there making sure that we win these elections, Youngkin said. The governor drew national headlines last year when he defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe in Virginia, a state that has increasingly trended toward Democrats in statewide elections in recent years, partially due to its proximity to Washington. Youngkin cannot run for reelection under Virginia state law. Hes got an interesting message that could resonate with voters, especially those looking for a fresh face, said Brendan Steinhauser, a Republican consultant who worked for campaigns, told Fox News over the weekend. He could be an alternative to [former President Donald] Trump, but also someone more acceptable to the majority Republicans because he isnt seen as a Never Trumper. As for Trump, its not clear if or when he will run for office, though in numerous media interviews and during speaking events since leaving office, the former president has strongly suggested he would. When asked during a Newsmax interview last month about a TrumpRon DeSantis ticket, Trump said he has a good relationship with the Republican governor. Well, I get along with him, Trump said of the Florida governor. I was very responsible for his success, because I endorsed him and he went up like a rocket ship. As the fevers of political permutations are rising among Nigerians over the coming 2023 elections, many forget that issues of national security are far beyond the present scourge of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping. The United Nations and the Economist have predicted a food crisis in the developing world in 2022 and beyond, particularly in Africa, which would have severe consequences in terms of political and economic stability. The ongoing mass protests in Sri Lanka which have sacked its government over lack of food should serve as a warning to Nigeria and other developing countries of Africa. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed these countries, including Nigeria as having weak systems that are unable to absorb the slightest economic shocks on a global scale. Pictures and videos of angry Sri Lankans in their thousands taking over the presidential palace in Colombo show how much rage can be generated by a widespread lack of food. And as one commentator noted that even Sri Lankans who were once divided by religion and political ideologies, were all united by hunger to chase away the president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his entire government. This should therefore remind Nigerian politicians and bureaucrats that the widening ethnoreligious divides among Nigerians may not prevent a popular revolt against the government if such a revolt is driven by hunger. With signs that some state governments will no longer be able to afford the payment of salaries in the coming months, urgent questions should now be raised about Nigeria's national food security preparedness. The statistics of Nigeria's strategic food reserves must be examined to know how much Nigeria can cope in the face of global disruptions to food imports. The wave of politics in the current election cycle in Nigeria should shy away from debates on national food security. Importantly, the presidential aspirants of the various political parties must be put to task on providing a realistic roadmap to ensure food sufficiency in Nigeria. Thus the kind of Peter Obis response to the alarming crisis of electric power shortage is also needed in food security before a crisis happens. The present situation in Sri Lanka is most likely in Nigeria if urgent steps are not taken by the government to reverse Nigeria's increasing dependency on the importation of food. To this end, Food Avail Nigeria would be engaging with relevant stakeholders in food security to raise interests and responsibilities in ensuring that a food crisis in Nigeria does not result in incalculable and irreversible socioeconomic and political damage to Nigeria. Frank Tietie is a Human Rights Lawyer, Arise News Analyst, Executive Director, CASER and Convener of Food Avail Nigeria When the deaf man beats a drum for you to dance, just dance AbdulChukwudi According to online news outlet PREMIUM TIMESGunmen, believed to be bandits, killed at least 43 people including 30 soldiers and seven mobile police personnel in an attack on a mining site in Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State, local sources have said. The Niger State Government, while confirming the attack, however, said the number of casualties is yet to be ascertained. Residents said a search party found 37 bodies of soldiers and policemen in a bush near the mining site Thursday morning. Six other corpses of civilians were also recovered from the bush. The residents said many Chinese nationals and Nigerians were also abducted during the attack on the site. Yusuf Kokki, the co-convener, Concerned Shiroro Youths, in a statement to PREMIUM TIMES, said residents witnessed the attack on the site by several heavily armed assailants. The deaths from the Ajata Aboki massacre have risen astronomically as, at present, almost thirty soldiers have been discovered in the bush and confirmed dead, Mr Kokki said. In relation to the aboveAisha Yusuf, fiancee of one of the soldiers killed in the Shiroro attack in Niger took to Facebook to pay tributes to her fiance, lamenting that Nigeria didnt deserve him. In the emotional post titled My heart is pained, on her Facebook handle, Yusuf revealed that the pain was unbearable and didnt know how to recover from the sorrowful event. I lost the love of my life on Wednesday in Shiroro, Niger State. My friend, my lover My heartbeat, my fianceethe man who changed my strong view on inter-cultural marriage. I still cant believe that my baby is gone.. Where do I start from? Where do I pick up from? People said I should take it easy that God has a plan but I cant even understand why God allowed such to happen. He was diligent. He was honest and hardworking. He was a good man, A God-fearing man who loved his family and his country. He gave his life for that cause, she wrote. Yusuf noted that even in the midst of the turmoil, she was hopeful that the country would rise again. She added, Nigeria didnt deserve you baby. Now I know how other wives who lost their husbands to terrorists feel. Its a pain that is unbearablecannot be described. Please the family and I need your prayersThis is difficult for all of us but we believe God has a reason. In the midst of all these killings, Nigeria will rise again. My babys death will not be for nothing. Rest well Obim...I love you and Id always love you. Aisha indeed in lamenting stated Nigeria didnt deserve her fiancee. The truth is we dont deserve Nigeria, the feeling is mutual. We have moved ahead like nothing happened, and really, I dare ask, did anything happen, yesterday it was in Taraba where soldiers were killed, and a day before it was the Owo massacre, a night later it was the Kuje Prisons attack, one of many such attacks. A people with a short fuse memory, preferring to largely forget very quickly from a point of learning slowly, we either never remember or we choose to totally forget. There will be no justice of any formOur case like the, Mocking bird, you are accused of insulting the king. It asked when would it have time to insult the king, seeing that it must sing two hundred songs in the morning, two hundred in the afternoon, and two hundred at night, mixing it all up with some frolicsome notes? We pray to a Christian God at the beginning of a function, and close the same with a prayer to a Muslim AILah and then in the same function discuss how to steal because really it is what we deserve. Its not just leadership problems that worry Nigeria. No, it's the problem of you, me and us. Our name Nigeria has left a sour taste in the mouth, more so in recent times time, we have become fanatical, we cannot change our mind, we cannot change the subject, so we are still grappling with the same problems, only the styles that change and new terminologies developed but the ideology be it corruption or ethnicity it remains largely the same. So, our culture has been shaped by the Nigerian factor, one that we have been forced to develop for lack of direction, for lack of a beginning. So as a nation we have continued with a culture of indifference. Do we appreciate Nigeria, if we do not, we do not deserve it, we want the Nigeria of our dreams, with this and that, with leadership made in heaven but we have refused to go back and ask patiently does Nigeria deserve us? Today it is all talk about transformation, yet we forget that these are not new; no one catches a fish in anger. We are plagued by our lack of simple ethics. We are willing to offer a bribe even when not asked, because often than not we are guilty until presumed innocent. So, we blame our ineptitude on every other person but us. Until we start to treat Nigeria as our business, and not some prodigal orphan, that we dont deserve Nigeria, neither does Nigeria deserve us, we will keep going round in circles; as it is, we are just a people with some personal interests. Let me end with this riddle; a man is wearing black, black shoes, socks, trousers, and gloves. He is walking down a black street with all the street lamps off.. A black car is coming towards him, its lights off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man? He saw the man because it was daytime, when will it be the day for Nigeria, her leaders, and people to see through all our dramas and face the issues head ononly time would tell. Peter Gregory Obi and Datti Yusuf Baba-Ahmed joint ticket has all the required capacity to unlock the chains of captivity Nigerians have been caged in by selfish politicians in a corrupt riddled economy for so long and to liberate them. With the opportunity the Labour Party has given Nigerians in the duos joint ticket if one goes to north, east west and south one will understand that hope has been awoken in the hopelessness of the nation. Nigerians are very conscious of this opportunity especially the youths who do not want the golden chance to slip away have shown enough willingness for self-emancipation. They have grabbed the project with every sense of sincerity, power, enthusiasm, passion and commitment. Their campaign has been very consistent and emphatically clear, they want good and qualitative leaders, and in Obi and Baba-Ahmed they have scrutinized and found what they seem to have been searching for in leaders. The ovations from every part of Nigeria that welcomed Baba-Ahmed as the running mate of Peter Obi were very huge, massively impressively, pleasantly joyous and extremely intimidating. I have said this severally that ordinary Nigerians have no problem with one another, as long as one is doing what is good, right and legitimate they embrace that person irrespective of the persons religion or where she or he comes from. The problem has always been the policy makers the politicians who are supposed to be pacesetters, but always play the card of ethnicity and religion to divide us for their selfish interests. This bunch has held us in captivity for too long and Nigerian youths are in unison this time to say enough is enough. While these politicians have always found ways to settle their differences, swum together in corruption and stuck with one another in their exploitation of the masses, we the ordinary Nigerians they exploit have not found a way to say no to their manipulation. Instead they use us and make us to fight each other while they share our collective wealth, and even sometimes they make us kill ourselves in defending them and their evil. The only time we summoned courage, did what was right and came together like them was the time of the #EndSARS protest, and we saw how scared and trembled they were. But again they had the upper hand as they forgot their political and religious differences and came together, planned their evil attack and brutally descended on us militarily and mercilessly. We will never forget this and it is pay back time. With our experience and the elders joining our OBIDIENT and YUSUFUL movement now we are currently more resolute and extra formidable to take back our country and they cannot defeat us again we are better equipped now and armed than them. Our Permanent Voters Card (PVC) is our AK47 and we are going to shoot at sight any recognized destiny destroyer since 1983 who wants to become a governor or a lawmaker etc. We will show no mercy in this mission. Nigeria is a hijacked country that is at the verge of collapse. In security, terrorists are firmly in control of some parts of the country with the advancement to capture more places. They collect taxes in areas they invaded and occupied with citizens gnashing their teeth in agony, helplessness and disheartenment. In the judiciary, people grief that justice could elude the innocent or be bought by the highest bidder based on controversial and questionable judgments judges have given in recent times. The worst was the shocking Supreme Court judgment that brought Hope Uzodinma of APC as the governor of Imo State. That judgment was a terrible blunder and a judicial tragedy, and there was nothing supreme about it. INEC, the constituted electoral body declared Hope as coming fourth in that election. But supposedly Supreme Court judges accepted votes that came from people that were not even registered voters and gave them to Hope and declared him winner. In that Supreme Court judgment on Imo State justice died in Nigeria. Obi and Baba-Ahmed joint ticket is a masterstroke. The duo is young, intelligent and with inspiring, clean and successful records as public servants and in their private lives. They are not corrupt. Their academical records, age and sources of wealth are not in question or doubt. So they do not need to pay any SAN or swear any affidavit to defend a very simple question that needs a very simple answer. Therefore, while it is true that Nigeria is a hijacked project by political monsters and corrupt leaders and the country is at the verge of collapse, it is equally a fact to note that the emergence of Obi and Baba-Ahmed have risen hope of liberation and the hijacked country is at the verge of salvation. Spread this message to those people who are still living in fantasies of how they will bribe us, and inform those dreamers who are equally asking for our political structures that in our quest for a better working Nigeria, we are strongly united, resolute and formidable, no religion, ethnicity, amount of inducement or political party can divide us. The voice of the people is the voice of God. Inform them that Obi and Baba-Ahmed are coming. On May 29, 2023the duo will be sworn in as elected president and vice unless something drastic and unexpected happens which is unlikely. Obi and Baba-Ahmed only need to be very conscious of their security now than ever. While our hearts ache for the state of the nation today, hope beckons in Obi and Baba-Ahmed for redemption that the economic revolution happening in Rwanda is also possible in Nigeria. I am just being OBIDIENT and YUSUFUL to Nigeria. Uzoma Ahamefule, a concerned patriotic citizen and a refined African traditionalist, writes from Vienna, Austria. [email protected] +436607369050 (WhatsApp messages only) Ibrahim Kabir Masari, the interim running mate to the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has announced his withdrawal from the race. Masari who made the disclosure in a press statement, stated that he believes he can still serve APC and the country in several other capacities The statement read, This is to inform our esteemed party leaders under our able President Muhammadu Buhari, teeming party members and the great people of Nigeria, of the outcome of a crucial discussion I just had with the flag-bearer of our great party, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Recall that I had the singular honour and privilege of being nominated as the running-mate to Asiwaju Tinubu last month after a keenly contested presidential primaries ahead of the 2023 general elections. But, after much reflection and wider consultations, I now wish to step down. I realized that my decision will enable Asiwaju have more latitude to give more accommodation and inclusion that will position our party to win the coming elections, with the support of the people of Nigeria. In stepping down, I believe I can still serve our party and the country in several other capacities I wish to confirm that I have submitted my withdrawal letter and affidavit to that effect as the Vice Presidential Candidate to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed TInubu in the coming elections. On behalf of myself and family, I wish to sincerely thank Asiwaju Tinubu the Incoming President, Insha Allah for his trust in me and we promise to remain steadfast in our support for him and the party." Meanwhile, the Interim National Coordinator of Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization, Honorable James Faleke, has confirmed Masaris withdrawal as Tinubus running-mate. Falekes words, This is to inform and confirm that Alhaji Ibrahim Masari has stepped down as Vice Presidential nominee to the flag-bearer of APC in the 2023 presidential elections, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Alhaji Masari has communicated his decision to us from Saudi Arabia where he is presently performing the lesser hajj. It is not a misnomer to say that it is sad that Anambra State Polytechnic, Ngbakwu, Awka-North Local Government Area, is yet to produce graduates that are qualified for the mandatory National Service under the auspices of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), 16 years after its establishment. The disappointing and sad situation was divulged at the Budget Bilateral Talks between the Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Tertiary Education and officials of the Anambra State Polytechnic led by the head of the institution, Dr. Njideka Chiekezie. Dr. Chiekezie said the polytechnic requires aggressive funding to meet her accreditation requirements to enable the institution produce graduates who would also be enlisted in the one year compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme. Chiekezie, who took over the leadership of the polytechnic recently, said the situation she met was not palatable and that it was not her making. According to her, frantic efforts were been made to ensure that the students graduate and also embark on National Service. She lays emphasis on the fact that the polytechnic aggressively require accreditation of academic programmes to enable the students go for national youth service after graduation. She expressed deep concern that the HND programmes of the polytechnic were not accredited; a development she said was the remote reason students that graduated from the institution were not enrolled in the National Youth Service Scheme. According to her, there was need to set up the required blocks for the students to graduate and get enlisted into the NYSC scheme of the Federal Government, stressing that accreditations of programmes offered in the institution were the only solution to the age-long problem. She said at the moment, budgets approved for the polytechnic only covered payment of salaries, overheads and similar items, but did not take care of accreditation of programmes because accreditation, according to her, was capital intensive and done as a separate budget. She said: In order for us to obtain this accreditation, it requires the uplifting of the infrastructures in the school. What we need is listed in our capital budget. So, if we see fund for accreditation, there will be a change in infrastructures. We need engineering workshops, classroom blocks and we also desire to introduce more courses in our school but because we dont have enough buildings to accommodate these courses, we are handicapped. So we are in dire need of classroom blocks and other infrastructures in the polytechnic. Against the foregoing disclosures, it is expedient to say that not few youths that graduated from various tertiary institutions in the country, with the exception of Colleges of Education, dream of participating in National Service in anticipation of being awarded the NYSC certificate. Given the foregoing, it is expedient to ask, Is the NYSC programme important? The answer to the foregoing cannot be farfetched as the NYSC programme is important, particularly as not few undergraduates look forward to the mandatory service because of the unique experience it offers, and which also gives them the opportunity to be imbued with the virtues of patriotism and loyalty to the country. In fact, most youths in Nigeria never get the opportunity to find out about diverse cultures across the communities in the country, except through participation in the National Service programme. In fact, analyzed from the fact that most of the courses been offered in the institution are unaccredited, and by implication automatically disqualified its graduates from participating in the annual compulsory service under the auspices of the NYSC, it would not be out of place to say in this context that the school authority has for the past 16 years been toying with the future of the youths that graduated from the polytechnic. The reason for the foregoing view cannot be farfetched as youths that graduated from the polytechnic are constraint in the labor market as it will unarguably be difficult for HND holders from the polytechnic to secure jobs without the NYSC Certificate to boost their employability as they are likely not positioned to secure decent jobs due to the high regard placed on the certificate by employers of labor across the country. Not only does anyone that is deprived of NYSC Certification is limited in the labor market, as he or she is limited in the labor market, such person can be stigmatized , ridiculed and scorned for not participating in the NYSC exercise. Against the foregoing backdrop, not few Nigerians will easily forget the convoluted hullabaloo that revolves around the forgery of NYSC Certificate which the former Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun was engrossed in. Though she was in 2021 cleared by a Federal High Court in Abuja of the alleged certificate forgery, which resulted in her eventual resignation from office in 2018. In fact, her resignation over the NYSC certificate controversy followed series of relentless news coverage on the matter for some months and some court cases against her and the NYSC. In fact, the importance of the NYSC Certificate cannot be watered down as its importance goes beyond the labor market, given the fact that it is highly needed in the realm of partisan politics. Given the importance of the NYSC Service, I am in this context appealing to the authorities of the polytechnic, and the State Government under the leadership of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo to ensure that the polytechnic is adequately funded to enabled the accreditation of its courses so that its products would be able to be participating in the NYSC programme after 16 years of its establishment. The reason for the foregoing cannot be farfetched as not doing that will be a damaging disservice to the students that opted to pass through the polytechnic. Crazy Web Studio Celebrates 10 Years Longevity is one of the best indicators of a business strength, and this is particularly relevant when it comes to Web Design and web development. By Advertorial Sunday 10 July 2022, 01:00PM Longevity is one of the best indicators of a business strength, and this is particularly relevant when it comes to Web Design and web development. Indeed, only in the last few weeks Crazy Web Studio celebrated 10 years in business, proving that they are the leading Web Company in Phuket. For 10 years they have specialised in Web Design, Web Development, WordPress and also in e-commerce development, Shopify, and WooCommerce. Over this period, they have assembled one of the most skilled and experienced teams that would rival any online development companies in Thailand. Of course, as with any significant milestone, the event couldnt pass without a party. The team celebrated the event at the excellent Patong Sunset View Restaurant where they enjoyed a delicious meal and drinks while celebrating what they and many of their clients believe is a notable achievement. Unfortunately, some members could not be present but were present on the evening in soul if not in person! When Crazy Web Studio started back in 2012, they had a clear objective of helping small and medium sized businesses expand their online presence, focusing initially on Phuket and Bangkok. However, as their reputation grew for web design and e-commerce development, they expanded and reached out to a wider audience across other countries in Asia, Europe, the US, and Australia. With a team comprising of enthusiastic web designers and digital marketing and social media experts they are still regarded as one of the most dynamic Thailand website development companies. Being the first and still the only wholly foreign-owned Phuket web design company, having achieved status as a BOI Web Company, Digital Innovation, and are actively promoted by the Thailand government. Naturally, this is something that they are incredibly proud of. It acknowledges the quality of their service and arguably puts them one of the best Thailand website companies. Over the last decade, we have all witnessed considerable changes in web development, particularly e-commerce development, digital marketing, and SEO. Crazy Web Studio has actively stayed up to date of these changes in website requirements, new techniques, and market trends to ensure that they remain industry leaders. They were one of the first web companies to recognise that websites needed to be optimised for mobile devices and have never taken shortcuts or adopted black hat practices which often prove to be the downfall of other Thailand website companies. When it comes to E-Commerce Development, when at times other companies were reluctant to move away from platforms such as Facebook, Ebay, Shopee, Lazada. They embraced change and, of course, did due diligence into what are now some of the most recognised e-commerce applications worldwide, such as WooCommerce and Shopify. We never adopt a one size fits all strategy, which is a principle that we have maintained over the last ten years. Thanks to their vast experience and knowledge, they can confidently say that they have all your web and social media needs covered. A guarantee that they will increase your visibility online and give you a presence that targets the right audience and gives quantifiable results. When it comes to web design in Phuket, they listen to your objectives and design strategies that give sustainable results. As we look back on our unrivalled success over the last ten years, in terms of not only web design, web development and ecommerce development, but also 3D rendering and graphic design, we can be immensely proud. We have helped businesses globally fulfil their potential and, in many cases, exceed their expectations. However, we have no intention of stopping now; no sooner had the celebrations finished, we were already looking to the next ten years and beyond and striving to help more companies worldwide. Andrea Buosi - CEO & Founder, Crazy Web Studio. If you would like more information about our Phuket web company, or have questions about creating a new Website or more specifically for E-commerce with Shopify or WooCommerce, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please contact us today, and we will help transform your business. Crazy Web Studio Co.,Ltd. Phone: +66 910176008 Valid also for: Whatsapp, Line. Head Office: Patong, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand Legal Matters: Pride or Prejudice? What Thailands upcoming bills and amendments have in store for same-sex partners Community By The Phuket News Sunday 10 July 2022, 01:58PM Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittiput (right) interacts with members of the LGBTQIA+ community as they take part in the Pride March in Bangkok on June 5. Photo: Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP In a landmark move, Thailands Cabinet approved the Life Partnership Bill on June 7, 2022 which, if implemented, will make the Kingdom the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise unions between people of the same sex. This bill, along with three other bills on same-sex unions, passed their first hearing in parliament on June 15, 2022, moving the country closer to granting legal recognition to same-sex couples. Though this can be considered a step in the right direction, particularly as Pride Month drew to a close on June 30, all four bills cannot be enacted simultaneously given the differences surrounding the rights afforded to couples as well as the terms used to describe the unions. The LGBTQIA+ community and its supporters have largely welcomed the stance taken by the Thai government, especially given the current lack of recognition same-sex couples face under Thai law, which at best creates significant inconveniences and at worst leaves them open to discrimination and mistreatment. However, as with all landmark decisions, it is important to look beyond the initial euphoria and thoroughly understand the elements and potential implications of the changes to be introduced. This is particularly so given that the four bills, each proposing different approaches to the question of same-sex partnerships, confer different rights and obligations depending on which piece of legislation will pass the second reading. Many in the LGBTQIA+ community have criticised the creation of some of the bills, stating that marriage should be equally accessible to all regardless of gender and that such bills relegate same-sex partnerships as a separate union that is not seen in equal measure to opposite-sex marriage. As previously mentioned, four bills cover same-sex partnerships: the Civil and Commercial Code Amendment Bill proposed by the Move Forward Party; the Civil and Commercial Code Amendment Bill proposed by the Cabinet; the Life Partnership Bill proposed by the Democrat Party; and the Life Partnership Bill proposed by the Cabinet. It should be noted that while all four bills have passed the first reading in parliament, they will still undergo a second reading and may be subject to further changes. It is also likely that these bills will be combined to create a consolidated piece of legislation. The Life Partnership Bill (Cabinet) The Life Partnership Bill proposed by the Cabinet essentially creates a separate type of union between two people called life partners who will be allowed to register their partnership and obtain legal recognition if the bill is put in place. Given that the current iteration of the Civil and Commercial Code grants rights and obligations only to opposite-sex couples, the Life Partnership Bill proposed by the Cabinet aims to extend these to couples of the same sex, though falling short of extending the term marriage and spouses. It is also worth noting that this Life Partnership Bill works in tandem with the Civil and Commercial Code Amendment that was also endorsed by the Cabinet, and changes proposed by the latter are reflected by the provisions of the former. Based on its current draft, many of the rights and obligations to be provided to same-sex life partners are similar to those granted to married opposite-sex couples under the Civil and Commercial Code. The minimum age to register a life partnership under the Life Partnership Bill will be 17 years of age, and at least one of the life partners must be a Thai national as two foreigners will not be allowed to register their life partnership in Thailand. The Life Partnership Bill also sets out the same prohibitions laid out by the Civil and Commercial Code, namely: Partnerships with a person considered to be mentally incapacitated or declared by Thailands courts as incompetent; Partnerships between blood relatives; and Bigamy or polygamy. The prohibition on bigamy and polygamy, under Sections 3 and 4 of the Cabinet-proposed Amendment to the Civil and Commercial Code Act, will extend the prohibition to those who are already under a registered marriage or a life partnership. Much like what is currently stipulated under the Civil and Commercial Code, Sections 11 and 13 of the Life Partnership Bill also state that the registration of a partnership must be done with the consent of both partners, and any partnership registered under duress will be rendered void. Moreover, as with the Civil and Commercial Code, partnerships will be nullified if it is found that the partners do not live together, or the purpose of their partnership is to misuse the benefits and welfare given by the state. Concerning managing properties, the Life Partnership Bill also draws from what is already set out in the Civil and Commercial Code, namely the distinction between personal property and conjugal property. The former consists of assets that are owned and managed individually by one partner who can sell, dispose of, or use them as they please, while the latter is concerned with assets that must be jointly managed by the partners. However, the Life Partnership Bill does not provide specific details regarding consent if the other partner conducts a legal act that affects conjugal property, though it can be assumed under Section 15 of the bill that the principles applied by the Civil and Commercial Code to opposite-sex couples will be applied. This means that any legal act conducted by a partner concerning conjugal property must be done with the consent of the other partner. The Life Partnership Bill also extends the right to adopt children, inherit the properties of deceased partners, and terminate the partnership upon written notice to the court on reasonable grounds. It also grants partners of the same sex the power to act on behalf of their partners behalf during criminal cases where they are the victim, as well as to prosecute on their deceased partners behalf as indicated under the Criminal Procedure Code. Other proposed amendments to the Civil and Commercial Code include the following: Original Civil and Commercial Code Amendment to Civil and Commercial Code Bill (Cabinet) Rationale Section 1452 A marriage cannot take place, if the man or woman is already the spouse of another person. Section 3 to cancel the section 1452 of the Civil and Commercial Code and Instead, use the following A marriage cannot take place if the man or woman is already a spouse or a life partner of another person. Adding the reason that the marriage registration will be null and void in the case that a married person registers marriage when they already have registered Life partnership Section 1516 Grounds of action for divorce are as follows: (1) the husband or wife has given maintenance to or honoured such other person as his/her spouse, or has committed adultery, the other spouse may enter a claim for divorce; Section 4 to cancel (1) section 1516 Civil and Commercial Code which was amended by the Amending the Civil and Commercial Code Act, No. 16, B.E. 2550 and instead, use the following (1) the husband or wife has given maintenance to or honoured such other person as his spouse or life partner, or has committed adultery, or acts against others or accepting the actions of others to satisfy ones own or anothers lustregularly, the other spouse may enter a claim for divorce; Adding the grounds for divorce to include cases where the husband or wife is in a relationship with a person of the same sex as well, such as recognizing another as a partneror acting against others or accepting the actions of others to satisfy ones own or anothers lust regularly. Section 1528 If the party receiving alimony remarries, the right to receive alimony is extinguished. Section 5 to cancel section 1528 of the Civil and Commercial Code and instead, use the following Section 1528 If the party receiving alimony remarries or registers as a life partner, the right to receive alimony is extinguished. Adding reasons that cause the right to receive a living allowance expired if the spouse who receives the living allowance is registered as a life partner because once the life partner is registered, it has the right to be supported by the other spouse. as in the case of new marriages The Life Partnership Bill (Democrat Party) Interestingly, an alternate version of the Life Partnership Bill was proposed by the Democrat Party which, in principle, bears similarities to the above-mentioned Life Partnership Bill endorsed by the Cabinet, albeit with a different definition for life partnership. While the Cabinet-proposed bill defines life partnership as two persons of same-sex who register as life partners under this Act, the bill proposed by the Democrat Party defines life partnership as registered partners consisting of either two Thai persons or at least one Thai. Concerning the rights and obligations afforded to same-sex couples, those under the Life Partnership Bill endorsed by the Democrat Party are largely identical to the ones proposed by the bill endorsed by the Cabinet, with differences primarily focused on terminologies and orders. As mentioned before, the principles outlined by both bills are largely the same. The Civil and Commercial Code Amendment (Move Forward Party) As with the Life Partnership Bill, the amendments proposed by the Move Forward Party aim to extend marital rights and obligations provided by the Civil and Commercial Code to same-sex couples, arguing that its current version, which limits such rights only to opposite-sex couples, is unconstitutional on the grounds of unfair gender discrimination. Again, many of the provisions underlined in these amendments align with the principles provided by the two Life Partnership Bills, particularly around the fact that at least one of the partners must be a Thai national, and that consent must be obtained from the parties to register the marriage. It also bears similar provisions regarding prohibitions, the management of assets between partners, the adoption of children, inheritance, the right to terminate the partnership, as well as the power to prosecute or legally act on behalf of the partner. Nonetheless, the amendments proposed by the Move Forward Party also bear significant differences from those mentioned earlier. Among these is the move to revise the minimum age of marriage from 17 years old to 18 years old regardless of whether the individuals in question are of the opposite sex or the same sex. On top of equalising the minimum age for all genders, proponents of the proposed amendments also aim to align the Civil and Commercial Code with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which defines children as those below 18 years of age. It also aims to change the definition of marriage from that between a male and female to two persons, which many have lauded as the fairest way to extend legal rights and recognition to same-sex couples. Another noteworthy distinction these amendments have to the other bills is their intention to change the definition of married couples from that between a man and woman to two persons regardless of their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. The rationale behind this proposed change is to ensure that all benefits, rights and obligations applied to married couples also apply to same-sex couples. If passed, the proposal may mean the following for same-sex couples: Same-sex couples will pay a registration fee at the same rate as an opposite-sex couple; A surviving same-sex spouse will be exempted from inheritance tax under the Inheritance Tax Act; A same-sex spouse will be entitled to certain income tax write-offs or deductibles given to an opposite-sex spouse under the Revenue Code; A same-sex spouse will be entitled to receive welfare benefits enjoyed by an opposite-sex spouse under the Social Security Act and other legislations giving employment benefits to spouses of government officers; Same-sex couples will be entitled to be the lawful parent of a child born out of gestational surrogacy under the Protection of Children Born by Medically Assisted Reproductive Technology Act; A same-sex spouse will be entitled to use the surname of their legally registered partner; and A same-sex spouse will be entitled to apply for naturalisation as a result of marriage to a Thai national under the Nationality Act. Concluding notes While the principles introduced by the aforementioned bills are clear, several questions remain regarding the details of the proposed life partnership, including issues surrounding whether a foreign partner would be entitled to a stay visa, whether same-sex partnerships registered outside Thailand would be recognised within the country regardless of their nationality, as well as conjugal tax obligations and probate issues. It also calls into question the relevant procedures if the partners decide to terminate their partnership, particularly around child custody and alimony, as well as the government fees involved to facilitate such procedures. Moreover, it should be pointed out that some of the terms used in some of the bills to refer to same-sex couples, notably in the two Life Partnership Bills, still bear discrimination as they essentially create a separate partnership class that, while similar, do not truly measure to the same status as married opposite-sex couples, particularly around the issue of rights and obligations. Many critics from the LGBTQIA+ community have pointed out that if regulators decide to use the terms underlined by the two Life Partnership Bills, it would be contrary to their purported intention of providing equal rights to same-sex couples as doing so would not only deny them the right to marriage and the entitlements and obligations associated with it, but it would also limit their relationship to a term deemed by many as a compromise to religious and conservative bodies. Another problematic issue is the higher government fees associated with registering a life partnership. For example, under the Life Partnership Bill endorsed by the Cabinet, if same-sex couples seek to register their partnership with the registrar, it will cost a maximum fee of B1,000 on top of B1,000 per person for miscellaneous fees incurred by the officer, while married opposite-sex couples only need to pay a fee of B200 per person. Also, the maximum registration fee for same-sex couples during a mass wedding event organised by local authorities amounts to B500 per person compared to B20 per person for opposite-sex couples. Moreover, each copy of the life partnership certificate will cost same-sex couples B100 each compared with B10 for opposite-sex couples. Proponents of this Life Partnership Bill have yet to provide a rationale for this discrepancy in fees. If, on the other hand, regulators ultimately decide to proceed with the amendments proposed by the Move Forward Party, it is likely that the benefits afforded to married opposite-sex couples, as well as the possibility of becoming married couples, will also apply to same-sex partners. However, whether this will be applied in principle remains to be seen. Will the move by the Thai government be seen as a source of pride for the country or another underhanded act of prejudice? This remains to be seen as the bills undergo further reading and possible consolidation. Nonetheless, the initial passing of these bills shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, the journey towards full equality for LGBTQIA+ people is just beginning. By Jak Chokesikarin Associate, Silk Legal People are welcome to contact Silk Legal for more information. Please reach out to them at info@silklegal.com or by using the contact form on their website. 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. Phuket Music Scene: Rocking in Phuket, Thai style Im sometimes asked about the best places to go to listen to Thai music, to which I reply, What kind of Thai music? For, as in Western music, there is a variety of genres including pop, country, protest, rock, Isan and Northern music. Phuket-Music-SceneEntertainment By Andy Tong Dee Sunday 10 July 2022, 01:57PM If you want to hear Thai country music, the best place to go is Baan Krua Nok, just meters from the major intersection in Kathu on the way to Patong Hill. Here they have an excellent house band playing country favourites with great passion. If you get bored, another venue playing Thai pop is located just opposite. As for Thai protest songs, try and find The Factory. If you want a taste of real rural Thailand, this is the place to go. This tiny ramshackled Thai bar is tucked in next to the Phuket Leather Shop on Phuket Rd in Phuket Town and is run by its owner, Khun Aek. Theres no point in getting there before 9:30pm as thats when people will start drifting in to play their Carabao songs (Thailands equivalent to Bob Dylan). This is very much an open mic venue, so you might even find me there knocking out Woody Guthrie numbers and The Times They are A-Changing! Friday and Saturday nights are best. As for noisier Thai pop, There is a very popular Thai music venue on the Seahorse traffic circle a half-kilometre east of Robinson Department Store in Phuket Town. It was pretty moribund until a few years ago when it was refurbished under new management. The fun starts early, at 6:30pm with DJ Khun Bee playing warm-up tunes before the first band takes the stage at 7:30pm, playing Thai and Western pop. Occasionally, bands with a national following play here as well as at Ploenchit, an even noisier venue about 200 metres away. Ploenchit moved there a few years ago from the old town (now found online as x Phuket). You will find some similar, smaller and equally-deafening venues nearby. If youre looking for a different and quieter style of music, there is the Sure Pub, again in Phuket Town. Its down by the canal on the Takuapa Rd a few hundred metres south of the Baan Suzuki motorcycle showroom. This caters to lovers of Phleng phuea chiwit (Songs of Life). This is a genre of Thai folk music strongly influenced by Western folk and rock music. The excellent four-piece house band plays from around 8:30pm onwards. No need for ear plugs here. I can also firmly recommend the Dibuka and Night and Day restaurants opposite each other on Dibuk Rd, Phuket Town. They are great for small Thai ensembles and bands and they are also good places to eat. Here they play Thai pop, but far less noisily than venues around the Seahorse traffic circle. Youll also find a couple of small music venues popular with Thai youngsters just around the corner near the Standard Chartered Bank clocktower. If you are in Chalong, why not try out Somtam Saep Gern, a venue much like the Thai pop venues around the Seahorse traffic circle. Its about 500m from the Chalong Circle on the right on the way to Kata. They have live bands all week. Ear plugs required. Finally, if in Rawai, check out The Sunshine Bar a third of the way down the beach road. Its not a live music venue, but its still one of my regular hangouts and great fun if you get there early about 7pm. Its then the staff do formation dancing to Isan dance music and a little singing too. Climb the pole in the middle and ring the bell and youll get a stimulating free Thai beverage. Now thats a bonus! Andy Tong Dee is a local expat, musician and live music enthusiast. You can find out more about Phukets bands and venues at www.phuketmusicscene.com. Andy would like to thank local Thai music enthusiast Simon Godwin for his help in researching this article. Rage Against The Machine have played their first concert in 11 years, and they f*cking crushed it. The band officially kicked off the North American leg of their reunion tour, dubbed the 'Public Service Announcement' tour over the weekend, returning to the stage at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in Wisconsin. The show marks the band's first performance since their 2011 show at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The band announced the reunion tour back in 2019, but ofcourse our mate covid pushed it out, making it even more of a highly-anticipated show. The rap-metal icons performed a 16-song set, opening with Bombtrack and closing with none other than Killing in the Name. They even played Tire Me, Without a Face and War Within a Breath, which they haven't played since 2008. Plus, they chucked in their cover of Bruce Springsteen's The Ghost of Tom Joad, which the full band haven't played in 22 years. What a comeback! Have a look at the setlist below, cheers to Setlist FM: 1. Bombtrack 2. People of the Sun 3. Bulls on Parade 4. Bullet in the Head 5. Testify 6. Tire Me 7. Wake Up 8. Guerrilla Radio 9. Without a Face 10. Know Your Enemy 11. Calm Like a Bomb 12. Sleep Now in the Fire 13. War Within a Breath 14. The Ghost of Tom Joad 15. Freedom 16. Killing in the Name The band looked in solid form considering they haven't performed together in 11 years - check out some fan-footage below. EDWARDSVILLE Three people were charged with auto theft Friday in two separate incidents by the Madison County States Attorneys Office. Elisha M. Pinkston, 42, and Orlando D. Taylor, 39, both of St. Louis, were each charged July 8 with offenses relating to motor vehicles, both Class 2 felonies. In addition, Taylor was charged with reckless driving, a Class A misdemeanor. The cases were presented by the Illinois State Police. According to court documents, on July 7 the two allegedly had a reported stolen 2022 Hyundai Elantra and Taylor was driving on Interstate 55 with a wanton disregard for the safety of others. Bail was set at $50,000 each. In a separate case, Tycorra M. Sharpe, 37, of Swansea, was charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony, and unlawful possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. According to court documents, on July 7 Sharpe allegedly had a reported stolen 2005 Chrysler 300 and less than 15 grams of MDMA. Bail was set at $50,000. Other felony charges filed July 8 include: Nathaniel L. Herrod, 41, of Edwardsville, was charged with retail theft under $300 (second subsequent offense) and obstructing justice, both Class 4 felonies. The case was presented by the Wood River Police Department. According to court documents, on July 7 Herrod allegedly took hair conditioner, a charcoal grill, bleach and Styrofoam plates valued less than $300 from the Wood River Walmart and gave police false information. He has a 2018 conviction for use of forged credit card out of Madison County. Bail was set at $15,000. Damasio A. Vasques, 50, of Caseyville, was charged with driving while license revoked, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. On July 7 Vasques allegedly was driving a 2004 Ford Free Star in Granite City with a revoked drivers license. His license had been revoked or suspended due to a 2010 statutory summary suspension, and he has prior convictions for driving while license revoked in 2015 and 2015. Bail was set at $25,000. Westerly, RI (02891) Today Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below. Tax probe: Wise chief executive Kristo Kaarmann, from Estonia D.P. writes: In February, I opened an account with GMGroup.pro and deposited 200. My investment grew at a startling rate, reaching 524. This made me suspicious so I tried to make a withdrawal and was told I would have to open an account with Wise, a payment transfer company. In May, I opened the Wise account with a 20 deposit and instructed GMGroup.pro to transfer 300 into it. After several weeks they transferred 200, though my GMGroup.pro account showed a withdrawal of 300. I took out the 200 from Wise, but now Wise says it has closed my account and if I want my remaining 20 I have to appeal. Tony Hetherington replies: Let's look at the easy bit first. The Financial Conduct Authority warns that GMGroup.pro is a scam. There is a genuine investment company called Global Markets Group, the regulator says, but the firm you have been dealing with is a clone. It poses as an investment business, trading in currencies and commodities, but it is not authorised. When I looked further, I found that GMGroup. pro is registered on the island of Dominica, at an address I have seen before in scams. The company that runs it is called Infinium Solutions Limited, which was also behind another scam, Future Currency Trading, which was targeted by the FCA. A serious warning sign is that GMGroup.pro's website is registered to an address in Iceland which is used by people who want to hide their real identity and location. And the website fees have been paid for just one year, which is typically a sign that the business does not plan to stick around. So, you were lucky to get back your original 200. But I was more concerned with what you told me about Wise. This is not a proper bank, but it is licensed by the FCA to act as a payment transfer company. Originally known as Transferwise, it has been seen as a successful financial high-tech business, and its shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange. I asked Wise why it had decided to close your account without warning. Its sudden decision is similar to those I have seen in money laundering cases, so I asked Wise whether it suspected you of this offence, and whether it had reported you to the National Crime Agency. Wise refused to say. It reminded me that tipping off a suspected money launderer was also an offence in itself. But Wise added that there could be other reasons for closing a customer's account including 'simply being associated with a scam', even as a victim. A spokesman explained: 'We do this to help keep customers safe, and prevent them from losing further money if we believe they may be at risk of doing so.' With all due respect to Wise, this makes as much sense as Transport for London deciding that if someone is mugged on the Tube, they should be banned from all its trains to help keep them safe. However, Wise says you need not lodge an appeal to recover the balance in your account. The remaining 20 is on its way. I do wonder though, how strict Wise is in deciding which customers it wants and which it would like to ditch. Its chief executive is Kristo Kaarmann from Estonia. He is currently under investigation by the FCA after he was fined 365,651 by the taxman for defaulting on a tax bill of over 720,000. But I bet Wise does not. Hold-up makes my licence invalid M.L. writes: My driving licence was due to expire in March. As I have a medical condition, I had to renew by post and not online, so I sent the necessary forms to the DVLA in Swansea by recorded delivery in January. Just over a week later, I received the same renewal form from Swansea, but it advised me to ignore this if I had already applied. I did telephone a few times but was always told staff were too busy. I have continued to drive, but now I have received a DVLA letter saying my licence is no longer valid. We live in a rural area and I need to drive my wife to regular hospital visits. Driven to distraction: M.L. has received a DVLA letter saying his licence is no longer valid Tony Hetherington replies: The letter from Swansea thanks you for your 'recent correspondence', which can only refer to the renewal application you submitted last January. But the unpleasant sting in the tail is that you have been driving for months without a valid licence, which of course means that your insurance will also not be valid. After some reluctance when I first contacted them, DVLA staff called you and explained that more medical details were needed, though there was no explanation as to why you were not told this months ago. Officials said: 'Medical applications are taking longer due to targeted industrial action and the deprioritisation of medical checks by the NHS to support the pandemic and vaccine roll-out. We expect to be back to normal processing times for medical applications by September.' And the really good news is that the DVLA has agreed you can carry on driving without a licence, under special rules in the Road Traffic Act which lets you do this while your renewal request is considered. We're watching you Several weeks ago, I reported how cruise line Noble Caledonia had cancelled a reader's round-Britain voyage on the Heritage Adventurer because of problems with the ship's fire system, and then wanted to charge 6,000 more to transfer bookings to the same ship's next voyage in August. Noble Caledonia told me this was an 'error' and you would definitely be welcome on board in August without paying a penny more. Now though, this trip has been scrapped as well. The cruise company has told passengers: 'The necessary sea trials took place recently as planned and the ship was performing well until an issue arose with an external valve which allowed an inflow of seawater into the engine room.' The flooding revealed steel work in need of repair, and damaged a generator. The company has offered all its passengers a 500 discount on any of its cruises later this year, but after two failed attempts to get aboard the Heritage Adventurer, our reader and his wife have called it a day and asked for a full refund instead. If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TS or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned. A tense week ahead at Burberry where bosses could get a bloody nose at their annual meeting to be followed by the release of a trading update that might be best approached with low expectations. Glass Lewis is advising shareholders to vote against the reappointment of Danone chief executive Antoine de Saint-Affrique as a director, warning that he could be overstretched if there was a crisis at the luxury goods giant. Meanwhile, Pirc is urging investors to oppose the pay report, pointing out that Burberry executives are paid 44 times more than the average member of staff. Chequered future: Burberry shares have already dropped this year Analysts expect that the trading figures, to be announced on Friday, will show a drop of more than 40 per cent in first-quarter revenues because of China's economic situation and Covid lockdowns. Shares have already dropped this year with this in mind. Hargreaves Lansdown's Sophie Lund-Yates warns a shaky outlook could hit shares further. Former Novacyt boss at Love Hemp Novacyt's former chief executive Graham Mullis has taken up the chairman role at Love Hemp, a struggling cannabis company whose shares on Aquis were suspended in May. Love Hemp's corporate adviser quit when an investor in a February placing failed to complete a 1.2million investment prompting the suspension. A replacement is yet to be found. Mullis was a littleknown boss outside of biotechnology circles before the pandemic. Novacyt's fast-moving work to create a test for Covid in 2020 made its shares rocket and turned it into a stock market darling. But the AIM-listed firm's star has since faded and it is now locked in a battle with the Department of Health and Social Care. Greggs eyeing up petrol station market As sales lag in city centres, Greggs is eyeing up the petrol station market. It is opening its first store with fast-growing forecourt operator Ascona. Another 30-odd are expected to follow over the next five years. Greggs is Britain's leading budget baker, but the FTSE250 group said in May that it is suffering from a permanent shift to 'hybrid' working. Ascona's 59 sites across England and Wales serve 170,000 customers a week. B&Q owner Kingfisher latest target for hedge funds Almost 8.6 per cent of the FTSE100 group's stock is out on loan to short-sellers who are betting that its share price will drop. This adds up to a whopping 420million position against the group, which was formerly one of the 'pandemic winners' after those stuck at home during lockdowns hastily caught up with redecorating projects and spent more time working from their spare rooms. A 'teach-in' day for analysts and investors last week had little effect and some short positions rose afterwards. Short bets have also increased as the scale of the cost-of-living crisis becomes more apparent and threatens to hit sales. A controversial 3billion levy would blow a hole in the UK's affordable homes revolution, British builders have warned. New estimates from the Home Builders Federation (HBF) show that 75,000 homes targeting lower-income families could be scrapped due to the charge, which the industry argues 'unfairly' targets UK companies. The organisation has expressed its concerns in a letter to Greg Clark, incoming Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Warning: New estimates from the Home Builders Federation show that 75,000 homes targeting lower-income families could be scrapped It wants Clark to reassess the proposal put forward in the wake of the cladding scandal by his predecessor Michael Gove, who enraged housebuilders by describing them as a 'cartel'. Foreign firms will avoid the tax, according to the letter. 'Inevitably, the message conveyed by your predecessor was that if a company wishes to avoid its obligations and minimise its costs, it is best served by headquartering itself overseas or ignoring reasonable requests by Ministers,' according to an extract of the letter seen by the MoS. Housebuilders say they have already set aside billions to cover costs. The additional levy would damage their ability to fund future affordable housing projects. Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF, said the additional 3billion levy poses a 'serious threat' to business, jobs and housing supply. He said: 'Government must act to make other responsible parties pay their share and not take the easy option of targeting UK builders again for a problem they did not create. 'Saying 'it's too hard' to get contributions from other parties is unacceptable and an affront to UK businesses who employ hundreds of thousands and pay billions in UK taxes.' Peter Truscott, chief executive of FTSE250 firm Crest Nicholson, told this newspaper: 'As a sector, we've stepped up to the plate. 'The thing that we are aggrieved about is the [3billion] proposal that we should be funding buildings that we had absolutely nothing to do with, built by [companies] that either don't exist anymore or are foreign domiciled. 'If we are paying for that, then we are not paying for the new homes that people need.' Another industry executive said: 'It is not right that we are the only group that should be hammered because we are the only ones that the Government can get hold of and find. 'The money isn't free. It is a straight choice between the dividends paid to pension funds for UK citizens versus foreign domiciled property developers.' The Government calculation for the 3billion figure has also been criticised, with one executive claiming it has been 'plucked out of the air'. David Thomas, boss of Britain's biggest house builder Barratt Developments, wrote to Gove in May to express his 'deep disappointment' that the 3billion levy originally aimed at firms building high-risk blocks would now be industry wide. He said the expansion of the levy would punish those 'who were not responsible' for the cladding scandal. Gove tore up Government policy in January when he said developers should bear the full cost of fixing cladding and other defects in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell fire. He also threatened to shut out building firms that refused to contribute to a new building safety fund. In charge: Mike Ashley controls Frasers Frasers, the retail group controlled by billionaire Mike Ashley, held talks about backing a 40million fundraising launched by online electrical retailer AO World last week. City sources said Frasers was 'trying to get involved' either by underwriting the deal or buying shares. Sources speculated that Frasers may have been seeking a relationship with AO World and could use any shareholding as leverage. It may have had a long-term goal of taking control of the business, one said. Ashley's group owns Studio Retail, which sells electrical goods. It also sells a smaller range through his department store House of Fraser. 'There was discussion at some point about underwriting the fundraising and there were talks about Frasers' involvement as recently as this week,' said one source. Frasers has snapped up shares in a string of firms, most recently raising its stake in Hugo Boss to about 750million. Ashley acquired House of Fraser after initially taking an 11 per cent stake in 2014. Four years later he seized control of the business shortly after offering it an 'emergency' cash injection as it neared collapse. His acquisition of Studio Retail and video game retailer Game followed similar patterns. He also built up a stake of almost 30 per cent in Debenhams before trying to take the reins. But the strategy backfired when the department store chain collapsed, leaving his company an estimated 150million out of pocket. Ashley has been described as someone who 'likes to park his tanks on people's lawns'. AO World founder and chief executive John Roberts launched the surprise fundraising on Thursday to strengthen its finances after reports that credit insurers had pulled cover. The leak led to a slide in the share price. Roberts said City investors had given the company 'a strong endorsement'. He said the fundraising was a 'sensible piece of financial housekeeping' given the general economic uncertainty. AO declined to comment. Frasers did not respond in time for publication. AO World shares are at 43p the same as the offer price and down 28 per cent in the week. Houston County Republican Women had an informative meeting Thursday, June 23, at the Wiregrass Rehab Center in Dothan. Wiregrass Area Food Bank Chief Executive Officer David Hanks and Assistant Director Julie Gonzalez were present to receive a check for $625. A "Wine Tasting Fundraiser" was planned for Thursday, June 30, from 5-7 p.m. at Gold Key Properties, 800 W. Burdeshaw St. Alabama Solicitor General Edmund LaCour Jr. discussed his role in the Alabama Attorney General's Office and told the group about some of the work the Attorney General's Office has been doing in courts across the state and country. LaCour explained that the solicitor general supervises the drafting and submission of all briefs the state files in the U.S. Supreme Court, the Alabama Supreme Court, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. The solicitor general is responsible for ensuring that the state takes consistent positions in these courts and effectively represents the state's interests. In some cases, the solicitor general and his staff are directly responsible for drafting briefs and are also involved in trial litigation that is likely to be appealed and have wide-reaching effects for the state. LaCour summarized some recent cases the Alabama Attorney Generals Office has litigated, including the states successful challenges to several of the federal government's vaccine mandates, the states win against a federal law that would have penalized the state for cutting its citizens taxes, and the order the Attorney General's Office recently secured from the U.S. Supreme Court in defense of Alabamas congressional districts. Solar power panels are seen in Tay Ninh Province in May 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran The Ministry of Industry and Trade has proposed that an additional 2,428 megawatts of solar power capacity be added to the national power plan to avoid legal issues with investors. This latest proposal, if approved by the government, will add to the threshold of 8,736 megawatts in solar power capacity that the ministry had suggested in its earlier draft of the ten-year (2021-2030) Power Development Plan 8 for Vietnam's energy sector. The ministry said that an increase of 28 percent in solar power capacity was needed to avoid possible legal disputes with investors as the projects with the additional 2,428 megawatts capacity have either been finished or approved. The Ministry of Industry and Trade had submitted the Power Development Plan 8 to the Prime Ministers office in March 2021 but it has not been approved until now. Several changes, including Vietnam's recent commitment to bring net carbon emission to zero by 2050, need to be reflected in the plan, the government had said. Deputy Prime Minister Le Van Thanh has led nearly 30 meetings so far to discuss the plan, which seeks to increase Vietnam's electricity load by 9.84 percent from 2021 to 2025, and 8.88 percent from 2026 to 2030. This growth calculation is based on a projected annual GDP growth of 7.5 percent in the first half of the decade and 7.2 percent in the second half. Under the plan, thermal power will remain the largest source of energy for Vietnam by 2030, followed by hydropower and liquefied natural gas power. Jason Kandeke and his sister Esther got out of the van and rushed into the arms of their weeping uncle and grandmother the childrens first contact with their family since Congolese fighters killed their parents six years ago. Militias raided their village of Mingele in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo a region where militia groups have clashed for years, fighting over land and resources. Jason, now 12, and Esther, 14, both fled to another village where they were taken in. Earlier this year their carers were also killed in another attack. A friend passed their details onto the Red Cross, who managed to locate their uncle, Jean Ilunga Kandeke, hundreds of kilometres away in the town of Manono. This week, they got on a plane with scores of other children and flew to their new home. Neighbours clustered round as they came to their new front door. Im really happy to be home with my proper family. It was hard to lose my parents and now Im really happy with my uncle. I want to go to school, study, be a normal kid, Jason said. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it organised 11 flights between July 6-8 across the provinces of Tanganyika, Upper Katanga, North Kivu, East Kasai and Kinshasa. In total 83 children, aged 5 to 19, were reunited with their relatives this week, some after years apart. This work takes considerable time, but it is absolutely essential and invaluable, allowing us to provide answers to people living in anguish, Florence Anselmo, head of the ICRCs Central Tracing Agency, said. The number of children separated from their families continues to grow, particularly in North Kivu province where the M23 rebel group launched a renewed offensive in recent months, the ICRC said. SOURCE: REUTERS At least six people were killed and more than 30 are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraines Donetsk region, leading to the building collapsing, the regions governor said on Sunday. Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, as the United States sought to marshal international support in opposing Moscows invasion. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. He said six people had been confirmed killed and five wounded. According to information from residents, at least 34 people are likely trapped in the ruins, he said on the Telegram messaging channel. Russia, which says it is conducting a special military operation to demilitarise Ukraine, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, parts of which were held by pro-Russian separatists before the conflict began in February, comprise the eastern industrial region of the Donbas that Russia is seeking to take over. Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraines military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border. It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk. The enemy is shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region, he said on Telegram. During the last night alone, the Russians launched seven artillery barrages and four rocket strikes. Russia claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts. Russias Tass news agency, meanwhile, cited pro-Russian separatists as saying Ukrainian forces had fired an artillery barrage into residential districts of the city of Donetsk. Ukrainian military spokesman were not immediately available for comment. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Saturday the Russian army had attacked civilians on purpose. Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what it called a special operation to degrade its military capabilities and root out what it calls dangerous nationalists. Kyiv and its Western allies call the invasion an unprovoked land grab. Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw. In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraines military command said. DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a trip to Asia, has urged the international community to join forces to condemn Russian aggression. He told journalists on Saturday he had raised concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, over Beijings alignment with Moscow. The two met for more than five hours on the sidelines of a gathering of G20 foreign ministers on the Indonesian island of Bali. Russias Sergei Lavrov walked out of a meeting there on Friday, denouncing the West for frenzied criticism. Shortly before the Russian invasion, Beijing and Moscow announced a no limits partnership, although U.S. officials have said they have not seen China evade U.S.-led sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment. Zelenskiy dismissed several of Ukraines senior envoys abroad on Saturday, saying it was part of normal diplomatic practice. He said he would appoint new ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary. Zelenskiy has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and high-end weapons to slow Russias advance. Ukraine suffered a diplomatic setback on Saturday, when Canada said it would return a repaired turbine that Russias state-controlled Gazprom used to supply natural gas to Germany. Ukraine had argued that a return would violate sanctions on Russia. SOURCE: REUTERS This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) Native American tribal elders who were once students at government-backed Indian boarding schools testified Saturday about the hardships they endured, including beatings, whippings, sexual assaults, forced haircuts and painful nicknames. They came from different states and different tribes, but they shared the common experience of having attended the schools that were designed to strip Indigenous people of their cultural identities. I still feel that pain," said 84-year-old Donald Neconie, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Kiowa Tribe who once attended the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City. I will never, ever forgive this school for what they did to me. It may be good now. But it wasn't back then." As the elders spoke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico and the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, listened quietly. The event at the Riverside Indian School, which still operates today but with a vastly different mission, was the first stop on a yearlong nationwide tour to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to the government-backed boarding schools. Federal Indian boarding school policies have touched every Indigenous person I know," Haaland said at the start of the event, which attracted Native Americans from throughout the region. Some are survivors. Some are descendants. But we all carry the trauma in our hearts. My ancestors endured the horrors of the Indian boarding school assimilation policies carried out by the same department that I now lead. This is the first time in history that a cabinet secretary comes to the table with this shared trauma." Haaland's agency recently released a report that identified more than 400 of the schools, which sought to assimilate Native children into white society during a period that stretched from the late 18th century until the late 1960s. Although most closed their doors long ago and none still exist to strip students of their identities, some still function as schools, albeit with drastically different missions that celebrate the cultural backgrounds of their Native students. Among them is Riverside, which is one of oldest. Riverside, which opened in 1871, serves students from grades four through 12 these days, offering them specialized academic programs as well as courses on cultural topics such as bead-working, shawl-making and an introduction to tribal art, foods and games. Currently operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, it has nearly 800 students from more than 75 tribes across the country, and the school's administration, staff and faculty are mostly Native American. It is one of 183 elementary and secondary schools across the country funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that seek to provide education aligned with a tribe's needs for cultural and economic well-being, according to the bureau's website. But Riverside also has a dark history of mistreating the thousands of Native American students who were forced from their homes to attend it. Neconie, who still lives in Anadarko, recalled being beaten if he cried or spoke his native Kiowa language when he attended Riverside in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Every time I tried to talk Kiowa, they put lye in my mouth," he said. It was 12 years of hell." Brought Plenty, a Standing Rock Sioux who lives in Dallas, recalled the years she spent at Indian boarding schools in South Dakota, where she was forced to cut her hair and told not to speak her Native language. She recalled being forced to whip other girls with wet towels and being punished when she didn't. What they did to us makes you feel so inferior," she said. You never get past this. You never forget it." Until recently, the federal government hadnt been open to examining its role in the troubled history of Native American boarding schools. But this has changed because people who know about the trauma that was inflicted hold prominent positions in government. At least 500 children died at such schools, but that number is expected to reach into the thousands or tens of thousands as more research is done. The Interior Department's report includes a list of the boarding schools in what were states or territories that operated between 1819 and 1969 that had a housing component and received support from the federal government. Oklahoma had the most, 76, followed by Arizona, which had 47, and New Mexico, which had 43. All three states still have significant Native American populations. Former students might be hesitant to recount the painful past and trust a government whose policies were to eradicate tribes and, later, assimilate them under the veil of education. But some welcome the opportunity to share their stories for the first time. Not all the memories from those who attended the schools were painful ones. Dorothy WhiteHorse, 89, a Kiowa who attended Riverside in the 1940s, said she recalled learning to dance the jitterbug in the school's gymnasium and learning to speak English for the first time. She also recalled older Kiowa women who served as house mothers in the dormitories who let her speak her Native language and treated her with kindness. I was helped," WhiteHorse said. I'm one of the happy ones." But WhiteHorse also had some troubling memories, including the time she said three young boys ran away from the home and got caught in a snowstorm. She said all three froze to death. I think we need a memorial for those boys," she said. ___ Felicia Fonseca contributed to this report from Flagstaff, Arizona. The statue of slave-owning Philip Schuyler still stands across from Albany City Hall. What does it commemorate? Whose history does it embody? Is it destined to become a divisive bronze problem, unnoticed by most people, despised by some, and lost to history no matter what happens to it? Context is everything and can turn a problem into an opportunity. Not too long ago, I got a newsletter from the National Museum of African American History and Culture in which was highlighted a brilliant use of context to reveal and teach a truer American history. On loan and temporary display in the museum is a stained glass window of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that was removed from the National Cathedral in 2017. With its sacred endorsement of Lee, this window, (installed around 1950 with another panel featuring Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson), is a face-slapping history lesson on just how hard, far and long the false history of The Lost Cause has been pushed in America. Having the window on display at the African American Museum as a teaching instrument is sheer genius. Status quo statue preservationists often cry that removal of a statue or monument is equal to losing part of our history. They are ironically correct, but, as the stained glass apotheosis of Lee makes instantly clear, the history being memorialized is totally false, as with Lee, or, at best incomplete, as with Schuyler. It is removal of the falsity, the incompleteness, the ignorance in these memorials that should be sought. That can be done through removal, relocation, or establishing a new context. We are now in a golden age of academic research and discussion of early American slavery, abolition, and race in general, including Native American interaction with white Europeans. Books, articles, symposia are disgorging a flood of new information and thinking on race before the American Revolution. Philip Schuyler was indeed an enslaver. He was also a patriot general. You might think the two roles can be segregated, but they cant or shouldnt be. In John A. Ruddimans eye-opening article, Is This the Land of Liberty?: Continental Soldiers and Slavery in the Revolutionary South in the April 2022 issue of William and Mary Quarterly, you see a quote from a Schuyler letter on the issue of whether Blacks should be allowed in the Continental Army (an issue George Washington wrestled with and flip flopped yes-no-yes on) in which he concludes that Black men as soldiers disgrace our arms, and Sons of Freedom should not trust their all to be defended by slaves. In the exceptionably readable new book by historian Robert G. Parkinson, "Thirteen Clocks: How Race United The Colonies And Made The Declaration of Independence," a section of a December 1775 Philip Schuyler letter to Congress was ordered published in the Pennsylvania Evening Post as revolutionary propaganda: The Indians delivered to us in a speech on the 12th, in which they related the substances of all the conferences Col. (Guy) Johnson had with them the last summer, concluding with that at Montreal, where he delivered to each of the Canadian tribes a war belt and a hatchet, who accepted it. After which they were invited to FEAST ON A BOSTONIAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD ... proof the ministerial servants have attempted to engage the savages against us. We have begun to use the statue of Philip Schuyler as a teaching opportunity. First, we are publicly discussing it and its ramifications. The listing of the Schuyler Mansion in the State and National Registers of Historic Places is being amended to acknowledge that enslaved people lived and worked there. Another good small step. Perhaps there may be a contextualizing sign placed next to the statue. 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. All this is good, but why not try and recover a fuller, truer history of all the issues Philip Schuyler seems to be wrapped up in? Why not a public-invited symposium on Race and the American Revolution involving the McCormick Center for the Study of the American Revolution at Siena College, The Schuyler Mansion Historic Site, the State Museum, the Underground Railroad Education Project, the City of Albany? The history department of the University at Albany, the Albany Institute of History and Art, and perhaps local school districts might also want to play some role. We could even teach by naming it the Philip Schuyler Symposium on Race and the American Revolution. I can readily imagine some of the possible topics: Blacks in the Continental Army; British use of Natives and slaves as threats and allies; "The use of fear of hostile Natives and freedom-seeking slaves in unifying Patriot propaganda; Manumission, abolition, and slave revolts in pre-Revolution America; the Continental soldiers view of slavery; The Founding Fathers and slavery did they recognize the irony and hypocrisy?; and Why did so many Blacks fight for America? The man behind creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture and now the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Lonnie G. Bunch III will be in Albany on Nov. 1 to receive the 2022 Empire State Archives History Award. Maybe we cant match his ability to place historic monuments in new contexts, but with Philip Schuyler lets see how close we can come. Karl Felson of Guilderland is a retired public relations executive in government and the financial industry. After our festivities honoring Independence Day, we should pause to celebrate one true American invention: the worlds first secular Constitution. On July 4, 1776, as our Founders declared independence from the monarchy of King George III of England, they began a great and noble experiment. That experiment was to provide freedom of thought to our citizens. Until the concept of We the People was established, most of the worlds rulers reigned hand-in-hand with priests and holy men. This unholy alliance allowed emperors and kings to claim a monopoly on religion, which they used forcefully to control their subjects. They made threats of eternal damnation to justify crusades and punished religious minorities through inquisitions. In the 18th century, as America was breaking from the king and Church of England, there was no major example of a society divorced from religion. Fortunately, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, James Madison and Thomas Paine while far from perfect were Enlightenment thinkers. They adopted the first Constitution not predicated on a divinity. The document's only references to religion are exclusionary, such as there shall be no religious test for public office. In 1791, the First Amendment was ratified to ensure that government officials may not use public office to promote their personal religion. [The Constitution] gives the president no particle of spiritual jurisdiction, wrote Alexander Hamilton. State and church will both exist in greater purity, the less they are mixed together, added James Madison. And in his 1790 letter to the Touro Synagogue in Newport, R.I., George Washington wrote that the citizens of the United States "possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. Despite this clear directive from our founders, many mainstream religious groups and politicians have continually promoted the myth that America was founded as a Judeo-Christian Nation. This does not reflect the intention of our Founders and it does not even reflect the demographics of our population. While in the early years Americans were overwhelmingly Protestant, with Catholics making up the second major demographic, much has changed in the nearly 250 years since. A major shift away from religion in the millennial generation has led to 29 percent of Americans now identifying as having no religion according to Pew Research. This is 6 percentage points higher than it was five years ago, making secular Americans the largest single religious denomination in our country. 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. In Saratoga County where we live, 26 percent of the population identifies as religiously unaffiliated. In Albany County, the seat of New York's capital, the figure is 33 percent, according to PRRI Research. Im proud to count myself as one of the more than 75 million secular Americans who are not religious. Furthermore, Im thankful for groups like the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF), which has been fighting to protect our cherished separation of church and state for more than four decades. FFRF has consistently won legal battles against state-imposed prayers in schools, religious monuments on public grounds, and religious interference in womens health care decisions, which are again under attack. Since our nation declared its independence, persecuted minorities from across the world have risked everything to arrive under the warm glow of the Statue of Liberty and contribute to the American experiment. This has led to a nation of people with great diversity in race, class, ethnicity, religion and no religion as well. I know this tradition of immigration personally. I was born in the USSR after my Polish parents a Jewish father and Slavic mother, both agnostics fled the Nazis. I later immigrated to the United States after meeting my husband. Like our Founders, we too must pass the torch of secular values down to the next generation. To honor our uniquely secular constitution, lets reaffirm our commitment to keep religion out of government. Because there is no freedom of religion without a government that is free from religion. Mira Peck of Clifton Park is a retired corporate executive, chemical engineer, lawyer, mother, and part of the Freedom from Religion Foundation's Im Secular and I Vote campaign. ALBANY Low early voter turnout for the June primary has some elections commissioners questioning whether the cost of keeping polls open for nine days is worth the money. Edward G. McDonough, the Democratic elections commissioner for Rensselaer County, where 1,424 people voted early, said staffing multiple polling sites for a primary election, with "extended hours, times and the cost ... it isn't worth it." This year also is unusual because there are two primaries in New York after the Court of Appeals threw out new political boundaries that had been established by Democrats in the state Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul in February. Court rulings resulted in new congressional boundaries and also affected state Senate races with both of those primary elections moved to Aug. 23. Even with the primaries for governor, lieutenant governor and state Assembly candidates taking place last month as scheduled, it resulted in even fewer voters showing up at the polls. McDonough, who said that early voting plays a greater role in general elections, expects the turnout for early voting in August will be lower than last month. "When is enough enough?" he said. "We have to find people that are able to go and work for nine straight days, and work those hours, and to sit around in the middle of a hot August, and wait for nobody to come in." The Rensselaer County Board of Elections was sued by the state attorney general's office last year for not placing an early voting polling place in Troy, the most populous municipality in the county. The state won that case and the board of elections was forced to pick a site in Troy for the June 2021 primary. At that site 500 Federal St. in Troy 337 people voted during the early period last month, compared with 616 and 474 at the county's polling sites in Schodack and Brunswick, respectively. Across the state, counties are required to open a minimum number of polling sites for the nine-day period, regardless of how many voters show up. County elections officials must keep those sites open for a minimum number of hours daily as set by state statute or more if they choose. On many days, the sites are kept open for at least eight hours. Since 2019, the state has allocated about $12 million to help county boards of elections pay costs associated with early voting; but that money was essentially used up prior to the June primary with no new funds added this year, said Jennifer Wilson, a spokeswoman for the state Board of Elections. This year, "virtually all" of the costs associated with early voting are being absorbed by counties, said Doug Kellner, co-chair of the state Board of Elections. The state expanded several early voting requirements ahead of this year's elections, so counties offer more polling places in more populous areas and provide more voting after business hours, according to Jarrett Berg, co-founder of VoteEarlyNY. County officials must come up with the extra funding to cover the costs of more polling places and additional hours and with the two primary elections this year, the financial burden is significantly higher. In Fulton County, 376 voters showed up at the polls for early voting last month. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Will Waldron/Times Union Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Will Waldron/Times Union Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Cinda J. Spraker, Fulton County's Republican deputy elections commissioner, said the low-turnout early voting operation is "wasting taxpayers money." Fulton County Democratic Deputy Commissioner Rebecca Weiderman called it "a lot of work for not a lot of voters." She added, "We can see this being justified in bigger counties (in areas) like Buffalo, Syracuse and New York City. ... But for the 32,000 voters in our county, it just doesn't make much sense." Across the state, 178,223 people, or about 14 percent of voters in the June 28 primary, cast their ballots at polling places during early voting in June, according to unofficial numbers from the state Board of Elections. "It is a good idea to be analyzing the data and to determine whether the full staffing and hours for early voting for small turnout elections is appropriate; where the cost per voter is very high its worth taking a second look to see whether modifications should be made," said Kellner, who has been co-chair of the state Board of Elections since 2005. "Maybe the one-size-fits-all model is not appropriate. I certainly would not roll back early voting for general elections or where it is reasonable to expect a substantial turnout for the primary." Leah Golby and her friend Philip G. Rich have been voting early in Albany since 2019, they said. Rich, who is blind, said he found the process relatively easy. Poll workers at the site helped him submit his ballot, ensuring all of his answers were marked correctly. He called the creation of early voting "a godsend." "Its a great new thing that we have in New York," Golby added, after casting her ballot on the Sunday before the June primary. In New York City, Westchester, Nassau and Erie counties more than 10,000 people cast ballots early in-person. In this region, Ulster, Dutchess and Albany counties each counted more than 3,000 ballots at early voting polling places, state elections data shows. In other counties, early voting participation was lower. In the sparsely populated Hamilton county, just 30 people cast a ballot in nine days of early voting. In Herkimer and Wayne counties, less than 200 people trickled in, the data shows. Susan Lerner, executive director of Common Cause New York, which fought for years to help pass legislation authorizing early voting, said having an in-person early voting option is important no matter how many people choose to use it. "The big advantage to early voting is that it alleviates the pressure on Election Day," Lerner said, noting that early voting helps spread out the time when people vote over multiple days and can allow for the early detection of any administration issues. Early voting also helps people to vote when it is most convenient for them and address limitations posed by work schedules, lack of transportation or other factors, she added. Will Waldron/Times Union Early voting began on June 18 and closed on June 27. Voters also had the option to request an absentee ballot or cast a ballot at their local polling place on Election Day. Use of early voting has varied by election since it was authorized in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic also changed the way lots of voters have opted to cast their ballots over the past several years with more voters choosing to use absentee ballots to avoid public spaces and others deciding to vote early in-person to avoid long Election Day lines. Also, the state recently tweaked its early voting laws, adjusting its regulations to generally require more polling places in higher population counties, and ensuring more early voting sites are open after regular business hours and the location of polling places in population centers, Berg said. The changes resulted in more polling places in counties like Suffolk, Rockland and Onondaga counties so voters don't have to travel as far. "This past year they (the state) expanded the ratios required (of polling places to population), but they didnt provide a single dollar in new funding to support the expanded access," Berg said. "The state should be funding elections so we dont have commissioners coming up with the smallest, scrimpy plan and shortchanging voters due to their budget constraints. Most New York counties offered only one early voting site for the 2021 general election, state elections data shows. Early voting 2019 to 2022 Early voting peaked in New York in the 2020 general election when 2.5 million people went to the polls before election day nearly one in five eligible voters, according to the state Board of Elections. In that election, 29 percent of New York's ballots were cast early in person, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. That record turnout was attributed to the battle between former President Donald J. Trump and now-President Joe Biden. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission found nationally 31 percent of voters cast ballots in-person early in 2020, while 43 percent voted by mail and 31 percent voted in person on Election Day. In 2018, 22 percent of U.S. voters voted early in-person and in 2016 that figure was 25 percent. Nationally, 45 states offer early in-person voting, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Texas voters used early in-person voting most in the last presidential election, with 76 percent casting a ballot early, Election Assistance Commission data shows. In some states like Vermont, Delaware, Utah and Arizona only 1 or 2 percent of voters decided to cast ballots early and in-person, according to the commission. Paul Gronke, professor at Reed College and director of the Elections and Voting Information Center, noted that early voting use varies from state to state and can vary based how many polling places are open early, how conveniently located are they, what hours and days they are open and what other voting methods are available. In New York, for other primary and general elections since 2019, the use of early voting has varied. Like any method of voting, its use is affected by who's on the ballot, accessibility and people's interest in voting in a particular election. In last year's general election, 411,172 people voted early in-person, representing about 12 percent of the ballots cast in that election, data shows. The 2020 primary had the lowest use of early voting in New York, with 93,498 ballots cast or 5 percent of all ballots in that election, state data shows. The costs of early voting A review of the costs associated with keeping polling sites open for nine days some of them rented facilities shows a variation in the price per vote. Most of the taxpayer money went to staffing the polling sites costs that reach into the thousands. In Fulton County, officials said they spent at least $12,000 on expenses for early voting for the June 28 primary, including staffing the countys one polling site and delivering the voting machines. Based on those estimations, the average cost-per-vote at the early polling site for the June primary was roughly $33 in Fulton County. The estimated cost-per-vote for early voting in other area counties was: Rensselaer County ($13); Saratoga County ($19); Warren County ($20); Washington County ($20); and Albany County ($65). "Even the Albany County number at $65 per voter suggests they need to make adjustments to make it more cost effective," Kellner said. "They may be able to be more efficient with the staffing." Will Waldron/Times Union "I think the cost of running the sites is high for the number of people we get," said Robert Howe, the Republican elections commissioner for Cortland County. He noted that his county had a little over 300 people cast ballots early, amounting to a cost of $1,500 per vote to run their two polling places for more than a week. He said he did not know why their costs were far greater than other counties. Gronke, from the Elections and Voting Information Center, said its hard to draw general conclusions about the costs of early voting and how they balance with Americans right to access the ballot box. "If the sites are in county offices and if providing for early voting requires little to no additional staff time, then many jurisdictions provide some level of access," he said. "But figuring out the cost equation is critical, and so much depends on the particular mix of services that are being provided." ALBANY Sweeping gun laws passed in New York during the past month, in response to a mass shooting in Buffalo and a landmark Supreme Court ruling, have been derided by critics as unconstitutional while supporters have cast them as a way reduce violent crime and increase public safety. Suicide, which accounts for about half of all gun deaths in New York, has been on the fringes of those debates despite a documented link between access to firearms and the rate of self-inflicted death. A fallout of the new laws is that limiting legal access to guns may result in a reduction in firearm-related suicides, according to interviews with researchers and data that show states with the lowest rates of suicide are those with the most strict gun laws. The laws are expected to be challenged in court by a coalition of Republican and Conservative groups, who contend the amendments to multiple state laws are an infringement on people's right to self defense. Supporters of the Second Amendment contend the right to keep and bear arms is a way to increase public safety. But some researchers are concerned that rising numbers of gun owners in the country could increase suicide rates. "I look at this as a really dangerous, scary turn in that it could foretell other coming problems," said Michael Anestis, executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, who specializes in firearm suicide scholarship. Strict gun laws, low suicide rates Thirty years ago, a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine noted "limiting access to firearms could prevent many suicides, but this belief is controversial." It went onto conclude that ready access to a gun is linked to an increased risk in suicide at home an issue that had been bubbling for over a decade at that point. "Owners of firearms should weigh their reasons for keeping a gun in the home against the possibility that it might someday be used in a suicide," the New England Journal of Medicine study stated. By the turn of the century, a host of research found a direct link between access to firearms at home and suicide, especially among white men. "The legal purchase of a handgun appears to be associated with a long-lasting increased risk of violent death," a 1997 American Journal of Public Health article concluded. And by the next decade, the evidence researchers were finding had become more nuanced. There were now controlling factors like underlying rates of suicidal behavior, access to pistols or long guns, and whether or not the weapons were safely stored. "Our results support the hypothesis that firearms in the home impose suicide risk above and beyond the baseline risk and help explain why, year after year, several thousand more Americans die by suicide in states with higher than average household firearm ownership compared with states with lower than average firearm ownership," a 2013 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology concluded. Despite the policy proposals that followed, the number of firearm-related suicides rose by about 50 percent in the country from 1999 to 2020, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 24,000 people killed themselves with a gun in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Yet in New York, the number of firearm suicides has remained level over the last two decades. In 1999, there were 439 firearm suicides. In 2020, there were 462 firearm suicides. States that allow their residents to carry a gun without a permit which generally coincides with overall more lenient gun-access laws in those jurisdictions have firearm suicide rates from three to nine times those of New York, according to the CDC. The six states the Supreme Court ruled to have overly broad permitting processes for granting an unrestricted concealed carry permit New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, California and Hawaii have among the lowest rates of firearm suicide in the nation. Those six states also have the lowest rates of suicide, regardless of method. New York's suicide rate, second-lowest in the nation, is one-third the rate of the states with the highest rates, like Wyoming, Arkansas and Montana. Leading research cited by experts in the field says access to a firearm in a household makes it three times more likely for someone to die from suicide by gun. While only a third of New York's suicides in 2020 involved a gun, the overall number of suicides still paled in comparison to the states with unrestricted access to handguns. In fact, New York's overall suicide rate is one-third of states like Wyoming, Arkansas, Montana and Idaho, which are at the top in the nation in suicide rates. A majority of the suicides in those states, which have lenient gun-access laws, involve a firearm. "People don't just find another way," Anestis said. The completion rate of suicide with a firearm, Anestis noted, is extremely high. Furthermore, research shows that people with access to handguns at home, especially when they are not safely stored, are more likely to commit suicide. Advocates in the field seek stronger safe storage laws and more robust education programs, especially for middle-aged people. In New York, suffocation is the leading cause of suicide, according to state Department of Health data, with firearms as the second cause. In states with high suicide rates, like Wyoming, firearm use is the cause in nearly three-quarters of the incidents. By the numbers, New York reported half of the firearm suicides that Pennsylvania and Ohio did in 2020, despite having millions more residents; neither of those states require a license to own a firearm. Florida reported nearly four times as many firearm suicides as New York in 2020 despite a similar population size. The data informed the governor's administration in how it was approaching its policy-making and ultimately led Gov. Kathy Hochul to present the reforms not only in terms of where individuals can carry weapons but also the likelihood of suicides at home. Hochul, in her remarks celebrating her gun legislation, noted her concern about teenage suicides. "We are seeing a real increase in suicides from teenagers and the accessibility of unlocked firearms in the home is a point of danger for them," Hochul said. "So, it's necessary." Suicide rates in New York are highest in western New York and the Southern Tier, according to state data. State Police do not collect data on the number of gun permits by county. Leading research and the state's own data shows that the most likely person to kill themselves is an older, white male. Without a child in the household, safe storage of a firearm is not a requirement. Research says easy access to the firearm, like under a pillow, makes it more likely for someone to commit suicide. Despite the pervasiveness of firearm suicide, the topic of suicide was rarely broached in briefs and arguments before the Supreme Court. The arguments on concealed carry generally focused around self defense, constitutional rights and public safety. One of the first briefs filed came from Missouri and 22 other states with lenient gun laws. The brief cites empirical data on licensed carry that "confirms that objective, non-discriminatory licensed-carry laws have two results: statistically significant reductions in some types of violent crime, or no statistically significant effect on violent crime." In the brief, the states then argue that research groups like the Violence Policy Center "inflates its numbers" by counting suicides, which are "wholly irrelevant to an individuals right to carry a firearm outside the home." In a concurring opinion on the Supreme Court case, Justice Samuel Alito responded to a dissenting opinion issued by Justice Stephen Breyer, in which he cites that "men who own handguns are three times as likely to commit suicide than men who do not." "What is the relevance of statistics about the use of guns to commit suicide?" Alito writes in response. "Does the dissent think that a lot of people who possess guns in their homes will be stopped or deterred from shooting themselves if they cannot lawfully take them outside?" WFO DALLAS / FT. WORTH Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, July 9, 2022 _____ SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fort Worth TX 315 PM CDT Sat Jul 9 2022 ...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of south central Ellis County through 345 PM CDT... At 315 PM CDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over Italy, or 14 miles south of Waxahachie. This storm was nearly stationary. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Italy. This includes Interstate 35E between mile markers 383 and 388. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. This storm may intensify, so be certain to monitor local radio stations and available television stations for additional information and possible warnings from the National Weather Service. LAT...LON 3217 9670 3209 9693 3222 9692 3228 9680 3218 9668 TIME...MOT...LOC 2015Z 041DEG 4KT 3220 9684 MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH _____ Copyright 2022 AccuWeather The homeless figures in Ireland have been described as "truly shocking" by a housing charity after a latest report identified a stark decline of affordable houses to rent. In May of this year, 10,325 people were in homeless emergency accommodation. The Simon Communities of Irelands quarterly Locked Out of the Market report shows yet another stark decline in the availability of affordable properties to rent by people reliant on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme. They say the report comes in the context of a private rental market affected by a documented ongoing contraction in supply, increase in rental prices, and an overall lack of affordability. There were just 37 properties available under a standard or discretionary limit in at least one of the four categories. This represented a decrease of 43% on the 80 properties which were available within at least one HAP category in the March 2022 study and a drastic 95% less than the 906 available this time last year (June 2021). Of the 37 properties, only two were affordable under a standard HAP limit. The remaining 35 fell under discretionary rates. As seen in many recent Locked Out of the Market reports, the supply of properties within HAP limits was predominantly available in Dublin; 27 of the total 37 HAP properties were found in the three Dublin areas examined (Dublin City Centre, Dublin City North and Dublin City South). Across all the areas surveyed, there were only 657 unique properties available to rent at any price within the 16 study areas over the three dates surveyed. This represented a decrease of 11% from the 737 properties available to rent in the March 2022 Locked Out of the Market report. Outside of Dublin, properties available to rent within HAP limits are worryingly low; nine of the 16 study areas had no properties available to rent in any household category within standard or discretionary HAP limits. These were Cork City Centre, Dublin City Centre, Galway City Centre, Galway City Suburbs, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town, and Portlaoise. This is not unexpected, given the discretionary HAP limit extends to 50% in Dublin, while the rest of the country is limited to only 20%. The Locked Out of the Market report examines the experience of people on a low income and dependent on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to access housing in the private rental market. It also looks at the availability of homes to rent over a three-day period in June 2022. The report considers the availability of properties within both the standard and discretionary HAP limits in 16 areas around the country for four household categories: single person, couple, couple/one parent and one child and couple/one parent and two children. In this report, the Simon Communities of Ireland has taken account of the recent announcement by the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage to increase the discretionary rate to 35% for areas outside Dublin. On Thursday 7th July, the Minister signed the required statutory instrument to give effect to this commitment. If the 35% discretionary rate had been introduced at the time of this study, an additional five HAP properties would have been available. At the time of the study there were 10 available. The Minister has also increased the single adult HAP rate to match the couples rate. If this measure were introduced at the time of this study, singles and couples would have 17 properties available to them under standard and discretionary HAP rates. At the current rates, only one location (Athlone) had a property (one-bedroom unit) within standard HAP limits for single people. That same property was also the only one-of-two properties available within standard HAP limits for a couple. For families with one and two children, there were no properties available within standard HAP limits. Only 12 properties were available under discretionary limits for households with one child. A further 8 properties were available for families with two children, under the discretionary HAP rate. Wayne Stanley, Head of Policy and Communications at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said: "Were seeing homelessness numbers go up and the availability of affordable properties decline to unprecedented levels. In May we had 10,325 people in homeless emergency accommodation. These numbers are truly shocking. "We do acknowledge the positive intervention that the Minister for Housing has made with the increase in HAP rates. While it falls short of the 50% increase that we have been calling for, our study shows it will have a positive, if limited impact, in supporting those on HAP to secure a home. "It will serve to relieve some of the pressure from those topping up their HAP payment and struggling to make ends meet. In the context of the current cost of living crisis, this intervention will help keep some vulnerable households out of homelessness. However, Mr Stanley said they also have to "acknowledge the depth of the crisis in housing". "That means we have to start looking for options that can create some breathing room in the housing system. "The 166,000 vacant homes identified in the census is a starting point. Attacking vacancy and bringing even 3% (5,000) of these a year into public housing system use for the next 2 years would give us that headroom. In the coming budget, we will be calling on the government to make that level of commitment, Mr Stanley said. A grocery shop owner is seen in Dong Nai Province in June 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Phuoc Tuan The business of providing loans to small and medium firms is booming in Vietnam with the rise of several platforms offering more accessible credit than traditional banks. Bonbon shop, a platform that helps 35,000 grocery stores connect with over 24 major manufacturers, recently launched a credit option of up to VND200 million ($8,563) for stores to buy supplies. The operator of the platform, DMSpro, has partnered with e-wallet SmartPay and lender VPBank to make the loans accessible. EVNFinance, a credit provider unit of the national utility Vietnam Electricity, recently launched loan packages of up to VND500 million for 36 months. It said borrowers could receive the money within eight hours of making their requests. Several foreign credit platforms have been making their way into Vietnam since earlier this year. Singapore-based fintech firm Validus entered Vietnam in January and appointed Dinh Van Binh, former vice chairman of Sacombank Investment, as its CEO. Vishal Shah, chairman of Validus' emerging markets, said Vietnam was one of its main markets and the company will continue to invest to expand its presence. Also in January, Funding Societies, which claims to be the largest digital financing platform for small and medium companies (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, said that it had disbursed $20 million in loans in Vietnam and targets to increase this to $90 million this year and $1.3 billion in 2025. The company estimates that Vietnam has a credit "gap" of around $58 billion in funding SMEs, referring to the amount of money that small and medium businesses have not been able to borrow because of administrative and other blocks. Nearly 46.8 percent of companies in Vietnam reported difficulties in accessing traditional bank loans last year, compared to 40.7 in 2020, according to a report by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI). Small companies often have to borrow money from friends or family or even assets to submit as collateral to raise capital, it added. Because of these challenges, the SMEs credit market is set to be the next race of many finance organizations, said Hoang The Hung, deputy director of EVNFinance. VPBank leaders said they have seen its funding for SMEs rising in the last six months as businesses restarted their operations and needed funds. They expect even stronger growth in the near future. For copyright information, check with the distributor of this item, The Gazette. Special thanks to AWESOME TKC READERS for sharing this important note that still resonate with many insiders. There are a lot of moving parts here but here's our main takeaway . . . THE SUITS ARE DESPERATE TO CONTROL TRANSIT PURSE STRINGS FOR DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVES AS FEDERAL CASH WILL SOON FLOOD KANSAS CITY AGAIN!!! Of course the school district will cry bloody murder . . . Even when they are flush with cash. Check the notes and tell us what you think . . . Subject: RideKC Development Corporation and KCATA Joint Letter Attached is a signed letter of response to your letter sent June 29th to the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, RideKC Development Corporation and other notice parties. The attached response is provided under authorship of the Chairs of both organizations regarding details and actions of the Sustaining Transportation and Reinvesting Together (START) Policy focused on transportation corridors to advance Transit Oriented Development under KCATAs Congressional and State Compact Powers. Regards, Brien M. Starner, CEcD ############### Now Mayor Q's memo that still resonates . . . Subject: Re: RideKC Development Corporation and KCATA Joint Letter from Chair Melissa Bynum and Chair Daniel Serda to Dr. Mark T. Bedell, Kansas City School District and Notice Parties Commissioner Bynum and Dr. Serda, I enter this conversation to share only a few points. Most every development seeking incentives of some significance in Kansas City south of the river, whether a START project or one in collaboration with one of our other incentive agencies, is already along a high transit corridor and meets transit-oriented development principles, e.g., 3rd and Grand (approved by Port KC); MAC Properties at Armour and Troost (approved by PIEA), etc. I also note that Kansas City currently has a high number of incentive requests along Main Street where the bus-rapid transit line already exists and the streetcar will expand. Development along a route with a bus or streetcar line alone cannot be the standard by which we dispense with the extensive policy discussion that has taken place at City Council and elsewhere concerning the abatement and redirection of taxes going to Kansas City's schools or other taxing jurisdictions. I hope that as the START program builds out its development future, particularly concerning projects in Kansas City, Missouri, which thus far appears to be the exclusive focus, it aligns with development goals, including stimulating development east of Troost Avenue and adhering with housing, minority representation, and labor union-backed wage goals that have been established based upon years of discussion. As a Kansas Citian being asked to submit to non-Kansas Citians electing to redirect future revenues for our public schools, county, city, and other taxing jurisdictions, I would expect a collaborative discussion at all of our organizations' meetings to be part of future plans, not those at Ride KC alone. As a final point, I will note that having been the recipient of strong, but fair communications from the school district in the past concerning our incentive policies, I find their questions appropriate even where at times we may disagree. I find their tone to be based on the seriousness of their concerns. I look forward to our further discussion. Best, Quinton Quinton Lucas Mayor Kansas City ############# Developing . . . From the BEST & BRIGHTEST in our blog community . . . We share an important note about a local faith community. Background and important local history . . . Both Conservative synagogues have deep roots in the community. Beth Shalom was established in 1915 and has a history dating back to 1878. Ohev Sholom was the oldest operating Jewish congregation in Kansas and can trace its origins to 1877. Beth Shalom Immediate Past President Jason Krakow (then president) described the merger of these two historic congregations as an emotional event in a Beth Shalom email update prior to the congregational votes. The two congregations held votes on June 26 after the negotiating committees of the Joint Task Force between them reached an agreement for consolidation. The merged congregation will retain the name Congregation Beth Shalom and be housed in the Beth Shalom building at 14200 Lamar Avenue in Overland Park. The first Shabbat service for the combined congregations was held on July 2. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link to one of our favorite community news sources . . . For the most part, we're willing to forgive Mayor Q for most of his political blunders. Pandemic shut downs merely mimicked the hysteria around the nation at the time. Free bus rides were a trend that hipsters have pushed from Portland to Austin. For all of the tough talk betwixt police & the Mayor's office . . . This year they mostly agreed about the budget and it was actually Council Lady Katheryn Shields who nearly busted the deal. We'll see if the Mayor is just flexing about another lawsuit against police over a Missouri funding dispute. However . . . YELLING 'NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE' IN THE MIDDLE OF PLAZA BLM RIOTS IS ONE OF THE MOST UNFORGIVABLE POLITICAL STUNTS EVER COMMITTED BY MAYOR Q!!! He has never apologized and never reconsidered his rhetoric that made the situation far worse amid a wave of historically violent protest that was not, in fact, mostly peaceful. Now, of course, he's attempting to fix the hot mess he helped to create . . . Again, without acknowledging his complicity in chasing away biz & customers from one of Kansas City's most iconic locations . . . Mayor Quinton Lucas said officials have not always made the Plaza a priority in terms of an economic development strategy amid ongoing efforts to stimulate investment in other, more overlooked areas. That's beginning to change. Lucas and City Manager Brian Platt have held meetings with Plaza co-owner Taubman Centers to address concerns with and explore future opportunities for the iconic shopping center. "Our constituents have invested mightily in the Country Club Plaza both through prior tax incentives and other infrastructure support, so we have a long-term interest in its success, and I think it's from that position that I take many of my steps," Lucas said. "We are all ears on good ideas for the future of Kansas City, and I think we want to make sure the Plaza is part of those chats, which it has not always been." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . In this quick compilation we check course cases, neighborhood reports and police action. As always, we try to find just a bit of good news to fit in these compilations as well. Check TKC news gathering . . . Kansas City organizations vow to continue fighting gun violence KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Gun violence continues to claim lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and advocates vow to fight the growing problem. "It's a community problem," Rosilyn Temple, with KC Mother's in Charge, said. "When is it going to stop? Here we are in 2022 and we still having homicides within a couple of hours apart." A Guy Who Googled "How To Get Away With Murder In Real Life" After Shooting A Gay Teen Pleaded Guilty To A Hate Crime A 26-year-old man in Kansas City, Missouri, has pleaded guilty to a federal hate crime after he shot a gay teen eight times after the boy made sexual advances toward him. In a hearing at the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Malachi Robinson admitted using a gun to willfully injure the teen because of his sexual orientation on May 29, 2019. 244: Northeast Community Action Network On this week's episode of the Northeast Newscast, Publisher Michael Bushnell sits down with Officers Mena and Hernandez to discuss the return of the Community Action Network to Northeast Kansas City. Listen to learn more about the Kansas City Police Department's return to community policing strategies in our neighborhoods. Kansas City police identify Wednesday homicide victim KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Police Department identified the victim in a homicide Wednesday afternoon. According to police, 26-year-old Sir Raheem Knox was shot and killed near East 40th Terrace just before 2 p.m. The initial call came in as shots fired and was updated to a shooting while officers were on the way to the scene. Kansas City mayor, police department chief set to visit DC to celebrate gun safety bill Two Kansas City leaders are set to be in Washington D.C. Monday for an event celebrating the passage of the bipartisan gun safety bill. Mayor Quinton Lucas and Kansas City Police Department interim Chief Joe Mabin will be in the nation's capital to celebrate the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, following an earlier visit this summer where Lucas and Mabin met with President Joe Biden and senior Department of Justice leaders about building safer communities. Gladstone Police Department to temporary relocate due to renovations KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Gladstone Police Department is undergoing renovations at its building and will temporary relocate while the work is complete. According to the department, the changes will begin on July 7 and last through at least fall 2023. Currently, people seeking the department's services do so at 7010 N Holmes Street in Kansas City, Missouri. Pedestrian suffers injuries in Independence Ave. hit and run A pedestrian standing in the roadway near Independence Avenue and Brighton was struck by a car and left with critical injuries early Friday morning. Just before 1:30 a.m., Kansas City Police Department officers responded to the area and located the victim. Kansas City police ask for help in finding 51-year-old man Kansas City police are asking for help in finding a 51-year-old missing since Wednesday.Police said Menno Yoder was last seen about 5:30 p.m. that day in the area of the downtown Kansas City airport.Authorities said he was wearing a white v-neck T-shirt, khaki pants, black boots, and a black/white ball cap. Kansas City police ask for help in finding missing man last seen July 3 KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are asking for the public's help in finding a man who's been missing since July 3. Joel Chesser, 31, was last seen around noon that day in the area of east 69 Street and Richmond Avenue. Olathe police say pedestrian hit, killed by vehicles on I-35 Wednesday was 15 years old SOURCE: KC Scout Police in Olathe, Kansas, said the person who was hit and killed by vehicles on Interstate 35 Wednesday night was a 15-year-old boy.Authorities did not release the boy's name.Police said officers were called at 9:16 p.m. Murder trial delayed for KC man accused of killing 4-year-old KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Jackson County judge agreed to reschedule the trial of a man accused of killing 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro. The trial for Ryson Ellis was scheduled to begin Monday. His attorneys asked for it to be delayed until December, and the judge agreed. Want to get rid of your guns? KCPD offers a safe, voluntary way to do so Kansas Citians aren't strangers to gun-violence. Whether it be losing family members and friends, or seeing the yellow crime tape block off parts of a neighborhood, many lives in the city have been dramatically altered by the presence of firearms. "The problem with gun-violence, fundamentally, is that there are too many d**n guns on the streets of Kansas City and in Missouri and Kansas," Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas told The Star. Kansas City officials want to bring back KCPD's mounted patrol Kansas City councilwoman Heather Hall and Mayor Quinton Lucas want to bring back the Kansas City Mounted Patrol.This comes after four people were shot and several cars were broken into earlier this week near the T-Mobile Center.The barn for the mounted patrol is controlled by Kansas City Parks and Recreation. Developing . . . Right now we want to focus on an important local movement which contradicts a great deal of the propaganda we're hearing form city hall. As always, there are two sides to the conversation even if locals only get the "official story" via mainstream media. For instance . . . This week the newspaper decries the state of homelessness in the metro from the comfort of the "Golden Ghetto" Johnson County suburbs: Kansas City homeless shelters are full. Moms, kids, elderly among those on streets That's an unfortunate situation but urban homeless camps filled to the brim with inhabitants struggling with drug addiction and mental health issues aren't going to fix it. Accordingly . . . The other side of this issue: Once again, neighborhoods, home owners & biz confront a growing threat from haphazard 12th & Oak policy. Here's part of a statement regarding an upcoming forum on the latest homeless camping crisis in the making: Kansas City: We are bringing together neighborhoods, businesses, the housing industry, service organizations and those impacted by the affordable housing crisis & homelessness. There are millions of dollars in federal funding meant to address these issues. Why isn't more being done by our city? Neighborhoods: Did you know that there is a proposed ordinance that would allow tents in your neighbor's yard? Tent cities across the metro in parks or parking lots? Pallet sheds with no running water, community/neighborhood showers for the homeless are on the table. What are you willing to accept? Businesses: What do you need to be done to address those loitering at your place of business? Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Homelessness in KCMO: The Barriers & the Solutions: A Town Hall on 7/12 Eventbrite - KC Regional Housing Alliance presents Homelessness in KCMO: The Barriers & the Solutions: A Town Hall on 7/12 - Tuesday, July 12, 2022 at Southeast Community Center, Kansas City, MO. Find event and ticket information. Developing . . . Cushy jobs from hell: Vietnamese trafficked to Cambodia with offers they can't refuse Brokers use photos of luxury buildings and company parties taken in Cambodia to lure Vietnamese workers besides promises of decent jobs with high salaries. After being rescued in June Nguyen Van Chien, 19, went to the Security Investigation Agency of the Thanh Hoa Province police to report Trang Ngoc Chung, 19. Chien said he knew Chung, who is also from Sam Son Town like him, for seven years, and had heard from him in February that about a desk job with a monthly salary of US$500-1,000 in Cambodia. All expenses and travel arrangements would be "taken care of" by the employers, Chung told him. Nguyen Van Chien after being rescued from Cambodia and returned to Vietnam in mid-June, 2022. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang Chien was intrigued and accepted the offer because he did not have a regular job at the time and thought of Chung as a close friend. Around the beginning of March, Chung told Chien to come to an internet cafe in Sam Son Town and "someone will pick you up." Chien met three other people who were also going to Cambodia on Chung's recommendation. A taxi driver picked up the four of them around 2 a.m. and took them to catch a bus heading to HCMC. In the southern metro, a group picked them up and drove them to a mountainous area in the neighboring province of Long An to wait until nightfall for crossing the border by motorcycle. It was dark, and they were being led through a forest to Cambodia by an unknown man. They arrived at around 4 a.m. Chien found out that his job entailed sitting at a computer and enticing people to play online card games and boosting interaction on social networks. He was on the second floor of a tall office building, and his floor had approximately 300 employees, the majority of them Vietnamese. He told the police many of them were brutally beaten over the month he was there. "May got bleeding noses after being badly beaten. They even used electric batons on us. "Screams of pain could be heard frequently in the building." There was a punishment room on the second floor for employees trying to flee, refusing to work or arguing with the boss, and he would hear groans of pain every time he went past it to go to the bathroom. "There were no high-paying jobs as promised. "We were constantly threatened and forced to do illegal things." He had to work 13-15 hours a day and was fined if he failed to meet the target or tried to resist. Those who wished to quit had to pay VND120-150 million ($5,100-6,400), and anyone trying to flee instead or report to the police faced retaliation. One employee died after working for a little more than a month, prompting the police to arrive and investigate. "When we saw the authorities, we cried out for help." On April 29 Chien and a large number of people were able to return to Vietnam. "We were fortunate to be discovered and rescued in time." Chung was arrested and charged by the Thanh police at the end of June for being a middleman who sent people abroad illegally to work. Tran Ngoc Chung is questioned by the Thanh Hoa Province police. Photo by VnExpress/Lam Son Chien is among hundreds in Thanh Hoa Province who have been tricked into working in Cambodia by trafficking gangs. Tran Chi Duy, 19, of Sam Son recently got bailed out by relatives after months of working in a casino in Cambodia. He says he is still "scared" whenever he think about his time there. Due to their poor background, Duy and his relatives used to cross the border into China to work, but it became too risky and he stopped going and intended to find a job close to home. While searching for one, an old friend from the northern Nam Dinh Province told him about a "cushy job that paid well" in Cambodia, and accepted. After the Lunar New Year in early 2022 Duy and a friend traveled to HCMC to meet a man and be taken to the Long Binh International Border Gate in An Giang Province for crossing over into Cambodia. Duy was escorted to a casino near the border. As soon as he entered it, he lost contact with the broker. The casino boss later told him that he had been sold for $2,700. Despite knowing he had been tricked, he had no option but to agree to work in the hope of earning enough to return home. After working for three months as a waiter at the casino, Duy was told he had been sold to another casino for $4,600. At the new place, he was given computers and phones to advise customers of a pre-programmed online gambling site. "Every day I had to work 14-15 hours while being constantly checked by a security guard holding a gun and threatening me. He was not paid all those months with the manager saying his salary went toward his living expenses. After many sleepless nights due to fear, Duy and a friend saying they want return to Vietnam but were told by their boss they needed to pay VND140 million or would be sold off to another casino. At this point Duy was forced to call home and seek assistance from his family. His family mortgaged their house to raise the ransom money. Tran Chi Duy back at his home in Thanh Hoa Province after his family paid a ransom to bail him out of Cambodia, where he had been tricked into going with an offer of a cushy job. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang According to Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thanh Binh, head of the of Thanh Hoa polices external security department, the majority of the 19 victims recently rescued by Cambodian authorities had been tricked by people they knew or through social media with appealing offers. The victims were all healthy young men without a steady job who enjoyed playing and knew how to use computers. Brokers help people in Cambodia lure victims by using photos of fancy parties and buildings in Cambodia as bait. According to the external security department, there had been 381 instances of people going to Cambodia to work illegally. Of them 179 have returned while the rest are still working illegally in Cambodia, 21 of them at gambling establishments. The police have so far charged eight for defrauding people and trafficking them to Cambodia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently announced that so far this year Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities have collaborated to repatriate 400 Vietnamese citizens who had been tricked and sold in Cambodia by traffickers. The Ministry of Public Security has warned people to be wary of getting tricked with offers of cushy jobs with high salaries in Cambodia. Before going to work, it is necessary to do proper research about the destination and the identity of the person offering the job, it said. Member of Parliament for Chaguanas West and Attorney at Law Dinesh Rambally is eager to see the transcripts from the Special General Meeting of the Law Association. It was at this meeting on Friday where two motions against Attorney General Reginald Armour failed. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Moldy bread and a batch of shovels were delivered to the temporarily captured Mariupol from Russia's Tula region as part of the so-called humanitarian aid. Thats according to a Mariupol Mayor's adviser Petro Andriushchenko, who posted on Telegram the photos of the aid consignment, signed to Donbas residents from the United Russia party in Tula region. "Tulas humanitarian aid is a new low of Russian assistance. Moldy stale bread and shovels. I even lack enough sarcasm to comment on such care for the people of Mariupol," Andriushchenko wrote in a caption to the said set of photos. As reported, Russian aggression caused one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in Mariupol. The city has been almost completely destroyed by enemy shelling and bombing. Local enterprises, utility infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and apartment blocks have been wiped out or severely damaged. Today, Mariupol has no stable supply of power, water, and gas. Since the Russian invasion, about 22,000 civilians have been killed in the city. More than 50,000 have been deported to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region. Currently, more than 100,000 residents remain in the blocked city. Mariupol is facing an ecological disaster and an outbreak of infectious diseases. On July 9, the Ukrainian military eliminated 58 Russian aggressors, almost twenty pieces of equipment, as well as 4 ammunition warehouses in the southern direction. The Operational Command South said in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports. "The enemy continues to conduct combat actions from occupied positions. Due to the large losses, there has been a significant deterioration of the morale and psychological state of the rashist troops in the Kherson region in the last week," the report says. During the day, the Russian invaders launched one missile and one air strike. Seven missiles were launched from Smerch MLRS, targeting the village of Radushne of Kryvyi Rih district. A Ka-52 helicopter delivered an air strike on the Plotnytskyi area. According to preliminary information, there were no casualties. Missile and artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine launched two fire strikes at enemys command posts, accumulation of equipment and field ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area. Data on enemys losses are being clarified. "According to preliminarily information, based on the results of the execution of fire missions, it is known that the enemy has lost 58 rocket launchers, two Msta-B howitzers, one automated jamming station (Zhitel), three units of armored vehicles and 12 vehicles. Also, four ammunition depots were destroyed - one in the Mykolaiv region, the others in the Kherson region. The final losses of the enemy are being clarified," the military said. Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly has announced that Canada intends to impose further sanctions in relation to Russias illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. This is said in a press release published on the website of Government of Canada, Ukrinform reports. These new sanctions will apply to land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery, the document reads. It is noted that the oil, gas, chemical and manufacturing sectors account for more than 50% of Russias federal budget revenues, which it uses to wage its illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine. As such, to help deplete President Vladimir Putins war chest and further limit Russias ability to wage war, Canada will expand existing measures on the oil, gas and chemical sectors to include industrial manufacturing, the document reads. Read also: Canada to send 39 armored vehicles to Ukraine to help war efforts These new sanctions are based on the extensive restrictions that Canada continues to impose on the Russian regime, including those announced by Minister of Foreign Affairs Melanie Joly at the G20 in Bali, Indonesia on July 8. As reported, since Russias illegal occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea in 2014, Canada has imposed sanctions on more than 1,600 individuals and entities. Many of these sanctions have been undertaken in coordination with Canadas allies and partners. The grouping of Russian troops operating in Ukraine is large enough, but in terms of professionalism it is no better than the troops of Somalia or another nation, which does not focus on its service members. Thats according to the commander of the Georgian Legion, fighting alongside Ukrainian soldiers, Mamuka Mamulashvili, who spoke with Ukrainian Pravda, as reported by Ukrinform. "We had a much higher opinion of them (the Russian army - ed.) than they actually turned out to be. This is a completely unprepared grouping of troops, although it is quite large. In terms of professionalism, it is no better than the troops of Somalia or any other country, which specifically dont particularly pay attention to their army personnel, the commander said. Also, thank God, theres corruption in the Russian army. It has helped us a lot and I hope it continues to expand. So as a military man, I would say... I prefer to not underestimate the enemy, but professionally they were not even prepared for what they were going to see in Ukraine. And many of them died," Mamulashvili noted. Russian invaders continue to drive their military equipment through Mariupol: on July 9, a large convoy of equipment and five buses carrying military personnel left for the temporarily captured Berdiansk and the front line. Petro Andriushchenko, the adviser to the Mariupol mayor, reported this on Telegram, as seen by Ukrinform. "Yesterday, after 13:00 local time, a large convoy of V-marked equipment and five buses carrying military personnel, which had entered Mariupol the day before, left for the city of Berdiansk. Also, part of the military equipment from the storage sites across Mariupol joined the convoy," wrote the official. As reported by Ukrinform, at the Mariupol port, the occupiers resumed imports of fuel and military equipment and the exports of looted goods. Ammunition depots are located in residential areas. Russia's aggression has caused one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in Mariupol. The city has been almost completely destroyed by enemy shelling, including local enterprises, utility infrastructure, schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and residential buildings. Today, Mariupol has no normal supply of electricity, water, and gas. Since the Russian invasion, about 22,000 civilians have been killed in the city. More than 50,000 have been deported to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk region. Currently, more than 100,000 residents remain in the blocked city. Mariupol is facing an ecological disaster and an outbreak of infectious diseases. Photo: Stringer, Anadolu Agency ELKO The side saddle on display at the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum at 542 Commercial St. is a unique version designed to allow women in the 18th,19th and early 20th centuries to ride horses. The side saddle was seen to preserve a ladys modesty as well as to allow her to ride a horse in a long skirt. Sitting aside while riding a horse dates to antiquity and was developed in Europe in the Middle Ages. It was first used in 1382 when Princess Anne of Bohemia rode across Europe to marry her betrothed, King Richard II. Side saddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle that allows a rider, usually female, to sit with both legs on one side of the horse rather than astride western-style (riders legs on each side of the horse). In the 1830s Jules Peller invented a version of the side saddle with a second lower pommel mounted 10 degrees left of top dead center and curved upwards. The riders right leg hung around this pommel; the left leg hangs around the second pommel that is 20 degrees lower. The left foot is placed in the single stirrup on this side. The second pommel was revolutionary, giving women additional security and freedom of movement when riding side saddle. It allowed them to stay on a horse at a gallop and to do fence jumping in fox hunting and show jumping. Riding side saddle is as safe maybe safer than riding astride. Even riding a bucking horse, it is quite difficult for a horse to throw a rider from a side saddle. Jane Riordan was a local Elko County rancher and one of the best businesswomen in the state. She rode outlaw horses on her ranch as well as in rodeo competitions. and was a bronc rider who pioneered riding bucking horses on a side saddle. She competed in bronc riding at various rodeos, including arenas in Nevada and California. The Elko Free Press in an article dated March 29,1912 reported that she took first prize for bronco riding with sidesaddle, and second prize in the general bronco riding contest at the National Riding Contest held in Los Angeles. Jane Alexander Baker Riordan was born in 1867 and lived awhile near Baker City, Oregon, until her parents sold the ranch and bought the Alexander Ranch (now the Keddy Ranch) on the North Fork of the Humboldt River. Janes first husband, Howard Baker died in 1906 and she then married Jim Riordan, whose ranch was on Van Duzer Creek near Mountain City. Jim died in a car wreck in 1923. Jane then carried on the ranching business until she sold the ranch just before her death in 1930. The Riordans were active participants in the Garcia Wild West Rodeo in Elko which led Jane to compete in California in her favorite event of riding bucking horses side saddle. Photos of her riding side saddle and competing with the cowboys in the Garcia Rodeo can be seen at the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum. The Garcia Wild West Rodeo was held from 191215 changed into Elkos Silver State Stampede Rodeo, the longest running rodeo in the state. Jane Riordan has been nominated to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Mary Branscomb, a local horsewoman, also has ridden side saddle as well as English and western saddles. She has donated to the Cowboy Arts and Gear Museum a side saddle that was given to her after she used it riding in a patriotic parade in her hometown of Knox, Indiana at the age of 12. Branscomb, now 89, has ridden horses all her life, using an English saddle riding on Tennessee walking horses in jumper equestrian competition, including the cross-country phase of eventing (an equestrian competition that typically takes place over three days and includes the events of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping). For many years, Branscomb taught basic horsemanship to Elko 4-Hers. Around 1970 her riding group demonstrated cross county riding including jumping in front of the grandstand at the Elko County Fair. Later she started the Ruby Mountain Handicap Riding Club for children with special needs. She also was an art teacher in the Elko County School District, teaching art at Grammar No. 2 and Northside. Due to the pressing missile threat, the authorities urge the residents of Kharkiv not to go out of their homes without an urgent need as the missiles fired from the Russian territory can reach the city within just 30 seconds, and only a part of them can be downed. Thats according to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, who spoke at the national telethon, Ukrinform reports. "We are too close to the border with the Russian Federation its only about 40 kilometers. And the arrival time of the missile is from 30 to 40 seconds. Therefore, there is too little time for people to take shelter. You must not ignore the air raid sirens, you must immediately shelter," Syniehubov said. Read also: Air Force reveals what can significantly help effectively protect Ukrainian sky "The number of arrivals is not equal to the number of missiles launched from the territory of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, we cant disclose everything, but believe me, our Armed Forces are working to ensure that as few missiles as possible hit us. We know how many are being launched and how many are unfortunately still hitting targets. In addition, the enemy is firing missiles at forest strips, fields, and garbage dump sites, as in the city of Balakleia. This is the kind of war they are waging," said the chief of the administration. He added that the front line in the region has not changed in recent days as the enemy has failed to advance in any areas. Intense firefights continue in the northern, northeastern, and Izium directions. The administration head emphasized that capturing the City of Kharkiv and the entire region remain fundamental objectives for Russia, but the authorities are working around the clock to strengthen defenses. As reported, on the afternoon of July 9, as a result of a Russian missile attack on a residential block in the center of Kharkiv, three civilians, including a child, 12, were hospitalized with injuries of varying severity, while another four persons were provided first aid at the scene. A two-storey building was destroyed and another one was damaged. Read also: Death toll in Chasovyi Yar following Russian strike grows to 15 On the night of July 10, the enemy launched missile attacks on Osnovianskyi and Slobidskyi districts. A school and a residential building were destroyed, while a local rehabilitation facility was damaged. A person was injured by the strike. Kharkiv has been subjected to daily strikes on the part of Russia for more than five weeks in a row. Eyewitnesses have reported a strike on a Russian military unit in Kherson. Serhii Khlan, a regional council deputy and adviser to the head of the Kherson regional military administration, said this in a Facebook post, Ukrinform reports. "In Kherson, an accurate strike on a military unit of the occupiers on Pestelia Street. It had been burning since it was hit at 5 o'clock in the morning and then again when it was hit at 10. Eyewitnesses report Russians crying under the rubble," the report reads. The Kherson-based Most news site also reported a strike on the military unit, citing eyewitnesses. "Several explosions rocked the temporarily occupied city of Kherson today. That's according to local residents," the report said. Ukrainian missiles allegedly targeted the military unit on Pestelia Street. In the photos published by eyewitnesses, the smoke is coming from that area. Explosions were heard in Kherson early on July 9, and reports of a fire at an enemy ammunition depot were confirmed. Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk called on residents of the temporarily occupied southern regions of Ukraine, especially the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions, to evacuate as quickly as possible in all possible ways, so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces could liberate these territories without endangering the civilian population. Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine and mass killings of civilians in the territories temporarily occupied by the Russian invaders reminded the world of the genocide of Srebrenica (a town in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina), which remains one of the darkest pages in European history. EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell and Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said this in a statement on the 27th anniversary of the genocide of Srebrenica, where thousands of Bosnian Muslim men and boys were killed, Ukrinform reports. "We honor for the 27th year the memory of all victims and of all those still missing of the genocide of Srebrenica. We stand together, in grief, with their relatives and friends who survived the genocide. However, still today we cannot take peace for granted. Russias unjustified and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has brought back a brutal war to our continent. The mass killings and war crimes we see in Ukraine bring back vivid memories of those witnessed in the war in the Western Balkans in the 1990s," the statement said. It added that under these conditions, "it is more than ever our duty to remember the genocide of Srebrenica, as part of our common European history." Borrell and Varhelyi stressed in a joint statement that "as we see the security and stability of Europe and the international rules-based order profoundly shaken, we are reminded of the need to stand up to defend peace, human dignity and universal values." "Europe has not forgotten what happened in Srebrenica and our own responsibility for not being able to prevent and to stop the genocide. In Srebrenica, Europe failed and we are faced with our shame," the statement said. The Ukrainian Armed Forces have received the first drone from the United States as part of the Army of Drones project. Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation, said this in a Telegram post, Ukrinform reports. "We received the first drone from the U.S. It is fast and durable. Therefore, it will definitely help our heroes from the Ukrainian Armed Forces to see the enemies better," Fedorov said. He thanked all people around the world who also understand the importance of Ukraine's victory and contribute to it. Fedorov called on everyone to join the Army of Drones project through the UNITED24 fundraising platform. Ukrinform reported earlier that the first batch of unmanned aerial vehicles for the Ukrainian Armed Forces as part of the Army of Drones project had already left for the front line. Photo: Mykhailo Fedorov, Telegram Casualties have been reported as Russian invaders shell Bakhmut district, Donetsk region. As Pavlo Kyrylenko, Head of the Donetsk Regional Military Administration, posted on Telegram, Bakhmut district is currently the hottest spot in the region. In New York, a shop and a house were damaged by a rocket attack. Nobody was injured. Soledar was shelled twice today: at night and in the evening. As a result of the night shelling, a cultural center and an administrative building burned down. A five-story building was damaged as a result of the evening shelling. Three town residents have been injured today. In Siversk, a private sector came under fire. One house was destroyed, many were damaged. One high-rise building was also damaged. It is known for certain that two people were killed in the town today. The Russians shelled Vuhledar with artillery, injuring one person. One more person was injured in Lastochkyne of Ocheretyne community. In addition, the community in the relative rear come under fire. Cherkaske community came under Grad MLRS fire. No casualties were reported. In the Illinivka community, artillery shelling set fire to a wheat field. As reported, on the evening of July 9, Russian invaders struck a five-story apartment block in the town of Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region, by Uragan missiles. Two entrances of the house were completely destroyed. During emergency rescue operations, the bodies of 15 dead people were found, and six people were rescued from rubble. ol The Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) gave Ukraine the green light to join and allocated funds to support Ukrainian refugees in Europe. "The Council of Europe Development Bank adopted a decision on special conditions for Ukraine to acquire membership in this financial institution as soon as possible. CEB also allocated funds to support Ukrainian refugees in Germany and Lithuania," the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine informs. According to Oleksiy Chernyshov, Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, membership in CEB will open up additional opportunities for our country to provide housing for Ukrainians affected by the war, provide social services, and rebuild destroyed social infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and kindergartens. It is noted that the Bank's administrative board approved five new loans worth 465 million euros, most of which will be aimed at supporting refugees from Ukraine in the CEB member countries. Among other things, the decision covers the accommodation of Ukrainian refugees in host communities, provision of emergency aid, humanitarian measures, etc. In particular, the State Development Bank of North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) received 200 million euros for partial financing of the housing program for refugees, which will help municipalities in the acquisition, construction, and modernization of housing for Ukrainian refugees. The CEB will also provide 120 million euros to the Government of Lithuania to support about 30,000 Ukrainian refugees, including 13,500 children. The loan will be used by relevant ministries and communities that provide priority support to Ukrainians. Scholarships for 700 Ukrainian students will also be financed from this sum. Moreover, the municipality of Kaunas (Lithuania) received 25 million euros, which will help the city support 10,000 registered Ukrainian refugees by providing them with housing, food, psychological and social assistance, education for children, and job search for adults. ol The Canadian government's decision to return to Germany a gas turbine following maintenance works for its further use in the Nord Stream gas pipeline set a very bad precedent for an exemption from Russia sanctions. Thats according to Sergiy Makogon, CEO Gas TSO of Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform. "Unfortunately, Canada succumbed to pressure and decided to return the turbine to Gazprom. This is a very bad precedent for an exemption from sanctions. But the logic of such a decision is clear," Makogon wrote on Facebook. According to the CEO, after the turbine is returned, it is expected that Gazprom will fully restore gas transit to Germany (+100 million cubic meters per day), which will allow Europe to continue stockpiling gas for the winter period and, therefore, lead to a drop of gas prices. On the other hand, the head of the gas transmission system operator is convinced that there is currently no problem with available gas transit capacities to the EU. Therefore, even after the return of the turbine, Gazprom will continue to "blackmail Europe." "But I believe that even after the turbine is returned, Gazprom will find a reason to further curb supplies to the EU. Because even without this turbine, Gazprom has the opportunity to significantly increase transit: the route through Poland, 90 million cubic meters per day, is completely unused, while through Ukraine, Gazprom uses only 40% of the reserved and paid capacity, which is another 70 million cubic meters per day," says the post. Makogon expresses confidence that Europe will draw conclusions from this situation, and, that in the very near future, Europe will stop buying Russian gas altogether. Canada has reportedly decided to return to Germany a gas turbine built in Canada by Siemens Energy AG that was used in the Nord Stream pipeline system. The decision was made despite objections from the government of Ukraine, as well as the large Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, who stressed that returning the turbine would undermine the sanctions regime. Canada's Natural Resources Minister Jonathan Wilkinson said on Saturday that the temporary export permit had been granted after lengthy discussions with European allies as well as the International Energy Agency. The war waged by Russia against Ukraine significantly affected food security in many regions of the world and had the potential to exacerbate the economic situation and political crisis in Sri Lanka. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this on Sunday during his visit to Thailand, Ukrinform reports with reference to the U.S. Department of State. It [Russias war against Ukraine] may be one of the contributing factors to whats happened in Sri Lanka, he said. The U.S. Secretary of State that there are many factors that led to the political and economic crisis in this island country and have now come together. He stressed that Russian aggression, as well as its blocking of the export of tens of millions of tonnes of grain from Ukraine, continue to increase threats to food security around the world. As reported, a political crisis is ongoing in Sri Lanka due to the power struggle between President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Parliament of Sri Lanka. The situation has aggravated by anti-government protests and rallies, which are fueled by the food and economic crisis in the country. iy Ukraines Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Energy express their deep disappointment in connection with the Canadian governments decision to issue a permit for the return of a repaired turbine to Germany that is needed for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline. This is said in a relevant statement released by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Ukrinform reports. The Ministry stressed in its statement that on the day this decision was announced, the Russian army shelled residential areas in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, as well as a number of other settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region. "The Russian Federation acted as a terrorist state, deliberately hitting houses and other objects of civilian infrastructure. Civilians were killed, dozens were injured," the Ministry emphasized. It is noted that the international community, including Canada and Germany, has already imposed a variety of sanctions against Russia to stop its war against Ukraine. The Ukrainian government is grateful for these decisive actions. "At the same time, the latest Canadian-German agreement and the decision announced on its basis is the adjustment of the sanctions regime to Russia's whims. This dangerous precedent goes against the principle of the rule of law and will have only one consequence - it will strengthen Moscow's sense of impunity," the diplomats pointed out. According to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Russia can continue to supply gas to Germany in full without the turbine, which has become the subject of discussion. As reported, Canada decided to return to Germany a gas turbine repaired in Canada by Siemens Energy AG, which was used in the Nord Stream pipeline system. The decision was made despite objections from the government of Ukraine and the large Ukrainian diaspora in Canada, who stressed that returning the turbine would undermine the sanctions regime. Canada's Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said on Saturday that the temporary export permit was granted after lengthy discussions with European allies, as well as the International Energy Agency. iy The rally "War is not over" took place in New York as hundreds of activists with blue and yellow flags marched through the center of the largest US city. As an Ukrinform correspondent reports from New York, the activists marched four kilometers along Broadway from Times Square to Washington Square Park. According to one of the organizers, Artur Zhurov, the purpose of the rally is to remind the public that the war in Ukraine continues, Russia continues to bomb cities and kill Ukrainians. "The war continues. We should not get tired of repeating it, and together we should do everything that depends on us to end it," Oleksiy Holubov, Consul General of Ukraine in New York, said at the rally. He emphasized that Ukraine cannot agree to any terms that would involve the exchange of territories for a truce. Jakub Kulhanek, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the UN, also took part in the rally. "The Czech Republic fully supports Ukraine, because it is not only about Ukraine. After all, Ukrainians fight not only for their freedom but also for us. That is why this support is so important for the Czech Republic," Kulhanek told Ukrinform in a comment. According to the Czech diplomat, society and politicians in his country are unanimous on this issue. "We don't just want Ukraine to win. We need it. That is why we actively help in the humanitarian sphere and with arms supply," Kulhanek added. ol Spring Creek Association Committee of Architecture meets at 5:30 p.m. Monday, July 11, at the Fairway Community Center. The panel will consider approving the second reading of a home occupation rule and applications for home occupation permits from Brianna Crandall Photography at 450 Shadybrook Drive, Knockin Skulls European Mounts at 753 Thorpe Drive, The Flower House at 879 Willington Drive, and Adventures in Chalk at 191 Viewcrest Drive. -- Elko City Council meets at 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 12, at City Hall. The council will conduct a first reading on a proposed amendment to the Fire Code regarding sprinkler requirements in large homes. Also on the agenda are an application from Tony Odeh to fill a vacancy on the Planning Commission left by the resignation of Gratton Miller, and requests for American Rescue Plan Act funds from Morning Star Integrated Health Center and Cooks Steakhouse & Saloon. -- Elko County Roads Committee will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 13, in the Nannini Administration Building. The panel will discuss the June 2022 road report and the monthly project outlook for July. -- Elko Television District Board meets at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 14, at 540 Court St. The board will discuss current and future projects as well as a break-in at a TV District building. ELKO Skies around Elko began to get smoky over the weekend as a new fire started in northern White Pine County and large blazes burned to the west and east. The Becky Peak Fire in the Schell Creek Range about 50 miles north of Ely has burned an estimated 600 acres. It was reported around 11 a.m. Friday. The wind-driven fire is burning in steep, rugged and inaccessible terrain within and outside the Beaky Peak Wilderness, consuming pinyon-pine and juniper, brush, and grass, stated Eastern Nevada Interagency fire dispatch. There is no immediate threat to private property or structures. Public and firefighter safety is the top priority. The blaze is being fought with six engines, three water tenders and a bulldozer. Two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and a Type 3 helicopter are providing aerial support. Three Type 2 Initial Attack hand crews and one Type 1 hand crew were en route. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District, and private contractors are assisting the BLM. The cause of the fire is undetermined. To the west, the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park was threatened by a fire that has burned about 1,590 acres. To the east, a wildfire that started south of Tooele, Utah, was threatening structures, forced evacuations and possibly damaged a small town's water system, Fox News 13 in Salt Lake City reported. The fire in "very steep rugged terrain" has burned 2,300-2,500 acres with no estimate of containment. Smoke in northeastern Nevada was coming from fires in Yosemite, according to airnow.gov, while smoke from the White Pine County blaze was mostly drifting into northern Utah. Szeged, Hungary, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2022 ) :At plants painted with birds and hedgehogs, hot water from deep underground is being channelled to produce energy and heat for thousands of households in Hungary's third largest city Szeged. Experts say the project -- billed as Europe's biggest urban heating system overhaul -- can serve as a model for other cities across the continent as EU nations scramble to wean themselves off Russian gas after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "Geothermal energy is local, accessible and renewable so why not use it," geologist Tamas Medgyes told AFP beside a recently completed well in the middle of a residential neighbourhood. The city of 160,000 people, located some 170 kilometres (110 miles) south of Budapest, is one of 12 in the landlocked central European country with geothermal district heating. When the system is fully built out next year, 27 wells and 16 heating plants will push geothermally heated water through 250 kilometres of pipes to heat 27,000 flats and 400 non-residential consumers. Algiers, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 10th Jul, 2022 ) :A UNESCO-listed rabbit warren of 16th-century battlements and Ottoman palaces, the Casbah of the Algerian capital is falling into disrepair, but efforts to save it have been accelerating. The densely populated district, about a kilometre (just under a mile) across, perches above the Bay of Algiers and has been the site of key moments in the North African country's history. Some buildings weakened by earthquakes, floods or fires are still propped up with scaffolding, but a plan launched in 2012 is seeking to rehabilitate the area. Work to restore the Casbah had first started right after Algeria's independence from France in 1962. That was some six years after a battle between French colonial forces and the urban guerrillas of the National Liberation Front (FLN), later immortalised in Gillo Pontecorvo's 1966 film "The Battle of Algiers", shot on location in the Casbah. Efforts to restore the buildings involved "several plans and several stakeholders", said Aissa Mesri of Archimed, a firm working on studies of the Casbah and monitoring the work. "Restoration operations were started and then halted for financial, technical or legal reasons related to ownership," he added, lamenting the lack of a "clear vision" for a "Casbah project". The 2012 plan was adopted with a budget of 170 million Euros (now $170 million). The project aims to restore the Casbah's "authentic face", protect it in the long term and keep at least some of its residents in their homes. - Battle of Algiers heroine - The state-run project has already restored a number of prominent buildings, including part of the citadel, which includes the Dey's palace, mosque and ammunition store, partially open to visitors since November 2020. The mosque has been decorated with earthenware, marble and Arabic screen printing. A cluster of four houses that once served as a refuge for key independence war figures, including militant Djamila Bouhired, a heroine of the Battle of Algiers, has been renovated. The Ketchaoua mosque, closed since 2008 after being seriously damaged by a powerful earthquake five years earlier, has also been restored. The Ottoman-era mosque was reopened in April 2018 after 37 months of works, funded entirely by the Turkish government. Before the start of the restoration plan, Algerian authorities had launched emergency work to "consolidate buildings that were in danger of collapsing", said Mehdi Ali Pacha, head of an architectural firm specialising in heritage work. "The shoring up of more than 300 buildings was carried out in 2008 and 2013," added the architect, whose agency has conducted studies on the restoration. - 'Residents a problem' - Restoration work on the many small traditional houses in the Casbah is sometimes hindered by residents who refuse to grant access to architects or work crews. "The residents remain a problem. There are some small old houses that have been emptied and walled up by the town hall. "There, there is no problem, we can work. "When the houses are inhabited, the study is done as best as possible with difficulties of access," bemoaned Ali Pacha. In late 2018, the rehabilitation of the Casbah was at the heart of a controversy, both in France and Algeria, after Algerian authorities decided to entrust a development plan to French architect Jean Nouvel. Some 400 people, mainly architects, planners and academics, asked Nouvel to withdraw from the project. The petitioners were concerned that a French architect could propose transformations of a major site of the Battle of Algiers. The venture was eventually abandoned. Currently, seven restoration projects of historical buildings are underway, according to Fatima Larbi, architect at the Algiers public works department, quoted by the official news agency APS. "The aim is to revive the Casbah and enhance it," said Ali Pacha. + (@ChaudhryMAli88) CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) Bulgarian President Rumen Radev discussed on Sunday with his Moldovan counterpart Maia Sandu the planned reform of the Taraclia State University in the south of the republic, calling for the preservation of the institution in its current form. "Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, in a telephone conversation with Maia Sandu, called on the authorities of the republic to maintain the current status of this educational institution (the Taraclia State University). Sofia plans to continue providing financial support for the development of this educational institution," Radev's press service was quoted as saying by the Taraclia District Council. Radev noted that the independence of the university is "extremely important for the Bulgarian community of the Taraclia District," to which Sandu said the issue was being discussed with representatives of the ministries of education of the two countries, and expressed the hope that they will reach a mutually beneficial agreement. Moldovan Education Minister Anatolie Topala previously said that a reform of the education system is planned, which would result in a significant reduction of the number of universities in the country, as many of them will be merged with each other. The reform will also affect the Taraclia State University, named after Grigory Tsamblak, which is located in the city of Taraclia in the south of the republic. The majority of the city's inhabitants are ethnic Bulgarians. On Thursday, head of the Taraclia District Ivan Paslari told the Moldovan parliament that the university is a cultural and educational center for the Bulgarians of Moldova, which was established in 2004 by a presidential decree under a bilateral agreement between Chisinau and Sofia. Bulgarians are the sixth largest national group in Moldova, with a total of 65,000 Bulgarians living in the republic, according to the 2004 census. The highest concentration of the Bulgarian population is in Taraclia (65.6%, or 28,500) and Bessarabia districts (5.33%), and in the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia (5.2%, or 8,000). (@ChaudhryMAli88) BAKU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) A Korean Air aircraft flying from Istanbul to Seoul had to make an emergency landing in Baku after one of its engines failed, the Heydar Aliyev International Airport informs. "The (Airbus A330 ) plane landed safely at 22:25 (18:25 GMT on Saturday), there were no casualties," the airport's press service said in a statement. An inspection is underway to determine the cause of the engine failure, according to the release. Emergency services at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport were put on high alert on Saturday night over the incident. CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) More than 22,500 Ukrainian citizens have crossed Romanian border checkpoints in the past 24 hours, with their total number exceeding 1.5 million people since February, the Romanian Border Police said on Sunday. "In the past 24 hours, more than 156,186 foreigner citizens passed through the country's border crossings, of which 22,504 were nationals of Ukraine. Thus, from February 10, 1. 533 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania," the border police said in a statement. On Saturday, another 22,298 Ukrainians crossed the Romanian border within a 24-hour interval, the border police said. Last week, an average of 11,000 crossings by Ukrainians to Romania were recorded daily. Last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that over the course of the crisis in Ukraine, 7.5 million Ukrainian refugees have arrived in the European Union, and three million are still staying in the EU. Vinfast's VF 9 model Automotive News reported that the company has larger plans to have 30 company-run retail locations throughout the US by the end of the year. According to the media outlet, the Vietnamese automaker, which is just five years old and new to the EV market, also plans to break ground on an EV factory in North Carolina and deliver its first vehicles before the end of the year. With its US headquarters established last year in Los Angeles, VinFast has been holding a series of events around California featuring the two-row VF 8 crossover which is now in development. The automaker, which is expanding to North America and Europe after selling gasoline vehicles in its home market, delivered its first EVs in Vietnam at the end of last year. That model was smaller than the midsize VF 8 and three-row VF 9 that will launch in the US and Canada, said Automotive News. The publication noted that VinFast also plans to undertake an unusual sales model which separates the vehicle purchase from the EV battery. At launch, buyers will be able to choose from two battery-lease plans at an extra cost. Prices start at US$40,700 for the base VF 8 and US$48,000 for the top trim, not including shipping. In addition, the VF 9 starts at US$55,500 for the base and US$61,000 for the top trim, with these prices subject to change, according to VinFast's US website. For drivers who don't rack up a lot of miles, VinFast is offering a flexible plan with a monthly battery subscription of US$35 for the VF 8 and US$44 for the VF 9. The price includes 310 miles of use, wrote the media outlet. For unlimited miles, the battery lease will cost US$110 a month for the VF 8 and US$160 a month for the VF 9. As part of efforts to encourage orders this year, VinFast will freeze the monthly cost of the unlimited plan over the vehicle's lifetime. Vietnam-Japan trade reaches over US$20 billion in first half Two-way trade turnover between Vietnam and Japan during the opening six months of the year hit more than US$20 billion, VOV cited the latest figures released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Vietnam-Japan trade reaches over US$20 billion in first half Vietnamese exports brought in US$11.38 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 13%, said the department.. The export items are quite diverse, ranging from agricultural products to processing and manufacturing items. The items that raked in US$1 billion include garments and textiles at roughly US$1.67 billion, machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts with US$1.364 billion, along with means of transport and spare parts with US$1.2 billion. Other items earning high export turnover are seafood with US$800 million, computers, electronic products and components with US$603.7 million, phones and components with US$538.7 million, footwear with US$495.8 million, and plastic products with US$386 million. Meanwhile, six-month imports from Japan surged by 10.6% to US$12 billion year-on-year. Key import items are computers, electronic products and components valued at US$3.5 billion, machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts at US$2.14 billion and iron and steel at over US$1 billion. As a result, Vietnam skipped into a trade deficit of just US$620 million with Japan in the six-month period. Last year, bilateral trade between the two sides reached approximately US$43 billion, of which exports stood at US$20.13 billion and imports at US$22.8 billion. Currently, the scale of import-export turnover between Vietnam and Japan ranks fourth, behind China, the United States, and the Republic of Korea (RoK). Flying Vietjet directly to Busan at low prices Travellers from Vietnams major cities can now take Vietjets direct flights to Busan, the Republic of Korea at as low as 7,700 VND (0.33 USD) one-way, reported VOV. Vietjet opens the Nha Trang - Busan route (Photo: Vietjetair.com) Vietjet will launch direct flights from Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang to Busan on July 20 and July 25 respectively. Those new services will operate one daily direct flight on each route to bring passengers from Vietnam to the RoKs second largest city of Busan in just less than 5 hours. Earlier this month, Vietjet relaunched the Hanoi - Busan route on July 1 and will continue resuming the Nha Trang - Busan route from July 21 with one daily return flight for each service. Vietjet welcomes Korean tourists (Photo: vietjetair.com) Customers can book tickets now with fares from just 7,700 VND/one-way (excluding taxes and fees) at www.vietjetair.com or Vietjet Air application with travel duration from August 15, 2022 to March 26, 2023 (excluding public holidays and Lunar New Year festival). Customers will soon be able to opt for Fly now - Pay later programme easily with only 3 minutes of online registration for international routes. Vietjet Vice President Nguyen Thanh Son said the new routes from Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Busan will increase Vietjets total routes between the two countries to 10 routes, making Vietjet the leading provider in the flight network. He added that Vietjets direct routes between Vietnam and the RoK offer diverse flight options and cost saving fares for travelers from this summer to enjoy flying to their favorite destinations. Busan is well-known for its beaches, temples, the unique coloured Gamcheon culture village and romantic Haeundae Dalmaji Hill among other hidden gems. Busan also has good places to shop and eat to meet all needs of shopaholics and foodies. Along with four direct routes to Busan, Vietjet currently operates six routes from Vietnam to Seoul. The Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi/Da Nang - Seoul (Incheon) routes have two daily return flights for each service. The Phu Quoc/Nha Trang/Hai Phong - Seoul (Incheon) routes operate one daily return flight. A Vietjet plane (Source: vietjetair.com) While the RoK has resumed the issuance of short-term travel visa for international visitors, Korean travelers can enjoy visa exemption for a stay up to 15 days in Vietnam. International visitors are required neither COVID-19 tests nor health declaration upon arrival in Vietnam./. NEW DELHI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) Sri Lankan police arrested three individuals suspected of setting fire to the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in Sri Lanka's Colombo, media reported on Sunday, citing local police. The three suspects are residents of the city of Galle and two suburbs of Colombo, Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia and Ja-Elaand, according to Newswire online portal. Local media have also shared footage demonstrating that the fire had caused significant interior damage to the building with several rooms appearing to be completely destroyed. Colombo was rocked by another wave of mass protests on Saturday. Crowds tore through the barricades surrounding the presidential residence, climbed over the fence and took control of the area. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was reportedly evacuated. He is expected to resign on July 13, according to Sri Lankan newspaper Adaderana. Parliamentary Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana has informed Rajapaksa of the decisions made at a Saturday emergency meeting of the party leaders, which was convened in response to the mass protests in Colombo. The letter called for the immediate resignation of Rajapaksa and Wickremesinghe and provided for convening the parliament within seven days to appoint an acting president. (@ChaudhryMAli88) LUHANSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2022) Ukrainian troops shelled the city of Alchevsk late on Saturday night using the American High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), the Luhansk People's Republic's (LPR) mission to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination on the ceasefire regime (JCCC) said. "Shelling was recorded from the side of the armed formations of Ukraine: 01. 10 (22:10 on Saturday) from the direction of Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), at Alchevsk, with the use of MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) HIMARS (four missiles)," the LPR mission said in a statement released on Telegram. On Friday, US President Joe Biden authorized a new $400 million drawdown of additional military assistance to Ukraine. The US Defense Department said the aid package includes four HIMARS, 1,000 rounds of 155 millimeter artillery munitions with greater precision capabilities, counter battery systems and other equipment. Pope Francis renews his appeal for peace in Sri Lanka, urges constructive dialogue and reconciliation in Libya, and calls once again for an end to the senseless war in Ukraine. And he prays for seafarers and their families as he recalls Sea Sunday, observed today throughout the world. By Christopher Wells I unite myself to the sorrow of the Sri Lankan people, who continue to suffer the effects of political and economic instability, Pope Francis said on Sunday, following the weekly Angelus. Following weeks of popular demonstrations, groups of protesters in Sri Lanka stormed the presidential palace and other government buildings on Saturday, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Later in the day, both the president and Prime Minister Ranil Wikremesinghe agreed to resign, but protest leaders have said they will continue to occupy their official residences until they actually leave office. Read also 09/07/2022 Protestors in Sri Lanka storm president's residence and office Sri Lankan protesters demanding President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation forced their way into his official residence and nearby office on Saturday. Meanwhile, opposition political parties are set to meet on Sunday to discuss the formation of a new government. In his remarks on Sunday, Pope Francis, in concert with the countrys Bishop, renewed his appeal for peace, and implored Sri Lankas leaders not to ignore the cry of the poor and the needs of the people. Libya Pope Francis also addressed a special thought to the people of Lybia, in particular to the young people and to all those who are suffering because of the serious social and economic problems in the country. He called for ever new and convincing solutions to those problems, with the help of the international community, through constructive dialogue and national reconciliation. Libya has been in turmoil since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafis regime in 2011, which led to internal struggles that only ended with a cease-fire in 2020. A presidential election originally scheduled for December 2021 and delayed till June 2022 has still not taken place. Earlier this month, protesters stormed the House of Representatives in the eastern city of Tobruk and burned the building; since then, protests have continued throughout the country. Read also 03/07/2022 Pope calls for de-escalation over war in Ukraine Pope Francis renews his appeal for peace in Ukraine, and calls on the international community to step back from confrontational rhetoric. Ukraine Turning to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Pope Francis once again pleaded that God might show the way to put an end to this senseless war. Expressing his closeness to the Ukrainian people, who are daily tormented by brutal attacks that the common people are paying for, the Pope assured them of his prayers for all the families, especially for the victims, the wounded, those who are sick and for the elderly and for the children. In the latest news from Ukraine, at least 15 people were killed when a Russian rocket hit an apartment building in the eastern Ukraine town of Chasiv Yar on Saturday night, and more than 20 people may still be trapped in the rubble. The rocket assault is the latest in a recent burst of high-casualty attacks on civilian structures. Read also 07/07/2022 Cardinal Czerny highlights issue of shore leave in Sea Sunday message The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, releases a message ahead of Sea Sunday, which is observed on 10 July, and highlights ... Sea Sunday Finally, the Popes thoughts turned to Sea Sunday, observed each year on the second Sunday in July. Let us remember all seafarers with esteem and gratitude for their precious work, the Pope said, as well as the chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris, an apostolate that provides pastoral care and support for seafarers and their families. At the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Francis offered a special prayer for those seafarers who find themselves stranded in war zones, entrusting them to the Blessed Virgin Mary so that they might return home. Earlier this week, in a Message for Sea Sunday, Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ, highlighted some of the challenges facing seafarers today, focusing especially on the importance of shore leave as crucial for seafarers wellbeing. In a ceremony on Thursday afternoon, Cardinal Pietro Parolin blesses the foundation stone of a new building for an Apostolic Nunciature to South Sudan in the presence of civil and religious authorities. By Salvatore Cernuzio Juba, South Sudan The new Apostolic Nunciature of South Sudan will be located in the north of Juba, in an expanse of green next to the seminary donated by the Bishops Conference. It is a gift of God that consolidates relations between the Holy See and South Sudan, but above all it emphasizes "the Pope's love" for this country that he wants to visit soon. In a ceremony on Thursday before religious and civil authorities, Cardinal Pietro Parolin blessed the foundation stone of the building designed by architect Pasquale Gandolfi from Bergamo, Italy. The ceremony Currently, the Nunciature is located in a building in Juba, owned by a private individual and rented. It is only a temporary arrangement while the Church waits for the new "house of the Pope," as Cardinal Parolin describes it. The Vatican Secretary of State also spoke of it as "a sign of the will to consolidate relations between the Holy See and the Republic of South Sudan through an apostolic representation." Cardinal Pietro Parolin during the ceremony Strengthening communion between the Pope and local churches "The role of the Nunciature is to strengthen the communion between the Pope and the bishops and the local churches, by fostering relations, fostering the commitment to peace, development, and the welfare of the people in the country where the Nunciature is present," the Cardinal said. He further asked those present to pray that this project may soon come to fruition. "Thank you for possibility to share this moment of joy for you and all the people of South Sudan, he added. A "house" of prayer For his part, Archbishop Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen, Apostolic Nuncio to South Sudan and resident in Nairobi, spoke of "a historic day for the presence of the Catholic Church in South Sudan." It is a wish fulfilled thanks to divine providence, which, he said, "pointed us to this beautiful suburban land," almost "a symbol of paradise in the middle of the city of Juba." It "is not only a diplomatic representation, but also will be a house of God. All those who will live and work here will pray in a special way for the assistance of the Holy Spirit," Archbishop van Megen said. "The role of the Nunciature," he added, "will be to ensure that the members will never fail to support its Head who is Christ, represented by the Holy Father Pope Francis at this particular moment in history... Let this Nunciature, then, be an expression of the love of the universal Church for the particular Church in South Sudan. An expression of Pope Francis' love for the people of South Sudan." The glass case Government representation Also speaking on behalf of the government during the ceremony was Barnabas Marial Benjamin, Minister of Presidential Affairs, who stressed that the executive branch also applauds the work, which strengthens Church-State cooperation in South Sudan. "This is great news for the people of South Sudan who are united in the Church" and "hope for Pope Francis' visit to this country, he noted. A brick from the Holy Door After the Gospel reading, Cardinal Parolin then uncovered a glass case wrapped in a yellow-white Vatican City flag, to bless the foundation stone as a gospel sung was sung a cappella. It was a brick locked in the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica at the end of the 2000 Jubilee, which was declared by John Paul II. The brick was subsequently taken from the same Holy Door when it was opened by Pope Francis for the 2016 Jubilee of Mercy. Oleksandr Chubuk's warehouse should be empty, awaiting the new harvest, with his supply of winter wheat already shipped abroad. Instead, his storage bins in central Ukraine are piled high with grain he cannot ship out because of the war with Russia. The green spikes of wheat are already ripening. Soon, the horizon will look like the Ukrainian flag, a sea of gold beneath a blue sky. Chubuk expects to reap 500 tons, but for the first time in his 30 years as a farmer, he's uncertain about what to do with it. "Hope is the only thing I have now," he said. The war has trapped about 22 million tons of grain inside Ukraine, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a growing crisis for the country known as the "breadbasket of Europe" for its exports of wheat, corn and sunflower oil. Before Russia's invasion, Ukraine could export 6 million to 7 million tons of grain per month, but in June it shipped only 2.2 million tons, according to the Ukrainian Grain Association. Normally, it sends about 30% of its grain to Europe, 30% to North Africa and 40% to Asia, said Mykola Horbachov, head of the association. With Russia's blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports, the fate of the upcoming harvest in Ukraine is in doubt. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says the war is endangering food supplies for many developing nations and could worsen hunger for up to 181 million people. Meanwhile, many farmers in Ukraine could go bankrupt. They are facing the most difficult situation since gaining independence in 1991, Horbachov said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said his country is working with the U.N., Ukraine, and Russia to find a solution, offering safe corridors in the Black Sea for wheat shipments. For now, Ukraine is trying less-effective alternatives to export its grain, at least to Europe. Currently, 30% of exports go via three Danube River ports in southwestern Ukraine. The country also is trying to ship grain via 12 border crossings with European countries, but trucks must wait in line for days, and Europe's infrastructure cannot yet absorb such a volume of grain, Horbachov said. "It's impossible to build such infrastructure in one year," he told The Associated Press. Russia's invasion also caused transportation costs to soar. The price to deliver this year's harvested barley to the closest Romanian port, Constanta, is now $160 to $180 per ton, up from $40 to $45. And yet a farmer selling barley to a trader gets less than $100 per ton. The losses are piling up, along with the harvest. "Most of the farmers are running the risk of becoming bankrupt very soon. But they don't have any other option but to sell their grain cheaper than its cost," Horbachov said. On top of such challenges, not all farmers can sell their grain. Before the invasion, Chubuk could sell a ton of wheat from his Kyiv region farm for $270. Now he can't find a buyer even at $135 per ton. "The whole system backs up," including storage options, said James Heneghan, senior vice president at Gro Intelligence, a global climate and agriculture data analytics company. The system was meant to keep Ukraine's exports flowing, not store them. Without money coming in for grain, future harvests are challenging. "Farmers need to purchase fertilizers, seeds, diesel, pay the salary," Horbachov said. "Ukrainian farmers can't print money." The country hasn't yet run out of storage as the harvest begins. Ukraine has about 65 million to 67 million tons of commercial grain storage capacity, according to Horbachov, although 20% of that is in Russian-occupied territories. Farmers themselves can store 20 million to 25 million tons, but some of that is also in occupied areas. By the end of September, when the harvest of corn and sunflower seeds begins, Ukraine will face a shortage of storage capacity. The FAO recently announced a $17 million project to help address the storage deficit. Heneghan of Gro Intelligence noted that one temporary solution could be providing farmers with silo bags for storage. In eastern and southern regions near the front line, farmers continue to work their fields despite the threat to their lives. "It can be finished in a moment by bombing, or as we see now, the fields are on fire," said Yurii Vakulenko in the Dnipropetrovsk region, black smoke is visible in the distance. His workers risk their lives for little return, with storage facilities now refusing to take their grain, Vakulenko said. Ukraine had a record-breaking grain harvest last year, collecting 107 million tons. Even more had been expected this year. Now, in the best-case scenario, farmers will harvest only 70 million tons of grain this year, Horbachov estimated. "Without opening the (Black Sea) ports, I don't see any solution for Ukrainian farmers to survive," he said. "And if they don't survive, we won't be able to feed African countries. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Bangkok, where Myanmar is expected to feature prominently in meetings Sunday with Thailands leaders. The main topic of their discussions will likely be the crisis in Myanmar, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink, adding the U.S. would continue to "condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Burmese military regime's brutal actions since the coup d'etat, the killing of nearly 2,000 people and displacing more than 700,000 others." Myanmar is also known as Burma. Blinken is to meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Expanding health and climate cooperation are also on the agenda, as is next years Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual meeting, which the U.S. will host, according to the State Department. The State Department announced Sunday that Blinken will travel to Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and to meet with senior Japanese officials. Blinken arrived in Thailand a few days after his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on his own tour of Southeast Asia. Over the weekend, Wang visited Myanmar, his first visit to the country since the military seized power last year. Blinken and Wang met Saturday at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, and spoke for several hours. The top U.S. diplomat told his Chinese counterpart during those meetings that Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine is complicating U.S.-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues. Wang blamed the U.S. for the downturn in relations and said American policy has been derailed by what he called a misperception of China as a threat. Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia, the Chinese foreign minister said, according to a Chinese statement. If such threat-expansion is allowed to grow, U.S. policy toward China will be a dead end with no way out. Blinken said he conveyed the deep concerns of the United States regarding Beijings increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity toward Taiwan. Blinken also noted he addressed U.S. concerns over Beijings use of the strategic South China Sea, the repression of freedom in Hong Kong, forced labor, the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Tibet, and the genocide in Xinjiang. Additionally, the U.S. secretary of state said that he and Wang discussed ways in which there could be more cooperation between the two countries in areas such as climate crisis, food security, global health and counternarcotics. For his part, Wang said China and the United States need to work together to ensure that their relationship will continue to move forward along the right track. Blinken's meeting with the Chinese foreign minister was 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 the U.S. was not seeking to decouple from China and the relationship between the world's two largest economies was not a zero-sum game. On Friday, the G-20 talks were dominated by discussion of the war in Ukraine and its impact on energy and food supplies. Indonesia, as the meeting's 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: Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sat at the same table but did not speak directly. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday condemned the repression exacted by Myanmars junta while urging China and a Southeast Asian bloc of nations to pressure Myanmars military rulers to restore democracy and adhere to a peace deal it agreed to last year. I think it's incumbent upon China and in China's interests to see Burma move back to the path that it was on before it was so violently disrupted by the coup, Blinken said, using Myanmars former name. He said at a Bangkok news conference that despite last years five-point consensus peace agreement developed by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, which includes Myanmar, There has been no positive movement on that. In April of last year, ASEAN's nine other countries and Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing signed an agreement that included immediate cessation of violence and continued talks among all parties. "The ASEAN countries need to hold the regime accountable for that ... continue to demand the cessation of violence and release of prisoners," Blinken said. But instead, the top U.S diplomat said, I think it's unfortunately safe to say that we've seen no positive movement and on the contrary, we continue to see the repression of the Burmese people, we continue to see violence perpetrated on them by the regime, we continue to see virtually the entire opposition in jail or in exile. And we continue to see a terrible humanitarian situation exacerbated by the fact that the regime is not delivering what's necessary for the people, Blinken added. He said, All countries have to continue to speak clearly about what the regime is doing, and its ongoing repression and brutality. We have an obligation to the people of Burma to hold the regime accountable. Blinken, on a tour of Asian countries, met with Thailands Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. They signed a communique on the countries strategic alliance and partnership, and then a memorandum of understanding on promoting supply chain resilience between Thailand and the United States. Speaking to reporters afterward, Blinken said, Our countries share the same goal of a free open, interconnected prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific. In recent years, we worked together even more closely toward that vision. Our economic ties are incredibly strong and even now emerging from COVID. They will grow stronger. Blinken is also to meet with Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha. Expanding health and climate cooperation is also on the agenda, as is next years Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual meeting, which the United States will host, according to the State Department. The State Department announced Sunday that Blinken will travel to Tokyo Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and to meet with senior Japanese officials. Blinken arrived in Thailand a few days after his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on his own tour of Southeast Asia. Over the weekend, Wang visited Myanmar, his first visit to the country since the military seized power last year. Blinken and Wang met Saturday at the summit of the Group of 20 largest economies, or G-20, in Bali, Indonesia, and spoke for several hours. The top U.S. diplomat told his Chinese counterpart during those meetings that Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine is complicating U.S.-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues. Wang blamed the U.S. for the downturn in relations and said American policy has been derailed by what he called a misperception of China as a threat. Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia, the Chinese foreign minister said, according to a Chinese statement. If such threat-expansion is allowed to grow, U.S. policy toward China will be a dead end with no way out. Blinken said he conveyed the deep concerns of the United States regarding Beijings increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity toward Taiwan. Blinken also said he addressed U.S. concerns over Beijings attempt at controlling the strategic South China Sea, repression of freedom for residents in Hong Kong, and the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities, including Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Additionally, the U.S. secretary of state said that he and Wang discussed ways in which there could be more cooperation between the two countries in areas such as climate crisis, food security, global health and the fight against drug trafficking. For his part, Wang said China and the United States need to work together to ensure that their relationship will continue to move forward along the right track. Hundreds of thousands of people waved rainbow flags and danced to music at Madrid's Pride march Saturday as the event returned following two years of COVID-enforced restrictions. Across Europe, in Romania, an estimated 15,000 took to the streets of Bucharest to demand equal rights for gender and sexual minorities, under the heavy supervision of police. Romania decriminalized homosexuality in 2001, but same-sex couples are not allowed to marry or enter into civil partnerships. Demonstrators in the Spanish capital gathered in the late afternoon behind a large banner with the slogan "visibility, pride and resilience." Some participants carried water pistols and sprayed each other to keep cool in the searing heat. Others went bare-chested and danced to the rhythm of Brazilian and techno music. Several ministers from Spain's left-wing coalition government, including Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, joined them. "I missed this a lot. The atmosphere is great. You can see that people really wanted to party after so long without a 'normal' Pride," said Victor Romero Fernandez, a 38-year-old teacher. City authorities said more than 600,000 people took part in the event, which public broadcaster TVE covered live for the first time. Civil servant Miguel Angel Alfonso, 44, appreciated seeing packed streets but thought the event should put more emphasis on demanding rights. "It has become a big party, with floats converted into discos and multinationals ... it's a big business," he said. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Spain in 1978, three years after the death of dictator Francisco Franco. The country has since legalized marriage and adoption for same-sex couples. In Bucharest, activists are worried about a draft law, put forward by lawmakers from Romania's Hungarian minority, to prohibit educational material that discusses homosexuality and gender transition in schools. The senate earlier this year passed the bill, though it still has to be put to a vote in the lower house. The proposal is similar to legislation that came into force last year in neighboring Hungary. Among the crowd, 37-year-old Catalin Enescu had come with his wife and two young daughters, both dressed in rainbow-colored dresses. "It's my first time taking part in a march like this, but it's important to be here because the rights of LGBTQ people are no longer respected," he said. Earlier in the day, about 200 people, several brandishing Orthodox Christian icons, responded to a call by far-right party Noua Dreapta for a counter-protest. "The fact that pride celebrations are bigger and bigger while right-wing groups are smaller and smaller is a positive sign," said Tor-Hugne Olsen, of the International Planned Parenthood Federation. "But it's challenging that we see many proposals in parliament that are reducing the rights of the LGBT and other sexual health issues." Oana Baluta, another protester and a professor at the University of Bucharest, said she feared what would happen if the bill were passed into law in the EU country. "If it is adopted, this draft law which is contrary to European Union norms would deal a grave blow to the freedom of expression and rights of LGBTQ people," she said. "It would set a dangerous precedent, because we would then risk also being banned from the right to discuss abortion and sexual education," she said. Romania has one of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Europe. Abortions are legal, but access to them has become increasingly difficult. At the event. (Photo: VNA) At a reception for foreign mission representatives held by the municipal Peoples Committee on July 8, the official expressed his gratitude for their positive contributions to the fight against the pandemic, contributing to the citys socio-economic outcomes during the first half of this year. Congratulating the Service Company to Foreign Mission (FOSCO) on its 43rd founding anniversary, Hoan spoke highly of the performance of the company, especially in providing services to consular delegations, international and non-governmental organisations, foreign economic representative offices, helping realise the external relations work of the city. VNA quoted the saying of Kho Ngee Seng Roy, Consul General of Singapore in HCM City and head of the Consular Delegation in the city, that he thanked FOSCO for supporting diplomatic missions and foreign organisations to work in Vietnam. He believed that the relations between foreign diplomatic agencies and FOSCO as well as the citys administration will further develop in the future for mutual benefit. According to Le Thi Hong Hau, Chairman of FOSCOs Board of Members, over the past 43 years, the company has provided various types of services to diplomatic agencies, international and non-governmental organisations and representative offices of foreign economic organisations in HCM City and other localities in the south of Vietnam. In addition to guiding foreign organisations to strictly observe Vietnamese laws and create favourable conditions for them to have a safe and effective working environment, FOSCO has contributed to the citys success in the implementation of foreign policy, she said./. Protesters in Washington marched to the gates of the White House on Saturday to express their dismay and disapproval of the Supreme Courts overturning of the landmark reproductive rights case Roe v. Wade that had guaranteed a womans right nationwide to an abortion for nearly 50 years. Similar protests were staged across the country. The high court acted two weeks ago. Millions of women are expected to lose access to abortions because of the repeal. Saturdays demonstration came a day after U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order seeking to protect reproductive rights and access to abortions in response to the courts repeal of the landmark case. The president does not have the authority to overturn the Supreme Courts ruling. German police are investigating after several women reported feeling unwell following an event hosted by the parliamentary group of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's party. Berlin police said Saturday that the investigation was triggered by a 21-year-old woman, who felt dizzy and unwell several hours into Wednesday's summer party for the Social Democrats and then was unable to remember the evening the following day. She went to a hospital for checks, and the police ordered a blood test for an analysis of possible toxic substances. The woman ate and drank at the event, but didn't consume any alcohol, police said. By Saturday morning, another four cases in which people reported similar symptoms had emerged. German media reported that they apparently were victims of so-called knockout drops, which can be mixed into drinks or food. Police said they were awaiting test results. Police opened an investigation of unknown persons on suspicion of bodily harm. Both they and the center-left Social Democrats said they weren't aware of any offenses beyond that. The Social Democrats' co-leader, Lars Klingbeil, told Welt television he was furious that something like this could happen at an event organized by the party. He said the parliamentary group's leadership is cooperating with authorities and he hopes that the perpetrator or perpetrators can be caught and then brought to account." About 1,000 people attended the annual party Wednesday, including the chancellor, party lawmakers and their employees. Tehran residents accustomed to seething at slow-moving traffic, sweltering in summer heat and suffocating in smog may be surprised to find a growing number of outdoor painters reveling in the Iranian capital's historic charm. The overcrowded metropolis may be dusty and in need of beautification, but the honeycomb of alleyways that make up old Tehran is drawing throngs of artists out of their cramped studios and into the open streets a trend that accelerated during the lockdowns of the coronavirus pandemic. These devotees aim not only to capture Tehran's vanishing old neighborhoods, but also help preserve them. Many areas have been bulldozed. Cranes punctuate the skyline as storied 19th-century quarters make room for modern high-rises. "The paintings link us to past designs and feelings that are disappearing," said Morteza Rahimi, a 32-year-old carpenter, art aficionado and resident of downtown Tehran. "They help us remember. See how many old beautiful buildings have turned to rubble." Beside him, painter Hassan Naderali used loose brushstrokes and bright colors to capture the play of light and flicker of movement in an impressionist style. With a passion for painting en plein air, French for "in the open air," Naderali seeks to depict the beauty in his dilapidated surroundings. Population growth transforms city Tehran has transformed into a teeming city of over 10 million people from just 4.5 million at the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. The young theocracy's population surge coincided with mass migration to Tehran after Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's invasion in the 1980s. As job and education opportunities lured even more people to the capital, the government responded to an emerging housing crisis with massive real estate developments. Some of the city's 19th-century gems, built by the Qajar kings not long after they moved Iran's capital to Tehran in 1796, have been lost to new apartment towers in the past few decades. Through social media, however, artists and historians have sought to counter the cultural amnesia amid escalating demolitions. "Social media has caused awareness among people about the risks that jeopardize historic, old buildings," said art expert Mostafa Mirzaeian, referring to the decadent palaces of the Qajars, best known for their elaborate mirrored mosaics. "People are learning about the value of older places and paying attention to their cultural and artistic dimensions." 'Our roots, our heritage' For open-air painting fan Somayyeh Abedini, a government employee and resident of Tehran's historic Oudlajan neighborhood, the conservationist thrust is personal. The arched horizons, leafy alleys and walled villas of Oudlajan serve as her muse, she said, evoking the spirit of her father who spent his entire life in the neighborhood. "The old places in the neighborhood are our roots, our heritage," Abedini said. "It's a pity many of them were destroyed." The practice of outdoor painting in Tehran thrived during the pandemic, artists say, as many found solace and inspiration under the open sky when galleries and museums shuttered for months, and construction projects sputtered to a halt. The health crisis exacted a devastating toll on Iran, infecting over 7.2 million and killing over 141,000 people the worst death toll in the Middle East. As the chaos eased on Tehran's streets, 58-year-old Naderali set up his studio outside. Venturing out with brushes, pencils, paint, a portable easel and papers, he painted away where he felt most alive under the sun, feeling the breeze. "I went out every day. Outdoor places were not so crowded, and I found more access to the places I liked to paint," he said of his pandemic experience. Naderali sells dozens of his paintings, many depicting old Persian palaces and traditional Tehran homes, to domestic and foreign clients. A yearning for bygone eras drives high demand among Iranian buyers abroad, he said excitement about a time when Achaemenids carved bas-reliefs into the walls of Persepolis in 500 B.C. and Isfahan thrived as a blue-tiled jewel of Islamic culture in the 17th century. That nostalgia has sharpened as Iran, devastated by sanctions and cut off from the world economy, seethes with public anger over rising prices and declining living standards. Talks to revive Tehran's nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump abandoned four years ago, have made no progress in the past year. The country's poverty has deepened. But in many ways, Iran's contemporary art scene has flowered despite the challenges. For years after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution ousted the Western-backed monarchy and brought Shiite clerics to power, hard-liners outlawed modern art and even sought to ban painting. The Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art's extensive collection, worth billions of dollars, sat in its vaults. But the clerical establishment came to appreciate the art form during the grisly Iran-Iraq war that began in 1980. Paintings that paid tribute to the war-dead and lionized the leaders of the Islamic Revolution sprung up on the city's drab walls. Western art exhibited again Many of the contemporary art museum's works including Monets, Picassos and Jackson Pollocks bought during Iran's oil boom under the reign of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi have been brought out in recent decades as cultural restrictions eased. Last summer, just days before the election of President Ebrahim Raisi, a hardline cleric hostile to the cultural influence of the West, the museum reopened with a retrospective of American pop artist Andy Warhol. Today, successful Iranian artists including stars who exhibit abroad have helped transform Tehran's once-staid art market into a dynamic scene. Auction houses across the city fetch high prices for homegrown painters. An auction last Friday recorded sales of more than $2.2 million for 120 works. Iranian state TV regularly broadcasts paint-along lessons, including the late American painter Bob Ross' beloved PBS show "The Joy of Painting," inspiring amateurs to create their own masterpieces. Iran's art schools are flourishing, with a majority of female students. Although exhibits require government licenses, swanky Tehran galleries showing new work by Iranian painters bustle with young crowds. "Once a passerby told me, 'Art gives birth in poverty and dies in wealth,'" remarked Naderali. Israel's prime minister expressed hope Sunday that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before President Joe Biden visits the two countries as part of a regional trip. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations but have shared clandestine security ties over a mutual enmity of regional archrival Iran. The kingdom is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel. Israel extends its hand to all the countries of the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish relations with us, and change history for our children, Prime Minister Yair Lapid said during a weekly Cabinet meeting. He said Biden will carry a message of peace and hope from us when he embarks for Saudi Arabia. Israel's ties with Arab states have grown since normalizing relations with four Arab states in 2020 as part of the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords. Defense cooperation has tightened since the Pentagon switched coordination with Israel from U.S. European Command to Central Command, or CENTCOM, last year. The move lumped Israels military with those of former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have yet to recognize Israel. Biden is set to arrive in Israel Wednesday for a three-day trip that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there, he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia. In an opinion piece in The Washington Post Sunday, Biden said hes aiming to bring the two countries closer together. I will also be the first president to fly from Israel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Biden wrote. That travel will also be a small symbol of the budding relations and steps toward normalization between Israel and the Arab world, which my administration is working to deepen and expand. Formal ties with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The kingdom has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabias King Salman has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured all three areas in 1967, though it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic ties with Israel upon a two-state solution to the decadeslong conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians have not held substantive negotiations in more than a decade. But recent years have seen signs of a shifting attitude. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and Gulf states to cross through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense reporters visited the kingdom and published news reports about their welcome. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Volunteers from Kyiv are providing hundreds of meals each day for the beleaguered residents of the nearly destroyed village of Borodyanka, just outside Ukraines capital. Anna Kosstutschenko has the story. Camera and video editing by Pavel Suhodolskiy. For full coverage of the crisis in Ukraine, visit Flashpoint Ukraine. The latest developments in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. All times EDT: 11:25 p.m.: The biggest single pipeline carrying Russian gas to Germany starts annual maintenance on Monday, with flows expected to stop for 10 days, but governments, markets and companies are worried the shutdown might be extended due to war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. The Nord Stream 1 pipeline transports 55 billion cubic meters a year of gas from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea. It will undergo maintenance from July 11 to 21. Last month, Russia cut flows to 40% of the pipeline's total capacity, citing the delayed return of equipment being serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada. Europe fears Russia may extend the scheduled maintenance to restrict European gas supply further, throwing plans to fill storage for winter into disarray and heightening a gas crisis that has prompted emergency measures from governments and painfully high bills for consumers. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov dismissed claims that Russia was using oil and gas to exert political pressure, saying the maintenance shutdown was a regular, scheduled event, and that no one was "inventing" any repairs, according to Reuters. 8:46 p.m.: In his nighty video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, Since the beginning of this invasion, Ukrainian law enforcement officers have been doing everything necessary to record the crimes of the occupiers and to collect evidence. Our partners from many countries are involved in this work. Russian terror has long crossed the line beyond which it became obvious to many in the civilized world that it is a matter of global security to punish Russia, a terrorist state, for everything it has done against Ukraine and the international legal order. My schedule for the coming weeks includes precisely such negotiations and appeals that will contribute to the restoration of justice, to the punishment of Russian war criminals. Moreover, this activity is aimed not only at Europe and other traditional regions for the work of Ukrainian diplomacy. We will do everything so that Latin America, Asia and Africa hear the truth about Russian terror on our land as well, he said. 7:18 p.m.: The French government is preparing for a total cutoff of Russian gas supplies, which it sees as the most likely scenario in its forward planning, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said, according to Reuters. With about 17% of its supply coming from Russia, France is less dependent on Russian gas than some of its neighbors, but the government has been preparing contingency plans. A cutoff is particularly problematic now because France's nuclear power generation would struggle to pick up the slack as many reactors are currently down for maintenance. "Let's prepare for a total cutoff of Russian gas -- that remains to be the most likely scenario. This requires us to accelerate our energy independence, Le Maire told the Les Rencontres Economiques conference in the southern French town of Aix-en-Provence. 6:34 p.m.: 5:37 p.m.: Russia has restricted access to the website of Germany's Die Welt newspaper at the request of prosecutors, according to the country's communications regulator, Reuters reported. Russian officials accuse the West of spreading false information about what Moscow describes as a "special military operation" in Ukraine. Since sending troops to the neighboring country on Feb. 24, Russia has blocked or limited access to BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle and other media outlets. It was not immediately clear why prosecutors asked for the restriction in respect of welt.de page. Roskomnadzor, the communications regulator, did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment, Reuters reported. 4:18 p.m.: Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has said he wants to maintain contact with Russian President Vladimir Putin despite pressure for him to break off their friendship because of Moscow's war in Ukraine, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported. "I will not give up my opportunities for talks with President Putin," Schroeder told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper in comments published on July 10. Schroeder, a Social Democrat, was Germany's chancellor from 1998 to 2005 and after leaving office was made chairman of the board of Russian state-owned oil giant Rosneft. 3:30 p.m.: Ukraine is massing a million-strong fighting force equipped with Western weapons to recover its southern territory from Russia, the nations defense minister has revealed to Britain's The Times. 2:45p.m.: Poland expects 200,000 more Ukrainian children to attend its schools in the next academic year, The Kyiv Independent reports. According to Przemyslaw Czarnek, Poland's minister of education and science, the country has already accepted 200,000 kids from Ukraine, including 40,000 preschoolers. The number of Ukrainian children in Polish schools may double in the following academic year. Czarnek added that some schools introduced Ukrainian-language classes to help kids integrate. 2 p.m.: Ukraines deputy prime minister urged civilians in the Russian-occupied southern region of Kherson to urgently evacuate as Ukraines armed forces were preparing a counter-attack there, Reuters reports. "It's clear there will be fighting, there will be artillery shelling... and we therefore urge (people) to evacuate urgently," Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said on national television. She said she could not say when exactly the counter-offensive would happen. "I know for sure that there should not be women and children there, and that they should not become human shields," she said. 1:45 p.m.: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said on Sunday that getting U.S. basketball player Brittney Griner home from Russia, where she faces up to 10 years in prison on a drug charge, remains a top priority for the league, Reuters reports. Griner pleaded guilty to a drugs charge in a Russian court last week but denied she had intentionally broken the law. Her next court hearing was scheduled for July 14. "Obviously we are thinking of Brittney Griner at this time," Engelbert said in her opening remarks to media ahead of Sunday's WNBA All-Star Game in Chicago. "She remains a huge priority for us, continues to have our full support, fully focused on getting her home safely and as soon as possible of course." The two-time Olympic gold medallist was detained in February at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport with vape cartridges containing hashish oil, which is illegal in Russia, and has been kept in custody since. 1:30 p.m.: U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with leaders of several Arab states during his July 13-16 trip to the region. According to the New York Times, Biden will ask several countries to provide Ukraine with the remaining stocks of Soviet-made weapons, with which Ukrainians are more familiar. 12:30 p.m.: Canada will return a repaired turbine to Germany that is needed for the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and could help to ensure continued flows of energy until Europe can end its dependency on Russian gas, Canada's minister of natural resources said. Reuters reports Ukraines energy and foreign ministries said the decision amounted to adjusting sanctions imposed on Moscow "to the whims of Russia" and called for it to be reversed. The Canadian government said shipping the equipment to Europe would support: "Europes ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas." Siemens Energy in a statement on Sunday said it was working to get the turbine to the Nord Stream pipeline as quickly as possible. 12 p.m.: Nine police officers in Luhansk Oblast are suspected of treason. According to investigators, the officers met with representatives of Kremlin proxies in Luhansk Oblast and agreed to join the ranks of the Russian proxy administration in the occupied region, thus violating their oath to Ukraine and committing treason, the Kyiv Independent reports. 10:15 a.m.: Ukraine to receive a $1.7 billion grant from USAID, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Development Association to pay for medical services, the Kyiv Independent reports. 10:10 a.m.: The U.K. Ministry of Defense says the first cohort of Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom have no previous military experience, have arrived in the U.K. for combat training as the eastern European nation races to replace troops killed and wounded in the war against Russia, the Associated Press reports. The first few hundred recruits are receiving instruction at sites across Britain. It's the first phase of program that aims to train up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrol tactics. It is part of broader package of support for Ukraine that includes 2.3 billion pounds ($2.8 billion) of anti-tank weapons, rocket systems and other hardware. 9:20 a.m.: The Kyiv Independent reports estimates of Russias combat losses as of July 10. 9:25 a.m.: On Eid al-Adha, an important religious holiday in Islam, Ukrainian Mufti turned fighter Said Ismahilov asked fellow Ukrainian Muslims to pray for victory and for those still living in areas under Russian occupation. The Associated Press reports, Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. In Kostiantynivka, in the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbas, dozens of Ukrainian Muslims gathered to mark the religious holiday. 8:45 a.m.: Russian movie theaters are empty after international sanctions have halted new U.S. film releases in the country. RFERL reports, Russian movie goers are boycotting Russian productions. 8:30 a.m.: Parents and educators in the Russian-occupied areas of southern Ukraine say the occupation authorities are using blackmail to compel them to cooperate with pro-Moscow schools being created for the coming academic year. Sources tell RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service that the occupation authorities are telling parents that they could lose their parental rights if they do not acquire Russian passports and send their children to the designated schools. 8:15 a.m.: An estimated 22 million tons of grain are blocked in Ukraine, and pressure is growing as the new harvest begins. The country usually delivers about 30% of its grain to Europe, 30% to North Africa and 40% to Asia. But with the ongoing Russian naval blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports, millions of tons of last years harvest still cant reach their destinations. According to the Associated Press, one local expert says that without opening the Black Sea ports, he doesn't see any solution for Ukrainian farmers to survive. That would lead to disruptions of the world's food supply, especially for developing countries in Africa. 7:50 a.m.: According to Reuters the Russian defense ministry said its forces struck two Ukrainian army hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery weapon, near Kostantinovka in the Donetsk region. 7:55 a.m.: The Associated Press reports that at least 15 people were killed when a Russian rocket hit an apartment building in the eastern Ukraine town of Chasiv Yar and more than 20 people may still be trapped in the rubble, officials say. The rocket assault Saturday night is the latest in a recent burst of high-casualty attacks on civilian structures. At least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June and 21 people were killed when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region this month. Russia has repeatedly claimed that it is hitting only targets of military value in the war. 5:21 a.m.: The first group of Ukrainian soldiers being trained in a new United Kingdom program have arrived, British officials said. "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 countrys sovereignty and their right to choose their own future," Ben Wallace, U.K. defense secretary, said. The program aims to train up to 10,000 Ukrainians in coming months, officials said. 4:25 a.m.: The latest intelligence update from the U.K. defense ministry said Russian artillery continues to hit the Sloviansk area of the Donbas. The update also noted that Russia has probably made small territorial advances around Popasna. 3:09 a.m.: The Associated Press reported that the Ukrainian government has urged people in occupied southern areas to evacuate so Russian forces can't use them as human shields. The deputy prime minister said You need to search for a way to leave" because she expects a massive fight when Ukrainian forces try to push out the Russians. 2:14 a.m.: RFE/RL reports 1:10 a.m.: The U.S. think tank The Institute for the Study of War released its latest assessment, saying Russian troops continue to face personnel and equipment shortages. Russia's launching unsuccessful assaults northwest of Slovyansk, the update said, and is attacking east of Siversk and northwest of Kharkiv City. 12:02 a.m.: Oleksandr Vilkul, mayor of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, said Russia had attacked the city with cluster munitions, killing at least one person and injuring two, Agence France-Presse reported. "The eyes of all aggressive political movements and regimes in the world are now focused on what Russia is doing against us, against Ukraine," Zelenskyy said in an Instagram post. "Will the world be able to bring real war criminals to justice?" he asked, warning failure to do so would lead to "hundreds of other aggressions." Some information in this report came from Agence France-Presse and The Associated Press. Four further candidates have joined the increasingly crowded field of Conservatives vying to succeed Boris Johnson as British prime minister, as the committee overseeing the contest looks to speed up the process of whittling down the numbers. The Conservative Party's so-called 1922 Committee of legislators will set out the exact rules and timetable for the contest next week, after Johnson was forced to quit by his own party. Many lawmakers are pushing for a fast-tracked process. On Saturday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, and former ministers Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid became the latest Conservative lawmakers to officially declare they were putting themselves forward for the leadership, taking the total to eight, with at least two more still expected to join the race. The Mail on Sunday said Foreign Secretary Liz Truss would launch her campaign Monday with a promise to cut taxes and tackle the cost-of-living crisis, while one of her main rivals for the role, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, ruled himself out. Several other candidates also promised tax cuts, putting them at odds with the bookmakers' favorite, former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, whose budget last year put Britain on course for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s. "My aim is a simple one: to provide the opportunities that were afforded to my generation, to all Britons, whoever you are and wherever you come from. To steady the ship and to stabilize the economy," Sky News quoted Zahawi, who was appointed finance minister by Johnson on Tuesday after Sunak resigned, as saying. Shapps told the Sunday Times he was ruling out holding a national election if successful but would produce an emergency budget within his first 100 days that would cut taxes for the most vulnerable and give state support to firms with high levels of energy consumption. Hunt, a former foreign secretary and health minister who lost out to Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, and Javid, a former finance minister, both said as leader they would cut corporation tax to 15%. Javid, whose resignation as health minister Tuesday helped build pressure against Johnson to go, also said he would reverse an increase in social security contributions which took place in April. "We cannot afford not to have tax cuts," Javid told the Telegraph newspaper. Conservative lawmakers will hold a series of votes to reduce the field to two final candidates, who will then face a postal ballot of the wider Conservative Party membership. "Clearly what we would want to do, and I think even the candidates would admit this is, is to eliminate some of those that are clearly not going to get enough support to get in the last two at a relatively early stage," 1922 Committee Treasurer Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told Times Radio. Clifton-Brown said this could be done by upping the number of signatures from other Conservative lawmakers required to be nominated, and by increasing the threshold of votes candidates must receive to progress to the next round. "I think that we will be able to frame a process to actually come up with two names by the time parliament goes down on the 20th of July," he said. "We should have an answer by the time of the party conference in October and maybe before that." Wallace, who has risen in popularity thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis and was considered one of the frontrunners, ruled himself out Saturday. "It has not been an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe," he said on Twitter. Tony Sirico, who played the impeccably groomed mobster Paulie Walnuts in The Sopranos and brought his tough-guy swagger to films including Goodfellas, died Friday. He was 79. Sirico died at an assisted living facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, said his manager, Bob McGowen. There was no immediate information on the cause of death. A statement from Sirico's family confirmed the death of Gennaro Anthony Tony Sirico with great sadness, but with incredible pride, love and a whole lot of fond memories. McGowan, who represented Sirico for more than two decades, recalled him as loyal and giving, with a strong philanthropic streak. That included helping ex-soldiers' causes, which hit home for the Army veteran, his manager said. Steven Van Zandt, who played opposite Sirico as fellow mobster Silvio Dante on The Sopranos, saluted him on Twitter as legendary. A larger-than-life character on and off screen. Gonna miss you a lot my friend, the actor and musician said. Michael Imperioli, who portrayed Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, called Sirico his dear friend, colleague and partner in crime. Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone Ive ever known, Imperioli said on Instagram. Sirico was unconcerned about being cast in a string of bad guy roles, McGowan said, most prominently that of Peter Paul Paulie Walnuts Gualtieri in the 1999-2007 run of the acclaimed HBO drama starring James Gandolfini as mob boss Tony Soprano. (Gandolfini died in 2013 at age 51). He didn't mind playing a mob guy, but he wouldn't play an informant, or as Sirico put it, a snitch, McGowan said. Sirico, born July 29, 1942, in New York City, grew up in the Flatbush and Bensonhurst neighborhoods where he said "every guy was trying to prove himself. You either had to have a tattoo or a bullet hole. I had both, he told the Los Angeles Times in a 1990 interview, calling himself unstable" during that period of his life. He was arrested repeatedly for criminal offenses, he said, and was in prison twice. In his last stint behind bars, in the 1970s, he saw a performance by a group of ex-convicts and caught the acting bug. I watched em and I thought, I can do that. I knew I wasnt bad looking. And I knew I had the (guts) to stand up and (bull) people," he told the Times. "You get a lot of practice in prison. I used to stand up in front of these cold-blooded murderers and kidnappers and make em laugh. Sirico also was cast outside the gangster mold, playing police officers in the films Dead Presidents and Deconstructing Harry. Among his other credits were Woody Allen films including Bullets over Broadway and Mighty Aphrodite, and appearances on TV series including Miami Vice and voice roles on the Family Guy and American Dad! Sirico is survived by daughter Joanne Sirico Bello; son Richard Sirico; his brother, Robert Sirico, a priest; and other relatives. Two bar shootings, one in a township close to Johannesburg and another in eastern South Africa, left 19 people dead, police said on Sunday. In Soweto, 15 people were killed as they enjoyed a night out when assailants drew up in a minibus taxi and began randomly firing at bar patrons, police said. In the eastern city of Pietermaritzburg, police reported four people were killed and eight wounded during a shootout in a bar after two men fired indiscriminately at customers. Police sources said it was too early to say if the assaults were in some way connected but observed their similarity. In Soweto, Johannesburg's largest township to the southwest of South Africa's economic capital, police were called to the scene shortly after midnight. "When we arrived at the scene, 12 people were dead with gunshot wounds," local police officer Nonhlanhla Kubheka told AFP. She added 11 people were taken to hospital. Three died shortly after arrival. There were no details regarding the assailants. "Nobody has been arrested. Officers are still on site. They came and shot at people who were having fun," said Kubheka, commander of the Orlando police station, the Soweto district where the shooting took place. Hundreds of people were massed behind police cordons Sunday as police investigated, AFP journalists reported. Only a small poster showing beer prices at the bar could be seen from outside the establishment. Police led away relatives who tried to approach the crime scene. Previous unrest In Pietermaritzburg, four people were killed and eight wounded in a shootout around 8:30 p.m. (1830 GMT) that left eight others injured, local police spokesman Nqobile Gwala said. Two men drove up, entered the bar and "fired random shots at the patrons," before fleeing, Lieutenant Colonel Gwala said. "A total of 12 people were shot. Two people were declared dead at the scene and the other two died in hospital. Another eight people are still in hospital after they sustained injuries." The dead were aged between 30 and 45. The two incidents come a year after an outbreak of the worst violence the country has seen since the end of the apartheid era three decades ago brought democracy. Last July saw large-scale rioting and looting, ransacking of shops, a wave of arson attacks, and attacks on infrastructure and industrial warehouses leading to more than 350 deaths and several thousand arrests with the country already in the throes of a major COVID-19 wave. Most of the unrest occurred in Johannesburg and the eastern province of Kwazulu-Natal as South Africans protested the sentencing and incarceration of former President Jacob Zuma. Zuma was sentenced after refusing to testify on corruption charges stemming from his 2009 to 2018 tenure. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is "deeply disappointed" by a Canadian government decision to return a repaired Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline turbine to Germany after completing maintenance on the equipment. The decision sets a "dangerous precedent" and will "strengthen Moscow's sense of impunity," the ministry said Sunday in a statement. The statement warns that the transfer of the turbine would allow Russia to continue to use energy as a weapon in war and calls on the Canadian government to reverse its decision. Canada announced the decision Saturday, saying at the same time that it would expand sanctions against Russia's energy sector to include industrial manufacturing. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said Russia could continue supplying gas to Germany through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline in full without the turbine. It said the Nord Stream 1 compressor station where the turbine operated is equipped with several other turbines, including backups. One turbine is in Canada, three are currently operating, and the rest "have been turned off without explanation," the ministry said. It also reiterated its position that Russia could continue uninterrupted gas supplies to the European Union even if Nord Stream 1 were out of operation entirely by using gas-transit routes through Ukraine or Poland. "Thus, Russia's demand for the mandatory return of the turbine to continue gas transportation is blackmail that has no technical justification," the ministry said. Ukraine also asserted that Canada made its decision despite having said that it understood that Russia's demand had no technical basis. Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said in a statement the new sanctions would apply to "land and pipeline transport and the manufacturing of metals and of transport, computer, electronic and electrical equipment, as well as of machinery." It said the sanctions would "put further pressure on a pillar of the Russian economy" and further increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin and his regime over "his senseless war in Ukraine." The German corporation Siemens said Sunday that Canada's decision was a "necessary and important first step" for the delivery of the turbine. "The political export decision is a necessary and important first step for the delivery of the turbine. Currently, our experts are working intensively on all further formal approvals and logistics," Siemens Energy said. "Among other things, this involves legally required export- and import-control procedures. Our goal is to transport the turbine to its place of operation as quickly as possible," it added. Russia's Gazprom last month cut the capacity along the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 40% of normal levels, pointing to the delayed return of equipment being serviced by Germany's Siemens Energy in Canada. The turbine will be sent to Germany first and then be delivered to Gazprom so that Canada does not breach any sanctions, a government source told Reuters. Germany says the return of the turbine would deprive Russia of an excuse to keep supplies significantly below normal levels. Moscow on July 8 said it would increase gas supplies to Europe if the turbine was returned. Some information for this article came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse. Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court Nguyen Hoa Binh (left) and French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti (Photo: VNA) At a recent talk with first president of the French court Christophe Soulard, Binh briefed his host on Vietnams judicial reform strategy by 2030 with a vision towards 2045, with priorities given to organisational reform, juvenile justice and personnel training. Binh also invited the French official to visit Vietnam in 2023 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries. For his part, Soulard reviewed the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in 2013, and the cooperation programme for the 2020-2022 period. The first president expressed his hope that the two sides will step up collaboration in the time ahead through the exchange of judges at national, regional and international levels. While in France from July 4-9, Binh also had a meeting with French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti who emphasised that Vietnam is Frances leading partner in the region. The French side wished to provide technical assistance in the legal field for Vietnam. Binh said his visit aims to learn from Frances experience to develop the judicial reform strategy by 2030, and build a juvenile law for Vietnam, calling for Frances support in this regard. On this occasion, the Vietnam Court Academy and the French National School for the Judiciary signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation for a five-year period, during which the two sides will cooperate in judge training and exchange. Before the trip to France, Binh visited Germany to learn about the countrys experience in judicial reform. He told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that apart from experience sharing, Vietnam signed documents on personnel training cooperation with the two countries. Accordingly, Vietnam will send experts, lecturers and judges to France and Germany for training, and invited experts from the two countries to Vietnam to give lectures, especially those on stock market and digital economic crime, among others./. Two weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Russian forces assaulted a nursing home in the eastern region of Luhansk. Dozens of elderly and disabled patients, many of them bedridden, were trapped inside. The March 11 assault set off a fire that spread throughout the facility, suffocating people who couldn't move. A small number of patients and staff escaped and fled into a nearby forest, finally getting assistance after walking for 5 kilometers. In a war awash in atrocities, the attack on the nursing home near the village of Stara Krasnyanka stood out for its cruelty. And Ukrainian authorities placed the fault squarely on Russian forces. But a new U.N. report has found that Ukraine's armed forces bear a large, and perhaps equal, share of the blame for what happened in Stara Krasnyanka, which is about 580 kilometers southeast of Kyiv. A few days before the attack, Ukrainian soldiers took up positions inside the nursing home, effectively making the building a target. At least 22 of the 71 patients survived the assault, but the exact number of people killed remains unknown, according to the United Nations. The report by the U.N.'s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights doesn't conclude the Ukrainian soldiers, or the Russian troops committed a war crime. But it said the battle at the nursing home is emblematic of the human rights office's concerns over the potential use of "human shields" to prevent military operations in certain areas. The aftermath of the attack on the Stara Krasnyanka home also provides a window into how both Russia and Ukraine move quickly to set the narrative for how events are unfolding on the ground even when those events may still be shrouded by the fog of war. Russia's frequently indiscriminate shelling of apartment buildings, hospitals, schools and theaters has been the primary cause of the war's thousands of civilian casualties. Ukraine and its allies, including the United States, have rebuked Moscow for the deaths and injuries and called for those responsible to be brought to justice. But Ukraine also must abide by the international rules of the battlefield. David Crane, a former Defense Department official and a veteran of numerous international war crime investigations, said the Ukrainian forces may have violated the laws of armed conflict by not evacuating the nursing home's residents and staff. "The bottom-line rule is that civilians cannot intentionally be targeted," Crane said. "The Ukrainians placed those people in a situation which was a killing zone. And you can't do that." The first reports in the media about the Stara Krasnyanka nursing home largely reflected statements issued by Ukrainian officials more than a week after the fighting ended. Serhiy Haidai, the governor of Luhansk, declared in a March 20 post to his Telegram account that 56 people had been killed "cynically and deliberately" by "Russian occupiers" who "shot at close range from a tank." The Luhansk regional administration, which Haidai leads, did not respond to requests for comment. The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office did not directly respond to the U.N. report, but said it also is looking into whether Ukrainian troops had been in the home. Moscow-backed separatists have been fighting Ukrainian forces for eight years in the mostly Russian-speaking Donbas, which includes the Luhansk and Donetsk regions. They have declared two independent "people's" republics, which were recognized by Russia just before the war began. Viktoria Serdyukova, the human rights commissioner for the Luhansk separatist government, said in a March 23 statement that the Ukrainian troops were responsible for casualties at the nursing home. The residents had been taken hostage by Ukrainian "militants" and many of them were "burned alive" in a fire started by the Ukrainians as they were retreating, she said. At the beginning of March, according to the U.N. report, "when active hostilities drew nearer to the care house," its management requested repeatedly that local authorities evacuate the residents. But an evacuation wasn't possible because Ukrainian forces were believed to have mined the surrounding area and blocked roads, the report said. On March 7, Ukrainian soldiers entered the nursing home, according to the U.N. Two days later, they "engaged in an exchange of fire" with the Moscow-backed separatists, "although it remains unclear which side opened fire first," the report said. On March 11, 71 residents and 15 staff remained in the home with no access to water or electricity. That morning, the Luhansk separatist forces, which the U.N. referred to as "Russian-affiliated armed groups," attacked with heavy weapons, the report said. "A fire started and spread across the care house, while the fighting was ongoing," according to the U.N. An unspecified number of patients and staff fled the home and ran into a nearby forest and were eventually met by the separatist fighters, who gave them assistance, according to the U.N. A correspondent for the state-owned Russia-1 news channel gained access to the war-ravaged home after the battle and posted a video to his Telegram account that accused Ukrainian soldiers of using "helpless old people" as human shields. While the opposing sides blame each other for the Stara Krasnyanka tragedy, the grim reality is that much of the war in Ukraine is being fought in populated areas, increasing the potential for civilian casualties. A U.N. Security Council mandate for U.N. aid deliveries to some 4 million people in Syria from Turkey expired on Sunday as diplomats struggled to find a deal with Russia, which traded barbs with the United States over the renewal of the operation. Ireland and Norway are still working to reach a compromise, diplomats said, but a vote on Sunday was unlikely so the huge U.N. aid operation would be shut down. In 2020 the mandate ran out but was renewed a day later on the council's fifth attempt. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths told Canada's CBC television on Sunday that the operation, which delivers aid including food, medicine and shelter, was a lifeline and that if it cannot continue "people will die." Russia vetoed a one-year extension on Friday and then failed in its own push for a six-month renewal, which would have required the 15-member body to adopt a new resolution in January to extend it for another six months. The United States, Britain and France have said a six-month extension is not long enough for aid groups to plan and operate effectively. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, spoke to aid groups on Sunday, who told her that without the U.N. operation 70% of food needs would go unmet." "An entire generation is at risk," she posted on Twitter. "The NGOs (aid groups) asked the UNSC to continue fighting to save these lives ... We have been working all weekend with the UNSC to find compromise." Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy replied on Twitter: "There's no need to fight and you know it perfectly well!" He said Russia was not trying to kill the U.N. operation and just wanted to make it more efficient and transparent. After the two council votes on Friday, Polyanskiy said that Moscow would continue to veto any text other than its own. Russia argues that the U.N. aid operation violates Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It says more aid should be delivered from inside the country, raising opposition fears that food and other aid would fall under government control. The Security Council vote on the authorization of the aid operation has long been a contentious issue, but this year also comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and Western powers over Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. In 2014, the Security Council authorized humanitarian aid deliveries into opposition-held areas of Syria from Iraq, Jordan and two points in Turkey. But veto powers Russia and China have whittled that down to just one Turkish border point. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Bangkok, where Myanmar is expected to feature prominently in meetings Sunday with Thailands leaders. After initial talks with Thailands Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai the two signed a communique on the countries strategic alliance and partnership, and then a memorandum of understanding on promoting supply chain resilience between Thailand and the United States. Speaking to reporters afterward Blinken said: Thanks to Thailand's leadership we've seen APEC nations worked together this year to promote economic policies that are aligned with tackling the existential challenge of our time, and thats climate change. Our countries share the same goal of a free open, interconnected prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific. In recent years, we work together even more closely toward that vision. Our economic ties are incredibly strong and even now emerging from COVID. They will grow stronger. The main topic of their discussions will likely be the crisis in Myanmar, said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Kritenbrink, adding the U.S. would continue to "condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the Burmese military regime's brutal actions since the coup d'etat, the killing of nearly 2,000 people and displacing more than 700,000 others." Myanmar is also known as Burma. Blinken is also to meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha. Expanding health and climate cooperation are also on the agenda, as is next years Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual meeting, which the U.S. will host, according to the State Department. The State Department announced Sunday that Blinken will travel to Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and to meet with senior Japanese officials. Blinken arrived in Thailand a few days after his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on his own tour of Southeast Asia. Over the weekend, Wang visited Myanmar, his first visit to the country since the military seized power last year. Blinken and Wang met Saturday at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, and spoke for several hours. The top U.S. diplomat told his Chinese counterpart during those meetings that Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine is complicating U.S.-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues. Wang blamed the U.S. for the downturn in relations and said American policy has been derailed by what he called a misperception of China as a threat. Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia, the Chinese foreign minister said, according to a Chinese statement. If such threat-expansion is allowed to grow, U.S. policy toward China will be a dead end with no way out. Blinken said he conveyed the deep concerns of the United States regarding Beijings increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity toward Taiwan. Blinken also noted he addressed U.S. concerns over Beijings use of the strategic South China Sea, the repression of freedom in Hong Kong, forced labor, the treatment of ethnic and religious minorities in Tibet, and the genocide in Xinjiang. Additionally, the U.S. secretary of state said that he and Wang discussed ways in which there could be more cooperation between the two countries in areas such as climate crisis, food security, global health and counternarcotics. For his part, Wang said China and the United States need to work together to ensure that their relationship will continue to move forward along the right track. Blinken's meeting with the Chinese foreign minister was 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 the U.S. was not seeking to decouple from China and the relationship between the world's two largest economies was not a zero-sum game. On Friday, the G-20 talks were dominated by discussion of the war in Ukraine and its impact on energy and food supplies. Indonesia, as the meeting's 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: Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov sat at the same table but did not speak directly. The Yellowstone National Park area's weather forecast the morning of June 12 seemed fairly tame: warmer temperatures and rain showers would accelerate mountain snow melt and could produce "minor flooding." A National Weather Service bulletin recommended moving livestock from low-lying areas but made no mention of danger to people. By nightfall, after several inches of rain fell on a deep spring snowpack, there were record-shattering floods. Torrents of water poured off the mountains. Swollen rivers carrying boulders and trees smashed through Montana towns over the next several days. The flooding swept away houses, wiped out bridges and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 tourists, park employees and residents near the park. As a cleanup expected to last months grinds on, climate experts and meteorologists say the gap between the destruction and what was forecast underscores a troublesome aspect of climate change: Models used to predict storm impacts do not always keep up with increasingly devastating rainstorms, hurricanes, heat waves and other events. "Those rivers had never reached those levels. We literally were flying blind not even knowing what the impacts would be," said Arin Peters, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service. Hydrologic models used to predict flooding are based on long-term, historical records. But they do not reflect changes to the climate that emerged over the past decade, said meteorologist and Weather Underground founder Jeff Masters. "Those models are going to be inadequate to deal with a new climate," Masters said. Another extreme weather event where the models came up short was Hurricane Ida, which slammed Louisiana last summer and then stalled over the Eastern Seaboard deluging parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York with unprecedented rainfall that caused massive flooding. The weather service had warned of a "serious situation" that could turn "catastrophic," but the predicted of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rain for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania was far short of the 9 to 10 inches (23 to 25 centimeters) that fell. The deadly June 2021 heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest offered another example. Warmer weather had been expected, but not temperatures of up to 116 degrees (47C degrees) that toppled previous records and killed an estimated 600 or more people in Oregon, Washington state and western Canada. The surprise Yellowstone floods prompted a nighttime scramble to close off roads and bridges getting swept away by the water, plus rushed evacuations that missed some people. No one died, somewhat miraculously, as more than 400 homes were damaged or destroyed. As rockslides caused by the rainfall started happening in Yellowstone, park rangers closed a heavily used road between the town of Gardiner and the park headquarters in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming. The road was later washed out in numerous places. The rain and snowmelt was "too much too fast and you just try to stay out of the way," Yellowstone Deputy Chief Ranger Tim Townsend said. If the road hadn't been closed, "we probably would have had fatalities, unquestionably" park Superintendent Cam Sholly said. "The road looks totally fine and then it's like an 80-foot drop right into the river," Sholly said. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland was scheduled to visit Yellowstone on Friday to survey the damage and ongoing repairs. Within a matter of hours on June 12, Rock Creek, which runs through the city of Red Lodge and normally is placid and sometimes just ankle deep, became a raging river. When the weather service issued a flood warning for the creek, the water already had surged over its banks and begun to knock down bridges. By the time the warning was sent, "we already knew it was too late," said Scott Williams, a commissioner for Carbon County, Montana, which borders Yellowstone. Red Lodge resident Pam Smith was alerted to the floods by something knocking around in her basement before dawn. It was her clothes dryer, floating in water pouring through the windows. Smith says her partner keeps track of the weather on his computer and they were aware rain was coming and that the creek was running high. But they were not aware of flooding threat when they went to bed the night before, she said. In a scramble to save belongings including her violins, the music teacher slipped on the wet kitchen floor and fell, shattering a bone in her arm. Smith recalls biting back tears and trudging through floodwaters with her partner and 15-year-old granddaughter to reach their pickup truck and drive to safety. "I went blank," Smith said. "I was angry and like, 'Why didn't anybody warn us? Why was there no knock on the door? Why didn't the police come around and say there's flooding, you need to get out?'" Local authorities say sheriff's deputies and others knocked on doors in Red Lodge and a second community that flooded. But they acknowledged not everyone was reached as numerous rivers and streams overflowed, swamping areas never known previously to flood. While no single weather event can be conclusively tied to climate change, scientists said the Yellowstone flooding was consistent with changes already documented around the park as temperatures warm. Those changes include less snowfall in mid-winter and more spring precipitation setting the stage for flash floods when rains fall on the snow, said Montana State University climate scientist Cathy Whitlock. Warming trends mean spring floods will increase in frequency even as the region suffers from long-term drought that keeps much of the rest of the year dry, she said. Masters and other experts noted that computer modeling of storms has become more sophisticated and is generally more accurate than ever. But extreme weather by its nature is hard to predict, and as such events happen more frequently there will be many more chances for forecasters to get it wrong. The rate of the most extreme rainstorms in some areas has increased up to a factor of five, Masters said. So an event with a 1% chance of happening in any given year commonly referred to as a "one in 100-year" event would have an approximately 5% chance of happening, he said. "We are literally re-writing our weather history book," said University of Oklahoma Meteorology Professor Jason Furtado. That has widespread implications for local authorities and emergency officials who rely on weather bulletins to guide their disaster response approaches. If they're not warned, they can't act. But the National Weather Service also strives to avoid undue alarm and maintain public trust. So if the service's models show only a slim chance of disaster, that information can get left out of the forecast. Weather service officials said the agency's actions with the Yellowstone flooding will be analyzed to determine if changes are needed. They said early warnings that river levels were rising did help officials prepare and prevent loss of life, even if their advisories failed to predict the severity. Computer-based forecasting models are regularly updated to account for new meteorological trends due to climate change, Peters said. Even with those refinements, events like the Yellowstone flooding still are considered low-probability and so often won't make it into forecasts based on what the models say is most likely to occur. "It's really difficult to balance that feeling that you've got that this could get really bad, but the likelihood of it getting really bad is so small," Peters said. He added that the dramatic swing from drought to flood was hard even for meteorologists to reconcile and called it "weather whiplash." To better communicate the potential for extreme weather, some experts say the weather service needs to change its forecasts to inform the public about low probability hazardous events. That could be accomplished through more detailed daily forecasts or some kind of color-coded system for alerts. "We've been slow to provide that information," North Carolina State University atmospheric scientist Gary Lackmann said. "You put it on people's radars and they could think about that and it could save lives." Ed Hagel poses next to the new trailer that he paid for as a donation to the Douglas County Car Care program in Alexandria. Paul's Small Engines took in the old trailer in trade and offered the new trailer at cost. Winning Edge Graphics removed the lettering from the old trailer and re-lettered the new one. Tran Hong Ha, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) Speaking at a ceremony to mark the 246th anniversary of US Independence Day (July 4) held on July 8 in Hanoi, Ha stressed that mutual visits by senior leaders of the two countries in recent years have created a driving force to consolidate the reliable political, diplomatic and dialogue relations between the two sides, thus deepening bilateral ties as well as contributing to peace, stability, collaboration and development in the Asia-Pacific region. As one of the leading countries in science and technology, the US has made great contributions to solving global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. While appreciating the USs active role in promoting global efforts in response to climate change, he expressed his wish that the North American country will actively cooperate with and support Vietnam in fulfilling its commitments to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and a fair energy transition process. On the occasion, he called on US companies to actively invest in green transition in Vietnam. The US remains Vietnam's largest export market with a value of 55.9 billion USD in the first six months of this year./. Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Russia is threatening to use oil from neighboring Kazakhstan as a weapon against European countries supporting Ukraine. A court order this month to close the export terminal on the Black Sea for a month is a clear warning to Europe of Russias leverage. Share with The Post: Whats one way youve felt the impact of inflation? ArrowRight On Tuesday, a Russian judge in the town of Novorossiysk on the Black Sea coast ordered the Caspian Pipeline Consortium to halt shipments for 30 days. Suspension of operations was sought as punishment for a number of documentary violations under CPCs Oil Spill Response Plan, which the company had been given until the end of November to rectify. Although the facility is in Russia, about 90% of the crude that passes through it comes from Kazakhstan. That makes it an ideal weapon in President Vladimir Putins arsenal to inflict economic pain on his tormentors. Halting CPC will remove as much as 1.5 million barrels a day of much-needed crude from the global oil market, while barely denting Russias own flows. Advertisement Of course, Putin hasnt said explicitly thats his aim. The use of regional courts to halt oil flows offers the Kremlin plausible deniability. But the process follows a familiar pattern. The initial investigation into oil-spill response procedures at the export terminal was ordered by a Russian deputy prime minister whose recent experience was in the agriculture and land-registration sectors, raising the suspicion that there was a political motivation behind it. Russia has history when it comes to using the courts for political ends. Just look at the hounding of TNK-BP and its foreign executives in 2008, prior to the oil ventures eventual takeover by state-backed Rosneft PJSC; BP Plcs experience with its Kovykta gas field in Siberia, or the raft of obstacles put in the way of the Sakhalin 2 LNG project that culminated in Gazprom PJSC taking a majority stake in the operation in 2006. Advertisement The CPC export terminal has suffered a series of unfortunate events since Russian troops invaded Ukraine. In late March, the terminal was partially shut for a month after a storm reportedly damaged two of the three loading buoys. Then in mid-June, loadings were again suspended from two moorings for a survey of the surrounding water area, which led to the discovery of a number of World War II mines. A skeptic might have expected mine removal to have been a priority when the buoys were first installed. As much as two-thirds of CPC Blend exports typically end up in Europe, with significant volumes directed to Central Europe through pipelines from the Italian port of Trieste. The impact on the Mediterranean crude market, in particular, where the supply is already the tightest it has been in years, would be severe. Combined monthly exports from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Libya, the North Sea and West Africa all major suppliers to Europe fell by more than 1 million barrels a day in June, according to tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. Advertisement The threat of a halt to CPC shipments will hang over the oil market at least until Monday, when a court in the Krasnodar region, where the terminal is located, is scheduled to hear the companys appeal against the ruling. That raises hopes that disruption can be avoided, but theres no guarantee that CPCs appeal will be successful. Meanwhile, the threat has left traders scrambling for alternatives. Regional crudes are commanding the highest premiums to benchmark Dated Brent that several traders could remember. Even if the ban is overturned, Russia has sent a clear warning to Europe that it can disrupt crude flows almost at will and that its willing to inflict extreme economic damage on its neighbors in the process. More From Bloomberg Opinion: Talk of an Oil Market Recession Is Overblown: Javier Blas Advertisement Oil Is in Another Bear Market - for Good Reason: Jared Dillian Capping Russian Oil Prices Is Pure Fantasy: Julian Lee This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Julian Lee is an oil strategist for Bloomberg First Word. Previously, he was a senior analyst at the Centre for Global Energy Studies. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share Should law school applicants still have to take the LSAT? A proposal by a committee of the American Bar Association would eliminate the longstanding rule that accredited law schools must require prospective students to take a valid and reliable test as part of the application process. If the LSAT is axed, maybe the bar exam should be next. The recommendation to eliminate the admissions testing requirement comes amidst cascading charges that reliance on the Law School Admission Test hurts minority applicants. The proposition is sharply contested by many friends of diversity.(1) Some find it stigmatizing to be told they cant do as well on the test as White applicants. But given that the case against the test appears to have persuaded the wordily named Council of the ABAs Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, lets assume for the sake of argument that the LSAT does indeed represent an unfair barrier to entry to the legal profession. Why doesnt the same argument apply to the bar examination? Advertisement Im serious. Except in Wisconsin, nobody can practice law without passing the bar examination. Some states California is the most prominent require even lawyers who are licensed elsewhere to pass an examination if they want to move into the jurisdiction. Such rules function as classic barriers to entry, easily manipulated to keep the supply of lawyers low. Moreover, the ABA admits that minority bar examination passage rates continue to lag. A 2021 study found that a rising percentage of non-White students at a law school is correlated with a reduction in the schools bar passage rate. Hmmm. If the LSAT is a problem because of its supposed effect on diversity, maybe the bar examination should join it in the waste bin. Or the exam could be optional, leaving employers to decide whether they want to require it. Advertisement The barrier to entry, even minority entry, might be justified if we could point to the vital public purpose the bar examination serves. Thats harder than one might suppose. The ABA called for a written examination for all lawyers back in 1921, and reaffirmed its position in a resolution adopted fifty years later. That 1971 resolution is worth a read. Its short on data and long on strangely specious assertions. For instance, the examination requirement was said to encourage law graduates to study subjects not taken in law school and to force them to satisfy people other than those who taught them, a feat that the ABA described, remarkably, as constituting a valuable experience in preparation in appearing before a completely strange judge. Nine years later, the Montana Supreme Court explained that without a bar examination, control over entry to the profession would be in the hands of the wrong people law professors, for instance. None of this is persuasive. If, for example, a student can learn entire subjects during the bar review process, perhaps theres no need for law school. The profession once understood this, for the tradition of reading for the bar while apprenticed to a practicing lawyer is far older than the American Bar Association. Advertisement But in 1881, three years after the ABA was founded, the forerunner of the aforementioned wordily named committee announced that there existed little dispute that formal schooling turned out better lawyers than apprenticeship as an attorneys clerk. The classroom, the committee explained, best inculcated the valuable habits of disputing, reading, reasoning, and discoursing. How did the members know this? It was, wrote the members, the verdict of the best informed.(2) Todays justifications are little better. In fact, nobody can explain what the bar examination measures or whether it measures anything at all. The test has never been properly validated. Weve no clue what it predicts.(3) Critics are on the mark when they label the bar exam a superb hazing ritual supported only by arguments that sound selfish, condescending, and protectionist. Yet many schools try to raise the bar passage rate among their students by essentially teaching to the test. If none of this is persuasive if the ABA nevertheless wants to retain the barrier of the bar exam then theres this to consider: Although law school grades are the best predictor of success on the bar exam, the LSAT predicts too, albeit weakly. On top of that, there may be a correlation between a schools average LSAT score and the bar passage rate of its graduates. But if the LSAT is nevertheless bad, the bar examination is worse. Advertisement Dont get me wrong. Im not against standardized testing in every circumstance. For example, Id support a plan under which the bar authorities would follow the medical profession in requiring a certification process before members can market themselves as specialists in particular fields. But theres no persuasive justification for forcing graduates of accredited law schools to jump through yet another hoop before theyre allowed to practice their trade. More from Bloomberg Opinion: New York State Democrats Flunk an Education Test: Michael R. Bloomberg Is There Anything Gen Z Wont Drink?: Ben Schott San Franciscos School Decision Is Reason to Celebrate: The Editors (1) According to studies conducted by the Law School Admission Council, the test slightly over-predicts law school grades of minority students. Advertisement (2) A number of secondary sources incorrectly date this report 1879. (3) Some work suggests a weak correlation between passing the exam with a low score and facing bar discipline at some point in ones career. But not everyone is persuaded, and even the studys authors say more research is needed. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners. Stephen L. Carter is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. A professor of law at Yale University, he is author, most recently, of Invisible: The Story of the Black Woman Lawyer Who Took Down Americas Most Powerful Mobster. More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion 2022 Bloomberg L.P. GiftOutline Gift Article Gift Article Share Zelensky dismisses ambassador to Berlin Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed more than a half-dozen of Kyivs foreign diplomats, including Andrij Melnyk, who has served as the countrys ambassador to Germany since 2014. In a flurry of presidential decrees posted Saturday, Zelenskys office also announced the dismissals of ambassadors to Bangladesh, the Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Maldives, Nepal, Norway and Sri Lanka. Reports had swirled in recent days that Melnyks dismissal in particular was imminent. As a long-serving envoy, Melnyk had fiercely defended his countrys interests abroad, but he also caused controversy for his blunt remarks and sometimes caustic public style. He clashed with Ukraines German allies and blasted Berlin for its hesitant response to Russias invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Kim Bellware Two more join race for prime minister Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi joined the race to succeed Boris Johnson as British prime minister on Saturday, as the committee overseeing the contest looks to speed up the process of whittling down candidates in what is expected to be a crowded field. The Conservative Partys 1922 Committee of legislators will set out the exact rules and timetable for the contest in coming days. Shapps and Zahawi became the latest Conservative Party lawmakers to officially declare they were putting themselves forward for the leadership, taking the total to six. In addition, around 10 others, including Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, are also expected to join the race. Reuters Iran sets up enhanced uranium enrichment, U.N. report says: Iran has escalated its uranium enrichment further with the use of advanced machines at its underground Fordow plant in a setup that can more easily change between enrichment levels, the U.N. atomic watchdog said in a report seen by Reuters. The use of these so-called modified sub-headers means Iran could switch more quickly and easily to enriching to higher purity levels. Iran is required to inform the International Atomic Energy Agency about such a switch. Advertisement U.S. imposes sanctions on Cuban officials over crackdown: The U.S. State Department announced visa restrictions on Saturday against 28 Cuban officials that it said were implicated in a crackdown on largely peaceful protests in Cuba nearly one year ago. The department said the restrictions would apply to high-ranking members of the Cuban Communist Party and officials who work in the country's state communications and media sectors. Cuba's Foreign Ministry blasted the U.S. measures, saying they violate international law. Police discover truck packed with migrants in Macedonia: Police in North Macedonia discovered 87 migrants crammed into a truck with a trailer in the southern part of the country and arrested two Macedonian men for migrant smuggling. Police said the migrants, found early Saturday during a routine check on a highway near the border town of Gevgelija, are believed to have entered illegally from Greece, heading for Serbia and onward to wealthier countries. Death toll from Hindu pilgrimage rises to 16: Emergency workers continued to dig through mud, sand and rocks as they rescued thousands of pilgrims after flash floods swept through makeshift camps during an annual Hindu pilgrimage to an icy Himalayan cave in Indian-controlled Kashmir. At least 16 people have died and dozens have been injured. From news services GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share SKOPJE, North Macedonia European Union and U.S. leaders are urging North Macedonias parliament to accept a French proposal that will move the tiny Balkan country closer toward EU membership and overcome objections by Bulgaria. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight At this critical moment in European history, marked by the unjustifiable aggression carried out by Russia against Ukraine, advancing Albania and North Macedonias EU path is key to strengthening the cohesion and resilience of the entire European continent, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a joint statement Saturday. We welcome a compromise proposal which takes into account the interests and concerns of both North Macedonia and Bulgaria based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. The sovereign decision of the Parliament of North Macedonia will be important to move forward, they said. Advertisement The European Union and the United States are committed to closer cooperation in the Western Balkans. Ensuring stability and prosperity and making their European and Euro-Atlantic future a reality remains our common goal, they added. North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years. The country received the green light to begin accession talks in 2020, but no date for the start of the negotiations has been set. Bulgaria has used its power as an EU member to block North Macedonias membership. Political tensions in North Macedonia have been on the rise with violent nightly protests since French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the NATO summit in Madrid that he believed a compromise solution had been achieved. 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, as Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, has demanded. Advertisement 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. In North Macedonia, both President Stevo Pendarovski and the government of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski 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 Macedonias history, language, identity, culture and heritage. Advertisement In Bulgaria, 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. Bulgaria has accepted the French proposal, which now requires the backing of North Macedonias parliament. A plenary session has not been scheduled yet. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share LISBON, Portugal More than 3,000 firefighters and 30 aircraft battled wildfires Sunday in Portugal that authorities say have injured 29 people. Authorities said 12 firefighters and 17 civilians required medical assistance to treat minor injuries caused by the blazes, as reported by Portuguese state television RTP and other local media. By Sunday afternoon, Portugals Civil Protection Agency said more than 3,000 firefighters were combating active fires. The European Union on Sunday activated its firefighting air fleet assistance program that allows member nations to share resources to help Portugal. Spain, which has also endured wildfires recently, quickly responded by mobilizing two firefighting planes to send to its Iberian neighbor, according to the EU crisis commissioner, Janez Lenarcic. Advertisement Portugal has long suffered large, and sometimes tragic, forest fires. In 2017, out-of-control wildfires killed more than 100 people. The European Union says climate change has the continent facing one of its hardest years for natural disasters such as droughts and wildfires. Across the border in Spain, a fire in the southwest led authorities to evacuate 30 people from homes as a precaution. Some 115 firefighters backed by helicopters and planes were deployed to that fire near the village of El Ronquillo. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa postponed his plans to visit Mozambique this week in view of the weather forecasts that indicate a very serious worsening of the risk of rural fires. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa likewise canceled his trip to New York where he was scheduled to speak at the U.N. Economic and Social Council. Advertisement In June, 96% of the southern European country was classified as being in either in extreme or severe drought. The fires have caused authorities to increase a state of alert already in place. Portugals government declared a state of heightened alert Saturday that will run through Friday. This means (...) we can automatically and preventively activate all emergency and civil protection plans at all territorial levels, said Interior Administration Minister Jose Luis Carneiro. The wildfires are coming as Portugal is enduring a heat wave with temperatures expected up to 43 degrees Celsius (109 degrees Fahrenheit). The country has adopted restrictions barring public access to forests deemed to be at special risk, banned the use of farm machinery and outlawed fireworks. Costa, in a message on Twitter, reminded citizens not to light any fires outdoors or use heavy farm machinery that can cause sparks. Preventing fires is the best help we can give our firefighters, the prime minister wrote. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate. GiftOutline Gift Article Comment on this story Comment Gift Article Share KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti Said Ismahilov one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine had already resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his country. Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for the latest updates on Russia's war in Ukraine. ArrowRight At the end of last year, as warnings of an imminent attack grew louder, Ismahilov began training with a local territorial defense battalion. By then he had served as a mufti for thirteen years. Born and raised in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Ismahilov had already fled Russia once before, in 2014, when Moscow-backed separatists captured his city. He eventually moved to a quiet suburb outside Kyiv called Bucha only to find himself, eight years later, at the heart of Moscows assault on Kyiv, and the site of atrocities that shocked the world. It felt as if the threat of Russian occupation would never end. Advertisement This time I made the decision that I would not run away, I would not flee but I would fight he said in an interview with The Associated Press in Kostiantynivka, a town close to the front lines in eastern Ukraine where a battle for control of the region is intensifying. Ismahilov began working as a military driver for paramedics evacuating the wounded from front lines or besieged towns. Tasked with driving in highly dangerous conditions, but also emotionally supporting the critically injured, Ismahilov says he sees his new job as a continuation of my spiritual duty before God. If you are not scared and you can do this, then it is very important. The Prophet was himself a warrior, Ismahilov says. So I follow his example and I also will not run, or hide. I will not turn my back on others. Advertisement Ismahilov was one of dozens of Ukrainian Muslims who gathered at the mosque in Kostiantynivka Saturday to mark Eid al-Adha an important religious holiday in Islam. The mosque is now the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbas. Ismahilov told the AP that there are around 30 mosques in the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern province of Luhansk. The governor of the Luhansk region said on Saturday that Russian forces are now pressing toward the border with the neighbouring Donetsk region. Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. There is a large Muslim population in Crimea home to the Crimean Tatars and illegally annexed by Russian in 2014. Numbers there jump to 12%. There is also a sizeable Muslim community in eastern Ukraine, the result of waves of economic migration as the region industrialised and many Muslims immigrated to the Donbas region to work in the mines and factories. Advertisement The conflict in 2014 forced many Muslims from Crimea and Donbas to relocate to other parts of the country where they joined long-established Tatar communities or built new Islamic centers alongside Turks, Arabs and Ukrainian converts. But the invasion has forced many to flee once again. The mosque in Kostiantynivka used to cater for a local Muslim population of several hundred people. On Saturday, few local residents were present, having journeyed west with their families. Instead the congregation was made up of soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv and western Ukraine. In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers, Ismahilov told the congregation that this years Eid had a symbolic significance in the midst of the war, and asked them to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques have been destroyed by shelling. Referencing a series of arrests of Crimean Tartars in the wake of the 2014 annexation, Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe. Advertisement There is a lot of fear. The war continues and we have no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation Muslims are in there he said. Ismahilov told the AP that he considers Russian Muslims invading Ukraine, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrovs infamous Chechen battalions, as criminals. They are committing sins and they have come as murderers and occupiers, on a territory that is the home of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Muslims, without any justification. Allah did not give them that right says Ismahilov. They will answer for all this before God. Olha Bashei, 45, a lawyer turned paramedic from Kyiv who converted to Islam in 2015, says Russia is trying erase Ukraine from the face of the earth. Bashei began working as a frontline paramedic in Donbas in 2014. She considers this war her jihad, a term to denote a holy war or personal struggle in Islam. Advertisement This war is my war, and I defend my jihad because I have nephews, I have a mother and I defend my home. I do not want my nephews to ever see what I, unfortunately, saw in this war she said. Islam even helps me because in Islam, in prayer, you somehow distract yourself from the war because you read the prayer and you have a connection with the Almighty. For me, Islam is a force that supports me even in war. As the soldiers prepared the customary sacrificial sheep for the Eid feast, a residential area in Kostiantynivka several kilometers away came under violent shelling. The incoming artillery shook the ground. Some soldiers ran to the mosques bunker. Others shrugged it off and continued to drink their tea and eat dates. The shelling caused several fires, injuring several inhabitants and burning roofs to cinders. Ismahilov said they would pray for victory and the liberation of the occupied territories. We pray that our Muslim compatriots will be safe, that our families will be reunited, that the slain Muslims will go to heaven, and that all the Muslim soldiers who are defending their country will be accepted as shahids (martyrs) by Allah. GiftOutline Gift Article NASA Johnson Space Center SpaceCast Weekly - 8 July 2022. NASA SpaceCast Weekly is a NASA Television broadcast from the Johnson Space Center in Houston featuring stories about NASAs work in human spaceflight. This includes the International Space Station and its crews and scientific research activities, and the development of Orion and the Space Launch System, the next generation American spacecraft being built to take humans farther into space than theyve ever gone before. Photo for illustration (Source: vov.vn) Vietnamese exports brought in US$11.38 billion, representing a year-on-year rise of 13%, said the department.. The export items are quite diverse, ranging from agricultural products to processing and manufacturing items. The items that raked in US$1 billion include garments and textiles at roughly US$1.67 billion, machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts with US$1.364 billion, along with means of transport and spare parts with US$1.2 billion. Other items earning high export turnover are seafood with US$800 million, computers, electronic products and components with US$603.7 million, phones and components with US$538.7 million, footwear with US$495.8 million, and plastic products with US$386 million. Meanwhile, six-month imports from Japan surged by 10.6% to US$12 billion year-on-year. Key import items are computers, electronic products and components valued at US$3.5 billion, machinery, equipment, tools and spare parts at US$2.14 billion and iron and steel at over US$1 billion. As a result, Vietnam skipped into a trade deficit of just US$620 million with Japan in the six-month period. Last year, bilateral trade between the two sides reached approximately US$43 billion, of which exports stood at US$20.13 billion and imports at US$22.8 billion. Currently, the scale of import-export turnover between Vietnam and Japan ranks fourth, behind China, the United States, and the Republic of Korea (RoK)./. Washington: As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied world leaders to relax labour laws, used a kill switch to hide evidence and thwart law enforcement, and channelled money through Bermuda and other tax havens, according to a major investigation. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of reporters, scoured thousands of internal Uber texts, emails, invoices, and other documents leaked to The Guardian to piece together what it called an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers rights. French President Emmanuel Macron, who has recently been re-elected, was named as a key world leader offering support to Uber during its aggressive push into the market. Credit:AP When it burst onto the scene in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortiums Uber Files reveal the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries, during the period when it was run by co-founder and then CEO Travis Kalanick. Its lobbyists including former aides to President Barack Obama pressed government officials to drop their investigations, rewrite labour and taxi laws, and relax background checks on drivers, the papers show. The ones I would actually want to live in were unaffordable; well, they represented five extra years of full-time work. So I ruled out ideal. What about nice-to-have? With a big enough balcony to fit a small BBQ and space to have another couple over for dinner and sit outside without having to ask them to stand up and move their chairs when someone needs to get past? Also ruled out. What about just must-have, then? Smaller homes: Im willing to compromise for one, but is it willing to compromise for me? Credit:Erin Jonasson A third bedroom for significant levels of working from home. Enough outdoor space via balcony/courtyard to sit and have a cup of tea in the fresh air without having to put shoes on and go to the park; have a permitted, built-in, reasonably sized washing line; enough privacy/screening to hop out quickly in my undies to grab something off that washing line if I need it in a hurry. Still pretty much out of my price range. I saw townhouses being built near me in a nice but by no means jaw-dropping location. Three to four bedrooms start at $900,000, but minuscule afterthought courtyards. Yet, they provided three to four bathrooms why provide a bathroom PER bedroom, yet virtually no outdoor space? The saleswoman sounded apologetic. I thought apartments would be more affordable entry points to nice, central suburbs. Wrong. Park Propertys Russell White told me 10 to 20 years ago larger apartments were much more common in places like South Perth and Burswood. A two-bedroom might be 110 square metres, a three-bedroom might be 150. In the past 10 years, the standard was more like 65 square metres for a two-bed and 90 for a three-bed. The reason was cost developers simply made more with lots of small apartments. But owner-occupiers, especially downsizers, seemed to prefer bigger apartments a bit more like a house, he said, with a spare bedroom and a second living area. The other thing is if people are getting a nice big three-bed unit or youre a retiree, you dont want a bunch of rented one-beds as your next-door neighbours, he said. Samantha Reece. He said Applecross and Nedlands were getting more larger apartments in the past couple of years as these downsizers created demand. South Perth had some spacious older units, as did Rivervale and a couple of newer buildings in Victoria Park. He also believed developers were starting to bring them back. He agreed there was not much saving to be had between houses and larger apartments, even though the apartments were still a lot smaller than the houses had been. Many downsizers were not banking any money and some were spending more than what they sold the family house for. Developer-builder John Woon runs Developwise, specialising in medium-density, premium three and four -bedroom apartments in Mt Pleasant, with The Sanctuary 80 per cent completed, and a waiting list operating for an approved development on the same street in the same vein. He says while the wealthy downsizer market is alive and healthy in Perths leafiest suburbs, the Perth market is not ready for family-friendly apartments and the appetite is not there in areas such as Como/Manning when house prices and large apartment prices are so similar. WA Apartment Advocacy founder Samantha Reece says national research conducted last year showed the three-bedroom apartment was trending upwards from 2019-21. The only thing they want to lose is the backyard. They still want a study and space for grandchildren and a master bedroom. So developers are producing more than ever before and they will always report that the three-bedrooms sell the first, she said. She said even couples wanted two bedrooms, two bathrooms and two car bays. But developers were not catering for families at all, either in size or design. In other countries, she had seen many more examples of family-focused apartment design with thoughtful solutions for storage, maximising floor space, communal family facilities and separation of sleeping and living areas. Instead, local developers mentality was that if they were going to sacrifice the profit yield on one-bedroom apartments by building three-beds, they would triple the price of the three-beds to make up for it without actually making them more spacious or liveable. And the state government, while happy to provide stamp duty concessions for off-the-plan apartments and house and land package buyers, had not provided any incentives to promote diversity of apartment design to attract families. Loading The developers tell us that the baby boomers are buying the apartments; I tell them if they had more kid-friendly apartments they might not have so many boomers, she said. Theyve certainly lost me. In the end, Im forced to conclude: if I can get a nicer house for a better price, why would I bother? Kids like Theo, who live in Augusta, would all benefit from a local childcare centre. The shire has since started work on a business case to better understand the need for current and future childcare services and the costs involved, and the state government has committed $10,000 towards the case. Meagher said she was hopeful this process would be completed in a few months, but after three years of fighting she said she believed things should have been resolved a year ago. It has been extremely difficult for parents who want to continue to work. Sometimes they are driving up to 200 kilometres in one day just to take their children to daycare in Margaret River, she said. It often means that one parent, usually the mum, stops working to stay at home with their kids instead. It impacts family income but also businesses in town who are losing a large portion of their workforce. Meagher knows the struggle first-hand. She owns a small business with her husband but had to stop working to care for their children, aged six and three. My time as a volunteer board member spent fighting for a childcare service is also probably the equivalent of a part-time job, she said. But I live in a small community, and you have to step up together otherwise things dont change. Hopefully, our efforts will pay off. Loading We already have about 50 children aged zero to five on the waitlist for this service. University of Western Australia population geography expert Amanda Davies said Augusta had shown an unbroken trend of growth over the past 20 years. This is driven by younger couples and the area as a whole is transitioning into an average younger cohort, she said. This established pattern suggests the need for significant support for families with young children and ensuring education is adequate for all ages. The 2021 census revealed there were 54 children aged from zero to four in Augusta alone, up from 39 in 2016. Davies said a basic level of infrastructure was needed, not only in Augusta but across the South West, to support the growing population. While a need for more infrastructure is an issue across all of regional WA, population pressure in the South West has made the issue even more acute, she said. There has been significant growth and services have simply not kept up. A larger strategic approach is needed from the state government and the WA Regional Development Commission to encourage childcare providers to set up regionally. Her concerns are echoed in a study released by Victoria University which found WA had the lowest overall childcare accessibility out of all the states. The areas in red show the worst-impacted areas for access to childcare. Much of the states north is also red. The study also says about one million Australians have no access to childcare at all, with the population centres most likely not to have any childcare accessible within a twenty-minute drive are towns with a population under 1500, like Augusta. Thrive by Five chief executive Jay Weatherill said the research showed childcare deserts were disproportionately located in rural and regional areas. We should insist on policies that will make Australia the greatest place in the world to grow up, and the greatest place in the world to be a parent, he said. At the start of this month, the state government awarded 14 regional local governments grants to attract and retain childcare workers. But Davies said this could only go so far if there was nowhere for them to work in the first place. A state government spokesperson said the provision of childcare in the regions was a challenge, due to the difficulty of keeping small, sometimes isolated, community-based services viable. Childcare is so important not only for childrens socialisation and education, but also to support parents especially women to return to work, they said. We recognise travelling long distances for childcare is not ideal, as it could discourage parents from entering or remaining in the workforce, at a time when workers are needed in a range of industries. The State Government has also committed $4.1 million to support early childhood education and care in regional WA, and we are currently working through options of how those funds will be used. Womens safety ministers will take their last steps towards finalising a 10-year plan to deal with violence against women and children the federal government hopes will put gender issues at the centre of policymaking. The first face-to-face meeting of federal, state and territory ministers since the federal election will be held in Adelaide on July 22 to discuss the governments new policy focus, Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth will confirm on Monday. At the top of its agenda will be the new national plan to end violence against women and children. Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth hopes the final parts to a decade-long plan to reduce violence against women and children will be settled at an upcoming meeting of state and territory ministers. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen State and territory womens safety ministers last saw a draft of the national plan in late March. Since then, the federal government has changed. The draft is understood to have been revised to take into account Labors policy priorities and reflect some of the feedback on the March document. Leaders pay tribute to late Party General Secretary Nguyen Van Cu. (Photo: VNA) Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue also sent baskets of flowers to the event. The President praised Nguyen Van Cus great contributions to the Party and the nation, saying he is forever the pride of the Party and the nation. Nguyen Van Cu who was Party General Secretary from 1938 to 1941 was a talented young leader of Vietnams revolution, one of the outstanding students of President Ho Chi Minh, an eminent man of the nation, a resilient revolutionary soldier and an exemplary communist who devoted his life to struggling for the nations independence and freedom and the peoples happiness. Born into an intellectual family on July 9, 1912 in Phu Khe commune, Tu Son ward, Bac Ninh province, he joined revolutionary activities at the age of 15. In 1938, Nguyen Van Cu was elected as the General Secretary of the Indochina Communist Party Central Committee (now the Communist Party of Vietnam). The Party Central Committee meeting chaired by Nguyen Van Cu in November 1939 decided to adjust the strategic directions of the Indochinese revolution making them suitable for the new situation. After that time, the revolutionary movement saw huge support throughout the country, leading the way for the General Uprising./. Today A gusty thunderstorm or downpour this evening, otherwise partly cloudy, warm, and very muggy. Tonight A gusty thunderstorm or downpour this evening, otherwise partly cloudy, warm, and very muggy. Tomorrow Partly to mostly sunny and hotter, the first of many 90 days this week, but not as humid as the previous few days. 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. 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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 Theme park thrills in Carlsbad Saddle up with the clan Go for the island vibe Explore a wild world YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town as the U.S. weathers another very active year for fires. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town as the U.S. weathers another very active year for fires. Campers and residents near the blaze were evacuated but the rest of the sprawling park in California remained open, though heavy smoke obscured scenic vistas and created unhealthy air quality. In this photo released by the National Park Service, firefighters make their way toward the Mariposa Grove as the Washburn Fire burns in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Thursday, July 7, 2022. A portion of Yosemite National Park has been closed as a wildfire rages near a grove of California's famous giant sequoia trees, officials said. (National Park Service via AP) Today it's actually the smokiest that weve seen, Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson, said Sunday. Up until this morning, the park has not been in that unhealthy category, but that is where we are now. More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened in the famed Mariposa Grove but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. A sprinkler system set up within the grove kept the tree trunks moist and officials were hopeful that the steady spray of water along with previous prescribed burns would be enough to keep flames at bay, Phillipe said. In this image provided by the National Park Service, a firefighter walks near the Mariposa Grove as the Washburn Fire burns in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Thursday, July 7, 2022. A portion of Yosemite National Park has been closed as a wildfire rages near a grove of California's famous giant sequoia trees, officials said. (National Park Service via AP) The cause of the Washburn Fire was under investigation. It had grown to nearly 2.5 square miles (6.7 square kilometers) by Sunday morning, with no containment. Beyond the trees, the community of Wawona, which is surrounded by parkland, was under threat, with people ordered to leave late Friday. In addition to residents, about 600 to 700 people who were staying at the Wawona campground in tents, cabins and a historic hotel were ordered to leave. Temperatures were expected rise and reach the lower 90s in the coming days, but fire crews working in steep terrain were not contending with intense winds, said Jeffrey Barlow, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford. In this image released by the National Park Service, smoke rises from the Washburn Fire near the lower portion of the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Friday, July 8, 2022. Part of Yosemite National Park has been closed as a wildfire quintupled in size near a grove of California's famous giant sequoia trees, officials said. (National Park Service via AP) The giant sequoias, native in only about 70 groves spread along the western slope of Californias 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. Phillipe, the park spokesperson, previously said some of the massive trunks had been wrapped in fire-resistant foil for protection, but she corrected herself on Sunday and said that was not the case for this fire. However, crews have wrapped a historic cabin in the protective foil, she said. 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 and a major draw for tourists to the national park that's the size of the state of Rhode Island. The Washburn Fire burns in Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in Yosemite National Park, Calif., on Friday, July 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 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. A fierce windstorm ripped through the grove over a year 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. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. In this image released by the National Park Service, smoke rises from the Washburn Fire near the lower portion of the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Friday, July 8, 2022. Part of Yosemite National Park has been closed as a wildfire quintupled in size near a grove of California's famous giant sequoia trees, officials said. (National Park Service via AP) Meanwhile, most evacuation orders were lifted Saturday in the Sierra foothills about 80 miles (128 kilometers) to the northwest of the Yosemite fire, where a fire broke out on July 4. The Electra Fire that began near Jackson was mostly contained, and only areas directly within the fires perimeter remained under evacuation orders, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In Utah, smoke and ash emanating from a growing wildfire in rural Tooele County blew into Salt Lake City on Saturday. By Sunday afternoon, the Jacob City Fire had grown to 5.9 square miles (15.3 square km), with zero containment, officials said. Elsewhere in Utah, firefighters contending with heavy winds battled the 12.4-square-mile (32.2-square-km) Halfway Hill Fire in Filmore. Law enforcement on Saturday arrested four men who investigators said abandoned a campfire that ignited the blaze. So far in 2022, over 35,000 wildfires have burned nearly 4.7 million acres in the U.S., according to the National Interagency Fire Center, well above average for both wildfires and acres burned. ____ This story has been corrected to fix inaccurate information from a park spokesperson and reflect that the tree trunks are not wrapped in protective foil. Italian President Sergio Mattarella met with his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi in Maputo on Tuesday to discuss gas supplies as Rome seeks to reduce its reliance on Russia. Mattarella praised energy cooperation between the two countries during the visit, which came ahead of the opening of an offshore gas project run by Italian energy company Eni in Mozambique's insurgent-hit north. "The forthcoming start of the export of liquefied natural gas from the Coral Sul plant, managed by Eni, is an important milestone that testifies to how precious our collaboration is," Mattarella told a press briefing in Maputo, according to remarks published on the Italian presidency's website. Coral Sul, the first floating liquified natural gas (LNG) facility deployed in deep waters off Africa, arrived in Mozambique in early January. Once operational, it can produce 3.4 million tonnes of LNG a year. Last month, Eni said the plant was "ready to achieve its first LNG cargo" in the second half of 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has injected urgency into efforts around the world to develop new energy sources as Western countries try to reduce their reliance on Russian gas. Italy, one of Europe's biggest guzzlers of natural gas, has stepped up diplomatic contacts to secure alternative supplies in recent months -- and Mattarella, who holds a largely ceremonial role, has been helping with the effort. In May, he played host to Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Eni and Algeria's Sonatrach to boost gas exploration in the north African nation. A month earlier the two countries had signed a major agreement on increased gas supplies. Italy has also held discussions with Qatar and Angola. Mozambique has set high hopes on vast natural gas reserves discovered in its Cabo Delgado province in recent years, attracting major international companies. But there have been doubts over the viability of LNG exploration sites off its northern coast, as the region has been hit by insurgency waged by Islamic State-linked militants. While Eni has said the insurgency has not affected operations, French oil giant Total suspended work on a massive $20 billion LNG project after a militant attack on the coastal town of Palma in March last year. Search Keywords: Short link: DAWSON CITY, Yukon - Firefighters and support staff from British Columbia have been deployed to Yukon to help battle two wildfires that are impacting travel on a major route. The Yukon territorial flag flies in Ottawa, Monday July 6, 2020. Environment Canada has issued an air quality statement for five communities in Yukon due to smoke from wildfires. CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld DAWSON CITY, Yukon - Firefighters and support staff from British Columbia have been deployed to Yukon to help battle two wildfires that are impacting travel on a major route. The Yukon government says in a release that most of the 150 personnel will be focusing their efforts on suppressing the Crystal Creek and Upper Willow Creek fires affecting the North Klondike Highway. It says a fire camp with kitchen facilities, warehouses and management offices has been set up at Pelly Crossing, where a total of 165 people will be housed. The territory says 166 wildfires are currently burning in Yukon. Environment Canada has issued an air quality statement for five communities due to smoke from wildfires. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. It says smoke is expected or occurring in Dawson City, Mayo, Old Crow and from Pelly to Carmacks. The agency says smoke is reducing visibility and people may experience increased coughing, throat irritation, headaches or shortness of breath. Children, seniors and those with heart disease or lung issues like asthma are especially at risk. Environment Canada says that wearing a mask is generally not the best way to protect against pollutants and may lead to a false sense of security. It's encouraging residents to decrease their physical activity and time spent outdoors. It also advises checking local weather forecasts and alerts so people know when to take extra care from wildfire smoke, which includes many potentially harmful chemicals. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2022. A group representing emergency room doctors across the country has a message for Canada's premiers: come up with a co-ordinated plan to prevent their workplaces from being closed due to staffing shortages that are creating an unprecedented crisis in health care. B.C. Premier John Horgan pauses after announcing he will not run in the next provincial election during a news conference in Vancouver, on Tuesday, June 28, 2022. A group representing emergency room doctors across the country has a message for Canada's premiers: come up with a co-ordinated plan to prevent their workplaces from being closed due to staffing shortages that are creating an unprecedented crisis in health care. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck A group representing emergency room doctors across the country has a message for Canada's premiers: come up with a co-ordinated plan to prevent their workplaces from being closed due to staffing shortages that are creating an unprecedented crisis in health care. Dr. Atul Kapur, a spokesman for the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, said premiers gathering at a meeting in Victoria on Monday and Tuesday need to prioritize the recruitment and retention of health-care professionals, and not just in the short-term. "We've been sounding the alarm about shortages of physicians and nurses for quite some time," Kapur said, adding the temporary closure of emergency rooms is particularly troubling in rural areas because the next closest ER is often far away. One of the biggest gaps in the health-care system is the lack of nurses, said Kapur, an ER doctor in Ottawa. "We recognize that our nursing colleagues are vital, that in (emergency) especially, the stresses on them are even more than they are on us because they bear more of the brunt of patient and family anger than we do." A lack of nurses on wards means patients who have been admitted to hospital languish in emergency departments, leaving fewer beds available for those stuck in waiting rooms, including people who don't have a family doctor, Kapur said. Data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information shows admitted patients across Canada waited 38.3 hours in emergency rooms in 2019-2020, up from 29.3 hours five years earlier. The total number of visits spiked to nearly 1.6 million during that time, up from just over 1.1 million. The figures apply to 90 per cent of patients, and Kapur said 10 per cent waited even longer. British Columbia Premier John Horgan, chair of the Council of the Federation made up of the country's 13 premiers, has joined his colleagues to call on the federal government to increase its share of health-care spending from 22 to 35 per cent as they try to implement initiatives aimed at improving the system. Horgan said he met with Justin Trudeau last November when the prime minister visited British Columbia following catastrophic floods. He said he told Trudeau about the premiers' concerns regarding health costs, which will be discussed at their first in-person meeting in three years. Trudeau committed to assembling a team to work on health funding, but that has not yet materialized, Horgan said in an interview. "Eight months of what I thought was going to be a concerted effort has produced nothing other than a meeting in Victoria where all of us will gather to express our profound disappointment at the lack of leadership from Ottawa," he said. Trudeau has said the federal share of spending on health-care transfers would be negotiated after the COVID-19 pandemic winds down. Horgan, who criticized April's federal budget for not including health funding, said he and his colleagues are ready to address Ottawa's expectations of any accountability measures that would come with more money. But premiers first need to know what types of "strings" will be attached to it, he said, adding national solutions are needed to deal with problems plaguing provinces and territories. But Horgan suggested he was not in favour of jurisdictions working together to nationally license health-care professionals, allowing them to work anywhere in the country, because that would amount to "poaching" people after their training has been paid for. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his province has an ambitious plan to rebuild its health-care system, and the federal government can help by paying its fair share of health funding. "The premiers have been asking the federal government to come to the table and be a true funding partner," he said in a written statement. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said that when universal health care was implemented in Canada, it was envisioned as a 50-per-cent split between the federal and provincial governments. "COVID-19 showed the weaknesses in Canada's health-care system, and we need to address those weaknesses for Canadians," he said in a statement. Dr. Katharine Smart, president of the Canadian Medical Association, said enabling health workers to be mobile would "alleviate pressure points" as part of one solution to increase resources where they're needed. "When a universal health system is not able to provide basic health care needs to Canadians, we must accept that it has failed and work together to fix it," she said in a release. "This will take more than simply investing more money." Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, said some emergency and intensive care departments that would have been staffed by 20 nurses now have half that number. Legislation in Ontario restricting wages has meant many nurses are leaving to work for agencies so they have flexible hours and a choice of employers, or they're quitting the profession because of poor working conditions, Silas said. "So, the message I'm trying to give to premiers is: I have never, in 30 years of union work, seen nurses so angry. And they're a tough bunch." Some premiers have indicated they will focus on other priorities at the meeting. Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe said during a recent news conference he wants to address issues with Canada's energy supply. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "The No. 1 ask would be to have a very serious look at the policy positions that the government of Canada is taking that are preventing ... production of some of the most sustainable energy in the world," Moe said. Kenney said the premiers will also be discussing internal trade and how they can address the tens of billions of dollars in economic activity lost every year due to barriers put up by provinces. Canada's "historic labour shortage" is also a concern for Ford. Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson echoed the sentiment, saying lower immigration during the pandemic has contributed to the problem. "We need the federal government to work with us to tackle the labour shortfall to help ensure our economy remains strong during these challenging times," Ford said in a statement. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2022. With files from Steve Lambert in Winnipeg and Colette Derworiz in Edmonton SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) It took a decade of court battles and street protests, but Balkan activists fighting to protect some of Europe's last wild rivers have scored an important conservation victory in Bosnia. People rafting in a small rubber boat along the Neretva river near the town of Konjic, Bosnia, Saturday, July 2, 2022. It took a decade of court battles and street protests, but Balkan activists fighting to protect some of Europe's last wild rivers have scored an important conservation victory in Bosnia. A new electricity law, which passed Thursday, bans the further construction of small hydroelectric power plants in the larger of Bosnia's two independent entities. (AP Photo/Eldar Emric) SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) It took a decade of court battles and street protests, but Balkan activists fighting to protect some of Europe's last wild rivers have scored an important conservation victory in Bosnia. A new electricity law, which passed Thursday, bans the further construction of small hydroelectric power plants in the larger of Bosnias two semi-independent entities. Still, the new law only highlights the long road ahead to protect such rivers across the entire Balkans from being degraded, diverted and commercialized by people with connections to the region's corruption-prone political elite. This is extraordinary. It will become the role model for other European countries, I am sure, said Ulrich Eichelmann of the Vienna-based conservation group River Watch and coordinator of the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign to protect the entire network of wild Balkan rivers. Since it was launched in 2013, the campaign has brought together environmental activists, conservation groups and local people to jointly fight for protection of what it calls one of the most important spots for European biodiversity. It says the Balkans has over 28,000 kilometers (17,400 miles) of waterways in pristine or near-natural state, with extensive gravel banks, untouched alluvial forests, deep gorges, spectacular waterfalls and even karstic underground rivers. Overall, more than 2,700 large and small hydropower plants are projected to be built on these Balkan rivers, including some inside national parks. Bosnia alone has 244 rivers and had plans to build over 350 hydropower plants with the installed capacity of up to 10 mW or more than one on every waterway. This whole business with small hydropower plants began some 15 years ago when investors started visiting villages and promising prosperity to the local people, explained Lejla Kusturica, a prominent Bosnian river conservation activist. In their telling, she added, rivers were supposed to be prettified, we were supposed to generate significant quantities of clean electricity and local communities were promised it will all benefit them greatly. Instead, Kusturica said, investors begun trapping rivers and diverting them by pipe, taking away water used daily by locals and wildlife, eroding and degrading nearby forests. Undeterred, the authorities offered investors public subsidies and fixed above-market prices for long-term contracts, arguing that this would help Bosnia reduce its dependence on coal and speed up its transition to renewable energy. But following a construction boom that saw 110 small hydropower plants built in Bosnia, people from across the ethnically divided country begun arguing that these projects were in fact harmful for both the environment and their livelihoods. Residents of Bosnias riverside villages and towns spontaneously started mobilizing against the small hydroelectric plants, documenting their destruction of nature, analyzing official statistics on their alleged economic contributions and launching court challenges against the permits authorities continued to issue for new projects. The resistance included peaceful, at times months-long, sit-in protests on roads and bridges to prevent investors and their heavy machinery from accessing the rivers. At times, local authorities used violence to disperse the activists. Still, a grassroots river protection movement gradually captured broad popular support in Bosnia and abroad, especially after it disclosed that numerous contracts for the commercial exploitation of rivers were awarded to the politically connected. People stood up against investors on their rivers. They were not knowledgeable people, they were no ecological experts or scientists, they were ordinary people that live next to a river, Eichelmann said. According to official data in Bosnia, painstakingly collected by activists, the owners of small Bosnian hydropower plants over the past decade have been raking in millions of euros in subsidies while paying minuscule concession fees, typically between 1% to 3% of their income. In the meantime, the promised transition to renewable energy never really materialized. In 2021, Bosnia's small hydropower plants contributed only just over 2.5% of the nation's electricity. The battle has been especially fierce along the Neretva River, a cool, emerald green 255-kilometer (158-mile) waterway that is a popular destination for rafters, fishermen and hikers. Before emptying into the Adriatic Sea in Croatia, the river and its tributaries run through both parts of Bosnia. At first, stopping the commercial exploitation of Neretva and its tributaries, where 67 new small power plants were originally planned, appeared impossible, as it required deep knowledge of the different and sometimes conflicting laws in Bosnia's two administrative parts. But unlike any other issue in Bosnia since the end of its brutal 1992-95 war, the opposition to commercial exploitation of the free-flowing rivers has brought people of different ethnic backgrounds together. So far, the activists fighting for the Neretva River basin have stopped or delayed the construction of 56 hydropower plants. While villagers were physically blocking access to the rivers for construction crews, teams of legal experts and scientists have been challenging those permits in the courts. In about a dozen cases, Bosnian courts said authorities had failed to uphold the requirement to consult with local communities, protect nature conservation areas and demand environmental impact studies from investors before consenting to their plans. The court said authorities also failed to properly inspect the construction and operation of the plants. Activists were especially pleased to prevent the construction of two small hydropower plants at the confluence of the Buna and Neretva rivers, a stunningly beautiful conservation area that provides habitat for the soft mouth trout, a species endemic to the Western Balkans. In numerous other cases, however, authorities allowed construction projects to proceed despite successful legal challenges. The Free Press | Newsletter Ready, Pet, Go! Leesa Dahl looks at everything to do with our furry, fuzzy, feathered, fishy (and more!) pet friends. Arrives in your inbox each Monday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Lawmakers in Bosnias other semi-autonomous part, Republika Srpska, responded to public pressure this year by halting subsidies for new plants with a capacity of over 150 kW, rather than with an outright ban. At the same time, some municipalities in Republika Srpska have distanced themselves from the small hydropower projects. Yet even Thursday's conservation win has its limits. The new electricity law gives existing concession holders three years to obtain necessary permits and the approval of local communities for their projects to proceed. This has sparked fears that the investors and local authorities will again find ways to bend the rules. We proved in court that this is a nature conservation area and that by law no construction is allowed here, said Oliver Arapovic, 48, who spent eight years fighting to protect the confluence of Buna and Neretva rivers. We will use the protection of the law as much as possible, but if that fails, we are ready to defend this area, to block access to the investors and their heavy machinery with our own bodies, he added. His fellow-activist, 61-year-old Miroslav Barisic, was equally emphatic. Locals here are determined to fight to the end, even if it requires dying" for the cause, he said. BERLIN (AP) The Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. FILE - A view of pipe systems and shut-off devices at the gas receiving station of the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline and the transfer station of the OPAL (Ostsee-Pipeline-Anbindungsleitung - Baltic Sea Pipeline Link) long-distance gas pipeline in Lubmin, Germany, June 21, 2022. The Canadian government said late Saturday, July 9, 2022 it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment whose absence Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. (Stefan Sauer/dpa via AP, File) BERLIN (AP) The Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to Germany of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Canada's minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that "Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. He said that absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom. German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldnt have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices. The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that Russia may cite some little technical detail as a reason not to resume gas deliveries. The reduction in gas flows comes as Germany and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europes biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from Russia. Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germanys three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europes biggest economy faced a crisis and storage targets for the winter were at risk. On Friday, energy company Uniper Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has disrupted ritual slaughter of animals to mark Eid al-Adha as millions of Muslims across Indonesia were celebrating one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar Sunday. Muslims perform a morning prayer marking the Eid al-Adha holiday on a street in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sunday, July 10, 2022. Muslims around the world will celebrate Eid al-Adha, or Festival of Sacrifice, slaughtering sheep, goats, cows and camels to commemorate Prophet Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son Ismail on God's command. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana) JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has disrupted ritual slaughter of animals to mark Eid al-Adha as millions of Muslims across Indonesia were celebrating one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar Sunday. Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is a revered observance that coincides with the final rites of the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia. Its a joyous occasion for which food is a hallmark where devout Muslims buy and slaughter animals and share two-thirds of the meat with the poor. Much of Asia, including Indonesia, India and Pakistan, observed Eid al-Adha on Sunday, while Muslims in other parts of the globe, including in countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Kenya and Yemen celebrated the holiday on Saturday. But this year, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease an acute, highly contagious viral disease of cloven-footed animals that is sometimes transmitted to humans has significantly dampened the typically booming holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep in Indonesia, the world's largest populous Muslim country. Muslim women perform Eid al-Adha prayers at a mosque in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, Sunday, July 10, 2022. Muslim people in the country celebrate Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of the Sacrifice, by slaughtering sheep, goats and cows whose meat later will be distributed to the poor. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati) FMD is again spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which had been outbreak-free for 32 years. The government, struggling to cope with the ever-rising numbers, is setting up a task force and ordering the culling of nearly 3,000 infected livestock. As of Sunday, more than 336,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces, largely on the most populated islands of Java and Sumatra. At least 2,000 animals died from the disease, according to official data from the National FMD Task Force. Although FMD is not generally considered a threat to human health, it can be lethal for animals and the outbreak has diminished peoples enthusiasm for sacrifice. The countrys religious affairs ministry has told Muslims they should not force themselves to sacrifice cattle during the outbreak. Ive canceled plans to buy a goat for the Day of Sacrifice, because Im afraid of the impacts of the FMD to us as humans, said Tatu Allya, a resident in the capital, Jakarta. She said that before the outbreak reemerged, her family buys either a goat or cow every Eid al-Adha. The government has warned all cattle breeders and traders to ensure that the cattle they sell are free from the disease, ordering slaughterhouses to kill and bury all animals that are showing FMD symptoms and roll out vaccination of susceptible animals. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government had prepared around 3 million doses of FMD vaccines, mostly from France. Over 400,000 animals have been vaccinated as of Sunday and the agriculture ministry said they have distributed medicines, antibiotics, vitamins, immune boosters and disinfecting agents to farmers and breeders. Syauki Maulana, one of the sellers whose animals have been vaccinated, said his business has suffered this year as he lost many customers. Before the FMD outbreak, he could sell more than 60 goats, sheep and cows two weeks ahead of Eid al-Adha, even during the coronavirus pandemic. The Free Press | Newsletter Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. But on the eve of Eid al-Adha, only 28 of his animals were sold despite a big banner advertising that his animals are FMD-free at his makeshift stall housing cows, sheep and goats in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta. Ive made every effort to keep my cattle healthy, but buyers are still fearing about infections and rising prices, Maulana said, adding that animal feed, vitamins and transportation are getting more expensive. Indonesia, like the rest of the world, is struggling to come out of the economic recession of the pandemic. The Ukraine war and soaring energy and food prices are creating complications in this recovery. The government has relaxed restrictions and the return of the Eid tradition of homecoming has caused great excitement for people in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation that's home to more than 270 million people, as family gatherings and meet-ups with friends were now on peoples lists. Worshippers, many still wearing masks, joined communal prayers shoulder-to-shoulder without physical distancing in the streets of Indonesias capital, Jakarta, and in mosques across the city. Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac. TORONTO - Canada's industry minister will convene a meeting with the leader of Rogers Communications in the wake of a massive outage that paralyzed the company's network and hampered several crucial services, his office announced on Sunday, even as some customers continued to report service disruptions. Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry Francois-Philippe Champagne speaks during an announcement on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, on Thursday, June 16, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang TORONTO - Canada's industry minister will convene a meeting with the leader of Rogers Communications in the wake of a massive outage that paralyzed the company's network and hampered several crucial services, his office announced on Sunday, even as some customers continued to report service disruptions. A statement released from the office of Francois-Philippe Champagne said he plans to meet with Tony Staffieri and other telecom leaders to discuss the importance of improving "the reliability of networks across Canada." The statement said Champagne found last week's widespread service disruption which lasted at least 15 hours and knocked out access to numerous law enforcement, health care and banking services "unacceptable," adding he has expressed that view directly to Staffieri. "These services are vitally important for Canadians in their day to day life and we expect our telecom industry to meet the highest standards that Canadians rightly deserve," the statement read. Staffieri released a statement on Saturday attributing Friday's widespread outage to a network system failure following a maintenance update, adding that the "vast majority" of customers were back online. But many continued reporting service disruptions into Sunday, including Courtice, Ont. resident Paul Platt, who said his home wireless network was only restored after being down for more than 48 hours. Platt said many of the appliances in his home, including some lights, locks and smoke detectors, depend on an internet connection to function. "Nothing was working in my house at all," he said. Platt said he checked in on his elderly neighbours one with Parkinson's disease and another who recently had heart surgery every few hours over the weekend, noting they also rely on Rogers service and wouldn't be able to call 911 if needed. "That's where that's not OK," Platt said. Platt said he made numerous attempts to contact Rogers through support lines and social media but was unable to reach any staff. He said he's frustrated both with the lack of communication from Rogers for customers still affected by outages and Staffieri's Saturday statement in which he said the company's network and systems were "close to fully operational." "That's the most frustrating thing to me," said Platt, who said he has worked in IT his entire life. "I understand that things happen, I understand that they're very complicated. But there's just no feedback to the customers at all and... no support available for the customers that are still having problems." Rogers declined to comment on continued outages when asked by The Canadian Press, but referred to Staffieri's previous statement in which he said technical teams are continuing to monitor for "any remaining intermittent issues." The company issued a statement later in the day saying it was aware that some customers were continuing to experience "intermittent challenges with their services." "Our technical teams are working to resolve those remaining issues as quickly as possible," the company said in a tweet, reiterating the message that service had been restored for the "vast majority" of customers. Rogers also said it was looking forward to the upcoming meeting with Champagne and other industry members. "Rogers understands the frustration and disruption we created for Canadians with our network outage, and we are wholly committed to finding solutions," the company said in a statement. "The federal government and Minister Champagne were there throughout the outage offering assistance, for which we are grateful. They are focused on solutions and a plan for the future and so are we." The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Downdetector, a website tracking outages, showed the number of people reporting problems with Rogers' service was significantly higher than usual on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. There were more than 2,200 outage reports on the site at 5 p.m. on Saturday, up significantly from the baseline of 38 usually seen on the site at that time. Sunday morning's logs showed 1,479 reports at 8:30 a.m. compared to a baseline of 18. Montreal, Toronto and neighbouring Mississauga, Ont., and the Ontario cities of London and Kitchener were among those logging the most reports on the website, with the majority of reports being related to issues with Rogers' landline internet. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2022. Companies in this story: (TSX:RCI.B) With files from Stephanie Taylor in Ottawa. TORONTO - Sabina Abilova and Andrii Koziura sit at the dinner table in their basement apartment, laptops open, searching for jobs that might help them pay for next month's rent. Inna Abilova, left to right, poses for a photograph with her mother, Maryna Yakovenko, and sister, Sabina Abilova, who recently arrived in Canada from Ukraine, in Etobicoke, Ont., on Thursday, June 30, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tijana Martin TORONTO - Sabina Abilova and Andrii Koziura sit at the dinner table in their basement apartment, laptops open, searching for jobs that might help them pay for next month's rent. The Ukrainian newcomers arrived in Toronto just a few weeks ago, looking to escape the conflict in their country, and have been burning through their savings as they're faced with the high cost of living in the city. "The prices here are quite high," Abilova, 28, says in an interview. "If we don't find a job, we won't be able to stay here for long." The cost of housing is proving to be one of the top issues for Ukrainian newcomers arriving under a special federal program announced in March that permits them to work or study in Canada for three years. Abilova and Koziura were on vacation in Argentina when Russia began invading Ukraine in February. The couple decided to apply to come to Canada since Abilova's sister already lived in Toronto, having arrived as a student eight years ago. Being approved under the program was relatively easy, but getting information and support on matters like housing, public transit and employment has been tough, Abilova says. "In Ukraine, we had a very like good, normal life and now we have to go and find help everywhere, to ask for help, discounts and everything and it's not a good situation," she says. "It's difficult because I wasn't expecting for Canada to be like that." Abilova and Koziura now live in a two-bedroom basement apartment in west Toronto with Abilova's mother and 13-year-old brother, who already had visitor visas for Canada before the war began. They pay $2,000 in rent per month and are currently relying on savings to pay for their expenses, Koziura says. The couple has applied for a $600 monthly social support payment from the Ontario government and a one-time $3,000 payment from the federal government while looking for jobs, he says. Koziura, 27, says he used to work as a software product manager in Ukraine and is hoping to find a job in his field. "Our initial plan was to come here, stay here for a few months and decide where are we going to stay, how easy it is to stay in Canada, and we haven't managed to find a job yet," he says. "The situation with the war is quite tricky. We don't know when it ends. And we don't know what our long-term plans are. Are going to receive the citizenship here ... are we going to get back home?" Ihor Michalchyshyn, the executive director of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, says housing is the number one challenge facing Ukrainian newcomers, especially in Ontario. Refugee settlement agencies funded by the federal government are not technically allowed to help Ukrainian newcomers with housing because those arriving under the special program are not recognized as refugees, he says. "They don't have access to the same, let's say, full suites or full services that a refugee from anywhere would have," he says. "We might call them refugees, (but) they're not technically, legally in the eyes of the government-funded agencies, refugees." His organization and the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants wrote last month to Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser calling on him to allow settlement agencies to use federal funds to support Ukrainian newcomers' housing costs. Michalchyshyn says his organization has also been pushing for income support for Ukrainian newcomers. A spokeswoman for Fraser says the federal government has a program that provides Ukrainian newcomers with one-time financial assistance of $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child. "These funds will help Ukrainian nationals and their family members meet their basic needssuch as transportation and longer-term housingas they arrive in communities across Canada and find a job," Aidan Strickland wrote in a statement. "We recognize that major urban centres across Canada are currently facing difficulties in securing temporary accommodations this summer, as well as housing challenges from both an affordability and an availability standpoint." Janet Dench, the executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees says the special program for Ukrainians has the advantage of being open to an unlimited number of people but doesn't come with the support government-sponsored refugees typically receive. "From a policy perspective, it has the advantages of being really quick and being open," she says in an interview. "(Ukrainian) people may be 'okay, well, we'll come to Canada and we'll be able to have all of our needs met,' but they weren't necessarily informed or realizing that all they were getting is a work permit and a visitor visa. They're not getting a whole system of support." Michalchyshyn, of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, says the housing situation for Ukrainian newcomers is more challenging in Ontario than other provinces. The average monthly rental price for a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto was $2,133 in June, data from Rentals.ca showed, compared to $1,538 in Montreal and $1,669 in Halifax. "Probably more than 60 per cent of (Ukrainian) people in Canada are arriving in Toronto, to the GTA, and then ... struggling to find housing of any kind," he says. Ukrainian community groups, including churches and community agencies and organizations, are trying to find host families, empty apartments and emergency shelter spaces, he says. "There's just a very high demand and very low availability," he says. Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton, who's responsible for immigration, says his department is working with other government departments and municipalities to support those Ukrainians. The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. "Certainly, it's a challenge," he says in an interview. "We're working with our municipal partners ... to identify the housing inventory so these people have safe shelter and a safe place here in Ontario." According to the federal government, 55,488 Ukrainians arrived in Canada between Jan. 1 and June 26. The government says it received 343,283 applications under the new program for Ukrainians between March 17 and June 28, and 146,461 were approved. - with files from Holly McKenzie-Sutter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2022. Members and allies of Winnipegs Sudanese community gathered outside the Manitoba legislature Saturday afternoon to rally against a military regime ruling Sudan. Members and allies of Winnipegs Sudanese community gathered outside the Manitoba legislature Saturday afternoon to rally against a military regime ruling Sudan. Protestors called for freedom, justice and democracy in the North African country, which fell under military control after a violent coup last October. Pro-democracy protesters in Sudan have since accused regime-backed security forces of killing more than 130 people and imprisoning countless others. On Monday, coup leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced the military would relinquish control to a civilian government, but Mohammad Ali, who helped organize the rally in Winnipeg, remained skeptical. "Every day, they are killing people," he said. "That is what we are suffering. We need freedom. We need a democracy government ruled by the people." Ali formerly worked as an engineer at a Sudanese airport but was unjustly imprisoned, he said. He fled the country in 1989, living in Russia and Libya before immigrating to Canada in 2004 and becoming a Canadian citizen. He remembers his home country as a place rife with torture, starvation, resource exploitation and limited freedom. Since 2019, Ali has hosted at least eight rallies in Winnipeg to unite the citys Sudanese community and draw attention to their plight. He still has family in Sudan and cannot overlook the horrors there, he said. "We are Sudanese-Canadians We need support of Canadian government and community," he said. "(There are) massacres every day, so that should be stopped. So, were trying to make our voice reach out and express how we are feeling. That is what we want." The Free Press | Newsletter Want to get a head start on your day? Get the days breaking stories, weather forecast, and more sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Roughly 50 people attended the afternoon rally. Many carried signs and took turns leading chants, alternating between English and Arabic. A few in the crowd wept, their voices cracking as they shouted pleas for government intervention. Darrell Rankin, former leader of the Communist Party of Canadas Manitoba branch, attended as an ally and friend to Ali. The pair have known each other for 15 years, he said. Rankin spoke at the rally, criticizing the Canadian government and calling for solidarity among Canadians. "All these people are united against these regimes now," he said, gesturing to the crowd around him. "You can see the passion that people have and the compassion for the people who have suffered." tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Israels Prime Minister Yair Lapid agreed in a phone call on Sunday that the Israeli authorities would conduct a full and transparent probe into Israeli press reports concerning historical facts about Egyptian soldiers buried in Jerusalem during the 1967 war between the two countries, according to a presidential statement. Lapid stressed that the Israeli side would positively and transparently deal with this issue and would communicate and coordinate with the Egyptian authorities on developments in order to reach the truth, Egyptian presidency spokesperson Bassam Rady said in the statement. Israeli press reported on Friday accounts of people involved in burying dozens of Egyptian soldiers during the 1967 War, also known as the Six-Day War, in an unmarked mass grave west of Jerusalem. Earlier on Sunday, Egypts foreign ministry said in a statement that the Egyptian Embassy in Tel Aviv has been assigned to communicate with the Israeli authorities to clarify what is being circulated in the media, call for an investigation to verify the credibility of this information, and urgently inform the Egyptian authorities of the relevant details. In the 1967 War, Israel launched a pre-emptive attack against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria and captured East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, as well as the Syrian Golan Heights and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. The 1967 War, which saw Israel nearly triple in size, was the beginning over 55 years of Israeli occupation of Arab territories. Six years later, Egypt achieved victory in the October 1973 War against Israel, paving the way for the return of the occupied Sinai Peninsula to the homeland after a peace deal was signed with Israel. The war eventually led to Israeli forces withdrawing from the Sinai Peninsula on 25 April 1982 after 15 years of occupation, based on a peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Israel started to declassify the 1967 Six-Day War archives in 2017, releasing thousands of previously classified official documents charting political decisions and containing minutes of the wartime security cabinet and transcripts of other ministerial meetings. Search Keywords: Short link: Children enjoy themselves at a park in Heyang County, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, July 8, 2022. [Xinhua/Tao Ming] BEIJING, July 9 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping has on various occasions stressed the importance of human rights protection and development, reiterated China's commitment to unswervingly advancing the development of the human rights cause, and called for concerted efforts of all countries to improve global human rights governance. Under Xi's leadership, China has put respecting and protecting human rights high on its agenda of state governance and development strategy, and has made remarkable achievements in this regard home and abroad over the years. Protecting Basic Human Rights On multiple occasions, Xi has emphasized the importance of protecting primary and basic human rights, such as the rights to subsistence and development. "China insists on a combination of the principle of human rights' universality and the nation's actual conditions, and insists that the rights to live and to development are primary basic human rights," Xi said in December 2016 in a congratulatory letter sent to an international symposium on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations' "Declaration on the Right to Development." Just as Xi said, China has long adhered to a people-centered vision of human rights, sparing no efforts in saving lives and improving people's livelihood. Prioritizing the protection of people's health in its development strategy, China has built the world's largest healthcare system. Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, China has mobilized all resources nationwide, and made unprecedented efforts for medical treatment. In February 2021, China declared the elimination of absolute poverty, having lifted nearly 100 million rural poor out of poverty over the previous eight years. The country has also made all-out efforts to combat organized crime and clamp down on all illegal activities to safeguard people's rights to live safely. Surveys by the National Bureau of Statistics detected a continuous rise in Chinese people's sense of security, with 98.4 percent of the population feeling safe in 2020. The figure rose to 98.56 percent in the first half of 2021. China ranked second with 93 points in the 2021 Global Law and Order Report released by Gallup. Aerial photo taken on June 18, 2022 shows a view of Hongniya Village in Wulian County of Rizhao, east China's Shandong Province. [Xinhua/Guo Xulei] The key human rights issues are enough food to eat, adequate housing and the right to education, and "for those three key areas, China has done an amazing job," said President of the New Zealand China Friendship Society Dave Bromwich. "In my view, China, under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, has done very well in terms of securing fundamental human rights," said Kenya-based international relations scholar Cavince Adhere. Farhad Javanbakht Kheirabadi, a China scholar at Shahid Beheshti University in Iran, said China's achievements of guaranteeing people's basic human rights, such as the right to life and the right to development, and continuously improving people's living standards, "set an example for other countries." Advancing All-Round Development When addressing the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly via video on Sept. 21, 2021, Xi said that "we should safeguard and improve people's livelihoods and protect and promote human rights through development, and make sure that development is for the people and by the people, and that its fruits are shared among the people." "We should continue our work so that the people will have a greater sense of happiness, benefit and security, and achieve well-rounded development," he noted. Under Xi's leadership, China has coordinated the improvement of human rights related to economy, politics, society, culture and environment. Along with the country's economic development, people's quality of life has been greatly improved. On average, 13 million new urban jobs were created annually in recent years. The per capita disposable income of residents has exceeded 35,000 yuan (about 5,200 U.S. dollars), up by nearly 80 percent from the 2012 level. The urban-rural income gap was closed significantly, and the middle-income group has grown to over 400 million people. File photo shows an exterior view of the Shanghai Stock Exchange at Pudong New Area in Shanghai, east China. [Xinhua] In 2021, China's retention rate of compulsory education reached 95.4 percent, with more equal accessibility. The country now has the largest higher education system globally, with 44.3 million students currently at school. Development is the foundation and key to solving all problems facing the country, as is reiterated in the Chinese government's major development plans and documents, noted Lin Yifu, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University. "No matter how often you've been to China, during every visit you actually discover something new," said Zahari Zahariev, chairman of Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road and former member of Bulgarian Parliament. The Chinese society, based on socialism principles, has a single goal: "the well-being and the most favorable conditions for development both of the individual and of the social organism as a whole," he said. In social, economic and cultural fields, "China has continuously set and achieved a series of long-run goals to rejuvenate the nation," said former Tunisian Foreign Minister Ahmed Ounaies. Upholding Global Human Rights Cause In his congratulatory letter to the Beijing Forum on Human Rights on Sept. 16, 2015, Xi said China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development and uphold human rights causes of both China and the world at large, calling for closer international exchanges and cooperation in the field of human rights. Attaining full human rights for people is a shared goal of the humanity, he said. More than six years later, Xi, in a congratulatory letter to the 2021 South-South Human Rights Forum held in Beijing, noted again that "China is willing to work with all developing countries to carry forward the common values of humanity, practice true multilateralism and contribute wisdom and strength to the sound development of the international human rights cause." Honoring its commitments, China has made important contributions to the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and has been long dedicated to promoting common development and prosperity. For example, China has conducted agricultural science and technology exchanges with more than 140 countries and regions. It has provided more than 15,000 tons of emergency humanitarian food aid to developing countries in need since the beginning of this year. Photo taken on May 29, 2022 shows China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Yangon International Airport in Yangon, Myanmar. [Xinhua/U Aung] Last year alone, China provided 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 120 countries and international organizations, honoring its commitment to making the vaccine a global public good. Besides, to achieve a balanced, coordinated and inclusive growth worldwide, the Chinese president proposed the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in re-energizing the implementation of the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and building a global community of development. Mohammed Saqib, secretary-general of the India China Economic and Cultural Council, said China has immensely contributed to the world, especially poor developing countries, through material aid, technical cooperation, human resource development cooperation, the dispatch of medical teams, emergency humanitarian aid, overseas volunteer programs and debt relief. China-proposed GDI is a very noble cause, and it is going to contribute to world peace and prosperity, said Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. (Source: Xinhua) Attorney Bobby DiCello, right, holds up a photograph of Jayland Walker as attorney Paige White, left, comforts Jayland's mother Pamela Walker during a news conference at St. Ashworth Temple, Thursday, June 30, in Akron, Ohio. The FBI didnt finish over 1 million gun background checks in time to stop a sale in 2020 and 2021 US to provide Ukraine with four more mobile artillery rocket systems in new $400 million Ukraine security assistance package Clwyd South MS meets local teachers to discuss upcoming education reforms The MS for Clwyd South has visited a Wrexham primary school to talk with teachers ahead of the introduction of new Welsh Government education legislation. Member of the Senedd Ken Skates spent an afternoon at Rhosymedre Community Primary School in his role on the Senedds Children, Young People and Education Committee, which is monitoring the implementation of two key education reforms as they are being rolled out throughout the current Senedd term (2021-2026). The two reforms being introduced are the Curriculum and Assessment (Wales) Act 2021 and the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018. Mr Skates said: I love visiting Rhosymedre School and it was a really productive afternoon. Im grateful to the staff for their time and their feedback, which was incredibly helpful. The new curriculum is a shift away from what has gone before which will give schools the flexibility to design their own teaching programme within a broad national framework. The aim is to empower teachers, who know their pupils best. I believe its an innovative approach, and its something that was also welcomed by staff on a recent visit to Ysgol y Waun in Chirk. The new curriculum is being introduced in primary schools in September 2022. The Additional Learning Needs (ALN) reforms affect around one in five pupils. Under the 2018 Act, every learner with ALN will be given a statutory Individual development plan setting out their needs and what interventions they require. The new arrangements are being phased in over a three-year period from September 2021 to July 2024. Welsh Ambulance Service appoints new chairman of the trust The Welsh Ambulance Service has appointed a new chair of the trust. Colin Dennis, who is currently the Chair of North Devon Homes and Citizen Housing, has been appointed by the Minister for Health and Social Services, Eluned Morgan. He will replace the Trusts outgoing Chair Martin Woodford, and will begin his four-year term on 01 October 2022. Colin has had a career in the financial and aviation sectors and has experience in non-executive roles in regulated sectors including the NHS, social housing and adult care and social services. Commenting on his appointment, Colin said: I am delighted to be appointed to this Chair role. Having spent some time on an acute hospital trust board and many years as Chair of a local authority owned social care provider, I am acutely aware of the challenges facing the NHS in general, and of the ambulance service in particular. I hope that my experience in these and other social purpose sectors will be of value to the Board and to the service. He will replace the outgoing Martin Woodford, who joined the Trust in 2014 as a Non-Executive Director and was appointed Chair in 2018. Martin, a qualified accountant, has amassed more than 30 years experience in the local government and healthcare environment. Prior to joining the service, he was Chief Executive of Powys Healthcare Trust and Chief Executive of the former Hereford Hospital Trust and its successor organisation Wye Valley NHS Trust. Martin said: Ive had eight wonderful years with the Welsh Ambulance Service, and its fair to say weve made huge strides towards our vision to becoming a leading ambulance service. Weve also had our fair share of tribulations, not least a global pandemic, but the way in which colleagues in every part of the service and in every corner of Wales have risen to the challenge makes me immensely proud. Its been an absolute honour to serve as Chair, and as my tenure draws to a close, Id like to extend a huge thanks to colleagues across the Trust and the wider NHS in Wales for their support and partnership. Id also like to congratulate Colin on his richly deserved appointment. Chief Executive Jason Killens added: Its an important time for the NHS in Wales as we look to deliver a health service fit for the future, and Martins knowledge, passion and personal drive for the role has really helped to drive that work forward. Wed like to say a huge and heartfelt thanks to Martin for his commitment over the last eight years, and offer a warm congratulations to Colin on his appointment. Luxor and Cairo have been selected to be among the top trending destination in the world in 2022, according to Travelers' Choice Awards of the world's largest travel guidance platform Tripadvisor. Cairo comes in second place in the trending list while Luxor is in 16th among a list of cities that also includes destinations in Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. Moreover, Cairo also has come as the ninth best destination for city lovers in 2022 while Hurghada has been named 10th most popular destination. These destinations have seen the greatest growth in search traffic year-on-year, according to a recent Tripadvisor survey. Tripadvisors methodology for The Travellers Choice Best of the Best Awards focuses on the quality and quantity of reviews and ratings from travelers on their platform over the 12-month period between 1 November 2020, and 21 October 2021, the website said. Tripadvisor describes Cairo as an ancient city that also happens to be a modern metropolis, stating that it is one of the biggest cities in the Middle East and a splendid place to explore Egyptian history and culture. It is the city of a thousand minarets and includes unique and distinguished archaeological sites and touristic attractions as Tripadvisor said. As for Luxor, Tripadvisor shows various activities for tourists such as the hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of Kings, archaeological sites on its east and west banks, as well as the enjoyable Nile cruises. In April, the UKs Daily Mail news website has selected Egypt as one of the best tourist destinations for the spring and summer, coming in second place on the list of top holiday destinations of 2022. The website has chosen Cairo, Marsa Alam, Luxor and Hurghada as top destinations to visit in Egypt, adding that with the opening of the all-new Grand Egyptian Museum, visiting Cairo is a must. This comes at a time when Egypts tourism sector has been struggling to recover amid pressure from the Omicron wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and most recently the Ukraine-Russia war, from where Egypt receives a major part of its tourism share. In June, Egypt announced that it is lifting all COVID-related entry restrictions for all travellers, whether Egyptian nationals or foreigners, according to a statement by the Cabinet. Egypts tourism sector had picked up momentum in 2021 thanks the return of Russian tourists to Sinai in August and also the international events held. In 2021, Egypt organized two gala events. The first was the Golden Pharaohs parade on 3 April, when 22 Royal mummies paraded in Cairo from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir to their destination, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The second was Luxor...The Sphinx Avenue, on 25 November, which was the reopening of the Sphinx Avenue after renovation to promote tourism in Luxor. Search Keywords: Short link: Hot weather and high levels of humidity are expected to continue until the end of this week, the Egyptian Meteorological Authority (EMA) forecast, warning of direct exposure to the sun. High humidity will make conditions feel 2-3 degrees higher than actual numbers throughout the day, EMA added, noting that moderate weather is expected to prevail during nighttime. Greater Cairo is expected to see highs of 34-35 degrees Celsius until Friday, with humidity to make it feel like 36-37 degrees, while the North Coast is predicted to see highs of 30 degrees and feels-like temperatures of 33 degrees. South Sinai will see highs of 38-39 degrees EMA forecast. Additionally, northern Upper Egypt will experience highs of 37-38 degrees, while southern Upper Egypt will see highs of 42 degrees over the coming five days. EMA also expected morning fog on agricultural roads, highways, and roads close to waters that lead to Greater Cairo, Lower Egypt, North Coast, and Suez Canal cities. Active wind is expected in parts of Greater Cairo, eastern coasts, and South Sinai for intermittent periods, a matter expected to reduce humidity feelings at night, the EMA noted. Since June, Egypt has seen rising temperatures and humidity due to the Indian seasonal thermal depression that is moving towards several Middle Eastern countries. Egyptians are currently celebrating the four-day Eid El-Adha feast. The Egyptian cabinet announced a paid holiday for government workers from 9-14 July. Search Keywords: Short link: Iran announced Sunday that it has begun enriching uranium up to 20% using sophisticated centrifuges at its underground Fordo nuclear plant, state TV reported, an escalation that comes amid a standoff with the West over its tattered atomic deal. That Tehran is enriching uranium up to 20% purity, a technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, with a new set of its most advanced centrifuges at a facility deep inside a mountain deals yet another blow to the already slim chances of reviving the accord. Behrouz Kamalvandi, a spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization , said uranium enriched to 20% was collected for the first time from advanced IR-6 centrifuges on Saturday. He said Iran had informed the UN nuclear watchdog about the development two weeks ago. Centrifuges are used to spin enriched uranium into higher levels of purity. Tehran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers had called for Fordo to become a research-and-development facility and restricted centrifuges there to non-nuclear uses. Iran had previously told the IAEA that it was preparing to enrich uranium through a new cascade of 166 advanced IR-6 centrifuges at its underground Fordo facility. But it hadn't revealed the level at which the cascade would be enriching. The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN's nuclear watchdog, told The Associated Press that it had verified on Saturday that Iran was using a set-up that allowed it to more swiftly and easily switch between enrichment levels. In a report to member states, Director General Rafael Grossi described a system of ``modified sub-headers,`` which he said allowed Iran to inject gas enriched up to 5% purity into a cascade of 166 IR-6 centrifuges for the purpose of producing uranium enriched up to 20% purity. Iran did not comment on the latest IAEA finding. Nuclear talks have been at a standstill for months. The US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malley, described the latest round of negotiations in Qatar as ``more than a little bit of a wasted occasion.'' The IAEA reported last month that Iran has 43 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a short step to 90%. Nonproliferation experts warn that's enough fissile material for one nuclear weapon if Iran chose to pursue it. However, Iran still would need to design a bomb and a delivery system for it, likely a monthslong project. Iran insists its program is for peaceful purposes, though UN experts and Western intelligence agencies say Iran had an organized military nuclear program through 2003. Tehran's escalating nuclear work has raised alarm with transparency rapidly diminishing. Last month Iran shut off more than two dozen IAEA monitoring cameras from various nuclear-related sites across the country. Former President Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal in 2018 and re-imposed crushing sanctions on Tehran, setting off a series of tense incidents across the wider Mideast. Iran responded by massively increasing its nuclear work, growing its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and spinning advanced centrifuges banned by the accord. Iran's adversary Israel has long opposed the nuclear accord, saying it delayed rather ended Iran's nuclear progress and arguing that sanctions relief empowered Tehran's proxy militias across the region. Search Keywords: Short link: Israel's prime minister expressed hope Sunday that his country will establish formal diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, days before President Joe Biden visits the two countries as part of a regional trip. Israel and Saudi Arabia do not have official diplomatic relations, but have shared clandestine security ties over a mutual enmity of regional arch-rival Iran. The kingdom is widely believed to be among a handful of Arab states weighing open ties with Israel. ``Israel extends its hand to all the countries of the region and calls on them to build ties with us, establish relations with us, and change history for our children,'' Prime Minister Yair Lapid said during a weekly Cabinet meeting. He said Biden will carry ``a message of peace and hope from us'' when he embarks for Saudi Arabia. Israel's ties with Arab states have grown since normalizing relations with four Arab states in 2020 as part of the US-brokered Abraham Accords. Defense cooperation has tightened since the Pentagon switched coordination with Israel from US European Command to Central Command, or CENTCOM, last year. The move lumped Israel's military with those of former enemy states, including Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations that have yet to recognize Israel. Biden is set to arrive in Israel Wednesday for three-day trip that will also include meetings with Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank. From there, he will fly directly to Saudi Arabia. Formal ties with Saudi Arabia would be a major diplomatic coup for Israel. The kingdom has been publicly reticent about acknowledging cooperation with Israel. Saudi Arabia's King Salman has been a longtime supporter of the Palestinians and their desire to establish an independent state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. Israel captured all three areas in 1967, though it withdrew its forces and settlers from Gaza in 2005. The kingdom has long conditioned the establishment of full diplomatic ties with Israel upon a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict with the Palestinians. Israel and the Palestinians have not held substantive negotiations in more than a decade. But recent years have seen signs of a shifting attitude. Saudi Arabia has allowed flights between Israel and Gulf states to cross through its airspace. In 2020, then-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly flew to Saudi Arabia for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and last week several Israeli defense reporters visited the kingdom and published news reports about their welcome. Search Keywords: Short link: Chelsea are set to complete the signing of Raheem Sterling having agreed a 47.5million transfer fee with Manchester City, the PA news agency understands. The 27-year-old is expected to undergo a medical in the next few days. Chelsea hope the deal will be completed in time to allow the England forward to join the clubs pre-season tour in the United States. Raheem Sterling scored over 130 goals in seven years at Manchester City (Bradley Collyer/PA) Sterling has remained Chelseas top target this summer, even though the Blues were strongly linked with Leeds forward Raphinha and his fellow Brazilian Richarlison. Tottenham eventually signed Richarlison from Everton. It is understood Sterling has agreed personal terms on a five-year contract with the option of a further 12 months. Raheem Sterling left Liverpool in 2015 to join Manchester City (John Walton/PA) Sterling joined City from Liverpool for an initial 44m in July 2015 and has played a key role in their success under Pep Guardiola. He has won four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and three League Cups at the Etihad Stadium, and scored 131 goals in 339 appearances for the reigning Premier League champions. Sterling grew up in north-west London and began his career at QPR before joining Liverpool in 2012. Elaine Harris Spearman The Honorable Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first African American woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States of America. This is a first in the 233-year history of the highest court in the land. I suppose that I should be jumping for joy. I am indeed proud and reasonably happy to see a representative of a large part of the American population, the African American female, finally have a say in what happens to the American people. Well, the road has been long and bumpy. There is still such divisiveness when it comes to equal opportunity and equal treatment in this country. Had this not been so, there could have been a lot more Judge Brown Jacksons in every facet of the judiciary, not just the Supreme Court. Judge Brown Jacksons elevation to the high court makes me reflect upon many things that people of a certain age are prone to do. We look back. It is not to say we have no forward thoughts. It's simply that we recognize from whence we have come, and the trials and tribulations involved. My sense of education in this country was heightened by a recent article in The Gadsden Times. It told the story of southern Black education, and the ugly road to the American concept of education as a right. Reading the article took my mind back to Carver High School in Gadsden. There were lots of Carver Highs across the South. If not in name, in concept and principle that imposed a certain standard of action and conduct. The teachers that we had probably could have been Judge Brown Jackson had the opportunity existed. Id like to think that they all wanted to be teachers because they knew then the value of education and the long road ahead of us. They could sense that the same kind of men who existed then, extolling massive Jim Crowism, would have modern day counterparts. That is what you heard and what you saw in the televised Senate Judiciary Committee hearings from the questions and comments made by the members of the committee who did nothing to hide their disdain for an imminently qualified jurist. Story continues I for one was happy to see the assignment of former Sen. Doug Jones to assist Judge Brown Jackson through the grueling process. It is as plain as the nose on your face that the U.S. Senate is out of touch and should be out of time. Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has been successful in moving the country backwards. There is such a dark cloud over the Senate. Integrity, character and intellect have taken a back seat to support for the Trump idea of what America and its judicial system should look like, and what rulings should look like that emanate from the court. Alabama has done absolutely nothing to dispel what this state has as history. The people being sent to Washington, D.C., offer no hope for a Senate that will work to make a difference for men, women and children across this country. Should Katie Britt join Sen. Tommy Tuberville, we are doomed to suffer more of the same. I feel certain the teachers of Carver High Schools across the South are proud of their graduates. Those who are in Heaven, and those still on Earth, are thankful that they are not fighting within a school system that they helped to establish. Neither the legislators nor the parents ran the school system. Neither group established the curriculum. If the Carver High School teachers were speaking about the modern educational system, they would advocate for a public speaking course. Good grammar would be a matter of concern, rather than some of the matters being made issues within the educational system by the legislators. Ms. Beatrice Webb would not have tolerated speech punctuated by uh, uh" to fill in pauses, nor would she have tolerated speech punctuated with the word like. Every other word is like. The thought being expressed becomes unintelligible since like prefaces every word spoken. The very next time that a report is being punctuated by uh, uh, uh, a newscaster delivers his lines with uh, uh; a talk show host does the uh, uh before he can finish a sentence, think about where you want your children and grandchildren to be in our career and status driven society. Imagine how the attorney arguing his case before the U.S. Supreme Court felt as he commits the speaking error of a lifetime. He said irregardless, to which a justice promptly chastised him, saying there is no such word" and delivered a scathing discussion, albeit short, of the real word and the definition. Elaine Harris Spearman, Esq., a Gadsden native, is an attorney and is the retired legal advisor to the comptroller of the City of St. Louis. The opinions reflected are her own. This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Elaine H. Spearman reflects on first Black woman on Supreme Court Abortion rights protesters gathered outside the White House on Saturday to call on President Joe Biden to do more to protect access. The action, organized by the Women's March, is part of a "Summer of Rage" in response to the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Since the June 24 ruling ending nationwide abortion access, several states have already moved to limit or outright ban the procedure. "We're putting our bodies on the line at the White House RIGHT NOW," the group wrote on Twitter. "Let's show President Biden there are millions more who want him to declare a state of emergency and protect abortion access NOW." The demonstration came just one day after Biden, facing pressure from his own party to do more, signed an executive order aimed at protecting access to abortion care and other reproductive health services. Related video: Biden's executive order regarding 'access to reproductive health care' MORE: Biden signs executive order on abortion access amid pressure from Democrats Biden's executive order directs agencies to safeguard access to federally approved medication like the abortion pill and emergency contraception, as well as provide legal representation for patients and providers seeking or offering services. It also looks to protect patient privacy. The Women's March is calling on Biden to declare a public health emergency and national emergency, which they say will allow the administration to "utilize additional flexibilities, deploy resources where necessary, and act with the urgency that this moment requires." The protest began in Franklin Park before moving down to the White House. PHOTO: Abortion-rights activists protest during a rally in Washington, D.C., July 9, 2022. (Jose Luis Magana/AP) Outside the White House, protesters chanted "do your job" and "keep us safe." PHOTO: Abortion-rights activists protest during a rally in Washington, D.C., July 9, 2022. (Jose Luis Magana/AP) After Biden signed the executive order on Friday, the White House was on the defense in the briefing room today when asked if this was the best the president could do and if there are any other actions he can take given his limited executive power. Story continues "This is not going to be solved by one day's action," Jennifer Klein, co-chair and executive director of the White House Gender Policy Council, told ABC News' Rachel Scott. Klein said the actions taken by the administration to date are "just one step in the process." Klein also downplayed the benefit of declaring a public health emergency, as abortion rights advocates and some Democrats have called for. "When we looked at the public health emergency, we learned a couple things," Klein said. "One is that it doesn't free very many resources. it's what's in the public health emergency fund, and there's very little money, tens of thousands of dollars in it. So that didn't seem like a great option. And it also doesn't release a significant amount of legal authority. And so that's why we haven't taken that action yet." PHOTO: Women's March activists attend a protest in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision, in Washington, D.C., July 9, 2022. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters) Protesters on Saturday called for the codification of Roe a move Biden has called for multiple times since the Supreme Court's ruling. But he said enshrining abortion rights in federal law is up to Congress. MORE: What can Democrats in Congress do to protect abortion rights? Probably nothing, at least for now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she will bring a bill to the floor next week that codifies Roe. But any effort to do the same in the Senate will likely stall, as Democrats don't have 10 votes from Republicans to move forward on such legislation. - ABC News' Justin Gomez contributed to this report. Abortion rights activists protest at White House, urge Biden to do more originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Sunday, July 10, 2022 at 2:56PM by Claudio Alves In 1997, Eduardo Serra became the first Portuguese person to be nominated for an Academy Award. This honor came thanks to his work in The Wings of the Dove, a Henry James adaptation directed by Iain Softley. This piece of trivia was one of the reasons I was so eager to watch the film as I first started to fall in love with movie awards. The other point of interest was Helena Bonham Carter, for whom I had a raging fandom in my early teens. After all, this was also the picture that had earned the actress her first nomination. It should have also won her the statuette. This was the first film I remember looking for with such avidness, going into international sites so I could order a DVD from abroad. I fell in love with The Wings of the Dove when I was thirteen, and that passion has only strengthened in the years since. Indeed, every time I revisit it, I find new details worthy of admiration This time, for instance, I was struck by how sharp the editing can be, judicious and propulsive, while revealing the potential for poetry in Softley's frames. Nothing in the director's further filmography, or that of editor Tariq Anwar, has quite the same diamantine precision, making The Wings of the Dove shine all the brighter. It feels like a precious object, a rarity that manages to transcend the underestimations many might want to stick to it, wrong labels that equate costume dramas with stuffy mediocrity. There's nothing mediocre about this feature. That's obvious from minute one when we meet our protagonist as she traverses through the London underground of the early 1910s. Kate Croy is the daughter of a formerly wealthy woman and a dissolute man of no means. Having recently lost her mother, she now finds herself living under the patronage of Aunt Maude. Coldly pragmatic and a bit mercenary, the older woman intends to find her penniless niece a good match, guaranteeing her a life far away from the destitute misery of the girl's father, who now wastes away in opium dens. Money matters in this narrative, and no amount of romanticism can hide that truth. Love is a miracle, but it can't quell the hunger that comes hand-in-hand with poverty, nor does it provide other material comforts Kate has grown used to as she lives with Maude. However, heartlines of amorous devotion and sensual fixation still tether the young woman to that life she hopes to leave behind. As she walks from the train to the surface, through gates and lifts, that connection materializes beside her. He's Merton, a reform-minded journalist whom she kisses when nobody's looking. Softley shoots this wordless introduction with devastating grace, slithering through the shadows of the London tube while the editing diffuses the distance between gestures. In three shots, cut like notes in a symphony's crescendo, we see how the lovers pretend to be unaware of the other's presence. Then, the eyes move, and bodies soon follow. Before we know it, their ascension is a passionate embrace, a dry orgasm of cinematic form articulating what could otherwise need lines upon lines of text to explain fully. They are bound to each other and inexorably pulled apart. Sure, Maude has forbidden Kate from meeting her paramour, but there's more to it. Though it doesn't limit itself with bookish fidelity to the source material, the socio-economic specificities of James' prose ring through the film with a crystalline clarity. The kiss cuts directly to a dramatic close-up of Kate's eyes, staring straight at the camera, only to cut to a medium that reveals the preparations for a night out. The aunt paints her niece's face and adorns her neck with fine jewelry, putting her together like a doll. And yet, there's passive acquiescence in Kate's frozen form, her eyes caught in the mirror in what could be vanity if it didn't feel quite so introspective. Helena Bonham Carter and Charlotte Rampling could say nothing as the two women, and we'd still get the gist of the situation, its prickly complexities. It's all in the images' construction, Sandy Powell's Poiret-inspired costumes with a hint of moneyed bohemia, and Serra's lighting of Carter's face to look like lifeless porcelain. It's in the actress' intelligent gaze, complicating the perfect "deer in headlights" countenance with a thorny calculation that glistens on screen. Kate is a tricky figure, a woman overcome by forbidden desire, a romantic heroine with a realist streak and enough brutality to turn the pursuit of love into something cruel. The Wings of the Dove characters are fairly multidimensional and tricky to pin down, especially Kate. However, the story isn't as complicated. She initially rejects Merton until three months after the break, when an opportunity arises on the horizon. Kate befriends Milly, an orphaned heiress from the other side of the pond, now embarking on an extended trip through the Old World. Their friendship blossoms as the English woman sees the American as a way out of her economic trap. You see, Milly's infatuated with Merton. Moreover, she's dying. And so, Kate schemes to bring her lover and new friend together, ensuring Merton knows the situation is temporary, a means to an end. The point is to secure Milly's fortune, wait for her premature demise and then marry as they've always wanted, love and wealth brought together in one fell swoop. As the American's European odyssey leaves London for Venice, Kate finagles her way to Italy as Milly's companion and also manages to bring Merton along. Her manipulations go according to plan, though there's no happy ending in store for this consummate liar. I'm not sure I fully grasped the depths of Helena Bonham Carter's Kate Croy the first time I watched The Wings of the Dove. So much of her work is internal, a storm of contradictions, hypocrisies, and perilous ambivalences rolling at the bottom of the character's soul. It's a cerebral performance that's all about hiding and revealing, secrets sometimes shared with the camera, sometimes occluded to the extreme. There's great guilt mixed with jealousy, most memorably expressed in an epistolary monologue delivered into the mirror's surface. There's also twisted generosity, perhaps even a Sapphic shade to her friendship with Milly. It's an incredible performance, surprisingly empathetic and brimming with silent compromises, the voracious observations of a preying animal. A slew of obstinate young women marks Carter's early work, demonstrative takes on inchoate spirits still finding themselves. Her Merchant ivory films are exemplary of this. But, then, her later career found the actress ossified into a stylized type, Goth melodrama for juvenile sensibilities alternated with self-conscious prestige. She still delivers remarkable feats on the regular, but never nothing as disciplined as her Kate Croy, the kind of work that becomes richer as the viewer ages and finds new facets to James' heroine. Before re-watching Softley's film, I checked out Benoit Jacquot's modernized take on the same novel dating back to 1981. No matter how much screenwriter Hosseini Amini streamlined the novel for the '97 movie, he kept its spirit, themes, and ideas. Unfortunately, the same can't be said about Jacquot. Furthermore, Dominique Sanda is no Helena Bonham Carter. Her interpretation only made me appreciate how dazzling the British thespian is in the role. Even Isabelle Huppert as Milly - by far the French film's best asset - pales compared to Alison Elliott's SAG-nominated efforts. If Carter made Kate's ultimate generosity feel like a stab, Elliott made Milly's taste of punishment. Linus Roache is appropriately beautiful as Merton, while a cadre of supporting actors sketch galaxies of meaning at the margins of the main action. Rampling was already mentioned, but Elizabeth McGovern and Alex Jennings deserve applause. But, of course, The Wings of the Dove's greatness goes way beyond its cast, cutting, and script. The picture's visual stylists evoke a sensual world, ripe to the point of rot, devastatingly gorgeous and erotic, while also feeling like a hand tightening its grip around the audience's throat. Eduardo Serra's work is elegant without being showy, rendering London a labyrinth of treacherous shadows giving way to a crying atmosphere for the film's coda. Intimate spaces feel warm and cold simultaneously, while Venice is a dream of incandescent sensualities. The sets, by Andrew Sanders, materialize a point of transition in history, right before World War I and the Spanish Influenza shrouded the world in mass death. Powell's costumes delineate social hierarchies and power dynamics, they seduce the eye of the beholder while suggesting the tactility of Fortuni pleats against naked skin. Oh, what an intoxicating picture this is, growing richer and richer with each viewing. The Wings of the Dove is streaming on Max Go. You can also find it on other platforms, available to rent. Residents of Syria's rebel-held northwest may lose access to critical aid within weeks if the UN Security Council does not extend authorisation for cross-border deliveries, which expires Sunday, officials said. UN aid deliveries through the Bab al-Hawa crossing on the Syrian-Turkish border could halt as of midnight after Russia on Friday vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have extended it by one year. The council's non-permanent members may propose a nine-month extension to try to break the impasse, but as of Sunday morning no new agreement had been reached, threatening to upend assistance to more than two million people. "Until today, we have no information on the mechanism that will be put in place in the coming period," said Mazen Allouch, an official at the Bab al-Hawa crossing. "Aid groups that are partnered with the UN and that operate in liberated areas have an emergency response plan" in case the UN mandate is not extended, he said, referring to parts of Syria still under rebel control. But their supplies are expected to last only a little "over one month", he added. The Bab al-Hawa crossing was closed for a second consecutive day on Sunday due to the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday. When it reopens on Wednesday, it will continue to allow civilians and non-UN relief convoys to cross, including those sent by Turkish aid groups and other international aid organisations, Allouch said. But senior UN officials and relief workers have repeatedly stressed that such aid deliveries cannot substitute the scope and scale of UN cross-border operations. The cross-border mechanism at Bab al-Hawa, in place since 2014, is the only way UN assistance can be brought into the rebel-held northwest without navigating areas controlled by Syrian government forces. More than 4,600 aid trucks, carrying mostly food, have crossed Bab al-Hawa so far this year, helping some 2.4 million people, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). "If aid deliveries are diverted through regime (areas) then we will effectively be besieged," said Abu Mohammad, a displaced Syrian living in a camp in northern Idlib. "They want to starve us and bring us down to our knees," the 45-yer-old father of four told AFP. Search Keywords: Short link: WASHINGTON The special House committee investigating the violent Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, resumes its public hearings this week, continuing to connect the dots and recount how President Donald Trump tried to overturn the 2020 election he lost. It's an investigation that gained momentum with its star witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, a former White House aide, who testified June 28 that Trump knew some of his angry supporters were armed as he directed them to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol. Each week since the public hearings began has brought new testimony or cooperation from witnesses. The latest: On Sunday, the committee received a letter from the attorney for former Trump adviser Steve Bannon indicating that he would be willing to testify. The Jan. 6 committee seeks to prove the president oversaw and coordinated a sophisticated seven-part plan to overturn the presidential election and prevent the transfer of power, Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said during the first hearing. What have the first six hearings revealed? Witnesses: Testimony from close associates of Trump provided details on the president's behavior before, during and after Jan. 6 in pushing his false claims of election fraud. Trump's pressure campaign: The president continued to claim the election was stolen after his Cabinet officials, such as Attorney General Bill Barr, told him he lost a free and fair contest. Barr testified that his office pursued all allegations of fraud and found no proof. When Trump continued to pressure Barr, he told the president, I didn't want to be part of it. Justice Department officials, state lawmakers and election workers described the pressure campaign as Trump tried to overturn Joe Biden's victory. A White House aid testifies that President Donald Trump's "unpatriotic" anger was "over a lie." Trump children testify: The former president's children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, along with her husband, Jared Kushner, testified in closed-door meetings to the Jan. 6 committee. The committee obtained phone records from Eric Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is engaged to Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump and Kushner urged Trump to back down: Once Barr had made his position clear and resigned from his post over the fallout Ivanka Trump, the president's senior adviser, accepted the Justice Departments findings, she said in videotaped testimony. She and Kushner were among a group of White House counselors who urged Trump to back down from dozens of lawsuits in battleground states and to stop alleging that anything could happen on Jan. 6 other than Biden being certified by Congress as the next president. Former judge advised Pence: While Trump privately and publicly pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject electors, Pence sought advice from retired conservative Judge Michael Luttig, who testified that he told Pence there was no basis in the Constitution or any other U.S. law that gave the vice president the ability to do what Trump wanted. When Pence wouldnt follow through with Trumps request, Trump turned the mob on him, Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., said. Rioters chanted, Hang Mike Pence. Presidential pardons sought: Testimony alleged that Republican members of Congress helped the president try to overturn the 2020 election: Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Matt Gaetz of Florida, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania and Marjorie Taylor-Greene of Georgia. They all asked for a presidential pardon, according to Hutchinson's testimony. An angry president: Hutchinson related a secondhand story that Trump lunged at a Secret Service agent in his attempt to grab the steering wheel of an SUV and join the mob at the Capitol. The Secret Service said it would respond "on the record" to Hutchinson's allegations. Trump threw a porcelain plate against a wall after Barr said there wasn't widespread fraud in the election, according to Hutchinson's testimony. Documentary: The committee requested 11 hours of footage from British filmmaker Alex Holder, who testified behind closed doors June 23. About three hours of footage was released Sunday morning in the documentary on Discovery+ and did not include any big reveals. Story continues When is the next Jan. 6 hearing? The committee is scheduled to hold two hearings this week. Tuesday, the committee is likely to lay out evidence on how the pro-Trump mob was organized, assembled and financed. Here's what else is to come: Bannon agrees to testify : Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the Jan.6 committee received a letter from Bannon's lawyers saying the former Trump adviser would testify. Panel members have not had a chance to discuss the letter, and the committee has "many questions" for him, according to Lofgren. She indicated Bannon would be interviewed in a private setting. More White House testimony: The committee is pursuing legal options to compel people to testify, though members said witnesses are coming forward every day. Former White House attorney Pat Cipollone testified for about eight hours Friday behind closed doors. On Sunday, Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., told ABC's "This Week" that Cipollone's testimony "did not contradict anybody" and that some of what he told the committee would be presented over the "next couple of hearings." Filling in the gaps: Jan. 6 committee members are trying to answer one of the most pressing questions from that day: What was Trump thinking and doing in the 187 minutes from the time he left his "Stop the Steal" rally on the National Mall to when he issued a video statement asking rioters to leave the Capitol. Timeline: On Jan. 6, Trump was out of public view as aides urged him to act. A breakdown of those 187 minutes. More: Trump White House Counsel Cipollone meets with Jan. 6 committee, 'does not contradict' earlier witnesses Catch up on the first six hearings The first public hearing was June 9. Here are takeaways from those hours of testimony: Contributing: Merdie Nzanga Candy Woodall is a Congress reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at cwoodall@usatoday.com or on Twitter at @candynotcandace. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jan. 6 hearings resume this week: Here's what they have revealed Bail bond concept. Gavel and dollar banknotes. - stock photo designer491 / Getty Images Nicole Gililland said she faced unfair treatment from Southwestern Oregon Community College. She said professors give her wrong assignments and penalize her differently from other students. One professor told her "it takes a classy woman to be a nurse, and unclassy women shouldn't be nurses." An Oregon woman on Thursday was awarded roughly $1.7 million dollars by a jury after she claimed a community college forced her out of their competitive nursing program for her past work in adult films. Nicole Gililland brought a lawsuit against Southwestern Oregon Community College for emotional distress and for sex discrimination under Title IX, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in schools that receive federal funding, after attending the college from around Fall 2017 to Spring 2018. Gililland said faced what she believed was unfair treatment by her school after finding out about her past work. Oregon judge Mustafa T. Kasubhai issued an opinion in December 2021 in favor of Gililland. Gililland enrolled in the community college's nursing program in the fall of 2017, according to court documents. Still, her past work in porn became relevant in 2018 when she emailed her professor Melissa Sperry. In the email, Gililland told the professor that she had confided in a fellow student about her past work and was worried they would embarrass her. In the months that followed the email, Sperry's attitude towards Gililland would change, per court documents. Sperry had sent Gililland the wrong assignments, then failed her on the incorrect assignment. Additionally, according to the court document, Sperry would penalize her for taking a make-up exam, court records said. Finally, Gililland confronted her professor. According to court records, when Gililland asked the professor why she was treating her the way she did, the professor responded, "it takes a classy woman to be a nurse, and unclassy women shouldn't be nurses." Story continues Gililland contacted deans, the board of education, and professors, addressing her unfair treatment but with no response for months. Gilliand would later be placed under academic probation for alleged improper citation of sources. According to a February 2020 report by VICE, Susan Walker, the head of the community college's nursing program, accused Gililland of being an "angry person" and "unsafe with her patients" at an academic probation hearing. "Stigma tells sex workers that they're not worth anything, and I want my lawsuit to be a wake-up call," Gililland told VICE. "This is what I want it to illuminate as if on a neon billboard: be careful who you treat like shit." Read the original article on Insider Chip Somodevilla/Getty; Kevin Dietsch/Getty As the Jan. 6 committee nears its final weeks of public testimony, some of its committee members believe theyll be able to make a direct connection between two of its top subjects: former President Donald Trump and his Oath Keeper acolytes. House Reps. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), both members of the committee, appeared on NBCs Meet the Press and CNNs State of the Union on Sunday to preview the panels upcoming week of public testimony. Their slots came two days after Trumps final White House counsel Pat Cipollone gave nearly nine hours of testimony to the committee, a key character in bombshell witness Cassidy Hutchinsons testimony last month. The Entire GOP Is Complicit in the Coup Attempt Murphy would not confirm to host Chuck Todd how much of Hutchinsons testimony Cipollone confirmed, but she did note how the public would hear more of his and others testimony during Tuesdays hearing. She said the focus would be on domestic violent extremists, particularly those who heeded Trumps call to arrive in Washington to protest the election results. We will lay out the body of evidence that we have that talks about how the presidents tweet on the wee hours of Dec. 19 of be there, be wild was a siren call to these folks, Murphy said. She referred to a tweet Trump sent out urging his supporters to come to D.C. on Jan. 6. Big protest in D.C. on January 6th, he wrote. Be there, will be wild! Well talk in detail about what caused them to dohow that caused them to organize, as well as who else was amplifying that message, Murphy said. Lofgren reiterated that message on State of the Union, telling host Jake Tapper how the committee would be making the case to the public on Trumps complicity with the Oath Keepers during this weeks hearingsincluding whether Trump knew the far-right militia had gone to the Capitol. We are going to be connecting the dots during these hearings, between these groups and those who were trying in government circles to overturn the election, she said. I think you have to reach your own conclusions, but based on the events leading up to the day, I think that would be a logical conclusion. Story continues Lofgren also said the committee will likely hear from ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon, who told the committee he would appear before them after Trump waived executive privilege. Who it will not hear from: Stewart Rhodes, the imprisoned Oath Keepers leader charged with seditious conspiracy. Rhodes agreed to speak to the committee solely if his testimony was broadcast live. This may be a pitch to be released, Lofgren said, likening it to a get out of jail free card. Ill just say that we have already had information from Mr. Rhodes. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The pandemic's true toll on mental health won't be known for a long time, but data from the past two years indicates a rise -- some of it sharp -- in prescription drugs for conditions like ADHD and depression. (Karan Singh/The New York Times) If youre wondering which pills and how many of them Americans have relied upon to make ourselves feel better since COVID-19 arrived, the answer, in short, is yes. I should have gone back on medication sooner in the pandemic than I did, said Leah Bellow-Handelman, 36, matter-of-factly. Bellow-Handelman, a nurse who lives in Brooklyn with two small children, has been on and off Prozac for anxiety since her 20s. Shortly before the pandemic, she had weaned herself off in time for her first pregnancy. So, she wasnt taking anything when the pandemic struck, even though her life was operating in full crisis mode: She worked at the urgent care center at Memorial Sloan Kettering in Manhattan, a cancer hospital. The emergency room is dedicated to current and former cancer patients, and many of the patients admitted to the urgent care had especially severe cases of COVID and needed oxygen or intubation right away. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times We just put our heads down and did what we had to do, she said. We were in such autopilot disaster mode in the spring, that by the summer, that was when we really realized how intense that spring really had been. She also felt isolated; many friends had left the city, and of those who remained some were hesitant to see her because she worked in health care. By August 2020, her husband encouraged her to go back into therapy. After a complicated second birth, she decided she needed more than just talk. Her therapist, she said, was never opposed to me going back on medication, but she was trying to get me to do mindfulness and meditation stuff that I just dont do. She turned to Prozac again. Now, she said, Im a different person. The reasons behind the decision to start or restart psychiatric medication are often not reducible to simple cause and effect. Im definitely medicated because of COVID, but Im also medicated because Im a woman who was a nurse who had babies in the middle of COVID, and a traumatic birth, Bellow-Handelman said. Story continues She is one of millions of Americans who started or restarted psychiatric medication during COVIDs long and dreary run. Tracking exactly which pills Americans are swallowing these days is difficult because much of this information is privately held. But, from companies that provided data to The New York Times and from other existing research, it is possible to begin to assemble a picture of our medicine cabinets and, by extension, our mental health. First, the broad strokes: In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 15.8% of American adults took prescription pills for mental health. During the pandemic, the National Center for Health Statistics teamed up with the Census Bureau to carry out quick online pulse surveys and tracked mental health prescription pill use. The numbers they turned up echo what we already sense: We are depressed, anxious, tired and distracted. Whats new is this: Almost a quarter of Americans over 18 are now medicated for one or more of these conditions. More specifically, according to data provided to the Times by Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefits manager, prescriptions across three categories of mental health medications depression, anxiety and ADHD have risen since the pandemic began. But they have done so unevenly, telling a different story for each age group and each class of medication. Antidepressants continue to be the most commonly prescribed of these medications in the United States, and their use has become only more widespread since the pandemic began, with an 8.7% rate of increase from 2019 to 2021, compared with 7.9% from 2017 to 2019, according to Express Scripts. IQVIA, a global health technology and clinical research firm, found that in 2021, a total of 337,054,544 prescriptions were written for antidepressants in the United States through the course of the year, representing a steady annual increase since 2017, when that number had been 313,665,918. But for some age groups, that change has been more pronounced. Since 2017, there has been a 41% increase in antidepressant use for the teenagers included in the Express Scripts data (which consists of roughly 19 million people). For this same 13- to 19-year-old bracket, in the first two years of the pandemic, there was a 17.3% change in anxiety medications. It had been a 9.3% rate of change between 2017 and 2019. One 13-year-old rising eighth grader in Colorado currently takes the antidepressant Paxil and the stimulant Adderall. (She also takes melatonin, a nonprescription supplement, to help her sleep.) Before the pandemic, she had started taking Adderall to help with ADHD, but when her school switched to remote learning, she struggled. It just felt like one of those days where you sit at home and you dont do anything, she said. It felt like that was every day, like I was stuck in some endless cycle of sitting in one place. For me, everything felt a lot more pointless. It didnt feel like I was in school; I just felt like I was in a dream. So I didnt feel like I needed to do my assignments, because I didnt feel like anything I did at that time actually mattered. Sitting with her puppy helped, but her teachers told her it was too distracting on-screen. Ultimately her mother decided to try her on Paxil. Shes an anxious person, said the teenagers mother, Ellie. She gets stuck in her own head, and her thoughts loop. She gets frustrated with schoolwork, and she doesnt want to do it if she doesnt think she can do it perfectly. It was affecting her mental health, and she was cranky and depressed, and she got her period early, she added. It was just so many things at once. Their pediatrician recommended she come off the Adderall to determine whether the Paxil worked. While she was off the Adderall, her grades slipped. She recently started taking it again. She said the main downside of Adderall came at meal times. Last year, when I was on it, she said, I couldnt eat anything, so my sister would make me smoothies so I didnt have to chew. I just felt too productive to eat, she added. I had no appetite, instead, my brain was like, You have to do everything right now. My body was hungry, but my mind was not. These rising medication numbers arent necessarily caused only by a worsening of mental health in this country (although we know that rates of anxiety and depression have increased). Part of the uptick could be explained by the fact that, stuck at home, people finally had time to seek out the health care they had been delaying. But patients seeking help are doing so against a backdrop of isolation, restriction, uncertainty and grief. Theres less of a barrier culturally around using medications, said Dr. Cecil R. Webster Jr., a psychiatrist in Boston and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital. At the same time, life in the digital age means that people expect immediacy: immediate replies, immediate delivery, immediate improvement. We have no tolerance for slow change, he said. But many of the problems we are faced with demand slow change. Yet weve always had problems and for everyone alive today, weve always had pills. The tranquilizers that first became popular in Eisenhowers America were, within a few years, so commonplace as to be called mothers little helpers, until they were shown to be dangerously addictive. The 1950s and 60s were widely framed as the age of anxiety, said Anne Harrington, the author of Mind Fixers: Psychiatrys Troubled Search for the Biology of Mental Illness and a historian of science at Harvard. And the 80s and 90s became the age of depression. And yet its unclear that peoples symptoms actually changed. The Rise of the Antidepressant Prozac arrived in 1987, and just seven years later there was Elizabeth Wurtzel, the Harvard grad with the big, doleful eyes, staring out from the cover of her blockbuster book, Prozac Nation. An early devotee of such pills, she reported from the front lines of the new pharmacological war on sadness, an avatar of Gen X anguish and hope. (Wurtzel died in 2020 from breast cancer.) Prozac set a new standard for the treatment of depression, but its success was tied to its predecessors. Long before there was Prozac, there was iproniazid, developed for tuberculosis but applied to depression after doctors observed the cheering effect on a group of TB patients in a hospital on Staten Island. (The often-told story has it that they danced in the hallways.) Iproniazid did not cure TB, but it came onto the market as something with potentially wider application: the long-sought psychic energizer, as Dr. Nathan Kline, a psychoanalyst who was one of its earliest champions, put it. Prozac was developed to answer what was then the prevalent theory of depression: that it was caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain, specifically too little serotonin. Prozac and similar drugs are called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, meaning they block the reabsorption of serotonin in the brain. When these drug companies began to market SSRIs as drugs repairing a so-called chemical imbalance, if you look carefully at the early ads, they say, depression may be caused by or we actually dont know what causes depression, in the fine print, Harrington said. But the Food and Drug Administration made it easier for drug companies to advertise directly to consumers, and the language of chemical imbalance, according to Harrington, had a really big impact on how we made sense of our mental distress. As psychiatrist Dr. Peter Kramer put it in Listening to Prozac, his landmark 1993 book that helped crystallize the cultural moment, Prozac was on Nightline when you went to sleep and on the Today show when you woke up. Within the first two years of Prozacs existence, 650,000 prescriptions were written for it per month. In 1993, Kramer was asking careful questions about who should use Prozac and why, but almost 30 years later, he recognizes that the dispensing of antidepressants has grown significantly more casual. Prozac, and its cousins like Zoloft and Lexapro given out to treat depression but also anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other disorders are now a banal sight in American medicine cabinets, between the Band-Aids and the Tylenol. I think the reason doctors are more blase about prescribing these medicines is that theyve now been around for a long time and they can prescribe them without getting into trouble, Kramer said. But theres one more reason, too, he thinks: our growing intolerance for more mild levels of depression and neurosis. Debates rage on the efficacy and safety of antidepressants. In a recent article in The Nation, writer P.E. Moskowitz, echoing a long-standing concern of some prominent skeptics, points out that antidepressants are much more difficult to get off than advertised and that the chemical-imbalance theory of depression on which it all rests has never been proved. In a study published this year in JAMA, a team of researchers led by Dr. Sadaf Milani of the University of Texas Medical Branch found that antidepressant use during the pandemic differed across genders. Looking at data pooled from 15 million to 17 million Americans during the initial months of the pandemic, she said, her team found that rates of serotonergic drugs (prescribed for both depression and anxiety) used by women increased to a 15.18% prevalence rate by October 2020 (compared with 12.77% in January 2018). For men, there was a bump in antidepressant use in the first weeks of the pandemic with a 6.73% prevalence rate in April 2020 (compared with 5.56% in January 2018). For men and women, rates of antidepressant use dropped off slightly in 2021, but remained higher than they were in 2018. The Age of Depression Meets the Age of Distraction Adderall, a medication that hit the U.S. market in 1996, was created to treat attention deficit disorder, and its very name, as Alan Schwarz reports in his book ADHD Nation, was inspired by the phrase ADD for All. Adderall was nothing new: The same chemical compound had been used in previous decades as a weight-loss drug, then called Obetrol. But from a pharmaceutical perspective, it was a name well chosen. Within 10 years, more than 9 million Adderall prescriptions were written. And from 2006 to 2016, use of prescription stimulants doubled. During the pandemic, even as stimulant use among the youngest Americans leveled off slightly, the most recent data from Express Scripts suggests that these pills are being given at increasing numbers to young adults. Among Americans ages 20 to 44, numbers of ADHD medications went up 7% from 2017 to 2019, but they increased by 16.7% from 2019 to 2021. According to IQVIA, just under 77 million prescriptions were written for ADHD stimulant medications in 2021, nearly 6 million more than in 2020. In 2017, , that number was 66,612,308. In some ways its easy to understand why, as millions of people are burned out, lethargic and forced to focus all day on computer screens with little to no true social connection (to say nothing of exhausted parents stranded with no child care, no school and no help). Emergency legislation, passed in the early days of the pandemic, may have helped to ease the pathway to an Adderall prescription even further. The new rules lifted the requirement that doctors see patients in person in order to prescribe them certain controlled substances, including Adderall. Newly minted telehealth companies like Cerebral, which was founded in 2020, provided customers with stimulant prescriptions after a 30-minute, online-only consultation. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Cerebral Medical Group was recently subpoenaed. The companys president and chief medical officer, Dr. David Mou, canceled an interview with the Times that same weekend. What the Therapists Say For many psychologists and psychiatrists, these numbers arent exactly surprising. Clinicians across the country describe the same patterns: their practices filled to capacity; patients who are in significantly worse shape than before; patients who had been stable for years, now in need of hospitalization or intensive outpatient treatment; patients who had been in psychotherapy for years, suddenly needing medication for the first time, or higher doses of the meds they were already on. Harris Stratyner, a New York psychologist, said that of his 70 patients, 46 of them started medications in the past two years. A lot of patients have told me that they feel like they cant get up in the morning, he said. Stratyners colleague (and daughter), Alex Stratyner, echoed her fathers observations. I think what a lot of people are trying to avoid talking about is trauma: People were traumatized by COVID, she said. Millions of people have died. There has not been a processing on a grand scale of what it is we just endured. Dr. Robert Ashley, a psychiatrist in Los Angeles, said that everyone, every day, just wakes up with 10% extra pressure on them. Ashley described a practice saturated with people who have been stable for years in therapy and they have reached a point during the pandemic where their therapist thinks they should be evaluated for medication. When Ashley puts patients on an antidepressant, his typical plan is to wait until they feel better, or normal, which can take four to six weeks, then keep them on the medication for six to 12 months, at which point he will start to look for a good time to take them off. Were hoping that the depression was an aberration in their lives and not part of a recurring pattern, he said. Seventy percent of my patients who are taking antidepressants are in therapy of one form or another. So the hope is also that the medication lifts them enough out of the depression that they can engage better in their psychotherapy. In some ways, Ashleys vision for the ideal use of antidepressants is the exception to the rule of how antidepressants are more commonly prescribed in the United States: in a primary care setting, by a family doctor or internist, unaccompanied by talk therapy. A 2013 study found that more that 79% of antidepressant prescriptions were written by primary care physicians. Without the tools of talk therapy, then, one could wonder what the logic is of the prescription. Are the pills in and of themselves a cure, that you take for a certain amount of time, then find yourself transformed? Or are they a treatment that only works as long as you are still taking them, if they work at all? Existing research paints an inconclusive picture as to how effective antidepressants are compared with a placebo. To me, therapy is the long-term solution, said Dr. Tina Nguyen, a psychiatrist and associate professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles. But if the severity of your depression is high, youre not even able to engage with a therapist. Nguyen, whose specialty is childhood and adolescent psychiatry, described a similar phenomenon to Ashleys: patients who need medications at higher doses than ever before. For one teenage patient, for example, Nguyen believes that the pandemics abrupt lockdowns, social isolation and fraught return to school have all contributed to the explosion of her symptoms. Nguyen sees her multiple times a week and prescribes Prozac, Concerta, gabapentin and Ritalin for when the Concerta wears off. She had symptoms before COVID, Nguyen said. She would have needed treatment, but I dont know that it would have been as extreme. Back in Colorado, the teenager has no plans to discontinue meds. Her mother isnt concerned about the implications of the medications long term. She herself is used to the idea of taking prescription pills over years, even decades. I have been on Lexapro and Prozac for as long as I can remember, she said. I started taking Prozac as a senior in college, and Im turning 50 this year. I would not be able to function without it. 2022 The New York Times Company Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon has made a last-minute offer to testify to the Jan. 6 select committee, just days before his criminal trial for defying the panels subpoena is set to begin. The offer, in a letter from Bannons attorney Robert Costello, cited an accompanying letter from Trump himself purporting to waive executive privilege over Bannons testimony a privilege that the committee and Justice Department say was never properly invoked and might not be applicable to a former president. Its unclear whether the panel considers the offer a serious one. Bannon has for months refused to testify to the committee by claiming absolute immunity from congressional subpoenas because of his role in the Trump White House, which ended in 2017. That immunity, he argued, stemmed from longstanding internal Justice Department opinions that prohibit Congress from compelling the testimony of current or former high-level officials. Offering to testify suggests he may be abandoning the immunity claim. Costello said in the email that Bannon still considered the subpoena invalid but was deferring to Trumps wish that Bannon testify. Costellos letter made no mention of the committees subpoena for Bannons documents. But Costello said in an email to POLITICO that Bannon also intended to provide documents subpoenaed by the committee as part of any arrangement. The Justice Department charged Bannon with two counts of criminal contempt in November for his defiance of the select committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. One count concerns his refusal to testify, and the other is for his refusal to provide documents. Its not clear whether belated compliance would affect either of the counts against him. Bannons offer arrived less than 10 days before his contempt trial was slated to begin, on July 18. And hes due in court Monday for a crucial hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Carl Nichols, who is weighing Bannons attempt to delay his trial until October. Nichols is also considering motions from Bannon that pertain to the Justice Department internal opinions and whether Costello who advised Bannon not to comply with the select committee last year can be a witness in his defense. Story continues The offer is another last-minute wrinkle for the select committee from a high-level witness. Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, who is facing a seditious conspiracy charge for his role in assembling the group in Washington on Jan. 6, said Friday he would waive his Fifth Amendment rights and testify if the committee allowed him to do it publicly. Costello, too, said Bannon would prefer to testify publicly, but that appears to be a nonstarter. Select committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) said Sunday on CNNs State of the Union that the committee received the letter from Costello around midnight but hadn't yet had the chance to discuss it. I expect that we will be hearing from him, she said. And there are many questions that we have for him. Another panel member, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), said on CBS Face the Nation that investigators would be open to hearing from Bannon but that he wouldn't be treated differently from any other witness. The way that we have treated every single witness is the same, that they come in, they talk to the committee there, he said. If they're going to take a deposition, they're sworn under oath. It's videotaped. It's recorded, and then we take it from there, A committee spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bannons offer. Nicholas Wu contributed to this report. Two men including one who promised to blow the head off of cops were killed in New York City on Saturday night after opening fire on NYPD officers, according to police officials. In the first of the stunning incidents, responding officers fatally shot a Queens man who had called 911 to threaten top New York officials a little after 6 p.m. He threatened our governor, he threatened numerous elected officials and dignitaries and he threatened members of the Police Department, NYPD Chief of Patrol Jeff Maddrey said at a press conference by the scene of the crime, on 116th Ave. near Francis Lewis Blvd. in St. Albans. He clearly stated that he was going to blow the head off of the first police officers that he saw, Maddrey said of the caller, whose name was not immediately provided. The man also named Mayor Adams as a target, according to a police source. A sergeant from the 113th Precinct led multiple units to the vicinity of the callers address, getting out of their vehicles a few houses away. Outside, they saw the man, who began firing after a short verbal exchange including threats and cursing at the cops, according to Maddrey. The caller refused to listen to the commands of the officers as they told him to take his hands out of his pockets, said the chief of patrol. The male brandished the firearm and pointed it at the officers. The officers had their firearms drawn already, and they exchanged gunshots, he continued. At least six members of the 113th Precinct fired their guns. They fired more than 100 shots, Maddrey estimated. After the man was taken down, cops cuffed him and attempted to apply life-saving measures, Maddrey said. But the shooter died at a local hospital. Several responding officers were treated for trauma, high blood pressure and ringing in the ears, the chief of patrol said. About an hour and a half later, a man was killed while running away from cops at a traffic stop in Downtown Brooklyn, Maddrey said. Story continues The unidentified man was shot dead after opening fire on officers giving chase, he recounted. In Queens, a local woman voiced shock at the violence initiated by the unhinged 911 caller. The cops were shooting and he was shooting. They were all shooting at each other, said the witness, who gave her name as Michelle, 35. He got hit so many times, he had no choice but to fall, she added. Thank God there were no kids out here, cause theres usually a lot of kids out here playing. The NYPD initiated a Level 1 mobilization sending all cops in the area to the scene, according to police sources. Cop cars had filled 116th Ave. by night fall. A woman who gave her name as Diane, 32, said she heard the gunshots from down the street. I thought it was firecrackers like, pow, pow, pow, pow! she said. Then I heard the helicopters maybe five, 10 minutes after. That just scares me so close to home, she added. I couldve been right in the mix. That just scares me. The man who made the threats had a prior history with police, including a call for a mental health issue, said Maddrey, though he did not go into detail. We never want our officers to use their firearms, but they were placed in a position where they were met with deadly physical force and they had to return with deadly physical force, he said. This just shows you the commitment and dedication of New York City police officers and law enforcement worldwide, Maddrey added. AUSTIN, Texas A Travis County judge has ordered the state to stop child-abuse investigations into two families who are helping their transgender kids access gender-affirming care. State District Judge Amy Clark Meachum wrote the investigations are "gross invasions of privacy" that intrude on parental rights and decision-making. The order bars the agency from expanding the definition of child abuse in order to investigate the families. Meachum's order, delivered Friday evening, determined that the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services violated state law by improperly implementing a new rule on gender-affirming care at the insistence of Gov. Greg Abbott in February. The judge said she was still weighing whether to provide additional relief to Texas members of PFLAG, an LGBTQ advocacy group that sued to block child-abuse investigations into families who are members of the group. She's also still weighing whether to provide more relief to a third family that sued but had already been cleared of abuse allegations. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quickly appealed, as he did with a similar injunction issued by Meachum in March. In a joint statement, lawyers for the families praised the judge for recognizing "that being subjected to an unlawful and unwarranted investigation causes irreparable harm for these families who are doing nothing more than caring for and affirming their children and seeking the best course of care for them in consultation with their medical providers." In her order, Meachum said the families identified in court documents under the pseudonyms Roe and Voe would be placed in harm's way if the investigations were allowed to continue, including depriving or disrupting medically necessary care for their transgender teens. The child abuse policy also infringes on the parents' right to make medical decisions for their children in consultation with health care providers and inflicts trauma on the adolescents, Meachum wrote. Story continues Meachum's injunction blocked the child-welfare agency from taking any action against the families other than to close its investigations if that can be done without further contact with the parents or children. PFLAG LAWSUIT: Judge temporarily blocks Texas child-abuse investigations into transgender care TX SUPREME COURT DECISION: Child-abuse investigations for gender-affirming care stymied by state Supreme Court ruling The ordeal began in February when Paxton issued a nonbinding legal opinion that said gender-affirming care could be grounds for child-abuse under state laws. National medical experts said Paxton relied on false claims, exaggerations and errors to reach that conclusion, but Abbott followed with a Feb. 22 letter directing the Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate such care as abuse, and the state's child-welfare agency agreed to do so. Abbott faces legal roadblocks In the months since Abbott ordered the state's child welfare agency to begin investigating parents of transgender children for "child abuse," experts have repeatedly argued the directive carries no legal weight and legal challenges have followed. The first lawsuit was filed by a mother, identified only as Jane Doe, who worked for the Department of Family and Protective Services and came under investigation after asking a supervisor what Abbott's directive meant for her transgender teen. Meachum responded in March by issuing a statewide injunction barring all abuse investigations based solely on providing gender-affirming care. Paxton's bid to overturn the injunction is still before the Austin-based 3rd Court of Appeals, but in the meantime, the Texas Supreme Court substantially limited the scope of the judge's order, striking down the statewide injunction in May while allowing it to apply only to the Doe family. Experts say the Texas Supreme Court's ruling May ruling struck down the statewide injunction because the court still needs to be provided with more evidence to grant full protection to all families with transgender children in the state, not just families DFPS has already begun investigating. "Though that protection is not at this time permanent it is because it's too early to grant final relief," Stephen Sheppard, former dean of St. Mary's School of Law in San Antonio told USA TODAY in May. "There's not been a trial yet. But this is an indication of what all three levels of Texas courts believe (will be) the outcome after the trial." When Child Protective Services resumed child abuse investigations after the state Supreme Court's ruling, three more families filed suit, this time joined by PFLAG, a leading LGBTQ advocacy organization. Last month, a different Travis County judge responded by issuing a temporary restraining order blocking investigations into the three families and any member of PFLAG. 'I CAN'T TAKE MY FAMILY TO TEXAS': Military parents fight to protect their transgender kids QUEER SAFE SPACES: Owners say lesbian bars haven't died out they're evolving into queer spaces. On Wednesday, during a daylong hearing in Austin on whether to convert the restraining order into a longer-lasting injunction, lawyers for Paxton argued state law gives the child-welfare agency the authority to protect minors from abuse, including the potentially improper use of puberty blockers and hormone therapy. A lawyer for Texas also made false claims about the purpose of gender-affirming care and tried to broadly associate the medical care with political ideologies. Lawyers for the families of transgender adolescents said the safety of the procedures is well established in science, and children are treated only in consultation with mental health professionals, family doctors and specialists. Two mothers who are under CPS investigation testified about how the fear of being removed from their home worsened anxieties for their transgender teens, both of whom had to continue high school from virtually this spring. Gender-affirmation typically begins with a social transition, with youths possibly adopting new names, pronouns and clothing that better expresses their gender identity. Medical treatment for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, the distress caused when a person's body does not match their gender identity, can include puberty blockers to delay body and voice changes so that a teen doesn't have to develop physical characteristics of a different gender after they have already transitioned socially. The effects of puberty blockers are reversible, doctors say. Hormone therapy, which begins after the onset of puberty, can introduce lasting body changes, while surgery typically does not occur before age 18, doctors say. Texas families with transgender children who are worried about being investigated by DFPS can gain protection through PFLAG membership, according to the organization. Because courts have only ruled on cases involving PFLAG members, families who are not a part of the group do not have full legal protection against state investigation at this time. Bills that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth have been introduced in the Texas legislature but have failed to become law. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Texas Judge blocks 2 child-abuse investigations for gender care HIMARS I reached this judgement only in part because Moscow had apparently not achieved its immediate objectives when they enjoyed the advantage of surprise on 24 February. I was cautious about how the clash of arms would play out as I assumed that the Russians would soon learn to adjust to Ukrainian tactics and capabilities. (By my second post, on Feb. 27 I was more impressed by Russian military incompetence and sought to explain why this would continue to affect its operational performance.) I believed that Putin would fail because this enterprise was launched on the basis of a deluded view of Ukraine as a country lacking both a legitimate government and a national identity and so apt to crumble quickly. Read also: Fear of confronting Putin will lead to Russian victory in Ukraine On this first day, he expected to take down the Ukrainian government and replace it with a puppet. Even if this plan had succeeded, the Ukrainians would probably have continued to fight against Russian occupation. But we can imagine how, if Zelensky had been killed or abducted, the Russians would have told a compliant government to invite their forces in to remove Nazi usurpers in Kyiv, though of course the invitation would have been retrospective. This is what happened in Afghanistan, in December 1979, when the Soviet Union removed one leader and inserted another in Kabul which then requested the military intervention that was already underway. The survival of Zelensky and his government was the first major setback to Russian plans. Their narrative was further undermined when those supposedly being liberated showed their lack of enthusiasm for the occupation. This sent a vital message to Ukraines supporters in the West that Russians would face serious resistance. Zelensky soon developed his own powerful narrative about the need for more weapons to defeat the Russians (I dont need a ride, I need ammunition). The need for more and better weapons, and the ammunition to go with them, has been his clear and consistent message for the past four months. Story continues The Meaning of Victory I also noted in that first post that victory is more of a political concept than a military one. By 25 March when the Russian Ministry of Defence declared it was withdrawing from northern Ukraine to concentrate on the Donbas region this required a new definition of Russian victory, one that would unavoidably be less ambitious than the original definition but also more ambiguous. The ambiguity has not been dispelled. The objective most consistent with recent operations is to conquer Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kherson, with a view to their eventual annexation and Russification. But not only are they some way from achieving that (with much of Donetsk still in Ukrainian hands and the Russian position in Kherson highly contested) it would also require an explicit Ukrainian surrender for it to serve as the basis for a declaration of victory. That will not be forthcoming. Read also: Russian dictator Putin could opt to use nukes if Ukraine liberates Kherson expert By contrast, Zelenskyy has been clear on what he means by a political victory. At minimum Russian forces must withdraw to the position of Feb.23. Preferably the enclaves in Donetsk and Luhansk would be returned to Ukraine. Crimea in principle should be in play although politically and militarily that would be more of a stretch. To put all this out of Ukraines reach and to seal in Russias gains Putin could offer a cease-fire on the basis of the current disposition of forces. This might be a clever propaganda ploy, though the offer would be rejected. The military prospect for the Russians po, therefore, is of a juddering, stuttering conflict lasting for some time without a definitive conclusion. This will place heavy demands on Russian forces because they will need to cope with a gathering insurgency in the occupied areas and a long line to defend against Ukrainian forces. Kremlin's hope and expectation are that they might still get a negotiated conclusion, not because Ukraine will capitulate but because its Western backers will tire of the war and the heavy costs it is imposing on their economies. In this, as with his initial gambit on the wars first day, Putin has underestimated the resilience of his opponents. The longer the war does drag on the pressures in the West to bring the conflict to a close may well grow. Yet if anything the Western position has hardened in recent weeks, notably since the visit of European leaders to Kyiv on 16 June, and then through the European Council, G7 and NATO meetings, all of which produced resounding declarations of support for Ukraine. The commitments have now been made to the point where a Ukrainian defeat will look like a NATO defeat. Nonetheless, denying a Russian victory is not the same as a Ukrainian victory. A prolonged war means continuing hardship and delayed recovery, in addition to the risk of waning international support and pressure to compromise. Prudently Western countries are preparing for the long haul. They can also note the developing problems facing the Russian economy. But they would prefer that this did not turn into a competitive test of endurance. That is why along with a hardening of political support for Ukraine has come an increase in military support. Read also: The danger of Putin getting desperate Vital new equipment is arriving after a difficult passage in the fighting for the Ukrainian armed forces when they have felt their lack of firepower keenly. Will it be enough to turn the tide? The Military Situation The battle in the Donbas has been tough, with the Ukrainians acknowledging high casualties as they doggedly held ground. Strategically this defense made sense as the Russians also paid a high price to take relatively small amounts of territory. Any further advances were delayed, which was important because of the time it was taking to get Western equipment to reach the front lines. Kyiv also pointed to their losses to urge donors to move more quickly (although this push carried risks as it could encourage the view that the Ukrainians were losing and could not sustain the fight). This stage of the war is now almost over, with the Russians now in Lysychansk, seeking to complete the occupation of Luhansk. Strategically the Luhansk campaign has been important for the Russians for three potential reasons. First, to support the Russian claim to the Donbas. So far, after weeks of effort, this campaign has allowed the led Russia to take around 0.5 percent of the country in addition to what was seized on the first days of the war. The second objective was to trap Ukrainian forces. Igor Girkin, who as noted in an earlier post, has a responsibility for this whole tragedy yet has also been highly critical (from a hard nationalist perspective) of the Russian conduct of the war, has stayed closely in touch with developments in the Donbas. He reported recently that as a result of its prudent evacuation Ukrainian forces preserved the bulk of its experienced manpower. Read also: Russia negotiations limited to humanitarian issues, says Ukrainian official Creating a cauldron with a complete destruction of Severodonetsk-Lysychansk group of the enemy was not achieved despite all the efforts and very sensitive (in total over one and half months) losses. The third objective was to support the Kremlins narrative that the momentum of the war was swinging to Russia, so that Western support for Ukraine would be futile as well as costly. So far this has not had the desired effect. Adapting to Losses In his commentaries General Michael Ryan has emphasized that Russia now faces an important choice about whether to concentrate on Donetsk or put more effort into defending Kherson, where Ukraine has been making its own advances. They made progress in Luhansk by adopting much more cautious tactics than those on display in the first weeks of the war. They used artillery, their main area of comparative advantage, to batter Ukrainian positions until the defenders were too weak to hold on to them. There are also still possible areas for the Russians to probe in the Donbas to see if they can make more gains but the obvious areas are well defended. In this second stage of the war, they have not been able to rely so much on maneuver because of losses in armored vehicles. They have sought to make up for their losses with vehicles from the reserves, including, as widely reported, vintage tanks that were in use in the 1960s. New tank production may have ground to a halt because of the lack of key components, such as microchips, which have been sourced from the West and are now sanctioned. Russia also seems to be running low on stocks of precision weapons, evident in some of their recent long-range strikes. It is likely, for example, that they did not intend the deadly attack on the shopping mall in Krevenchuk, and instead had a nearby target in mind, which they also failed to destroy. This demonstrated, in addition to the inaccuracy of their weapons, the general Russian carelessness when it comes to collateral damage and their inability to take responsibility for their mistakes (as always suggesting that for some reason the Ukrainians did this to themselves). Coming as the G7 was meeting, it helped to boost support for Ukraine, reminding the leaders about why it is important that Russia fails. Their response to past troop losses has been to scramble around to find more troops where they can. One option for Putin would be to announce a general mobilization but he has been reluctant to do that because he knows how unpopular that would be. There are indications that there are shortfalls in the current call up of conscripts, even though they are not supposed to be sent to the front. Instead, the aim is to encourage conscripts, and anyone with military experience, to contract into the military, often for financial reward. There is anecdotal evidence that many of those who have been in the thick of the fighting have been looking for ways to get out of their contracts. According to Michael Kofman Russian commanders increasingly rely for front line fighting on forces from the enclaves in the Donbas, mercenaries from the Wagner group, volunteers, and reserve battalions manned by recently contracted servicemen. The fighting for Severodonetsk was largely undertaken by units from Luhansk, who appear to have suffered terrible attrition in the process, and may now appreciate that they are being used as cannon fodder by the Russians. Kofman suggests that other units are being used for offensive maneuver, with the most capable being moved around the battlefield to attempt localized advances. The Ukrainian problem is different. Undoubtedly they have taken heavy casualties, though too much has been made of Zelenskys lament that they were losing 100-200 men per day. This was at the height of the Severodonetsk battle, when Russian artillery was taking a heavy toll. He did not suggest that losses of this sort were routine. As is often the case in the early stages of a war, their most experienced units suffered the most and they will take time to replace. But as Ukraine has mobilized there is no shortage of personnel and motivation remains high. Unlike the Russians, they are fighting for their homeland. It would still be unwise to throw the reservists into battles for which they are ill-prepared In the first stage of the war, Ukraine relied on Soviet-era systems, supplemented by Western supplies of anti-tank and air defense weapons. There are new supplies of old systems such as T-72 tanks that are well known and have been provided from other former Warsaw Pact countries which the Ukrainians can bring into service quickly. Read also: A turning point in the war of Putin's Russia against Ukraine and the civilized world In the critical area of artillery, their problems have been shortages in both the pieces and the ammunition, with reports of being outgunned to a ratio of ten to one. They have been using old Soviet-era systems with 152 mm artillery rounds. The NATO standard is 155 mm. Other former Warsaw Pact countries have been rummaging through their stocks but it is unclear how much more can be found. This is why the Ukrainians have been so insistent on the need for modern artillery pieces. From their perspective belatedly, NATO countries have now responded. The systems have been identified, training is underway, and the first pieces have now reached the front lines where their impact is starting to be felt. Systems such as the French Caesar truck-mounted howitzers, which can mount attacks and the move away with great speed, and the US M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), currently with a range of 70 km (alternative munitions have longer ranges although these have not as yet been provided to Ukraine) are starting to make an impact. These not only have twice the range of the old systems but pinpoint accuracy. Drones continue to play an important role in spotting targets. An important new capability that the US will be providing is the NASAMS, an advanced surface-to-air missile system, which should reduce further the threat from Russian aircraft and missiles. Both sides therefore must adapt, but, admittedly oversimplifying, the Russians are adapting into becoming more of a 20th Century army while the Ukrainians are becoming more of a 21st Century army. The Ukrainian adaption process will therefore taking longer but the prospect at the end is of a much more capable force. The Next Stage of the War The current stage of the war is best understood as being transitional, as the Russians explore opportunities to advance but prepare to defend while the Ukrainians gear themselves up for counter-offensives. I have generally tried to avoid predictions in my posts because war is an uncertain business, tactical errors can make a substantial difference whatever the underlying balance of forces, and everything seems to take longer than it should. I also have no special insight into the minds of either the Russian or Ukrainian senior commanders. I will therefore confine myself to three points about the next stage of the war. First, a priority for both sides is now to take out enemy capacity. Part of the frustration for Ukraine up to now has been their limited counter-battery fire which undermined their ability to deal with Russian artillery. With the new systems coming in they should be able to strike Russian artillery. The most valuable targets, however, may be Russian ammunition dumps, and there have been regular reports over the past week of these being hit. Over time thus will degrade the effectiveness of Russian artillery. For their part, the Russians are also anxious to find the incoming Ukrainian kit (including its ammunition stocks) and eliminate it before it can do too much damage. This requires both good intelligence as well as accurate systems. The Ukrainians are going to great lengths to conceal the weapons and ammunition, moving them regularly and distributing them in small packets. But when you have only a few long-range pieces, however much individually they are more capable than their Russian equivalents, the loss of a few could make a big difference. Read also: Who will get to power in Russia after Putin is gone? Second, the Ukrainian tactics will not replicate the Russian when it comes to taking territory. The Russians have advanced by pummelling the areas it wishes to occupy. Some of the areas Ukraine wishes to take back have already been ruined and depopulated, and here the tactics may be similar, but other areas, including the vital city of Kherson, are relatively unscathed, and the Russians have based artillery there. Although the city is within artillery range of Ukrainian artillery they will not wish to destroy civilian areas. They will therefore have to adopt different tactics, making the most of the accuracy of their new weapons, concentrating on supply lines, bases, and command centers, making opportunistic advances, using guerrilla tactics in the city against the occupying forces, and leaving Russian troops uncertain about where the next attack is coming from. Politically Zelenskyy will want to show both his people and his donors that Ukraine can start recovering lost territory and taking the war to the Russians. Hence reports that Ukraine has been striking at a Russian base by the airport in the city of Melitopol. A tangible demonstration of the difference that the new systems can make was seen in the battle for the tiny Snake Island in the Black Sea, not far from the Ukrainian mainland. This was seized by Russia at the start of the war. The Russians brought air defense systems to the island. After a harpoon anti-ship missile destroyed a Russian tugboat delivering weapons and personnel, last Wednesday missiles and artillery took out air defense systems deployed on the island. This was not really a surprise. The vulnerability of the island to artillery force had been obvious for some time and it was strange that the Russians kept on putting men and equipment on the island. On Thursday the Russians bowed to the inevitable and announced a retreat from the island, describing it, somewhat lamely, as a gesture of goodwill (a similar claim was made when they retreated from the north). Third, the Russians are unlikely to keep on fighting should it become clear that they are likely to be defeated. One lesson from the Snake Island episode, as well as the withdrawal from Kyiv, is that the Russian commanders can recognize when they are in a losing position and withdraw rather than take unnecessary punishment. Because we have been through a period of slow, grinding advances from Russia there is a tendency to assume that Ukraine will also have to overcome a tenacious Russian defense, that the third stage may look like the second, except with the roles reversed. This is not as obvious as it may seem. Not only will Ukrainian tactics likely differ but, if they start being pushed back, the Russians will need to decide how much they really want to hold on to territory at the expense of preserving what is left of their army. If at some point, the Russian command sees only adverse trends ahead they may consider the long-term and the need to maintain their armed force to deal with future threats, other than Ukraine. Russia cannot afford an inch-by-inch retreat to the border, taking losses all the way. At some point they may need to cut their losses. This would be the point where they might urge Putin to engage in serious negotiations (for example reviving earlier proposals on a form of neutrality in return for full withdrawal) to provide political cover for their withdrawal. Whether or not we get to this stage is a different matter. The challenge for Ukraine is to develop an offensive with some momentum to the point where there is no readily available way for it to be reversed by the Russians. This is a challenge because the Ukrainians will need to advance by means that do not solely involve direct assaults on Russian positions. Over the next few weeks, we should start to get some sense of whether Ukraine can start to take the initiative and impose its own priorities on Russia rather than the other way round, and how well the Russians are able to respond to the steady improvement of Ukrainian capabilities. Should Ukrainian forces be able to create any momentum, however, then the situation could move in their favor very quickly. Can the Ukrainians win? Yes. Will the Ukrainians win? Not yet clear, but the possibility should not be dismissed. This column was first published on Substack. NV is republishing it with permission. Ukrainian President Volodyrmyr Zelenskyy seen on March 10, 2022. Office of the President of Ukraine The Ukrainian President has announced that he has fired five of his country's ambassadors. Envoys have been largely tasked with drumming up international support for Ukraine's fight against Russia. It is not clear if the diplomats will be given new roles. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has fired five of Ukraine's senior envoys abroad, citing the "diplomatic process." The Ukrainian president released a number of statements announcing that he had fired his country's ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway, and Hungary. No reason was given for these changes, but he said, "This rotation is a normal part of diplomatic practice," he said in a statement, according to Reuters, and gave no further details. It is not clear if the diplomats will be given new roles. Envoys have been tasked with rallying international support for Ukraine's fight against Russia, particularly by supplying the country with arms to fight Putin's invasion. Andriy Melnyk, the now-former Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, previously called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz an "offended liver sausage" when he rejected an invitation to visit Ukraine, according to Reuters. Zelenskyy has been outspoken when countries do not provide aid in a way he sees fit. When the Ukrainian president addressed the German Parliament in March, he condemned them for doing "obviously not enough to stop this war," and noting "how many ties your companies still have with Russia." French President Macron also faced fierce criticism over comments that Vladimir Putin should not be humiliated in Ukraine, which Kyiv has interpreted as a call for it to make concessions to Moscow. But this week, Zelenskyy thanked the West for its weapon supplies to the Ukrainian fight against Russia, after US-supplied rocket systems destroyed Russian artillery munitions depots. Read the original article on Business Insider Bob Jungels celebrated a Tour de France stage victory in Chalet on Sunday (Thibault Camus/AP) (AP) Bob Jungels clung on to win stage nine of the Tour de France in Chatel as a breakaway was allowed its fun on Sunday. Jungels went solo off the penultimate categorised climb of the 193-kilometre stage from Aigle to the Portes du Soleil ski station, still with some 64km to go, and held off a spirited late attack from Thibaut Pinot. The Frenchman, who chose a day spent almost entirely in Switzerland to try to deliver a first home success of this Tour, closed a gap that had stood at around two minutes with a little more than 20km to go and got to within 20 seconds. But Jungels, who had built his advantage by tackling the descent of the Col de la Croix at speeds nearing 100km an hour, extended his gap on the descent to the short uncategorised climb to the finish to claim his first career Tour stage. Pinot was caught by Jonathan Castroviejo and Carlos Verona at the end to finish in fourth, just ahead of Tadej Pogacar who tried to outsprint Jonas Vingegaard to extend his advantage in yellow unable to shake the Dane but managing to pick up three seconds on third-placed Geraint Thomas in the process. Vingegaard remains 39 seconds down in second place overall, with Thomas now 77 seconds in arrears. Victory for Jungels came after the Luxembourger tested positive for Covid-19 in the week before the Tour began, although the 29-year-old was allowed to race after doctors deemed he was not contagious to others. More than that, this was a first race win since the 2020 Luxembourg nationals for the AG2R Citroen rider, whose has battled a number of injuries in recent seasons. Its hard to say how I feel right now, Jungels said. Im just overwhelmed. This is huge, this is what I came here for. I know what this means, also for the team, after a couple of years struggling, it was very tough last year with the surgeries. It was more frustration for Pinot, the Frenchman who had insult added to injury on Saturday when he was wiped out by a rival teams helper in a feed zone as he tried to recover from a crash. Story continues What a battle!@BobJungels flew on the downhill with a top speed of 96.8km/h@ThibautPinot dominated the climb of Pas de Morgins at 24.1km/h to cut the gap to 19''... But Jungels had enough energy left to power away to victory on the final stretch#TDFdata #TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/st6n1dosOv letourdata (@letourdata) July 10, 2022 They had been part of a 21-man breakaway which included stage eight winner Wout Van Aert in the points leaders green jersey as well as Rigoberto Uran, the Colombian who was second overall in 2017 and who began the day three minutes and 24 seconds off yellow. That forced Pogacars UAE Team Emirates squad to put some work into controlling the day, but stage honours were not on Pogacars mind this time. We did the pace that we liked, and we went like this to the finish, the Slovenian said. The team is really, really strong and they showed each of them that they just keep getting stronger and showed we can control this race even with seven guys. Thomas Ineos team-mate Adam Yates remains in fourth, one minute and 25 seconds down with Tour debutant Tom Pidcock seventh at one minute 46, although Dani Martinez struggled on the first proper mountains of this Tour and slipped out of the top 10. Covid-19 health protocol: Guillaume Martin non-starter at 9th stage of Tour de France - https://t.co/2VA8JNHTYP pic.twitter.com/Nv7vdSQdEm UCI_media (@UCI_media) July 10, 2022 The Tour now moves into a rest day on Monday when Covid-19 could again dominate the agenda. Guillaume Martin, who had been 14th overall, on Sunday morning became the third rider to to leave the race due to a positive test since the start, following Geoffrey Bouchard and Pogacars team-mate Vegard Stake Laengen, while other teams have lost staff members. All riders will undergo tests on Sunday night with their results due on Monday, with staff members to be tested on the rest day. In our team we really take care with hygiene and everything so I hope there will not be many positives, Pogacar added. We keep our fingers crossed the whole bunch stays together. Here come our sizzling, frizzling Dog Days of Summer, and what are we to do about it? With apologies to our canine friends, those dog days have nothing to do with dogs, but refer to the skys brightest star, Sirius, known as the Dog Star, part of the constellation Canis Major, Latin for Greater Dog. The expression dog days refers to the period from 3 July to 11 August, when Sirius rises in the path of the sun, producing the scorching midsummer heat. A great need for hydration is our main concern. We reach for our favourite carbonated drink, so cool, so refreshing. Your pop pop, fizz fizz is irresistible, but what to do about all that sugar? Like spicy food, carbonated beverages provide a thrill, producing a mildly painful stimulus. No harm in adding a little sugarless fizz to a more nutritious, less harmful drink, but in moderation as too much may result in calcium deficiency, resulting in osteoporosis. A recent survey found that the most favourite summer drinks are watermelon and lemonade. You may think you get a refreshing chunk of watermelon, but in fact you are drinking it. Watermelon is 93 per cent water, 46 calories a cup, vitamin C and B6, potassium with zero fat, cholesterol, or sodium. People have been eating watermelon for millennia. It dates back 5,000 years, probably indigenous to northeastern Africa, growing wild in the deserts of Egypt and Sudan. Although todays watermelon is a far cry from its ancestral origin, it was always prized for its ability to store water. Horticulturist Harry Paris found evidence that the ancient Egyptians began growing watermelon crops around 4,000 years ago, which pre-dates farming in Africa. Archaeologists found watermelon seeds with remnants of other fruit in a 5,000 year-old settlement in Libya. Seeds and paintings of watermelon have been discovered in Egyptian tombs, more than 4,000 years old. King Tutankhamuns tomb, discovered in 1922, contained five individual seeds of watermelon. Seeds were offered to royalty as a gift for a long afterlife. When Egyptians died they had a long journey ahead of them and they needed a source of water. Their custom of placing everyday items in the tombs finds the watermelon the best source of water. If stored in a cool, shady place, dessert watermelons can keep for weeks, even months without serious deterioration. Not to be confused with melon, yellow, aromatic, with a shorter shelf-life, our favourite summer fruit could be edible for months. Its expansion was due to this unique quality as a carrier of fresh water for long voyages. It spread from Egypt and northeaster Africa to the Mediterranean countries, then to Europe and the New World. Egyptians cultivated the original watermelon, although it was hard and unappealing. Yet, they were determined to plant more, because of its water content. After removing two main genes responsible for its bitter, bland original taste, they produced the fruit we know today. The fruit has been domesticated for 3,500 years. Hippocrates praised its many healthy properties and Pliny the Elder of Rome described it as a refrigerant maxime an extremely cooling food. Now the watermelon is a quintessential slice of summer pleasures the world over. Five-thousand years old and still going strong. Even cats and dogs like it seedless, of course. Make yourself a sweet, refreshing, nutritious, summer drink, mix it with other fruits or lemon and raise your hat to ancient Egypt. Speaking of lemon, which makes lemonade, is the number two favourite summer drink. Beyonce was right in calling her bestselling album Lemonade, the name makes your mouth water. History records that the recipe has not changed in 1,000 years the juice of a lemon, water and sweetener (sugar or honey). The ancient record of lemonade hails from the Mediterranean coast of Mediaeval Egypt. Coincidence? Nazir Khusraw (1004-1088), Persian poet and philosopher, wrote accounts of 10th century Egyptian life, records that the Jewish community in Cairo, consumed, traded, and exploited bottles of the sugary lemon juice concoction, Qatarmezat, through the 13th century. The earliest reference to the lemon tree is in a 10th century book by Qustus Al-Rumi. In the late 12th century, Jami, the personal physician to Salaheddin wrote a treatise on the lemon, bringing it to the attention of a wide Mediterranean audience. By the 17th century our lowly lemonade conquered Paris. Lemonade vendors made a sparkling water, in 1630, with lemon juice and honey which had Parisians salivating. In 1780s, German-Swiss jeweller Johann Schweppes invented a new method of carbonation, making mass production more efficient. By the 1830s ready Schweppes fizzy lemonade had stymied the growth of Europes lemonade stands. Parisians developed a special affinity to lemonade, which explains why Paris was relatively untouched during the Plague while the rest of France was being ravished. Chapeau, lemon. Lemons are high in vitamin C and fibre, reduces the risk of anemia, heart-attacks, prevents kidney stones, and even reduces cancer risk. Nutrients lie in the pulp and the rind. Wise Mediterraneans use it constantly and squeeze it on all foods, even dessert. Perhaps this is why they are known for their longevity, energy and immunity. Lemonade is the worlds favourite summer drink. Watermelon is the favourite summer fruit. How do you beat the dog days of summer? Indulge yourself, or blend them together and you will have a good ol summertime. *A version of this article appears in print in the 7 July, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Disgraced former New York GovernorAndrew Cuomo improperly used state resources for his memoir and overpowered the watchdog agency to get approval for the controversial $5.1m deal, according to the findings of an investigation. A damning report from law firm Hogan Lovells concluded that Mr Cuomo wrote and publicised American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 Pandemic in 2020 at a time when it interfered with his responsibilities leading New Yorks response to the pandemic. The governor wrote almost the entire book 70,000 words out of the anticipated 80,000 word book before he even approached the Joint Commission on Public Ethics (JCOPE) to seek approval to work on the book, the report said. His office then reportedly strong-armed the JCOPE into approving the multi-million-dollar deal. Mr Cuomo misused the power and authority of his office to create, market and promote for enormous personal profit a work that not only was derivative of his official duties but could only have been brought into existence and completed on schedule through the assistance of a group of Executive Chamber and other State officials, the report found. Meanwhile, the JCOPE failed to recognise the moral quandary of the deal and failed overall in its role as the states ethics watchdog, according to the law firm. The commission approved Mr Cuomos $5.1m contract with publisher Penguin Random House. According to the report, the agency was successfully coerced into rushing through the sign off and accepted the limited information put forward by the governors office, failing to ask for further information about the deal. 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 found. The Executive Chamber also successfully coerced JCOPE into expediting the approval and rushing through the process with very minimal due diligence. Story continues A spokesperson for Mr Cuomo said that the report proved the governors insistence there was no wrongdoing, by showing his office handed over all information requested by the commission. 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, Rich Azzopardi, who previously worked in the governors office, said in a statement to Spectrum News. Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks during a New York Hispanic Clergy Organization event in March 2022 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) 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. Hogan Lovells had been hired by the JCOPE to investigate the goings-ons, given that the watchdog itself was embroiled in the scandal. The JCOPE is now being disbanded by current Governor Kathy Hochul due to ongoing issues around transparency, and a new ethics commission will be created to replace it. Mr Cuomo, who resigned last August after a state probe found he had sexually harassed multiple women, quickly came under close scrutiny when he released his controversial book at the height of the pandemic. In American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, the then-governor celebrated his own success in leading New York once the global virus epicentre through the crisis. When the book was released in October 2020, Mr Cuomo faced a backlash as the nation was still grappling with the virus and was heading into its second wave of the pandemic. Since then, the book deal has become the focus of multiple probes into the disgraced former governors time in power. New York Attorney General Letitia James office is currently investigating whether Mr Cuomo broke the law by getting staff in the governors office to work on the memoir. Mr Cuomo has denied using state resources to write the memoir and said that any staff who helped with the book did so in their personal time, rather than when they were working for the state. In December, the JCOPE ordered Mr Cuomo to hand over the $5.1m from the book. Mr Cuomo responded by suing the watchdog, accusing it of bias against him. He resigned in shame back in August after multiple women including current and former aides in his office came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment and inappropriate behaviour. The most damning allegation came from a current aide who alleged that he groped her breast in the executive mansion in Albany. An investigation from AG James office found that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women and that his office had retaliated against at least one of the accusers when she came forward with the allegations. Mr Cuomo announced his resignation one week later. In his resignation speech, he admitted he made mistakes but continued to insist he had never touched anyone inappropriately. He continues to deny the allegations. It marked the culmination of a dramatic fall from grace for the governor who was seen as a strong leader at the start of the pandemic. But, his reputation unravelled, thanks also to his offices undercounting of the number of Covid-19 deaths in the states nursing homes. A vegetation fire burns near homes in the area of Highway 299 and Swasey Drive on Saturday afternoon. 4:35 p.m. UPDATE The incident commander says the fire's forward progress has been stopped as of 4:33 p.m. and firefighters have a hose lay around it. Cal Fire is asking for a water tender but is canceling the rest of the engines, according to scanner reports. The fire burned just over 1 acre. ORIGINAL STORY Firefighters are at a half-acre vegetation fire off Highway 299 between Swasey Drive and Middle Creek Road west of Redding. The fire was reported at 4:16 p.m. Saturday. Two air tankers and helicopter were called to the scene on the north side of the highway, according to scanner traffic from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The fire was burning under power lines. Check back for updates. Mike Chapman is an award-winning reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Support local journalism by subscribing today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Forward progress stopped at vegetation fire near Swasey Drive Photo Illustrations by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty Gregand well just call him Greg, because hes a little unsure about having his full name out there, for reasons that will soon become apparentknew nothing about bitcoin when a friend told him it could change his life. A 54-year-old ex-pat working for a major international company in Europe, Greg had generally played it pretty safe with his investments. But in the fall of 2018, a college buddy told him about a man named David Saffron, who he claimed could double his money in crypto in a matter of weeks. I resisted, I said I didnt understand it, I didnt understand crypto currency at all, Greg told The Daily Beast. But he kept showing me screenshots of Davids platform, that he was accruing more and more. Greg followed the price of bitcoin for the next few months, and when it stayed relatively stable, he reconsidered his skepticism. His friend introduced him to Saffron, who told him he was a computer programmer who had invented an artificial-intelligence trading bot that could beat the market. If Greg bought three bitcoins from him, Saffron saidthe equivalent of about $12,000he would give him 7.5 bitcoins back in three months. Greg called his bank and told them to wire the money to the bank account for a company in Wyoming. The bank was hesitantthe transaction seemed fishybut Greg was insistent. They wired the funds. I said, Geez, this seems exciting, it seems sexy, Greg said of the investment platform. It felt like a magical world we were getting into, it felt like cutting edge stuff. I was like, one time Ill roll the dice, he added. And I crapped out. David Saffron presented himself as a kind of computer programming progeny, a whiz kid who had invented a bot that could make 17,500 crypto transactions an hour. Photo Illustrations by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty The man Greg wired the money to, David Saffron, was a 49-year-old Australian living in Nevada. Before starting an investment company, Saffron was perhaps the least infamous member of his family: His immediate family all appeared on a 2011 episode of the Gordon Ramsay show Kitchen Nightmares in which his father, Alan, admitted to taking $250,000 from his son to keep his restaurant afloat. (David does not appear in the episode, the son in question is his brother, Daniel.) His grandfather was a notorious Sydney underworld figure known as Mr. Sin, who started a network of underground clubs selling prostitutes and illegal booze, and served time for federal tax evasion. Story continues Saffrons career was less remarkable. One LinkedIn page lists him as the CEO of A9 models, which has one post and nine followers on Instagram; another lists him as the marketing manager for WizKidsNow. California business records list him as the owner of an S&M performance venue in Los Angeles called Master Ds Academy of Sin, whose Facebook page features videos of Saffron spanking women and pouring paint down their naked backs. His own Facebook page refers to him as Master D and features a photo of him in a bright red suit and matching fedora. To potential investors, however, Saffron presented himself as a kind of computer programming progeny, a whiz kid who had invented a bot that could make 17,500 crypto transactions an hour. According to a federal indictment unsealed this month, he falsely claimed to have been the lead developer for the Uber and Snapchat apps, and to have written the security software used by most U.S. banks. (According to a separate CFTC complaint, he also claimed to have invested for Mark Cuban.) He lived lavishly, using rented mansions in the Hollywood Hills with pools and private chefs to host opulent parties, according to investors interviewed by The Daily Beast. He posted on social media about eating at expensive steakhouses and traveled with a team of personal security guards. One investor, Scott Freeman, said he had to submit a background check just to get into Saffrons house. Inside the Flamboyant Life of a Wannabe Crypto Kingpin According to investors who spoke to The Daily Beast, Saffrons glamorous lifestyle helped convince them to trust him with their money. If he was this rich, they thought, he must be doing something right. One investor said he put in $300 to start, but was still skeptical about Saffrons business, so he asked one of Saffrons security guards whether the guy was legit. The security guard told him that he had been suspicious, too, until his co-worker invested and saw great returns on his money. The investor kept his money in. Saffrons pitch was simple, according to the indictment: Investors gave him cryptocurrency, or the money to buy it for them, and he used his trading bot to make returns of 500-600 percent. Investors got 150-300 percent of those returns, and Saffron kept the rest for his trouble. To prove that it worked, he ran tests, in which he took a small amount of money from potential investors and then delivered them returns within hours or days. I know who to call, and I just know how to do things, but I dont know this town because Im integrated in Los Angeles, he told potential investors at an out-of-town presentation in 2018, according to the CFTC. So you guys know this town. Perfect. Now I can make you all damn rich. Saffron called the investment program the Circle Society and maintained message boards where he posted frequent updatesas well as memes, music videos, and predictions about various doomsday events, according to chat records reviewed by The Daily Beast. He offered various packages, with elaborate names like Trip The Light Fantastic Plan and BTC Star Trek The Motion Picture Double Plan, according to chat records. The plans were said to generate returns in anything from 22 to 90 days, and came with taglines such as Stare down the endless void But come out a winner. Investors said savvy users realized quickly that the daily plans, which paid out 3 percent per day directly into users crypto wallets, seemed to be the most lucrative. Thats what Greg signed up for shortly after joining in February 2019. He was still skeptical of the program, he said, but the money kept showing up in his wallet every day, like clockwork. At Saffrons urging, he reinvested all his earnings back into the program. Over time, Greg invested a total of 8.5 bitcoins in the program, and his Circle Society account said he had earned 96 coinsthe equivalent of nearly $2 million today. It seemed too good to be true, Greg recalled, but I shut my brain off and said, Lets just roll with it. Saffron maintained message boards where he posted frequent updatesas well as memes, music videos, and predictions about various doomsday events. When he couldnt send payments to investors he once claimed he was being held hostage and sent a video of himself tied up with rope to the group as evidence (right). Photo Illustrations by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty One day, in March 2019, the money dried up. Investors said there were no more daily payments, just increasingly bizarre excuses: Payments were suspended because of too many unverified transactions on the blockchain; investors had hit the payout button too many times and locked their accounts; a solar flare required Saffron to shut down the website for several days. At one point, two investors told The Daily Beast, Saffron claimed he could not send payments because he was being held hostage. He sent a video of himself tied up with rope to the group as evidence. As the excuses multiplied, some investors became suspicious. A few, like Nevada-based attorney Brett Marshall, started calling out Saffron in the group, asking whether they would ever get paid, according to those who spoke to The Daily Beast. Saffron responded by threatening the detractors with legal action and making new promises to the group: big-time outside investors, a coming payout he deemed the June balloon. (When the promised payout failed to materialize, his detractors deemed the next month Ju-lie.) Greg was one of the investors growing skeptical, and he urgently needed his money back to pay for the refinancing of his house. He says he told Saffron at least 10 times that he would walk away if Saffron just returned his initial investment. Every time, he said, Saffron promised to pay up the next day; every time, the money failed to materialize. Eventually, Greg stopped asking. After a few weeks of this, a few other investors decided to take things into their own hands. They pulled the contact information of everyone in the chat and reached out to them individually, asking them if they wanted to join a private chat. Some declined, afraid that Saffron would sue them or refuse to give their money back. But many more agreed, and the group eventually swelled to over 150 members. Together, they began piecing together what had happened. Everyone had their own little facet, their own little story, said Marshall, the Nevada attorney. And we were able to pull it together and say, Wow, alright, this is what hes done. The full scope of the scheme would not be revealed for months. But the group members took what evidence they had to the Commodity Futures Trading Commissionthe government agency that regulates derivatives marketsand begged them to take the case. They even created a form that investors could fill out and send directly to the CFTC, identifying themselves as victims, and pinned it to the top of their chat. When the case started, the CFTC had six or eight victims, Marshall said. When it ended, they had 179. Even as the case progressed, Saffron was enticing other investors into yet another scam, according to the indictment. In September 2020, despite a preliminary injunction barring him from soliciting or accepting funds for trading pools, Saffron allegedly encouraged an acquaintance to invest in a company called Cloud9Capital, an outside wealth management fund in which he claimed to have invested 200 of his own bitcoins. The indictment claims the acquaintance immediately transferred 4 bitcoins, or about $44,000, into the wallet for Cloud9Capitalunaware that Saffron controlled the wallet himself. The investor ultimately pledged 14 more bitcoins toward the fund, according to the indictment. He never got them back. Saffron also continued posting defiantly in the Circle Society Telegram group, threatening his detractors with lawsuits and something called the the Kraken. Between warnings that an asteroid was coming for the Earth and memes about Joe Biden, he mocked the naysayers by superimposing their faces on videos of The Spice Girls and referring to them as the angries. Shortly after the CFTC opened its case, he announced the launch of a new package called the Coin Funding Trading Commune Plan, or CFTC Plan. YOU angry Messed it up for everyone. You shot yourselves in the head, he wrote in an October 2020 post about the CTFC case that was reviewed by The Daily Beast. The amazing thing is YOU still have a CHOICE to do the right thing, he wrote in another. LEAVE the FIGHT and wait for the mana to be handed to you on a silver plate. Even after the CFTC handed down its official judgment in 2021a default judgment ordering him to pay $32 million in restitution and other feesSaffron remained defiant. It has been a long road getting from there to here, its been a long time but our time is finally here, he wrote in a July 2021 post in the Circle Society group. Legal has been a nightmare of bills and stress but fear not, I stand strong and will toe the line till the end!! Saffron appealed the CFTC decision, and according to a June order by a Nevada district court judge, has been cagey about his whereabouts in order to complicate the governments enforcement efforts. (He is currently representing himself, after his lawyers pulled out when he failed to pay them.) But the angries had another trick up their sleeve. On June 30, the Department of Justice announced charges against six people accused of running four different cryptocurrency schemes, in an action the department said reflected its deep commitment to prosecuting individuals involved in cryptocurrency fraud and market manipulation. One of the six was David Saffron. Trumpy Impresario Who Boasted of His Self-Made Success Is Indicted for Crypto Scam The indictment claims Circle Society and his other companies, like Cloud9Capital, were nothing more than an illegal Ponzi scheme, designed to manipulate investors into relinquishing vast sums of moneymore than $15 million in total. It claims Saffron and four unnamed co-conspiratorsincluding the chief operating officer of a contract security company and the CEO of a Hollywood fashion and media companyworked together to present the Circle Society as a legitimate investment vehicle, when it only served to enrich Saffron. The tests Saffron ran for potential investors were fraudulent, paid out not by market returns but by funds taken from earlier victims, the indictment claims. The excuses he provided for not paying out dividends were equally untrue, the feds allege. (At one point, the indictment states, he claimed he had not been able to pay out investors because he was in a medically induced coma. In fact, he was in police custody.) He even went so far as inventing a fake agency, the Federal Crypto Reserve, to investigate one of his own companies when a potential investor seemed skittish, the indictment alleges. He hired the fashion CEO to pose as the agency director. Saffron was charged with seven counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit commodity fraud, and obstruction of justice. If found guilty, he faces 115 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. The attorneys listed as representing Saffron in the criminal case did not respond to multiple requests for comment. But Michael C. Van, an attorney who represented Saffron in other dealings, told The Daily Beast he was a good person, and that the case was the result of some misunderstandings. Were prepared to work with the AUSA, with the government, and get everything out there, he said. Its just gonna take some time. The angries responded to news of the indictment with elation. On Telegram, one suggested showing up en masse at the sentencing and having pizza delivered to the courtroom. Another changed the profile picture on the group chat to a black circle with the number 115 in the center. Another wrote simply: Prison, bitch. Saffron, too, responded to the indictment, taking to Telegram for what he said would be his last official post. He claimed he had never committed a crime and that his case would be defended by the best criminal lawyers. For the last 4 years I have been fighting militant radical Angry people lead by a lawyer who believes in a terrorist cause and is literally running an organization of hate!!! he wrote, adding that he would keep the Telegram open so others could provide legal updates. To all those that I care about, he wrote in closing, Happy 4th July weekend. In the face of allegations, Saffron remained defiant, threatening his detractors with lawsuits and the Kraken. Photo Illustrations by Luis G. Rendon/The Daily Beast/Getty None of the investors who spoke to The Daily Beast ever received their promised funds, or even got their initial investment back. Greg ultimately convinced Saffron to hand over one of his bitcoins, meaning he is still out a total of 7.5. Marshall said he invested approximately $32,000 in the program and only ever got back less than $1,000. Freeman managed to claw back 4 of the 8 bitcoins he invested from Saffron, but turned around and reinvested most of it in one of the Circle Societys Ethereum packages. These arent even the most extreme examples. According to a declaration submitted in court by a CFTC agent, one pair of investors put in 1,000 bitcoin, or the equivalent of about $8 million, into Saffrons purported investment plan in 2018. They never got any of it back. Another pledged more than $333,000 and was left similarly empty-handed. Several of the investors suggested Saffron was able to grow his enterprise so swiftly and successfully because of the relative novelty of cryptocurrencies. The stratospheric rise in the price of bitcoin and other assets convinced them that remarkable gains like those Saffron promisedthe CFTC calculated the promised annual return rate of one of his plans at 186 million percentcould actually be possible. The term is FOMO, Greg said of what pushed him to finally invest. Fear of missing out Most of the investors who spoke to The Daily Beast have given up on getting their funds back, regardless of how the court rules., Marshall, like many of them, said he just wants Saffron to serve timeand to never be able to do something like this again. I know hes not going to pay anything back, he said. So he can just sit in jail and think about whether it was worth it. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Photo credit: Dario Belingheri - Getty Images The 10-day Giro Donnealso known as the Giro dItalia Donne stage race in Italy is one of the most well-known womens stage races in the world, defined by its combination of short, hard stages punctuated by long climbing stages. Its a race that can essentially be won in the first or second stageas it was last year on stage 2or may see the pink leaders jersey trade between riders daily. This year, the pink jerseythe magnolia rosabelonged to Annemiek Van Vleuten of Movistar, who claimed in on the fourth stage and held onto it for the overall win. Riders including Elisa Balsama (Trek Segafredo), Marianne Vos (Jumbo Visma), Charlotte Kool (Team DSM), were strong contenders in the first half of the race. Van Vleuten moved into the GC lead after a win in Stage 4, with Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ) and Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitane Futuroscope) close behind. Italys Chiara Consonni (Valcar Travel & Service) hovered in the top 10 through many of the race stages, finally winning the Stage 10 on the last day of racing. And while Van Vleuten was the clear race leader after Stage 4, she only won Stages 4 and 8, cementing her overall victory with smart tactical choices throughout each stage. For those watching Americans in the race, the first stage and Saturdays ninth stage were big moments: Kristen Faulkner (BikeExchange-Jayco) was the first rider to wear the pink jersey in the race, winning the 4.7-kilometer prologue. Then, on Stage 9, she took a second stage win. Sadly, Stage 4 set her back by a whopping 12 minutes in the overall, leaving her far down in the General Classification (GC) despite stellar results in several stages. However, her efforts were enough to put her in the Green Jersey for the win in the Mountains Classification. Photo credit: Dario Belingheri - Getty Images This year, there was another added issue for women riders to contend with: The Giro Donne ends a mere 14 days before the start of the eight-day Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, the long-fought for womens iteration of the Tour de France. Riders like Marianne Vos who were out of contention for top overall spots at the Giro had to decide between continuing to push through the final stages of the race versus taking extra recovery and training time before heading to the start line in Paris. And similar to last year when Vos pulled out of the Giro Donne early to focus on prep for Tokyos Olympic road race, she pulled out early again after taking her 32nd stage win of the race in Stage 6 (her second win in the 2022 iteration of the Giro Donne). Want to get a taste of whats to come in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift? Check out the Giro Donne stage highlights available on their website right now: Many of the key riders we expect to see at the front of the race in France took stage wins and podium finishes during these 10 days. And stay tuned as our coverage for the womens Tour de France begins to ramp up in coming days! Giro Donne 2022 Final Overall Classification - Top 10 VAN VLEUTEN Annemiek (Movistar Team) CAVALLI Marta (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) GARCIA Mavi (UAE Team ADQ) LONGO BORGHINI Elisa (Trek - Segafredo) FISHER-BLACK Niamh (Team SD Worx) LUDWIG Cecilie Uttrup (FDJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine Futuroscope) PERSICO Silvia (Valcar - Travel & Service) MAGNALDI Erica (UAE Team ADQ) LABOUS Juliette (Team DSM) BRADBURY Neve (Canyon//SRAM Racing) You Might Also Like A woman looks toward the north at an observatory platform near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas in Paju By Byungwook Kim and Josh Smith SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's military said on Sunday it had detected the trajectories of what appeared to be shots fired by North Korea, possibly from multiple rocket launchers (MLRs). South Korea's Joint Chief of Staff announced that the shots were detected after 6 p.m. and that the military had strengthened surveillance and alert levels, without mentioning any further response. North Korea often test-fires MLRs during military drills, and in recent years has also developed larger versions of such rockets. Smaller rockets and missiles are seen as central to North Korea's plans for striking targets in South Korea in the event of a conflict. This year North Korea has test-fired a range of missiles, including from its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) to its small MLRs. All are banned under U.N. Security Council resolutions that have imposed sanctions on North Korea's missile development. South Korea is pursuing a $2.6-billion artillery interception system, similar to Israel's "Iron Dome", designed to protect against North Korea's arsenal of long-range guns and rockets. A large part of the area surrounding Seoul, the capital, is home to about half the population of 52 million, and is within range of North Koreas long-range guns and multiple rocket launchers. The United States stations around 28,500 troops in South Korea, where they train alongside South Korean troops to counter the North. The allies have conducted missile drills of their own in response to some of North Korea's previous launches. (Reporting by Byungwook Kim and Josh Smith; Editing by Alison Williams and Barbara Lewis) (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg The risk of a euro-area recession is growing as the likelihood of natural gas shortages rises and inflation remains at record levels, according to economists polled by Bloomberg. Ukraines foreign ministry called on Canada to reverse its decision to return repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. Russian rockets hit an apartment building in Chasiv Yar, Donetsk, where at least 15 civilians were reported killed and many were trapped under rubble as the Kremlins forces were grinding their way through the region. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will soon announce a cabinet reshuffle and consolidation of Ukraines ministries that aims to weed out waste and corruption. The Times reported hes also asking military commanders to draft plans for retaking southern Ukraine. (See RSAN on the Bloomberg Terminal for the Russian Sanctions Dashboard.) Key Developments Euro-Zone Recession Risk Seen Rising Even as Inflation Peak Near Putin Is Set to Halt Gas and Germany Fears Its Not Coming Back Germanys Uniper Seeks Bailout, Victim of Russias Gas Curbs Canada to Return Sanctioned Nord Stream Turbine to Germany Biden Lauds CIA for Punching Gigantic Hole in Putins Playbook French Minister Says Russian Gas Cutoff Most Likely Scenario On the Ground Kremlin forces have control of most of the Luhansk province and are grinding west into Donetsk. At least 15 people were killed and dozens trapped when a Russian missile struck an apartment building in Chasiv Yar. Russia is looking to hinder Ukraines attempts to push its forces away from Kharkiv, according to the Ukrainian general staff. Russian troops hit the city with an Iskander cruise missile. Russia is probing Ukrainian defenses further west near Slovyansk, according to the military. Ukrainian forces hit a base of Russian troops in the occupied city of Kherson, Interfax reported, citing an adviser to the regional governor Serhiy Khlan. Story continues (All times CET) Euro-Zone Recession Risk Seen Rising (6:00 a.m.) The probability of an economic contraction has increased to 45% from 30% in the previous survey of economists polled by Bloomberg and 20% before Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany, one of the most-vulnerable members of the currency bloc to cutbacks in Russian energy flows, is more likely than not to see economic output shrink. The rising cost of living is taking an increasing toll on business and consumers whore emerging from two years of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lower shipments of gas from Russia, meanwhile, pose a threat to winter energy deliveries. Read more: Euro-Zone Recession Risk Seen Rising Even as Inflation Peak Near Ukraine Crafts Plan to Retake South, Times Says (7:10 p.m.) Zelenskiy has asked military chiefs to draw up plans for retaking Russian-occupied region in southern Ukraine that are vital to the countrys economy and can count on a force about 1 million strong, The Times quoted Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov as saying in an interview. Reznikov said hes reaching out to counterparts in partner countries. Ukraines recent withdrawals from two cities in the Luhansk region, Severodonetsk and Lysychansk, were tactical losses necessary to save lives, rather than strategic defeats, he told the Times. Kyiv Slams Canadian Gas Turbine Decision (4:50 p.m.) Ukraines foreign ministry called on Canada to reverse a dangerous decision to return repaired gas turbines to Germany. Over Kyivs objections, Canada announced late Saturday that it would grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens Canada to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck had publicly pleaded for the release of the parts, saying they need to return before pipeline maintenance starts on Monday -- eliminating an excuse for Moscow to keep the vital gas conduit closed. Read more: Canada to Return Sanctioned Nord Stream Turbine to Germany Russian Oil Price Cap Can Work, Raimondo Says (3:15 p.m.) US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said an international price cap on Russian oil is feasible. Asked on ABCs This Week about skepticism that it would work, she said: I think it can. Promoted by economists such as US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, the idea faces geopolitical and practical challenges. Raimondo added that US gasoline prices have increased by more than $1.50 per gallon since Russian President Vladimir Putin began his war against Ukraine: And so, we need to do everything we can to end that war as quickly as possible. US HIMARS Game Changer for Ukraine, Defense Chief Tells WSJ (2:45 p.m.) Ukraines defense minister said Kyiv has passed the test with the successful use of recently delivered US long-range artillery systems, and put in an urgent plea for more armored vehicles and drones. The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) have been a game changer, Reznikov told the Wall Street Journal in an interview. Still, the need for longer-range weapons continues to outpace the Ukrainians demand for shorter-range systems as the war, now mostly an artillery battle, grinds through its fifth month, he said. Apartment Block Hit With Soviet-Era Rockets, Governor Says (2:17 p.m.) Kremlin forces used truck-borne Uragan rockets to strike a five-story apartment block in Chasiv Yar, near Kramatorsk in Ukraines eastern Donestsk region, regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said. At least 15 people were killed and 20 more are believed buried under tons of wreckage. A handful have been pulled out alive. An emergency services official told the BBC that another high-rise block was hit nearby. Chasiv Yar is one of a string of towns under heavier bombardment as Russian troops press deeper into Donetsk after securing control of Luhansk. Ukraine Plans Anti-Corruption Reforms (1:24 p.m.) President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will soon announce a cabinet reshuffle and consolidation of Ukraines ministries in a bid to weed out waste and corruption, according to people familiar with the plans. The move comes after Ukraine in the past week set out a blueprint for post-war reconstruction that will rely on hundreds of billions of dollars from the worlds biggest economies. Ukraine Plans Reforms, Cabinet Reshuffle to Weed Out Waste French Minister Says Russian Gas Cutoff Most Likely Outcome (11:20 a.m.) French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said Europe must prepare for Russian gas deliveries to be shut off entirely in retaliation for the regions sanctions on the Kremlin and support for Ukraine. Lets prepare ourselves for a total cut-off of Russian gas, Le Maire said at an economic conference in Aix-en-Provence, southern France, on Sunday. Thats the most likely scenario today. Minister Says Russian Gas Cutoff Most Likely Scenario Russia Intends to Annex Kharkiv Region, US Think Tank Says (7:45 a.m.) Comments by Russian-backed occupation authorities that the Kharkiv region is an inalienable part of Russian land suggest Moscow intends to annex part or all of the area, which includes Ukraines second largest city, said analysts at the Institute for the Study of War. The speed in establishing a civilian administration and introducing martial law in occupied areas of the region this month shows the Kremlin is aggressively pursuing the legitimization and consolidation of the occupation administrations power to support this broader territorial aim, the US-based think tank said in a report Saturday. Canada Clears Pipeline Parts Return to Germany (10:40 p.m.) Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government cleared Siemens Canada to return repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to Germany, resolving an impasse over sanctions affecting the Russian natural-gas pipeline thats key to European energy supplies. Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable permit to support Europes ability to access reliable and affordable energy in the transition away from Russian oil and gas, a spokesman for the Ministry of Natural Resources said in a statement. German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck publicly pleaded with Canada for the release, saying the equipment needs to return before Nord Stream 1 maintenance begins on Monday -- eliminating an excuse for Russia to keep the conduit closed. Zelenskiy Fires Envoy to Germany, Others (6:16 p.m.) President Volodymyr Zelenskiy dismissed his ambassador to Germany, Andriy Melnyk, along with ambassadors to Hungary, the Czech Republic, Norway and five Asian countries, including India, according to decrees on the presidential website. In a nightly speech to the nation, Zelenskiy said the firings were a normal part of diplomatic practice and that new candidates were being prepared by the foreign ministry. Melnyk has been viewed as controversial in Germany for strongly-worded comments and Twitter posts, including what he decried as hesitation by Chancellor Olaf Scholzs government to expedite modern weapons to Ukraine. Israels embassy in Berlin recently criticized Melnyk, saying he had belittled the Holocaust in an interview, an accusation he called absurd. Blinken Announces $368 Million in Humanitarian Aid (2:17 p.m.) The US will provide another $368 million in humanitarian aid to those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. The funding includes nearly $288 million through the State Department and more than $80 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development, he said. The funds will provide food, safe drinking water, cash assistance, protection, accessible shelter, emergency health care, logistics, and humanitarian coordination. The new funds take US humanitarian assistance since the war started in February to over $1.28 billion, said Blinken, whos in Bali for the G-20 foreign ministers meeting. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. You are the owner of this article. With the end of Roe on so many of our minds, it might surprise those of us in liberal Seattle just how much abortion access in our state is under the control of the Catholic Church. As Leah Rutman, policy counsel at the ACLU of Washington, put it, Having the right to abortion does not mean you have access to it. Washington is just one of a handful of states in which more than 40% of hospital beds are controlled by Catholic doctrine. This shift became more acute with the 2021 merger of Virginia Mason and CHI Franciscan, creating Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, which operates 11 hospitals and 300 sites of care. With that merger, Virginia Mason said it would not become Catholic, according to reporting by The News Tribune, but it also would no longer provide elective abortions or participate in the states Death with Dignity process. The new entitys website now reads, It is the policy of Virginia Mason Franciscan Health that all services rendered in our facilities shall be supportive of life. At no time may direct actions to terminate life be performed or permitted. This latest merger came nearly a decade after secular Swedish merged with Catholic Providence in 2013 and stopped providing most abortion care. Under pressure from reproductive health advocates in 2011 when the merger was being considered, Swedish partnered with Planned Parenthood to underwrite a clinic to provide abortion care near the hospital. A spokesperson for Providence Swedish Puget Sound said in an email, Elective abortions are not performed in Swedish facilities. However, Swedish does not deny emergency care. When a pregnant patients life is at risk, Swedish clinicians provide all necessary medical interventions, including pregnancy terminations, to protect and save the life of the patient. The spokesperson also said that while Swedish provides health care prohibited by the Catholic Churchs Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services such as birth control for the prevention of pregnancy, tubal ligations for the purposes of sterilization and in vitro fertilization to treat infertility Providence does not. You can view the services hospitals provide at the Department of Healths public database. The emergency care provision aligns with the 2021 Protecting Pregnancy Act, which Gov. Jay Inslee signed to allow doctors practicing in Catholic-run hospitals to provide abortion care when a patients life is in jeopardy. Access to abortion care is dramatically uneven in Washington, with huge swaths of the state particularly the rural and eastern counties lacking any abortion clinics at all. Abortion is already illegal or heavily restricted in 11 states, with another 12 poised to do the same. The Guttmacher Institute estimates that with Roe overturned, Washington will see a 385% increase in the number of people traveling here for abortion care, expected largely from Idaho and Montana to the east. With Catholic-controlled hospital systems representing a larger and larger portion of our health care providers, the small number of clinics offering care to the east side of the state, for example, could be inundated by patients from out of state. The ACLUs Rutman said these types of hospital mergers have an effect on patient care. When these consolidations take place, she said, We have around the state seen decreases in reproductive health care, end-of-life care, gender-affirming care access. But it does not have to be this way. Despite the strong words in support of abortion rights from Democratic elected state leaders, Rutman said, California and Oregon have done a much better job ensuring these mergers do not harm patient access to reproductive health care, offering a much more robust system of oversight. Rutman cited an example of a merger that affected both Washington and California, saying You can see where California not only reviewed all the material, had public meetings across the state, comment periods to get input from individuals, and eventually approved the merger with caveats relating to maintaining reproductive health care ... And in Washington state, none of this occurred. So it really demonstrates the significant need to ensure we have more oversight here. This past legislative session, the Keep Our Care Act was introduced, which would have required health systems to show how a merger would impact, among other things, reproductive, gender-affirming, emergency, and end-of-life care. It would have required the state attorney general to determine through a public process if the transaction would hurt access and affordability of care. It stalled, but could be reintroduced next year. With so much fear and uncertainty around abortion care, its somewhat comforting to live in a state that protects a pregnant persons right to choice, but it matters only if they have the ability to exercise that choice. Washington still has a long way to go to stand up to religious doctrines to fulfill that promise for everyone. A Russian missile struck an apartment building in eastern Ukraine on Sunday, killing at least 15 people as Moscow's forces sought to consolidate their control over the Donbas region. "During the rescue operation, 15 bodies were found at the scene and five people were pulled out of the rubble" alive in the town of Chasiv Yar, the local branch of the Ukrainian emergency service said on Facebook. "At least 30 others are under the rubble" of the four-storey after it was hit by a Russian Uragan missile, Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said earlier on Telegram. The building was partially destroyed in the strike, AFP correspondents saw at the scene where rescuers were sifting through the rubble with a mechanical digger. Rescuers had so far been able to establish contact with three people under the rubble, emergency services said. Having fought long battles to capture the last areas of the neighbouring region of Lugansk, Russian troops are now turning their focus to Donetsk as they look to take control of the whole Donbas region. "I was in the bedroom, I came out and everything started shaking, collapsing," a Chasiv Yar resident who did not wish to give her name told AFP. "What saved me was the force of the explosion pushing me into the bathroom, covered in blood. I barely got out," she said. 'Absolutely Deliberately' The Donetsk region was under persistent shelling, while Russian ground attacks were all but paused, the Ukrainian army general staff said Sunday. On Saturday, three people were killed and a further 23 injured by shelling in Donetsk, governor Kyrylenko said. Strikes were also reported in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second city in the northeast, where a "teaching establishment" and a house were hit, injuring one, according to regional governor Oleg Sinegubov. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the widespread Russian bombardments in an address Saturday night. "In just one day, Russia hit Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rig, the communities of the Zaporizhzhia region," Zelensky said. Russian strikes "absolutely deliberately" and "purposefully" targeted the residential sector, hitting "ordinary houses, civilian objects, people", he said. "Such terrorist actions can really only be stopped with weapons, modern and powerful," Zelensky added, thanking the United States for its latest military aid package. In a boost to Kyiv, Washington has signed off on a $400 million package, including four additional High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems to add to eight already in place and high-precision artillery ammunition not previously sent to Ukraine. "It's a further evolution in our support for Ukraine in this battle in the Donbas," a senior defence official was quoted by the US Department of Defense as saying. Search Keywords: Short link: Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. To facilitate the movement of devotees during the 'Kanwar Yatra' the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) has started shifting its barricades on the Delhi-Meerut Road. Every year the Kanwars take this route to reach Haridwa, officials said on July 9. The NCRTC would deploy its traffic personnel as per the route diversion plan chalked out by Ghaziabad traffic police, they said. Also read: Maharashtra to have clean fuel public transport fleet soon: Devendra Fadnavis NCRTC MD Vinay Kumar Singh monitored the progress of broadening of the Kanwar route and also the construction of a rapid rail depot and the administrative building, according to an official release. Every year during the auspicious Hindu month of 'Shravan' which usually lies in the month of July-August thousands of Lord Shiva devotees known as 'Kanwars' visits Hindu pilgrimage place like Gangotri and Gaumukh in Uttarakhand and Haridwar. Kanwars fetch 'Gangajal' from the holy river Ganga and offer it to Lord Shiva in temples. During this Yatra, the Kanwariyas carry 'Kanwar' or the small bamboo pole on which two earthern pots are hung on either end carry it on their shoulder balancing them throughout the journey. This yatra is a month long where devotees are usaully seen in saffron coloured clothes. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV IndiGo's staff trouble continues after a sizable number of IndiGo's aircraft maintenance technicians went on sick leave during the last two days in Hyderabad. Further, airline's Delhi staff is said to go on protest against their low salaries, sources said on July 10. Sources said during the last two days, a sizeable number of IndiGo's technicians went on sick leave so as to not invite any disciplinary action while protesting against low salaries. On July 2, around 55 percent of IndiGo's domestic flights were delayed as a significant number of its cabin crew members took sick leave, with sources in the industry saying they ostensibly went for Air India's recruitment drive. IndiGo had cut salaries of a large section of its employees when the Covid-19 pandemic was at its peak. IndiGo CEO Ronjoy Dutta had on April 8 told employees through an email that raising salaries is a difficult and thorny issue but the airline will constantly review and adjust wages based on its profitability and the competitive environment. Also read: Video of loose wing screw on Air Chinas Boeing 737 flight goes viral, airline responds IndiGo had on April 4 suspended a few pilots who were planning to organise a strike the next day to protest against the pay cuts that were implemented during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. IndiGo, India's largest airline, currently operates approximately 1,600 flights --domestic and international -- daily. New airline Akasa Air, revamped Jet Airways and Tata group-owned Air India have started hiring processes and this has created a churn in the aviation industry, with many employees looking at greener pastures. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV A viral video has surfaced on social media where a plane can be seen making an emergency landing on a highway in North Carolina. The pilot was forced to make an emergency landing as his aircraft experienced an engine failure on July 3. However, the pilot made a safe landing dodging through the traffic without hurting anyone. There were two people onboard the aircraft, the pilot named Vincent Fraser and his father-in-law. They were flying over Swain County when the engine began to fail. The Swain County Sheriff's Office shared the video on their facebook applauding the pilot for landing safely. This is the view from the pilots go pro camera from the cockpit of the plane on the emergency landing on Hwy. 74 on Sunday July 3, 2022. What an OUTSTANDING job and no injuries. AMAZING If you look closely at 0:20 you will see the power lines the pilot was able to avoid. There were so many things that could have been catastrophic but they didn't happen. Sheriff Curtis Cochran, read the post. As the aircraft started to fly lower, Fraser immediately started looking for a safe place to land. The first thing that went through my head was, I dont want to hurt anybody and I dont want to kill anybody. So, you know, that was my main concern, Fraser said in an interview. Also read: IndiGo staffing trouble continues, now technicians go on mass sick leave for THIS reason He further said that as he was trying to restart the aircraft and tried to fly a little, it would only fly for 3-5 seconds and then would sink again. Fraser was able to lower the plane by carefully steering clear power lines and vehicles on the highway. His GoPro camera captured every moment from the cockpit and the footage was later shared on social media. The video went viral in no time and currently has over half a million views. Fraser was able to fly back to Florida later in the week. MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan shared a new hilarious video from their 'Bawaal' shoot diaries of Jahnvi Kapoor who arrived late for the shoot. The 'Badlapur' actor took to his Instagram handle and treated his fans with yet another fun video of Janhvi. Taking to his Insta story, Varun shared a hilarious video of Janhvi as she arrived late for the shoot. Sharing the video, Varun wrote, "late...." In the video, Janhvi could be seen coming out of hotel and walk towards Varun and the entire team of 'Bawaal', who been waiting for 'Dhadak actor'. She was seen wearing white sweatshirt and grey wide leg trouser. The actor also opted for pair of white sneakers and blue sling bag to complete her look. She was seen apologising by saying `I`m sorry sir, bohot late hogaya," to the director of her upcoming film Nitesh Tiwari. Nitesh responded in a quirky manner, he said "Agar log Bawaal ka beginning miss kar denge toh tumhara character samjh mein nahi aayega." How can her co-star Varun can stay behind from not teasing her? He was heard saying, "Janhvi, what is this behavior man?" Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Bawaal' is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and is a social drama. Recently both Varun and Janhvi announced that they had wrapped up their shoot for 'Bawaal' in Amsterdam and headed for Poland. 'Bawaal' marks the first collaboration of the lead cast Varun and Janhvi. The film is slated to hit the theatres on April 7, 2023. Meanwhile, talking about the 'Coolie No 1' actor, Varun, will be next seen in Dinesh Vijan's next horror-comedy film 'Bhediya' with Kriti Sanon, which is all geared up to hit the theatres on November 25, 2022. Janhvi, on the other hand, will be next seen in 'Good Luck Jerry', which will stream directly on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar from July 29, 2022. Russia has blocked the website of German daily Die Welt after it was added to a growing list of banned sites by the regulator, Russian news agencies reported Sunday. Access was denied to users after a request by the prosecutor, they reported. AFP journalists were unable to access the website on their smartphones and computers. Since the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, the German newspaper published content in Russian, as most independent information has been suppressed in Russia. It also for a short period employed Russian journalist Maria Ovsiannikova, who shot to fame in mid-March by holding up a sign saying "No to war" live on television. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi: Elon Musk is withdrawing from his $44 billion takeover deal with Twitter, which plans to litigate to keep the arrangement intact. The Tesla CEO's attempt to take over the social network took numerous unexpected turns. Elon Musk has accused Twitter of failing to provide him with an accurate number of spam bots on the platform. He also brought up the issue of Twitter's debt. The Musk-Twitter saga has sparked a frenzy on social media. Anand Mahindra, an industrialist, made fun of the story by coining the term "Twitter tease." Read More: Garena Free Fire redeem codes for today, 10 July: Check website, steps to redeem "If Elon were to embark on an Indian railway, the conductor would call him a "TT" Ticketless Traveler," Mahindra Group Chairman remarked. "However, TT may now become a moniker for every headline-grabbing attempt that fails: A Twitter Tease." Read More: Elon Musk-Twitter Saga: From showing interest in Twitter to cancelling the $44 billion deal, heres how the story unfolded Anand Mahindra, a Twitter user, suggested that he should acquire the social network instead of Musk. They claimed that because Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal is "our own" (Indian), he would offer Mahindra a fair price for the company. "Canceling this acquisition was predicted," another person commented. "My heart breaks for Twitter." Musk claims Twitter violated their agreement by not giving him enough evidence to prove that only 5% of the accounts on its site are false. The billionaire will now have to prove that Twitter broke the terms of the deal. If he cannot, he may be sued for a $1 billion breakup fee. Twitter CEO Brett Taylor has stated that the company is dedicated to closing the acquisition agreement at the price and parameters agreed upon by Musk. On July 9, he tweeted, "(The company) intends to initiate legal action to enforce the merger agreement." "We are confident in our ability to triumph in the Delaware Court of Chancery." New Delhi: While we've all conceded at some point that our mothers are the finest negotiators, it looks that a techie has taken this to heart. A software developer is causing quite a stir online by suggesting that you bring your mother to a pay negotiation in the hopes of getting a better bargain. If you are changing employment, salary negotiation can feel like the end of the world. A candidate frequently begins the negotiation with high aspirations, hoping to receive excellent news. However, the majority of the time, the offer given by human resources is accepted. Several people who struggle at the bargaining table seek assistance from seniors, specialists, and even the internet to find a way out. However, Nitesh Yadav, a software engineer, has stirred laughter throughout the internet with his original proposal. Nitesh posted a screenshot of his tweet on LinkedIn, labelled it "Underrated skill in tech," and asked, "Can I bring my mum on a pay negotiation call?" She can undoubtedly get a better bargain." What happens next? The post quickly went viral, and netizens had plenty to say about it. Read More: Anand Mahindra tweets on Elon Musk pulling out of Twitter deal, cites example of 'Indian train' Many people found Nitesh's suggestion relevant, and numerous people recommended adding their fathers to the list. Many people found it hilarious and couldn't stop laughing. "Nitesh Yadav - you should be asking instead, 'Can I bring both my wife and mother on a pay negotiating call?'" one user joked. Imagine the HR recruiter's reaction in such a situation!" "My amma will be like, 'Aree itna to Banta hai, beti ko dekho meri,'" said another. "True!" wrote a third user. They are excellent negotiators. As part of CTC, you can get some coriander and green chilli allotment." "What if HR additionally brings his/her mother to represent and negotiate?" a fourth user wondered. Read More: Filed ITR for AY 2022-23? Top 5 things to keep in mind while filing income tax returns So far, the post has received over a million likes and over 2,000 comments. New Delhi: Texas-based IT firm Accolite Digital plans to raise headcount by over three-fold in India to around 8,500 in the next three years, a top company official said. Accolite Digital founder and CEO Leela Kaza told PTI that the company is aiming to grow revenue by five-fold to USD 500 million and increase global headcount by around 4-fold to 10,000 people by 2025. "The vision is to scale our business to half a billion by 2025 and double down in our three core verticals BFSI (Banking and Financial Services, Insurance): TMT (Technology, Media and Telecom) and healthcare. We are deeply entrenched in digital product engineering, cloud and DevOps, data and AI, customer experience, cyber security, and design services," Kaza said. He said that the company is consistently growing the business at industry leading growth rates anywhere between 35 to 50 per cent and the revenue is in triple digit towards north of USD 100 million. The company at present has 2,600 professionals globally out of which 2,400 are based out of India where it has 6 digital labs located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Gurugram, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune. "We aspire to have a workforce of 10,000 by 2025. Looking to add another 2,500 laterals by the end of calendar year 2022. India headcount will account for 85 per cent of projected 10,000 headcount in 2025. Other than existing geographies we are present in, we are looking to scale operations in Latam (Latin America), Eastern Europe and Sri Lanka," Kaza said. He said that private equity capital firm New Mountain Capital has picked up a majority stake in the company and the company is on an acquisition spree in the vertical where it operates. "We recently acquired Xerris -- a Canada-based cloud and software development services provider -- our first acquisition for the company. It gives us a good footprint in Canada and also the cloud space. We will look at similar such acquisitions to drive revenue growth and we are actively looking at Eastern Europe for acquisition. Region wise, we are looking to grow in the US, Canada, and UK. We are also setting up operations in Mexico," Kaza said. Only 14 out of 743 women applicants have got their e-autos registered after receiving the letter of intent, despite the Delhi government's push for women drivers with many blaming tedious paperwork and high rate of interest for not buying the three-wheelers. The AAP-led city government had issued the letter of intent to 4,261 people, including 2,855 male and 743 female applicants. Out of these 743 applicants, only 14 women have registered their e-autos, while 273 men have done so, according to official data by the transport department. Shamshon Nesha, a woman applicant, who got the letter of intent, said, "In the first place, it was difficult to get the loan processed. We had submitted our documents, but they kept dilly-dallying it. Also read: Exclusive: Adoption of Electric Vehicles in the mitigation of climate change We would check every 15-20 days, but were told that the documents were being processed. We had borrowed Rs 66,000 for the down payment, but after seeing multiple delays, we decided to surrender the letter of intent, she added. Another woman applicant, requesting anonymity, said the rate of interest for getting an e-auto is quite high and it is unaffordable for them. Government officials said there were supply issues due to some chip problems in the vehicles, which could be the reason for the low number of takers for the initiative. They also said that since electric auto-rickshaws are new in the market, the rate of interest is going to be high, and with time, an equilibrium will be established. An official said the Delhi government is providing a 5 percent interest subsidy on the purchase of e-autos on loans along with a purchase incentive of Rs 30,000 under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy. The Delhi Transport Department in October last year launched the scheme for registration of 4,261 e-autos, of which 33 percent -- 1,406 e-autos -- are exclusively reserved for women drivers. Meanwhile, Rakesh Aggarwal, president of Chhalak Shakti, an autorickshaw union, said the government should have been better prepared. Also read: Tata Nexon remains best-selling SUV in India, can new Maruti Suzuki Brezza change status quo? "We are in favour of the participation of women in the economy and in running e-autos. But the Delhi government reserved 1,406 e-autos for women without any preparation, and only a meager 14 vehicles could be registered so far," he said. Under the scheme, online applications were invited in October and November last year. A total of 19,846 applications were received from male applicants against the quota of 2,855 e-autos, and 743 applications were received from female applicants against the quota of 1,406 e-autos, officials said. Later, the government issued a statement where it said 663 e-autos under the women quota were allotted to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on March 3 this year with permission to operate through an aggregator or operator. E-autos driven by women are in blue and lilac colours to increase visibility. (With inputs from PTI) Live TV Agnipath recruitment 2022: The Indian Navy has begun the application process for the recruitment of Agniveer under the Agnipath recruitment scheme. Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the Agniveer posts in the Indian Navy through the official website joinindiannavy.gov.in. Candidates must note that a one-time relaxation of the upper age limit up to 23 years has been granted for the Agniveer 2022 batch. Agnipath Recruitment 2022: How to apply for Indian Navy Agniveer Visit the official website-- joinindiannavy.gov.in On the appeared homepage, click on the registration tab Entre the required credentials Login to the website using your registration number or email id and password Click on the Current opportunities and select Agniveer recruitment Fill in the Agniveer Recruitment Application form and upload the required documents Submit and download your application form for Indian Navy Agniveer registration Take a printout for future references Indian Navy Agniveer recruitment: Selection procedure Candidates appearing for Indian Navy Agniveer recruitment will have to pass the Physical Fitness Test (PFT) which will be considered for the preparation of a merit list based on marks obtained in the written examination. "All selected candidates will be called to INS Chilka for Recruitment Medicals. The selection of a candidate will stand cancelled and he will have no claim for enrolment in the Indian Navy in case the candidate fails to report on the date and time mentioned in call letter for Recruitment Medical Examination at INS Chilka," stated the Indian Navy in an official notice "The original documents uploaded by the candidates during the online filling of application viz Original Certificates, Mark Sheets, Domicile Certificate and NCC Certificate (if held) are to be brought by the candidates at all stages of recruitment (PFT and Enrollment Medical at INS Chilka). If the details provided in 'online application' are not matching with original documents at any stage, the candidature will be cancelled," Indian Navy stated further. Live TV New Delhi: Amid controversy over a documentary Kaali's poster, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (July 10, 2022) said that the blessings of the Goddess are always with India, which is moving ahead with spiritual energy for the welfare of the world. While virtually addressing the centenary celebrations of Swami Atmasthananda, organised by Ramakrishna Mission in Kolkata, PM Modi said that Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa had a vision of Goddess Kali and believed that everything was pervaded by her consciousness. "Swami Ramakrishna Paramhansa was one such saint who had a vision of Maa Kali, who had surrendered his whole being at the feet of Maa Kali. He used to say this whole world, everything is pervaded by the consciousness of the Goddess. This consciousness is visible in the Kali Puja of Bengal. This consciousness is visible in the faith of Bengal and the country," he said. His remarks came in the backdrop of a recent controversy that was stirred after Mamata Banerjee's TMC MP Mahua Moitra said that she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a "meat-eating" and "alcohol-accepting" deity, as each person had his or her unique way of offering prayers. She was responding to a question in connection with the outrage over filmmaker Leena Manimekalai's poster of the documentary "Kaali", which shows a woman dressed as the deity smoking a cigarette and holding a pride flag. PM Modi, during his address, also said, "Whenever I had the opportunity, I visited Belur Math and the (Dakhineshwar) Kali temple (across the river); it is natural to feel a connection. When your faith and beliefs are pure, the power (Goddess) herself shows you the way. The limitless blessings of Maa Kali are always with India. The country is moving ahead with this spiritual energy for the world's welfare." Tributes to Swami Atmasthananda Ji on his birth centenary. https://t.co/EKKExOGbll Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 10, 2022 Lauding the Ramakrishna Mission for its service to humanity, Modi said its saints are known as messengers of national unity in the country and are representatives of Indian culture abroad. TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee defends her: BJP Following Prime Minister Modi's speech, BJP's social media head Amit Malviya hit out at Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and her MP Mahua Moitra over the Kaali controversy. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks reverentially about Maa Kaali being the center of devotion, not just for Bengal but whole of India. On the other hand, a TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee instead of acting against her, defends her obnoxious portrayal of Maa Kaali...," Malviya tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks reverentially about Maa Kaali being the center of devotion, not just for Bengal but whole of India. On the other hand, a TMC MP insults Maa Kaali and Mamata Banerjee instead of acting against her, defends her obnoxious portrayal of Maa Kaali... pic.twitter.com/6O4vYGkasi Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) July 10, 2022 In MP, four complaints clubbed into one FIR against Mahua Moitra for Kali remarks Meanwhile, four complaints against Mahua Moitra for her remarks about Goddess Kali have been clubbed to form a single FIR in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district, a police official said on Saturday. The complaints were received in Ranjhi, Madan Mahal, Panagar and Patan police stations, the official said. Assam: In a shocking incident, a man has been allegedly burnt alive as a punishment by a village Kangaroo Court in Assam`s Nagaon district, ANI reported. According to reports, the alleged incident came to light only after Assam police launched a search operation to look for the man as he was missing for days. Then, a few villagers claimed that the man was burned alive by the village court and the body was buried later, however, the police recovered the body, reported ANI. The man has been identified as Ranjit Bordoloi. The heinous incident took place in the Bor Lalung area of the Nagaon district A man was allegedly burnt alive during a public hearing in Nagaon's Bor Lalung area. We got info that in a public hearing a man was burnt alive after being found guilty of murder and later his body was buried. The body has been recovered. Few people were detained, M Das, SDPO told ANI. Why was the man burnt alive? Ranjit Bordoloi, a resident of Assam, was burnt alive Police sources said on Saturday that Bordoloi was suspected to have killed a woman in the village earlier. "A woman identified as Sabita Pator died under unnatural circumstances a few days back. The local village kangaroo court took up the matter in which Bordoloi reportedly admitted to killing the woman," a police source told IANS. "Subsequently, an angry mob burnt him to death," the source added. Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley told IANS: "We have found the dead body. The circumstances which led to the incident are being investigated. (With inputs from agencies) New Delhi: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday (July 10) lashed out at Congress, accusing it of horse-trading and hurting her party in Rajasthan. She also told BSP workers to let go of those who are ready to betray the party philosophy for monetary gains, PTI reported. Addressing Rajasthan BSP leaders in Delhi, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister also hit out at the BJP for allegedly using the recent killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli in Udaipur for advancing its own political interests. As per the statement released by BSP, Mayawati said while the Congress government in Rajasthan failed to assess the situation and could not provide a sense of security to the people, the BJP was busy promoting its narrow political interests in the wake of the Udaipur murder of the tailor. Kanhaiya Lal was hacked to death with a cleaver inside his tailoring shop on June 28. Two men, identified as Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, were arrested within hours of the killing. The BSP chief also asked the Congress and the BJP to end appeasement of elements out to create chaos. Commenting on the Agnipath Yojana Mayawati said that the new "contractual" military recruitment scheme has created a lot of disappointment in the hard-working youth of Rajasthan and urged the government to consider it. The Central government had unveiled the Agnipath scheme on June 14. The scheme promises to induct those aged between 17-and-a-half and 21 years into the armed forces for a four-year tenure, following which 75% will have to take voluntary retirement. Several Opposition parties including Congress, AAP and AIMIM have demanded the rollback of the Agnipath recruitment scheme. The country also witnessed several protests with aspirants demanding the withdrawal of the scheme. Meanwhile, Mayawati also questioned the BJP's "new-found love" towards Pasmanda Muslims, as per the statement and said that every section of the society is suffering due to unemployment and hike in prices of essential commodities. (With agency inputs) Thiruvananthapuram: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said India has committed USD 3.8 billion for the support of Sri Lanka during the latter's economic crisis which had been building up over a period of time. The Union minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a neighbourhood first policy where the government makes special efforts to try and support the country's neighbours in a manner that meets their requirements. "In the case of Sri Lanka, we have given them a line of credit which has kept essential commodities flowing to them from India over the last several months. We also gave them a line of credit for purchase of fuel. At the moment, our focus is on helping them recover. "This year alone, we have committed around 3.8 billion (US) dollars to them in terms of supporting them. We have been their biggest supporter. It is one of the reasons why they have been able to prevent the situation from becoming worse," the minister said in response to queries by reporters at a press conference here. He also said there were no security concerns for India over the political unrest in Sri Lanka as the people there, and the world over, have appreciated what we have done for them. "The answers to Sri Lanka's problems are in Sri Lanka itself," he added. The Union minister also said there was no refugee crisis as of now. "I do not think we can call it a crisis. Occasionally, some people have come from there, but right now I do not think there is any justification for calling it a refugee crisis," he said. Jaishankar also fielded queries on purchase of oil from Russia and how it was viewed by the West, the fate of Indian students who had returned from China during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the gold smuggling through diplomatic bags case and the alleged involvement of the UAE consulate here in that. On the smuggling case, he said the Ministry of External Affairs and the whole country was aware that "something that should not have happened has happened here". "But I do not want to comment on it as the issue is sub judice. What is important is that everybody, be it anyone in the government or in authority, should behave as per the law," he said. On the oil purchase from Russia, he said, "I go out to buy the cheapest oil. It may or may not be from Russia. My concern is to address the problem being faced by the people here due to the rising fuel prices." He said since the central government has cut taxes on petrol and diesel, similar efforts should be made by the states so that the people can enjoy the benefit of the same. On the Indian students who returned from China midway through their courses, Jaishankar said he had pursued the issue strongly with the Chinese government and they have informed that steps have been taken to allow the students to go back. "The process has started," he said. The Union minister was also asked about the challenges faced by the government in the form of criticism from foreign nations with regard to its policies as well as various incidents in the country, to which he replied that there would be political attacks and propaganda. "In a globalised world, a political attack here will go abroad. So, we have to be careful how we project things... But under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we will not hesitate from voicing our views and defending our views. We are very very clear on that," the country's top diplomat said. Earlier in the day, when he landed at Thiruvananthapuram airport, he had told reporters that the Indian government has always been supportive of Sri Lanka and it was "trying to help" the neighbouring country through its present economic crisis and made it clear that there was "no refugee crisis right now". "They are right now working through their problems, so we have to wait and see what they do, " he had said. Jaishankar was also asked by reporters the reason for his visit to Kerala to which he replied that there were several. He said he wanted to spend time with his party colleagues here and understand how they are doing and what is happening here. Asked how he sees BJP's prospects in the southern state, the Union minister responded that prospects of the party were "very good" all over the country. "There is no exception to it anywhere. But we will always try and keep working to improve the prospects," he added. In the press conference in the evening, Jaishankar said he was here to make an "assessment" of "what is working and what is not working and how people are reacting to the changes over the last eight years". He said that being a people-centric government, the BJP dispensation at the Centre was sending out its ministers to find out what was happening at the ground level. New Delhi: As anti-government protesters continue to take their demands to the streets of Sri Lankan and occupy President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence, India on Sunday (July 10, 2022) said that it stands with the people of Sri Lanka. The Ministery of External Affairs (MEA) in a carefully crafted statement said, "India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework." MEA also informed that the country has extended financial aid of over US$ 3.8 billion to the island nation as it battles its worst economic crisis. India has extended this year itself an unprecedented support of over US$ 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka. We continue to follow closely the recent developments in Sri Lanka, MEA said. India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realize their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework: Ministry of External Affairs ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022 Maintaining that India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period." ALSO READ | Sri Lanka Crisis: Protesters say they found millions at President's residence - Top points "India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilizational bonds," it added. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at $51 billion. Egyptian Minister of Housing Assem El-Gazzar said on Sunday that the state has implemented 431 water and sewage projects with a cost of EGP 45 billion since June 2014, with 138 still under construction. Some 293 drinking water and sewage projects from July 2014 to June 2022, have been implemented at a cost of more than EGP 27 billion in the governorates of Cairo, Giza, Qalyoubia, and Alexandria, according to a statement by the Ministry of Housing. Meanwhile, the ministry is implementing 138 drinking water and sewage projects with a cost of EGP 18.2 billion, the statement cited the minister. Egypt is one of the most water-scarce countries in the world, according to a previous statement by Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources Mohamed Abdel-Ati. Egypt needs 114 billion cubic metres (bcm) annually but receives an average of 60 bcm only mainly from the Nile River in light of the very limited rainwater and groundwater in the desert, Abdel-Ati said. The irrigation minister explained that Egypt overcomes water scarcity by importing 54 percent of its virtual water and reusing 42 percent of its renewable water. Virtual water, which is the embedded water required to produce commodities and measured as a percentage of the already existing water resources, has been relied on for decades in the form of food imports and is increasingly recommended as a good policy for water-scarce areas. Cabinet figures show that Egypts annual share of water is 560 m3 per person, placing the country well below the international threshold for water scarcity. According to the UN, a population faces water scarcity when annual water supplies drop below 1000 m3 per person and absolute scarcity when it reaches below 500 cubic metres. Search Keywords: Short link: Mumbai: Maharashtra legislature secretary has issued show-cause notices to 53 out of the total 55 Shiv Sena MLAs in the state - 39 of the faction led by Eknath Shinde and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray group. One of the 14 MLAs from the Thackeray side, Santosh Bangar, joined the Shinde camp on the day of the floor test of the latter's government on July 4. MLAs from both sides confirmed having received the showcase notice. Both sides have accused each other of defying the party whip during the Speaker's election and the trust vote on July 3 and 4, respectively, seeking disqualification of the legislators from both sides. The Shinde faction has not included the name of Aaditya Thackeray, son of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, in the list of MLAs against whom they have sought disqualification. The notices have been issued under the Members of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly (disqualification on grounds of defection) rules. The legislators have been asked to explain their stand within seven days, sources said. The Shiv Sena has 55 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly, whose current strength is 287 due to the death of a Sena legislator. In the trust vote, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it. After winning the trust vote in the state Assembly on July 4, the Eknath Shinde faction of the Shiv Sena had issued a notice to 14 legislators from the Uddhav Thackeray camp for violating a whip issued by the Sena whip and Shinde loyalist Bharat Gogawale. A day before the floor test, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had recognised Gogawale as the Shiv Sena's chief whip, removing Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction. On July 3, Rahul Narvekar of the BJP was elected Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. He had polled 164 votes, and he defeated Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi, who got 107 votes. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Zee News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) Mamata Banerjee's Minister of State, Fire and Emergency Services Sujit Basu, suddenly fell ill and was admitted to a private hospital in Kolkata late Saturday night. Sujit Basu is currently under the care of doctors there. If all goes well, he may be released today, hospital sources said. Sujit Basu had been feeling ill since Saturday evening. Hospital sources said he was admitted to the hospital with stomach problems. As the problem escalated on Saturday night, the family decided to rush the minister to the hospital. He was admitted to the hospital around 3am on Saturday morning. Also Read: Mamata 'EXCLUDED' from Mamata's project? Political pressure starts around inauguration of Sealdah Metro tomorrow The fire minister is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital near bypass. According to hospital sources, Sujit Basu is currently healthy and stable. He could be released from the hospital on Sunday. However, for the time being, the Minister has to follow the advice of the doctors. Doctors will decide on discharge only if some test reports are normal, hospital sources said. Also Read: BJP MP compares Mamata Banerjee with THIS legendary COMEDIAN; says, 'Don't ride Sealdah metro, IF...' Sujit tests positive for Coronavirus back in 2020. He also contracted coronavirus for the second time this year. He was in home isolation then. Now the coronavirus is rising in the state. The hospital is looking into whether he fell ill as a result of Covid-19 or not. New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a seventh person in connection with the brutal killing of tailor Kanhaiya Lal in Rajasthan's Udaipur last month, a spokesperson said on Sunday. The spokesperson said Farhad Mohammad Sheikh, alias Babla, was arrested on Saturday evening. He was a "close criminal associate" of Riaz Akhtari, one of the two main accused, and took an active part in the conspiracy to kill the tailor, the spokesperson said. Kanhaiya Lal was killed with a cleaver inside his tailoring shop on June 28. The gruesome attack by Riaz Akhtari, who is also referred to as Riyaz Attari, on the tailor was recorded on a phone by Ghouse Mohammad, and the video was posted online. They said in a video later that they hacked Lal to death to avenge an alleged insult to Islam. The duo were arrested within hours of the killing. Besides the duo, against whom the evidence is a self-shot video, the security agencies nabbed two more persons -- identified Mohsin and Asif -- who are alleged to be a part of the conspiracy to spread terror amongst the public at large. Two more accused -- Mohammed Mohsin and Wasim -- were arrested subsequently for being part of the criminal conspiracy and helping the two main accused in carrying out recce of the tailor's shop. The probe agencies have claimed to have found several Pakistani numbers on their WhatsApp accounts and said that one of the accused was part of some secret groups ostensibly meant for religious activities. In one of these groups, it was alleged that Ghouse had been asked to do "something spectacular" to avenge the insult to Islam and the officials believed that this could be the turning point where the "barbaric" act of killing the tailor could have been hatched. They said that Mohsin's place was used for sharpening the cleaver used in the killing and Asif had helped in carrying out the recce of the tailor's shop. The NIA had on June 29 re-registered the case under the anti-terror Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act after taking it over from the Rajasthan Police. The case was initially registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur. "NIA has re-registered a case under sections 452, 302, 153(A), 153(B), 295(A) and 34 of IPC and sections 16, 18 & 20 of UA(P) Act, 1967 against accused who have conspired, planned and committed the heinous murder...," the agency spokesperson had said. "The accused persons had also circulated a video of the criminal act in the social media claiming responsibility for the murder in order to trigger panic and strike terror among the masses across the country," the spokesperson had said. Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the mass movement for natural farming will be widely successful in the coming years, and the sooner farmers join this change, the more they will reap its benefits. Addressing a conclave on natural farming organised in Gujarat's Surat city via video conference, Modi also mentioned about the "extraordinary success" of the Digital India Mission, and said it is the country's answer to those who used to say that bringing about a change in villages is not easy. He said adopting natural farming is akin to serving Mother Earth, by protecting the quality of soil and its productivity, and is also the "basis for economic success." Lauding the efforts made in this direction in Surat, he said the natural farming model emerging from Surat can become a model for the entire country. "This mass movement regarding natural farming will also be widely successful in the coming years. The sooner farmers join the change, the more successful they will be in reaping its benefits," he said. The PM said if people of the country get determined to achieve a target, then no hurdle will come in the way. People's participation ensures the success of even a big task, he said. "The extraordinary success of the Digital India Mission is the country's answer to those who used to say that bringing a change in villages is not easy. Our villages have shown that they can not only bring about a change, but can also lead the change," he said. Modi said natural farming gives India an opportunity to lead the world in the direction of sustainable development and pure food, by sharing its benefits through thousands of years and knowledge and experience which the country has. "This is one area where India has led the world for centuries. Therefore, now is the time when we move forward on the path of natural farming and take full advantage of the emerging global opportunities," he said. Natural farming is also the basis for economic success, Modi said. "As our farmers progress and prosper, as our agriculture progresses, so will our country progress...When you adopt natural farming, you serve Mother Earth, protect the quality of soil, and its productivity. When you do natural farming, you are serving the nature and environment. When you join natural farming, you also get the privilege of serving Gaumata (holy cow)," he said. In the wake of 75 years of India's independence, the country has started working on many such goals, which will become the basis of major changes in the times to come, he said. "In 'Amrit kaal', the basis of progress of the country is the spirit of everyone's effort, which is leading our development journey," he added. The PM said countrymen and village panchayats have been asked to lead the works being done for the uplift of villages, the poor and farmers. Further enumerating the benefits of natural farming, he said it also saves a person from deadly diseases caused by the use of chemicals. The PM also spoke about measures taken by the government for promoting natural farming through schemes like the 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Scheme'. He said 30,000 clusters have been created across the country under the scheme for the benefit of lakhs of farmers. Natural farming has also been linked with the Namami Gange project, and a separate campaign has been undertaken to create a natural farming corridor along the Ganga river, he said, adding that similar experiments can be conducted on the banks of the Tapi and Narmada rivers. Modi said the government has also developed a quality assurance system to certify the natural farming produce. "Our farmers are exporting such produce at a good rate in the world market," he said. "We must bring the benefits to the maximum number of farmers. Along with the government's efforts, we would also look at our ancient knowledge in this direction," he said, mentioning about various old texts that carry such knowledge. He appealed to NGOs and experts to focus on natural farming, conduct new experiments to find out how to make farmers strong, improving farming and save Mother Earth. Modi also hailed the efforts made by people in Surat to promote natural farming. In Surat, committees and teams have been formed at the village levels, and nodal officers have been given the responsibility at the taluka level, he said, adding that training programmes and workshops are being organised. "Today, in such a short time, over 40,000 farmers from across 550 village panchayats have joined natural farming. The natural farming model emerging from Surat can become a model for the entire country," he said. Patna: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cancelled the transfer and posting of 149 officers of the Land Record and Revenue Departments on Friday (July 8). Earlier, reacting to the issue, the Land Reforms and Revenue Minister Ram Surat Rai said: "It is a special privilege of the Chief Minister to cancel the transfer-postings. I will give clarification, if needed. As far as RJD is concerned, they are in the opposition. Hence, it is not a big issue, if its leaders are criticising it." However, later, the land revenue minister expressed displeasure over the decision and said that "politics is not the property of anyone's father" in an interview with News18. Transer-posting of 149 personnel from land and revenue department cancelled On the advice of the Chef Minister, Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan cancelled the transfer and posting of 149 personnel from the Land Reforms and Revenue Departments on Friday. The transfer and posting of 149 circle officers, settlement officers, and consolidation officers between these two departments raised suspicions in the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's eyes, and he suggested that it be cancelled. The opposition party RJD alleged corruption under the Nitish Kumar government. RJD alleges corruption in Bihar govt "Massive corruption is taking place during the months of June and December every year and it was proven on Friday when Nitish Kumar cancelled the transfer-posting of 149 officials. It is an open secret in Nitish Kumar government that bribes are taken for the transfer-posting," RJD national spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said. Tiwari pointed out that not only the ministry of Ram Surat Rai, who holds charge of the departments concerned, but every ministry is having the same situation. Noting BJP legislator Gyanendra Singh Gyanu had alleged earlier that large scale corruption was taking place in every ministry for transfer-posting, Tiwari said that their leader Tejashwi Yadav has also mentioned corruption in transfers and postings in the Assembly. He also said that BJP legislator Gopal Narayan Singh had claimed that BJP and JD-U is "a mismatched alliance in Bihar" and if this is so, why are they running the government together. "The BJP and JD-U are in the government to eat `malai`," he said. Senior RJD leader Bhai Virendra said: "After such corruption emerged in the government, Nitish Kumar should throw out Ram Surat Rai from the government." The Land Reforms and Revenue Departments are under the charge of Ram Surat Rai, of the BJP, and he had issued four notifications for the transfer and postings of 149 officers on June 30. (With IANS inputs) Live TV New Delhi: In a veiled attack on the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, party leader and former Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday (July 10) said that despite "betrayal" by those the party trusted, grassroot Shiv Sena workers were still with the organisation. Thackeray told mediapersons, "Those who are happy to leave should have the guts to face fresh elections. The doors of 'Matoshree' (the private residence of Thackerays) are open to all those who wish to return. Speaking in Mumbai's northern suburb Dahisar as part of his 'Nishtha (loyalty) Yatra', Aaditya Thackeray said those who wanted to leave Shiv Sena have gone, but the grassroot Shiv Sainiks continue to support the Uddhav Thackeray-led party. "In each constituency, we have two to three formidable Shiv Sainiks...Men and women who are ready to take on political rivals at the hustings," he was quoted as saying by PTI. Eknath Shinde, who led the rebellion against his party chief Uddhav Thackeray, triggered the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Later on June 30, he took oath as the new Maharashtra Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as his deputy. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra legislature secretary has issued show-cause notices to 53 out of the total 55 Shiv Sena MLAs-- 39 of the faction led by Eknath Shinde and 14 of the Uddhav Thackeray-led group. Both factions have claimed to be the real Shiv Sena and have accused each other of defying the party whip during the Assembly Speaker's election and the trust vote on July 3 and 4, respectively, and sought disqualification of the MLAs. However, the Shinde faction has not included the name of Aaditya Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray's son, in the list of MLAs against whom they have sought disqualification. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday (Juy 10, 2022) took a veiled swipe at Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray while citing his humble background. The newly appointed Maharashtra CM said some people think they are born to rule but they should have felt proud that a common man has assumed the CM's chair. While addressing a rally in temple town Pandharpur, where he performed 'mahapooja' at the famous Lord Vitthal temple on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' as part of a chief ministerial tradition, Shinde said, "I did not come with a golden spoon. I am one among you. Some people think they are born to rule. They should have felt proud that a common man has assumed the chair. We have the majority numbers to rule. We haven't done anything illegal. Shinde, who hails from Thane, used to drive an autorickshaw to make a living. He also said that his decision to rebel against the Sena leadership was "historic" and that his Hindutva will ensure "inclusive development". During his address, Eknath Shinde also took a veiled swipe at Uddhav Thackeray's supporters, some of whom had called out Shinde's "ingratitude" claiming that he betrayed the Shiv Sena despite being given all kinds of responsibilities by the party. Shinde's rebellion along with 39 MLAs of Sena led to the collapse of the MVA government headed by Uddhav Thackeray last month. Shinde took oath as the chief minister on June 30 with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as deputy chief minister. He said his elevation from 'shakha pramukh' in the party to the top post in the state (Chief Minister) was possible because of the "blessings of (Thane Sena strongman and mentor) Anand Dighe and (Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray". "I have withstood all efforts to hurt me politically. I don't wish to criticise anyone and make everything public," he said, adding that Bal Thackeray's Hindutva ideology was not about hating other religions. He said MVA allies, a reference to NCP and Congress, had been hurting the Shiv Sena by strengthening their defeated candidates to unseat Sena legislators. "Moreover, in the last two-and-half years, we could not speak against those who insulted (Hindutva ideologue) Veer Savarkar as well as against ministers who had links with (fugitive gangster) Dawood Ibrahim (an allegation against NCP's Nawab Malik who is currently in jail)," he said. "I will speak less and work more. We are Balasaheb's and Anand Dighe's Shiv Sainiks. Our Hindutva is of inclusive development. I may be the chief minister but will work as a sevak (servant) and karyakarta (worker)," Shinde said. (With agency inputs) New Delhi: Leaders of various opposition parties are likely to meet in the next two-three days to decide on their joint candidate for the post of vice president, sources said. The election will take place on August 6. Sources said the opposition meeting could take place in the national capital on July 12 or 13 and NCP leader Sharad Pawar would attend it. Leaders of several opposition parties including the Congress, left parties, TMC, NCP, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party and some others are likely to attend the meeting. While no names have come up yet, the leaders of opposition parties are likely to field a joint candidate for the second top constitutional post in the country. The NDA has also not come up with any name so far. Former West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishan Gandhi, the grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, was the joint opposition candidate against NDA's M Venkaiah Naidu in 2017. Naidu's term of office ends on August 10. The Election Commission issued the notification on July 5 for the polls on August 6. The last date of making nominations is July 19 and after scrutiny on July 20, the last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is July 22. The election will be held between 10 am to 5 pm on August 6 and the counting, if required, shall be held on the same day. The vice president is elected by an electoral college comprising a total of 788 members of both Houses of Parliament -- 233 elected and 12 nominated members of Rajya Sabha, and 543 elected members of Lok Sabha. New Delhi: Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt is back-to-the-bay after wrapping up her debut Hollywood project 'Heart of Stone.' She was snapped by the paps at the airport on Saturday night while getting a beautiful surprise. Last night, as Alia walked towards her car at the airport, she was surprised to see her husband and actor Ranbir Kapoor waiting for her. As she looked at him, she was totally stunned and screamed baby while getting in the car. They then shared an adorable hug. The videos of the beautiful surprise that Alia received are going VIRAL on social media and fans cannot get enough of it. In the video, Alia can be seen walking out of the airport as paps congratulate her saying 'Badhaai ho.' The actress not only thanked everyone but also had a huge smile on her face. As she reached her car, saw Ranbir sitting in, waiting for her and she was totally surprised. She screamed 'baby' and jumped in the car. Alia was spotted sporting a comfortable yet stylish look, she wore a white tank top and paired it with an oversized white shirt and black pants. Alia has recently wrapped her Hollywood debut film 'Heart Of Stone' co-starring Gal Gadot. Also, a few of her pictures were going VIRAL on social media where Alia can be seen wearing a khaki outfit as she shoots in what looked like a desert-like setup. In the pics, her baby bump was also visible. Apart from this, Alia will also be seen in Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' co-starring Ranbir Kapoor for the first time. The film will hit theatres on September 9 this year. Also she has Netflix's 'Darlings' along with Shefali Shah and Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' with Ranveer Singh in her kitty. Live TV New Delhi: Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, on Saturday, shared a heartfelt note, thanking her debut director Farah Khan for believing in her when no one else did. Taking to Instagram, the `Main Hoon Naa` director shared an image of the` Chennai Express` actor`s advertisement for a luxury brand, to which she captioned, "Looking Good Baby".In response to her story, the `Piku` actor, thanked and shared a heartfelt message for her first director and wrote, "Thank you MA...YOU had faith in me when no one else did" following with a white heart emoticon. Reacting to Deepika`s message, the `Tees Maar Khan` director wrote, " You were a star even then..so proud" followed by a red heart emoticon. Farah launched the `Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani` actor in Bollywood alongside Shah Rukh Khan in `Om Shanti Om`, the film became a blockbuster hit and Deepika became a star overnight. Post the success of their first film, the duo then collaborated for the second time for `Happy New Year` in 2014, which also starred Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan, Sonu Sood, Boman Irani and Jackie Shroff in prominent roles. Their second collaboration was also declared a hit, as the film collected over Rs 400 crore worldwide. Meanwhile, the `Race 2` actor will be next seen in Sidharth Anand`s next action thriller `Pathaan` alongside Shah Rukh Khan and John Abraham. The film is slated to release on January 25, 2023. Apart from that, she also has `The Intern` with Amitabh Bachchan, `Project K` with south superstar Prabhas and `Fighter` with Hrithik Roshan. She will also be seen in a cameo role alongside Ranveer Singh in Rohit Shetty`s next comedy-drama `Cirkus` which is slated to release on the occasion of Christmas 2022. Live TV KYODO NEWS - Jul 11, 2022 - 01:37 | All, Japan The man who shot and killed former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has told police he test-fired his homemade gun at a facility connected to a religious group he believes has links to the dead Japanese leader, investigative sources said Sunday. The assailant, Tetsuya Yamagami, said he harbored a grudge against the religious organization after his mother made a "huge donation" to it, according to the sources. Investigators believe he was testing the weapon's lethality ahead of a planned attack, although further details about the site where he conducted the test are yet unknown. Yamagami denied Abe's political beliefs motivated the shooting but told police he chose to make an attempt on the former Liberal Democratic Party leader's life after initially planning to target an executive of the group. Japan's longest-serving prime minister was fatally shot as he gave a House of Councillors election stump speech outside a train station in the western Japan city of Nara, just two days before voters went to the polls. The sources said the gun Yamagami made to shoot Abe on Friday was "designed to fire six projectiles at a time." The sources said the gun was constructed from two metal pipes held together with tape and used projectiles placed in small plastic shells that were fired from both barrels. Its construction can be compared to a shotgun, they said. Yamagami, a 41-year-old former member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, was arrested in the immediate aftermath of the shooting and told police he "made multiple guns." He was sent to prosecutors Sunday on suspicion of murdering Abe. Abe, 67, died from blood loss, with an autopsy determining there were two gunshot wounds, one to his upper left arm and another to his neck. According to the sources, multiple wooden boards measuring about 1 square meter each were also found in Yamagami's car. They appeared to have holes potentially caused by his weapon testing. The suspect reportedly said an aluminum-covered tray found in the vehicle was used to "dry gunpowder." He was also quoted as saying he had attempted to make a bomb, and he appears to have gone through a process of trial and error to make the weapons. Police have also searched Yamagami's Nara home and confiscated guns similar to the weapon used to kill Abe. The suspect told police he "wandered around" the vicinity of Kintetsu Railway's Yamato-Saidaiji Station before Abe began speaking. Security cameras at the station and elsewhere showed him arriving at around 10 a.m., about an hour and a half before the attack, and he was also captured entering multiple shops. Related coverage: Ex-colleagues call Abe shooter "totally ordinary," shocked over act Abe shooter cites grudge against religious body over big donation MUMBAI: Actor Ritiesh Deshmukh on Sunday announced that Bollywood star Salman Khan is going to be a part of his Marathi directorial debut 'Ved'. Taking to Instagram, the 'Housefull' actor announced the film wrap with some behind-the-lens pictures from the sets of his upcoming Marathi film, which features Riteish along with Salman, to which he captioned, "As we celebrate Ashadi Ekadashi, I wish you all a life filled with happiness, love and prosperity. On this auspicious day, it thrills me to say that with your kind blessings I have completed filming my first directorial Marathi movie 'Ved' (Madness, Crazy, Passion). This road had its own challenges but when you are surrounded with people that have your back, forward is the only way you can go." Along with the film wrap, the 'Masti' actor announced that after a special cameo in his Marathi debut film 'Lai Bhaari' the 'Sultan' actor will now be part of his debut directorial also. "One such person is my dearest 'Salman Bhau' @beingsalmankhan, I have no words to express my gratitude for the grace and kindness he has shown towards Genelia and me. He was part of my debut Marathi film 'Lai Bhaari' and now he is a part of my debut directorial film Ved. Love you Bhau." He added to his statement. In the pictures, both the actors can be seen sharing a happy moment, as they shoot for a special dance number for the film. 'Ved' also marks the debut of the 'Grand Masti' actor's wife Genelia D`souza in the Marathi film industry. Meanwhile, Ritiesh will also be seen in Netflix film 'Plan A Plan B' with Tamanna Bhatia and the horror-comedy 'Kakuda' alongside Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem. Live TV New Delhi: Garena Free Fire MAX was released last year when Garena Free Fire was banned in India. The FF Max boasts high-resolution visuals and is a popular online royale game that can be played on mobile devices. Its adventure-driven battle game has garnered popularity. This mobile game has received the most downloads on the Google Play store. The players each have their own strategy, which includes landing sites, gathering weapons and supplies, and engaging in combat with an enemy. It was created by 111 Dots Studio, which is made up of 50 players who compete in 10-minute rounds. The developers are constantly upgrading the alphanumeric codes that allow consumers to win free rewards. Most players prefer to play free online games, and developers are developing more efficient and engaging ways to commercialise online games through in-game purchases. The redemption codes are extremely rare and expensive to obtain. Read More: Elon Musk-Twitter Deal: Employees told to 'refrain' from posting on Musks pull out As a result, the codes assist the player in obtaining rewards that are tough to obtain in this game. For a limited period, the codes are available on social media sites on a regular basis. Codes that have expired cannot be redeemed. It contains a 14-digit code composed of letters and words. Read More: Google offered to split its ad-tech biz to avoid anti-trust lawsuit: Report Heres how to redeem codes for Garena Free Fire: The official Garena Free Fire website may be found at https://reward.ff.garena.com/en. Log in using the social networking networks provided, such as Facebook, Google, Twitter, or Apple IDs, among others. To proceed, paste the codes into the text box and click the confirm button. Now, click OK to provide confirmation on the box for cross-referencing the request. Redeem the codes for rewards in the in-game mail section. Check the Free Fire Codes for July 10: FS3W-3IRF-YT8G CV9D-BE7R-5T6Y UHJN-OB98-V7D6 S5AQ-RF2D-V3B4 N5RT-K4HI-N8B7 6VT5-C2RF-SV93 EB4N-5RTJ-YK1I B87V-6CT5-X6RS F4VB-R4N5-TY7K H4BN-8V7C-YD8S JERK-T9HB-V7C6 X5ZA-RF9W-K0I8 New Delhi: Twitter Inc has a strong legal case against Elon Musk walking away from his $44 billion deal to acquire the U.S. social media company but could opt for a renegotiation or settlement instead of a long court fight, according to legal experts. Delaware courts, where the dispute between the two sides is set to be litigated, have set a high bar for acquirers being allowed to abandon their deals. But target companies often choose the certainty of a renegotiated deal at a lower price or financial compensation rather than a messy court battle that can last for many months, three corporate law professors interviewed by Reuters said. "The argument for settling at something lower is that litigation is expensive," said Adam Badawi, a law professor at UC Berkeley. "And this thing is so messy that it might not be worth it." (ALSO READ: Housing sales jump 2.5x in Delhi-NCR during Jan-June; prices up 7%: Report) Twitter and Musk spokespeople did not immediately respond to requests for comment. (ALSO READ: IT stocks likely to remain under pressure: Check what analysts predict) Musk`s main claim against Twitter is that the San Francisco-based company breached their deal because it will not share with him enough information to back up its claim that spam or fake accounts constitute less than 5% of its active users. Twitter has stood by this estimate but also said it`s possible the number of these accounts is higher. Musk also said in a letter to Twitter on Friday that the company`s misrepresentation of the number of spam accounts might be a "material adverse effect (MAE)" that would allow him to walk away under the terms of the deal contract. But legal experts said Delaware courts view MAEs as dramatic, unexpected events that cause long-term harm to a company`s performance. Deal contracts such as the one between Musk and Twitter are so prescriptive that a judge has ruled that an MAE has validly been triggered only once in the history of such litigation -- in the case of German healthcare group Fresenius Kabi AG ending its deal for U.S. generic drugmaker`s Akorn Inc in 2018. In that case, a court ruled that Akorn`s assurances to Fresenius that it was in compliance with its regulatory obligations were inaccurate. It also found that Akorn had withheld facts about its deteriorating performance that emerged in whistleblower allegations. Legal experts were dismissive of the idea that inaccurate spam account numbers would amount to an MAE for Twitter on the same level as the problems that plagued Akorn. "If it goes to court, Musk has the burden to prove more likely than not, that the spam account numbers not only were false, but they were so false that it will have significant effect on Twitter`s earnings going forward," said Ann Lipton, associate dean for faculty research at Tulane Law School. Musk also claimed that Twitter breached their agreement by firing two key high-ranking employees, its revenue product lead and general manager of consumer, without his consent as required by their contract. "That`s probably the only claim that has any purchase," said Brian Quinn, a professor at Boston College Law School, but he added he did not believe the firings were serious enough to affect Twitter`s business. In 2020, the Delaware court allowed Mirae Asset Capital Co of South Korea to walk away from a $5.8 billion luxury hotel deal because the pandemic caused the seller, Anbang Insurance Group of China, to alter its ordinary course hotel operations. SETTLING RATHER THAN LITIGATING TO THE END Most of the times the courts find in favor of the target companies and order acquirers to complete their deals - a legal remedy known as "specific performance." In 2001, for example, Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. chicken processor, decided it no longer wanted to buy the largest meatpacker, IBP Inc. A judge ordered that the deal be completed. Many companies, however, choose to settle with their acquirers to end uncertainty about their future that can weigh on their employees, customers and suppliers. This happened more frequently 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. Simon Property Group Inc, the biggest U.S. mall operator, managed to cut its purchase price of a controlling stake in rival Taubman Centers Inc by 18% to $2.65 billion. Other companies let the acquirers walk away in exchange for financial compensation. That includes medical technology firm Channel Medsystems Inc, which sued Boston Scientific Corp for trying to walk away from their $275 million deal. In 2019, a judge ruled the deal should be completed and Boston Scientific paid Channel Medsystems an undisclosed settlement. Kyiv: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed Kyiv's ambassador to India as well as several other foreign envoys on Saturday. He announced the sacking of Ukraine`s ambassadors to Germany, the Czech Republic, Norway, India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, The Kyiv Independent reported. Zelenskyy has urged his diplomats to drum up international support and military aid amid the fierce war in Ukraine. Russia started its military operation in Ukraine in the last week of February this year which resulted in a large-scale humanitarian situation. Under operation Ganga, India had facilitated the safe return of 22,500 Indian nationals, most of them students, studying in various universities in Ukraine. India emphasised its stand for diplomacy India has reiterated its stand for diplomacy amid the Ukraine conflict and said humanitarian measures should not be politicized at a time when the impact of the situation is affecting the food security situation. The war in Ukraine has led to a large-scale humanitarian and refugee crisis. Moreover, the security situation in Ukraine deteriorated rapidly following the launch of a Russian Federation military offensive on February 24. According to UN agencies, the escalation of conflict in the eastern part of the country has triggered an immediate and steep rise in humanitarian needs as essential supplies and services are disrupted and civilians flee the fighting. The UN estimates that 12 million people inside Ukraine will need relief and protection, while several other Ukrainian refugees may need protection and assistance in neighbouring countries in the coming months. On 1 March, the UN and humanitarian partners launched coordinated Flash Appeals for a combined USD 1.7 billion to urgently deliver humanitarian support to people in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries. Within Ukraine, the plan requires USD 1.1 billion to meet the escalating humanitarian needs of more than six million people affected and displaced by military operations over the next three months, according to UN News. Outside the country, the UN requested USD 551 million to help Ukrainians who have fled across borders, principally to Poland, Hungary, Romania and Moldova. Live TV Sri Lanka protests: Protesters who stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa`s house on Saturday amid the country`s worst economic crisis claimed to have recovered a large sum of money from the mansion, local media reported. According to Sri Lanka`s daily newspaper, Daily Mirror, it was reported that the recovered money was handed over to the security units. Several dramatic videos have been doing the rounds on social media after Saturday`s upheaval where thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. With the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa`s resignation, they stormed into the President`s house, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home. In one of the videos on social media, protesters are seen counting the currency notes that they claimed were unearthed from the President`s official residence, said the media outlet. Sri Lanka crisis: Thousands of protestors storm President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's home - See pics Sri Lankan authorities said that the situation can only be understood once they probe it and come up with relevant facts. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva urged all citizens to give their support to the armed forces and the police in order to maintain peace in the country, as per the media portal. He made these remarks in a special statement accompanied by Tri Force Commanders. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando and Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said they have decided to step down from their ministerial portfolios with immediate effect. Sri Lankan protesters also broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe`s private residence and set it on fire, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis. Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protestors gathered in the area, Daily Mirror reported. Also Read: China employed 'Debt Trap Diplomacy' to gain strategic edge over Sri Lanka, says Think tank Police resorted to water cannons to stop the enraged protestors. The police also fired tear gas at the protesters but despite that, they entered PM`s house and set the house on fire. Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire brigade said they were informed that the Prime Minister`s private residence in Colombo was set on fire and its teams were unable to reach the location due to the unrest, according to Daily Mirror. Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, has announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. South Africa bar shooting: At least 14 have been killed in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township, PTI reported. At least three people have been badly injured and are in critical condition. Police say they are investigating reports that a group of men arrived in a minibus taxi and opened fire on some of the patrons at the bar late Saturday night. Police were on Sunday morning removing the bodies of the deceased and investigating what had led to the mass shooting. The three critically injured and one other person wounded have been taken to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. The number of cartridges found on the scene indicated it was a group of people who shot at the patrons, said Gauteng province police commissioner Lt. Gen. Elias Mawela. The primary investigation suggests that these people were enjoying themselves here, in a licensed tavern operating within the right hours," Mawela told The Associated Press. All of a sudden they heard some gunshots, and that is when people tried to run out of the tavern. We don't have the full details at the moment of what is the motive, and why they were targeting these people," he said. You can see that a high-calibre firearm was used and it was shooting randomly. You can see that every one of those people was struggling to get out of the tavern, Mawela told The Associated Press. New Delhi: According to a local media report, the anti-government protesters in Sri Lanka on Sunday (July 10, 2022) claimed that they had recovered millions of rupees inside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence. In a video doing rounds on social media platforms, the protestors, who broke into embattled President Rajapaksa's residence, can be seen counting the currency notes that were unearthed. The recovered money was said to be handed over to the security units, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported. Authorities have informed that they will take steps to announce the ground situation after probing the relevant facts, the daily reported. Read key developments of Sri Lanka crisis here: - Earlier, on Saturday, thousands of protesters in Sri Lanka stormed President's house in the capital Colombo after breaking the barricades and clashing with the police in one of the largest marches against the government in the crisis-hit country this year. - Another group of protesters entered the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and set it on fire. - President Rajapaksa's whereabouts is still not known. Several reports have said that Gotabaya Rajapaksa has fled after protesters surrounded his palace. Colombo, Sri Lanka | Our protests will continue till July 13 till the time President resigns. For 6 months a group of people will stay here while others will move back. We want justice, we are protesting for our rights, says a protestor Sahajay#SriLankaCrisis pic.twitter.com/Hz94PwoD05 ANI (@ANI) July 10, 2022 - Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has been voicing Presidents sides since the protesters stormed into the city. Abeywardena also announced that the President would resign on Wednesday. - Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that he is willing to resign and make way for an all-party government to take over in the country. The Prime Minister's Media Division said that the Prime Minister will resign after an all-party government is established and the majority is secured in Parliament. - The Speaker would become the acting President in the absence of both the President and the Prime Minister. Later, an election among MPs must happen to elect a new President. - Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. - The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. - Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at $51 billion. (With agency inputs) Who could replace Boris Johnson as Britain's prime minister? Below is a summary of those who have announced they want the job and others who could be in the frame. The race follows Johnson's announcement on Thursday he was resigning, bowing to calls from ministerial colleagues and lawmakers in his Conservative Party. There is no clear favourite and the candidates are not listed in order of likely prospects. The rules of the contest will be announced next week. Confirmed in the contest for Britian's next PM 1. Kemi Badenoch: Elected to parliament for the first time in 2017, Badenoch has held junior ministerial jobs, including most recently minister for equalities, but has never served in cabinet. A former Conservative member of the London Assembly, she has also served as vice-chair of the Conservative Party. She supported Brexit in 2016. 2. Suella Braverman: As attorney general, Braverman was heavily criticised by lawyers after the government sought to break international law over post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland. She campaigned to leave the EU and served as a junior minister in the Brexit department under Theresa May, but resigned in protest at the then prime minister`s proposed Brexit deal, saying it did not go far enough in breaking ties with the bloc. 3. Jeremy Hunt: The former foreign secretary, 55, finished second to Johnson in the 2019 leadership contest. He would offer a more serious and less controversial style of leadership after the turmoil of Johnson`s premiership. Over the last two years, Hunt has used his experience as a former health secretary to chair parliament`s health select committee and has not been tarnished by having served in the current government. Hunt said he voted to oust Johnson in a confidence vote last month that the prime minister narrowly won. Hunt supported remaining in the EU ahead of the 2016 vote. It is unclear whether he would feel the need to maintain a tough line against Brussels, to win the support of Conservative voters, or whether he could pursue a more pragmatic relationship to improve post-Brexit trade. 4. Sajid David: Javid was the first cabinet minister to resign in protest over accusations that Johnson misled the public over what he knew about sexual harassment allegations against a Conservative lawmaker. A former banker and a champion of free markets, Javid has served in a number of cabinet roles, most recently as health minister. He resigned as Johnson`s finance minister in 2020. The son of Pakistani Muslim immigrant parents, he is a Thatcher admirer and finished fourth in the 2019 leadership contest to replace former Prime Minister Theresa May. Javid supported remaining in the EU "with a heavy heart and no enthusiasm", saying he feared the fallout from a leave vote would add to economic turbulence. 5. Grant Shapps: First elected to parliament in 2005, Shapps has served as Secretary of State for Transport since Johnson took office in 2019. He previously held junior ministerial roles and was co-chair of the Conservative Party. He has been a loyal defender of Johnson, often sent out to appear in the media on behalf of the government. Launching his candidacy in the Sunday Times newspaper, he said his goal was to address the cost-of-living crisis and he would plan to hold an emergency budget in his first 100 days of office to cut taxes for the most vulnerable and give state support to firms with high levels of energy consumption. Shapps supported remaining in the EU ahead of the 2016 referendum. 6. Rishi Sunak: Sunak announced his leadership bid on Friday with a campaign video in which he promised to confront the difficult economic backdrop with "honesty, seriousness and determination", rather than piling the burden on future generations. "Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions," he said. Sunak was made finance minister in early 2020 and was praised for a COVID-19 economic rescue package, including a costly jobs retention programme that averted mass unemployment. But he later faced criticism for not giving enough cost-of-living support to households. Revelations this year about his wealthy wife`s non-domiciled tax status, and a fine he received for breaking COVID lockdown rules, have damaged his standing. His tax-and-spend budget last year put Britain on course for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, undermining his claims to favour lower taxes. Sunak voted to leave the EU in 2016. 7. Tom Tugendhat: The chair of parliament`s foreign affairs committee, and a former soldier who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been a regular critic of Johnson and would offer his party a clean break with previous governments. However, he is relatively untested because he has never served in cabinet. He voted to remain in the EU. 8. Nadhim Zahawi: The newly appointed finance minister impressed as vaccines minister when Britain had one of the world`s fastest rollouts of COVID shots. Zahawi`s personal story as a former refugee from Iraq who came to Britain as a child sets him apart from other contenders. He co-founded polling company YouGov before entering parliament in 2010. His last job was as education secretary. He supported leaving the EU. Other Possible Candidates Penny Mordaunt: The former defence secretary was sacked by Johnson when he became prime minister after she endorsed his rival, Hunt, during the last leadership contest. Mordaunt was a passionate supporter of leaving the European Union and made national headlines by taking part in a now-defunct reality TV diving show. Currently a junior trade minister, Mordaunt called the COVID lockdown-breaking parties in government "shameful". She had previously expressed loyalty to Johnson. Liz Truss: The foreign secretary has been the darling of the Conservative Party`s grassroots and has regularly topped polls of party members carried out by the website Conservative Home. Truss has a carefully cultivated public image and was photographed in a tank last year, echoing a famous 1986 photo of Britain`s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher. Truss, 46, initially campaigned against Brexit but after the 2016 referendum said she had changed her mind. She spent the first two years of Johnson`s premiership as international trade secretary and was last year appointed as Britain`s lead negotiator with the European Union. Truss is now in charge of dealing with the EU over post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland, where she has taken an increasingly tough line in negotiations. On Tuesday she said Johnson had her "100% backing" and urged colleagues to support him. On Thursday after the prime minister bowed to growing pressure, she said Johnson had made the right decision to step down. Live TV By Sayo Sasaki, KYODO NEWS - Jul 11, 2022 - 00:53 | All, Feature, Japan The sweeping victory of Japan's ruling party in Sunday's upper house election gives Prime Minister Fumio Kishida a free hand to tackle long-term issues, but controversial plans for revising the Constitution may take a back seat as he faces rising prices and the fallout from the assassination of influential predecessor Shinzo Abe. The death of Abe, shot just two days ahead of voting while on the campaign trail, raised the prospect of uncertainties in the internal politics of Kishida's Liberal Democratic Party, as Abe, the hawkish former party chief who was Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was the leader of the party's largest faction. Rising commodity and energy prices, exacerbated by a weak yen, also remain a risk factor for Kishida's government, as they weigh on a country already battered by the novel coronavirus pandemic and struggling with long-stalled growth. Abe's assassination appears to have produced a sympathy vote effect for the LDP, boosting the party's dominance in parliament over an already weak and fragmented opposition and increasing the likelihood of Kishida leading the party into the next national election expected in 2025. But Abe's death also means moves to seek an amendment of the U.S.-drafted war-renouncing Constitution, a long-cherished goal of the party, is likely to lose steam as he spearheaded the drive, according to Masahiro Iwasaki, political science professor at Nihon University. "Ultimately his death turned out to be a major boost to the LDP in the election, but the outlook for a constitutional amendment appears increasingly grim, with the symbolic figure of the pro-change forces gone," Iwasaki said in an interview. Hitoshi Komiya, professor of Japanese political history at Aoyama Gakuin University, said Abe's death could also result in a power struggle to succeed him as a faction leader. That, he said, would make it harder for Kishida, the liberal-leaning head of a major faction within the conservative party, to strike a deal with the right-wing of the party in deciding policies in the absence of its leader. "In the short-term, Mr. Kishida would be able to do a variety of things as he wishes, but in the long run, (the absence) will have a negative impact on him as well," Komiya said in a separate interview. Up until Abe's death, momentum for constitutional amendment was building, despite opposition parties including the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan voicing alarm and the LDP's coalition ally Komeito expressing wariness. The public had been becoming more comfortable with the idea of constitutional revision, including explicit reference to the Self-Defense Forces, on the back of security concerns prompted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. The support of Kishida as a liberal-leaning leader also appeared to help dampen concerns. "A center-left person like Mr. Kishida, who is not at all like Mr. Abe, who speaks of bolstering defense and prioritizing constitutional amendment is more likely to succeed in bringing about such changes, because people on the right will support him and those on the left will tolerate them thinking Mr. Kishida will carefully handle it," said Komiya. Iwasaki said Kishida may still hold discussions on the Constitution as there will be people who will call for carrying forward Abe's desire for revision, but he is likely to be less enthusiastic about pursuing the goal compared with Abe. For Kishida, Japan's energy problems and price increases may be a more pressing issue. A recent Bank of Japan survey showed nearly 90 percent of Japanese said they had felt price rises while a pre-election poll showed 40 percent of voters had named the economy as their main concern, exceeding interest in any other issue. Energy development projects in Russia's Far East for ensuring cheap and stable supply for Japan were essentially scrapped after Tokyo imposed sanctions against Moscow. Japan, a resource-scarce country, has been shifting toward renewables but they remain a small share of supply, while nuclear power plants remain idled following the Fukushima nuclear crisis triggered by the massive earthquake and tsunami of 2011. "There is no simple solution," said Komiya, suggesting the issue could weigh on the Kishida government after the election. "As people's wages are not increasing, the damage from price increases stemming from energy problems will take a toll, leading to increased pressure on Kishida to do something about it," he said. Aside from dealing with such challenges, how Kishida will use his increased mandate in the next few years remains unclear. He has so far called for shifting to a "new capitalism" in a departure from "Abenomics," a set of economic policies under Abe marked by monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms. Kishida has called for doubling people's incomes from assets, although he has offered few clues on how he is going to realize such a goal. With South Korea electing Yoon Suk Yeol as new president, he has also called for improving ties with Seoul that have been strained over wartime issues, but Kishida has maintained that it is South Korea's turn to act, not Japan, after earlier initiatives by Tokyo. The death of Abe, who actively engaged in summit diplomacy, also leaves Kishida, who served as foreign minister under Abe, without a predecessor to consult over diplomatic policies at a time of international tensions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Whatever he does, however, Kishida is unlikely to face any challenge to his grip on power for the coming few years. "When we look at whether there is someone who can take over from Kishida, there is no one," said Iwasaki, noting that those who ran against him in the last LDP presidential election including Taro Kono have limited support within the party now. "There is an environment for Kishida to preside for a long time," Iwasaki said. Related coverage: Japan PM Kishida's ruling party scores big win in upper house election Ex-PM Abe's death on minds of Japan voters, but turnout low FOCUS: Longest-serving Japan PM Abe was known for hawkish security stance KYODO NEWS - Jul 9, 2022 - 14:37 | World, All, Japan Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered condolences to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the death of former Japanese political leader Shinzo Abe, state-run media reported Saturday, with relations between the two Asian powers souring over Taiwan recently. Xi was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as telling Kishida, "I have reached important consensus" with Abe to build China-Japan ties that "meet the requirements of the new era." Abe, a 67-year-old lawmaker who became Japan's longest-serving prime minister, died on Friday after he was shot by a gunman in the western city of Nara while campaigning for Sunday's House of Councillors election. Related coverage: China shocked by shooting death of Japan's ex-PM Abe Chinese President Xi Jinping has offered condolences to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the death of former Japanese political leader Shinzo Abe, state-run media reported Saturday, with relations between the two Asian powers souring over Taiwan recently. Xi was quoted by the official Xinhua News Agency as telling Kishida, "I have reached important consensus" with Abe to build China-Japan ties that "meet the requirements of the new era." Abe, a 67-year-old lawmaker who became Japan's longest-serving prime minister, died on Friday after he was shot by a gunman in the western city of Nara while campaigning for Sunday's House of Councillors election. By Keita Nakamura, KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2022 - 14:15 | All, World The Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting through Friday ended up only laying bare the rifts over Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with experts underscoring the need for the creation of a more effective framework to address global challenges. At the two-day gathering held on the Indonesian island of Bali, the United States and other Group of Seven countries traded barbs with Russia over the war in Ukraine that has led to global food and energy prices. The ministers wrapped up their talks without any specific outcomes. "I wasn't expecting much to come of this meeting," said Hugo Dobson, a professor in the School of East Asian Studies at the University of Sheffield in England. "The G-20 is clearly crippled by its diverse membership." Confrontation among the members came to the surface from the very start of the meeting, as the G-7 foreign ministers boycotted a dinner event in protest at Russia's participation. The following day, the customary group photo of the ministers before the start of substantive discussions was not taken. "G-20 must be a beacon of solution to many global challenges," Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said during a session on Friday. "Multilateralism is also the only way to coordinate effectively against the global challenges." A Japanese government official said before the meeting that the G-7 nations would "rebut Russia's argument thoroughly after hearing it," instead of leaving their seats during the Russian speech, as they did recently. However, it was Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov who walked out during a session on how to strengthen multilateralism, after saying there was no point in discussing Ukraine as long as Western nations continue to hope for a military victory. "I think it's really interesting to see how in 2008, 2009 people were saying that the G-7, G-8 won't exist anymore" but "the opposite is happening," said Dobson. "I think the G-20 is actually in trouble, and the G-7 is continuing and it's actually got a stronger sense of purpose or a strong incentive for cohesive membership." The G-7, comprising Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States plus the European Union, used to be the Group of Eight until Russia was expelled amid global outrage over its annexation of Crimea in Ukraine in 2014. The G-20 was established in 1999 as a forum to discuss financial stability after the Asian currency crisis started in 1997. Its members began holding summits from 2008 amid the global financial crisis following the collapse of Lehman Brothers. Related coverage: G-20 ministers end food talks amid barbs between Russia, West "Now that the financial crisis has passed, it's not really equipped to deal with security issues, as well as its finance issues," Dobson said. Since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in late February, the G-7 has swiftly taken action, including imposing economic sanctions on Russia such as asset freezes and disconnecting it from a key international payments system. Among G-20 members, meanwhile, China and India have not joined the U.S.-led sanctions against Russia. The G-20 comprises the G-7 plus Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and Turkey. Shigeaki Shiraishi, a senior research fellow at the Nakasone Peace Institute in Tokyo, said the G-20 members have not appeared in tune since it started holding leaders' meetings. "The G-20 had discussed the governance of the global economy genuinely until it started holding summits in 2008. But since then, they have also discussed political and other issues, and it has become more difficult to build consensus," he said. After the end of the Cold War in 1991, Western nations tried to integrate Russia into the global capitalist system, but the current situation demonstrates that such attempts have "ended in vain and failed to bring about peace," Shiraishi said. Countries like Japan, which value freedom and democracy "should take this opportunity to gain wider international support and design a highly effective framework" to address global challenges, he said. The G-20 is set to hold a summit in Bali in November, with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely to attend. "The G-20 may still be meaningful given that the member nations regularly have opportunities to talk directly with figures like President Putin, but it will get tougher for them" to solve global challenges, Shiraishi said. KYODO NEWS - Jul 10, 2022 - 14:56 | All, Japan U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Japan to express his condolences over the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot while delivering a speech on a street in Nara, the State Department said Sunday. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to meet with Blinken on Monday, a Japanese government official said. Blinken, who is visiting Bangkok, will change his schedule and stop in Japan before returning to the United States. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister who left office in 2020, was fatally shot Friday by a 41-year-old man who approached from behind while Abe was delivering a stump speech on a street in the western city ahead of Sunday's House of Councillors election. On Saturday, President Joe Biden spoke by phone with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, expressing his condolences over the death of Abe. Biden noted the "unwavering confidence in the strength of Japan's democracy" and the two leaders also discussed how Abe's legacy will live on as their countries continue the important task of defending peace and democracy, according to the White House. Related coverage: U.S. stunned by death of Japan's Abe, calls him champion of alliance Leaders worldwide pay tribute to former Japan PM Abe Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif speaks in an interview in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on June 14, 2022. Pakistan expects to further lift its friendship and cooperation with China to a new level, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal) ISLAMABAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan expects to further lift its friendship and cooperation with China to a new level, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said. During a recent interview at the Prime Minister's Office in Islamabad, Sharif said that despite a shifting international landscape, Pakistan and China firmly support each other. The people-to-people exchanges between the two countries have witnessed new progress and the Pakistani people benefit from bilateral cooperation. The prime minister noted that the Belt and Road Initiative has offered great help to Pakistan's economic and social development, adding that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a vital pilot project under the initiative. He said Pakistan looks forward to cooperating closely with China to promote the CPEC's development. Sharif noted that the CPEC's first construction phase has met Pakistan's energy needs, saying Pakistan seeks to attract Chinese advanced technology and investment, and bolster Pakistan's industrialization. Sharif also spoke highly of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and the Global Security Initiative proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. He believes that the GDI provides important opportunities to help achieve prosperity and development for all countries. "China's GDI is a very noble cause, and it is going to contribute to world peace and prosperity," he said, adding that there can be no development without security. Pakistan is very supportive of both initiatives and looks forward to actively participating in future related meetings, said the prime minister. Sharif said President Xi Jinping is a visionary leader with a strong will and broad vision. He looks forward to working closely with Xi and hopes to continue to learn from his experience and philosophy of state governance. Sharif said that the Communist Party of China has been developing for more than 100 years, leading China to become the second-largest economy in the world and eradicate absolute poverty, which are remarkable achievements worth learning for Pakistan. He said China's dynamic zero-COVID policy prioritizes people and life. China has provided substantial support to Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic, offering vaccines and other epidemic prevention materials, as well as sending experts to assist in the country's anti-pandemic fight, he added. The prime minister also said his government attaches great importance to the security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, adding that the Pakistani Interior Ministry is in contact with all provinces to ensure their safety. Sharif said any attempt to undermine the Pakistan-China friendship would not succeed. Beibu Gulf Port in China's Guangxi has seen its cargo throughput rise 5.25 percent year on year in the first quarter of this year, thanks to a new land-sea trade corridor. In Tieshan Port in Beihai alone, the cargo throughput in 2021 reached 3.96 million tonnes, 8.8 times that of 2017. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service Locals buy dried fruits and nuts for the upcoming Eid al-Adha in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 6, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) "Blocking Afghanistan's assets has destroyed our economy and that is why the prices have gone up and we can't buy even dry fruit today for the holiday," an Afghan businesswoman said. KABUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- As Muslims everywhere get ready to mark Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice, in Afghanistan people are still struggling to survive. "The Eid al-Adha is nearing but the prices are very high -- beyond the reach of ordinary people. If the United States were to release the 9.5 billion dollars of Afghanistan's assets they have frozen, prices definitely would go down," Shafiqullah, a dry fruit seller, told Xinhua. Photo taken on July 6, 2022 shows a local vendor selling nuts in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Shafiqullah, 45, said that 1 kg of pistachios that was 800 afghanis (9 U.S. dollars) last year now cost around 1,000 afghanis. According to United Nations agency data, more than 22 million of the country's 35 million population were facing acute food shortages. "The price of one packet of chocolate was 150 afghanis last year but this year its price increased to 250 afghanis," Shafiqullah said. Blaming U.S. sanctions, the shopkeeper said, "If Washington releases Afghanistan's assets the prices of basic needs would drop by 30 percent." Locals buy nuts for the upcoming Eid al-Adha in Kabul, Afghanistan, July 6, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) U.S. President Joe Biden has signed the decree to allocate 3.5 billion dollars of Afghan assets to the families of the 9/11 victims, with a similar amount earmarked for humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. The decision has been widely condemned by the international community as unjust. "I came with 600 afghanis today to buy dry fruit for the festival but it's not enough to buy anything," said a Kabul resident Mumtaz. People are seen at a livestock market before Eid al-Adha in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 7, 2022. (Photo by Saifurahman Safi/Xinhua) Mumtaz also blames the United States for poverty in Afghanistan, saying, "I want Washington to unfreeze our money so as to improve our economy." Like other Muslim countries, Eid al-Adha will be celebrated in Afghanistan with sacrifices of animals, and visiting relatives and friends. "Blocking Afghanistan's assets has destroyed our economy and that is why the prices have gone up and we can't buy even dry fruit today for the holiday," businesswoman Freshta Safari lamented. Combo photo shows the Eagle-shaped Pottery Ding vessel displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and an eagle-shaped ice cream bar (R). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Inspired by China's cultural relics, the National Museum of China (NMC) has launched a variety of creative food products in recent years. Those products featuring different shapes of cultural relics have been designed in an attempt to arouse people's interests in exhibits of museums and Chinese civilization. With its precursor, the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of History, established in July 1912, the NMC was formed in 2003 as a result of the merger of the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution, both on the east side of Tian'anmen Square. Following remodeling and expansion, the NMC formally opened to the public in 2012, now boasting more than 1.4 million items in its collection. Combo photo shows the Square vessel with four rams displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and an ice cream bar shaped like the vessel (R). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) Combo photo shows the Jade Ruyi, a traditional Chinese ornamental object for luck, displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and mooncakes with the same Ruyi pattern(bottom). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) Combo photo shows the Pottery Storyteller beating a drum displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and an ice cream bar in the shape of a similar ceramic figure (R). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) Combo photo shows the Yu cauldron displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and an ice cream bar shaped like the cauldron (R). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) Combo photo shows the Bronze Rhino-shaped Zun (wine vessel) displayed at the National Museum of China (NMC) in Beijing, capital of China, and a Rhino-shaped ice cream bar (bottom). (The National Museum of China/Handout via Xinhua) Voters arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) TOKYO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Japan's ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Komeito is set to secure a majority of seats contested in the House of Councilors election on Sunday, maintaining its majority in the upper chamber, Kyodo News exit polls showed. The LDP and its junior coalition partner Komeito are projected to snatch more than 63 of the 125 seats up for grabs. The triennial election, held in the immediate aftermath of the shock death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was shot by a man during his campaign speech in Nara, is a critical test for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to assess voter confidence in the performance of his government since taking office last year. The ruling LDP under the leadership of Kishida aimed to maintain a majority of the seats in the upper house with its coalition partner Komeito, which is important for them to stably run the government for the next three years. The voters mainly decided on how well the Kishida government did in bolstering the country's COVID-19 response and scrambling to curb surging prices of energy and everyday items like food to ease the pain on households among other issues. In Japan, upper house members serve six years, and half of the seats in the 248-member House of Councilors are contested every three years. For this year's election, a total of 125 seats were contested, including 74 in electoral districts and 50 by proportional representation, together with one left vacant in the other half of the chamber. Voters arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) A voter casts a ballot at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) A voter prepares to cast a ballot at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) Voters arrive to cast their ballots at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) Voters prepare to cast their ballots at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) Voters prepare to cast their ballots at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) A voter arrives to cast her ballot at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) A staff member records the number of voters at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) A voter casts a ballot at a polling station for Japan's House of Councilors election in Tokyo, Japan, July 10, 2022. (Photo by Christopher Jue/Xinhua) COLOMBO, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's personal residence was set on fire on Saturday amid nationwide protests, said the police. Eye witnesses said that fire brigades were unable to reach the house as the trucks were blocked by protesters. Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign after party leaders in the parliament demanded both he and the president to resign, as protesters stormed the president's residence and office on Saturday. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Saturday on Telegram that Ukraine will receive 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in grant aid from international donors. The money will be channeled to Ukraine through a single-donor trust fund set up by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The funds will be used to cover Ukraine's budget expenditures on medical services under a medical guarantee program. Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said at a public event last month that Kiev plans to raise 20 billion dollars in international aid from its Western partners by the end of 2022. Produced by Xinhua Global Service TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said Iran supports establishing peace and stability in Syria and opposes any foreign intervention in the country, Iran's presidential website reported on Sunday. "Iran will continue to support the axis of resistance, particularly Syria," Raisi said in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the occasion of Muslims' Eid al-Adha feast. The term "the axis of resistance" refers to Iran's allies throughout the region. Raisi also described the visit of the Syrian president to Tehran in May as a success, and emphasized that "good agreements were reached during this trip, and their implementation should be followed seriously." For his part, al-Assad said Syria and Iran are "in a single stronghold" and their enemies are "getting weaker," expressing the hope that both countries will witness further success in the domestic and international arena in the next year. People line up to buy bread at a bakery during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Tripoli, Lebanon, on July 10, 2022. Celebrating Eid al-Adha this year in the traditional ways has become a vain hope for many Muslims in Lebanon, where the financial crisis and the collapse of the local currency plunged the majority of the population into poverty. (Photo by Khaled Habashiti/Xinhua) by Dana Halawi BEIRUT, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Celebrating Eid al-Adha this year in the traditional ways has become a vain hope for many Muslims in Lebanon, where the financial crisis and the collapse of the local currency plunged the majority of the population into poverty. Families used to celebrate the three-day holiday through house gatherings, restaurant visits, gift exchanges, and relaxing at beaches. Many also kept the tradition of serving visitors Arabic sweets either homemade or bought from popular shops. However, as many residents this year are barely capable of securing their basic necessities, the celebration almost becomes a luxury. "We used to take our children out to a restaurant or a resort, but now our salaries can barely cover a few types of food and necessary medicines," Mehieddine Dirani, who runs a supermarket in Beirut, told Xinhua. "Instead of going out, we prepare a humble dish at home made from bulgur, lentils and vegetables and watch television," he added. As for Majida el-Hajj, a resident of Dahieh, a suburb in southern Beirut, she feels sad about not being able to buy Eid clothes for her three children. "There is nothing I can do for my children to feel the spirit of this occasion," the young mother told Xinhua. Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis that resulted in the collapse of the local currency, which devalued people's salaries by over 90 percent. Hit by intertwined political, economic and health crises, Lebanon's poverty rate now rises to over 74 percent, according to the World Bank. Moreover, the economy has yet to recover from the massive closure of businesses and staff laid-off due to the COVID-19 outbreak and ensuing Beirut port blasts in August 2020. Hassan al-Saghir, a salesman at Ghazi Hallab, a famous sweets shop in Beirut, told Xinhua that demand for Arabic sweets has dropped by over 50 percent compared to the last year. His shop used to sell one kilo of Ma'amoul, a traditionally filled butter cookie often served during the Eid holiday, at 35,000 pounds before the crisis. Now it cost 320,000 pounds. "People are calling me asking prices rather than walking in to make a purchase," he said, adding "most of those who buy from our shops are expatriates or residents who have an income in U.S. dollars." Aida el-Ahdab, a resident of Basta, a working-class neighborhood in Beirut, told Xinhua her inability to access her dollar savings account forced her to rely on a monthly retirement salary in pounds that is equivalent to 86 dollars in the parallel market. "I cannot afford to buy a kilo of shop-made Ma'amoul, so I decided to buy two liters of milk and bake pudding which would cost me 130,000 pounds instead," she said. Many Muslims also gave up the Islamic tradition of Eid sacrifice, which a family would slaughter a sheep to give out at least one-third of the meat to the vulnerable. Tarek Tahhan, a shepherd in Beirut, told Xinhua the smallest sheep costs 150 dollars while salaries in the public sector have dropped to less than 100 dollars. The Lebanese government launched last year two cash aid programs for needy families, namely the Emergency Social Safety Net and the ration card policy, both funded by the World Bank. Lebanon said in January that about 50 percent of its population has registered for social assistance through the social safety net financing plan funded by the World Bank, under the latter's loan of 246 million dollars. Lebanon also hoped to secure another World Bank loan in support of its ration card policy that aims to pay 556 million dollars in cash to the most vulnerable population. Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Hector Hajjar told local reporters on Monday that the loan is conditional, and Lebanon has yet to meet all the requirements. A woman walks past closed stores during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Tripoli, Lebanon, on July 10, 2022. Celebrating Eid al-Adha this year in the traditional ways has become a vain hope for many Muslims in Lebanon, where the financial crisis and the collapse of the local currency plunged the majority of the population into poverty. (Photo by Khaled Habashiti/Xinhua) Children spend time in a neighborhood during the Eid al-Adha holiday in Tripoli, Lebanon, on July 10, 2022. Celebrating Eid al-Adha this year in the traditional ways has become a vain hope for many Muslims in Lebanon, where the financial crisis and the collapse of the local currency plunged the majority of the population into poverty. (Photo by Khaled Habashiti/Xinhua) * Thousands of demonstrators came to Washington, D.C., on Saturday to demand more action from the White House to safeguard abortion access, with the fight over abortion rights splitting America further along ideological and party lines. * Without Roe v. Wade, states are allowed to impose their own legislation on the medical procedure. More than a dozen states, whose legislatures are controlled by Republicans, have enacted restrictive abortion laws or will have such legislation take effect in the coming weeks. * With women's rights suffering a severe blow this time, America's hypocrisy on human rights and its systemic flaws have been laid bare again. by Xinhua writer Sun Ding WASHINGTON, July 9 (Xinhua) -- The United States continued to feel the heat from the Supreme Court's bombshell decision to overturn Roe v. Wade two weeks ago, which ended the constitutional protection of abortion rights for women in the nation. Thousands of demonstrators came to Washington, D.C., on Saturday to demand more action from the White House to safeguard abortion access, with the fight over abortion rights splitting America further along ideological and party lines. A self-portrayed "human rights champion," the United States' human rights record remains appalling. With women's rights suffering a severe blow this time, America's hypocrisy on human rights and its systemic flaws have been laid bare again. People attend a rally calling for abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) SUMMER OF RAGE Attendees of the Women's March under the theme "Summer of Rage" turned out in Franklin Square northeast of the White House in the morning despite a light rain. Most showed up with posters or banners that advocate abortion rights and wore a green bandana bearing the slogan "bans off our bodies." "Today we're telling @POTUS and ALL our elected leaders that we won't let politicians play games with our lives and our futures," Women's March tweeted, tagging U.S. President Joe Biden. "We DEMAND our fundamental rights." "I am attending this rally because I think it is important that we women have a voice and a choice with our bodies," Esther Torres, a demonstrator from Austin, Texas, told Xinhua. "It's a basic human right. Women decide what we do with our bodies." People attend a rally calling for abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The protesters marched to the White House at noon, chanting pro-choice slogans such as "my body my choice" on the streets before joining a sit-in outside the presidential residence and tying the bandanas on the north fence. "We are marching. We are going to make some noise and get our point across that we are humans, and we have a human right," Torres said. On June 24, the U.S. Supreme Court released the ruling to strike down Roe v. Wade, nearly five decades after setting a precedent in 1973 that women have a constitutional right to abortion -- arguably one of the most divisive issues across the nation due to a clash between religious beliefs and individual liberty. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative, wrote in the majority opinion. "Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences." The court's three liberal justices dissented, lamenting that "many millions of American women" have lost a fundamental constitutional protection. The ruling has divided America further. Democrats and liberals have rushed to decry the high court's move as they generally support abortion rights and argue that abortion is a woman's choice. Republicans and conservatives who have long accused the procedure of taking an unborn life have taken a victory lap. A small group of anti-abortion activists gathered at a street corner across Franklin Square, holding banners expressing their position, with one man using a megaphone to speak. The two sides of protesters shouted at each other in tense exchanges in the presence of law enforcement personnel and vehicles. Protesters gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., the United States, June 24, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) TRAGIC IMPACT Without Roe v. Wade, states are allowed to impose their own legislation on the medical procedure. More than a dozen states, whose legislatures are controlled by Republicans, have enacted restrictive abortion laws or will have such legislation take effect in the coming weeks. Kaylee White, attending school in West Virginia, is considering transferring to a different state where abortion is not criminalized. "I don't feel protected in my state, my rights, especially. I don't want to contribute to that," she told Xinhua at the Franklin Square rally. Three days after the Supreme Court issued the ruling, Caitlan Bernard, an obstetrician-gynecologist from the city of Indianapolis, received a call from "a child abuse doctor" in Ohio who had a 10-year-old patient who was six weeks and three days pregnant, according to the Indianapolis Star. Unable to obtain an abortion in Ohio, where any procedure after six weeks is banned, the girl "was on her way to Indiana to Bernard's care," the Star wrote. Abortion is still legal in Indiana, but the conservative stronghold is poised to pass the state's own abortion law. The story has gone viral across social media and caused outrage. "It is appalling that you would force a 10-year-old child -- who was violated -- to carry another child," Torres responded. "Her body is not fully developed, and yet you're going to force her to have a child. What world are we in?" People attend a rally calling for abortion rights in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) The American Civil Liberties Union's branch in Ohio tweeted patients and victims in the state "are suffering in real time" and that "the six-week abortion ban is causing long-term, devastating harm to our communities. This is absolutely tragic." On Friday, Biden also weighed in on the case before signing an executive order on access to reproductive health care services. "Ten years old. Ten years old. Raped, six weeks pregnant. Already traumatized. Was forced to travel to another state. Imagine being that little girl," Biden said from the White House. Members of the European Parliament voted to adopt a resolution on Thursday, condemning "once more the backsliding in women's rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights" in the United States and some European Union member states. "The U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn the right to abortion is a devastating development and an attack on women's fundamental rights everywhere," said Swedish politician Helene Fritzon, a European Parliament member and vice-chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. "It teaches us a lesson: women's and girls' human rights can never be taken for granted and we must always fight to defend them." SYSTEMIC FAILURE The U.S. Supreme Court is the final appellate court of the nation's judicial system, with the power to review and overturn lower court decisions. It is generally the final interpreter of federal law, including the constitution. Its rulings have far-reaching consequences for American society and politics. The high court has increasingly come under scrutiny over the past few decades, particularly in recent years, amid the political polarization in Washington and throughout America. Questions surrounding its decisions and the court's independence have dominated the news cycle. Confidence in the Supreme Court has declined sharply over the past year and reached a new low in Gallup's nearly 50-year trend. Only 25 percent of U.S. adults express "a great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in the institution where conservatives have a 6-3 advantage over liberals on the nine-seat bench. "It's a hot mess," said Celeste Gilbert, an abortion-rights supporter who lives in Virginia, describing the state of America. "Our elderly don't receive the healthcare. Our veterans don't get what they need. Our children aren't getting what they need. We've got gun troubles." White also felt disappointed about the country's direction, calling what had happened with abortion rights "the tip of an iceberg." Demonstrators rally in Union Square during a protest after U.S. Supreme Court made decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, in New York, the United States, June 24, 2022. (Photo by Michael Nagle/Xinhua) Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives plan to vote next week on bills protecting abortion access. But some Republican governors and anti-abortion groups are looking at laws that would criminalize patients seeking abortions out of state. The bills face long odds in the evenly-divided Senate since Democrats do not have enough support to pass the filibuster's 60-vote threshold. Biden acknowledged his executive order alone could not guarantee abortion rights in states that have moved to ban access and encouraged Democrats to vote in November's midterm elections. "We need two additional pro-choice senators and a pro-choice House to codify Roe as federal law. Your vote can make that a reality," he said Friday. However, the current Democratic congressional majority faces an unfavorable election environment since the president's party typically loses seats on Capitol Hill in midterm elections, and Biden's approval rating remains low. Republicans, in contrast, have defended the conservative-leaning Supreme Court and its ruling on Roe v. Wade and are said to be contemplating a national anti-abortion bill if they win control of Congress later this year, with a 15-week ban reportedly on the table. (Xiao Xiao in Washington, D.C., contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Sun Ding, Hu Yousong; video editors: Peng Ying, Cao Ying, Zhu Cong) NINGBO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A charter flight carrying 36 businesspeople took off from the Lishe International Airport in Ningbo City, east China's Zhejiang Province, at 10 a.m. on Sunday, bound for Budapest, Hungary. The charter flight was launched as a result of the collaboration of many local departments, including the commercial bureau, foreign affairs office, health commission, and public security bureau. "We are already in contact with French companies to talk with them about orders in person in mid-July," said Yuan Lin, a manager with a garment export enterprise in Ningbo, who was aboard the charter flight. "July happens to be the new development season. We have brought a lot of new autumn and winter styles this time. I hope we can not only get the orders of old customers but also bring back more new orders," Yuan added. Many innovative home products manufactured by Ningbo Rollmax Shutter Component Co., Ltd. are bestsellers in overseas markets, including intelligent electric windows and electric clothes racks. Ding Yandong, general manager of the company, immediately signed up after he heard about the charter flight. Ding said he would go to Poland this time to renew orders with his regular customers. Affected by COVID-19, foreign trade enterprises' overseas business negotiations and on-site exhibitions are in a state of suspension, and they can only communicate through video, telephone, and emails. However, the disadvantages are becoming apparent. Due to shipping congestion, some in-transit orders also face possible cancellations. To solve the problem, Ningbo has made every effort to benefit more small, medium, and micro foreign trade enterprises by implementing measures such as facilitating the entry and exit of foreign-related business personnel and introducing policies to promote high-quality development of foreign trade. During this trip, Sun Chonglong, executive director of Ningbo Lianbang Changyun International Trade Co., Ltd., agreed with two beef factories in Hungary to sign a general agent agreement in person. "After this agreement is signed, the company will increase beef imports by 350 million yuan (about 52.16 million U.S. dollars) annually," Sun said. This trip is of great significance. The government helps enterprises stabilize purchase orders and strengthen ties with foreign factories, Sun added. In addition to the "Ningbo-Budapest-Hangzhou" trip by charter flight, another "Ningbo-Milan-Hangzhou" round-trip charter flight will operate from July 21 to 22. In the first half of this year, the Zhoushan Port in Ningbo saw a total cargo throughput of 557.96 million tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 5.5 percent. The port's container throughput was 13.91 million TEUs, up 4.7 percent, year on year. Data from Ningbo Customs show that from January to May, the total foreign trade volume in Ningbo reached 514.37 billion yuan, up 11.5 percent year on year. CAPE TOWN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of a random shooting that happened early Sunday at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township has risen to 15 after one more person succumbed to injury, an official said on Sunday. It is alleged that gunmen got off a minibus taxi, entered the tavern, and then shot at people inside, Faith Mazibuko, head of the Provincial Department of Community Safety, told reporters outside the tavern, or pub. "Currently, it is confirmed that 15 people have passed on," she said. A group of men armed with rifles and 9mm pistols entered the tavern at around 12:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT Saturday), and started shooting randomly at customers who were sitting inside, killing 12 people on the scene and injuring 11 others, the police said earlier in a statement. The victims are estimated to be 19 to 35 years of age and the police are still investigating the incident. The tavern is legal and the incident happened during its operating hours. In a live interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Mazibuko said that authorities "don't know if they (assailants) are trying to provoke the situation or what is happening." They were "unprovoked" as they came into the tavern, and didn't take any money or anything else, she said. It was not the first shooting of this kind in Soweto, as a similar incident happened in 2019, Police Commissioner of Gauteng Elias Mawela told local television eNCA. The highly urbanized Gauteng province is where Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city is located. Gauteng faces such issues where assailants roaming around the street target people randomly. On Saturday, a shooting incident in the province also killed three people and injured one, he said. Workers pave a street in the old city of Mosul, in Iraq, on July 4, 2022. Five years after liberation from the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants, life has returned to normal in Iraq's second-largest city Mosul. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) BAGHDAD, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Five years after liberation from the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants, life has returned to normal in Iraq's second-largest city Mosul. The old painful picture of Mosul has changed: the rubbles and ruins left by the fierce battles with the IS militants are gradually replaced by the booming commercial activity in many areas of the city, where many of its famous traditional markets are now brimming with various products and shoppers could go around freely without fear. Mosul, about 400 km north of the capital Baghdad, was seized by the IS militant group in June 2014 and was liberated on July 10, 2017 after nine months of fierce fighting. The battles left massive destruction to the city, especially in the old city center. Sitting in his butcher shop in the ancient al-Attareen market in Mosul's old city center, Ali Saadi Alwan told Xinhua that "our business now has doubled from the previous year, and many customers are coming to us. In general, the market is very good thanks to the security and reconstruction." Alwan said the restored peace enabled him to rebuild his destroyed house in the al-Shahwan neighborhood in the old city center. Also sharing his optimism is Dalshad Ismail, a 32-year-old man coming from eastern Mosul to shop in the al-Saray market in the old city center. He told Xinhua that the better situation in Mosul "is the result of the better security and stability in the city by the efforts of the security forces." Meanwhile, reconstruction work is underway at the Grand al-Nuri Mosque, which was blown up by the IS militants on June 21, 2017. The mosque holds symbolic value to the people of Mosul as it gave the city its nickname "al-Hadbaa" or "the hunchback" with its famous leaning minaret. Omer Taqa, an Iraqi engineer at the reconstruction site, told Xinhua that "we started the reconstruction work of al-Nuri Mosque and its al-Hadbaa minaret in 2019, and we removed approximately 5,600 tons of rubble, in addition to 11 explosive devices planted inside the walls of the mosque." The reconstruction of Mosul needs 12 to 15 billion dollars, said Mosul Mayor Amin al-Fanash, citing reports of international organizations. "Mosul, especially the old city center, was badly devastated by the military and terrorist operations, as more than 12,000 housing units were destroyed in the old city, and the devastation ranged from 80 to 100 percent." He said that during the past three years, 1,200 out of the 1,700 planned reconstruction projects have been fully completed, and the rest will be completed before the end of this year. The reconstruction plan covers projects in the health sector, municipal construction and government buildings, among others, said the mayor. Workers operate on reconstruction of destroyed houses surrounding the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq, on July 3, 2022. Five years after liberation from the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants, life has returned to normal in Iraq's second-largest city Mosul. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Photo taken on July 3, 2022 shows the reconstruction site of the Grand al-Nuri Mosque in the old city of Mosul, Iraq. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Builders work at the reconstruction site of the al-Hadbaa minaret in the old city of Mosul, Iraq, July 3, 2022. (Xinhua/Khalil Dawood) Thousands of demonstrators came to Washington, D.C. on Saturday to demand more action from the White House to safeguard abortion access, as the fight over abortion rights is splitting America further along ideological and party lines. Produced by Xinhua Global Service A child plays with a toy water gun amid high temperature at a park in Xuhui District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. Shanghai on Sunday issued a red alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves swept the city. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Wang Xiang) SHANGHAI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Shanghai municipal meteorological observatory issued a red alert for excessive heat on Sunday as the temperature in some areas of the metropolis climbed to 40 degrees Celsius. Shanghai has seen high temperatures for six consecutive days from July 5. The temperature at the Shanghai Xujiahui Station reached 40 degrees Celsius at 2:12 p.m. on Sunday, the earliest high-temperature day of 40 degrees Celsius since Shanghai started meteorological records in 1873. A total of 15 blisteringly hot days above 40 degrees Celsius have been reported in the city since 1873, and the 40.9 degrees Celsius in 2017 set a record. According to the latest forecast, Shanghai will continue to see high-temperature weather next week because of subtropical highs. Meteorological authorities recommend the public avoid outdoor activities at noon. When encountering dizziness, massive sweating, or limb weakness, citizens are advised to go to a ventilated place and drink salt water to prevent heat stroke. People walk on the street amid high temperature in Minhang District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. Shanghai on Sunday issued a red alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves swept the city. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) A citizen walks by a fountain amid high temperature in Minhang District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. Shanghai on Sunday issued a red alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves swept the city. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe) A municipal worker is seen amid high temperature in Minhang District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. Shanghai on Sunday issued a red alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves swept the city. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) A deliveryman is seen on the street amid high temperature in Minhang District of east China's Shanghai, July 10, 2022. Shanghai on Sunday issued a red alert for high temperatures, as heatwaves swept the city. China has a four-tier, color-coded weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue. (Xinhua/Liu Ying) A woman weaves a carpet at a carpet-weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, on July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) In Saqqara village, where the famous step pyramid is located, there are dozens of carpet schools, featuring the traditional art of handmade carpets. They have attracted thousands of foreign visitors every year and helped the lives of many locals. by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. "All the carpets here are handmade. We've boosted the popularity of Egyptian carpets and now they compete with the Iranian and Turkish ones," said Khaled Mekkawy, manager of a carpet school in Saqqara. The carpet stores in Saqqara are referred to as "schools" because they provide training and jobs for children during the summer holidays as well as for housewives to use their spare time in a useful and profitable traditional craft. A typical "carpet school" in the village is divided into two parts, one for carpets weaving on looms and another for exhibiting products of various sizes, colors, and designs. A boy weaves a carpet at a carpet-weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, on July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) The exhibited carpets and tapestries cover all the walls and columns in the store, including symmetrical works, ones with drawings and designs of pastures and sceneries, and others with pharaonic images like the golden mask of King Tutankhamun, the bust of Queen Nefertiti, and more. Mekkawy pointed out that customers, whether Egyptians or foreigners, take a tour of the weaving workshop first and then explore the exhibition section to select the rugs or carpets they like, noting that his carpet school, established in 1976, is one of the oldest in Egypt. "A carpet may last for 400 or 500 years, or even longer. It is why the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo has carpets dating back to the Mamluk rule of Egypt over 700 years ago," the carpet school manager told Xinhua. At the school's workshop, several horizontal and vertical looms are installed with weavers working on them, including men, women, boys, and girls. People weave carpets at a carpet-weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, on July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Hamada Ibrahim, 40, was busy teaching a group of women, girls and boys how to draw a simple picture with wool or silk thread on a vertical loom. "We teach children to do something useful during the summer holidays. We even send looms to some married women who would like to work from home and improve their income to help with providing for their families," Ibrahim, who has been a carpet weaver for 30 years, said. His trainees include his 12-year-old son Mahmoud, who loves weaving in his summer holiday. The boy was weaving fast on a vertical loom to work on a carpet patterned with King Tut's iconic gold mask. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the workshop, a group of young ladies was working on other carpets and tapestries, also using vertical looms. A man shows a handmade tapestry at a carpet-weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, on July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) Fatma Ahmed, 29, was carrying out a tapestry with a drawing of a tree and birds standing on its branches. She said that she worked for the carpet school before she got married, and she returned to the school after several years as a housewife. "I enjoy working here with my colleagues and we're content with our work. It is also helpful financially," Fatma told Xinhua in front of her loom. At another nearby carpet school, Mokhtar el-Badrashiny, a supervisor and deputy manager, said that they have a good turnout of foreign customers, noting that most foreign customers come from the United States and Latin America, in addition to some Italians. "Before COVID-19, we had many Chinese customers. We hope the pandemic will be over soon and we can see again more visitors from China and other countries," the carpet store supervisor told Xinhua. A group of Brazilian tourists was taking a tour of the exhibition section of the store after watching the weaving process in the workshop downstairs. A man weaves a carpet at a carpet-weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, on July 2, 2022. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) "I was impressed how children are learning weaving carpets and creating beautiful works from threads," said Eline Gomes Viegas, noting it was her first time visiting Egypt. "The village is surrounded by archeological sites and the traditional handmade carpets make it even more unique," said the Brazilian lady. Meanwhile, an American couple was selecting small-sized rugs as souvenirs from Egypt. Brad Wicks, a retired telecom employee from California, described Saqqara as "amazing" and "a very interesting place to be." "I think the quality of the rugs is outstanding," the American tourist told Xinhua. A man weaves a carpet at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) by Mahmoud Fouly CAIRO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. "All the carpets here are handmade. We've boosted the popularity of Egyptian carpets and now they compete with the Iranian and Turkish ones," said Khaled Mekkawy, manager of a carpet school in Saqqara. The carpet stores in Saqqara are referred to as "schools" because they provide training and jobs for children during the summer holidays as well as for housewives to use their spare time in a useful and profitable traditional craft. A typical "carpet school" in the village is divided into two parts, one for carpets weaving on looms and another for exhibiting products of various sizes, colors, and designs. The exhibited carpets and tapestries cover all the walls and columns in the store, including symmetrical works, ones with drawings and designs of pastures and sceneries, and others with pharaonic images like the golden mask of King Tutankhamun, the bust of Queen Nefertiti, and more. Mekkawy pointed out that customers, whether Egyptians or foreigners, take a tour of the weaving workshop first and then explore the exhibition section to select the rugs or carpets they like, noting that his carpet school, established in 1976, is one of the oldest in Egypt. "A carpet may last for 400 or 500 years, or even longer. It is why the Museum of Islamic Art in Cairo has carpets dating back to the Mamluk rule of Egypt over 700 years ago," the carpet school manager told Xinhua. At the school's workshop, several horizontal and vertical looms are installed with weavers working on them, including men, women, boys, and girls. Hamada Ibrahim, 40, was busy teaching a group of women, girls and boys how to draw a simple picture with wool or silk thread on a vertical loom. "We teach children to do something useful during the summer holidays. We even send looms to some married women who would like to work from home and improve their income to help with providing for their families," Ibrahim, who has been a carpet weaver for 30 years, said. His trainees include his 12-year-old son Mahmoud, who loves weaving in his summer holiday. The boy was weaving fast on a vertical loom to work on a carpet patterned with King Tut's iconic gold mask. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the workshop, a group of young ladies was working on other carpets and tapestries, also using vertical looms. Fatma Ahmed, 29, was carrying out a tapestry with a drawing of a tree and birds standing on its branches. She said that she worked for the carpet school before she got married, and she returned to the school after several years as a housewife. "I enjoy working here with my colleagues and we're content with our work. It is also helpful financially," Fatma told Xinhua in front of her loom. At another nearby carpet school, Mokhtar el-Badrashiny, a supervisor and deputy manager, said that they have a good turnout of foreign customers, noting that most foreign customers come from the United States and Latin America, in addition to some Italians. "Before COVID-19, we had many Chinese customers. We hope the pandemic will be over soon and we can see again more visitors from China and other countries," the carpet store supervisor told Xinhua. A group of Brazilian tourists was taking a tour of the exhibition section of the store after watching the weaving process in the workshop downstairs. "I was impressed how children are learning weaving carpets and creating beautiful works from threads," said Eline Gomes Viegas, noting it was her first time visiting Egypt. "The village is surrounded by archeological sites and the traditional handmade carpets make it even more unique," said the Brazilian lady. Meanwhile, an American couple was selecting small-sized rugs as souvenirs from Egypt. Brad Wicks, a retired telecom employee from California, described Saqqara as "amazing" and "a very interesting place to be." "I think the quality of the rugs is outstanding," the American tourist told Xinhua. People weave a carpet at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People weave carpets at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A man arranges thread at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) People weave carpets at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A woman weaves a carpet at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A man draws carpet patterns at a weaving workshop at Saqqara village in Giza, Egypt, July 2, 2022. Overlooking Saqqara necropolis, some 20 kilometers from the Giza pyramid complex, Saqqara village lies as a tourist attraction with its unique handmade rugs and carpets that represent a characteristic handicraft of the locals for decades. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa) A chef prepares ingredients at a restaurant in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) In a blend of the East and the West, the rich culinary heritage of Gaziantep has a wide variety of dishes on a global scale to offer to foodies from all over the world. GAZIANTEP, Turkey, July 10 (Xinhua) -- In a traditional restaurant in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, chefs, like all their counterparts in any other restaurant in the Turkish gastronomy hub, have been perfecting their craft to remold centuried recipes to satisfy modern palates. "Our cuisine is ancient and rich. We have about 500 recipes and here we serve about 80 of them to our customers," Taner Olca, the third-generation owner of the locally renowned Yesemek restaurant, told Xinhua. In a blend of the East and the West, the rich culinary heritage of Gaziantep has become a mainstay of the local economy. A chef cooks at a restaurant in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) "In Gaziantep, we live for the food. At breakfast, we think of what we are going to eat for dinner, and at dinner, what we are going to eat later at night," the young restaurant owner said. The richness of ingredients and spices, and the exchange and fusion of various cultures have generated Gaziantep's unique gastronomic cultural traditions, he added. One of the culinary masterpieces in the city is beyran, a spicy soup often served as breakfast, where tender strips of lamb topped with rice are drowned in a rich and fiery broth teeming with red pepper flakes. "I have been cooking beyran for 35 years. It is made of an entire lamb except the head. The meat is cooked for 14 hours on a special stove one day prior to serving," Okkes Babacan, the chef from the Metanet restaurant located in the heart of Gaziantep's old city, told Xinhua. "This is a recipe inherited from the Ottoman period," the veteran chef said. Declared a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2015, Gaziantep holds a very special place in the Turkish cookbook. Photo shows a spice market in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) "We attach great importance to Asian, and particularly, to Chinese visitors who come to Gaziantep for cultural and gastronomy tourism," Fatma Sahin, mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, told Xinhua. Sahin said her city has a wide variety of dishes on a global scale to offer to foodies from all over the world. About 60 percent of professionals in Gaziantep are employed in the food industry, and nearly 50 percent of its enterprises operate in food manufacturing, according to local official statistics. A man eats breakfast at a restaurant in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) "Gaziantep is a hub, a melting pot of civilizations that draws foodies, history lovers and those looking for a rich and diverse culture," said Osman Turgay Baloglu, a local retired teacher. CAPE TOWN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The death toll of a random shooting that happened early Sunday at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township has risen to 15 after one more person succumbed to injury, an official said on Sunday. It is alleged that gunmen got off a minibus taxi, entered the tavern, and then shot at people inside, Faith Mazibuko, head of the Provincial Department of Community Safety, told reporters outside the tavern, or pub. "Currently, it is confirmed that 15 people have passed on," she said. "We came to socialize as members of the community but more than two hours after our arrival, we heard some screams coming from the other side of the room as one gunman was pointing a gun at patrons," Monde Sigabadela, an eyewitness at the tavern told Xinhua on the telephone. "People were having drinks, so we were all shocked when we heard bullets being fired," said the witness. In a live interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Mazibuko added that authorities "don't know if they (assailants) are trying to provoke the situation or what is happening." They were "unprovoked" as they came into the tavern, and didn't take any money or anything else, she said. The police said in a statement earlier that a group of men armed with rifles and 9mm pistols entered the tavern at around 12:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT Saturday), and started shooting randomly at customers who were sitting inside, killing 12 people on the scene and injuring 11 others. The victims are estimated to be 19 to 35 years of age and the police are still investigating the incident. The tavern is legal and the incident happened during its operating hours. It was not the first shooting of this kind in Soweto, as a similar incident happened in 2019, Police Commissioner of Gauteng Elias Mawela told local television eNCA earlier. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in a statement on Sunday expressed his condolences, and concerns about the deaths in the shooting in Soweto, as well as four other people who were also killed under similar circumstances in Pietermaritzburg, about 450 km southeast of Johannesburg. He urged security agencies and community members to work together to urgently bring the perpetrators of the two attacks to book. YANGON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar authorities seized 1,875 kilograms of sodium acetate in Shan State, a police statement said on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint police force confiscated sodium acetate worth 3.75 million kyats (2,027 U.S. dollars) and arrested five suspects in Lashio township on Saturday. On Friday, 1.1 kilograms of heroin worth 16.5 million kyats (8,918 U.S. dollars) and 30,000 stimulant tablets worth 15 million kyats (8,108 U.S. dollars) were seized in Nawnghkio township in the same state. One suspect was captured on the spot, while another one remained at large. Moreover, anti-narcotic agents seized 171.648 million kyats (92,782 U.S. dollars) worth of 85,824 stimulant tablets along with two suspects in Maungtaw township of Rakhine State on Saturday, it said. The suspects were charged under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. ULAN BATOR, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia celebrated its "Day to Honor National Flag" on Sunday, a time reserved to strengthen national unity. A national flag-raising ceremony held at the central square in the capital was attended by Mongolian leaders, cabinet and parliament members, veterans, thousands of citizens and representatives of embassies and diplomatic missions in Mongolia. During the ceremony, Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh extended festive greetings to all citizens and praised the country's military service people who have participated in UN peacekeeping operations. The celebrations featured a military parade involving more than 4,000 military personnel and dozens of pieces of military equipment, including aircraft. National flag day has been celebrated since 2009 on July 10, one day before the traditional Naadam festival kicks off. LONDON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A new book explaining and analyzing China's innovation development and its prospects, "The Oxford Handbook of China Innovation" was launched online on Sunday. The handbook invited more than 60 experts from universities and research institutions worldwide to look at China's innovation development with criticism, policy discussion, and views about further progress, according to the introduction of the book. Chapters cover topics including China's development policies, the place of innovation in national priorities, the components of the national innovation system, and the resources required for their effective deployment, among others, introduced Fu Xiaolan, founding director of the Technology and Management Center for Development (TMCD) of the University of Oxford. Published by Oxford University Press, the handbook was edited by Fu, Chen Jin of China's Tsinghua University and Bruce McKern of the University of Technology Sydney. The TMCD and Research Center for Technological Innovation of Tsinghua University co-hosted the launching event. KIEV, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will receive 1.7 billion U.S. dollars in grant aid from international donors, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said Saturday on Telegram. The money will be channeled to Ukraine through a single-donor trust fund set up by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association and the U.S. Agency for International Development, Shmyhal said. The funds will be used to cover Ukraine's budget expenditures on medical services under a medical guarantee program. Kiev plans to raise 20 billion dollars in international aid from its Western partners by the end of 2022, said Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko at a public event last month. Europe must be ready for Russian gas blackmail 10 July, 10:21 PM Since the middle of June, Russian producer Gazprom has reduced gas flows via the Nord Stream 1 corridor to Germany by around 60% of daily contract quantities, prompting the federal government in Berlin to raise the alarm level to alert (the second out of three warning levels) and to prepare for worse to come. Gazprom has argued the curtailment was caused by the fact that a turbine needed to operate Nord Stream 1 which was sent to Canada for repairs could not be returned because of sanctions. Some observers have called Gazproms bluff and argued that its actions appear politically motivated. They have pointed out that if Gazprom was a genuinely commercially-minded company, it would have offset the drop in Nord Stream 1 supplies with ramped-up deliveries via the Ukrainian transit route. Instead, the state-owned Russian energy giant has preferred to keep limited transit volumes via Ukraine, sending only 40% of the deliveries it is expected to ship to Europe via this route since mid-May. With ten-day planned maintenance on Nord Stream 1 scheduled from July 11, there are voices suggesting Gazprom may use the outage as an excuse not to resume flows after July 21, triggering further mayhem across gas markets. While there is a possibility that Russia would reduce supplies to minimal levels or cut them all together, the amount of damage it can inflict and the ability of Europe to withstand a challenging winter will depend on the measures that are put in place now. So far, Russias use of natural gas supplies as a political weapon has been largely successful. Gazproms decision not to send more gas to Europe in 2021 despite rising post-Covid demand, its supply curtailments to several European countries and companies since the start of its war in Ukraine, and its recent steep reduction in deliveries via Ukraine and Nord Stream 1 have all helped drive prices to record levels. Whatever Russia has lost by limiting gas supplies, it has gained in soaring prices. These prices have been pushed up, to a large extent, by Russias own energy weaponization tactics. Restricting gas supplies now also has longer-term repercussions because it slows down the ability of companies to inject natural gas into storage in order to ensure facilities are 80% full by November 1, as mandated by the EU. More damaging still, it creates a general perception that, in the absence of Russian gas supplies, Europe will be unable to cope with peak winter demand and will face a major crisis. While the situation is admittedly critical, there are arguments to suggest it would not be impossible for Europe to overcome the impact of a full Russian supply cut providing a number of measures are put in place right away. Firstly, European countries, and in particular those with a hefty reliance on Russian gas, should start a sustained media campaign explaining the situation to consumers and advising them to reduce consumption over the upcoming months. Those who argue that this is unrealistic should consider the example of Ukraine, which switched from an economy addicted to Russian gas imports to zero offtakes in 2015. Secondly, the EU should work with neighboring non-EU countries to maximize alternative imports and check that all bottlenecks blocking transmission capacity are removed. In addition to Norway, Azerbaijan and Algeria could also ramp up pipeline exports. The EU should also work with the UK and Turkey to secure imports via their LNG terminals. The EU on its own has an LNG importing capacity of 158bcm/year but when the regasification capacity of Turkish and British ports are added, this could increase by around 50%. The UK has already been importing record LNG volumes this year and exported some of this increased volume to Europe. The EU should work with Turkey to ensure it signs an interconnection agreement with neighboring Bulgaria and Greece and allows European buyers to access its LNG terminals. The EU needs Turkish importing terminals just as much as Turkey needs European financial support. Admittedly, not all the gas imports to the UK and Turkey would make their way into the EU. Nevertheless, buyers could secure volumes via these routes in the summer to inject into storage in preparation for the coming heating season. On the transmission side, there is congestion in Germany as well as on some border points such as those between Austria and Hungary and Hungary and Romania. However, most of the bottlenecks that do occur are not caused by technical problems but mainly by regulatory issues. For example, transmission system operators in central Europe still need to decide what happens to the capacity booked by companies that had expected to import gas via the now-defunct Nord Stream 2. Since Germany has pulled the plug on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project, the capacity inside the German system that was supposed to carry Nord Stream 2 gas to other markets should be released to allow other companies to book it on a more flexible, short-term basis. A simple survey of the available transmission capacity in southeast Europe and its average usage over the last three months shows that less than one-third of the existing infrastructure is used regionally. Even so, some of that capacity cannot be taken advantage of either because Gazprom has fully booked it but only uses half, as is the case of the interconnector between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, or because some transmission operators and regulators have banned the export of gas from internal markets to some neighboring countries, as is the case with Romania. Finally, the EU could raise a lump sum to help purchase sufficient gas for the winter season if prices were to soar to new record highs. Such instruments are already being used in support of Ukrainian and Moldovan gas companies and could be extended to the EU as a whole. Offering financial assistance to companies struggling to secure alternative gas supplies would be a more judicious way to deal with the effects of a Russian gas curtailment than tampering with markets through interventionist measures such as price caps. Creating the impression of an impending gas crisis would suit Russian interests not only because it would continue to lift prices and fill Gazproms coffers, but also because it would create the idea that Europe should take a more conciliatory stance to ensure access to Russian resources. In fact, the EU can disconnect from Russias gas supplies sooner than some would suggest providing it mobilizes the right human and financial resources to work in that direction. This column was first published by the Atlantic Council. NV is republishing it with permission. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News Kathmandu, July 10 Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, has arrived in Kathmandu for a visit. Liu landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu this morning for a four-day visit, leading an eight-member delegation. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed him. This is Lius first foreign visit since he took over the role in the first week of June. The Chinese official will call on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka, CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, and CPN-Maoist Centre Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal among the leaders. This is another high-level visit from the neighbouring country after the visit of the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in March. Before coming to Nepal, Liu Jianchao had held a virtual meeting with the top leadership of the ruling Nepali Congress and the Maoist Centre and the main opposition party CPN-UML. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of Nepal Police seized the biggest heroin haul so far during its three-day White Dust operation in mid-June. According to SP Jeevan Shrestha of the bureau, police have seized 51 kg of the contraband drug. This is a big amount as the police seized 35.735 kg heroin in the last five years before the beginning of this fiscal year. Nepals largest heroin haul has also garnered the interest of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Nepal Police has also collaborated with the Narcotics Control Bureau of India (NCB) and the South African Police Service to further investigate the matter. It is not that other countries have not seized bigger hauls. But, the main reason behind the interest from other countries in this particular operation of Nepal Police is the international route used by the smugglers, which is quite unusual. The opposite route On the UNODC website, one can track the trafficking route of heroin based on its country of origin. The UN agency reports that 80 per cent of the worlds heroin is produced in Afghanistan. The common trafficking route starts from Iran, Afghanistan or Pakistan commonly understood as the Golden Crescent as well as Myanmar, Thailand and Laos, which are called the Golden Triangle. Heroin produced in the Golden Crescent travels to Europe and other American countries via Iran and Turkey. Meanwhile, the drug produced in Pakistan travels through east and south Asian countries and goes out to Africa and those from Iran are smuggled into European countries via Turkey. In India, opium is commercially cultivated in 22 districts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, but the total amount of heroin produced in India is very small, experts say. In the past, Nepals heroin hauls were small in comparison to the international market. According to the bureaus DSP Phanindra Prasai, Some of them used to come from India, some from Pakistan and other countries. But, looking at this heroin haul, we think it may have originated from a country of the Golden Crescent of investigation, possibly Afghanistan, says an official of NCB Kathmandu. But, what is baffling people is why the heroin haul travelled backwards towards Asia rather than towards the US or Canada as usual. Therefore, security officials are suspecting that it is a new ploy of the international drug mafia. The route through which the biggest heroin haul ever confiscated in Nepal has been smuggled The unusual route Retired DIG Hemant Malla Thakuri says smugglers may have been looking for new alternatives after the police tightened the route to Africa and Europe via Africa. They may be were planning to send the heroin haul to Europe and the United States via Nepal. It may also be because they were thinking of selling the drug in India as it could not penetrate Europe or the United States. However, NCBs records also show that heroin that reaches Delhi [India] comes directly via the UAE, Saudi Arabia and other countries. Therefore, the Indian police have also pointed out there is a need for a detailed investigation into the recent heroin haul in Nepal. Look at the amount of heroin seized in Nepal, Malla also suspects that the haul may have come from Afghanistan. The quantity of this heroin haul suggests that international drug traffickers may have expanded their network to Nepal as well. The 90-million-rupee haul On August 29, 2021, the NCB held a press conference saying they seized cocaine worth Rs 90 million from three foreign nationals they had arrested. An NCB team had started monitoring vigilantly after a 30-year-old Sirle Gama, an African national, managed to pass 2.966 kg cocaine through the airport security into Kathmandu. Then, they had arrested 26-year-old Getyud Neonard Kimaro, a Tanzanian national, and 33-year-old Vijay Singh, an Indian national. The seizure of cocaine was a great success. But, the NCB got another success soon. The investigation conducted at the Central Forensic Science Laboratory of the police revealed the supposed cocaine was heroin, which was more expensive than cocaine. The Narcotics Control Bureau makes public the heroin it confiscated. Before that, there was no record of any heroin haul coming to Nepal from Africa. Hence, the NCB began a further investigation into the suitcase that had a false bottom. There were no new tips, but the incident taught the police that they should now monitor citizens coming from Africa too. On April 15 this year, according to the bureau officials, a suspicious passengeran African nationaltravelled to Kathmandu on a flight from Johannesburg, South Africa, via Doha. The 35-year-old Kaputula Abisarg was arrested with 7 kg heroin from his false bottom. Abisarg was supposed to hand over the drug to an Indian national. But, before that, the police arrested both of them. After the two incidents and finding out that a woman had been sent to Kathmandu in a suitcase with a false bottom, they kept a close watch. Meanwhile, on June 12, African nationals 29-year-old CBC Thandekai and 46-year-old Muriel Samba came under police suspicion as they reached Kathmandu via Dubai. When the police checked them, they recovered 16 kg heroin. A day later, they seized 8 kg heroin from the 39-year-old Sabalala Bhoni who came to Nepal from Dubai. On the same day, another 8 kg was recovered from Roshna Janjei, an African national who came to Kathmandu from Dubai. Police also arrested three more people who had come from Dubai and Doha carrying suitcases. According to DSP Phanindra Prasai of the bureau, the market value of the total heroin haul (51 kg) is Rs 1.2 billion. Women in heroin smuggling Foreigners arrested in possession of heroin in Kathmandu According to the NCB, the woman arrested on June 12 was working as a food delivery person in Johannesburg and was not earning well. One day, her coworker Muriel Samba offered her a job and said she would get USD 2,500 for taking a suitcase to Nepal. She said that she had been to Nepal twice, and assured him that there would be no problems. I had to work hard to make ends meet, so I came to Nepal with him. But, I was arrested in Kathmandu, she said. Muriel, on the other hand, has already gone to India. They must have come to Nepal thinking it was difficult to smuggle goods in India, says an official, adding that they were already preparing to take the heroin haul to India by land hinted by a vehicle they recovered with an Indian number plate. This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for clarity and length. Samsung Galaxy F13 has been officially launched in Nepal. This is the latest release from Samsung in Nepal and is also the first Samsung Galaxy smartphone in the F series in 2022. This is a budget mid-range smartphone from Samsung, which offers some mediocre to decent features for the users. The most notable characteristic of the phone is its large battery backup. It has a regular-sized display with a triple camera setup. The phone is powered by Samsungs own chipset and runs on the latest Android and OS from Samsung. Lets get into the details to know more about Samsung Galaxy F13. Specifications Dimensions Height: 165.4 mm Width: 76.9 mm Thickness: 9.30 mm Weight: 207 grams Display 6.60-inch PLS LCD Sim Dual sims Resolution 1,080*2,408 pixels, 400 PPI density OS Android 12, OneUI Core 4.1 Chipset Exynos 850 (8nm) GPU Mali-G52 Storage 128GB SD card support Dedicated slot RAM 4GB Camera Front: 8 MP, f/2.2, HDR Rear: 50 MP, f/1.8, PDAF 5 MP, f/2.2, 123 degrees FOV (ultrawide) 2 MP, f/2.4 (depth) Audio Loudspeakers 3.5mm headphone jack Battery 6,000 mAh, Li-Po, non-removable 15W fast charging Sensors Accelerometer Geomagnetic sensor Virtual light sensing Virtual proximity sensing Biometrics Side-mounted Fingerprint Sensor Face unlock Colours Waterfall blue, sunrise copper, night sky green Price Rs 23,999 Design and display Photo: Samsung Samsung Galaxy F13 has a glass front with a plastic frame and plastic back build. There is nothing exciting about the design as it has the same design seen on most of the Samsung mid-range smartphones launched this year. There is a rectangular camera panel on the back that houses camera sensors and an LED flash. Samsung branding on the bottom of the back panel sums up the minimalistic design of the phone. Photo: Samsung The phone weighs around 207 grams and is 9.3mm in thickness. It is available in waterfall blue, sunrise copper and night sky green colours. For biometrics, the phone has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and also has a face unlock feature. Photo: Samsung On the front is a 6.60-inch PLS LCD display with a resolution of 1,080*2,408 pixels and 400 PPI density. The display supports a 60Hz refresh rate. The display has a waterdrop notch that houses a camera sensor. The display has Gorilla Glass 5 protection. Cameras Photo: Samsung There is a triple camera setup on the back panel of the Samsung Galaxy F13. The 50MP main camera is accompanied by a 5MP ultrawide camera sensor with 123 degrees FOV and a 2MP depth sensor for portraits. On the front, it gets an 8MP selfie shooter with an HDR feature. This has pretty much been a standard camera setting in smartphones of this price range and can almost be seen on almost every other smartphone as well. Photo: Samsung For the video recording option, both the front and back cameras on the phone can record up to 1080p resolution and up to 30fps. The main camera on the back also has a digital zoom feature and can zoom up to 10x. The camera sensor has an autofocus feature, but there is no OIS. Performance and storage Photo: Samsung Samsung Galaxy F13 runs on One UI 4.0 based on Android 12. The phone is powered by Samsungs own Exynos 850 (8nm) chipset while the graphical duties are handled by Mali-G52. Though the phone is available for up to 8GB of RAM storage, Samsung currently is only offering a 4GB RAM variant in Nepal. There is 128GB of internal storage on the phone. The memory can be further expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card and the phone has a dedicated slot for it. Battery life, connectivity and others Photo: Samsung One of the main hallmarks of the Samsung Galaxy F13 is its battery life. The phone has a massive 6,000mAh non-removable li-po battery. Samsung has advertised that this battery power can provide: Up to 24 hours of LTE and wifi usage time Up to 23 hours of video playback time Up to 100 hours of audio playback time Up to 62 hours of talk time The battery on the phone can be charged with a 15W charger. Samsung Galaxy F13 features a dual sim set-up with up to 4G network support. The phone supports dual-channel wifi and also multiple location tracking technologies. The phone has Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless pairing with other devices while using a USB Type-C 2.0 for charging and wired pairing. The phone offers a loudspeaker as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack for audio. Notable features of the Samsung Galaxy F13 are: 6,000mAh battery backup Gorilla Glass 5 protection 50MP triple camera Exynos 850 chipset (8nm) Dual biometrics Android 12 Dedicated microSD card slot 15W fast charger The price of the Samsung F13 is Rs 23,999 for the 4/128GB variant. Una resolucion que proponia prorrogar por un ano la ayuda transfronteriza a Siria sin la aprobacion de Damasco fue bloqueada el viernes por el veto ruso en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU. Moscu exige una prorroga de solo seis meses, que Occidente rechaza. Las negociaciones continuan. Una Rusia aislada veto el viernes 8 de julio en el Consejo de Seguridad de la ONU un proyecto de resolucion de Noruega e Irlanda que prorrogaba durante un ano la autorizacion de ayuda humanitaria transfronteriza a Siria sin la aprobacion de Damasco. Moscu solo acepto una prorroga de seis meses. La autorizacion transfronteriza expira el domingo, dejando tiempo para que los 15 miembros del Consejo de Seguridad se pongan de acuerdo. Se espera que los 10 miembros no permanentes del Consejo de Seguridad propongan una prorroga de nueve meses para poner fin al enfrentamiento entre Moscu y Occidente, segun dijeron diplomaticos a la agencia de noticias AFP. "No nos rendimos", dijo el embajador frances ante la ONU, Nicolas de Riviere, indicando que las negociaciones continuaban. El viernes, sin embargo, Rusia dijo que no estaba a favor de un periodo intermedio. "Seis meses no significa cero", dijo a los medios de comunicacion el embajador adjunto ruso ante la ONU, Dmitry Polyanskiy. Sugirio que Moscu no aceptaria ningun otro texto que no incluyera seis meses. La "obstinacion" El acuerdo transfronterizo de la ONU esta en vigor desde 2014 y asiste, a traves del paso de Bab al-Hawa en la frontera sirio-turca, a mas de 2,4 millones de personas en la region noroccidental de Idlib bajo el control de los grupos yihadistas y los rebeldes. En el pasado, el Consejo de Seguridad lo ha ido renovado por seis meses. Trece paises de los quince del Consejo de Seguridad votaron a favor del texto de Noruega e Irlanda. China, que en el pasado ha acompanado a menudo a Rusia en el uso del veto en el caso sirio, opto por abstenerse esta vez, un gesto que llamo la atencion en el campo occidental. Leer mas "El proyecto ignoro la soberania de Damasco", dijo Dmitry Polyanskiy, lamentando la "obstinacion" de Occidente en querer imponer un ano mas. Era un "texto de compromiso", replico la embajadora estadounidense ante la ONU, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Seis meses no son suficientes para prestar una asistencia seria a la poblacion, que requiere "un calendario claro", anadio. Moscu, aislada pero clave Una segunda votacion en el Consejo de Seguridad el viernes sobre el plan rival de Rusia para una extension de seis meses aislo aun mas a Moscu. Estados Unidos, Francia y el Reino Unido votaron en contra, los diez miembros no permanentes del Consejo se abstuvieron, y el plan ruso solo recibio dos votos a favor, de Moscu y Pekin. Para ser adoptado, un texto debe recibir al menos nueve votos de quince sin que uno de los cinco miembros permanentes del Consejo de Seguridad (Estados Unidos, Francia, Reino Unido, Rusia y China) vote en contra. En nombre de los diez miembros no permanentes del Consejo, Kenia habia anunciado antes de la votacion que el grupo estaba "a favor" de una prorroga de 12 meses del mecanismo. Desde el miercoles, los 15 miembros del Consejo de Seguridad han estado negociando continuamente para intentar desbloquear las dos duraciones contradictorias que pretenden Occidente y Rusia. Tras las votaciones, se celebraron nuevas consultas a puerta cerrada, que probablemente continuaran durante el fin de semana, dijo a la agencia AFP un diplomatico que hablo bajo condicion de anonimato. En los ultimos anos, Moscu ha utilizado su poder de veto en varias ocasiones para reducir drasticamente la maquinaria de la ONU. Su veto, clave en el caso sirio, fue el viernes el numero 17 desde el estallido de la guerra en Siria en 2011. En las ultimas semanas, decenas de ONG y varios altos funcionarios de la ONU habian presionado para que se prorrogara un ano el permiso transfronterizo. *Con AFP; adaptado de su version original en frances Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo has warned against lumping China into the same geopolitical basket as Russia, saying that "for the moment" each should be considered differently. "I think the last thing we should do is turn our backs to China the way we are turning our backs to Russia," De Croo told an event in Brussels on Monday. He advocated a continuation of the European Union's triptych policy, regarding Beijing as a partner, rival and competitor. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "They're an important trading partner. It's a fact - I mean, you can be in favour of it or not, but they're an important trading partner," De Croo told the Brussels Forum, an event organised by the German Marshall Fund of the United States. De Croo's remarks came amid a flurry of summitry in Europe, at which China is an important topic of conversation. At a Group of 7 meeting in Krun, Germany, on Sunday, the world's most powerful democracies committed pledged US$600 billion towards rivalling China's infrastructure drive in low-income states. A Nato meeting in Madrid, Spain, that starts on Tuesday is expected to identify China for the first time as a key risk in its new "strategic concept" blueprint. But the remarks also follow similar statements from Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who told Bloomberg that cutting ties with China would not "help anyone in Hong Kong or the Uygurs". Rutte said he was opposed to reorganising trade relations with China because of Beijing's policies in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, Bloomberg reported. Both leaders spoke at a pivotal moment for EU-China ties, with European suspicions running high over China's tacit backing for Russia's aims in Ukraine. Increasingly, a loud narrative is emerging anticipating a future battle between autocrats and democrats. Story continues The argument has taken root in certain Central and Eastern European nations - notably the Baltic states, Czech Republic and Poland - which are more on board than western European states with the US framing that Russia's invasion of Ukraine and any potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan are similar situations. On a recent trip to Warsaw, China's envoy to the region, Huo Yuzhen, was denied an audience with the Polish foreign ministry. No reason was given. The Belgian and Dutch leaders' remarks represent a widening schism between two EU blocs on China policy, said Rem Korteweg, an analyst at the Clingendael Institute, a Dutch think tank. "It is not a coincidence, as it's meant to influence G7 discussions and - probably - push back against all too strong anti-Chinese language in the Nato strategic concept," said Korteweg. "Rutte is also keen to push back against 'democrats vs autocrats' framing, which lumps Russia and China together. He seeks a 'third way', where Europe isn't forced to choose between US and China." On Monday, de Croo questioned the longevity of Russia and China's "no limits" partnership. "Can this be a partnership in the next five years? I'd be very surprised if it were," he said. But he suggested that EU and US actions against Russia had demonstrated that if China were to move on Taiwan, the situation could change. "What we transatlantic partners have done extremely well is to show the rest of the world if you do something which is clearly against any international law, this is what happens," de Croo said. "And that's a signal to Russia, but it's also a signal to the rest of the world." Both Belgium and the Netherlands are significant trading partners of China. Over the first five months of this year, the Netherlands imported more than US$46 billion worth of Chinese goods, second only to Germany in the EU. Belgium was the seventh largest importer, taking in more than US$13 billion in Chinese goods. Both nations, however, run trade deficits with China. Dutch exports to China were US$5.2 billion in the first five months, with Belgium's US$3.9 billion. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. President Biden said on Saturday that he and first lady Jill Biden wished a joyous holiday to Muslims in the United States and around the world who are observing the holiday of Eid al-Adha. Jill and I send our warmest greetings to Muslims across the United States and around the world celebrating Eid al-Adha. The Eid traditions and Hajj rituals that commemorate the devotion of Abraham and his son to God are an opportunity for Muslims to renew their faith, and a reminder of the common roots of the worlds great Abrahamic religions, Biden said in a statement. And the act of sharing the sacrifice with those less fortunate in service of God mirrors our common commitment to work together to meet the challenges of our world today. Biden also touted the progress that the U.S. and the rest of the world has made in battling the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that Muslims would be able to make the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Its a symbol of the progress we have made in fighting this pandemic and of all work we must still do to strengthen our recovery, the president said. Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, honors a story told in the Quran of how Ibrahim demonstrates his obedience to God by his willingness to kill his son, Ismail. In the story, God ultimately stops Ibrahim from killing his son by offering him a ram to use instead. The holiday features slaughtering livestock, meat from which is then shared amongst the poor, friends and family. It also features the hajj trek to the holy city of Mecca, which takes place each year and which Muslims are supposed to complete at least one time. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday said President Biden and Chinas leader, Xi Jinping, will have an opportunity to speak in the coming weeks amid tensions over Taiwan, Russia and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region. At a press availability in Bangkok, Blinken said his expectation is that they will have an opportunity to speak in the weeks ahead but did not pinpoint exactly when and where the talks would take place. Biden traveled to the Indo-Pacific region in May for a meeting with the Quad security dialogue between Japan, the U.S., Australia and India. The trip came amid tensions between Beijing building up artificial naval bases in the region and Chinese officials forging a new security agreement with the Solomon Islands. Blinken on Sunday said the U.S. is committed to working within the Indo-Pacific to ensure a free and open region, pointing to the new economic framework the U.S. hashed out with the Quad in May that aims to accelerate and modernize regional economies. That means, among other things, that people, products, investment can move about freely and go where its needed, he said. It means that countries can make their own decisions about their own futures, their own policies, free from coercion by anyone else. During the May visit, Biden said the U.S. would defend Taiwan militarily if China invaded the independent and sovereign democratic island nation off the coast of the Chinese mainland, which heightened tensions between the Biden administration and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). The warning was also a departure from the administrations previous policy of not getting involved in Chinas policies on Taiwan, which Beijing sees as historically part of its country. On Sunday, Blinken discussed other tensions between China and the U.S., including Russias war in Ukraine and the military coup in Myanmar, which has displaced tens of thousands of citizens and has reportedly led to a brutal regime oppressing the nations people. China has been accused of arming the Myanmar military. Story continues I cant speak directly to what China is or isnt doing in Burma, but I think its also incumbent upon China, and in Chinas interests, to see Burma move back to the path that it was on and it was so violently disrupted from by the coup, Blinken said at the press availability. The secretary of State also confirmed the U.S. will be present at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in November, which Chinas Xi has said he will attend. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. China has expanded its list of demands to the United States if it wants to improve relations as senior officials met on Saturday. Both US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described their talks in Bali as "constructive", with Wang saying they had created conditions for further high-level exchanges. However, he also accused the US of failing to fix their damaged ties after the Donald Trump era. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. "Sino-US relations are still not out of the predicament created by the previous US administration, and they are even facing more and more challenges," Wang said, according to the state news agency Xinhua. He added that the US wrongly sees China as a threat, saying: "If this 'threat' theory is allowed to further develop, US policy towards China will be entering a dead end that it cannot exit". Wang said China has presented Blinken four demands: remedial action for Washington to take; a list of Beijing's key concerns; US legislation it wants changing and eight areas where the two sides can cooperate. Details of the list were not made available. China had already presented a list of its key concerns and remedial action it wanted in July last year, including a call for visa restrictions on Communist Party members to be lifted and for fairer treatment of Chinese citizens in the US. The talks between Blinken and Wang on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in Bali lasted for five hours, including a lunch meeting. Topics discussed included the ongoing Ukraine war, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the US presence in the Indo-Pacific region. "Despite the complexities of our relationship, I can say with some confidence that our delegations found today's discussions useful, candid and constructive," Blinken told reporters after the talks. Story continues "The US wants our communication channel with Beijing to continue to remain open." In the talks, Wang accused the US of not honouring a commitment to improve China-US relations made during a virtual summit between Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in November. Wang said the US is still building up its regional alliances to contain China, supporting moves towards Taiwanese independence, interfering with China's internal affairs through the guise of human rights and smearing China's political system. The US has pledged to support Taiwan, but said it does not support unilateral change to the status quo. "The US must not underestimate the firm determination of the Chinese people to defend territorial sovereignty, and must not make subversive mistakes that ruin peace across the Taiwan Strait," Wang said, according to Xinhua. Blinken said the US has expressed concerns over "Beijing's increasingly provocative rhetoric and activities regarding Taiwan", Hong Kong, forced labour in Xinjiang and the treatment of ethnic groups in Tibet. On Ukraine, Blinken said the US is concerned over China's alignment with Russia, adding that Beijing is not neutral in the crisis. "I would start with the proposition that it's pretty hard to be neutral when it comes to this aggression. There's a clear aggressor. There's a clear victim," he said. "But even if you accept that as a premise, I don't think that China is, in fact, engaging in a way that suggests neutrality. It supported Russia in the UN. It continues to do so. It's amplified Russian propaganda going back even as Russia was massing its forces." Blinken said the US is not asking countries in the Indo-Pacific to pick sides but is "giving them a choice". He said he hoped China's own activities in the region would result in a "race to the top" that benefits everyone. He also said the two nations can work on climate change, food security and global health, while Beijing said both sides had agreed to create better conditions for their consular and diplomatic officials. "China and the US are two major countries, so it is necessary for the two countries to maintain normal exchanges," Wang told reporters ahead of the talks. "We do need to work together to ensure that this relationship will continue to move forward along the right track". Diplomatic observers said despite the many differences, the meeting is paving the way for engagement between their top leaders. "By deeming the talks useful and constructive, that means both sides are making progress," said Pang Zhongying, an international relations professor at Sichuan University. "And both nations recognised that deteriorating ties will do both harm". Pang said it was possible Wang and Blinken had discussed arrangements for more high-level talks. Liu Zhiqin, a senior fellow at Renmin University's Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, said talks between the two nations would continue. The meeting in Bali included a lunch. Photo: AFP alt=The meeting in Bali included a lunch. Photo: AFP> "Biden's administration will still be very tough on China economically, but he may be more flexible diplomatically," he said. The differences between the two nations are "unlikely to hinder their exchanges," he said. However, He Weiwen, another senior fellow at the institute, said: "Talks are only one aspect of bilateral exchanges ... but action needs to be taken too." This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. This column appears every other week in Fosters Daily Democrat and the Tuskegee News. This week, Guy Trammell, an African American man from Tuskegee, Alabama, and Amy Miller, a white woman from South Berwick, Maine, address the Jan. 6 congressional hearings. Guy Trammell Jr. and Amy Miller By Guy Trammell Jr. In the 1963 court case Lee v. Macon County Board of Education, U.S. District Judge Frank Johnson ordered Macon County schools to desegregate after Anthony Lee, the Black teenager for whom the case was named, and 12 of his Black schoolmates attempted to integrate the all-white Tuskegee High School. Johnson's ruling ultimately caused every public school in Alabama to integrate. However, it also caused a third-grader attending school in Notasulga, just north of Tuskegee, to see his school bus on the TV news each night. His parents, who received threatening phone calls, sent his older sister away to school for her protection. The Ku Klux Klan burned a cross in his yard. The 8-year-old boy didnt understand what was going on. The congressional hearings on the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol building reveal the disgusting, shocking and unlawful behavior of a deadly mob of people that destroyed public property, defecated in the halls, and caused people to be maimed and even die. Many of those from the assault went partying in town that evening and returned the next day as tourists, as if they had done nothing wrong. However, the chilling truth from the hearings reveals a much more sinister plot by the president of the United States to retain power at any cost. A telling episode concerned a former Donald Trump campaign worker assigned to the president's Secret Service detail. On Jan. 6, Vice President Mike Pence was hustled to the armored motorcade garage in the Capitol, but he refused to get into the Secret Service car. The president's guard called the vice president's chief of security, urging that Pence be placed in the car and driven away, but was told No! because the plan allegedly was to fly Pence off to Alaska, preventing him from certifying the 2020 election and keeping President Trump in office. Story continues On Aug. 28, 1963, roughly 250,000 people arrived in Washington D.C. to join the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a demonstration in support of civil rights for Black Americans. Before the march, then-President John F. Kennedy had 19,000 troops stationed in the D.C. suburbs and ordered extra security for the U.S. Capitol building, expecting Dr. Martin L. King Jr. to come and take it over. However, the march promoted not violent overthrow or assaults on the government, but the proclaimed tenets of U.S. democracy, the application of liberty and freedom, and the idea that all men are created equal. Wandrea "Shaye" Moss was a Georgia Fulton County election official targeted by Trump, who claimed falsely that she had tampered with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trumps allegation caused her to be attacked on social media, and even her grandmother was assaulted in her home. Her mother, Ruby Freeman, also an election worker, testified: Ive lost my name, and Ive lost my reputation. Ive lost my sense of security, all because a group of people, starting with Number 45 and his ally Rudy Giuliani, decided to scapegoat me, and my daughter Shaye, to push their own lies about how the presidential election was stolen. The Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol building is not an exception to the rule in America; in fact, it shows the underlying fiber of who we are and what we value. Just as during Reconstruction, when both lynching and mob rule were the order of the day, and on Sept. 13, 1926, when the Klan lawfully marched in Washington D.C., the assault reveals the true values at the foundation of our society - as they were in 1963, when the white Notasulga third-grader and his family were attacked for supporting integration. By Amy Miller Guy and I generally dont like to write about politics. We like to address issues without dividing the world into parties or tribes. Retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig apparently doesnt like to talk about politics either. Last week, he said in written testimony for the Jan. 6 Congressional hearings that the U.S. is in a "war" over the nation's democracy, and blamed one particular party, which actually was his own. He told a news interviewer this was probably the only time in his career he has said something political. In any event, we decided to address the Jan. 6 hearings in our column. It exemplifies the polarity pulling our country apart. More than 40% of Americans reportedly believe the 2020 elections were not legitimate. If members of the other side believed the elections had been rigged, or fraudulent, or stolen, what would they have done? What actions would they have considered acceptable? When you believe your side is in the right, and believe it intensely, its almost impossible to imagine a flipped scenario. So, the question remains, what is OK to do when you decide your country a democracy is on the brink of extinction? Is it OK to storm the Capitol, to protest violently? To ignore the ruling of the courts? These questions are worth asking because no matter what party or policies you believe in, you may well believe that democracy is threatened right now and that it is your job to protect it. As our system is set up, if we dont accept the integrity and findings of our election officials, we can turn to the courts. But if we dont accept the ruling of the courts, what is left? The courts get it wrong sometimes. They have freed guilty men and imprisoned innocent ones. They have awarded funding to litigants who in fact dont deserve it. They have at times handed down lighter sentences for white-collar criminals than for petty thieves. Our institutions are made up of humans, whose decisions and judgments are influenced by their own backgrounds, experiences and biases. But when we stop respecting the words and rulings of this system of law, we are left with few alternatives. We can engage in peaceful civil disobedience, risking imprisonment. Or we can resort to violence. And when that violence determines the direction the country is moving, and who is in charge, we have moved from a democracy into anarchy, oligarchy or dictatorship. Amy and Guy can be reached at colorusconnected@gmail.com This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Color Us Connected: Jan. 6 hearings pose questions for us all Elon Musk could face paying billions after walking away from the Twitter deal. Angela Weiss/Getty Images Elon Musk may be on the hook for billions after abandoning his Twitter deal, an NYU professor said. Musk walked away from the deal Friday, blaming its failure to disclose the number of fake accounts. Experts told Reuters that Twitter may try to negotiate a lower price with the Tesla CEO. Elon Musk could face paying out billions of dollars after walking away from a deal to buy Twitter, an expert has warned. Scott Galloway of New York University said Musk was unlikely to win the inevitable legal battle with Twitter after walking away from his $44 billion deal on Friday. He told the Pivot Podcast that Musk may be forced to pay the difference between the $44 billion he offered for Twitter and its value now, which stands at about $28 billion. Musk faces a $1 billion break fee for walking away from the deal, but with Twitter's chairman planning extensive legal action, Galloway said that fee was now "moot". "He owes shareholders $17 billion here and the stock's probably going to crater at Twitter. This guy could be looking at a $20 billion judgement," Galloway said. "Anyone with an IQ over 80 who has his ear would have said 'why are you doing this? This makes no sense'." Musk's lawyers argued in a letter to Twitter that the company had breached its agreement by failing to accurately disclose the number of fake accounts on the platform. However, Galloway said this was not a justification for abandoning the deal. He said Musk's commitment to pay $54.20 a share for Twitter occurred in "a month of mania" and that because his "piggy bank" was now 40% smaller following a fall in Tesla shares, he was now using bots as an excuse to walk away. Musk's net worth has fallen by $65 billion since he announced the Twitter takeover in April with Tesla stock losing about a quarter of its value during that time. A group of experts told Insider on Saturday that Twitter has the edge in its dispute with Musk, but the company was more likely to try to negotiate a lower sum. Story continues "The Twitter folks may think they're going to prevail in court, but they want to resolve the uncertainty," Chester Spatt, a professor of finance at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business and a former chief economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission, told Insider. "Or they feel that rather than incurring the costs [of a legal battle] that they maybe concede a little bit to help Musk save face." Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities, now valued Twitter at $30 per share, meaning the company is worth $23 billion, or $21 billion less than Musk agreed to pay. "For Twitter, being in a 'Game of Thrones court battle' with the richest person in the world is far from the vision the company (and its board) saw in April," he wrote in a note to clients. Read the original article on Business Insider More than 7,200 cases of monkeypox have been reported this year in dozens of countries, including over 600 cases in the United States, largely but not exclusively in men who have sex with men. While it is not as contagious as COVID-19, monkeypox could easily gain a foothold in communities now suffering from the latest spread of the disease. If we do not contain this outbreak, the persistence of monkeypox among gay, bisexual and transgender people is likely. That is, it will dig its roots into these communities, making this a disease LGBTQ communities will have to live with for a long time. More: 2nd Michigan case of monkeypox identified in person from city of Detroit More: Michigan doesn't have any doses of vaccine used to prevent monkeypox This disease is spread by close physical contact not sexual contact per se so other places in which close physical contact is common will be at risk. It's like how a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus outbreak among gay men can spread to health clubs think contaminated towels, benches but this could jump to other settings of high physical contact or contact with contaminated clothing and bedding, such as homeless shelters. We can stop this outbreak in its tracks with vaccination, together with a surge public health response that helps countries quickly test and trace cases. That means all the countries who need the vaccine need access to it now. Coordinating serves our interests Some countries, like the United States, have already begun administering vaccines to monkeypox cases and their contacts in a strategy called "ring vaccination." And some have started vaccinating individuals at higher risk. 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. But vaccines aren't as readily available in some other countries, including parts of Central and West Africa where monkeypox outbreaks have been documented in recent years. Promoting equitable access to vaccines is an act of self-interest. Limited vaccine access could allow the virus to establish deeper roots in more countries, increasing the risk of new outbreaks for years to come. Story continues Ring vaccination eradicated smallpox and helped contain Ebola outbreaks. We can move now to help contain monkeypox. The White House announced a new domestic monkeypox vaccination plan last week. As the United States begins to deploy vaccines to contain another new viral outbreak, it is critical that we ensure they are available to everyone who needs them at home and around the world. We cannot repeat the mistakes we saw with COVID-19. For many years, monkeypox rarely spread out of regions in which it is endemic, in West and Central Africa. This new, widely dispersed global outbreak is unprecedented. Sharing supply with other countries in the short term will be critical. Stockpile should be shared The Food and Drug Administration has approved one vaccine to prevent both smallpox and monkeypox: Jynneos, developed by Bavarian Nordic, which has a longstanding partnership with the U.S. government. Compared with the other stockpiled smallpox vaccine, Jynneos produces fewer side effects, is easier to administer and can be given to more people. But the world's only factory for producing the bulk of the Jynneos vaccine shut down last year for construction, which means that only stockpiled material can be converted into finished vaccines. That makes the U.S. stockpile particularly important: The United States owns more than 1 million finished Jynneos vaccine dosesand has placed orders for 3 million more finished doses. Not counting those orders, America owns enough bulk vaccine substance for more than 10 million additional vaccine doses. Unless the United States shares its enormous stockpile, the vast majority of the world will have to rely on the bulk vaccine substance owned by the company itself which amounts to just "several million" doses until next year. Notably, America once promised the world it would share stockpiled doses: In 2004, concerned about a smallpox outbreak, Washington pledged to make millions of doses available to the World Health Organization in an emergency. Now, the same kinds of vaccines are needed against monkeypox. Make more vaccine doses In addition to sharing doses, ramping up production will also be vital. The most acute need is to convert the stockpiled bulk vaccine substance into finished vaccines. The United States can surge staff and supplies at the Bavarian Nordic site and enlist facilities to convert the bulk vaccine substance into finished vaccines through the Defense Production Act. As with COVID-19 tools, patents and intellectual property concerns should not stand in the way of responding to this new global health crisis. Prudence also demands building and diversifying the capacity for vaccine production. We might be able to contain this outbreak by sharing existing supply, but the need for monkeypox vaccines could also increase. While public health officials are largely vaccinating exposed individuals and close contacts among men who have sex with men, this could shift if the outbreak drags on and monkeypox makes inroads into new demographic groups around the world, potentially requiring a far larger pool of people to be vaccinated. Funding a network of distributed vaccine manufacturing and transferring technology can stand up the regional infrastructure needed to respond quickly to new outbreaks. At least one site can be located in Africa, where monkeypox has spread for years but was largely neglected by the global community. Zain Rizvi is a research director in the Access to Medicines Program at Public Citizen. Gregg Gonsalves is an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. For COVID-19, we failed the test with America and a handful of countries hoarding vaccines, stumbling in our own quest to get people tested and traced early on. We can do better this time, making sure that the entire world has the tools to quash this new viral outbreak and fight monkeypox. Zain Rizvi is a research director in the Access to Medicines Program at Public Citizen. Gregg Gonsalves is an associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sluggish monkeypox response would lead to prolonged LGBTQ suffering NEW BEDFORD Demonstrators gathered to protest the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in Buttonwood Park Saturday morning to the sounds of a strong bass line, courtesy of Bob Marley and the Wailers. "Get up, stand up!," the Wailers voices rang out. "Stand up for your rights!" The demonstration, organized by the Women's Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts, was a reaction to SCOTUS' ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and 50 years of a woman's legal right to an abortion throughout the U.S. The decision allowed states to decide whether they would allow the medical procedure. Since the decision on June 24, 10 states (mostly in the South) have prohibited abortions, with more expected to follow. Massachusetts and Rhode Island moved in the opposite direction by guaranteeing the right to an abortion in state law. But for many of the more than 100 demonstrators, it was about a lot more, according to Dartmouth resident Cynthia Cummings. "I've been an activist my entire life," Cummings, who was vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth until her retirement in 2020, said. "I've been marching and standing up and writing and speaking and doing everything we can to promote equity for women and gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual folks and racial equity. "It's just what I do." Demonstrators gather on the steps of the New Bedford Public Library on Saturday, July 9. The demonstration, organized by the Women's Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts, was against the recent Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Keeping schools safe: This Dartmouth man taught through scary times. Now he works to make schools safer. 'Not only a health care issue' One of the leaders who marched from Buttonwood Park to the New Bedford Public Library via Union Street was Lisa Lemieux, president of the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council. "This is absolutely not only a health care issue, but it's an accessibility issue and it's a worker issue," Lemieux, who is also co-chair of the New Bedford Democratic Committee, said. The SCOTUS decision in the case of allowed state governments to decide whether to legalize the medical procedure in their states. As a result, thousands of women and girls have sought the procedure in other states like Massachusetts thousands of miles away. Story continues Apart from affecting women's health, Lemiux said the decision impacts the jobs of many working in reproductive health and have major implications for women in their careers. "Some jobs aren't going to be good jobs forever, but this is not one of those jobs," she said. "This is one of those jobs where this health care needs to be available to people when their health requires that." Lisa Lemieux, president of the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council, speaks with a demonstrator at Buttonwood Park as demonstrators assemble to march in protest of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Saturday, July 9. 'It doesn't matter how old you are' As the group made their way down Union, they were greeted with honking cars, supporters mostly, who encouraged them in their efforts. "Hey hey! Ho ho! This backwards Court has got to go!" Among those chanting was 16-year-old Jonnae Connor, who came from Plymouth to participate. "It's important to use our voices and speak up in an action like this," she said. "It doesn't matter how old you are. It's important to speak up if your rights are going to get taken away." The demonstrators felt it important to show their presence in New Bedford to show the issue is not restricted to the halls of state and federal governance. "I think that we need to bring this and other issues to the forefront," Cummings said. "And perhaps the more we do this, the more folks will respond and the more we can change things." About 100 people gathered in Butoonwood Park on Saturday, July 9, to demonstrate against the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The demonstrators then marched to the New Bedford Public Library. 'Rights on the chopping block' The march culminated downtown with a speaking program before the steps of library. "I am outraged [by the decision]," said Bettina Borders, founder and current president of Women's Fund SouthCoast. "If anybody has not read this decision, please do. It is readable and it is revolutionary. "It has taken away precedence," Borders, former first justice for the Bristol Juvenile Court, continued. "It forewarns of a lot of other rights on the chopping block." She elaborated on how the Dobbs decision may effect the rights to marriage for same-sex individuals, privacy in the bedroom, and even access to contraception. For Connor, the demonstration represented a step in the right direction. "Everything starts small, and then it grows," she said. "This is something that can continue to grow and be bigger ... More voices can come together and we can be louder and greater together." Contact Kevin G. Andrade at kandrade@s-t.com and follow him on Twitter: @KevinGAndrade. Support local journalism and subscribe to the Standard-Times today! This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford protesters march against SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe Last Saturday, a woman from Quincy got a phone call that her niece was "not responsive." Questions poured out of her mouth as fast as she constructed them. When she reached Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, she was told her niece had likely overdosed. It occurred during a party. Sometime Friday night, a man passed out, said the aunt who asked that neither she or her family be identified. She spoke with the Tallahassee Democrat at a pastors and chaplains prayer event Friday morning. Comprehensive coverage: Gadsden County Emergency Medical Services picked the man up and rushed him to the hospital. Then, in the presence of her daughter and grandchildren, the woman in her early 40s fell on the floor unconscious, her aunt stated. After which she was taken to the hospital by Gadsden County EMS. The woman said her niece uses marijuana, but did not know whether she took something else that may have led to her collapse. Gretna Police Chief Brian Alexander confirmed the two overdoses Friday night, and said they were connected to the five total overdoses in Gretna over the weekend. Jimmy Salters, the chaplain for the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, leads prayers at an event Friday, July 8, 2022 beside the Gadsden County Courthouse in Quincy, Fla. to grieve those affected by the recent fentanyl overdoses. "Most of them are friends or relatives," he said, adding that Gretna police obtained a "baggy" off one of the victims and were awaiting test results from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Alexander said everyone who overdosed in Gretna last weekend has been released from Tallahassee hospitals Sunday or Monday. Throughout the rest of the county, including Havana Quincy and Chattahoochee, nine people died from suspected fentanyl overdoses. Story continues The woman's niece was released from TMH Monday, but she is "not the same." "She's just slow to respond," the aunt said. "She sits back and looks just in a stare... it messed with her brain." Crowd gathers for prayer service The aunt attended the prayer event Friday to ask what will be done for those people directly affected by the overdoses, which local law enforcement says likely stems from fentanyl-laced drugs. "These people that come out of overdoses need help," she said, adding that there should be programs to make sure they don't return to drug use. She also said she was classmates with one of the two women found dead Friday night inside a St. Hebron Community home. A woman sings and plays piano during an event Friday, July 8, 2022 beside the Gadsden County Courthouse in Quincy, Fla. to grieve those affected by the recent fentanyl overdoses. Friday afternoon's event saw local officials and pastors from across Gadsden and Leon County pray and grieve for those affected by the 19 recent overdoses of which nine were fatal. A crowd of about 30 people sat on white folding chairs under the shade of a large tree on the lawn of the Gadsden County courthouse, 10 E. Jefferson St. Sterling Barkley, a life-long Quincy resident and local pastor with the Greater Tanner Chapel AME Church, said he grew up around one man who was hospitalized over the weekend from an overdose. "He's doing much better now, but... it's a shocking and hurtful time," he said. "I've never witnessed that loss of life, especially (from) drugs." Others echoed the uncanny feeling spread throughout the community as word spread of what law enforcement has called a "fentanyl overdose crisis." Attendees bow their heads in prayer at an event Friday, July 8, 2022 beside the Gadsden County Courthouse in Quincy, Fla. to grieve those affected by the recent fentanyl overdoses. One woman, who did not want to be named, said she's worked as a local pharmacist for 40 years in Gadsden County and was dismayed by the "tragic" overdoses. "It's disturbing and heartbreaking," she said, adding: "I came here for concern and love for my community." Leon County Commissioner Bill Proctor attended the event as a preacher representing Salem AME Church in Greensboro. "We know you're busy, Lord... but won't you come by here... won't you please come over to Gadsden County 'cause, we need you," he said to applause and head nods. "If we ever needed you before, we sure do need you now." Contact Christopher Cann at ccann@tallahassee.com and follow @ChrisCannFL on Twitter. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Residents, pastors, officials grapple with fentanyl overdoses in Gadsden FILE PHOTO: A logo is pictured on the factory of STMicroelectronics in Plan-les-Oautes PARIS (Reuters) -GlobalFoundries Inc and STMicroelectronics will announce on Monday plans to build a semiconductor factory in France for an investment of nearly 4 billion euros, as part of Europe's efforts to boost its independence in microchips, Le Figaro reported on Sunday. This would help support a push from the European Commission to produce 20% of the world's microchips in Europe by 2030. The investment is expected to be announced during the fifth edition of the President Emmanuel Macron's "Choose France" summit to be held on Monday in Versailles. STMicro declined to comment. A snapback in demand for products ranging from smartphones to cars, following a slump caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has disrupted chip supply chains especially in the car industry. (Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; editing by David Evans) Woodford Reserve is generally known as an easy-drinking bourbon that is considered by many to be a step or two above Jim Beam, Evan Williams or Wild Turkey (as beloved as these brands may be), even though its bottled at a higher proof of 90.4. Indeed, the fact that its not an 80 proof whiskey is one of the reasons many people enjoy drinking Woodford. The annual Masters Collection series is a chance for master distiller Chris Morris and assistant master distiller Elizabeth McCall to mess with their tried and true formula, and for the 2022 edition that means batch size and proof. The new Woodford Reserve Batch Proof is bottled at 118.4, which represents the proof of this particular collection of about 100 to 120 barrels. In other words, these barrels are blended together at cask strength, and this is what the average came out to be. The mashbill is the same as regular Woodford, so this is all about scale and ABV. And this does indeed have less alcohol than past Batch Proof releases, but thats just how the barrel char crumbles. Barrels drawn from the first floors of our heat-cycled warehouses routinely possess lower proof presentations due to the more relaxed angel share process found there, said Morris in a press release. This batch had more of these barrels in its composition, and therefore a lower batch proof presentation than past releases. More from Robb Report But this mellower proof, although still admittedly high compared to classic Woodford and many other bourbons, is a welcome thing. The nose is definitely on the hot side, with honey, grapefruit and even some ripe cherry that lingers as you take a sniff. The palate is pretty much classic Woodford on steroids, with baked apple, vanilla pudding, milk chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon and burnt orange notes all swirling around together. These are all likely elements on Morris Flavor Wheel, a device to help explain the many notes you can pick up from a sip of the bourbon. The higher proof dampens some and augments others. Story continues So who exactly is this whiskey for? Superfans of Woodford, mostly, people who want to try this particular bourbon brand at a much higher ABV than usual. And its a good, solid bourbon, although perhaps not one to chase on the secondary market for well above the asking price of $129.99. Starting July 12, you can find it at the Woodford Reserve distillery in Versailles, KY, and later this month it will be available to purchase at select retailers. Score: 87 Learn More What Our Score Means 100: Worth trading your first born for 95 99 In the Pantheon: A trophy for the cabinet 90 94 Great: An excited nod from friends when you pour them a dram 85 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market 80 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable Below 80 Its alright: Honestly, we probably wont waste your time and ours with this Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. (Bloomberg) -- Former US President Donald Trump had harsh words for billionaire Elon Musk at a rally in Alaska Saturday, accusing the Tesla Inc. chief of inconsistency. Most Read from Bloomberg Referring to Musks recent pronouncement that hed never voted Republican until this June, Trump said that contradicted with what Musk had told him. Trump followed with an expletive description of the worlds richest man and voiced his judgment on the Twitter Inc. acquisition deal that Musk struck but has since decided to withdraw from, calling it rotten. Read more: Musk Backs Out of $44 Billion Bid for Twitter, Citing Bots Trumps comments come in the wake of Musk expressing a leaning toward Ron DeSantis, currently the Florida governor and a favored Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis is, so far, the strongest potential competitor to Trump for the Republican nomination, and Musks influence -- now numbering over 100 million followers on Twitter alone -- could make his endorsement significant. Im undecided at this point on that election, Musk said in a June 21 interview with Bloomberg News. He said he will commit $20 million to $25 million to support his chosen contender. After stressing the importance of free speech online, Trump urged the crowd to join his own Truth Social, a network closely modeled on Twitters interface and functionality where the retweet button has been replaced with a retruth option. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. RTHK: At least 10 dead in strike in east Ukraine At least 10 people have been killed and more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, leading to the building collapsing, local officials said. The regional emergency service put the latest death toll from the strike in the town of Chasiv Yar at 10 people, with rescue work still going on. Several hours earlier, the Donetsk region's Governor, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said on Telegram that at least 34 people could be trapped under the ruins. Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukraine's president, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism" as a result. A bill to apply this label to Russia has been tabled by two US senators, who expressed their confidence the proposal would be voted through during a Thursday visit to Kyiv. Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine, denies targeting civilians. (Reuters) This story has been published on: 2022-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A 21-year-old Ron Sachs sat in the Alachua County jail after a deputy ominously told him, "I knew we would get you here someday." It was 1971, and Sachs, founder and CEO of Sachs Media, one of Tallahassee's marquee public relations firms, had gotten cross-wise with the Sheriff's department over a student newspaper article about a murder and conditions at the jail. But that article wasn't what landed Sachs in a jail cell. As editor-in-chief of The Florida Alligator, the University of Florida student newspaper, Sachs was an early warrior in today's culture war. In this 1970's file photo, Ron Sachs, left, the former editor of the Florida Alligator, talks with former managing editor Gary Grunder in the Alligator newsroom. Fifty years ago during the Woodstock era, Sachs violated Florida's "Don't Say Abortion" law, an 1868 ban on the publication of abortion resources and was arrested. He and the Alligator's staff inserted a list of abortion providers and counseling services into the daily paper after the school's president had forbade it. With a bravado recognizable to almost everyone who has crossed his path as a journalist, top aide to former Gov. Lawton Chiles, or public relations expert, Sachs explained he respectfully listened to President Stephen C. O'Connell, dictum and then rallied staff to ignore it. And he signed his name at the bottom of a mimeographed list inserted in more than 22,000 copies of the newspaper so that the University and law enforcement would know who was responsible. "If something bad was going to happen, I wanted it to happen to me, just me, and not others," explained Sachs. Former editor of the Florida Alligator Ron Sachs, addresses the audience at The Alligator's 90th Anniversary Celebration Seminar in 1996. at this time Sachs was the press secretary for Florida Gov. Lawton Chiles. He was charged with a felony and his lawyers mounted a First Amendment defense that led to Florida's abortion law being declared unconstitutional. "If a newspaper did not have the right to publish the information then women did not have access," Sachs told the Tallahassee Democrat. Sachs won his fight, but a half-century later a new front in a fight for the right to an abortion has opened. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, waiving a woman's constitutional right to abortion, and nearly half of the states have or are expected to enact abortion bans. Story continues At least 22, according to the Guttmacher Institute, already have laws in place that would do just that. Four states, including Florida, are likely to follow suit, as Republican lawmakers passed a 15-week abortion ban in April. It went into effect in July. The pendulum now is swinging back to the right, said Sachs, now 71. Reversal: Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion Q & A: The fall of Roe v. Wade: Five questions about abortion access in Florida Abortions in Florida: Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, what's legal and what's not Alligator's history with abortion Jean Chance, was just four years into her journalism teaching career when she opened the doors to her home to five students plotting Sachs' defense. Nestled in Chances wooded home off Millhopper Road, the students debated the publication of abortion referral agencies for those in need. The list became part of an ongoing special report on abortion, that included the Catholic Student Center. The Board of Student Publications, governing agent of the Alligator, approved the article. University of Florida President Stephen OConnell, however, overrode the boards decision and forbade Sachs and others from running it. The Alligator staff unanimously voted to print the list anyway. Founder and CEO of Sachs Media Ron Sachs works in his downtown office Monday, Oct. 25, 2021. Breaking the law can be a healthy experience, wrote columnist John Parker in the Oct. 4, 1971 edition. He pointed out that a Florida statute prohibited juggling and called jugglers a hearty breed. Chance shuffled upstairs and woke up her lawyer husband at the time, Chuck Chance. She vowed to hand Sachs a dime to make a landline call once Sachs got arrested for publishing the article if he chose. Being a rebel wasn't new to Sachs, who also disobeyed the orders of his high school principal in his senior year to cover a teacher strike. The principal suspended him for two weeks. But in this case, he faced far more dire circumstances: a year in prison or a $1,000 fine for the felony and expulsion. Luckily for Sachs, Chuck Chance agreed to represent him in the trial. In this 1971 file photo, Ron Sachs, the former editor of the Florida Alligator, talks at a press conference after he is released from jail over publishing a list of abortion counseling services, which at the time was illegal. University of Florida president Stephen C. O'Connell is seen behind Sachs at the press conference. This incident and other issues over censorship caused a riff between the school newspaper and UF which ultimately lead the a split between the two. The newspaper later became the Independent Florida Alligator. Now the couple was all in. We teach the First Amendment at every journalism course in our college, Jean Chance said. Not to stand up would be so hypocritical. Around 2 a.m., just before publication, Sachs called OConnell from Chances telephone. Sachs apologized for the late call and informed him he planned to respectfully disobey his directive. I wasn't trying to surprise him or sucker punch him," Sachs said. "I just wanted to tell him the truth. We thought we owed it to our responsibility as budding journalists, as Alligator staffers, and as students to take on this law. In a pre-dawn bustle on Oct. 6, Sachs and the staff stashed the papers with 22,000 copies of the counseling list. The copies ran alongside an article written by Sachs titled Archaic abortion law gets another test, where he wrote: Florida Statute 797.02 is unconstitutional, restraining the press from printing what are well-acknowledged facts that abortions may be legally obtained. Sachs was arrested that same day. 'Breaking the law can be a healthy experience: UF's Alligator student newspaper battled on front lines of abortion issues 50 years ago His parents received newspaper clippings of Sachs outlined in devil horns. Gainesville Sun editorial writer at the time, Buddy Davis, berated Sachs in the paper. But Sachs said he never regretted the decision. I didn't have some yearning desire to go to prison, Sachs said. When you're in the slammer, its not a really good graduate course for somebody who wants to be a newsman. But I felt we were on solid ground. Two months later, Sachs notion held firm. Alachua Judge Benmont Tench struck down the abortion law, which had stood for 103 years. Floridas restrictions on newsrooms lifted, and the Legislature rewrote the law. The law was not the most liberal in the country, but Sachs said it was more 1971. A rift with UF Though abortion rights advanced in 1971, The Alligator's future faced uncertainty. OConnell, a former Florida Supreme Court chief justice, questioned in October if he held prior restraint, meaning the power to censor materials. The attorney generals office said no. So O'Connell forced it off-campus. Soon monetary flow halted. Some viewed it as an effort to kill off the student publication. But it allowed it to become independent, self-sustaining, and completely detached from UF. The change allowed critical discussion over issues without fear of retribution from campus officials. In May, following the leaked draft of the Roe v. Wade reversal, the newspaper published a Planned Parenthood advertisement highlighting abortion clinics. Seeing that go out was very critical to the whole reason that we are independent, and we have the liberty to report on things that we otherwise maybe wouldn't have, said Julia Coin, the paper's current editor-in-chief. It allows us to act as journalists first and students second. Moving forward from the past Jean Chance, now 82, remembers seeing much change over the years in Alachua County. In her senior year, the womens dress code loosened; they could finally wear Bermuda shorts, situated two inches above the knee. Womens liberation still didn't exist, she said. She remembers students rioting for beer stronger than the 3.2% alcohol the county sold, she said. Now, she said the Supreme Court retrogresses. We are in the midst of a major shift from a more moderate or liberal ruling toan extreme ruling on the conservative side, she said. Its astounding, historically speaking, for this to happen. I think there is an undercurrent of racism; there is an undercurrent of elitism. It does not speak well for the moral compass. Chance said she is most concerned for her daughter, her granddaughter and her daughter-in-law. I feel bad for my family because they are the ones that are going to have to make the (changes), she said. Tallahassee Democrat reporter James Call contributed to this story. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: UF Alligator student paper was on abortion issue front lines 50 years ago Indiana Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) questioned the allegiance of the Ukrainian president's chief of staff in a letter to President Joe Biden on Friday, asking the administration to brief Congress on allegations against Andriy Yermak. The first and only Ukraine-born congresswoman wrote that Yermak raises concerns in the United States and the international community. As President Zelensky works very hard to build alliances with the west and our country, it is our responsibility to inform him if we might have any concerns with key people around him, Spartz wrote in the letter. Earlier in the week, Politico reported that the freshman from Hamilton County accused both Biden and Volodymyr Zelensky of playing politics in regard to the ongoing conflict that came to a head with Russias invasion of Ukraine in February. More: What Victoria Spartz, Ukraine-born congresswoman, wants from U.S. on Russian war Spartz's allegations and Ukraine's response In a statement released Saturday, Spartz outlined allegations against Yermak on which she said her call for U.S. administrative action is based. Those allegations include leaking information to Belarus and Russia, mismanaging peace negotiations prior to the conflict and preventing Ukraine from properly preparing for the war. The Ukranian government responded to Spartz's claims with outrage. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko called them baseless speculation in a Facebook post Saturday. (Spartzs statements) are an undisclosed attempt to bring back into American politics classic narratives of Russian propaganda about Ukraines leaderships seemingly ties to Russia and to drag our state into U.S. domestic politics, Nikolenko wrote. More: After Spartz dubbed House's 'worst boss,' former staff detail toxic work culture Spartz responded that she understands why her comments struck a chord with Ukraines Ministry of Foreign Affairs after seeing the support she garnered from some Americans and Ukraine's opposition party with her initial statements. Story continues I encourage the Ministry to consider my statement with the kind of seriousness these questions about Mr. Yermak demand, instead of launching ad hominem attacks as they have thus far, she wrote. Neither the White House nor Yermak have responded to Spartzs allegations. You can reach Pulliam Fellow Griffin Wiles at GWiles@gannett.com or on Twitter at @griffinwiles. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Victoria Spartz questions Ukraine leader Andriy Yermak's allegiance KYIV, July 10 (Reuters) - Ukraine's energy and foreign ministries said on Sunday they were "deeply disappointed" by Canada's decision to hand back a repaired Siemens turbine used for the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline to Germany. The statement, published on the energy ministry's website, called on the Canadian government to reverse its decision and said that returning the turbine would amount to adjusting the sanctions imposed on Moscow "to the whims of Russia." (Reporting by Max Hunder; editing by Tom Balmforth) When Scott Turows debut novel, Presumed Innocent, exploded on the crime-fiction scene in 1986, word of mouth ignited a frenzy of late-night reading that culminated in a shock that remains resonant. So might Australian author Dervla McTiernans first non-series novel, The Murder Rule (William Morrow, $27.99, 304 pages). As the story opens, Hannah Rokeby, a third-year law student at the University of Maine, travels to Charlottesville to join the Innocence Project Clinic at the University of Virginia. The director, Associate Professor Robert Perekh, and his student assistants are working on behalf of Michael Dandridge. Dandridge spent 11 years on death row after being convicted of raping and killing Sarah Fitzhugh in Yorktown. But his conviction has been reversed, and the prosecution has chosen to retry him. Hannah explains to her new colleagues that she moved to Charlottesville to be near her ill mother. But thats just the first of multiple deceptions that McTiernan reveals in this splendid thriller. In addition to concocting a thumping good storyline, she also fills the novel with a galaxy of heroes and villains, some of whom embody both aspects in the same person, and all of whom are exceptionally memorable. And as a bonus, McTiernan nails the Virginia settings. A serpentine tale of diverse motivations, unforeseeable surprises, heinous betrayals and appalling brutality, The Murder Rule stuns and shines. Do not expect a pedestrian plot or cardboard characters. And presume nothing. A SMART WHODUNIT Loudoun County vineyard owner Lucie Montgomerys troubles do not equal Jobs, but in Bitter Roots (Severn House, $28.99), 240 pages)the 12th novel in Northern Virginia writer Ellen Crosbys seriesyou could forgive her if she thought so. Lucie and her winemaker, Quinn Santori, are to be married in a few days, but business concerns add to the predictable stresses associated with weddings. Their Cabernet Franc vines are dying and vineyards throughout the region are also experiencing diseased vines, all of which were bought from a nearby nursery run by Jackson Landau, assisted by employee Eve Kerr and horticulturist Richard Brightman. But Landau disputes Lucie and Quinns allegation that the trio knew that the vines suffered from the blight. When a body is found in nearby Goose Creek, the anxiety level soars. If thats not enough, a severe thunderstorm accompanied by a derecho damages Lucies homeplace, puts the nuptials in doubt and leaves thousands without power or phone service. As always, Crosby offers a smart whodunit, characters who ring with authenticity, and generous helpings of color and history from Virginias hunt and horse country. She enriches the narrative with timely topics, including the effects of climate change on agriculture. And the conversation between Lucie and her biracial half brother, David Phelps, serves as a thoughtful reflection on the fate of Confederate monuments and the legacy of the Lost Cause. Another winning blend, Bitter Roots reaffirms Crosbys crime-fiction bona fides. THRILL OF THE HUNT Renowned for its abundant history and lovely estates, Albemarle County also boasts natures blessings, especially the picturesque scenery associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains. But its human natureespecially sex and greedthat anchors the plot of Thrill of the Hunt (Ballantine, $28, 304 pages), the 14th installment in Rita Mae Browns foxhunting series featuring Sister Jane Arnold. Two men who run prominent businesses die of apparent suicideor is it murder?and a blackmailer is at work. One extortion victim, ultra-rich Crawford Howard, is restoring Old Paradise, an estate that dates to the War of 1812 and includes a slave cemetery that he is working to preserve. The blackmailer sends him a video thats altered to appear that he is desecrating the graves. And the Jefferson Hunt Club, which septuagenarian Jane leads, is targeted with one that purports to show animal abuse. Brown, who lives in neighboring Nelson County and, like her heroine, is a Master of Foxhounds, spins another engaging tale, one filled with familiar and cherished characters, many of whom are humans, and a plentitude of others of various species. A novel that combines crime fiction with country life, Thrill of the Hunt offers multiple rewards. Jay Strafford, a retired Virginia journalist, now lives in Florida. As the push toward electrifying automobiles grows, plans are afoot to create the infrastructure to support them. The Virginia Department of Transportation is developing a plan to create that infrastructure, and the department wants your help to determine charging needs, priorities, and challenges, according to a website VDOT has set up for public input. That website includes questions for electric vehicle drivers and those who drive gas-powered vehicles, as well as businesses or organizations that have an interest in maintaining a charging site. The questions include concerns related to buying an electric vehicle, whether electric vehicle drivers would use public charging facilities, where public chargers should be installed and how electric vehicle chargers could benefit disadvantaged communities. According to VDOT, the state plans to invest a projected $100 million over the next five years to install charging stations as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. That program calls for charging stations to initially be installed along Virginia interstates, including Interstate 95. Caroline intersection work finished A $1.6 million Caroline County intersection project is now complete. Work wrapped up last week at the intersection of Ladysmith Road, Partlow Road and Anderson Mill Road. The work included improving the sight distance by realigning and flattening a curve, according to local VDOT spokesperson Darragh Frye in a news release. Crews also built dedicated right-turn lanes from westbound Ladysmith Road to Partlow Road, as well as southbound Partlow Road to Anderson Mill Road. A new stop sign also was installed for Partlow Road traffic. The project earned funding through the states Smart Scale program, which scores projects statewide for funding. For the birds Before work started on the Chatham Bridge in the summer of 2020, cliff swallows that called the span home had to be relocated. According to VDOT, 120 nestlings were moved to The Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro. Well, as cliff swallows are known to do, plenty of those little tweeters returned home once the bridge construction wrapped up. According to a post on VDOTs website, environmental specialist Mark Haus visited the bridge recently to check on the cliff swallows and counted 55 nests under the span, and each nest usually is home for three or four chicks. With millions going hungry from the war in Ukraine and lesser known conflicts, its imperative we increase global food aid. We must keep up our tradition of feeding war victims, a history which is filled with heroic stories. When Nazi Germany invaded Norway during World War II, a charity was started to help the victims. American Relief for Norway was founded in 1940. Fundraisers were held in Virginia and throughout the United States. The charity aided Norwegian refugees who had fled to Sweden. Imagine a Norwegian who had fought the invading Nazis, but was forced to flee through the forests into Sweden. Now separated from his family and without any money, he has no way to help them. But American Relief for Norway came to the rescue. The charity, with its committee in Sweden, provided food packages that the refugees sent to their families back in Norway. This was a blessing for the refugees and their loved ones back home. A report said these food packages helped to keep up courage and strengthen the morale both among those at home and their fugitive providers in Sweden. Only a certain amount of food packages were allowed into Norway by the occupying Germans, so underground deliveries were started to ensure needy families got help. These secret relief missions often took place under the cover of nightfall. American Relief for Norway supported an underground effort to sneak refugees into Sweden. The charity also sponsored school milk programs for thousands of Norwegian kids who were going hungry during the occupation. Norways tale and others show Americas tradition of feeding war victims. Many charities came about during and after World War II that fed the hungry. We need to keep up this tradition today. We must feed millions of Ukrainians who are going hungry after being displaced by the brutal Russian invasion. But there are also many other war victims in lesser known conflicts that need our help. The Central African Republic (CAR) is a nation devastated by internal conflict, which has ruined its promising farmland. The United Nations says With 50 percent of the population not eating enough, CAR has one of the highest proportions of critically food-insecure people in the world. Funding is extremely low for humanitarian aid in CAR because its a crisis that is off the radar. For example, the school meal initiative of the World Food Program is only able to reach about half of its intended students because of low funding and high food prices. With enough funding, hopefully all students in CAR could receive life-saving school meals. In the African nation of Burkina Faso thousands have fled violence and are receiving shelter in safer parts of the country. But the host communities are impoverished and cannot offer them much help. They all need food aid to survive this conflict. In the D.R. of Congo there are refugees who have fled wars in other nations, but there are also many people displaced within the country from internal conflict. They depend on assistance from the World Food Program and other relief agencies. Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia, South Sudan are many other countries are also in desperate need of food aid because of war. Each of us can do something to help feed these war victims. Like the people who supported American Relief for Norway and other charities during World War II, we can hold fundraisers. We could help relief agencies feeding war victims today like the World Food Program, Catholic Relief Services, Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children. Mercy Corps, Action against Hunger, CARE, UNICEF and many others. We can write to our representatives in Congress urging food aid for nations suffering from war. Its hard for many of us to imagine the suffering in a war zone, and not being able to access food. But when we think how horrible that must be, remember we can do something to save those at risk of starvation. William Lambers is an author who partnered with the UN World Food Program, on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the New York Times, Newsweek, Chicago Sun Times, History News Network, and many other news outlets. The Colorado Department of Corrections has rescinded a new policy barring parole officers from seeking criminal charges for escapes from community-corrections halfway houses after law enforcement officials, prosecutors and halfway house operators criticized the policy as jeopardizing public safety. State corrections officials reversed course at the end of Wednesday and reinstituted seeking criminal charges for halfway house escapes, the same day that The Gazette contacted the department for comment on the controversy. The move by the Corrections Department to not pursue criminal warrants for individuals transitioning from prison who had escaped from halfway houses had generated scathing criticism. This is nothing short of a dereliction of DOCs duty to keep local communities safe while transitioning offenders back into those same communities, wrote Jefferson County Sheriff Jeff Shrader in a June 27 letter to Dean Williams, the executive director of the Corrections Department. The Gazette obtained the letter, a copy of which Shrader sent to Gov. Jared Polis, through a Colorado Open Records Act request. The lack of criminal charges in such escape cases had become so controversial that Williams and Stan Hilkey, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Safety, the state agency that oversees community-corrections halfway houses, planned to discuss the subject this week. Late Wednesday afternoon, Merideth McGrath, the Corrections Departments director of parole, announced to her department that she was reinstating seeking charges for such cases. After careful review of our current process, as well as in speaking with stakeholders throughout the state, we have decided as a department to file charges of unauthorized absence for every case who chooses to walk away from community corrections supervision and/or tampers with/removes electronic monitoring, she wrote to her staff. Several prosecutors and sheriffs said they still had questions. They wanted to know how long the now-rescinded policy barring parole officials from filing criminal charges for escapes from halfway houses had been in effect and how many individuals may have avoided prosecution during its duration. Determining how many halfway house escapes had occurred during the new policy couldnt be immediately determined. Just over 1,480 offenders transitioning from prison in halfway houses were terminated from community-corrections halfway house programs in Colorado in the fiscal year that ran from July 2020 through June 2021, nearly a 40% decline from the previous fiscal year, according to state data. Roughly 1 in 4 of those DOC transition clients escaped from their halfway house during that time frame, nearly double the escape rate recorded for the previous fiscal year, that data further shows. More recent figures were not readily available. One prosecutor, Weld County District Attorney Michael Rourke, said he had asked for an accounting from corrections officials of the names of halfway house escapees in his jurisdiction so he could retroactively seek criminal warrants. He said he received notice of three escapes but was unable to file charges as we had insufficient information provided from DOC in order to seek a warrant. Rourke said he learned about two months ago that the Corrections Department no longer was seeking criminal charges for individuals who escaped from halfway houses a reversal in longstanding policy. Rourke and several other law-enforcement officials and halfway house operators expressed frustration with that shift and pointed out that nobody at the Corrections Department had provided them any warning. There was no communication with the district attorneys at all, Rourke said. Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams also took to Facebook to criticize the lack of charges for halfway house escapes. In an interview, Reams said the lack of criminal filings for such escapes was part of a broader trend in which he said corrections officials were failing to hold accountable offenders leaving prison. It seems the criminal justice system is being watered down to where there are no penalties for pretty severe actions, Reams said. Community-correction halfway house officials hadnt been told the department was shifting away from seeking charges for escapes from halfway houses, and they similarly blasted the move as jeopardizing public safety. Tim Hand, the community-corrections director in Larimer County, said during a June 24 meeting of the Governors Community Corrections Advisory Council, that nobody with the DOC alerted him about the decision to stop seeking criminal filings for halfway house escapes. He said that decision may have been put in place as far back as a year ago. We sure should have known about this, in my opinion, so we could deal with it, Hand said during the meeting. John Draxler, the chief probation officer for the 13th Judicial District in Logan County, said during the governors advisory council meeting that the lack of criminal filings for what are known as transition DOC inmates who escape from halfway houses had also caught his local community-corrections officials unaware and prompted pushback. The lack of escape charges for DOC clients transitioning back to communities contrasted with how probation officials handle halfway house escapes under their jurisdiction, Hand said. Probation officers still were filing escape charges against those individuals who fled supervision from halfway houses who were directly sentenced there and werent DOC transition clients, Hand said. During the advisory council meeting, Hand also criticized Williams, the DOC executive director, for a lack of communication. He noted that Williams had not attended the meetings of the Governors Community Corrections Advisory Council when former executive directors of the Corrections Department regularly attended those meetings during their tenures. I dont want to be adversarial at all, Hand said. But I just need to know whats going on. It would be nice to hear from director Williams, Hand said. Hand said during the meeting that he had his staffers review escapes from his halfway house facility for the past six months and found a scary list. Hand added that his local corrections board in Larimer, which decides which DOC prisoners to accept into the halfway house program, had grown so angry over the lack of criminal filings for escapes that the board was contemplating barring DOC transition inmates from the program. The DOC decision to stop seeking the charges for halfway house escapes was a shift from decades of practice, Hand stressed during the meeting. A criminal arrest warrant in such cases alerts law enforcement officers, who then can take a halfway house escapee into custody, resulting in the filing of criminal escape charges. Typically, such arrests occur when the person out on escape is stopped for traffic violations or for other criminal violations. DOC had a long-standing practice of seeking charges for halfway house escapes along with an administrative process, which prioritized individuals for the DOC fugitive unit. Sometime in 2021, the DOC stopped seeking criminal charges and began relying solely on the administrative process, due in part to a loss of several positions and reclassification of some parole staff to civilian status, said Annie Skinner, a spokeswoman for the Corrections Department. In defending that policy shift, Skinner earlier had noted that the criminal charges for halfway house escapes for those serving time on nonviolent offenses often are just misdemeanors. Legislation that passed in 2020 reclassified the charges for halfway house escapees serving time for nonviolent crimes down to misdemeanors, while maintaining felony charges for halfway house escapees serving time for violent offenses. Before passage of House Bill 20-1019, sponsored by Rep. Leslie Herod and Sen. Julie Gonzales, both Democrats from Denver, all such halfway house escapes were treated as felony crimes. Skinner also said that local officials were free to pursue criminal charges for escapes on their own. But prosecutors and law enforcement officials said that after DOC began relying solely on the administrative process, they often received no notification of an escape. They added that they were on a much stronger evidentiary ground for criminal charges when parole officers, who are sworn law enforcement officials, provided an affidavit seeking criminal charges. Shrader, in his letter to Williams, stressed that those serving time in a halfway house for violent offenses still could face a felony charge for a halfway house escape despite the new legislation signed into law by Gov. Jared Polis in 2020. While I am sensitive to the high level of discretion inherent in law enforcement charging decisions, individualized risk and public safety determinations must serve as the foundation of such decisions, which must in turn be made on an individualized basis, Shrader wrote. Here, DOC has made a policy decision not to charge any individuals who absents themselves from a community corrections placement, he added. That failure to consider the characteristics of the particular absence, including the severity of the individuals underlying charges and their risk to the community, is nothing short an abuse of that discretion. In the end, the Corrections Department bowed to such criticism and agreed to reinstate seeking criminal charges for escapes. Nearly half of Jon Samet's tenure as the dean of the Colorado School of Public Health has been spent battling COVID-19, from modeling the virus's spread to advising state and local leaders; he even found time to keep a regular blog with his thoughts on the situation. Now, at the tail end of his time as the school's longest-serving administrator, Samet's literally battling COVID-19, which he picked up after a wedding in Scotland. He's doing fine, he said: He's fully vaccinated and twice boosted. On his "Dean's Notes" blog, he described the circumstances that led to his infection as only an epidemiologist could, with an assessment of a gathering's ventilation (poor); of the virus's prevalence in Scotland (1 in 18 residents currently infectious); and of the cause of that high rate of spread (two highly transmissive subvariants). When Samet became dean of the school in 2017, he committed to a five-year minimum term. The school, a joint effort by the state's three large, public universities, was a decade old then. Five years have come and gone, half of them swallowed by COVID-19, and Samet has announced he'll step down as dean once his replacement's hired later this year. Back when he started, he had a strategic plan, much of it centered around strengthening the reputation, heft and pedigree of a nascent program. COVID-19 was "a diversion" from that plan, one that came right in the middle of his five-year commitment. Diversion or not, it was important, he said, because it helped the school establish itself further while cementing relationships with local and state public health officials. Young faculty have been recruited, and, though Samet recommends that "nobody should pay attention" to U.S. News & World Report's rankings, he still notes that his school now stands as the 19th-best health graduate program in the country, out of nearly 200. "We've accomplished a lot in five years," he said. He's not retiring his laundry list of upcoming projects includes writing a book about research to finishing a project on radon and uranium mining that's been in limbo for years and will instead join the school's faculty. His background is in respiratory health he's a pulmonologist by training and has focused on tobacco and secondhand smoke and there's plenty there to keep him busy for a while. Still, his imminent step-back and the shift in the COVID-19 pandemic allow for some reflection. He's optimistic about the future of public health, even after two years of his field becoming a pinata for anyone looking to vent COVID-19 frustration. It's become more professionalized since he started his career several decades ago: Training's improved, and new tools and research methods are available. The scope of public health has grown, from sanitation inspections and posters about sexually transmitted infections to addressing the tobacco industry and, now, becoming the front line of the COVID-19 response. That's a silver living to the pandemic, he said: It's "brought a new prominence to public health and its persistence in the public eye." The degree to which its been politicized and its findings and recommendations derailed by misinformation those are the biggest surprises from the past two years. He was surprised, too, by how "extraordinarily cynical" some politicians were to "politicize a fundamental tool of public health, whether it's vaccinations or respiratory protection." "It was really unfortunate," he continued. "It cost lives." Pandemics have always been political go back and look at 1918, he said but this pandemic still stands apart. He pointed to the dissolution of the Tri-County Health Department, the largest county-level health agency in the state, as evidence. The department was beset by political disagreements within its three constituent counties, and after they pulled out of the agency one by one, it will wink out of existence at the end of this year. Tri-County, he said, "is a great example of what has happened with politics and public health." It's not the only one: Public health leadership from across the state and country "has taken a hit," Samet said. Public health and medical groups "are burnt out" and have lost critical personnel. But he hopes that the next generation of professionals, motivated by what they've experienced these past 2 years, will step into the breach. "The need for public health and for (ensuring we have a) public health infrastructure has been made more clear," he said, "which should lead to strengthening. ... This should be a moment where we're stepping back, reflecting and thinking about what we need to do next." Is that happening? Even now, the United States is struggling to deal with a monkeypox outbreak that's far milder than COVID-19, at a time when the nation should be well-versed in curbing disease spread. Reinforcement of public health, Samet said, will happen "in a patchy way" nationwide. He said Colorado's well positioned, praising the state's health leaders and collaboration among local public health agencies. The state's data systems need to be improved, as is true across the country, and the workforce needs strengthening, too. Ever the administrator, Samet said that the School of Public Health can help with both of those problems. It's committed, he said, to serving this region specifically. "I think we've learned, for one, that (public health) is an anchor, and we're needed to protect population health," he said. Vaccines and other responses pushed by health officials were "major contributions" that saved lives, whatever the public and politics may have said about them. That's the other thing: "We've learned (that) the public certainly did not understand public health at the start of the pandemic, or not much of the public," Samet said. "I think that perception has been advanced. It's been advanced favorably for the majority and unfavorably for the minority. I think one lesson we have is that we have to advance the understanding of public health and why it's important." It's a concept, in part, of public good for the public good. Wearing a mask protects you, but it also protects everybody around you. The idea that collective action is needed and important, Samet said, "somewhere, we need to explain that better." If Colorado joins the rarified ranks of states whose primaries play an outsized role choosing the Democratic Party's next presidential nominee, it won't be because Howard Chou dazzled national party officials with anything but the strength of his arguments. Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country Sign Up View all of our newsletters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden speaks before signing an executive order to help safeguard women's access to abortion and contraception after the Supreme Court last month overturned Roe v Wade decision that legalized abortion, at the White House in Washington, U.S., July 8, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque Pius Kamau, M.D., general surgery, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and president of the Consortium of African Diasporas in the U.S.A. He has been a National Public Radio commentator and a blogger, and is author of The Doctors Date with Death. Kira Villalba and Joenny Astacio were arrested in June after their 15-month-old died of a fentanyl overdose. Greg Brophy is a former state legislator from Colorados eastern plains and the Colorado director of The Western Way, a conservative nonprofit that seeks pro-market solutions to environmental challenges. A decision last month by the state's Court of Appeals to overturn a series of 16-year-old judicial orders may finally allow a father to pursue liability claims against two child welfare workers over the death of his son. Chandler Grafner died in 2007 at age 7 after suffering from starvation and dehydration at the hands of his guardians, Jon Phillips and Sarah Berry. Chandler's biological father, Joshua Norris, filed a federal lawsuit in 2009 accusing multiple government defendants of failing to ensure the boy's safety despite multiple reports of abuse. But Norris' lawsuit has been dormant for seven years while Colorado's state courts sorted out whether a Jefferson County magistrate issued valid orders at the outset of the child welfare case that transferred custody to Phillips. On June 30, the Court of Appeals delivered its answer: no. A three-judge appellate panel determined Jefferson County had not shown any "due diligence" it performed to personally notify Norris of Chandler's welfare proceedings. To the contrary, a caseworker with the Jefferson County Division of Children, Youth, Families and Adult Protective Services did not recall doing "any work at all to locate" Norris. "The Division argues, and the juvenile court found below, that diligent efforts would have been to no avail because the Division did not know fathers full name," wrote Judge Elizabeth L. Harris in the panel's opinion. "The problem with that argument is that there is no evidence in the record that the Division asked anyone for fathers name." The case began when police arrested Chandler's mother, Christina Grafner, in March 2006 for child abuse. The county temporarily sought to place Chandler with Phillips, with whom Grafner had lived, and Phillips' girlfriend, Berry. Three days into the case, the county asked permission to serve notice of the proceedings on Norris identified as "John Doe" at the time through newspaper publication. Colorado law permits published notices instead of personal service in instances where a person outside Colorado has an unknown residence or when a Colorado resident cannot be found "after due diligence." Jefferson County, in its motion to the court, repeated the law's phrasing verbatim, but gave no explanation of its efforts to find Norris. A magistrate granted the request and a notice ran on April 6, 2006, in a local newspaper, covering the area around Conifer. Norris did not appear at any subsequent hearings. In November of that year, the magistrate determined the portion of Colorado law relating to the abandonment of children applied to Norris in the case. The magistrate granted custody to Phillips in January 2007, relieving the county of its supervision over Chandler. Less than four months later, Chandler was dead. Norris and Grafner filed suit against Jefferson County, Denver where Chandler attended school and two Denver supervisors in Chandler's abuse investigation, Mary Peagler and Margaret Booker. The plaintiffs argued the government defendants had deprived Chandler of his constitutional right to be free from an unreasonable risk of harm. The defendants asserted that after Phillips gained custody of Chandler, the government no longer had responsibility over the child. "If Chandler was not in foster care at or about the time of his death, then he was not in the custody of the state. If Chandler was not in the custody of the state, then there was no special relationship between Chandler and the state," wrote the Denver City Attorney's Office. "If there was no special relationship between Chandler and the state, then Defendants cannot be held liable for Chandlers tragic death." Peagler and Booker, while accusing Norris of attempting to "profit from the death of a child he never knew," pointed out that the Jefferson County magistrate's orders proved Phillips alone had legal custody of Chandler. In June 2014, Norris sought to have the magistrate's orders overturned. U.S. District Court Judge William J. Martinez had dismissed the governments themselves from the lawsuit, and agreed to close the remaining proceedings against Peagler and Booker until the status of the orders could be sorted out. The litigation would be "subject to reopening upon motion of the parties when the Colorado State Court system has fully and finally resolved the status of the custody orders," Martinez wrote in January 2015. A Jefferson County judge dismissed Norris' effort to vacate the custody orders, finding the issue was moot after Chandler's death. The Court of Appeals subsequently reversed that decision, noting the issue was pivotal to Norris' federal lawsuit. District Court Judge Ann Gail Meinster proceeded with a hearing on Norris' request, but ultimately declined to vacate the orders. Norris had not established the newspaper publication constituted improper service on him, she explained. Upon review for the second time, the Court of Appeals panel focused on the law's requirement that counties make diligent efforts to identify a parent before resorting to newspaper publication. The appellate judges considered several pieces of evidence that surfaced in the district court hearing. The intake caseworker for Jefferson County did not remember "doing any work at all to locate" Norris. The caseworker did not know what the county had meant when it represented to the magistrate in 2006 that Norris could not be found after exercising due diligence. The assistant county attorney who signed the 2006 motion also did not know what Jeffco had done to find Norris. "The Divisions verified motion for service by publication indisputably failed to satisfy the statutory requirements," Harris concluded in the opinion. She flatly rejected the county's claim that any efforts to find Norris would have been futile because it did not know his name at the time. "The initial caseworker recalled taking the children to maternal grandmothers house after mothers arrest," Harris explained. "But there is no evidence that the caseworker asked maternal grandmother if she knew fathers name not at the time she dropped off the children or at any time before the Division filed its verified motion for service by publication." The panel ordered the custody orders in Chandler's case from 2006 and 2007 be vacated. Norris' lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment and there have been no further filings in the federal civil case. Phillips is serving a life sentence for Chandler's murder and Berry received a sentence of 48 years in prison. APARTMENT ACTIVITY Since the start of 2021, multifamily developers have descended on Colorado Springs and now have proposed roughly as many apartments over the last 18 months as they did in the five years from 2016 through 2020. Here's a look at apartment activity over the last 20 years proposed in the Springs and surrounding El Paso County: Year Gained # OF BUILDING PERMITS # OF DWELLINGS 2002 117 1,663 2003 14 219 2004 23 360 2005 8 131 2006 17 80 2007 12 197 2008 11 388 2009 0 0 2010 3 80 2011 29 647 2012 28 575 2013 26 544 2014 51 915 2015 19 638 2016 50 1,424 2017 28 1,109 2018 66 1,491 2019 57 1,359 2020 35 1,591 2021 106 3,887 2022* 71 3,051 *THROUGH JUNE 30 SOURCE: PIKES PEAK REGIONAL BUILDING DEPARTMENT RICHMOND Rep. Bob Good, R-5th, came to Capitol Square on Saturday to urge lawmakers to protect life from conception and not settle for incremental steps such as Gov. Glenn Youngkins proposal to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Good, whose district now includes part of Hanover County, did not mention Youngkin by name in his remarks to more than 100 people who gathered for a rainy rally at the Bell Tower. But the implication was clear as he urged legislators across the country to match the courage of the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade. Republicans should not be in the business of negotiating the timeline of abortion, Good said. Six weeks, eight weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, whatever it may be... Abortion should not be negotiated. It should be eliminated. On June 24, the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Youngkin said he will work to ban most abortions in Virginia after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest or when a womans life is in jeopardy. Four days later, Youngkin told The Family Foundation that he would like to go further. Citing the 21-19 Democratic edge in the state Senate, he told the audience that his goal is to get a bill he can sign. It wont be the bill that we all want, Youngkin said, indicating that he believes life begins at conception. Both Youngkin and Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, one of the four GOP lawmakers he has asked to work on abortion legislation, have said that while they prefer a 15-week bill, a 20-week standard could be a fallback position. Good said Saturday that 92% of the abortions in Virginia take place before 15 weeks and 99% before 20 weeks. Im sorry to say Republicans here in Richmond are the worst negotiators of all. You want to play poker with these folks, Good said. They show you whats in their cards, they tell you their highest bid and then they fold anyway. Diana Shores, a veteran conservative activist and a senior strategist for Good for Congress, urged members of the crowd to hold Youngkin and GOP lawmakers accountable. We are here today to ask Governor Glenn Youngkin to be the pro-life governor he promised he would be, she said. We are here today to ask every legislator who said they would fight for life to garner the courage to fight for life at conception. Speakers at the rally included Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, who said she will introduce legislation for the January session to protect life as of conception. There can be no compromise, said March. Abortion bills in the General Assembly traditionally go through the Senate Education and Health Committee, on which Democrats hold a 9-6 edge. Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who heads the committee, told CNN over the weekend that a 15-week bill would be dead on arrival in the committee. Members of the crowd at Saturdays rally held signs with messages such as: Choose life your mother did, I am the pro-life generation, and I am the post-Roe generation. Janet Robey of Bedford, like others in the crowd, said she supports babies from the moment of conception to natural death. But as a practical matter, she said, Any incremental step we could take toward banning abortion completely saves babies lives. And thats why Im here to stand for life. Robey said of Goods view: I get where hes coming from, and in a perfect world we would have protection from conception. But unfortunately, we live in such a society that were going to have to take it by steps. Good was first elected in 2020, after unseating Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-5th, in a drive-through nominating convention. In November Good faces Democrat Josh Throneburg, a minister and small-business owner, in a strong Republican district in which Youngkin beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe by 20 percentage points in the 2021 contest for governor. Throneburg has called the Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe a heartbreaking decision and said it will do nothing to end abortion in this country. It will only make it more dangerous. After redistricting the 5th District includes all or part of 24 cities and counties including Danville and Pittsylvania County. ROCKINGHAM COUNTY Restaurants are full, and grocery stores, churches and big box discount stores are bustling with unmasked patrons. But COVID-19 is alive and well in the county of 91,000, statistics show. In fact, the infection rate this week climbed to 14%, about three times higher than the recommended 5% rate the Centers for Disease Control and Protection considers safe for a community. And as the state contends with increasing infections from subvariants of the omicron variant of COVID-19, Rockingham County has counted 326 new cases of the highly infectious disease in the past two weeks, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Omicron subvariants, experts nationwide say, are armed with mutations to the viruss spike proteins that make them able to dodge immunity in individuals who are vaccinated and/or have already been infected with COVID-19. Subvariant BA 2.12.1 is particularly contagious and makes up nearly half of new cases reported in North Carolina over the past two weeks, state health records show. Such subvariants increase the chance of reinfection, too. In June the CDC reported that more than 1.6 million cases of reinfection had been reported across 24 states. North Carolina had confirmed more than 100,000 reinfection cases last month. So, masking indoors and among large crowds is ever more important, health officials have said.Rockingham County has diagnosed 23,398 cases of COVID-19 since the advent of the pandemic, according to state health records. That computes to nearly 26% of the countys population. And the county is well behind the rest of the state when it comes to vaccination. North Carolina counts 58% of all residents as vaccinated with at least one booster shot, while Rockingham County sits at just 28%. A more detailed vaccination breakdown shows 77% of all adults in N.C. are inoculated with at least one booster, while just 29% of children ages 6-17 are. A look at overall vaccination rates in other Triad counties shows Caswell at 27%, Stokes at 26%, Guilford and Forsyth at 36% and Alamance at 33%. Since the start of the pandemic, Rockingham County has lost 299 residents to the disease, county records show. DANVILLE, Va. The Long Mill dam will soon be history. Danville City Council voted 6-3 during its meeting Tuesday night to remove the structure located on the Dan River between the White Mill building and the Danville Family YMCA. Councilmen Lee Vogler, James Buckner and Madison Whittle voted against the idea. My position has been consistent and clear on this, Vogler said just before the vote. I dont support removing this dam. There are simply too many unknowns that havent been answered. Mayor Alonzo Jones, Vice Mayor Gary Miller, and city councilmen Barry Mayo, Sherman Saunders, Bryant Hood and Larry Campbell voted to remove the structure. The debate over whether to remove the dam had been happening for years, but the topic had taken on a new urgency since development is coming to that part of the Dan River, including a Riverfront Park and renovation of the White Mill building. Removal of the dam would bring state and federal permitting advantages to the two projects, Danville City Manager Ken Larking told City Council during a work session June 21. All these permits will depend on that dam coming down, said Miller, who has pushed for the structures removal. Larking recommended the dams removal not only because the structure is dangerous but because the move would reduce flooding, restore fish passages, create natural sediment movement and reduce bank erosion. Also, the structure no longer serves a function and poses a danger, he said during the work session. Supporters of the dams removal have also cited deaths in recent years at the dam and others like it. Five-year-old Kolton Karnes drowned at the Brantley Steam Plant dam in 2010. He was the fourth person to drown at one of the Dan Rivers low-head dams since 1965. The dam, which was located downstream of the Long Mill dam, was removed in 2011. In August 2020, 76-year-old Axton resident Ronald Edward Reynolds died after the canoe he was in with his grandson capsized twice at the bottom of the Long Mill sometimes referred to as the White Mill Dam. Also, a deadly June 16, 2021, tubing accident claimed the lives of four family members at an 8-foot-high dam at the Duke Energy Dan River Steam Station in Eden, North Carolina. The nine family members who set out tubing that day were unaware of the dam. They [low-head dams] remain dangerous, Miller said. People continue to drown. Danville Public Works in 2016 recommended removing the dam. The firm DHM Designs Inc. (which is now Site Collaborative) in Raleigh, North Carolina, found in 2017 that demolishing the dam would restore natural habitat and an extended view up and downstream of the structure, showing water rushing over rocks in the river. Vogler questioned the idea of returning the portion of the river that includes the Long Mill dam to its natural state. What really is the natural state of the river when this dam has existed for over 120 years? he said. Referring to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers data from the 1870s and 1880s, Vogler said the the depth of the river in the stretch where the dam would be removed would range from about 3/4 of an inch to 4 feet. No current, in-depth analysis has been done to show what that river will look like when the dam is removed, he said, adding that the city wont have a riverfront park but a puddle-front park with the dam gone. The concrete dam owned by the city stretches 1,144 feet across the Dan River and is 5 feet tall. The dam is believed to have been built around 1894 to create water power for the Dan River Inc. factories along both sides of the Dan River. For most of its history, it was not accessible to the public. Saunders called removal of the dam a matter of safety and a matter of private investment, referring to the money being spent for projects, including the planned riverfront park and restoration of the White Mill building. One death is too many, Saunders said. In another matter, council voted 8-1 to approve a moral obligation agreement and a resolution authorizing the city manager to enter into an agreement with American National Bank for a $26.5 million loan for construction of part of the White Mill project. Whittle voted against approval. The $26.5 million would finance the Danville Industrial Development Authoritys part of the White Mill project, which includes the renovation and re-development of 110,675 square feet of retail and commercial space in the building and 84,773 square feet of parking space. The Supreme Courts extremist justices are aiming their next dagger at the heart of the entire democratic enterprise: voters right to pick leaders of their choice. Last Thursday, the court announced that it will hear Moore v. Harper, a North Carolina case involving gerrymandered congressional district maps drawn by the states Republican-controlled Legislature. Those maps would probably give Republicans control of 11 of 14 congressional districts in the state. North Carolinas Supreme Court rejected the maps because they violated the state constitution in illegally favoring Republicans. While the Moore case involves legislative districts, how we choose presidents is in the courts sights. More on that in a moment. In Moore, Republican state legislators petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court, advancing a debunked right-wing doctrine innocuously labeled the independent state legislature theory. It maintains that state courts can play no role in overseeing their legislatures in federal election matters. Hence, according to this baseless notion, state legislatures can do whatever they want in manipulating elections no matter how extreme the results principles of voter equality and fairness be damned, along with the states constitution, its governor and its courts. Four justices Neil Gorsuch, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh had previously signaled support for this idea. One more justice would provide a majority to give state legislatures absolute control of electoral votes in presidential elections. One of the two constitutional provisions the independent legislature theory purports to rely on is directly at issue in the Moore case. The Constitutions elections clause provides: The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof. Yet in North Carolina, the Legislature itself expressly specified that the manner of holding elections would include the state courts final authority to overturn improper districting decisions. The states General Assembly has even detailed the findings courts must make, how and where such challenges must proceed, and the courts authority to impose an alternative map. Using the independent legislature idea to throw aside North Carolinas election law would, therefore, violate the elections clause itself. And even in states whose legislatures havent specifically assigned their courts a role in elections, any ruling granting legislators alone unfettered election authority would contradict our whole constitutional scheme. It would rip all 50 state legislatures from their moorings in the state constitutions that create those legislatures and limit their authority within three branches of state government. Such a holding would commandeer states constitutions, the ultimate repository of the power the 10th Amendment reserves to the States respectively, or to the people. No less fundamental, the U.S. Constitutions Article 5 guarantees each state a republican form of government. In a republic, the people elect their representatives to make the law. That fundamental principle would lose all meaning if the Supreme Court decided to shred state constitutional provisions governing state election laws. Going into this Novembers elections, 30 state legislatures are firmly in Republican hands, including in most of the battleground states that determine presidential election outcomes. Adopting the independent state legislature theory would amount to right-wing justices making up law to create an outcome of one-party rule. Take Arizona. In 2015, a 5-4 Supreme Court decision upheld the states nonpartisan redistricting system, which voters adopted by initiative, empowering an independent body to draw electoral districts. Now, under the independent legislature theory, the court could strike down Arizonas nonpartisan scheme because the states Constitution allowed voters to make election law. Next look at Pennsylvania, a key battleground state. In March, the Supreme Court declined to block a Pennsylvania state court decision striking down Republican-drawn gerrymandered congressional maps. If the conservative justices adopt the independent legislature idea, such long-standing oversight would be stripped from the states courts. Constitutional textualists such as former federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, the preeminent conservative jurist, already see what lies ahead. Luttig recently wrote that the pushers of this debunked theory would also seek to apply it to presidential elections to steal from Democrats the presidential election in 2024. Those pressing the idea claim that state legislators may ignore the peoples vote not to mention the state judiciary and state election procedures that the legislators have themselves enacted into law because the Constitutions electors clause directs each state to appoint electors in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct. Our freedom to govern ourselves is at stake if the conservative justices embrace this theory. One possible defense is for Congress to enact the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Act, which could be invoked to defeat the way the independent legislature theory disenfranchises the states people. Arizonans and West Virginians must prevail on Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin to end their resistance to eliminating the filibuster on that bill. The Constitution gives Congress the power to set elections rules nationally for federal elections, no matter what any renegade state legislature might try to do. Voters can also elect state legislators committed to respecting the will of their constituents, regardless of the gimmicks dangled in front of them by autocrats posing as lawyers. Keeping our power as citizens to choose our leaders and keeping our republic are one and the same. We need to recognize the great peril we now face and speak out fiercely against what we can foresee unfolding in state legislatures and on the Supreme Court. GREENSBORO A police chase on foot ended with the arrest of an armed man who ran into a Lowe's hardware store, sending shoppers fleeing on Wednesday afternoon, according to police and witnesses. The shocking incident occurred around 3:30 p.m. after a concerned resident called police about a person with a handgun in the area of Utah Place, interim Police Chief Teresa Biffle said during a news conference. The street is just behind the Lowe's store at 2005 E. Cone Blvd. Biffle said when officers came into contact with the man, he immediately fled and ran into the hardware store. "Kudos to the Lowe's staff," Biffle said. "They recognized the situation and they took immediate action, started evacuating the customers from the store." Police secured the area and began "a systematic search," Biffle said. "Fortunately, the subject surrendered and he was taken into custody." Biffle said the suspect identified himself to police as 23-year-old Rayvon Barrett, but couldn't offer additional information. Barrett was charged with possession of firearm by a felon as well as a number of other offenses. Biffle said she was not aware of any injuries and that there were no shots fired during the incident. At least 50 officers responded to the scene, she said. "We put a call out when we knew we had a suspect possibly barricaded. We call in our hostage negotiation team, our special response teams and also that we can slow down and have the safest outcome possible." It was unclear how many people were inside the store at the time of the incident. Andres Mauro Perez Flores was in the lumber area of the store when he saw an officer running. "Then he heard somebody yelling like there was somebody with a gun inside," Perez Flores said through cousin Carlos Flores Lopez, who served as an interpreter. Perez Flores heard a sound, but he couldn't tell if it was a gunshot or if something was dropped somewhere in the store. After that, people started running. "Then he heard the police ... telling someone not to move," Flores Lopez said on behalf of his cousin. Ruben Adams of Greensboro was also inside the store when an employee told him to evacuate. Adams said he heard a commotion, with people shuffling around and moving fast, and employees communicating on their store walkie-talkies. He said the employee making his key told him to head for the exits. The store remained closed for several hours after Barrett was taken into custody. "It's a traumatic incident for everyone involved," Biffle said. "So (Lowe's is) making sure their employees are fine for the day." Contact Kenwyn Caranna at 336-373-7082 and follow @kcaranna on Twitter. Contact Jessie Pounds at 336-373-7002 and follow @JessiePounds on Twitter. (c)2022 the News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) Visit the News & Record (Greensboro, N.C.) at www.news-record.com The tiny Baltic country of Lithuania has always been ahead of the curve in predicting Russias aggressive intentions. Five decades under Soviet rule, and many more under Russian czars, have left few illusions about Moscow in the elegant Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. Even before Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine, Lithuanian leaders warned about the risk he posed to Western democracies. Lithuania was the first to wean itself from Russian energy. It sent Stinger missiles to Kyiv even before Russia invaded. So I was eager to interview Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda when he visited Philadelphia last weekend. He was attending the huge North American Lithuanian Dance Festival and promoting trans-Atlantic business partnerships between U.S. and Lithuanian firms. Nauseda was fresh from the NATO summit in Madrid, which came as Russia was making critical advances in eastern Ukraine. I asked if he thought the summit was successful and whether NATO members were doing enough to help Ukraine win. We are satisfied with the NATO summit, the Lithuanian leader said. One reason was NATOs increased military commitment to defending small Baltic states, which could be quickly overrun by the Russians. The accession of nearby Sweden and Finland to NATO will also help protect the Balts. Another big reason was the new NATO strategic concept document put forward in Madrid. Russia is treated as a long-term threat to NATO. We expect NATO will be ready to ... adjust itself to the new reality, Nauseda said. But when I asked if NATO members are doing enough to help Ukraine win: We are not doing enough, Nauseda said, a reference to the allied failure to deliver the long-range anti-missile and anti-aircraft weapons that might have prevented the current Russian advances. These Western weapons are dribbling in, but too slowly and in too small numbers to match the massive Russian advantage in long-range artillery and ammunition, which allows them to destroy Ukrainian towns and soldiers from afar. This is a problem, not a problem of lack of will, but of bureaucratic procedures, of slow decision-making, Nauseda argued. Here are more of Nausedas observations: Q: Do European leaders fully grasp the Russian threat? French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that the West must not humiliate Russia. Will he push for premature negotiations? A: As far as I understand him, he wants to keep the window for negotiation open. But I think even President Macron does not believe in the goodwill of Putin. We see terrible atrocities committed by Russian forces. We have lost any illusions about the true face of this. The destiny of Ukraine and freedom will be solved on the battlefield, not in diplomatic cabinets. Q: Is Putin committing genocide? A: What the Kremlin regime is committing is genocide. It is targeted attacks against innocent people because they are Ukrainians. It is hard to get into (Putins) mind. These used to be two brotherly Slavic nations Q: What does Putin want? A: Ukraine is the first step of Putin to reestablish the Soviet empire. He has said the harshest tragedy of the 20th century was the fall of the Soviet empire. Q: You have said that Ukraine must win. What does win mean? A: It means to push Russians back to the territory of Russia, and probably start negotiations, but from the stronger side. I dont think so far we are there. So far the situation is not clear. The Russians are trying to consolidate, trying to isolate Donbas and Luhansk region. The battle is undecided. Military support for Ukraine will become the crucial factor of this war. Q: What if Ukraine loses? A: I just exclude this scenario. I believe Ukraine will win this war. Of course, this is very important to us (Lithuanians), too, because if it will not be the case, we will be talking about (Russias) next targets. Putins appetite is unlimited. CHARLOTTE A strange billboard message just went up outside Charlottes airport. At first blush, some might think its downright eerie or creepy. Was She Killed to Make Your Carry-On? reads the message clearly aimed at drivers headed to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Cruelty doesnt fly. Choose Vegan. The billboard at 4560 Billy Graham Parkway includes an image of a cow, its body transformed into a tan leather carry-on bag. The name PETA appears at the bottom of the message, giving away the intent of the mysterious message. The animal-rights group hopes flyers and everyone else will choose cruelty-free, eco-conscious travel accessories, Lauren Kent, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said in an email that included a statement by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk touting vegan luggage. Vegan luggage is just the ticket for sustainable style that spares cows and shrinks our carbon footprints, Newkirk said in the statement. PETA hopes travelers will choose wisely to save all our skins by embracing innovative vegan leather made from everything from fruits and fungi to kombucha and cactus, Newkirk said. In response to questions from The Charlotte Observer, Kent said Charlottes is one of only three airports where the ad has appeared. PETA chose Charlotte Douglas because the airport is the sixth-busiest in the world, she said. The airport logged 43 million flyers last year, up 59% from the 27 million passengers in 2020, Kent said, citing a Jan. 31 Observer article. The message also is running through July on three panels in Morgantown Municipal Airport in West Virginia, a state that was named a top travel destination for 2022 by both Lonely Planet and Conde Nast Traveler, Kent said. In December, PETA placed the ad in Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, the busiest airport in Montana, the state that ranks No. 6 in cattle raised for their flesh, Kent said. The ad also ran in last months issue of Business Traveler magazine, according to Kent. We plan to place it in many more cities, to continue letting people know that purchasing leather means paying people to torment and slaughter animals, while destroying the planet, Kent said in the email. A PETA video expose of the worlds largest leather producer revealed what the organization called the cruelty involved in killing cows and bulls for their skin. In a colorful full-page ad in North Carolina newspapers several days ago, Smithfield Foods touted its commitment to the environment. It announced that good doesn't stop with our products its in everything we do. From our bold goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30% across our U.S. value chain and become carbon negative in our U.S. economy-owned operations by 2030, two innovative programs under way to reduce waste and energy use, we're committed to ensuring you not only taste the difference in Smithfield, but that we make one too. Is this the same Smithfield that was responsible for hog farms in eastern North Carolina that crowded thousands of animals into extreme confinement and ruined the lives of families who lived nearby? The answer is yes. This change in Smithfield's approach has been dramatic, but was not automatic. It took lawsuits a lot of them against Smithfield and the operators of the hog farming facilities. These lawsuits were vigorously opposed by Smithfield. The recent Smithfield advertisement features Kraig Westerbeek, vice president of renewals, who leads efforts in North Carolina and beyond to lessen our environmental impact. Ironically, Westerbeek is an important character in a new book about Smithfield and about lawsuits that it thought it could win, but that instead brought about the changes outlined in the advertisement published in newspapers last week. The litigation is chronicled in Wastelands: The True Story of Farm Country on Trial by Corban Addison. The book shows how a small but representative group of citizens with property adjoining or near Smithfield hog-raising facilities brought the company to its knees. In a foreword to Wastelands, famed author John Grisham writes that the book is the uplifting, round-by-round true story of a bunch of rural plaintiffs with no money and seemingly little hope, and the lawyers who smelled injustice and went to war on their behalf. In terms of pure storytelling this book has all the crucial elements that writers of fiction constantly struggle to find. First, according to Grisham, there is the tort, the wrongdoing, the pollution. There is the unregulated, wholesale destruction of property values and quality of life by 2,000 commercial hog farms in eastern North Carolina. Second, there are the sympathetic victims, the five hundred or so small landowners unlucky enough to have their lives ruined by massive hog farms next door. Third, there are the delightfully evil bad guys of Big Pork. Fourth, there are the lawyers, led by Salisburys Mona Lisa Wallace, who step into the ring and battle against heavy odds, gaining one big verdict and even bigger settlements. Grisham continues admiringly, Never in my most creative moments could I have assembled such a colorful and memorable cast of characters, and then blessed them with so riveting a set of facts, and then guided them through the ins and outs and uncertainties of high-stakes litigation. Beautifully written, impeccably researched and told with the air of suspense that few writers can handle, Wastelands is a story I wish I had written. One key piece of the Wastelands story is how the group of lawyers that Wallace assembled put together this cast of hundreds of small landowners whose lives and properties had been ruined by the operation of Smithfield and its predecessors. Another key is how the lawyers turned the landowners stories into winning lawsuits against Smithfield. In a later column about Wastelands, we will see how this was done. Since the Colonial era, local governments have collected names and information related to important milestones in life. Births. Marriages. Deaths. In most parts of the country, at least until Reconstruction, these records were exclusively maintained on behalf of free whites. What we know about people once enslaved is drawn largely from another type of record: bills of sale. Tucked away in county offices across much of the country, these documents often tell stories with details such as names, ages, physical descriptions and identities of previous and current owners. As preservationists, researchers and educators, were committed to locating and digitizing local government files that predate the Civil War. Weve built a grassroots movement in North Carolina, known as the People Not Property Project, to scan such documents from county registers of deeds, transcribe them and then add them to a searchable database. In recent years weve worked with records tied to people who were sold to the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet, of a man named Africa Parker who established what was possibly the first Black-owned brewery and distillery in North Carolina, and of Quakers who may have been buying the freedom for those enslaved. Now more than ever, its important to bring this kind of information to light, whether to help families understand their own place in our history or to produce knowledge that can help all Americans learn more about our earliest years. The problem facing historians, genealogists and researchers is access. Local records on file around the United States from the 18th and 19th centuries can be faded, hard to read and mostly offline. This is where we encourage local communities to lobby their elected leaders to encourage participation in the People Not Property Project. Registers (or recorders) of deeds are unsung heroes, after all. They do more than just file the property deed for your house. They are the guardians of history. And theyre also partnering with the People Not Property Project and their local communities in growing numbers as they learn how they can provide a voice to the voiceless. Already supported by a grant of nearly $300,000 from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, the People Not Property Project at UNCG will expand later this year when we begin work with documents in Washington, D.C., and in Mississippi and Alabama via The Lantern Project, which promotes a similar mission. We would be remiss not to dispel the notion that slavery was solely a Southern practice. For much of our earliest history, slavery also touched the Northern colonies, and there undoubtedly are many local offices scattered across New England and the Midwest that show exactly how weve oversimplified Americas original sin. Joining the People Not Property Project can also be politically savvy. In at least one contested race for a registers of deeds election in North Carolina, the winning candidate made participation in the project a plank in her campaign. She won and her office is now working to expand our collection. Registers dont need to rely on office staff to participate. In North Carolina, colleges and universities have been a part of our work, notably in Greensboro where a student group at Elon University School of Law has received statewide attention for its strategic and unwavering approach to transcribing hundreds of deeds. Practically, this is ideal for crowdsourcing. A large volume of information is much more manageable when you have many volunteers who can work remotely from home to review scanned documents before typing out the details into a database. Students, civic clubs, community volunteers. The possibilities are limitless when a community is dedicated to the preservation of records that might help us trace the lineage of those whose ancestors were once shackled and viewed as property, rather than recognized for their humanity. We encourage communities to lobby their registers of deeds to join the People Not Property Project. Freedom in this country encompasses more than the right to cast a vote in a democratic system of governance. Its the ability to find your place in the world, your authentic identity, based on the history of your ancestors, and what they sacrificed with the hope of a better life for you. If you like the recent changes effected by the U.S. Supreme Court, youll be pleased to know that more are likely on the way. The court has agreed to take up a case with its roots in North Carolina that could, quite literally, end democracy as we know it. We know that sounds like hyperbole. But consider: A few years ago, when the Republican-led state legislature was trying to pass gerrymandered voting maps that would give Republicans control of 11 of 14 congressional districts, the state Supreme Court said no; the unbalanced maps gave Republicans too much of an unfair advantage and disenfranchised too many voters. Rather than accept the courts judgment, leading Republicans argued that the state court had no authority to alter the legislatures maps, even if they were unfair. They referred to what they call the independent state legislature doctrine their claim that when it comes to how elections are run, no checks and balances apply; no court should be allowed to weigh in; the legislature trumps all. Despite the fact that previous legislatures had written the courts authority into the state constitution. Not satisfied with the state courts ruling, the legislature appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court where youd think the matter would be rejected. After all, the independent state legislature theory is a legal outlier. And the Supreme Court has consistently rejected it in past cases as an inaccurate interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. Instead, the court has agreed to take up the case, Moore v. Harper, in October. The mere fact that the court has agreed to hear the case and that justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh have indicated their desire to reconsider the debunked doctrine is of extreme concern. And a favorable decision would have far-reaching implications. The theory would disable state courts from protecting voting rights in federal elections by eliminating state constitutional protections in those elections, legal experts Leah Litman, Kate Shaw and Carolyn Shapiro wrote in The Washington Post earlier this month. Former federal Judge J. Michael Luttig, a preeminent conservative jurist, has warned that those who promote this debunked theory would also seek to apply it to presidential elections. State legislators could not only gerrymander to their twisted hearts content, but in 2024, they could assign their Electoral College votes to whomever they please. At that point, our votes would no longer have any meaning. Make no mistake; Democrats have done their fair share of gerrymandering and continue to do so in some states. But theyve never gone to the Supreme Court to fight for unchecked power over elections. To protect our voting rights, we must consider what we can do in response. Some of the options offered on the left eliminating the filibuster to pass the John Lewis Voting Act and expanding the Supreme Court to negate the power of a supermajority of conservative justices seem extreme. But are they more extreme than handing our elections over to partisans who are more concerned with power than political representation? One thing we could do, if enough North Carolinians understand the threat, is vote out the Republican majority in the state legislature. This seems unlikely. But in this era in which so many of our traditional institutions have been denigrated, if we dont find a way to turn from this trajectory, well instead find ourselves being ruled by partisans who wont hesitate to take more and more power from the people and impose their own will no matter the consequences. Thats not a democracy. And no, its not a republic, either. If the state legislature wins this case, all 50 state legislatures will be allowed to override their states constitutions, governors, courts and any principle of fairness to voters. Our freedom to govern ourselves is on the line. A gleaming Curtiss P-40 Warhawk streamed through a warm, still sky over Fort William Henry Harrison's old air strip and above the heads of about 1,000 onlookers there to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the First Special Service Force on Saturday morning. Known as the Devil's Brigade and the Black Devils to its enemies, the elite unit made up of some of the United States' and Canada's finest soldiers began their training at Fort Harrison in 1942. Bill Woon is a volunteer at the post's military museum. Woon's father, Dave Woon, was one of the original Canadian members of the unit. Bill Woon served as master of ceremonies during the event, sharing historical anecdotes in between pass overs of World War II aircraft. One attendee let out an "oorah!" for every parachute jumper departing the aircraft. Throughout the ceremony, 14 active duty U.S. Special Force soldiers and six members of Canadian Special Operations Regiment performed static line and free fall jumps from upward of 10,000 feet out of the famous C-47 known as Miss Montana and a CH-47 Chinook tandem rotor helicopter. Some of the jumpers wore full WWII-era garb. "The history around this place is amazing," said Deputy Commanding General of First Special Force Brig. Gen. Derek Lipson after the jumps. Woon said with a limited amount of time the unit had to prepare and the number of men, many of whom "had never been on a plane, let alone jumped out of one," who needed to be trained, the skies northwest of Helena were frequently filled with planes similar to Miss Montana packed with jumpers in training. "What you're seeing was a common sight 80 years ago," Woon said. Woon said his mother called the foothills around the range "anthills" because they were covered with men training. "They were a rough and tumble bunch," he said, noting one of the men in the first group of soldiers died only a couple of years ago at the age of 110, and 17 are living. Acting Commanding Officer of the Canadian Special Operations Regiment Lt. Col. J.F. Ferland told the crowd the historical partnership created 80 years prior remains. "To this day, the bond forged between Canadian and U.S. soldiers is baked into our DNA," Ferland said. The Devil's Brigade fought in some of WWII's bloodiest battles in Italy, and after clearing numerous heavily fortified hills, Woon said "for 99 days, the First Special Service Force wreaked havoc behind enemy lines." Following the ceremony, attendees were treated to a display of U.S. and Canadian Special Force's equipment, including weaponry, skis and vehicles, and at the service club, a rededicating of the refurbished Shorty Shope mural of the First Special Service Force. CHICAGO - Two days after a 44-year old woman plunged from an Uptown neighborhood apartment, a man was charged in connection with the suspicious death, which officials ruled a homicide. Tyson Tillman, 38, was slated to appear in court Sunday to face homicide charges in the still-unidentified womans death. Tillman was arrested Thursday at 10:29 a.m., in the 4500 block of North Magnolia Avenue moments after fighting with the woman, who fell to her death into a nearby alley, police said. The woman died of multiple injuries from a fall from height, according to the Cook County medical examiners office, which ruled her death a homicide. Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears encouraged Republican candidates running for public offices in the November elections to campaign for minority voters. It can be done, Sears said about a GOP effort to attract Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans to vote for Republican candidates. It will be done, and you are the ones to do it. Sears, 58, a Republican, delivered the keynote speech Saturday at the Forsyth County Republican Partys fundraising event at the Legacy Stable and Events in southeastern Winston-Salem. More than 200 people, including Republican elected officials, candidates and GOP officials, attended. Sears, a Marine veteran and a Jamaican immigrant, was part of a Republican sweep of Virginias top offices in the November 2021 elections in the Commonwealth. Sears took office in January along with Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares. She is the first Black woman to be elected to statewide office in Virginia. During her 40-minute speech, Sears told the audience how she won a close election for the lieutenant governors job in Virginia. She also spoke about her background and her support for gun rights, school choice and conservative solutions to social problems that plague society. In January 2021, Sears entered the race with five other candidates and endured the aftermath of the November 2020 elections in which Republican President Donald Trump lost to Democratic President Joe Biden as well as the special election in January 2021 in which two Democratic Senate candidates prevailed. It was hard, Sears said of her campaign. We didnt have any money. But we kept going. And the Democrats kept making silly mistakes. Sears said she managed to receive enough support from Democratic voters to win. Her victory demonstrates that Republicans should and must grow their party in part by attracting minorities to support their candidates, Sears said. The Republican Party is a business, Sears said. And a business needs new customers. Sears urged Republican candidates to advertise their candidacies in minority-owned newspapers and on minority-oriented radio stations as well as broadcast their political ads during TV programs that Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans are watching. Whatever the Democrats dont want you to do, then do that, Sears said. We are not running from the fight. We are not leaving the battlefield. We must bring common sense back, Sears said. We must reach the people. Otherwise, we deserve what we get. Many prominent elected officials attended the event, including U.S. Rep. Ted Budd, R-13th, who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in North Carolina, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-5th, State Sen. Joyce Krawiec, R-Forsyth, State Rep. Jeff Zenger, R-Forsyth, and Republican State Treasurer Dale Folwell. Several Republicans running for the N.C. General Assembly and for seats on the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education also attended the fundraising event. In his invocation, the Rev. Robert Barr, a local school board candidate, thanked God for the U.S. Supreme Court recently overturning the Roe vs. Wade decision that provided a constitutional right to abortion. Tickets to the GOP fundraising event were $100 each, said Ken Raymond, the chairman of the Forsyth County Republican Party. Organizers set a goal to raise $96,000 from the event, and whose proceeds would go to Republican candidates running for public office this fall, Raymond said. Before her speech, Sears said she traveled to the event to support Forsyth County Republicans. Weve got elections coming up, and we have to remember that voters need to hear from both sides, Sears said. We must not take any vote for granted, and we must not assume when it comes to minorities that they are not willing to hear our message. I think we have a message of hope and hope for our children, and we want our children to thrive. After her speech, Robert Clark, a Republican member of the Winston-Salem City Council, described Sears as a rising star among Republican elected officials. The state of Virginia gave us a blueprint of how we can win in 2022 and 2024, Clark said. While the U.S. Supreme Courts July 1 decision limiting the federal governments authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power plants dealt a blow to President Joe Bidens national climate goals, it likely will have little impact on North Carolina, experts say. Thats because the N.C. General Assembly did on a state level what the Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia v. EPA that Congress had not: establish detailed standards for reducing the level of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by the energy sector. The high courts six conservative justices ruled that the 1970 Clean Air Act did not give the Environmental Protection Agency explicit authority to regulate carbon emissions from the nations power plants. The responsibility to establish such federal standards, the majority argued, falls solely with the legislative branch. The ruling really underscores the need for states to take the lead on climate change, said Gudrun Thompson, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center. In an uncharacteristic display of North Carolina bipartisanism, legislation passed by the Republican-led General Assembly and signed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper in October 2021 did just that by requiring the N.C. Utilities Commission to take all reasonable steps to reduce carbon emissions from the states electricity production by 70% in 2030 and reach net-zero status by the middle of the century. Stan Meiburg, who spent nearly four decades at the EPA the last three years as acting deputy administrator from 2014 to 2017 called the states across-the-aisle efforts to combat climate change a very big deal. It says in North Carolina, there are Republicans who are concerned enough about climate change and are willing to depart from some perceived orthodoxy, added Meiburg, now the director of Wake Forest Universitys graduate programs in sustainability. I thought that was a very encouraging sign. Cooper, when he signed the climate legislation last year, acknowledged that the measure united unlikely allies. Making transformative change is often controversial and never easy, especially when there are different points of view on big, complex issues, the governor said. But coming to the table to find common ground is how government should work. The electricity-generation sector is the second largest producer of greenhouse gases in North Carolina, so the states commitment to reducing emissions from power plants is critical to efforts to minimize rising temperatures that climate scientists say are already fueling more destructive storms, heavier rainfall, increased flooding and extreme droughts. As Duke goes ... Duke Energy, North Carolinas largest utility, submitted a proposal in May outlining how it would meet the states 2030 and 2050 emissions requirements. That so-called carbon plan has generated its share of opposition from environmental groups, largely because of its increased reliance on natural gas as the company continues to retire coal-fired units. Among those critics is the Southern Environmental Law Center, which along with the N.C. Sustainable Energy Association is planning to submit an alternative Duke carbon plan on behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Sierra Club. That proposal would achieve our states carbon-reduction goals at least cost to ratepayers by rapidly phasing out expensive, polluting fossil fuels, ramping up clean renewable energy and maximizing low-cost energy efficiency all while centering equity and environmental justice, said the SELCs Thompson. The utilities commission has until the end of the year to approve Dukes submitted carbon plan, incorporate elements of multiple proposals or come up with its own roadmap for the companys journey to net-zero emissions. That strategic decision has been made and as Duke goes, so does the rest of the state, Wake Forests Meiburg noted. But he also predicted that market forces and investor influence will inspire climate action elsewhere, including in red states. A steady national shift to emission-free vehicles is one example of consumer-driven behavior that ultimately will have an outsized climate impact. In the U.S., transportation generates 27% of greenhouse gas emissions, the largest of any sector, according to the EPA. As the cost of electric vehicles continues to fall and more charging stations come online, plugging in is becoming the practical choice for many drivers, especially as gasoline prices remain high. In North Carolina, Cooper has set a goal of having at least 1.25 million registered emission-free vehicles in the state by 2030. As of March 31, about 28,000 fully electric were registered in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Nearly 170,000 hybrids also are operating in the state. Federal tax credits for the purchase of new electric vehicles range from $2,500 to $7,500, depending on battery capacity. Pressure and scrutiny A growing number of U.S. companies, particularly those that are answerable to stockholders, arent waiting for government mandates to aggressively shrink their own carbon footprints and increase corporate transparency through what is known as Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) disclosures. Those reports often include progress toward targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It creates a certain amount of incentive and pressure and scrutiny, even if people arent satisfied with the ESG targets that are being met, Meiburg said of the voluntary disclosures. And just the fact that the companies will make them public offers up the opportunity for someone to say, Are you really meeting this commitment? Proposed new rules from the U.S. Security and Exchange Commission are aimed at eliminating any such doubt about climate-related information. If approved, they would require companies to provide a broad accounting of their greenhouse gas production including so-called Scope 3 emissions, which are generated upstream in the pre-production supply chain and downstream with the distribution and use of finished projects. Emissions tied to electricity used in a companys production process also falls under the same umbrella. Having a set of rules for disclosure that comes out of the SEC does make companies sit up and pay attention, Meiburg explained. Investors will judge whether their investment in your company is responsible. Paying for carbon North Carolina may soon have another powerful carbon-cutting tool. Officials with the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality are drafting rules that would clear the way for the states entry into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. RGGI, an initiative involving 11 eastern states, requires power producers to essentially pay for their emissions by buying carbon dioxide allowances. The cap-and-invest process serves as a financial incentive for electric utilities to move away from the use of fossil fuels, and generates funding for states to invest in programs that improve energy efficiency and accelerate the shift to renewable energy. The first two quarterly allowance auctions this year have generated more than $600 million. Virginia, the only North Carolina neighbor in RGGI, took in more than $150 million of those funds. However, as North Carolina looks to become part of the initiative under Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, Virginias Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, is calling on his commonwealth to withdraw from RGGI over fears that continued membership will lead to higher energy prices. That has not been the case so far. An Environmental Defense Fund study concluded that in RGGIs first decade, electric rates in member states fell 5.7% but increased in the rest of the country. The initiative has been successful in reducing emissions while generating $5.3 billion in revenue since 2008, the SLECs Thompson added. It really is a valuable program that has a lot of proven benefits, she said. The states Environmental Management Commission will eventually decide on North Carolinas entry into RGGI. Wake Forests Meiburg served as chairman of the panel when it voted 9-3 in July 2021 to start the process of joining the initiative. I was in favor of whatever measure would produce carbon reductions in North Carolina as quickly and as efficiently and as cheaply as possible, he said this week. RGGI was one option, and I think its a good system. With state-mandated emissions reductions already in place, however, the question is, would all the regulatory work be worth it? Meiburg added. This past Fourth of July, I read the following post on Facebook: I have never felt less patriotic! I suspect the sentiment was related to recent Supreme Court rulings headlined by guns and abortion. Such feelings are understandable, but the premise, however, is not. In fact, it roughly is 180 degrees from where this individual needs to be if change is the outcome they seek. If the current climate is unacceptable, the uniqueness of the American project suggests that one should perhaps feel more emboldened. Granted, not since the Civil War have Americans viewed each other as such an existential threat, but does that suggest that ones love of country is tied to a specific set of outcomes? When the founders of this nation mutually pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor by signing their names to the Declaration of Independence, the betting money was not with them. But they dug wells of democracy deep enough so that others not originally included could quench their thirst. It is commonplace on July 4 for some to offer the following excerpt on social media from Frederick Douglass 1852 address: What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. In the context of the entire speech, Douglass was pointing out the paradox of the American narrative, which in my view is the nations through line. It is only by reading the entire speech that one learns that Douglass did not cite the aforementioned hypocrisy as a reason to check out but to declare his willingness to directly engage the paradox. Hence the passage below: I have said that the Declaration of Independence is the ring-bolt to the chain of your nations destiny; so, indeed, I regard it. The principles contained in that instrument are saving principles. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost. After escaping bondage, Douglass could have remained in London, critiquing Americas commitment to benefit from an economic model that placed owning people at its epicenter from across the pond. But he returned armed with the American values that had initially disenfranchised him. Throughout the nations history, many have come to Americas birthday disappointed because the nation has not lived up to their preconceived expectations. This is the uncomfortable phenomenon that is germane when one lives in a pluralistic society. In this context, the fact that the nation has fallen short of ones vision should inspire ones patriotism, not diminish it. It is a fallacious assumption to believe there is a stilted definition that neatly describes the American narrative. Ones patriotism should not be calibrated by the actions of individuals in a moment in time. Rather it should be measured by the words committed to parchment. If there were a museum committed to the thinking of the Enlightenment, as one perused through the works of thinkers such as John Locke, Charles Montesquieu and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the final exhibit in the museum would unquestionably be a copy of the Declaration of Independence. This near-perfect document, crafted by flawed hands, took two centuries of Enlightenment thinking and condensed it into a single sentence to establish the American ideal: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Though liberty and equality are the self-evident truths that form Americas civic virtue, what has not been so obvious has been the nations collective commitment to authentically realize those goals. America has always relied, often against its will, on the marginalized to move it closer to its stated goals. Had those voices remained silent, not only would America remain in the throes of arrested development, they would become the unwitting allies perpetuating a corrosive status quo. My advice to the individual who did not feel patriotic is no different than that offered by Douglass shortly before his death in 1895. When Douglass was asked what advice he would give to a young Black American, he responded: Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! That remains the essential ingredient in the American narrative for change. Moreover, its codified in the Constitution. Hello, America, try not to get shot today. Thats it; thats the lede. In whats obviously become the safest country in the world so long as youre invested in this guns-make-us-safer psychosis, you can now get shot for the way you make a sandwich. Or did you miss that story in the wrap-up of the overnight carnage? Man walks into Subway sandwich shop in Atlanta last Sunday night and places his order, which includes one fateful word: mayo. Brittany Macon, 26, makes it for him. Brittany is apparently too generous with the mayo. Man shoots Brittany dead. Then turns and shoots another young woman in front of her 5-year-old. That woman survived. The price of safety seems awfully high, does it not? Poor Brittany had been putting sandwiches together at the Subway for less than a month. Had she been trained on the exact apportionment of mayo for members of our well-regulated militia? Because in America, that kind of oversight can end your life. It breaks my heart to know that someone has the audacity to point a weapon and shoot someone for as little as too much mayonnaise on a sandwich, said Willie Glenn, who co-owns that particular Subway and spoke with a local TV station. Glenn called the shooting victims model employees. Police arrested a 36-year-old Atlanta man with ridiculously exacting sandwich standards later that night, but anywhere in America tonight, and then again tomorrow night and the night after that, someone will get shot for less. No one need ever again explain that our absolutist gun culture, in conjunction with the gun lobby and the despicably gutless politicians in its pocket, have essentially turned America into Chris Rocks neighborhood, a place the great comic once described as so bad you can get shot while youre getting shot. When 5% of the worlds population is toting around almost half of all the privately owned firearms on the planet, I dont think you have to be an expert on anything to understand that bad things are going to happen. The key dynamic in America, however, is that we dont care. Because your right to own an assault rifle as well as a high-capacity magazine shall not be infringed, 7-year-olds are just going to have to deal with their little thoughts about getting randomly slaughtered. Because America. But dont worry; theres a new gun law in town thanks to President Joe Biden and some pliable Republicans who have boldly responded to the public cries of Do Something! in the weeks after 19 elementary schoolers and two of their teachers were annihilated in Texas and 10 people died in a New York grocery store massacre. Well, theyve done something, at least to the extent something can be defined as right next door to nothing. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Biden has signed and for which hes planning a showy White House event July 11, enhances background checks on gun buyers under 21, directs money to states to establish red flag laws, adds serious dating partners to the list of domestic abusers who wont be allowed to buy guns (previously limited to spouses and domestic partners) and directs funding to mental health and school safety programs. Thats something? Smells like nothing. Nearly 70% of Americans support an outright ban on assault weapons, but have to settle for some tinkering on dating partners because their government simply wont listen to them. To have any measurable impact, the bill Biden just delivered would had to have included not only an assault weapons ban but a ban on high-capacity magazines. It should have raised the legal age for purchasing a handgun to 21, established universal background checks that included internet sales and sales at gun shows, and much, much more. If the government is suddenly in the business of requiring women to carry their rapists baby to term, I suppose itll soon get around to requiring everyone to carry a gun as well. That said, I still wouldnt bring 13 items to the 12-items-or-less line, and whatever you do, do not say, in my presence, it is what it is. As for you sandwich makers, relax. I never ask for mayo. Our pride about our home state Is the proudest pride indeed. And were proud to be Americans Until we can secede. One More Stupid Song About Texas, Austin Lounge Lizards Recently in this space I commented on the newly adopted Texas Republican Party platform in which delegates to the state convention vented their frustrations about everything from the teaching of critical race theory and sex education in schools to the results of the 2020 election and predatory towing (Everythings wilder in Texas, June 26). An alert reader pointed out that I neglected to comment on what is possibly the most eye-popping of the 275 planks in the platform. Indeed, I did. After some deliberation I decided that the Republican assertion that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States merited a column all its own. You may recall that Texas has been a country before. It won a war of independence from Mexico in 1836 and was an independent nation until it joined the Union in 1845, only to secede, along with North Carolina and nine other Southern states, 16 years later. Baylor University, from which I received a degree, was chartered by the Republic of Texas. Having once been a country, Texas has some things in place for a second shot at nationhood. The state coat of arms a five-pointed star wrapped in a wreath that is adorned with what appear to be acorns is left over from the last time Texas was a country. The state flag sporting the lone star was also adopted in 1839. In addition, Texas has its own national heroes Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Sam Houston (who refused to sign on to secession in 1861 and was promptly relieved of his duties as governor) and its iconic shrine, the Alamo, of which Texans are proud and possessive. The recent Republican platform asserts firmly: Texass authority regarding the Alamo shall not be infringed upon by any organization or authority, including ... the federal government. Independent nations must defend their citizens, and a plank in the Republican Party platform refers to the Texas Military, but unless that is a reference to the Texas National Guard, I dont know what that is. But one should not overlook the fact that, according to one source, there are 51 million guns in Texas (population 30 million), more guns than in all the countries in the European Union (population 300 million) combined. If you find comfort in that. Visions of assuming its rightful place among the nations are not new in Texas. Lone Star has long billed itself as the national beer of Texas. Texans proudly refer to their state as a whole nuther country, and in their state song they sing, O empire, wide and glorious. Novelist John Steinbeck said, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner. The question remains: Can they do that? Can Texas or any state opt out of the United States the way one cancels ones membership in a neighborhood association? The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whose word I assume carries weight in Texas, said, when asked about the legal basis for secession, If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. Scalia was echoing the opinion of Chief Justice Samuel Chase who wrote in a majority opinion in 1869 in a case involving Texas, When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. As in one nation, under God, indivisible. Nonetheless, the delegates to the Texas Republican Party convention urged the Texas legislature (which they control) to pass (a) bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the 2023 general election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation. What would the Republic of Texas 2.0 look like? See the Republican Party platform. I know that sounds off-the-wall even for Texas. But think about it. Dana Milbank, writing in the Washington Post, pointed out that if Texas seceded, Democrats would have a 50-48 advantage in the Senate, and there would be three dozen fewer Republicans in the House. No more Ted Cruz? No more Louie (Pardon me) Gohmert? You think the rest of us could vote in that referendum? Our pride about our home state Is the proudest pride indeed. And were proud to be Americans Until we can secede. One More Stupid Song About Texas, Austin Lounge Lizards Recently in this space I commented on the newly adopted Texas Republican Party platform in which delegates to the state convention vented their frustrations about everything from the teaching of critical race theory and sex education in schools to the results of the 2020 election and predatory towing (Everythings wilder in Texas, June 26). An alert reader pointed out that I neglected to comment on what is possibly the most eye-popping of the 275 planks in the platform. Indeed, I did. After some deliberation I decided that the Republican assertion that Texas retains the right to secede from the United States merited a column all its own. You may recall that Texas has been a country before. It won a war of independence from Mexico in 1836 and was an independent nation until it joined the Union in 1845, only to secede, along with North Carolina and nine other Southern states, 16 years later. Baylor University, from which I received a degree, was chartered by the Republic of Texas. Having once been a country, Texas has some things in place for a second shot at nationhood. The state coat of arms a five-pointed star wrapped in a wreath that is adorned with what appear to be acorns is left over from the last time Texas was a country. The state flag sporting the lone star was also adopted in 1839. In addition, Texas has its own national heroes Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and Sam Houston (who refused to sign on to secession in 1861 and was promptly relieved of his duties as governor) and its iconic shrine, the Alamo, of which Texans are proud and possessive. The recent Republican platform asserts firmly: Texass authority regarding the Alamo shall not be infringed upon by any organization or authority, including ... the federal government. Independent nations must defend their citizens, and a plank in the Republican Party platform refers to the Texas Military, but unless that is a reference to the Texas National Guard, I dont know what that is. But one should not overlook the fact that, according to one source, there are 51 million guns in Texas (population 30 million), more guns than in all the countries in the European Union (population 300 million) combined. If you find comfort in that. Visions of assuming its rightful place among the nations are not new in Texas. Lone Star has long billed itself as the national beer of Texas. Texans proudly refer to their state as a whole nuther country, and in their state song they sing, O empire, wide and glorious. Novelist John Steinbeck said, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word. A Texan outside of Texas is a foreigner. The question remains: Can they do that? Can Texas or any state opt out of the United States the way one cancels ones membership in a neighborhood association? The late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whose word I assume carries weight in Texas, said, when asked about the legal basis for secession, If there was any constitutional issue resolved by the Civil War, it is that there is no right to secede. Scalia was echoing the opinion of Chief Justice Samuel Chase who wrote in a majority opinion in 1869 in a case involving Texas, When, therefore, Texas became one of the United States, she entered into an indissoluble relation. As in one nation, under God, indivisible. Nonetheless, the delegates to the Texas Republican Party convention urged the Texas legislature (which they control) to pass (a) bill in its next session requiring a referendum in the 2023 general election for the people of Texas to determine whether or not the State of Texas should reassert its status as an independent nation. What would the Republic of Texas 2.0 look like? See the Republican Party platform. I know that sounds off-the-wall even for Texas. But think about it. Dana Milbank, writing in the Washington Post, pointed out that if Texas seceded, Democrats would have a 50-48 advantage in the Senate, and there would be three dozen fewer Republicans in the House. No more Ted Cruz? No more Louie (Pardon me) Gohmert? You think the rest of us could vote in that referendum? The National Association of Health Underwriters honored Michael D. Gray (Nebraska) and John M. Word III (California) as recipients of the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award at the organization's 92nd Annual Convention this week in Austin, Texas. Awarded annually to the industry's "Person of the Year," the Harold R. Gordon Memorial Award is NAHU's highest honor. Winners are selected by a committee of past recipients based on the contributions they have made to the health insurance industry. "After the pandemic prevented us from presenting this prestigious award for the past two years, I feel particularly grateful to honor two recipients who embody visionary leadership and steadfast commitment to bettering the health insurance industry," said Janet Trautwein, CEO of NAHU. "For more than 25 years, Michael Gray has worked relentlessly to grow the association," Trautwein said. "His hard work and passion have inspired countless members to step up and become leaders within the industry. Though he never seeks recognition for his accomplishments, he is incredibly deserving of this award." Gray has held leadership positions in his local chapter, in the Nebraska state chapter and as the Region 4 vice president on NAHU's Board of Trustees. He has recruited no fewer than 70 new members into the association. Gray is perhaps best-known as the driving force behind NAHU's political action committee. Under his leadership, HUPAC has grown and fundraised to new levels. Gray's selflessness, people-centered leadership and dedication aren't limited to the NAHU community. He serves on the board of the Community Health Partners Initiative, which aims to improve the health of people in Lincoln and Lancaster Counties in Nebraska. At CHPI, he championed an effort to secure a grant for a health center that now helps thousands of individuals each year. Gray is a friend to all and a committed leader who always puts others before himself. His dedication to improving his association and his community has served as an inspiration to everyone who knows him. Lincoln, Nebraska (July 9, 2022) Swanson Russell welcomes Mckenna Arthur, Kenny Bottoms, Scot Eaton, Katie House, Nathan Schreiter, Olivia McCown and Grace Niemeyer. Arthur joins the agency as a project manager in the Lincoln office. Prior to coming to Swanson Russell, she served as both marketing coordinator and content/QA coordinator at RKD Group. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Arthur earned a bachelors degree in advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bottoms joins Swanson Russell as a project manager in the Omaha office. Before joining the agency, Bottoms served as a local search strategist at Hurrdat. The Parker, Colorado, native earned a bachelors degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the University of Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Eaton joins the agency as an associate designer in the Lincoln office. Before coming to Swanson Russell, he served as a graphic designer at the Nebraska Hospital Association, as well as served in graphic design internship roles with Runza and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. Hailing from Malcolm, Nebraska, Eaton earned a degree in graphic design media arts from Southeast Community College. House joins Swanson Russell as an art director working remotely from the Kansas City area. Prior to joining the agency, House worked as a graphic designer then art director at MMGY Global. Originally hailing from Leawood, Kansas, House earned a bachelors degree in design and visual communications from the University of Kansas-Lawrence. Schreiter joins the agency as an account manager in Lincoln. Before joining Swanson Russell, Schreiter served as creative marketing operations manager at Firespring and as a marketing specialist/campaign manager at Arbor Day Foundation. He is currently president of the American Marketing Association, Lincoln chapter. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native earned a bachelors degree in marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. McCown joins Swanson Russell as an associate writer/producer in the Omaha office. McCown comes aboard full-time after serving as a copywriting intern at the agency. Prior, she served in various marketing roles at Lincoln Public Schools and Nonprofit Hub. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native earned a bachelors degree in journalism, advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Niemeyer joins the agency as a public relations associate based in Lincoln. Before joining Swanson Russell, Niemeyer served in a variety of event management and marketing roles. Most recently, she worked as a project manager and then manager of content services at Propaganda3 in Kansas City. The Cortland, Nebraska, native earned a bachelors degree in communication with an emphasis in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. Swanson Russell is a nationally recognized full-service branding, advertising and public relations agency in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. The agency partners with clients across many industries while specializing in agriculture, construction, landscape/turf, outdoor recreation and healthcare. To learn how Swanson Russell builds a Real Connection between brands and audiences, visit swansonrussell.com. Don Walton Political reporter/columnist Don Walton covers politics and the Legislature along with writing a weekly column. Follow Don Walton 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 A coup in Kearney. The sudden takeover of Nebraska's Republican Party by conservative activists many or perhaps most of whom appear to be strong supporters of Donald Trump was a lightning strike. It's no longer the party led by Gov. Pete Ricketts and that's a stunning overnight reversal of Republican politics in the state. Perhaps it's also a reminder that the governor is down to his last six months in office when elected leaders acquire the awkward title of lame duck and power begins to invisibly seep away. Since I wasn't in Kearney, I don't have the on-the-scene presence that is so important in understanding how this happened and exactly what it means. But the on-the-scene reporting was excellent, so it's clear that this was a well-planned and well-executed takeover. The coup in Kearney raises some questions: * Will the party be as helpful, or useful, in supporting Jim Pillen's gubernatorial bid now as it had been prepared to be? It appears that many of those engaged in the takeover supported Charles Herbster over Pillen in the Republican gubernatorial primary race. Robert Borer of Lincoln, who received 72,150 votes in a bid for the Republican nomination for secretary of state in the May primary election, was seated at the convention after being denied credentials by the party. He is now a write-in candidate for governor. * In the wake of mass resignations of key state party officials following the takeover and the split with Ricketts, will the party be able to be an effective fundraising and organizational machine? Vince Powers says no. Yes, yes, he is a Democrat, but he has had the experience of having been a state party chairman and understands the fundraising challenges along with the nexus with national party funding tools. "It is doubtful new NEGOP leadership can raise money nor will national repubs trust NEGOP w/big dollars," Powers tweeted in response to the news from Kearney. These are questions, not answers, at this point. * * * Doug Bereuter put country above party when he was a member of Congress and he still does today. I'm not sure there's much of that left in the Congress today. The priorities often appear to be the next election and perhaps the next Supreme Court vacancy. It's probably not all that fair to single out Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, but he's one senator who has made it absolutely clear that country isn't at the top of his list. "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president," he said in 2010. McConnell blocked Senate consideration of Obama's nominee to fill a U.S. Supreme Court vacancy when there were roughly 11 months left in his presidency and then rushed through confirmation of President Trump's nomination of a justice a week before Trump was defeated for reelection. And now he has declined to say whether the Senate would even consider a nomination to the court by President Biden during the last two years of his presidential term if Republicans gain control of the Senate in the 2022 general election. That's breathtaking. * * * Norfolk Mayor Josh Moenning, who has championed downtown riverfront development in Norfolk, reenergizing the city and making it more attractive for young new residents, will not be pursuing the legislative seat opened by the election of Mike Flood to Congress. "I think being mayor of a first-class city in our state is one of the best jobs in politics," he wrote on Facebook last week. "A) You can have an immediate impact and see positive change happen before your eyes. "B) You can engage directly in the work of community building, bringing new ideas, new ways of doing things and new voices to the table. "C) You can do all this outside the hyper-partisan environment that dominates both federal (certainly) and state (ever-increasingly) government and so often stifles forward movement." Gov. Pete Ricketts will appoint a senator to serve the remaining two years of Flood's term, and then District 19 voters will elect a senator to a four-year term in 2024. * * * Finishing up: * A bust of Ted Sorensen, who earned his law degree at the University of Nebraska in 1951, will be dedicated at the Law College on Aug. 26. * Secretary of State Bob Evnen and participants in a Nebraska agricultural trade mission met with the prime minister and the foreign minister while they were in Bulgaria. * Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, an outspoken and energetic state senator, has been chosen to participate in a Council of State Governments leadership development program. She's one of 48 legislators selected from 32 states. * Doesn't it begin to seem increasingly possible that the names of Donald Trump, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris may not be on the presidential ballot in 2024? Nebraska District 1 live special election results U.S. Congressional District 1 seat Candidate Party Votes Percentage Mike Flood Republican 56,085 52.05% Patty Pansing Brooks Democrat 51,662 47.95% Results by county County Flood Pansing Brooks Butler 1,184 257 Cass 2,693 1,453 Colfax 844 146 Cuming 1,164 228 Dodge 3,439 1,878 Lancaster 30,200 39,354 Madison 4,757 878 Platte 1,256 360 Polk * 387 82 Sarpy * 6,601 5,942 Seward 1,940 868 Stanton 1,620 216 Local breaking Polls are open. Here's what you need to know about special election Voters on Tuesday will decide on whether to send Mike Flood or Patty Pansing Brooks to Washington to complete former Rep. Jeff Fortenberry's 1 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. Of Nebraskas eight original counties, as shown in this 1854 map, none is more confusing than Pierce, which had its name changed to Ottoe (sic) the following year. None of the original eight, created by Acting Governor Cuming, retained their boundaries and eight of the 16 new counties subsequently designated completely disappeared while the first territorial census on Nov. 20, 1854, combined Forney and Pierce counties. That first census showed Pierce and Forney counties' total population was 614, including children and nine slaves, while the entire Nebraska Territory counted 2,732 in an area of about the size of France and the British Islands combined. Because the precise boundary between Nebraska and Kansas was unclear and felt to have counted some Kansans in Nebraska, a second census was ordered in 1855 and Pierce County as such, ceased to exist. A few years later, a new Pierce County appeared in the northeast corner of the territory that subsequently added 6 square miles taken from Cedar County and tier of precincts from LEau Qui Court to the north, creating the square, 345,000-acre county existing today. In 1859, the territorial legislature officially created the new Pierce County, named for Franklin Pierce, 14th president of the United States and the youngest to be elected at that point in history. Accounts vary, but in 1866, 1867 or 1869, a German colony from Wisconsin headed by Rev. Heckendorf arrived in the southeast area of Pierce County. When members of the group split on exactly where they would settle, a sign reading hader (fight) was placed on a pole. That became the village of Hadar, respelled to prevent confusion with an existing U.S. city. In 1870, Harvard Law School graduate J.H. Brown and Robert Lucas, whose father had twice been governor of Ohio and later appointed Territorial Governor of Iowa, arrived. The land they acquired was originally granted to Daniel Green as Revolutionary War Soldiers Bounty. Greens widow sold or transferred a portion to George Weare of Sioux City, Iowa, who then sold a half-section to Brown, who in turn sold half of that to Lucas. Brown then built a sod and slab cabin on the bank of Willow Creek, followed by Lucas building one. Both cabins were on the south side of Willow Creek where it joined the North Fork of the Elkhorn River. Browns house was described as a cabin, while Lucas was a 1 1/2-story frame structure. Pierce County in its new location was officially organized in the summer of 1870. The attendant election set the county seat at the village of Pierce, which was within Brown and Lucas property and also made Brown the county clerk, while Lucas became a county commissioner and county judge. A subsequent announcement estimated the county population at 152 and noted that Brown was offering 200,000 acres of choice land for sale at various sites. He quickly built an addition to his house, which became a hotel, temporary courthouse and, in October, was made the village post office. In the spring of the following year, a vote of 46-24 passed a bond issue of $15,000 to build a courthouse. The bonds, however, were never issued, as tax collection completely paid the ultimate $4,000 cost of the courthouse. 1871 also saw the survey and plat of the 56-square-block city of Pierce and completion of a school that doubled as a church. The courthouse was completed in 1872 on the city square, which was bounded by Court, Pierce, Lucas and Brown streets. In 1874, Lucas was elected to the Nebraska Legislature. Railroad interest in Pierce County then began in earnest, with frequent reports in the Pierce County Call, which began operation in October of 1877. Bonds were approved in the amount of $88,000 (or $85,000) for the Covington, Columbus & Black Hills Railroad and $60,000 for the Omaha, Niobrara & Black Hills Railroad, but when neither started construction, the bonds were, like the courthouse bonds, never issued. Ultimately, the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad contracted with the Western Railway Construction Co. to build a line across Pierce County that was completed in 1880. William B. Chilvers settled at the head of Dry Creek, which developed as the village of Plainview. The city of Pierce incorporated in 1883, which claimed a population of 1,215. At the beginning of the 20th century, the F.E. & M.V. Railroad was leased by the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad and later purchased by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. By that time, there were 59.3 miles of rail line in the county, which had grown to a population of 8,445, and it was announced there were 800 acres of sugar beets under cultivation in the county, which was also noted as being No. 2 in the state in terms of cheese production. As an interesting statistic, Pierce Countys population growth was published at a 691% growth in its first decade and a minus 1.42% growth between the last two U.S. Census figures. Today, the countys population is estimated at 7,157, while Pierce County claims it is one of the very few in Nebraska to have never had a county seat location challenge. There are currently six incorporated towns and villages in Pierce County Foster, Hadar, McLean, Osmond, Pierce and Plainview. Wee Town is unincorporated. RACINE It all started with a PowerPoint. Concerned about what could have been considered classified communications being shared with members of the public, in August 2017, Racine City Attorney Scott Letteney led a behind-closed-doors meeting with the City Council. During that meeting, a PowerPoint slideshow was shown. It contained 70-plus slides depicting communications between city staff and three aldermen that were later shared by aldermen with members of the public. Letteney asserted those messages should not have been shared with the public, and were confidential communications between elected city officials and appointed city officials that should not have been public knowledge. That one meeting has sparked a series of court hearings in multiple courts, at least one gag order, a prolonged records request being fought by city administration, more than $200,000 in taxpayer dollars being spent on attorneys fees and on Wednesday a Wisconsin Court of Appeals decision thats been applauded by open records advocates. And what was that decision? That a former alderman and her attorney should be allowed to have a copy of a PowerPoint they have already seen. The former alderman, Sandy Weidner, said she still isnt sure whats next in the case. My interpretation (of Wednesdays ruling) is that my open records request should have been granted back when I first made it back in 2017, she said in a phone interview. The court ruled Wednesday: The City argues that the entire PowerPoint is privileged. However, we (the Court of Appeals) need not reach that issue because assuming the entire PowerPoint is privileged, the City waived the privilege by its voluntary actions in showing the PowerPoint at the meeting where Weidner was present Given these facts, and the fact that Weidner actually attended the meeting without objection, we determine that the City waived any claim to attorney-client privilege for the PowerPoint with respect to Weidner. A status hearing in the Kenosha County Circuit Court is scheduled for 9 a.m. Aug. 17 in front of Judge Chad G. Kerkman; the case had originally been in front of Racine County Circuit Court Judge Eugene Gasiorkiewicz, who had previously sealed the case. A total of four different judges have presided over the case so far. Bill Lueders, who heads the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, wrote in a newsletter reacting to Wednesdays decision a state appellate court found that the City of Racine was wrong to deny access to records it had shared during a presentation to an alderperson who requested them. Congratulations to Sandra Weidner for her defense of the publics right to know, and to the court of appeals for at long last getting this one right. PowerPoint still semi-secret The August 2017 closed-door meeting was held in the midst of Weidners mayoral run, a race eventually won by Cory Mason. Letteney had said he planned to refer aldermen to the Board of Ethics to review the communications, but no reprimand ever resulted. At the time, the late Denis Wiser was acting as interim mayor after the resignation of John Dickert. Months after the closed-door meeting, Weidner, who was still an alderman at the time prior to not seeking reelection in 2020, requested a copy of the PowerPoint presentation. She said the majority of the slideshow was directed at her own communications with constituents. Letteneys office denied Weidners request, claiming the PowerPoint couldnt be shared with Weidner because of attorney-client privilege, even though Weidner had already been shown the presentation; in this case, client would refer to the aldermen. Several of the emails known to have been included in the PowerPoint do not appear to be what would normally be considered private information that should not be available to the public. One of them was an email sent to a former Journal Times reporter about scheduling for a public meeting. Another of them reportedly was about a separate PowerPoint presentation that would be shown at a public meeting. Weidner appealed the denial to the records request to the Racine County Circuit Court. The case gets more complicated, convoluted and expensive from there. Weidners appeal to the open records request being denied was sealed by Judge Gasiorkiewicz, preventing the public from having any way of knowing about it. The case was originally filed Nov. 29, 2017, it was later revealed. The case entered public knowledge when Weidner spoke to the press about it in October 2018. As a result of ignoring the seal on the case, Weidner was placed under a gag order from Gasiorkiewicz that aimed to bar her from talking about the case, although she has still spoken with both The Journal Times and the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel about the case since including in the past week. Weidner said she would rather be jailed than pay the potential tens of thousands of dollars in fines associated with violating a gag order placed on the case by Gasiorkiewicz. She has spoken with both The Journal Times and the Milwaukee-Journal Sentinel about the situation since including in the past week but she attests she has never spoken "anything in my case that had been sealed, the content of the emails or what transpired in Judge Gasiokeiwicz's (sic) sealed courtroom," she said in an email Sunday. I believe this is a huge win not for Sandy Weidner, but for the residents of this city because it means citizens of this city can get information from their officials that they asked for, Weidner said in a phone interview last week. This is about (elected officials) being able to communicate with your constituents. In July 2020, Judge Kerkman ordered that the PowerPoint be released in camera, which essentially means in private and away from the public eye, for attorneys eyes only. The emails later presented to the board of ethics, Weidner's attorney reported, ended up not exactly matching those that were within the original PowerPoint. It was later realized that there were two similar but different versions of the PowerPoint, and the City Attorneys Office said it cannot confirm which version of the PowerPoint is the original, according to Wednesdays Court of Appeals decision. Originally, Kerkman found that the difference in the two PowerPoints would not impact the courts ruling, and also that Weidner had missed a deadline for a legal response, and for a second time dismissed Weidners complaint. That dismissal was then appealed to the Court of Appeals; the decision in that appeal is what was issued Wednesday. Weidner estimates she has personally spent around $40,000 on the case so far, and counting. The taxpayers are paying Scott Letteneys attorney fees, Weidner said. An outside firm, Meissner Tierney Fisher & Nichols S.C. of Milwaukee, is working the case on behalf of the City of Racine. Letteney told The Journal Times that, as of the last invoice, the city has spent $201,312.83 so far on the case. As of May 2020, $129,000 had been spent. Openness Weidner accused Letteney of creating the initial PowerPoint in an attempt to embarrass her and pressure her to stop talking about Machinery Row the failed project to redevelop Water Street into mixed-use buildings that began when Dickert was mayor, effectively sending hundreds of thousands of dollars (if not millions) down the drain. Letteney said Weidners allegations are untrue. In an email to a Journal Times reporter Thursday evening, Letteney said It is factually inaccurate to suggest that any city attorney may call a meeting of any governmental body of the City of Racine, including the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee meets only at the call of the mayor of the City of Racine. At the time, Denis Wiser was the mayor. Moreover, there is no merit to Ms. Weidners contention that issue raised before the executive committee was intended to silence or embarrass her. Weidner told a reporter that the purpose of the original meeting was to scare the s*** out of those aldermen, making them afraid to communicate with their constituents. In 2019, as a result of this case, Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council awarded Weidner with its Whistleblower of the Year award and awarded Letteney with its Nopee: No Friend of Openness faux award. Two corrections have been made in this story regarding who viewed the PowerPoint "in camera" and regarding how the case has been spoken about since an initial gag order. 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. An abortion rights activist, left, and an anti-abortion activist shout at each other at the edge of Federal Plaza in Chicago on July 9, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) Dueling abortion protesters took over the streets and sidewalks of the Loop for hours Saturday afternoon, with a line of Chicago police bike units attempting to separate the two sides as they shouted competing slogans. In total, hundreds of demonstrators from both movements streamed down main thoroughfares downtown such as Michigan Avenue, next to where the Taste of Chicago food festival was taking place, following an anti-abortion March for Life Chicago rally at Federal Plaza. Advertisement The March for Life protesters occupied the main streets while officers blocked counterprotesters on the sidewalk from getting closer, though at times some tried to breach the line of police bikes snaking between the two sides. One woman, angry she was blocked, yelled at the officers, while another man relented as a lieutenant wrapped his arm around his waist and pushed him back onto the sidewalk. The crowd was bifurcated into a sea of yellow umbrellas a symbol of opposition toward abortion rights and a mass of green, the worldwide color of the abortion rights movement. A few advocates from the latter cause marched sideways so they could carry a large green banner reading We Wont Go Back. Advertisement People wait in a Washington Street bus terminal and are caught between anti-abortion activists at right and abortion rights activists as the groups march toward Michigan Avenue on July 9, 2022. (Vincent D. Johnson/for the Chicago Tribune) The protest took place following last months U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and end nearly 50 years of constitutional protection for abortion. In the absence of the 1973 landmark case that guaranteed the right to terminate a pregnancy, the matter of abortion law falls to the States. Illinois leaders have sought to reassure residents and other Midwesterners that the state would remain a haven for abortion access. Earlier in the day, March for Life set up in Federal Plaza with four large speaker systems hanging from a stage to ensure its representatives voices would boom for blocks. Kevin Grillot, the organizations executive director, thanked supporters for not giving up and said, After 49 long years, Roe versus Wade is gone. Applause ripped through the rallys crowd. Then Grillot attempted to hold a moment of silence for all the abortions performed in America, though counterprotesters had already amassed and interrupted the quiet with chants of 2, 4, 6, 8, abortion rights in every state. Another speaker who identified herself as Jennifer then began sharing her story of regretting an abortion. A circle of motorcyclists with the pro-abortion rights side revved their engines in attempts to drown her out, but she finished her speech. Verbal skirmishes cropped up on the corner of Federal Plaza as the speakers kept going. A small group of pro-abortion rights protesters, yelling my body, my choice, followed a man with a megaphone shouting slogans against abortions rights and were told by someone else, close your legs. Eventually, a Chicago police lieutenant told counterprotesters to leave the area or be subject to arrest, a directive that the crowd complied with as cops established a bike perimeter around the anti-abortion rally. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > Our Constitution says that everybody has the right to life, and abortion takes life away. So its just as simple as that, a woman from Medinah, Illinois, who identified herself by Nancy only said in an interview. The naivete of these people, to think that theyre not killing somebody. Meanwhile, Jay Becker, an organizer for Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, dismissed the conservative-leaning Supreme Court as completely illegitimate during a rally at Daley Plaza that took place ahead of March for Lifes demonstration. Advertisement Two weeks ago, a hammer came down on us, Becker told the crowd. These Christian fascists in black robes put the value of a clump of cells above that of half of the population. One of the younger abortion rights protesters in the crowd was Destiny Vasquez, a 17-year-old student at George Washington High School on the Southeast Side. She said she has been organizing for this moment for the past year and is worried the Supreme Court decision will affect people of color the most. I dont know why theyre going against basic human rights, Vasquez said about the March for Life rallygoers she was prepared to confront. If they really cared about life, they would care about what happened after that baby is born. We have a formula shortage, a food shortage. So much shortage-wise and were not focusing on whats happening in real life. No arrests were made during the demonstration, a spokeswoman for Chicago police said. ayin@chicagotribune.com RACINE Kevin Miyazakis family rarely mentioned the camps. His father didnt really talk about being a Boy Scout forced from his home to what was essentially a prison because of his heritage. His father, aunts and grandparents were incarcerated for about three years during World War II. They and more than 120,000 people of Japanese descent in the U.S., two-thirds of whom were U.S. citizens, were forcibly relocated because of their ethnicity to internment camps across the American West. After incarceration, most of Miyazakis family moved to the Midwest. He was born and raised in Wauwatosa. That family connection led Miyazaki, in 2007, to artistically explore the issue of Japanese American internment beginning. His most recent work on the topic is at the OS Projects gallery, 601 6th St., in Downtown Racine. The exhibit, called Friend or Foe, opened May 14 and runs through July 16. Friend or Foe, tells a specific story, but Miyazaki believes it is universal. Its addressing larger themes about immigration, migration, but also about social and political history, Miyazaki said. Much of the exhibit focuses on Miyazakis father, who was 13 when his family was relocated from their home in Tacoma, Washington. His father was incarcerated at two relocation camps, first at Tule Lake in California and then at Heart Mountain in Wyoming. Miyazakis father was a Boy Scout, and the exhibit includes merit badges addressing experiences his father went through, such as wartime hysteria. The badges are juxtaposed against excerpts from a 1943 Boy Scout handbook, including one about a black eye. For the wartime hysteria badge, a scout must: 1. Be born of a non-western ethnicity in the United States and hold status as an American citizen. 2. Refrain from actions deemed unpatriotic and commit no acts of treason against your country. 3. Be removed from your hometown and sent to a prison camp holding only those of your ancestry, despite lacking any evidence of sabotage. Another display is 20 feet long and 20 feet wide. It has photos of the family home in Tacoma, the family at Heart Mountain and Miyazakis childhood home in Wauwatosa. The exhibit is the size of the barracks where the Miyazaki family lived while incarcerated. It hits home when you think about living for three years in a space this big with four other people, Miyazaki said. There are also birds and warplanes on the gallery windows. Miyazaki included those because the Tule Lake camp is directly under the western migratory bird route. The planes have designs that are the pattern of stars in the night sky above Tacoma when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor happened on Dec. 7, 1941, and the birds have designs of the night sky above Tule Lake during Miyazakis fathers first night there. A photo in the exhibit was taken shortly before the attack on Pearl Harbor. It shows Miyazakis father and two other Boy Scouts saluting the American flag while one plays a horn. Their whole lives were going to change, Miyazaki said. It is also one of the few photographs of his father as a kid since the family left many photos at home and destroyed others while attempting to get rid of anything that might be considered unpatriotic. When parents feel shut out of decision-making by school boards, petitions and lawsuits follow The Burlington Area School District is being sued by an area woman for closing a meeting that had become unruly. Muskego-Norway is facing a community petition after its school board didnt approve a book about the World War II-era internment of Japanese people in the U.S. for an English class for unclear reasons. In February, Racine Unified was one of an untold number of school boards nationwide facing a bizarre threat from a community member who wanted to file claims against the school boards surety bonds, even though that was a legal impossibility. Those are three local examples of many that are parts of a growing phenomenon led by adults from across the political spectrum who feel they are being shut out of decision-making about whats going on inside their communitys schools, even when they dont have kids attending the schools. While these situations are unavoidable for those who attend and watch school board meetings, and unavoidable for the public officials whose email addresses and phone numbers are public, its almost impossible to tell how much of a difference the efforts are making in increasing transparency, protecting young people from harm or even influencing education in classrooms. His family didnt discuss their experiences too much, but Miyazakis father did while advocating for Japanese Americans to receive reparations. That eventually happened when President Ronald Reagan signed the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 that apologized and paid $20,000 each to surviving Japanese Americans incarcerated at internment camps. An estimated $400 million worth of property was lost by those incarcerated. Despite everything that happened to him, Miyazaki said his father was an example of the American dream. I would say my father was a very patriotic person, Miyazaki said. What my father had in his life was really built from scratch He really loved this country. Miyazakis father died before Miyazaki started doing this art 15 years ago, so Miyazaki is not sure what his father would think of the work, but that mystery motivates him. Thats part of what fuels me, is this unknown aspect of his feelings and his thoughts, Miyazaki said. Miyazaki plans to continue telling the stories of Japanese Americans who were incarcerated so they are not forgotten. As we get older and people who were in the camps are passing away the stories cant be told at some point by the people who were there, Miyazaki said. His art focuses on the 1940s but remains timely. Its of interest to me as an ancestral story, but also because it does have all these political connections to the things that still continue to happen, Miyazaki said. That includes an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the COVID-19 pandemic began. According to a national survey by AAPI Data released in March, one in six Asian American adults reported experiencing a hate crime in 2021, up from one in eight in 2020. Miyazaki has felt more uneasy in public in recent years and said small interactions feel different, such as going to a gas station in northern Wisconsin. Im a lifelong Wisconsinite, and I think its safe to say that I feel a little more trepidation than I used to, Miyazaki said. Another part of the exhibit are pins that say Remember for visitors to take home. Every pin includes a note from Miyazaki, who ponders the wartime phrase Remember Pearl Harbor and the impact it had on his family and hundreds of thousands of Japanese Americans. Its a general patriotic symbol that could then represent disenfranchised people, people of color, people like my family who were part of the story of World War II but were wrongly incarcerated, Miyazaki said. Its an open-ended piece of propaganda. Miyazaki writes that the pin allows for the idea that American sacrifice has taken many forms in our history, including the patriotism and suffering of Indigenous, black and brown Americans. We can remember or forget things we are proud of, as well as things we are ashamed of. What do you choose to remember? President Joe Bidens Friday executive order on abortion does nothing to restore access to abortion in Wisconsin following the U.S. Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade, according to Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin. 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. 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 View Results Dane Countys efforts to recover the cost of cleaning up toxic forever chemicals used in firefighting foam have been combined with hundreds of similar cases in federal courts. The county in April filed a lawsuit in state court against dozens of companies, including DuPont and 3M, accusing them of making and selling products for decades despite knowing the contents were toxic and would not break down once released to the environment. Last month Chemguard, which operates a foam manufacturing plant in Marinette, and its parent company, Tyco Fire Products, had the case transferred to federal court, where it has been consolidated with hundreds of other cases from around the country, including one filed by the city of La Crosse. Assistant Corporation Counsel Amy Tutwiler said the change of venue doesnt change the countys position and will simply streamline procedures. The case will proceed in the same manner as any other lawsuit, Tutwiler said. According to the complaint, the defendants began selling a water-based foam in the 1960s known as AFFF made with PFOA and PFOS, two of thousands of fluorinated compounds generally known as PFAS. Highly effective for extinguishing liquid fuel fires, the foam continues to be used at airports and military bases, though the complaint claims AFFF can be made with different PFAS compounds. The suit claims the defendants knew or should have known since the early 1980s that using AFFF according to their instructions would release PFAS to the air, soil and groundwater and that the chemicals could damage the liver, kidneys and nervous system, among other negative health effects. Because of the manufacturers failures, the suit alleges the airport continues to be contaminated, creating an environmental hazard and forcing the county to investigate, monitor and clean up the damage at significant expense. Tyco says because it was a government contractor making products to meet specifications set by the Department of Defense it is immune from such liability claims. The company also notes that since 2006 commercial airports like Madisons have been required to stock firefighting foam that meets those military specifications. Tyco argues it cant be held responsible under state law for design choices dictated by the military. Tutwiler declined to comment on Tycos claims but said we are confident in our legal right to proceed despite raised defenses. In 2018, the Department of Natural Resources informed the county, Wisconsin National Guard and the city of Madison that they were responsible for PFAS contamination at and around the airport, including several burn pits where firefighters trained with the toxic foam. The National Guard Bureau is heading the remediation effort using a federal process under which actual cleanup may not begin for at least a decade. Earlier this year a Waukesha County judge said the DNR lacks authority to enforce the states spills law without first going through the Legislature, though that ruling is on hold while a state appeals court reviews the decision. Four people were wounded by gunfire early Sunday when someone in a passing vehicle opened fire in River North, according to Chicago police. At least one of those shot suffered critical injuries, officials said. Officers were called to the 400 block of North State Street about 1:10 a.m. after getting a report of a shooting in the area, according to an online police notification. But when investigators arrived they found four people suffering gunshot wounds three men between 27 and 41 years old, and a 40-year-old woman. Advertisement Three of those wounded were taken to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital, police said. They included: A 29-year-old man who had been shot in the neck, jaw and chest and who was in critical condition A man, 41, who suffered a graze wound to his leg and who was in good condition A 40-year-old woman who suffered one gunshot wound to the leg and knee and who was in fair condition The fourth victim, a 27-year-old man, was shot once in his foot. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. Advertisement Authorities released few details about the shooting, but they did say it was thought to have been a drive-by shooting. A witness stated that the (shooter) was shooting from a white sedan, which was traveling south on State Street, according to a statement from police. No additional information about the shooter, including whether it was a man or a woman, was released. The shooting remains under investigation and no arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon. People stand outside the Donnellan Family Funeral Services on July 18, 2022, after attending a funeral for Kevin McCarthy, 37, who was killed in a mass shooting along with wife Irina McCarthy, 35, in Highland Park during a Fourth of July parade. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune) Mourning for the seven victims of Mondays Highland Park mass shooting continued Saturday morning with the wake and funeral of 69-year-old Eduardo Uvaldo. Uvaldo was one of seven people killed this week after Robert Crimo III allegedly opened fire at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, killing seven and leaving dozens injured. Advertisement Uvaldos funeral was held at The Memorial Chapel Funeral Home, 1521 Washington St., in his hometown of Waukegan, drawing approximately 500 guests, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering. Media wasnt allowed into the chapel. Advertisement According to Jesse Palacios, Uvaldos brothers brother-in-law, the chapel was decorated with pictures of Uvaldo surrounded by his family. He just loved the little kids. He was at a lot of the family parties and he was just a very happy man, and his wife, too, Palacios remarked outside in a parking lot after the visitation period. They just always had the family around them. Uvaldo is survived by his wife Maria, four daughters, twelve grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, from left, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering depart after attending the wake for Eduardo Uvaldo at Memorial Chapel Funeral Home on July 9, 2022, in Waukegan. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) Uvaldos nephew Julio Bedaurre also remembered him as a happy man and emphasized how hard the past week had been on Uvaldos wife of fifty years and other surviving family members. Afternoon Briefing Daily Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox each afternoon. > Palacios lamented the gun violence that led to Uvaldos death. Its totally senseless, 100% senseless Theres these laws in place where young kids can buy an AR-15, but yet they cant buy a pack of cigarettes or buy liquor, but they can buy an AR-15 which is more powerful than [what] our soldiers in Vietnam used? Palacious said. Its just incomprehensible. Uvaldo was born in 1952 in Sabinas Hidalgo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico and moved to the United States at the age of 15. He met his wife Maria while visiting Mexico and the pair returned together. Uvaldo was a well-known bowling champion in his hometown and is remembered as a jovial family man. He would have celebrated his 70th birthday Friday. Father Xamie Reyes from St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Waukegan and Father Tim OMalley from Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan spoke at the funeral. Advertisement After the funeral, Uvaldos casket was transported in a hearse followed by several vehicles carrying loved ones for interment at Ascension Catholic Cemetery in Libertyville. The funerals of two other Highland Park victims Jacquelyn Jacki Sundheim, 63, and Steve Straus, 88, were held yesterday. Other victims include Katherine Goldstein, 64, Irina McCarthy, 35, and her husband Kevin McCarthy, 37, all of Highland Park. A visitation also took place Friday evening for Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78, who was visiting family from Morelos, Mexico. A recent report says Chinese cultural organizations in America that closed after being named foreign agencies by the U.S. government have reopened under new names. The National Association of Scholars, a non-profit organization supporting education, released the report. It said Confucius Institutes, cultural organizations with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, are reopening with different names or reorganizing. Most of the institutes closed after being designated a foreign mission by the U.S. State Department. A foreign mission is an office that carries out diplomatic or similar work for a foreign government. Of 118 Confucius Institutes that once operated in the United States, 104 have closed or are in the process of closing, the report said. Of these, at least 28 have replaced their Confucius Institute with a similar program, and at least 58 have maintained close relationships with their former Confucius Institute partner, the report said. Important to China In April 2007, Li Changchun was a top propaganda official and a member of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He told the Chinese state-run newspaper Xinhua that Confucius Institutes were an important part of the CCPs external propaganda structure. Critics considered the institutes propaganda machines for the CCP. They also considered them a tool to monitor and interfere with speech and activities at American universities. For example, in 2009, North Carolina State University canceled its plan to invite the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, to speak after objections by the Confucius Institute. Ten years later, in 2019, the U.S. Department of Defense announced it would not provide financial support for universities that had Confucius Institutes. In August 2020, the U.S. State Department designated the Confucius Institute U.S. Center as a Chinese foreign mission in the United States. The Center was considered the headquarters for Confucius Institutes in the U.S. Organizations designated as foreign missions must give reports to the U.S. government about finances, employees, educational material, and activities that happen in the U.S. U.S. schools were cutting ties with the programs even before the State Departments finding. In July 2020, the Chinese government reorganized and renamed the Confucius Institutes parent department. It is now called the Ministry of Education Center for Language Exchange and Cooperation (CLEC) Xinhuanet is a state-controlled news service in China. It said CLEC created a separate organization, the Chinese International Education Foundation (CIEF). CIEF financially supports and oversees Confucius Institutes and many of their replacements. Change of name only On July 1, 2021, one day after its Confucius Institute closed, the College of William and Mary established the W&M-BNU Collaborative Partnership with Beijing Normal University, the school said. The Chinese university was the American schools former Confucius Institute partner. It provided the programs the Confucius Institute used to offer. Rachelle Peterson is senior researcher at National Association of Scholars and one of the writers of the report. She said nothing changed but the name. Debate on influence Perry Link is a professor of Chinese language studies at the University of California Riverside. Link said that although the Confucius Institutes cannot censor students, their influence on educators comes in other ways. He said, If you are in the Confucius Institute and create some programs with CCP money, would you host a memorial event for the Tiananmen Square Massacre? Of course not. Are there written rules that stop you? No. Did someone above tell you not to? No. Its self-censorship, its psychological. Jonathan Sullivan is a China specialist and professor of political science at the University of Nottingham in Britain. He took part in studies of the Confucius Institutes in their original form. He told VOA in an email that the fears about what they are doing are overblown. He said students need to learn the Chinese language and culture. But governments in many nations have not stepped in to support ways that students can study Chinese language and culture outside of the Confucius Institutes. Im Faith Pirlo. Lin Yang reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Quiz - Confucius Institutes Returning to US Schools under New Name Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story designate v. to officially choose (someone or something) to do or be something maintain v. to continue having or doing (something) external adj. concerning relationships with foreign countries monitor v. to watch, observe, listen to, or check (something) for a special purpose over a period of time censor v. to remove the parts of a book or film that are considered to be offensive or a political threat psychological adj. of or relating to the mind original adj. happening or existing first or at the beginning overblown adj. that is made to seem larger, more impressive, or more important than it really is ______________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Environmentalist Brent Walls is helping to bring drone technology into the fight against pollution. He works for the Waterkeeper Alliance, a worldwide network of clean water groups. Walls teaches activists across the United States to pilot drones. Drones permit activists to discover areas that would otherwise be difficult to travel to or may be costly to find. The unmanned aircraft are especially useful for searching for polluted areas surrounded by private land. Images captured by drones permit environmentalists to build legal cases against polluters through the U.S. Clean Water Act. This law aims to protect the nations water from numerous forms of pollution. The Clean Water Act permits individuals not just federal officials to enforce the law. But even though drones can be very useful in searching out polluted areas, they are rarely used in this way. Walls hopes to change that. To use drones to collect evidence, activists must have a federally issued pilots certificate. They must also learn to work within state and local laws. Walls is part of a group called Riverkeepers. It is a non-profit organization that watches over and protects river systems across the United States. Walls himself is the Riverkeeper for the upper Potomac River in the northeastern United States. The Riverkeepers have used drones to collect evidence for legal cases in the past. Walls says images from drones helped push a coal mining organization in West Virginia to clean up their operations. Cara Schildtknecht is the Riverkeeper for the Waccamaw River, which flows through North Carolina and South Carolina. She recently completed her training course and received a pilots certificate. Schildtknecht told The Associated Press that using a drone will help her see areas in her watershed that are hard to reach by boat. The aircraft will also help her record floods and find polluters. The view from above, she said, is a gamechanger, one that in the past required paying a pilot for a manned flight. We have certain areas that we know could be of concern that we want to check out, Schildtknecht said. Drone technology has been developing very quickly. New drones are easier to fly and capture better images compared to older models. The drones used by Walls students are paid for with a grant. They cost around $2,000 each. In 2019, Walls presented drone images and other evidence to Specialty Granules, a mining company. As a result of the action, the company agreed to put a filtration system on one of its water systems that reduced pollution levels. Matthew McClure is the vice president of operations at Specialty Granules. He said in a statement that the company uses its own drones in its business operations. He added that the company does not generally welcome surprise inspections from drones piloted by activists. Anastasia Telesetsky is an environmental law professor at California Polytechnic State University. She told the Associated Press she thinks drones are a useful tool for finding pollution that has remained hidden. She said, Theres a lot of groups that know there is a problem but have been limited in the tools they can use to compel regulators to do their jobs. Martin Lively is the Grand Riverkeeper in northeastern Oklahoma. The area is home to a former mining site listed on the U.S. Superfund list. Superfund sites are polluted areas in the United States identified as requiring long-term measures to clean up hazardous pollution. It is extremely polluted with lead, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, manganese, Lively said of the site. And all of that flows into my watershed. Because of the pollution, the river water is tested often. But a drone can go a step further. It can help see, for example, whether cleaned up properties might be re-polluted during floods. Lively says a drone is a storytelling tool that can capture powerful images. That is a tool never to be underestimated in litigation, he said. Im Jonathan Evans. The Associated Press reported this story. Matthew Caputo adapted it for VOA Learning English. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story drone n. a type of small aircraft that flies without a pilot certificate n. a document that is official proof that you have finished school or a course of training watershed n. the area of land that includes a particular river or lake and all the rivers, streams, etc., that flow into it grant n. an amount of money provided by a government or organization for a special purpose filter v. to pass liquid or gas through a piece of equipment in order to remove solid pieces of other substances compel v. to force (someone) to do something regulator v. an official who works for the part of the government that controls a public activity by making and enforcing rules hazardous adj. risky or dangerous litigate v. to make (something) the subject of a lawsuit ___________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. An outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Indonesia is threatening to disrupt the countrys Eid al-Adha festival. The festival happens during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. It celebrates the Prophet Abraham and his willingness to sacrifice his son. Muslims often mark the holiday by killing sheep, cattle or goats. Some of the animal meat is given to the poor. Foot and mouth disease, which sickens animals, is a big threat to agriculture and food producers. This year, the Eid al-Adha holiday falls on July 9. But, animal traders have reported lower sales this year because of the presence of foot and mouth disease. The disease can spread quickly among animals including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. While it can be deadly for animals, foot and mouth is not generally considered a threat to human health. "This year is a year of loss for us," said Jamal Lulay, a trader in West Java. He told Reuters news agency he had only sold 50 cows this year. "Before COVID, we could sell up to 330 cows, and during COVID it was around 170... This year sales have dropped drastically." Indonesia launched a nationwide animal vaccination program in an attempt to limit the outbreak, which began in May. More than 317,000 animals have been infected in 21 Indonesian provinces. Government records show that more than 3,400 animals had been killed in an effort to contain disease spread. Muhammad Husein al Bana is a livestock trader in Jakarta. He told Reuters, "People's enthusiasm for sacrifice has not been diminished, but they are more worried about the health (of the animals)." Until the last outbreak, Indonesia had been free of foot and mouth disease since 1986. Iskandar Saputra is a Jakarta buyer who said he is still willing to take the risk. "Ultimately it is the consumer's decision," he said. But he added, "I think the cows sold here are safe and healthy." Im Bryan Lynn. Reuters reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story disrupt v. to interfere with a normal activity drastic adj. extreme or severe in effect or action enthusiasm n. strong excitement about something diminish v. to become or cause something to become less in size, importance or some other quality ultimately adv. at the end of a process, period of time or at somethings most basic level consumer n. a person who buys goods and services _____________________________________________________________ What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. The U.S. government is trying to help foreign makers of baby formula stay in the U.S. market for a long period of time. It is part of an effort to diversify the suppliers for manufactured mothers milk, or formula. The move comes after federal officials ordered the closure of the largest American factory for baby formula. The closure created a nationwide shortage. Foreign producers have recently sent supplies to the United States under temporary emergency approval to ease the shortage. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it will permit foreign producers to supply the U.S. with baby formula for a long time. The agency will provide a way for producers temporarily selling in the U.S. to meet existing regulatory requirements. Officials say the change will provide Americans with more choices and ease supply shortages. Dr. Robert Califf is the head of the FDA and Susan Mayne is the director of the agencys Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. In a statement, they said: The need to diversify and strengthen the U.S. infant formula supply is more important than ever. They noted: The recent shutdown of a major infant formula planthas shown just how vulnerable the supply chain has become. The U.S. has tried to increase supply of baby formula after federal officials in February closed a factory in the state of Michigan over safety concerns. The factory is operated by Abbott. The company is the largest U.S. producer of baby formula. The factory reopened on June 4 after the company promised to take cleaning and safety measures. But it closed again in mid-June after severe weather caused damage to the plant. The company said it needs time to repair the damage and clean the factory again after heavy storms went through southwestern Michigan on June 13. In May, the FDA eased federal import regulations to permit baby formula to be shipped to the U.S. The administration of President Joe Biden then approved the use of the Defense Production Act. That law permits the government to direct economic activity to national defense. Use of the law provides federal support to get formula from foreign countries into the U.S. The FDA has approved what is equal to 400 million 237-milliliter bottles for import into the U.S. Companies and their manufacturing facilities must meet rigorous FDA standards that ensure the formula is both safe and nutritious, Califf and Mayne said. These standards are necessary to protect our children and will not be sacrificed for long-term supply considerations. The term standards describes a level of quality that is required by a government agency. The FDAs policy on foreign producers of baby formula will end in November. But the administration said it will renew the policy if necessary to secure enough supply in the U.S. Im Dan Novak. Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story diversify n. to include more suppliers of a product to ensure that product is available regulatory n. related to making or carrying out official rules for business activities vulnerable n. able to be hurt or damaged easily facility n. a building or large equipment that is built for a certain purpose rigorous n. done carefully and with a lot of attention to detail __________________________________________________________________ What do you think of the baby formula shortage? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. A poor neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has independently built a system to process waste in an effort to make the area healthier. Supporters say the system could serve as a model for small communities across Brazil. The Enchanted Valley community just outside Rio de Janeiros Tijuca Forest National Park recently built its own waste treatment system. The Enchanted Valley is one of Rio de Janeiros poorest neighborhoods. The Brazilian word for such a neighborhood is favela. The area did not have electricity until the late 1900s. And Enchanted Valley had never been connected to the citys sewage network. Waste was polluting the local environment and putting the health of those who live in Enchanted Valley at risk. As a result, the community set out to solve the problem on its own. It built a local waste treatment system called a biodigester. An artificial wetland was built to process the sewage created by all of the areas 40 families. Theresa Williamson heads Catalytic Communities, a nonprofit group that supports poor communities. She said the system started full operations in June, and it is the first independently built biosystem for a favela in Brazil. Official data says 45 percent of Brazilians sewage is not collected. The Enchanted Valley project took years to complete. Otavio Barros is president of a group representing the local people. He got the idea to build a sewage system when he brought a group of tourists to a nearby waterfall in 2007. They wanted to get in the water, but he told them they could not. He knew all of the communitys sewage flowed down the waterfall. Then, Barros started to look for support to build a waste treatment system. He found allies among researchers of Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. He had been working there as an administrative assistant. He told the Associated Press, It was harder back then to make people aware, show that everyone would benefit. He and his allies secured money from the State of Rio de Janeiro. That research support led to completion of the first step in 2015. The effort also received financial support from German and Brazilian nonprofit groups Viva Con Agua and Instituto Clima e Sociedade to connect every home. And it received additional money from Catalytic Communities. Barros worked with five other local people from the neighborhood for months, including three weeks of breaking through rock to set down pipes. The pipes lead to the biodigester. Sewage is processed there by microorganisms that do not require oxygen. Remaining fluids then flow underneath the artificial wetlands, getting cleansed by fertilizing the plants above. The full price of the system was about $42,300. That is one fourth of what it would have cost to place pipes through the forest to the existing sewage network at sea level, said Leonardo Adler. He is founding partner of Taboa Engenharia, which supervised the technical part of the work. The federal government has a plan to improve sewage treatment throughout Brazil. It plans to do that through private concessions of large areas in cities. But that plan does not help small, distant communities like Enchanted Valley. Barros said he is very happy because it was a very difficult step to bring in partners and involve the community to capture the sewage and return it to the environment clean. He said, Its part of a dream becoming reality, and added, We have others for the Valley. Im Caty Weaver. David Biller reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story sewage n. waste material (such as human urine and feces) that is carried away from homes and other buildings in a system of pipes artificial adj. created or caused by people and not by nature tourist n. a person who travels to a place for pleasure aware adj. knowing that something (such as a situation, condition, or problem) exists benefit v. to be helped concessions n. the right to sell something or do business on property that belongs to the government or to another company or person reality n. the true situation that exists ___________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. Glaciers in Europe's Alps Mountains are becoming more unstable and dangerous because of rising temperatures linked to climate change. A glacier is a large body of ice that slowly moves down a mountain or over a wide area of land. The warming of the earths atmosphere is reawakening what were considered inactive ice masses. Italy has experienced early and severe summer heat. Many people are concerned about the effects of a severe lack of rain on crops in the Po Valley. In the Dolomite Mountains, a glacier recently collapsed on the Marmolada peak. At least seven people died. Many others are missing. "This summer 2022 risks being the perfect storm for glaciers," said Giovanni Baccolo. He is an environmental scientist and glacier expert at Milan-Bicocca University. Baccolo noted a lack of winter snow and a hot start to the summer affecting glaciers. "Nobody could have expected a glacier like the Marmolada to react like this," he told Reuters. "It is a kind of climatic fossil, glaciers like the Marmolada are considered 'placid. Placid is a term that means calm and peaceful. Temperatures on the normally freezing Marmolada reached 10 degrees Celsius on Saturday, Veneto area governor Luca Zaia said. "High elevation glaciers such as the Marmolada are often steep and relying on cold temperatures below zero degrees Celsius to keep them stable," said Poul Christoffersen. He is a professor at the University of Cambridge who studies glaciers. Christoffersen said that climate change melts more water, which releases heat that warms up the ice if the water re-freezes. He added that a worse effect would be the lifting of the glacier from the rock below, causing a sudden unstable collapse. Baccolo said that climbers heading into the mountains to escape the summer heat should be careful about where they go. "The invitation I want to make to those who go to the high mountains this summer is to use much more caution," he said. "The problem is that it may no longer be enough to read the signs from the glacier that have been read so far," he added. Im Jonathan Evans. Emilio Parodi reported on this story for the Reuters news service. Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English. ___________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story unstable adj. not held in a secure position, likely to move or fall peak n. the pointed top of a mountain steep adj. rising or falling very sharply almost straight up and down rely v. to need or be dependent on something for support ___________________________________________________________________ We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: Write your comment in the box. Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is the blue circle with D on it. It is free. Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here. If Wilbur Earl Tennants cows hadnt died from a mysterious wasting disease during the 1990s, the world might have never learned about the secret history of toxic forever chemicals. Tennant was a West Virginia farmer whose family owned land near a DuPont factory on the Ohio River where the chemical giant made one of its signature inventions: Teflon nonstick and anti-stain coatings used in carpets, clothing, cookware and hundreds of other products. The Tennants had sold some of their property to DuPont years earlier. Company officials told one of Tennants brothers in person and in writing they planned to turn it into a landfill for office garbage nothing hazardous. A few years after the sale, Tennant suspected DuPont had filled the landfill with more than just garbage. Foam began appearing in a creek that meandered past the landfill before spilling into the Tennants pasture, he later testified in a court filing. Cows that drank from the creek had been healthy. Dozens began dramatically losing weight, dying even after Tennant doubled their feed on the advice of veterinarians who couldnt determine what was killing the animals. A videotape Tennant shot with a VHS camcorder shows emaciated cows with tumors on their hides. He focuses on the froth-covered creek before the tape cuts to a dissected calf with blackened teeth and oddly colored organs. There is something wrong with this water, Tennant says on the videotape. GRAPHIC CONTENT: An excerpt from Wilbur Earl Tennant's video showing the mysterious wasting disease affecting his cows in the 1990s. (Chicago Tribune Handout) Lawyers in Parkersburg, West Virginia, turned him down when he urged them to sue DuPont, then one of areas biggest employers. But friends knew the grandson of one of their neighbors had become an environmental lawyer in Cincinnati. Call him, they suggested. On paper, Rob Bilott didnt appear to be one of those crusading lawyers in legal thrillers. (He later would be played by actor Mark Ruffalo in the 2019 film Dark Waters.) Bilotts law firm, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, typically represents corporate clients like DuPont in environmental cases, not people like Tennant. In short, I was playing for the opposite team, Bilott recalled in his memoir about the lawsuit he ended up filing against DuPont and the explosive aftermath. Attorney Rob Bilott discusses the Fight Forever Chemicals campaign on Nov. 19, 2019. The campaign coincided with the release of the film "Dark Waters" starring Mark Ruffalo inspired by the true story of Bilott, who discovered a community had been dangerously exposed for decades to deadly chemicals. (Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call) During the years before DuPont settled the lawsuit paying the Tennants an undisclosed amount without assigning blame for the dead cows the company sent Bilott boxes of documents he requested through the normal court process. Nothing jumped out in page after page he reviewed, Bilott recalled. But a single letter, sent by a DuPont scientist to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, began unraveling a more alarming story. The June 23, 2000, letter listed something in the landfill that didnt appear in the other documents or in Tafts chemical dictionaries. Nor was it on the list of substances regulated by the EPA. Bilott later determined it was one of the forever chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid, commonly referred to today as PFOA. DuPont appeared to be concerned enough about PFOA that the company tested employees at the Teflon plant and found the chemical in their blood, the letter to the EPA revealed. Forever chemicals found in drinking water throughout Illinois: Search the database >>> Revelations by another chemical company gave Bilott leverage to go back into court and request more records from DuPont. A month before DuPonts letter about PFOA, the Minnesota-based conglomerate 3M announced it would stop making a chemical with a similar sounding name: perfluorooctane sulfonic acid or PFOS. For decades it had been the backbone of 3Ms Scotchgard brand of stain-resistant products. It turned out 3M also made PFOA and sold it to DuPont, which used the chemical cousin of Scotchgard to keep Teflon from clumping during production. 3M and DuPont have argued in court and in public statements that neither chemical is harmful to people at typical levels of exposure. But two years before 3M announced its phaseout in 2000, the company informed EPA officials for the first time that PFOA and PFOS accumulate in human blood, take years to leave the body and dont break down in the environment. Records obtained by Bilott showed DuPont had determined in 1961 that PFOA is toxic in animals. In 1970, a company that purchased 3Ms PFOS-based firefighting foam abruptly halted a demonstration after it killed fish in a nearby stream. Eight years later 3M paused one of its animal studies after every monkey fed PFOS died. DuPont determined that PFOA passed from pregnant employees to their fetuses. Two of seven babies born to Teflon plant employees in 1981 had facial deformities similar to what 3M had found in newborn rats. Other testing by 3M found the compounds in apples, bread, green beans and ground beef. DuPont detected PFOA in the drinking water of communities near the Teflon plant. None of this information was shared with the public. DuPont and 3M kept the U.S. EPA in the dark for years, company and government records show. Bilott also discovered that years before he sued DuPont on behalf of the Tennants, company scientists had tested the creek running through the familys pasture. It was contaminated with high levels of PFOA. DuPont and the family settled the lawsuit soon after Bilott shared that information with one of the companys lawyers, who had referred to PFOA in an email as the material 3M sells us that we poop into the river and into drinking water. After the Tennants had been paid and Bilotts law firm collected its fees for representing them, he found himself coming back again and again to the piles of industry documents he had collected, urged on by the persistent Tennant. Bilott created a timeline that showed what DuPont and 3M knew about the chemicals. Then he wrote a 19-page letter, attached some of the industry documents and mailed the package to officials at the EPA and the Department of Justice. During the course of the litigation, we have confirmed that the chemicals and pollutants released into the environment by DuPont may pose an imminent and substantial threat to health and the environment, Bilott wrote at the beginning of his March 6, 2001, letter. He sued DuPont again on behalf of thousands of people who lived near the Teflon plant and for decades had been exposed to PFOA through drinking water and air pollution. When DuPont settled that lawsuit in 2004, the company agreed to finance a study of PFOAs health effects. Nearly 70,000 people participated. The C8 Science Study (named for DuPonts internal code for PFOA) found a probable link between the chemical and certain diseases in humans, some of which 3M and DuPont had found in animals years, if not decades, earlier. DuPont later paid more than $750 million to settle lawsuits filed by Teflon plant neighbors with PFOA-linked diseases, including testicular and kidney cancer, high cholesterol, ulcerative colitis, thyroid disease and pregnancy-induced hypertension. In Minnesota, 3M paid an $850 million settlement after the states attorney general used the industry documents in a lawsuit demanding clean drinking water for communities near one of its manufacturing plants outside Minneapolis. Yet to this day the companies deny responsibility, Bilott said in an interview. In the meantime, people are drinking these chemicals every day. Babies are born every day with these chemicals. Seventy years later these chemicals are in our soil, our air, in wildlife. They are still in all of us. Support local journalism Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune Get daily news updates from the Tribune in your inbox PFOA and PFOS are among more than 9,000 versions of synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS. About 600 are in use today, according to the EPA. Alternatives for PFOA and PFOS promoted as safe by industry are just as dangerous, if not more so, scientists are finding. There also are related substances called precursors that transform into PFOA and PFOS in the body or the environment. They are everywhere. Thats whats so scary about these chemicals, said Jamie DeWitt, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at East Carolina University who studies PFAS. It begs the question: How many cancers and other health effects are we willing to accept? Read the investigation: Tribune finds more than 8 million Illinoisans get drinking water from a utility where forever chemicals have been detected >>> Bilott is back in court again. This time he is seeking to force 3M and DuPont to pay for medical monitoring of every American exposed to PFAS. In March, a federal judge limited the case to Ohio residents with a specific amount of the chemicals in their blood, which alone could include up to 11 million people. The chemical companies are appealing the decision. Tennant didnt live to witness the scope of what unfolded after he persuaded Bilott to file the lawsuit about his dead cows. He died of a heart attack in 2009 at age 67. mhawthorne@chicagotribune.com Former President Donald Trump is calling on Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos to nullify ballots cast via absentee drop boxes, after the state Supreme Court decision Friday that rendered the drop boxes illegal. Trump posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, after the ruling to call on Vos and Wisconsin Republicans to do something, for once, about this atrocity after referring to the use of ballot boxes during the 2020 election as a systematic violation of the law. Trump continued in a flurry of messages doubling down on a call to walk back President Joe Bidens victory in Wisconsin, based on the outcome of an investigation by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Gableman suggested in March that Wisconsins election results could be decertified and called for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to be dismantled after he asserted some nursing home residents cast ballots without knowing what they were doing a claim refuted by legal scholars. He has since eased up on his March position. Gableman was hired a year ago by Vos, under pressure from Trump to review the election the former president lost to Biden by just under 21,000 votes in Wisconsin. While the probe was originally allocated $676,000 in taxpayer funds, invoices have shown that ongoing court battles surrounding the review have pushed the cost to nearly $900,000. In social media messages on Saturday, Trump called the 2020 election a substantial victory for Republicans, but a recount, court decisions and multiple reviews have affirmed that Biden defeated Trump in Wisconsin. Only 24 people out of nearly 3.3 million who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud in Wisconsin. 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. GOP skepticism of the 2020 election is fueled in part by pressure from Trump, who continues to push false, unfounded claims of fraud and still holds considerable sway over the party nationwide. Absentee ballot drop boxes were used in hundreds of communities during elections that took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but 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 ruling was handed down four months before a high-stakes Nov. 8 election. 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. Vos, Evers, the Republican Party of Wisconsin, the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Elections Commission were not available for comment on Sunday. Hong Kong: Over 2.7k virus cases recorded The Centre for Health Protection today said it is looking into 2,773 additional locally acquired COVID-19 cases, of which 1,194 were directly identified through nucleic acid tests and 1,579 via rapid antigen tests that were verified. Separately, 219 imported cases were recorded. One special school reported a positive case. The class concerned, which consists of four students, will suspend face-to-face lessons for a week. Meanwhile, the Government made a restriction-testing declaration to cover Wang Yuen House of Tin Wang Court in Wong Tai Sin, requiring people in the restricted area to undergo compulsory testing before the specified deadline. As there were positive sewage test results with relatively high viral loads in several areas in Kwun Tong, Sai Kung and Tuen Mun districts, the Housing Department and respective district offices will distribute COVID-19 rapid test kits to relevant residents as well as cleaning workers and property management staff working there. For information and health advice on COVID-19, visit the Governments dedicated webpage. This story has been published on: 2022-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Right, Nicole Polarek of Highland Park of Highland Park helps children, from left, Drew Ferry, 9, a rising fourth-grader and Will Ferry, 7, a rising second-grader, affix orange fabric as a message to #Enough traveling art project. Polareks family had just had breakfast at Walker Bros. The Original Pancake House in Highland Park (620 Central Ave.) at Port Clinton Square when shots rang out at the Fourth of July parade on that block. The family members took refuge in the restaurant for several hours and are physically unharmed. Images from the Highland Park Community Rally on July 9, 2022 at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) Highland Park resident Nicole Polarek helped her children, 9-year-old Drew and 7-year-old Will, affix orange pieces of fabric to the #Enough traveling gun violence community project Saturday afternoon. The political activism followed the familys terrifying experience five days earlier, when they took shelter inside their favorite breakfast spot, Walker Bros. Original Pancake House on Central Avenue, as shots rang out at the communitys Independence Day Parade. Advertisement I think we stayed out for the whole first round and then there was a pause, thank goodness, she said. And we ran back into Walker Bros. just kind of halfway through the second round, Polarek said. It was a lot. People who attended the Highland Park Community Rally had an opportunity to add to the #Enough traveling community display Saturday at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) Looking back, though, she is focusing on the friends the family made that day. Advertisement Were learning that theres a lot more good people in the world, a lot of helpers in this world, more than any bad, Polarek said. And thats what we have been talking about today. Polarek was among the crowd that gathered in Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park Saturday to call for new gun laws during the Highland Park Community Rally in response to the July 4 shooting that killed seven and left dozens injured. Images from the Highland Park Community Rally on July 9, 2022 at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) Rally event sponsors included Moms Demand Action, March For Our Lives, Gun Violence Prevention PAC, Illinois Tenth Congressional District Democrats and Planned Parenthood of Illinois. Rachel Jacoby of Highland Park, rally co-organizer and a 2014 Vernon Hills High School graduate, said one purpose was, to make space for the community to come together and grieve and heal following the tragedy from July Fourth. But speakers and signs carried by attendees made sure the message was clear. Images from the Highland Park Community Rally on July 9, 2022 at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) What were also trying to do is send a message that enough is enough and its time for change, Jacoby said. We want to rally the community to demand a future free from gun violence. Rally co-organizer Caryn Fliegler of Northbrook, a 1993 Highland Park High School graduate, is co-leader of the Illinois chapter of Moms Demand Action. Advertisement Ive been involved in working on gun violence prevention for about seven years and I always knew that when people say, I never thought this could happen here, I cant tell you how many people Ive talked to who say that, Fliegler said. This is my hometown, said Fliegler. We need to be part of a movement to end this, because it (mass shootings) keeps happening in places where people say, I never thought this could happen here. Everybody I know whos a survivor of gun violence said I never thought it would happen to me, Fliegler said. We have to change that. The rally featured about an hour of speeches and a musical performance. Images from the Highland Park Community Rally on July 9, 2022 at Sunset Woods Park in Highland Park. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) Lake County States Attorney Eric Rinehart, a Democrat, spoke to the crowd an called for a ban on assault weapons. He said guns are too accessible. Advertisement We must think about those seven individuals and their families loss of freedom, Rinehart said. Their freedom matters. U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-10th) said the Fourth of July parade is normally a tradition that brings together generations of families, shoulder to shoulder, united as one. But in Highland Park on July 4, In an instant, everything changed, Schneider said. An evil monster acquired a weapon of war and destroyed lives, shattered families and devastated our community. Enough is enough. We must ban assault weapons, Schneider said. Karie Angell Luc is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press. Republican primaries this year have revealed a new political strategy for numerous candidates. They're running on a platform that denies President Donald Trumps loss in 2020. And as some of those same candidates lose their own primaries, theyre insisting without evidence that their races were rigged, too. The primary losers have a role model in Trump himself. After he lost the Iowa caucuses in 2016, Trump baselessly claimed fraud and demanded an investigation. When he was elected president later that year, he claimed that fraud was the reason Democrat Hillary Clinton won more votes than he did. Trump set up a commission to try to prove that. That commission was disbanded when it failed to produce any evidence. BURLINGTON For years, opponents of Wisconsins dark store method for taxing big-box retailers worked in vain to persuade state lawmakers to change the law. Those opponents now are pinning their hopes instead on the judicial branch of state government. City administrators and others say a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling expected later this year could stop Walmart and other retailers from avoiding paying their fair share of property taxes. But if the Supreme Court rules in favor of dark store taxation, the strategy of seeking judicial relief will backfire for the cities, villages and towns that are taking on big business in the hopes of increasing tax bases. Curt Witynski, deputy director of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, acknowledges the risk involved in pushing the issue in the courts. And now that the states highest court has agreed to weigh in, Witynski said, the stakes are higher than ever. Were excited, he said. But a little bit nervous, too. The league, a longtime critic of dark store taxation, has intervened in the Supreme Court case with a friend-of-the-court brief arguing against the tax breaks for big-box operators. Business groups have intervened, too, urging the court to rule in favor of retailers by upholding a system that the groups defend as fair taxation. Scott Rosenow, an attorney for Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, wrote in his brief that the underlying dark store issues could have implications for other Wisconsin property owners. This courts decision, Rosenow wrote, will be far-reaching. The dispute began in Wisconsin after a different ruling from the Supreme Court in 2008 allowed for setting a retail stores taxable value based on similar properties that are vacant, a.k.a. dark stores. Walmart, Target, Menards and other large retailers began arguing for lower values on their stores, in many instances leading to court fights with cities whose tax assessors would not make adjustments to match the value of currently operating stores with the value of mothballed properties. Local government officials contend that operating retail stores are inherently more valuable to their owners and, therefore, should have a higher value for tax purposes. Businesses say the value of the land and building has nothing to do with whether a store is open for business. In Racine County, Walmart filed a suit last year against the City of Burlington, arguing that the taxable value of its store at 1901 Milwaukee Ave. should be reduced from $8.6 million to $4.5 million. If Walmart succeeds, its yearly property tax bill in Burlington will be slashed from $160,000 to about $80,000. That would force city officials to make up the difference by either reducing government services or increasing taxes on other property owners in the community. Court records show that both sides in the Walmart-Burlington dispute have agreed to postpone action in their case until the Supreme Court ruling later this year. In another case, the Village of Mount Pleasant settled out-of-court with Walmart last year by agreeing to trim about $1 million in assessed property value from two local stores that had previously been assigned a combined value of $24 million. The case headed to the Supreme Court stems from a dispute between the City of Delavan in Walworth County and the owners of a Lowes Home Improvement store at 2015 E. Geneva St. The City of Delavan has assigned the Lowes store a value of $8.9 million for tax purposes. Lowes Home Centers LLC has invoked the dark store rule and filed suit to reduce its tax assessment to $3.6 million. After losing at both the circuit court and appeals court level, Lowes appealed to the Supreme Court. The justices agreed to hear the case, marking their first review of dark store taxation since the issue arose from the courts previous action in 2008. Only three of seven justices who ruled in the 2008 case are still on the court today. Oral arguments in the Lowes-Delavan case are scheduled for Sept. 28. Lowes Home Centers attorney Mark Vyvyan declined to comment. Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian is among the local government officials who are watching the Supreme Court case with interest throughout the state. Kenosha currently is being sued by both Lowes Home Centers LLC and grocery store operator Woodmans Food Markets Inc. in disputes over store property assessments. Antaramian said the Supreme Court ruling will impact how cities handle such disputes in the future. If the court allows the dark store loophole to continue, he said, some local officials might reconsider whether they want big-box retailers in their communities. People will start looking more and more at the cost-benefit of having retail, the mayor said. Online court records show similar pending court cases involving Walmart in Sturgeon Bay, La Crosse, Fond du Lac, Watertown, Baraboo, Franklin, Mukwonago, Rice Lake, Monona, New Richmond and St. Croix Falls. In addition to Kenosha, those battling Lowes Home Centers currently include Manitowoc, Plover and Wauwatosa. Plover Village Administrator Dan Ault, whose community has filed a brief with the Supreme Court, said the high court ruling will set a precedent with statewide implications. If the court allows big business to continue seeking unfair tax breaks, Ault said, homeowners and other taxpayers will be the victims forced to pay higher taxes to make up the difference. Its really important that we prevail here, he said. Thats a big win for the people. Dark store opponents spent years lobbying Wisconsin state lawmakers to take legislative action addressing the issue. But state legislative leaders voiced mixed feelings and left the matter unresolved. Witynski said the municipal league then made an effort to encourage cities, villages and towns to fight big-box retailers in court, theorizing that if the legislative branch would not respond, maybe the courts would. Many municipalities have since won their court fights, Witynski said, so his group has high hopes for scoring a knockout blow with the Supreme Court case. While acknowledging that the current seven-member court has a reputation for siding with big business, Witynski said, fairness in taxation seems to be an idea that transcends ideology. This is one of the issues that dont fall along clear party lines, he said. We think the judges will understand this. So what does all this tell us about justice? All this meaning that Ghislaine Maxwell got 20 years and the next day, R. Kelly got 30. It was an indisputably good thing to see those punishments handed down. And its hard to blame anyone who found in it a reason to rejoice. Its also difficult to join them. Understand: You will find no remorse here over the likelihood that the 55-year-old former R&B hit maker and the 60-year-old former socialite will grow old in federal custody. He manipulated and raped children, she procured and groomed children to be raped by the monster Jeffrey Epstein. So the promise of long-term stays in the graybar hotel doesnt exactly break ones heart. But by the same token, it also brings little gratification. Breon Peace, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York, would likely disagree. As he told reporters covering the Kelly case, I hope this sentencing serves as its own testimony that it doesnt matter how powerful, rich or famous your abuser may be or how small they may make you feel. Justice only hears the truth. One is loathe to pick a fight with a lawyer taking a well-deserved victory lap after a hard-fought trial. He deserves that. But at the same time, one recoils from lofty pronouncements of what this says about justice. Especially given that accountability is hardly the norm where sexual predators are concerned. As illustration of that point, consider a few horrors from recent years. Like Judge Marcia Silva in Middlesex County, New Jersey, who said that the forcible rape it left her bleeding of a 12-year-old girl by a 16-year-old boy was not an especially heinous or cruel offense. Like Judge Matthew Murphy of Niagara County, New York, giving probation to a defendant who, as a 17-year-old, raped multiple 15- and 16-year-old girls, because sending him to prison was not appropriate. Like Judge Aaron Persky of Santa Clara County, California, sentencing convicted rapist Brock Turner to six months because anything harsher would have a severe impact on him. Like Judge James Troiano of Monmouth County, New Jersey, declining to try an accused teenage rapist as an adult because he comes from a good family. But even those vivid examples dont paint the full picture. For those judges to say those bizarre things and make those bizarre rulings, the cases had to get to court. Most dont. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, one woman in six will suffer an attempted or completed sexual assault in her lifetime. For every 1,000 attacks, only 50 people will be arrested, only 25 incarcerated. Those abysmal numbers and to be fair, the statistics are not much better for robbery and assault do not fill one with confidence in the justice system. More to our current point, they suggest, much as those sad sack judges do, an ongoing failure to do right by survivors of sexual assault, the vast majority of whom are women. So you know what these cases say about justice? They say that, after years of openly flouting the law, high-profile offenders may, given sufficient media pressure and public attention, be held to account. Repeat: may. If your case doesnt fall within those parameters, tough luck. Youre very likely to watch helplessly as your attacker goes unpunished. And you might be forgiven for thinking that doesnt feel much like justice at all. Just a different kind of rape. An auto shop, bus stop and modest apartments line the 6500 block of busy University Avenue in Middleton near Madisons West Side. A popular food co-op and splash park for children are nearby. Thats where the mass shooter left his cellphone Monday after killing seven people and injuring more than 45 at a Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, police say. Its a chilling detail thats hard to shake. The Highland Park massacre could have been repeated and compounded here. Police say a 21-year-old who confessed to the murderous spree in the upscale suburb north of Chicago still had a .40-caliber rifle and 60 rounds of ammunition in his car when he arrived in the Madison area Monday afternoon. He came here, driving at least 125 miles, just hours after brutally and senselessly shattering dozens of lives in the heart of the community his family called home. The shooter were not going to repeat his name here, because he presumably sought notoriety seriously contemplated unleashing further gun violence at a July 4 event in or around Madison, Highland Park police said. Could it have been the festival in Monona? The celebration in Shorewood Hills? The patriotic band concert at a park in Madison? Could it have been a family cookout? We may never know. And in a way, it doesnt matter because every neighborhood, theater, office and public setting is a potential target for deranged people bent on death and destruction who can easily acquire weapons of war. We can be grateful that Americas latest onslaught of gun violence was not unleashed here. We also must extend our deepest sympathies to Highland Park and help our neighbors to the southeast try to recover and heal. For those directly impacted and who were lucky enough to survive the horrid memories may never fade far enough away. Highland Park followed the unspeakable carnage May 24 at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. It followed the racist killings May 14 at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. Seemingly every day mass shootings terrorize some innocent community across the country. Taking broad steps to prevent further gun violence shouldnt even be a question. Its a requirement and dire responsibility. Congress acted recently in a modest way to improve background checks on gun purchases by teenagers. Our leaders in Washington came together to deter the illegal trafficking of guns, disarm convicted domestic abusers and encourage states to temporarily remove guns from individuals likely to hurt themselves or others. All that was good. But more progress is imperative. Much stricter and sensible limits on incredibly powerful guns are needed, given Americas chronic bloodshed. Republicans are finally starting to budge in favor of responsible public safety precautions, rather than clinging to wildly irrational definitions of freedom through military-grade firepower. Voters must keep the pressure on political candidates in this falls elections. Congress is making our schools more secure and steering additional resources to help people with mental illness. That was part of the bill President Joe Biden signed into law last month. We appreciate that, but it has to be the start of something much bigger, not an excuse to move on. Police should continue to train and staff public events to help ensure greater protection. But they cant be everywhere all the time. We all must do more to report troubling behavior, whether we see it in person or online. Illinois has a red flag law that allows judges to temporarily disarm people with strong evidence of imminent danger. Wisconsin should adopt something similar. But the law only works if people report warning signs. The shooter had contact with police in recent years once because of a suicide attempt, the other time for police to temporarily seize knives and swords after a family member reported threats. Yet the father of the young man charged in the Highland Park shootings subsequently sponsored his son for a gun purchase, authorities say. Thats inexplicable and reckless in hindsight. Just as troubling is the inadequacy of state and federal data to track alarming behavior. The shooters history wasnt shared across agencies, which might have prevented him from amassing a small arsenal of guns, including semiautomatic rifles. Families cant be shy about reporting one of their own to help protect their loved ones and their communities. Dane County Sheriff Kalvin Barrett last week stressed the importance of everyone especially young people reporting threats of violence they see on social media. Americas obsession and obscene use of guns isnt going away. But it absolutely must be restrained by our elected officials in Washington and the statehouse. Everyone must help. Raise your voice and get involved. Most important: Vote this fall for a sane and safer society. Wisconsin State Journal editorial board The views expressed in the editorials are shaped by the board, independent of news coverage decisions elsewhere in the newspaper. STAFF MEMBERS KELLY LECKER, Executive editor SCOTT MILFRED, Editorial page editor PHIL HANDS, Editorial cartoonist COMMUNITY MEMBERS JANINE GESKE SUSAN SCHMITZ BURLEY The Cassia County School District announced a new central office employee and two current employees who have taken roles as a principal and as the director at Cassia Regional Technical Center (CRTC.) Kit Kanekoa will be the new director at CRTC. He has been the vice principal at Burley High School since 2014. I am very excited to take on this new challenge and work with the CRTC staff, Superintendent (Sandra) Miller and the school board to give our students real world career skills, Kanekoa said. Deana Christensen will be the new assistant principal at BHS. Christensen taught music for nine years from 1990-99 for fifth- through 12th-grade students at Mt. View, White Pine elementary schools, Burley Junior High School and BHS. She was vice principal at BJHS from 1999-2022. I look forward to helping older students make good choices and further develop into positive citizens in our community, she said. BHS is a great school and I am looking forward to being a part of their team. New employee, Clay Adams, will take the position of director of procurement, operations and risk management at the district office. Adams has 25 years of business operations and management consulting experience. He grew up on a farm and graduated from high school in Oakley. He started his career at Walmart in store operations in Orem, Utah. He later worked in Walmarts corporate office in international business development and strategy, grocery merchandising in both dairy and meat departments, and as a regional merchandise manager in Idaho, Utah and Nevada. Adams, a six sigma black belt, earned bachelors and masters degrees from Brigham Young Universitys Marriott School of Business. He received the Sam M. Walton Entrepreneur of the Year award in 2007 and the Assistant Store Manager Impact Player of the Year Award in 1996 in the Mountain Division. He plans to move his family back to Cassia County and he enjoys spending time outdoors, attending sporting and music events with his wife, Janene, and three children, Matthew, 14; Austin, 12; and Paige, 10. I see this as great timing to leverage my background in operations, procurement and risk management to partner with the school district leadership team in pursuing continuous improvement, in ensuring the district business office operates efficiently and that maximum benefit is realized from expenditures set by the board, Adams said. I look forward to partnering with Superintendent Miller, the school board, the district leadership team and our wonderful community in striving for excellence in our school system. Cassia County is a fantastic place to raise a family, were fortunate to live where we do. Adams contract begins July 18. TORONTO (AP) Rogers Communications Inc. said Saturday it has restored mobile and internet service for ``the vast majority of customers after an outage that lasted more than 15 hours. The disruption, which the Toronto-based telecommunications company offered no explanation for, started Friday morning. It left many customers without mobile and internet service and caused trouble for 911 services, debit transactions and even Service Canadas beleaguered passport offices. In a tweet, Rogers said some customers may experience delays in regaining full service as its network comes back online and traffic volumes return to normal. Our technical teams are working hard to ensure that the remaining customers are back online as quickly as possible, the tweet said. Once again, we sincerely apologize for the disruption this had caused our customers and we will be proactively crediting all customers. Interac said its services are fully available again after debit transactions were halted by the Rogers network outage. Tony Staffieri, chief executive and president of Rogers, said in an open letter that the company apologizes for the service interruption but offered no explanation for the outage or how many customers were affected. Staffieri said Rogers is committed to understanding the cause and would make changes to meet and exceed expectations in the future. The outage began early Friday and stretched into the evening, pushing businesses and organizations to notify customers that their operations were being affected by Rogers and that delays and service interruptions should be expected. The outage forced the postponement of The Weeknds tour stop at Torontos Rogers Centre. The Toronto date was one of only two set for Canada. Among the most serious impacts of the outage were warnings from police in Toronto and Ottawa, who reported connection problems when people called 911. Many Rogers customers scrambled to find internet service, heading to coffee shops to connect and trade tales of the outage. TWIN FALLS Two second-year students at the College of Southern Idaho will receive scholarships for the College of Southern Idaho Renewable Energy Systems Technology Program from Magic Valley Energy (MVE), an affiliate of leading energy company LS Power. Marysol Cruz, a graduate of Blackfoot High School, will receive $1,000 toward the completion of her degree, and Mykah Bonaparte, a graduate of Twin Falls High School, will receive $500. This is the second round of scholarships MVE has sponsored for students interested in renewable energy careers. Cruz and Bonaparte said they decided to pursue renewable energy as a career because of their desire to be a part of a healthier planet. The potential for renewable energy is big, Bonaparte said. I feel like I am making a small difference to help our climate. Cruz said her desire to work outside and constantly learn new things is one of the reasons she decided to pursue renewable energy. No matter the area of renewables I decide to specialize in, I am confident I will come out with experience and new knowledge for the next task I take on, she said. I feel like I could go anywhere with this degree. Cruz said winning this scholarship was relieving. I work and go to school and pay out of pocket for my school. This scholarship is such a relief. It will help so much. Im so grateful, she said. MVE has proposed two wind projects in the Magic Valley on primarily public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The projects will bring approximately 40 well-paid, permanent job opportunities to the Magic Valley and have an estimated $23 million annual economic output after the two-year construction phase. For those looking for a new career, CSIs associate degree in Renewable Energy Systems Technology is usually completed within two years; however, CSI works with high school students and those who are already working in the industry but havent yet completed their degree requirements. Knowing that CSI has a fantastic program in place for wind technicians makes us even more excited to bring this opportunity to the Magic Valley, Luke Papez, MVE Project Director, said. Hiring local talent is a priority for us as we move forward. For first-time advising, registration, basic financial aid, and payment information, contact CSI Enrollment Services at enrollment@csi.edu or 208-732-6250. Having a workforce degree does wonders, Eli Bowles, CSI Renewable Energy Instructor, said. Even if you move out of the wind energy industry, having those base-level skills is phenomenal. Our students often go into wind, solar, maintenance, and food manufacturing. We have a 100% job placement. Its an exciting industry for anyone who wants a challenge. For more information, please contact Amy Schutte at amy@hudsonandco.co BOISE Historians are excited to recognize Twin Falls Countys rich agricultural history, exemplified by the Brose House at Rock Creek, south of Hansen. On Nov. 16, the National Park Service listed the Historic Agricultural Resources of Twin Falls County, Idaho: 1860 to 1970 Multiple Property Documentation Form and the Robert and Augusta Brose Ranch near Hansen in the national register, the park service recently announced. The Idaho State Historic Preservation Office is excited to see recognition for the rich agricultural history in Twin Falls County, Jason Tippeconnic Fox, NRHP coordinator said. Funded by the Twin Falls County Historic Preservation Commission, the MPDF sheds light on the evolution of agriculture in the region from the earliest years of settlement to the development of irrigation and the new challenges of the postwar years. It identifies the countys historic agricultural resources, including farmsteads, ranches, and their associated buildings and structures. MPDFs are cover documents and not nominations on their own but serve as a basis for evaluating the National Register eligibility of properties related to significant themes, trends, and patterns of history. The Twin Falls County Historic Preservation Commission and Idaho SHPO anticipate that the MPDF will encourage and facilitate the NRHP listing of additional agricultural-related historic resources in the county in coming years, Fox said. This hidden old house is getting 'new' windows How the Brose House has stayed under the radar for so long amazes local historians. The Robert and Augusta Brose Ranch near Hansen is the first property to be listed in the NRHP under the MPDF. Located five miles south of Hansen, the Brose Ranch was established in 1886 as one of the earliest ranches in the region. It is significant for its association with several important trends in the history of agricultural development in Twin Falls County, including the first attempts at raising livestock and crops through the development of irrigation. The property is also architecturally significant for the unique construction of the 1907 main residence, which employs ornamental concrete blocks. The NRHP is the official list of the nations historic places considered important in our past and worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Services NRHP is the cornerstone of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect Americas historic and archeological resources. Abortion rights advocates have noted that people in states like Idaho, which have outlawed nearly all abortions, will soon have to travel across state lines to terminate pregnancies. Planned Parenthood plans to open a new clinic just across the border in Ontario. But an estimated 5,127 women in Idaho wont have the option to seek abortion care out of state because of parole or probation, according to a report by the Prison Policy Initiative, a research and advocacy organization whose stated mission is to expose the broader harm of mass criminalization and create a more just society. There were 4,346 women on probation in Idaho as of 2016, the initiative said. Another 781 were on parole. Idaho requires those women to obtain permission from their supervision officer before leaving the state. With the sole authority to approve or deny a trip across state lines for abortion care, a probation or parole officer might choose to prioritize their own personal beliefs about abortion over the desires of the individual under their control, the report said. They might also choose to delay the decision until its no longer possible or safe for the individual theyre supervising to terminate a pregnancy. According to Boise State Public Radio reporting, Idaho has the highest female incarceration rate of any state in the country. In the Gem State, 110 per 100,000 women were incarcerated in 2020; a rate more than double the national average, according to the report. More than 200,000 women are under probation or parole supervision in the states with abortion trigger laws, which outlaw abortions to varying degrees upon the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to remove a nationwide constitutional right to abortion. The women whose access to abortion is restricted due to parole or probation are in addition to women for whom travel isnt an option for cost or other reasons. Idahos abortion trigger law has not yet taken effect; abortions remain legal until at least mid-August. Two lawsuits are pending in the Idaho Supreme Court that challenge Idahos trigger law, which makes it a felony to provide or assist in an abortion, and another Idaho law that allows civil lawsuits against women who receive an abortion after their fetus has a heartbeat. While it is possible to obtain abortion pills by mail through telehealth, providers located in another state who prescribe medication abortions for Idaho patients must have an Idaho license. Their license would be suspended or revoked under the trigger law. (The state waived the telehealth licensing requirement for the COVID-19 emergency, and that waiver expired July 1). Opinion: On Tuesday, the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol held a hearing delving into the role of far-right paramilitary organizations in the attempt to stop certification of the 2020 presidential election. Focusing on groups, including the Proud Boys, Oathkeepers and Three Percenters, who were involved in the 2021 attempted insurrection, the hearings presented compelling evidence of significant coordination between these groups, as well as awareness within the Trump administration of their plans. You are here: Business Great Wall Motor (GWM), China's largest sport utility vehicle (SUV) and pickup manufacturer, saw vehicle sales increase 26.38% month on month to 101,186 units in June, including 13,451 sold in overseas markets. In the first half of this year, the company sold a total of 518,525 vehicles, 62,823 of which were overseas sales, accounting for 12%. The company's total overseas sales exceeded 1 million. With the improving COVID-19 situation and the resumption of work in the supply chain, Great Wall Motor has launched multiple new electric and intelligent vehicles, which have contributed to the rise in sales in the second quarter, the company noted. Headquartered in the city of Baoding, north China's Hebei province, Great Wall Motor owns several vehicle brands, including HAVAL, GWM Pickup, WEY and ORA. My wife and I share long conversations on many topics. Sometimes she changes my mind. Sometimes I change hers. Over the last year shes convinced me Im wrong about an issue on which I never thought Id budge. Its about term limits for United States senators and congressmen, who, right now, can serve for as long as voters keep sending them back. Ive always thought term limits were a stupid idea. We already have them. Its called voting. If voters want an official out, hell get voted out. Voila! His term has just been limited. And besides, if voters really like the job Senator Hoohah has been doing, why force him to step down? Why kick out legislators who have finally gotten good at their job? Heres why, my wife says: The lack of term limits for all these political jobs has created the ugly and dangerous life form known as the career politician. As Ive watched current events over the last few decades, Ive realized that shes right, and Im wrong. Career politicians werent always a thing. The idea of electing salt-of-the-earth citizens from the farms and businesses of our ever-sprawling America to serve a term or two in the nations capital to help manage the necessities of government, and then return home with honor to continue running the farm or the family businessit was a very good idea. It encouraged a certain homespun humility in the halls of Congress. No matter how eagerly you wanted to wanted to wallow at the public trough and make yourself appear indispensable to voters and lobbyists alike, you knew there would be an end, and a return to normalcy. And Im willing to concede that my original argumentthat term limits already exist under the ruse of regular electionswas just a lot of hokum. Like the Supreme Court, election to the Senate or the House these days is virtually a lifetime appointment. How could it be otherwise, once youve earned the indispensable qualification of name recognition? Cmon, admit ithow much time have you really spent studying the voting record of your representative or congressman? And by studying, I mean doing something more than reading political ads on your Facebook feed, or watching the 30-second commercials that litter TV newscasts every two years? Heres the incumbents ad: Bob Smiley. Hes been there. He knows the ropes. Hes in the room where it happens. And thats why he gets more stuff done in a day than the new kids get done in a month. Thats why if you dont reelect Bob Smiley our state is in big, big trouble. Then theres the attack ad for Bobs opponent. Whats wrong with Fred Jones? As a state legislator he voted ten times with crazy liberal special interest groups working to destroy your way of life. And now he wants go to Washington? Fred Jones is too liberal, too lazy, too crazy for our state. This November, dont give Fred Jones what he wants. Give him what he deserves. This is followed by a body target sheet being riddled by bullets in a shooting range. And nobody notices the fact that the ad is paid for by lobbying consortiums with focus-grouped names like Citizens for Conservative Prosperity and Growth who have laundered millions into the re-election campaign of your steadily-ossifying senator. Its not the voting records, its the level of Hollywood production that usually convinces our hearts and minds to Stick with Smiley. Shadowy lights. Sinister music. Grainy photographs. A narrator with a worried voice deeper than James Earl Jones with a head cold. This kind of advertising isnt cheap, by the way. Just ask George Lucas about the cost of all those special effects. Incumbents build remarkable wealth in office. They can afford this kind of nonsense. Their opponents cant. Meanwhile, both sides know that this kind of ominously threatening thirty-second ad is about as much candidate research as the average voter is likely to conduct. Sorry, but true. So personally, Ive come around to the idea of blowing things up without actually, yknow, blowing anything up. Term limits would bring an immediate end to the most problematic job description ever known to man: the career politician. Former President Donald Trumps criminal use of lies and mob violence to steal the 2020 election failed, but its not the only recent coup attack on our democracy. In the last few years, a cabal of right-wing zealots have plotted to seize control of the U.S. Supreme Court. By hook and crook, theyve installed a six-judge majority, and now theyre using them as a political cudgel to try stealing not just a constitutional right, but an inherent human right from American women the right to make their own reproductive decisions. By judicial fiat, the right-wing judges have decreed that the state will make birth decisions, regardless of what mothers want. This is the Republican Partys current concept of small government. When the Supremes issued their government decree in June, headlines blared that the decision by conservatives on the court ends a womans right to choose. Thats wrong on two counts: First, there is nothing conservative about what amounts to a naked power grab by a small minority of pious, ideological tyrants. Second, a human right cannot be ended. The judicial authoritarians whore perverting the courts purpose from justice to autocracy are deluding themselves if they think that six unelected judges ensconced in a marble bubble in Washington can deter the democratic imperative (much less the maternal authority) of millions of American women. Reality has many ways to conquer ideology. To be blunt, the right wing lost this fight the moment it won the ruling. Unfortunately, even the Biden White House doesnt get the depth of the publics outrage and determination to restore this right into law. Asked about rising anger at his inaction, President Joe Biden dismissed the critics: Im the only president they got, he snapped. Joe might want to reflect on the vibrant history of American democracy: If leaders dont lead, the people will, even if that means getting a new president. Its a serious handicap for an elected leader to be considered a lame duck. Far worse, though, for the leader to be considered just plain lame. He has tumbled into both ditches of lameness and lame duck. He set himself up for lame duckism in the 2020 race by promising voters that he would merely be a bridge, not... anything else. He portrayed himself as a trusted, bipartisan inside player, an interim senior statesman who would calmly pilot the ship of state from Trumps bombast to wherever, whatever and whomever was next. Now, just a year and a half into his presidency, the duckism syndrome has kicked in, and hes scrambling to insist that hes still the president and making plans to run again in 2024. But that only highlights Bidens chief flaw: his inherent lameness. Hes playing president rather than being one. Take his embarrassingly meek response to the Supreme Courts six partisan extremists who just nullified the fundamental freedom of all women in America to control their own bodies. Biden called the courts dictate terrible, but what did he do? His first action was to send out a fundraising mailing asking for $15 donations to reelect Democrats. Then he flew off on a four-day trip to Europe. Roundly condemned for being AWOL, he belatedly held a press conference in Spain, calling the Courts attack on women destabilizing. Gosh, Joe so harsh! Then he called on Congress to do something. But wait arent you the president? OK, so you cant just dictate a fix, but shouldnt you at least be here, show up on the front lines and treat this as the democracy emergency it is? Hello! Six besotted judicial right-wingers who think their black robes make them little gods have just sanctimoniously usurped an innate human right! The 70% of Americans who oppose the ungodly arrogance of these six judges need a real president wholl fight like hell to restore this right. Wheres Joe? Morocco, Spain and the European Union have agreed to join forces in the fight against the growing international human traffickers who are exploiting the misery, the vulnerability and the dreams of poor people aspiring for better life. The agreement was announced following the meeting held Friday in Rabat between Moroccan Interior minister Abdelouafi Laftit, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson and Spanish interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. During the meeting, they highlighted the solid results of their cooperation based on shared responsibility in matters of migration and agreed to renew their partnership in order to work together to tackle human smuggling networks, in particular following the emergence of new, extremely violent, methods adopted by such criminal networks. A press release issued by the European Commission said the new operational anti-smuggling partnership between the Commission and Morocco to tackle human trafficking will cover, in particular, support for border management, enhanced police cooperation (including joint investigations), awareness-raising on the dangers of unlawful migration and enhanced cooperation with EU agencies responsible for home affairs. The Commissioner and the two Ministers regretted every death of people attempting unlawful entry, including those that occurred during the recent distressing events on 24 June 2022, added the communique. They also regretted the injuries, including to members of the Moroccan and Spanish border forces. These events put traditional methods of combating human smuggling under strain. Besides the human tragedy, they showed how very dangerous and violent human smuggling networks were, and the extent to which they were prepared to take any risk. Investigations were under way to clarify the circumstances surrounding these events. At the same time, the Commissioner and the two Ministers welcomed the fact-finding commission set up by the Moroccan National Human Rights Council. The protection of fundamental rights is a value shared by Morocco and the European Union, the statement said. Morocco is a strategic and committed partner of the European Union, with which the EU has been cooperating on migration issues for a number of years, said the European Commission. The Moroccan National Immigration and Asylum Strategy (SNIA) is one of the most well-developed migration management systems today, in both legislative and institutional terms, and has enabled the regularization of the situation of thousands of migrants, and their integration into Moroccan society, underlined the Commission, recalling King Mohammed VI was appointed leader for Africa on the issue of migration by African Heads of State. The European Commission has praised Moroccos efforts in the fight against illegal migration. These efforts have resulted, in the first half of this year, in preventing more than 26,000 irregular departures one tenth of them saved at sea. In the same period, Morocco has dismantled around a hundred criminal trafficking networks. In connection with the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission is establishing migration partnerships with the countries of origin, transit and destination, to combat human smuggling networks, but also to address the root causes of migration and improve legal migration routes so that people do not feel the need to risk their lives on dangerous journeys. On Thursday, Moroccan Govt. Spokesman Mustapha Baitas said the latest violent mass crossing attempt made by illegal sub-Saharan migrants from Northern Moroccan region of Nador into Spanish enclave of Melilla, was a premeditated and planned operation. Videos showed that some 2000 migrants stormed the fence in Nador assaulting security forces using sticks and stones as well as acid and knives, in the most violent crossings ever reported in northern Morocco. Missoula Job Service: Job Search and Resume Workshop Join Missoula Job Service at Missoula Public Library on July 11 for an in-depth look at how to design your resume to navigate your job search. This workshop includes how to use Applicant Tracking Systems to your advantage, search for and analyze job postings, utilize accepted resume formats, and write a resume that stands out. This is where to start if you are looking to take your job search to the next level, and secure an interview with the job you want. Meet from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Lego Club Join Missoula Public Library for Lego Club and build to your hearts content every Monday and Friday afternoon in the Imaginarium on Level Two. Drop in anytime on Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. to create fantastic Lego structures! Oceans of Possibilities Summer Learning Program: Clark Fork River Clean-up Do your part and join Missoula Public Library on July 12 to help clean up the Clark Fork River. We will meet in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library at 10 a.m. and then walk down to the river. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult 18 years or older. Bring a sack lunch to eat when were done and then enjoy a frozen treat on us. Program runs 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Memory Cafe: Summer Games Missoula Public Librarys Memory Cafe is a supportive and social program for people experiencing memory loss and occurs on the second Tuesday of every month. The next cafe is July 12 from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Cooper Room on Level Four of the library. Since summer has finally arrived, it is time for lemonade, cookies and lawn games! This July, beat the heat while enjoying some games in our comfortable and air-conditioned Cooper Event Space with Cornhole, Ladderball, giant Jenga, or just relax with a game of chess, a jigsaw puzzle, and amazing views of Missoula. Tuesday Yoga at the Library Join Missoula Public Library Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room A on Level Four of the library and end your day right with yoga. During this class led by local instructor Kristen Stoeger, 4-part yoga postures (breath work, mindful movement, meditation, and gratitude) are practiced to align, strengthen, and promote flexibility in the body. Breathing techniques and meditation are also integrated. Participants can expect an emphasis on simplicity, repetition, and ease of movement. Full-body relaxation and balance are the goals, as we make a full circuit of the bodys range of motion with standing and sitting postures, twists, forward folds, and hip openers. This class is designed for basic skills and beginners are welcome! Space is limited and online registration is required. Please register at this link: https://registerfortuesdayyoga.eventbrite.com/. Participants must wear a mask during this class as well as sign a liability waiver prior to the session by downloading and printing it or by filling out a provided copy before class begins. Download the liability waiver here: https://tinyurl.com/5f5h4jvw. Participants are welcome to bring their own yoga mats or use mats that are provided. Missoula Job Service: Resume Office Hours Visit Missoula Public Library and work directly with workforce consultants from Missoula Job Service to get constructive feedback to help you sharpen your resume. This workshop takes place July 13 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Registration is required. Call 406-721-2665 or email Crystal at crystalk@missoula.lib.mt.us to register. Participants will need to bring their resume on a flash drive or access it online for this workshop. Tech Time @ MPL Meet with a Missoula Public Library staff member during our drop-in tech help hour and get one-on-one assistance with basic technology issues and library services. Our next Tech Time is July 14 from 4 to 5 p.m. in Cooper Room B on Level Four of the library. Bring your own device, or use a library laptop. No appointment required, first come, first served. Cheap Date Night Enjoy a recently released feature film during Missoula Public Librarys Cheap Date Night the third Friday of each month in the Cooper Room on Level Four of the library. The next film is July 15. Doors are open from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. and the film starts at 6:30 p.m. Late entry is not allowed. Attendees must enter from the librarys parking garage, all other doors are locked. Please call the library or check our website for movie titles: https://tinyurl.com/3be37tzx. Western Montana Genealogical Society Work Day The Western Montana Genealogical Society hosts a Work Day in the Blackfoot Board Room on the Fourth Floor of Missoula Public Library on the second Saturday of each month from 12 to 4 p.m. Bring a part of your genealogical project to the gathering. Other genealogists will be working on their projects and can lend a hand if needed, and share websites and advice on research problems. The next Work Day is July 16. Bags of clothing and sheets flowed out of the Fromberg High School gym in the hands of volunteers on Thursday. The supplies had piled up in the gym and the connecting commons building over the past month, a legacy of the compassion that strangers showed the farming town in the wake of devastating flooding in mid June. But those bags now filled the back of a truck carrying the logo of Billings Family Service. The hub for the flood relief effort in and around Fromberg for nearly a month will be shuttered this weekend to get ready for the school year. All of those supplies are now piled at the Fromberg Methodist Church, the new headquarters for the volunteers who have assisted in offering flood victims, food, showers and shelter since June 13. It worked out perfectly. We still have all the same accommodationsand the church isnt interested in an expiration date. They understand that this is probably going to be a long-term problem, said Tina Foust, who was appointed the disaster relief coordinator when floodwaters reached Fromberg. Cooler temperatures that built up the snowpack in the Beartooth Mountains in May followed by heavy rains at the start of June unleashed a deluge of water flowing in Rock Creek and Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River. Miles of road, dozens of bridges and hundreds of homes were in its path when those waterways overflowed, starting on June 10. The floods struck south-central Montana with such ferocity that officials temporarily closed Yellowstone National Park, and the office of Gov. Greg Gianforte declared a statewide disaster by the week's end. Assessments are still ongoing to determine the total damage in Park, Stillwater and Carbon counties. Streets in eastern Red Lodge were transformed into a riverbed, with rocks carried by the river blasting away pavement with explosive force. Travelers were left stranded in Gardiner, where the flood ripped away massive chunks of the highway leading into Yellowstone National Park. In Fromberg, animals were let loose from their pens to save them from drowning in the rush of water. The governors office estimated in its request for a presidential disaster declaration that the damage to travel infrastructure alone amounted to nearly $30 million. At least 115 homes across the three counties were destroyed. Although local residents in Red Lodge and Gardiner shared the trauma of losing homes, cars and keepsakes to the water, within a week following the floods crest, businesses in both towns were once again serving customers. And while homes were still being mucked out in parts of Red Lodge on June 21, residents in the mountain town were able to drink their tap water by then. But in Fromberg, where the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone ripped through almost every building standing on the east side of Highway 310, a month later residents were still forced to boil their water or pick up a pallet of bottled water. This entire valley has been neglected. Its gone beyond ignored. Other places have been able to open their business and move on with their lives. Here we have elderly people and disabled vets, and were still being told to fill out this form and that form with no sense of direction, said Shala Cullum, a Bridger resident who said she's put 1,000 miles on her vehicle making food deliveries throughout Carbon County. The volunteer effort to assist in mucking out the wrecked homes of Fromberg has included neighbors from the west side of the highway whose homes were out of reach of the river, locals from Bridger and Red Lodge and people from hundreds of miles away who read the headlines of the destruction. And although volunteers surged to nearly 1,000 people working in Fromberg in a single week, one core group of individuals has remained active since June 13, and they havent had a day off since then. The exhaustion is visible in their eyes, which become misty when they recall what theyve seen and what they've worked through. One woman from Roscoe cant move without the assistance of a walker. Her house was washed out. A young couple sent their kids to Denver until they can find permanent housing. An elderly woman who lives in a mobile home near the Wyoming border has grass growing in her carpet. The last I heard there were 100 people in the valley misplacedThe farmers and ranchers out here are so private and independent, the only way to really know is to drive up and down the backroads and knock on doors, which as a volunteer is not my place. I dont know if you can get an accurate assessment, Cullum said. Last week, FEMA granted Gianfortes request to provide individual assistance for residents whose lives were impacted by the flood, and agents are currently sweeping through the valley to assess the damage. That assistance is potentially weeks away. The Red Lodge Community Foundation has offered up to $3,000 in assistance for those displaced or living in dangerous conditions because of the flood. Thatll replace a water heater, but it wont rebuild a house, said Foust. Foust, Cullum and Laurel resident Tanya Hansen are part of the crew driving the relief effort in Fromberg and the surrounding valley since the flood struck. In partnering with the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, Crisis Cleanup and several other non-profits and religious organizations, the two have delivered supplies, filled sandbags and identified which homes needed immediate help. During that time, the gym and the commons has been their hub. Residents have relied on the space to prepare daily meals, showers and as a spot to rest. On Thursday, several mosquitos buzzed inside the building, another nuisance brought on by the flood. The space is cool, dry and has room enough to seat dozens of people if needed. It also has room to spare to store stacks of dry goods and water pallets. For days worrying about not having the space, Foust wondered where everything accumulated for the relief effort would go. I would like to thank the school for allowing us to use the spaceI think its important that the school knows that we thank them for the opportunities, Cullum said. The five-person board of trustees for the Fromberg School District held a meeting June 23. They determined that the volunteers, along with all of the provisions inside the gyms and commons building would have to vacate by July 8. In preparation of the 2022-2023 school year, Fromberg School needs to resume normal operation, read a notice to vacate that was taped to the buildings entrance. Foust and Cullum held out for possibly extending their stay, but a proposal to discuss the matter was shot down. On Thursday, Foust said, the church came through. Its leadership offered them the space for supplies and its kitchen for meals, along with a shower for residents to utilize indefinitely. It wouldnt surprise me if we started serving dinner here tonight, Foust said. The church will also be the site for one of FEMAs Mobile Registration Intake Centers. Starting Friday and running through Tuesday, Disaster Survivor Assistance teams will be available assisting with applications for FEMA assistance. In his latest book, "Trust" (Riverhead), Hernan Diaz, the essayist and author of the novel "In the Distance," tells the story of the one of the richest men in the world or rather four stories, as each paints a different portrait of a young stock trader whose almost-supernatural financial intuition leads to untold wealth and the "vulgar burden" of luxury. Read an excerpt below. / Credit: Riverhead It was not hard to find a buyer for his father's business. Benjamin encouraged a manufacturer from Virginia and a trading company from the United Kingdom to outbid each other. Wishing to distance himself from that part of his past, he was pleased to see the British prevail, thus sending the tobacco company whence it had come. But what truly gratified him was that with the profits from this sale he was able to work on a higher plane, manage a new level of risk, and finance long-term transactions he had been unable to consider in the past. Those around him were confused to see his possessions decrease in direct proportion to his wealth. He sold all remaining family properties, including the brownstone on West 17th Street, and everything in them. His clothes and papers fit into two trunks, which were sent to the Wagstaff Hotel, where he took a suite of rooms. He became fascinated by the contortions of moneyhow it could be made to bend back upon itself to be force-fed its own body. The isolated, self-sufficient nature of speculation spoke to his character and was a source of wonder and an end in itself, regardless of what the increasing numbers represented or afforded him. Luxury was a vulgar burden. The access to new experiences was not something his sequestered spirit craved. Politics and the pursuit of power played no part in his unsocial mind. Games of strategy, like chess or bridge, had never interested him. If asked, Benjamin would probably have found it hard to explain what drew him to the world of finance. It was the complexity of it, yes, but also the fact that he viewed capital as an antiseptically living thing. It moves, eats, grows, breeds, falls ill, and may die. But it is clean. This became clearer to him in time. The larger the operation, the further removed he was from its concrete details. There was no need for him to touch a single banknote or engage with the things and people his transaction affected. All he had to do was think, speak, and, perhaps, write. And the living creature would be set in motion, drawing beautiful patterns on its way into realms of increasing abstraction, sometimes following appetites of its own that Benjamin never could have anticipatedand this gave him some additional pleasure, the creature trying to exercise its free will. He admired it and understood it, even when it disappointed him. Story continues Excerpted from "Trust" by Hernan Diaz. Copyright 2022 by Hernan Diaz. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. For more info: "Trust" by Hernan Diaz (Riverhead Books), in Hardcover, Large Print Trade Paperback, eBook and Audio formats, available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indieboundhernandiaz.net Funeral for Vietnam veteran draws crowds from across Midwest WWII airman killed on D-Day buried in Normandy 78 years later Tony Sirico, star of "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas," dies at 79 On June 1, 2022, the results from the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey (NCTWCS) were released. The survey began as part of the North Carolina Governors Teacher Working Conditions Initiative, created through a process of research and review by the North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards Commission (NCPTSC) and with the support of the North Carolina State Board of Education in 1999. The goal of this biennial survey is to capture anonymously the current teaching conditions in schools and the impact those conditions have on a teachers career. Although the survey has shifted to an online platform, the statewide survey provides valuable information to the school, district, and state levels. Who can take the survey? 1. All teachers and licensed school-based educators (teachers, administrators, media coordinators, counselors, etc.) in the state. 2. Part-time, licensed school-based educators may also participate. What domains are included in the survey? The survey includes 12 sections. Those include: Time Facilities and resources Community support and involvement Managing student conduct Teacher leadership School leadership Professional learning opportunities Instructional practices and supports Retention Equity Safety New teacher supports So how did Iredell-Statesville Schools stack up against the state and historical trends? A total of 91.6% of teachers in Iredell-Statesville Schools participated in the survey, with 19 schools having a 100% participation rate. The district fell above the regional average in every area of the NCTWCS and above the state averages in 7 out of 10 primary areas. Teachers (84.8%) indicated that their school is a great place to work and learn and 85% of teachers indicated they intend to continue working in the district next year. Teachers also indicated that 78.21% felt they had access to a broad range of support personnel. The district ranked well above the state average when it came to allowing teachers a large role in selecting instructional materials (11% over the state average), grading and assessment (13% over the state average), devising teaching techniques (6% over the state average), and school improvement planning (4% over the state average). Administrators (94.83%) in I-SS feel that the district has a clearly defined vision for all schools and 86.1% of administrators indicated that the central office provides support when needed. In addition, teachers (89.3%) believe that they are empowered to try new things to improve instruction. I-SS teachers rated our schools more favorably than state averages when assessing the impact of the pandemic on student learning. This includes re-teaching standards, assessing social and emotional needs, and comparing student progress to pre-pandemic. Overall teachers remain satisfied with facilities, school leadership, and teacher leadership with each of these areas of the survey remaining over 70%. The safety of our schools also received favorable scores of 93% or higher in every category as teachers indicated they feel very comfortable that their schools have plans in place for tornadoes, fires, lockdowns, active shooters, etc. While we have much to celebrate, Iredell-Statesville Schools has some areas to focus on for improvement. Teachers (19%) indicated that they spend more than 10 hours per week outside of working hours planning for the coming week and 25% of teachers indicated that they spend 5-10 hours planning. Beginning teachers in I-SS rated the district below state averages in most areas of the NCTWCS that measure new teacher support. Throughout the district, region, and state, teachers were less satisfied with the way time is spent when compared to previous years. Teachers having appropriate time to plan with their colleagues dropped from 82.27% in 2020 to 65.1%. The survey also revealed that teachers have concerns with managing student conduct. Since 2018, the percentage of teachers who feel that the NCTWCS is used for school improvement has continued to decline with 70% in 2018, 66.94% in 2020, and 59.27% in 2022. The rest of the story is much more profound. An alarming number (7,752) of teachers statewide have indicated that they intend to leave the teaching profession following the 2021-2022 school year. This would equate to 7.2% of the workforce. The impact of this movement would look like every teacher in Iredell-Statesville, Catawba, Newton-Conover, Hickory City, Lincoln, Alexander, Wilkes, Yadkin, Davie, Rowan-Salisbury, and Davidson leaving the profession. This would leave 112,546 students without a teacher. This type of mass exodus, with the number of college students earning education degrees exponentially declining, has created the perfect storm. This storm is not just a state issue, but a nationwide crisis. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) projects there will be a demand for approximately 300,000 new teachers nationwide and a supply of just over 100,000 by 2024. Whats next? School administrators will now analyze their school data with their staff to make data-informed decisions. This may include the development of a plan to maintain, improve, or simply correct areas of concern. District administration will continue to evaluate processes, policies, and support to address the areas of improvement as well as advocate for more support from the state. To read more about the North Carolina Teacher Working Conditions Survey and to see more of the district or school results, please visit www.nctwcs.org. In addition, you can read more from the EdWeek Research Center for Merrimack College Teacher Survey about trends in teaching that will feed this unfortunate crisis if our state and nation do not weigh in. VALDESE The Valdese Town Council is expected to decide Monday night on renovations to the community center and a piece of equipment at Tiger Gym. While the council approved some renovations to the gym in May, other renovations are needed, say town officials. In May, the council approved a new court floor, retractable bleachers, a retractable dividing curtain, six retractable goals and safety padding for the walls. The remaining items the council is expected to decide on Monday night is gymnasium roof repair and furnace chimney cap, painting the gym ceiling and walls, the purchase and installation of a new scoreboard, electrical work and engineering costs for truss reinforcement, according to information from the town. The current project cost is $343,954, which includes the $209,077 for the project approved in May. The town provided a $50,000 match to a private donation, and, to date, the town has received additional private donations of $182,489, according to information from the town. That information says that an additional $111,465 is needed to fund the added items and services. It is proposed that money will come from the towns fund balance (savings). During a special meeting in June, town officials said Valdese has enough in its fund balance to do the project without taking out a loan or raising taxes. The council also is expected to decide on whether to approve a ventilation system in Tiger Gym that would install two wall fans and two wall louvers with motorized dampers. The project would cost $35,863, according to information from the town. In other business, the council will decide on a resolution approving the issuance of $6.5 million in Valdese Housing Authority multifamily housing revenue bonds for 60-unit multifamily housing development to be known as Historic Valdese Weavers Mill. It is at 108 Praley St. SW. In September 2021, the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency approved the bonds for the project but the state requires the bonds have to be issued by the local public housing authority, according to a letter from the developer, Northwestern Housing Enterprises, Incorporated. The council will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at Valdese Town Hall. With the former bureau chief of licensing and his 17 years experience now leading Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, we're left surprised and disappointed in how FWP's drawings and regulations have been administered lately. First, turkeys were being killed a week before the spring season and wardens were turning a blind eye because there was a typo on FWPs official website that suggested the 2022 season opened a week before it did. Law-abiding turkey hunters were penalized with lost opportunities because of a mistake by FWP, and unlawful harvests went unpunished. Then came the elk and deer draws. Because of FWPs drawing mistake, hunters whove waited years to draw limited-entry permits now must share the elk woods with 10 percent more hunters above and beyond the quotas. Then licenses started hitting mailboxes. Archery-only permits arrived with misprinted dates making them appear valid through the general rifle season. This could add even more crowding and confusion to the elk woods and take the limited out of limited-entry areas. On June 1, FWP admitted they accidentally mailed an additional 1,200 elk and deer combo tags to unsuccessful non-residents, for free. FWP asked hunters to return these voluntarily, but what recourse will wardens have this fall if someone is caught hunting with a seemingly valid tag? If our spring turkey season is any barometer, the remedy will be non-existent. And now, were learning that because of FWP's blunders, resident elk hunters are losing out while non-residents are cashing in. Permit 417-21, for example, has a quota of 300 either-sex elk permits. This permit is first choice only, which forces hunters to burn bonus points in lieu of collecting any. In previous years, hunters could have selected second and third choice permits in case they werent successful with their top pick. But the language changed this year from first choice only to first and only choice causing confusion. The system allowed hunters to properly apply for first choice only permits while also putting in for backup options. Nothing prevented this. Hunters through no fault of their own were kicked out of the draw by FWP afterwards. FWP issued an extra 10 percent of permits to make amends, but theres more to the story. Of those 300 permits in 417-21, 90 percent of those (270) are supposed to go to residents. However, since 85 residents were wrongfully kicked out of the draw, only 221 permits were awarded to residents. Only 10 percent of permits (30) are supposed to go to nonresidents, yet 79 nonresidents drew. Why? Nonresidents are limited to the 10 percent cap only in situations where the number of resident applicants exceeds the number of permits. Since FWPs system wrongfully kicked out 85 resident hunters, there appeared to be more permits available than there were resident applicants, so all those extra permits went to non-residents. Even after Director Worsech awarded 30 more permits, there are still 19 residents who should have gotten permits and did not; those went to nonresidents, which is how nonresidents ended up drawing 26 percent of those 300 permits in 417-21. And this is just one permit type in one hunting district. Resident hunters find this unacceptable. We encourage FWP to issue elk permits to those first-choice resident applicants who would have drawn an elk permit in the first place, and to revoke permits that were issued to nonresidents by mistake. And we also suggest a legislative fix so if there are leftover opportunities (like those created by FWPs mistakes), those permits automatically go into surplus drawings for residents to have a second crack at rather than giving them away to nonresidents. Mistakes happen. But one error after the next, like what we have seen this year, and the inability of FWP to remedy the situation and uphold legal hunting regulations thats inexcusable. Montanans expect more from FWP, especially with this much licensing experience at the helm. Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the better utilization of cultural relics to promote exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations and the preservation of the fine accomplishments of Chinese civilization. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks Friday in a letter replying to senior experts at the National Museum of China (NMC) on the occasion of the 110th anniversary of the museum. Offering warm congratulations and sincere greetings to the museum staff, Xi said his previous visits to the museum left him with a deep impression and he was pleased to learn that new progress has been made by the museum in the fields of collection, research, exhibitions and exchanges. Noting the importance of museums in preserving and passing on human civilizations and the glorious mission and great responsibility shouldered by museum workers, Xi expressed his hope that the museum staff will stick to the correct political orientation, strengthen cultural confidence, step up research and be innovative in putting on exhibitions. Xi called for making better use of cultural relics, including making them "alive," promoting exchanges and mutual learning between civilizations, and better preserving, passing on and showcasing the fine accomplishments of Chinese civilization. He urged the museum workers to make new contributions to the development of China's museums, and the building of China into a country with a strong socialist culture. With its precursor, the Preparatory Office of the National Museum of History, established in July 1912, the NMC was formed in 2003 as a result of the merger of the National Museum of Chinese History and the National Museum of Chinese Revolution, both on the east side of Tian'anmen Square. Following remodeling and expansion, the NMC formally opened to the public in 2012, now boasting more than 1.4 million items in its collection. Recently, 10 senior experts from the museum wrote Xi a letter, providing an introduction of the museum's development over the past 110 years and a report on the museum's work related to the collection, preservation and exhibition, as well as stating the museum staff's resolve to keep their mission firmly in mind and contribute to the building of China into a country with a strong socialist culture. Xi's letter in reply was read out at a meeting held Saturday in Beijing to mark the 110th anniversary of the NMC. Addressing the meeting, Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, said the letter shows the CPC Central Committee's utmost care and great expectations with regard to the NMC's work. He urged the NMC to build itself into a world-class museum with Chinese characteristics. Mara Phones South Africa is getting a new lease on life with the Lebashe Investment Group, Mabuti Radebe, and Sylvester Takus MPSA Projects teaming up to buy the company. The Sunday Times reported that the companys new owners are currently in talks to distribute rebranded Mara smartphones to five African counties in an attempt to bring the business back to life. Radebe said they were close to signing export deals with telecom operators and independent retailers in two Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries and one nation in northeast Africa. The company said it had already signed contracts with relevant parties in two countries in northwest Africa. Maras Durban factory launched to much fanfare in October 2019, with President Cyril Ramaphosa and several government officials attending the facilitys grand opening. The company said its operations would create around 1,500 direct and thousands of indirect jobs within six years. It aimed to assemble high-quality smartphones at affordable prices for South African consumers, and its Mara X and Z smartphones sold for R3,000 and R4,000, respectively. Following the shutdown and buyout, Mara South Africa plans to rebrand to shake off any negative impressions of it. Its first new batch of smartphones is likely to be ready by September 2022. The current brand went through a lot of damage, and a negative narrative was attached to it, Sunday Times quoted Radebe as saying. The staff have been unemployed, and we want to put all of this behind us for a fresh start. Taku that the company would be able to fulfil its promise to do everything it can to save jobs, retain essential skills, and keep its manufacturing facility in KwaZulu-Natal through its partnership with the Lebashe Investment Group. Taku initially revealed his plans to rescue the failed smartphone manufacturer in March 2022, explaining that he headed a managing team buyout group that had secured an investor promising to capitalise the business adequately. The fact that we have secured the partnership of a tier-one raw material supplier will significantly improve margins and provide us with the capability of always having a broad range of devices with the latest specifications, he said. Maras South African manufacturing facility was shut down a year ago, resulting in the loss of around 200 jobs. It said it had failed due to a lack of uptake in its products, fewer government tenders for its devices than expected, and the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns. Four months after the facility opened, the Covid-19 pandemic hit and South Africa implemented a protracted national lockdown. Unfortunately, the lack of uptake in the South African domestic market coupled with a shortfall in tender materialisation and lockdowns has prompted this course of action, Maras executives said. As in other countries, the pandemic really affected South Africa and our business as a result too. MyBroadband spoke to a former Mara Phones factory worker regarding working conditions at the plant. The employee alleged that Mara Phones underpaid its staff, mistreated female workers, and denied the provision of retrenchment letters meaning that employees could not get any form of government support. The factory, including its manufacturing and testing equipment, smartphone components, and the completed phones kept in its storage facilities, was put to auction in February 2022. Park Village Auctions had said local and international buyers, including one from India, had expressed interest in buying the plant. Now read: Samsung could drop Galaxy S series as its flagship offering The city of Napas Planning Commission on Thursday recommended the Napa City Council adopt a final two-year extension for the 48-unit Napa Creek Condominiums project, which was originally approved by the council back in 2011. The full project, on a 3.8-acre site on California Boulevard near the D Street Alley and west of downtown Napa, is to consist of 24 three-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units and six two-bedroom units with dens. Each unit will also have a two-car garage. The project will also create 25 new public street parking spaces and three on-site guest parking spaces, according to the staff report. (The project is not to be confused with the nearby Napa Creek Village located at 2614 First St., also a 48-unit complex with a lengthy history.) Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. Senior planner Michael Allen said the project has changed hands multiple times since that original approval. After being approved by the City Council in 2011, the project was given two state-mandated extensions, Allen said, for two years each. The councill again extended the project in 2017. In 2019, developer Mani Brothers Real Estate Group pledged a $720,000 payment to the citys affordable housing fund in lieu of providing affordable units well above what the citys typical affordable housing fee would be, according to Allen and told the council that city residents would be the first to learn about condo availability. The council, as a result, granted another two-year extension. But the project still hasnt moved forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. During that time, the citys approval was again extended, to August 2022, by a state action early in the pandemic to extend all housing projects by 18 months. Allen announced one minor modification to the project at the Thursday meeting. A public access easement for a path running along Napa Creek on the south side of the project, which would serve as an approach to a bicycle and pedestrian pathway running below Highway 29, wont be configured in that way, he said. Instead, at the request of the citys public Works department, the public pathway will run along D Street Alley. The reason for that, Allen said, is that Public Works determined Americans with Disabilities Act compliance would be almost impossible under the previous plan because of how steep the resulting path would be. The Planning Commission voted 4-0 to recommend council approval for the final two-year extension of the tentative map, use permits, a design review permit and variances. Commission chair Gordon Huether recused himself because, he said, hes involved in business with the Mani Brothers. The final extension, if approved by the council, will add up to six years in total under city extensions the maximum allowed under the California Subdivision Map Act and 5 1/2 years under statewide extensions. If the applicant doesnt have permits issued before the extension runs out and the state doesn't provide another extension, the project approval will expire, and a new application process would be required, said Allen. NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AP) Chinas support for Russias war in Ukraine is complicating U.S.-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Chinese counterpart on Saturday. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi blamed the U.S. for the downturn in relations and said that American policy has been derailed by what he called a misperception of China as a threat. Many people believe that the United States is suffering from a China-phobia, he said, according to a Chinese statement. If such threat-expansion is allowed to grow, U.S. policy toward China will be a dead end with no way out. In five hours of talks in their first-to-face meeting since October, Blinken said he expressed deep concern about Chinas stance on Russias actions in Ukraine and did not believe Beijings protestations that it is neutral in the conflict. The talks had been arranged in a new effort to try to rein in or at least manage rampant hostility that has come to define recent relations between Washington and Beijing. We are concerned about the PRCs alignment with Russia, Blinken told reporters after the meeting in the Indonesian resort of Bali. He said it is difficult to be neutral in a conflict in which there is a clear aggressor but that even it were possible, I dont believe China is acting in a way that is neutral. The Chinese statement said the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on Ukraine but provided no details. The Biden administration had hoped that China, with its long history of opposing what it sees as interference in its own internal affairs, would take a similar position with Russia and Ukraine. But it has not, choosing instead what U.S. officials see as a hybrid position that is damaging the international rules-based order. Blinken said every nation, China included, stands to lose if that order is eroded. The two men met a day after they both attended a gathering of top diplomats from the Group of 20 rich and large developing countries that ended without a joint call to end Russias war in Ukraine or plan for how to deal with its impacts on food and energy security. However, Blinken said he believed Russia had come away from G-20 meeting isolated and alone as most participants expressed opposition to the Ukraine war. However, the ministers were unable to come to a unified G-20 call for an end to the conflict. There was a strong consensus and Russia was left isolated, Blinken said of individual condemnations of Russias actions from various ministers, some of whom shunned conversations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. He noted that Lavrov had left the meeting early, possibly because he didnt like what he was hearing from his counterparts. It was very important that he heard loudly and clearly from around the world condemnation of Russias aggression, Blinken said, adding: We see no signs whatsoever that Russia at his point is prepared to engage in diplomacy. On China, Blinken said he and Wang discussed a range of contentious issues from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea that have all been complicated by the Chinese position on Ukraine. Wang called on the U.S. to lift tariffs on imports from China as soon as possible, stop interfering in his country's internal affairs and refrain from harming its interests in the name of human rights and democracy. He also accused the U.S. of using salami-slicing tactics on Taiwan, a self-governing island that China claims as its territory and says should come under its control. Just two days earlier, the countries top military officers had faced off over Taiwan during a virtual meeting. Blinken said he stressed U.S. concerns with Chinas increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity near Taiwan and the vital importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He added that he had also raised human rights concerns regarding minorities in Tibet and in the western Xinjiang region. Wang refuted some erroneous U.S. views on Xinjiang, Hong Kong and the South China Sea, the Chinese statement said. U.S. officials had said ahead of time they didnt expect any breakthroughs from Blinkens talks with Wang. But they said they were hopeful the conversation could help keep lines of communications open and create guardrails to guide the worlds two largest economies as they navigate increasingly complex and potentially explosive matters. Were committed to managing this relationship, this competition responsibly as the world expects us to do, Blinken said. The United States and China have staked out increasingly confrontational positions, including on Ukraine, that some fear could lead to miscalculation and conflict. The U.S. has watched warily as China has refused to criticize the Russian invasion, while condemning Western sanctions against Russia and accusing the U.S. and NATO of provoking the conflict. At the G-20 meeting, Wang made an oblique reference to Chinas policy on global stability, saying to place ones own security above the security of others and intensify military blocs will only split the international community and make oneself less secure, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. On Thursday, Chinas joint chiefs of staff chairman Gen. Li Zuocheng upbraided his U.S. counterpart Gen. Mark Milley over Washingtons support for Taiwan. Li demanded that the U.S. cease military collusion with Taiwan, saying China has no room for compromise on issues affecting its core interests." 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. Associated Press writer Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed to this report. Every 10 years, since 1634, the tiny German village of Oberammergau with some 5,400 people has been putting on a Passion Play; it began as a valiant effort by the ruling council of the village to safeguard their hamlet against the bubonic plague. Townsfolk performed a passion play on a modest stage built over the graves of plague victims. Surviving villagers made a solemn vow to re-enact the passion of Christ every 10 years in perpetuity as an act of gratitude and remembrance. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help. Subscribe today! Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Napa Valley Register. The plague, driven by fleas that live on rats that bit humans, claimed more than 75 million lives, including some 60% of the population of Europe, whose cities were piled up with reeking corpses. No Oberammergau resident has died from the plague since it was first performed in 1634, according to town records. Today, the play is performed on one of the worlds largest stages, the Passionspielhaus, seating 4,500 viewers and featuring a cast of nearly 2,000 locals. The play has changed little over the years, although each new director puts an individual stamp on the action. Villagers stop shaving and getting their hair cut the year before the play. The town's potential actors because everyone has to try out start looking straight out of the biblical era, with men sporting bushy beards and shoulder-length hair, except those who want to be Roman soldiers. There are 19 major characters among the 130 speaking roles, plus a choir of 120 voices, an orchestra, children, and sheep, goats and a donkey for Jesus to ride in on. One year, the actor who played Jesus started going through town blessing people by the laying on of hands and trying to heal the sick. He was firmly told that he was not, indeed, Jesus. And if youre the chosen one to play the part, you dont want to be seen going through town like a drunken bum and getting arrested by the Bundespolizei! We learned these stories while on a tour put on by Collette Tours called Germanys Cultural Cities and the Romantic Road with Oberammergau Passion Play." We had to sign up for this tour three years in advance, since the tickets to the Passion Play are so highly sought after, and accommodations in the small village are in such short supply. Our travel friend, Steven Orvis, called in 2017 and said that we should do this trip together, since its been on our travel list for a long time. My wife and I agreed and bought the last two tickets available on the Collette tour. Due to the coronavirus, the play had to be rescheduled to 2022, costing the village and area 10 million euros in tourist expenditures. In 2022, we were finally going to watch the five-hour narrative that focuses on the last days of Jesus life, from the Last Supper to the crucifixion. We started our bus tour through Germany in Berlin and visited the highlights for several days. We ate well, I might add. Youve eaten Wiener schnitzel, Im sure, where they take a piece of veal and pound the devil out of it, bread it and serve it up. In America if you see it on a menu, its one of many options. Not at the Restaurant Elefant, which had 20 variations, all presented differently. It was delicious and the meal was topped off, there and in most places, with a serving of apple strudel, apfelstrudel a la mode, and washed down with a refreshing glass of Riesling. While we were in Berlin, Steve arranged a private tour of nearby Potsdam, with Holger, who drove us around in his Soviet-built four-wheel-drive UAZ, built without shocks. It looked somewhat like a Volkswagen bus and was a tourist attraction itself. Holger was born and raised in East Berlin and when he was fairly young, he saw the Berlin Wall come down. He took us to see the Glienicke Bridge also known as the Bridge of Spies and a movie of the same name about the exchange of Francis Gary Powers, the pilot of an American U-2 spy plane that was shot down in 1960 over the Soviet Union. But the real reason we were in Potsdam was to see the Schloss Cecilienhof, the former residence of Prussian kings and emperors, which was the site of the Potsdam Conference held during July and August in 1945. Thats where President Harry Truman, Soviet Generalissimo Josef Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill divided up Europe (without the presence of General Charles de Gaulle of France), creating four occupation zones for the U.S., Great Britain, France and the USSR. Stalin was such a paranoid traveler that he wouldnt fly, and he arrived in Potsdam in an armored train with several hundred troops guarding him. On to Hamburg, where we took a tour of the massive shipping port on a paddle wheeler. But the best part of the day was a walking tour of Hamburgs red-light district, where the Beatles earned their keep and fame by playing 250 nights for four to six hours over a two-year period. Stefanie Hempe, a Beatles expert, would stop at bars where they played, tell us secrets about them and then sing a song accompanied by her ukulele. Next we went to the town of Hamelin, made famous by the Brothers Grimm, in their story of the Pied Piper, who was hired to rid the city of rats. This he did, but then the town fathers wouldnt pay him. So, playing his clarinet, he led 120 of the towns children out of town, never to be seen again. There seems to be a division of opinion as to whether the story is true or not, but the whole event was re-enacted by a man dressed as the Pied Piper with his feathered hat, who led us on a tour of the town. Rothenburg, population 9,000, was one of the most interesting old towns we visited. The town is surrounded by a 2-mile rampart wall, which you can traverse. The famous Christmas Store, Kathe Wohlfahrt, offers more than 30,000 different Christmas decorations. It took us two hours to walk through it, and much to my shock my wife Kathy filled a little basket with stuff to buy, which she said was for gifts. That night we went on a Night Watchman Tour, led by a man dressed in period costume, holding a lantern and a brandishing his halberd, a wicked-looking, ax-like affair on a long shaft. His job was to walk the town all night to alert people of possible attacks, stop robbers, and make sure nobody came into town unauthorized. We were told that people would dump their chamber pots out their second-story windows, so the first rule of the night watchman was to never look up! En route to Oberammergau, we stopped to see the Wieskirche, the Pilgrimage Church of the Scourged Savior on the Knoll. Ive seen a lot of churches, cathedrals and mosques, but the Wieskirche was the most ornate, beautiful church Ive ever seen. I wish someone had been there to play the organ. Finally, we arrived in Oberammergau to see the 42nd iteration of the Passion play, along with 500,000 others, during the play's season. This years director, Christian Stuckl, told the story in a novel way with refreshed tableaux vivants or living pictures, which lasted three or four minutes with the actors in the vivant not moving until the screen closed. An edited script portrayed Jesus as a figure relevant to todays world, who is with those marginalized by society," according to the official Passion Play website, since I couldnt make that kind of stuff up. The entire play is broadcast in German, of course, so unless you followed the script book they gave us, you missed a lot of the story, unless you really know your Bible. During the last hour of the show, there was a huge lightning and thunderstorm. I thought at first that the orchestra was really outdoing themselves, but it turned out that it was really happening we could see through the open end of the building that it was real, which added to the drama taking place on the stage. The costs of the European Union (EU) countries for the purchase of gas from Azerbaijan through the Trans-Adriatic gas pipeline (TAP) in the first quarter of 2022 were estimated at 2.1 billion euros. Such data are given in the quarterly report of the European Commission (EC) on the situation in the European gas market, Interfax reports. In total, in the first months of 2022, the EU spent about 78 billion euros on gas imports, of which 26.5 billion euros came from gas from Russia, 19.2 billion euros from Norway, 5.4 billion euros from Northern Africa (Algeria and Libya), 2.1 billion euros - under TAP. In the form of LNG, the EU imported gas in the first quarter of 2022 in the amount of about 33 billion euros. The EC noted an increase in supplies from Azerbaijan over the year: approximately 24 TWh in the first quarter of 2022 against 10 TWh in the same period last year. According to the report, in the first quarter of this year, the share of gas supplies via TAP amounted to 2.5% of total supplies against 1.2% a year earlier. TAP provides access to Azerbaijani gas resources through the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), which is an important result of the EU's gas supply security policy, the EC noted. The study notes the competitiveness of Azerbaijani gas, which the authors of the report associated with long-term contracts, the gas price for which is lower than spot prices. Azerbaijani gas supplies via the TAP gas pipeline to consumers in Italy, Greece and Bulgaria began on December 31, 2020. In 2021, Azerbaijan exported 8.2 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe, in the first quarter of 2022 - 2.6 billion cubic meters of gas. In 2022, gas exports to Europe are forecast to exceed 10 billion cubic meters. The total length of TAP is 878 km, of which 550 km passes through the northern part of Greece, 215 km through the territory of Albania, 105 km through the Adriatic Sea and 8 km through the territory of Italy. TAP is the last component of the SGC project - infrastructure for the supply of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. The gas pipeline is designed to transport 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year from the Shah Deniz field as part of Stage 2 of its development to Europe. The throughput capacity of the gas pipeline makes it possible to double its capacity - up to 20 billion cubic meters per year. Project co-owners: SOCAR (20%), BP (20%), Snam (20%), Fluxys (19%), Enagas (16%) and Axpo (5%). The cost of the project is 4.5 billion euros. The groundbreaking for TAP took place on 17 May 2016 in Greece. US President Joe Biden wrote an article for The Washington Post, in which, in particular, he shared his thoughts on the situation in the Middle East, as well as US achievements and plans for this region. Next week, Ill travel to the Middle East to start a new and more promising chapter of Americas engagement there. This trip comes at a vital time for the region, and it will advance important American interests, the US President noted in his op-ed. A more secure and integrated Middle East benefits Americans in many ways, he said. Its waterways are essential to global trade and the supply chains we rely on. Its energy resources are vital for mitigating the impact on global supplies of Russias war in Ukraine. And a region thats coming together through diplomacy and cooperation rather than coming apart through conflict is less likely to give rise to violent extremism that threatens our homeland or new wars that could place new burdens on U.S. military forces and their families., Biden said. However, he notes the need to avoid such a scenario. The US President went on to describe the difficult situation in the Middle East prior to his inauguration. After his predecessor, Donald Trump, abandoned the nuclear deal, he said, Iran passed a law mandating the rapid acceleration of its nuclear program. "Then, when the US administration tried to condemn Iran for these actions in the UN Security Council, the United States found itself isolated and alone." Joe Biden noted that in the first weeks of his presidency, US intelligence and military experts warned that the region was under "dangerous" pressure. In my first weeks as president, our intelligence and military experts warned that the region was dangerously pressurized. It needed urgent and intensive diplomacy. To restore deterrence, I ordered airstrikes in response to the attacks against our troops and began serious diplomatic outreach to bring about a more stable region, Joe Biden described the actions of his administration. Noting the completion of the US combat mission in Iraq and the attempts made to achieve a truce in Yemen, he returned to the topic of Iran. With respect to Iran, we reunited with allies and partners in Europe and around the world to reverse our isolation; now it is Iran that is isolated until it returns to the nuclear deal my predecessor abandoned with no plan for what might replace it. Last month, more than 30 countries joined us to condemn Irans lack of cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency on its past nuclear activities. My administration will continue to increase diplomatic and economic pressure until Iran is ready to return to compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, as I remain prepared to do, the US president wrote. Biden spoke about his efforts to end the war in Gaza. According to him, the US has restored ties with the Palestinians, providing them with about $500 million and Israel with more than $4 billion. He also talked about the sanctions imposed on Saudi Arabia in connection with the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, as well as the release of American citizens detained in Saudi Arabia long before he took office. From the start, my aim was to reorient but not rupture relations with a country thats been a strategic partner for 80 years. Today, Saudi Arabia has helped to restore unity among the six countries of Gulf Cooperation Council, has fully supported the truce in Yemen and is now working with my experts to help stabilize oil markets with other OPEC producers. As president, it is my job to keep our country strong and secure. We have to counter Russias aggression, put ourselves in the best possible position to outcompete China, and work for greater stability in a consequential region of the world. To do these things, we have to engage directly with countries that can impact those outcomes. Saudi Arabia is one of them, and when I meet with Saudi leaders on Friday, my aim will be to strengthen a strategic partnership going forward thats based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values, he noted. Thirty-five US lawmakers on Friday sent a letter to US President Joe Biden objecting to a potential sale of F-16 fighter jets and mechanical upgrades to Turkey, citing Ankara's extensive human rights violations at home and abroad. The bipartisan letter, released by Congressman Frank Pallone on Twitter, called for no sale of the fighter jets due to Turkish President Erdogan's destabilizing actions and violations of international law, and promised to do everything possible to prevent the sale. In their letter, US lawmakers stressed that the Erdogan regime has repeatedly used its military power to destabilize the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the South Caucasus and North Africa over the years. Erdogan's use of worrisome tactics contrary to the common good of the NATO alliance should come as no surprise. His regime has repeatedly used its military power over the years to destabilize the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the South Caucasus and North Africa. During these incursions, Turkish and Turkish-backed forces used US-made weapons and components to commit war crimes, including targeted bombing of civilian targets such as hospitals and schools in Iraq, Syria, and Nagorno-Karabakh. They have also been repeatedly used to violate the sovereign territory of NATO allies and partners such as Greece and Cyprus. It is unlikely that these are the actions of a devoted ally of the United States and Europe, the lawmakers appeal to the US president says. NATO member Turkey has applied to acquire 40 F-16 Blok 70 Viper fighter jets and up to 80 upgrade kits for its existing F-16 fleet following the purchase of Russian S-400 systems. The acquisition of Russian weapons in 2019 prompted the US to remove them from the program to develop and acquire the F-35 fighter jet. In June, Washington again showed willingness to sell upgraded fighter jets after Turkey ended its opposition to Finnish and Swedish attempts to join the NATO alliance, but any potential deal between NATO allies on fighter jets would require congressional approval. The Canadian government has said it will allow equipment to be delivered to Germany from a key Russia-Europe gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance, the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as the reason for cutting gas supplies by more than half, AP reported. The return of the turbines of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, sent to Montreal for scheduled repairs, is complicated by the sanctions imposed on Russia in connection with the situation around Ukraine. Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Jonathan Wilkinson said that Canada will grant a time-limited and revocable authorization to Siemens Canada to allow the refurbished Nord Stream 1 turbines to return to Germany. According to the Canadian minister, this will support Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. He also noted that "without the necessary supplies of natural gas, the German economy will experience very significant difficulties. After Gazprom began to cut gas supplies in mid-June, Siemens Energy said it was unable to return to the customer, Gazprom, a gas turbine that feeds a compressor station on the pipeline, which was overhauled after more than 10 years of operation. German politicians dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flow through Nord Stream 1, saying the equipment was not supposed to become a major problem until autumn and that Russia's decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push prices up. Canada's actions followed before the shutdown of Nord Stream 1 due for annual maintenance. In previous summers, this work resulted in a shutdown of about 10 days, but German Vice-Chancellor and Economics Minister Robert Habeck said he suspected Russia may cite some minor technical detail as a reason not to resume gas supplies. Sweden developing new strategy for its next-generation fighters Resistance movement to hold protest in front of government building tomorrow India on its way to becoming world's fastest-growing economy Reuters: Gazprom declares force majeure on gas supplies to Europe US Treasury Head: We will not allow China to take advantage of its position in the market for key commodities Ministry of Emergency Situations: 331 emergencies and 8 deaths registered in Armenia during week Armenian Ombudsperson visits Central assembly point of Ministry of Defense Erdogan again threatens to freeze applications of Finland and Sweden to join NATO Turkey announces possible meeting of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and UN representatives on grain issue exports Aliyev demands EU to finalize new agreement between Azerbaijan and EU A fellow soldier accused of soldier death Armenia PM introduces newly appointed Chief of General Staff of Armed Forces EU and Azerbaijan sign document on energy security Dollar, euro continue to rise in Armenia Armenia, Artsakh soldiers deaths due to ceasefire violations increase sharply in January-June 2022 compared to 2021 EU chief diplomat expects Ukraine grain deal this week to unblock supplies Armenias Pashinyan holds phone talk with Russias Mishustin "Hayeli.am" : Surprising meetings. Why is there no mention of Bakoyan's physical violence and financial exploitation? Protests against tax changes continue in Hungary Stoltenberg to hold talks with Azerbaijan FM Armenia PM Pashinyan receives Sergey Naryshkin Armenia PM approves 2022 communication action plan for combating corruption Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation, security commissions meeting to be held in August Pashinyan and Mishustin discuss topical issues of Russian-Armenian cooperation EU Council decides on Ukraine's fifth military aid package for 500 million euros Jerusalem Armenian Patriarchate chancellor on Biden: Greatness of leaders lies in their modesty Armenia FM to pay official visit to Poland Ameriabank Receives Euromoney Award for Excellence as the Best Bank in Armenia for 2022 Turkish army receives defense systems against UAVs Russia Foreign Intelligence Service chief to visit Yerevan Monday Russia MOD announces for first time name of commander of East group of special operations in Ukraine Byblos Bank Armenia introduces the premium World Elite Mastercard Putin to meet with Khamenei during his visit to Tehran More than 1,000 heat-related deaths reported in Spain, Portugal so far in July Man who threatened to kill himself with hand grenade is detained in Armenias Ashtarak city Azerbaijan population exceeds 10mn 629 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia past one week Catholicos of All Armenians travels to US Who gave information about alleged bomb in Armenia First Presidents house? UK parliament to hold confidence vote in government Monday Meteorology official: Armenia heatwave will gradually recede as of Friday World oil prices on the rise State of emergency formally declared in Sri Lanka US hopes oil production will increase after Biden's Middle East visit 792 children born in Artsakh in first half of 2022 Elderly woman killed by alligators after falling into pond in Florida Von der Leyen heads to Azerbaijan hoping to get more natural gas Zelenskyy dismisses security service chief, top prosecutor Armenia political party head resigns UK man, 40, found dead in Italy hotel room No bomb found in Armenia First President's house Mars sued over 'unsafe' Skittles Unknown person reports bomb threat in Armenia's First President house Armenia FM and US Assistant Secretary of State discuss regional security issues Fears of social upheaval growing in Germany Indian authorities announce they made 2 billion vaccines against COVID-19 Israel to increase flights to Asia after Saudi Arabia opens airspace IMF to 'substantially' lower global economic growth forecasts Erdogan expects to hold talks with Putin in Tehran Japan to refuse to set a ceiling on defense spending Negotiations on resumption of Iran nuclear deal coming to end UAE allocates more than $800 million for space program State Department approves $1.5 Billion arms sale Extreme heat wave hits Europe US needs another $3 billion to remove Huawei and ZTE from networks Germany to resume requirement to wear masks in closed public places Air temperature in Armenia to reach 42 degrees Ankara rejects Liz Truss Blinken on meeting of Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers in Tbilisi It is in Iraq's interest to continue to insist on rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia G-20 meeting ends without final communique Armenia PM Pashinyan sends congratulatory message to Georgia PM Erdogan and Macron discuss implementation of joint production of air defense systems 2,000-year-old cemetery with giant tombs discovered in Iran Armenias Khachik villagers dont recall any period after 1990s war when Azeris violated ceasefire at such regularity Georgia gets NATO partner status in security operation Mouflons spotted again at Zangezur State Sanctuary of Armenia Crown prince: Saudi Arabia cant increase oil production beyond 13 million barrels per day Scholz: Increased coal, oil use in Germany will be temporary Armenia opposition MP: Turkish-Azerbaijani tandem is in a hurry Vandals desecrate Jewish gravestones in Istanbul Biden: US will not walk away from Middle East More than 30 people die in tribal clashes in Sudan One of most notorious drug lords is arrested in Mexico What did Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs discuss in Tbilisi? Armenia activists stage protest on top of Mount Hatis US, Iraq leaders declare their commitment to strong bilateral partnership between their countries Toivo Klaar: EU supports Armenia, Azerbaijan bilateral decision to hold FMs meeting What did Biden agree upon with Saudi leaders during meeting in Jeddah? Armenia, Azerbaijan foreign ministers Tbilisi meeting concludes European Commission formally proposes ban on Russia gold imports Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs Georgia meeting taking place at Radisson hotel in Tbilisi Armenia ex-President Sargsyan attends Haykyan award ceremony (PHOTOS) Georgia FM comments on Tbilisi meeting of Armenia, Azerbaijan counterparts Heatwave claims 237 lives so far in Spain Armenia military unit medical aid station head died as result of car accident Medical aid station head, 37, dies in hospital after accident in Armenia military unit Armenia, Azerbaijan FMs meeting gets underway in Tbilisi (PHOTOS) Mirzoyan, Garibashvili exchange views on normalization of Armenia-Azerbaijan relations CNN: US, Japan put on show of force amid rising tensions with China, Russia in region Flash China and Germany agreed to take the advantage of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to deepen bilateral cooperation in various fields. While meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Indonesia's resort island of Bali on Friday, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the development of the all-round strategic partnership between the two countries has been fruitful and the development of bilateral ties has reached a mature phase. China is ready to join hands with Germany to sum up experience and map out the bilateral cooperation for the next 50 years so as to inject a new impetus into the development of bilateral relations, Wang said. Baerbock said Germany attaches great importance to developing ties with China and expects to take the advantage of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields. Germany hopes to have dialogues with China on the rule of law, democracy and human rights, and enhance cooperation and exchanges on climate change, green development and emission reduction, the German foreign minister said. Wang said it is only natural that China and Germany have different views on the human rights issue, as the two countries differ in social systems, development stages, and historical and cultural backgrounds. The Communist Party of China (CPC) having led 1.4 billion Chinese people out of extreme poverty to embark on a new journey towards common prosperity is a huge contribution to human civilization, Wang noted. China will make consistent efforts to promote the development of its human rights cause, and is willing to continue friendly exchanges with other countries on the issue based on mutual respect, he said. Concerning the Ukraine crisis, Wang stressed that all participants at Friday's G20 foreign ministers' meeting have called for a ceasefire and peace, Wang said. China has been working to push for peace and facilitate talks, encouraged relevant parties to negotiate for a solution, and will continue to play a constructive role on the matter, he added. Wang Yi holds "candid" talks with Blinken in Bali Wang Yi meets Antony Blinken for talks in Bali. Photo: AP Foreign Minister Wang Yi held in-depth and candid talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Bali on Saturday, officials from both sides said. The foreign ministry in Beijing said the two sides exchanged views on topics including the Ukraine crisis, the Korean peninsula and interactions between China and the United States in the Asia-Pacific region. Wang told Blinken that the direction of US-China relations was in danger of being further led "astray" due to a problem with the United States' perception of China, the ministry said in a statement. "Many people believe that the United States is suffering from an increasingly serious bout of 'Sinophobia'," Wang was quoted as saying. Wang also said Washington should cancel additional tariffs imposed on China as soon as possible and cease unilateral sanctions on Chinese companies. US officials had said before the talks that the meeting was aimed at keeping the difficult Sino-US relationship stable and preventing it from veering inadvertently into conflict. "Moving forward, the United States wants our channels of communication with Beijing to continue to remain open," Blinken said. (RTHK/Reuters) Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardene announced that President Rajapaksa had informed him about his decision to resign. People set off fire-crackers as soon as the news broke. Following a massive public march to Colombo on Saturday morning and forcible occupation of the President's House, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe asked the Speaker to summon the leaders of all political parties and decide on the way to resolve the crisis. A majority of party leaders had decided to remove the President and the Prime Minister and appoint a temporary President and all-party government for a specific period until a fresh election is held to form a government. President Rajapaksa, who had not appeared publicly since Friday night, had announced he would agree any decision taken by the party leaders. Following the all-party meeting, the Speaker had sent a letter to the President and the Prime Minister, urging them to step down for a peaceful transfer of power. Starting from March 31, when President Rajapaksa's private residence outside Colombo was surround by protesters who demand he step down amidst the growing financial crisis, protests continued throughout the island with one slogan "Gota go home". On April 2, the protesters surrounded the President's office at Galle Face Green and blocked its entrance as they continued to demand that he step down. With no fuel, the country was virtually locked down for two weeks from June 27 but people planned to come to Colombo to demand that the President step down. --IANS sfl/vd ( 290 Words) 2022-07-09-23:10:02 (IANS) "Summer Scars," a seaside tale of fraternal love cast in a woozy glow and cut with shocking spikes of violence, won top honours at this year's Neuchatel International Fantastic Film Festival, claiming the Narcisse Award for best feature film, as well as $10,200 in prize money and a trophy designed by Switzerland's own H.R. Giger. According to Variety, "Blaze," a hallucinatory Australian drama that transports a young murder witness into a kaleidoscopic fantasy world, received honourable mention as well as the Imaging the Future award for best production design, which comes with a $5100 grant. Other winners included Tunisian director Youssef Chebbi's "Ashkal," which won the international critics award; Gabriele Mainetti of Italy, whose circus-superhero mashup "Freaks Out" won the RTS audience awards; and Chris Huang Wen-"Demigod: chang's The Legend Begins," a martial arts epic told entirely with puppets, which won the audience award for best Asian film. "These prizes reflect the diversity of this year's edition," NIFFF artistic director Pierre-Yves Walder tells Variety. "Our festival showcases the fantastic in all its forms, promoting divers styles, points of view, themes, and aesthetics - and I think these winners really show as much." Neuchatel held 160 screenings during its 21st edition, breaking attendance records with more than 30,000 admissions and 50,000 attendees - a figure that dwarfs the population of the lakeside Swiss town. "Our public continues to diversify and grow," Walder says. "From our Scream Queer retrospective to our talks with Joyce Carol Oates, we came at this edition from a slightly different angle than in previous years, and that paid off. We kept our traditional public interested and invested while welcoming many new attendees." Winner of this year's Denis-De-Rougemont youth award, "Hypochondriac" director Addison Heimann was one new attendee - and you can bet that he'll be back. "This is the best festival I've been to so far," Heimann says with a grin. "Our films play in full theaters. The fans really turn out, shouting along at ads onscreen before the movie starts and coming by to see you after the screening." "My movie's about my own mental breakdown," he continues. "It's very personal. And people come up to me afterwards and share their own stories and journeys, I'm very grateful. 'Hypochondriac' is a really American movie, so coming over here, and having people see themselves in it is really cool. To do this festival before our U.S. release - I couldn't ask for more." (ANI) Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt on Sunday received a special surprise from her actor-husband Ranbir Kapoor, as the 'Saawariya' star came to receive his pregnant wife at the airport. In a viral video, the 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' actor can be seen walking out of the airport in a super cool casual outfit, the paparazzi gathered around her and congratulated her on her first pregnancy. Alia can be seen running towards her car, while saying 'baby', as she was surprised that her husband Ranbir came to the airport to pick her up, which she wasn't expecting. Both the actors shared a warm tight hug and looked excited, as the paps captured their happy reunion. https://www.instagram.com/p/Cf0i0rmAv7V/ The 'Raazi' actress donned a long white shirt over a white t-shirt and black joggers. She accessorised her look with a white luxury side bag and a black face mask. Whereas, the 'Sanju' actor was spotted sitting inside his luxury car in a blue and yellow coloured check shirt and blue denims. The couple recently announced their first pregnancy with a special post on Instagram.Soon after the video went viral on social media, fans flooded the comment section with heart emoticons. "The way Alia called Ranbir 'Baby' and hugged him was actually very cute," a user commented.Another user wrote, "They r literally each other's home". Meanwhile, on the work front, the 'Dear Zindagi' actress recently wrapped up her Hollywood debut film 'Heart of Stone' with Gal Gadot. She will be next seen in 'Darlings' alongside Shefali Shah and Vijay Verma. The film is slated to stream on Netflix from August 5. Apart from that she also has 'Brahmastra Part One: Shiva' with hubby Ranbir and Amitabh Bachchan, which will release on September 9, and 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' with Ranveer Singh, which is gearing up for release on February 11, 2023. Ranbir on the other hand will be next seen in 'Shamshera' with Vaani Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt. The film is all set to hit theatres on July 22. (ANI) Hollywood star Tom Hanks has stated that he "didn't understand" the decision of replacing his longtime co-star Tim Allen to cast Chris Evans in the role of Buzz Lightyear for the new movie. According to Deadline, Hanks, who originally voiced Woody in the 'Toy Story' franchise, during his 'Elvis' publicity round was asked how he felt to be up against a Buzz Lightyear film in cinemas. He said, "How 'bout that? I actually wanted to go head-to-head with Tim Allen, and then they didn't let Tim Allen do it. I don't understand that." 'Lightyear' is being presented as a prequel to the 'Toy Story' series, showing Buzz in his early days when he put on his distinctive purple and green spacesuit. The film has caused ripples in certain countries with its depiction of Buzz kissing another boy, even being banned in some Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia and UAE, and Malaysia and Indonesia. Allen voiced Buzz in the franchise's four films from 1995 to 2019, and recently questioned the premise of the film, not just his own exclusion. He stated that even though the new movie has "a wonderful story, it just doesn't seem to have any connection to the toy." Evans, who has replaced Tim Allen in the role, has been diplomatic about the change in casting, showering high praise on his predecessor. As per Deadline, the 'Captain America' star told Good Morning America last month, "My younger version would have just been pinching himself." (ANI) Jack Carr, the author of the novel, which is the basis of the Amazon series 'The Terminal List' starring Chris Pratt, opens up about the series' negative reviews. Jack Carr, a former Navy SEAL whose novel was published in 2018, appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight on Friday, where host Tucker Carlson pointed out that there appears to be a wide discrepancy between the reaction of critics to the drama series and that of other viewers. The show, which debuted earlier this month and centres on Navy SEAL commander James Reese learning more about the circumstances behind his platoon getting ambushed, holds an audience score of 95 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, while the critic rating is just 43 per cent, as per The Hollywood Reporter. When Carr was asked about his views, he looked to suggest that politics is the one to blame. "It falls right in line with everything that I understand about the current culture and climate in America right now. It seems to have triggered quite a few of these critics," Carr said. He continued, "The 95 per cent viewer rating, audience rating, makes it all worth it. We didn't make it for the critics. We made it for those in the arena. We made it for the soldier, sailor, airman and Marine that went downrange to Iraq and Afghanistan, so they could sit on the couch and say, 'Hey, these guys put in the work. They put in the effort to make something special and make a show that speaks to them.' And that 95 per cent rating lets me know that we at least got close." Carr, who is executive producing the series alongside Pratt and Antoine Fuqua, read excerpts from various reviews and said that one reviewer asked what to call a show like 'Terminal List.' This prompted the author to say, "They call this the No 1 series on Prime Video". The cast on 'Terminal List' also includes Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch and Riley Keough. (ANI) Remembering American actor Naya Rivera's second death anniversary on July 8, the actor's co-stars from the show Glee have paid their tribute to her by sharing throwback pictures of Rivera. Taking to Instagram, 35-year-old Heather Morris wrote that she missed Rivers "every... day", reported Page Six. Meanwhile, 'Glee' actors Kevin McHale, Jenna Ushkowitz, and Amber Riley also posted pictures of the late actor on their respective social media handles. "Every day my angel. I miss you every damn day," captioned actor Heather Morris on Instagram. In the first picture shared by Morris, both she and Rivera made weird faces goofing around, seemingly happy in each other's company. 34-year-old Kevin McHale, who was also an integral part of the show wrote, "The best there ever was forever & ever," before adding a black heart emoji. In the picture, Rivera gestured a peace sign as she posed for the camera in a swimsuit, on a motorboat. She had a big smile on her face. In addition, other actors of 'Glee', namely Jenna Ushkowitz and Amber Riley also paid condolences to the late Rivera, remembering her, and sharing photos of the actor. The musical comedy-drama 'Glee' featured Naya Rivera as Santana Lopez and Heather Morris as Brittany Pierce who played the role of cheerleaders at the glee club in the show reported Page Six. Both harbored romantic feelings for each other on-screen and were the best of friends in real life. Kevin McHale played the character of Artie while Amber Riley and Jenna Ushkowitz were seen as Mercedes and Tina respectively. On July 8, 2020, 33-year-old Rivera took a rented pontoon boat to California's Lake Piru in Ventura County, with her 4-year-old son Josey to spend a mother-son afternoon. However, Rivera went missing and her body was recovered after five days. Rivera's cause of death was declared to be accidental drowning. According to Josey, Rivera had pushed him onto the boat, however, was unable to pull herself up. Recounting the incident, the 4-year-old kid narrated to the investigators that her mother called out for "help" before she sank below the water's surface. A search-and-rescue diver, assigned to recover Rivera's body speculated that since "pontoon boats are very light" the strong winds, accompanied by a lack of life vest might have resulted in the drowning, reported Page Six. "What I suspect is that the winds kicked up. These pontoon boats are very light, and when you push them, they can get away from you. She might've tried to swim after the boat... a lot of the drownings are when people go swimming and they are not wearing their life vests," said the diver. (ANI) Actor Sushmita Sen glowed in the golden hue of the "Italian sun" as she dropped a stunning picture of herself, looking stunning. "Sen & the Italian Sun. I love you guys!" captioned the actor on Instagram, adding a slew of emojis, before signing off with her usual hashtag "dugga dugga". In the picture, the 'Aarya' actor donned a halter neck golden ribbed top and accessorized her look with a pair of big-rimmed black sunglasses. She kept her hair in a tight bun while sporting flawless makeup, minus any jewelry. The soft shade of pink lipstick suited the actor, complementing her look further. Meanwhile, talking about the 'Main Hoon Naa' actor, her web show 'Aarya' is all set to return for another exciting season. The hit web show that premiered its two seasons on the OTT platform Disney + Hotstar, is all set to enthrall the audience again. Sushmita took to Instagram to announce the news. She shared a video that had all snippets from the show's last season and wrote, "Sherni begins a new journey, Hotstar Specials Aarya S3 development begins. I love you guys!" captioned Sushmita. https://www.instagram.com/p/CflMzjzD7JU/ Speaking about her role in Season 3, Sushmita said, "It is a new dawn for Aarya Sareen, and she is fierce. In season 3, she is going places and starting her own story free from the obstacles of her past. Reprising the role of Aarya is like slipping into old jeans but for a brand-new journey. It feels great to be back with Ram Madhvani and the Disney+ Hotstar team, can't wait to return the love and appreciation viewers have showered on Aarya." 'Aarya' marked Sushmita Sen's comeback on-screen and her Digital debut. Sushmita made a thrilling comeback with 'Aarya' in June 2020. In the Series, the actor plays the protagonist, a powerful and strong character, who goes beyond boundaries to protect her family from the world of crime. The first season was even nominated for the 'Best Drama' series at the International Emmy Awards. Directed by Ram Madhvani, the series also stars Namit Das, Manish Chaudhari, Sikandar Kher, and Vinod Rawat among others in pivotal roles. The second season of the show was released in December 2021 and the release date of the third season hasn't been revealed by the makers yet. Talking of her personal life, Sushmita recently parted ways with her boyfriend Rohman Shawl whom she met through Instagram in 2018. (ANI) Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan shared a new hilarious video from their 'Bawaal' shoot diaries of Jahnvi Kapoor who arrived late for the shoot. The 'Badlapur' actor took to his Instagram handle and treated his fans with yet another fun video of Janhvi. Taking to his Insta story, Varun shared a hilarious video of Janhvi as she arrived late for the shoot. Sharing the video, Varun wrote, "late...." In the video, Janhvi could be seen coming out of hotel and walk towards Varun and the entire team of 'Bawaal', who been waiting for 'Dhadak actor'. She was seen wearing white sweatshirt and grey wide leg trouser. The actor also opted for pair of white sneakers and blue sling bag to complete her look. She was seen apologising by saying 'I'm sorry sir, bohot late hogaya," to the director of her upcoming film Nitesh Tiwari. Nitesh responded in a quirky manner, he said "Agar log Bawaal ka beginning miss kar denge toh tumhara character samjh mein nahi aayega." How can her co-star Varun can stay behind from not teasing her? He was heard saying, "Janhvi, what is this behavior man?" Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, 'Bawaal' is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and is a social drama. Recently both Varun and Janhvi announced that they had wrapped up their shoot for 'Bawaal' in Amsterdam and headed for Poland. 'Bawaal' marks the first collaboration of the lead cast Varun and Janhvi. The film is slated to hit the theatres on April 7, 2023. Meanwhile, talking about the 'Coolie No 1' actor, Varun, will be next seen in Dinesh Vijan's next horror-comedy film 'Bhediya' with Kriti Sanon, which is all geared up to hit the theatres on November 25, 2022. Janhvi, on the other hand, will be next seen in 'Good Luck Jerry', which will stream directly on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar from July 29, 2022. (ANI) Rapper Cardi B went back in time and revealed that her boyfriend stole USD 20,000 of her stripper cash in the past. On Angela Yee's 'Lip Service' podcast Tuesday, Cardi B opened up about her relationships, Page Six reported. Recalling the particular incident, she said, "When I was 20 years old ... I used to say this so much: 'I'm 20 years old, and I have USD 20,000.' And that used to hype me up 'cause I worked hard for it." "Like, I f**kin' shaked [sic] my a** real hard for it," she added. But Cardi remembered counting the money one day and realising that there was only USD 1,000 left. "This n--a took my f-king money," she told Yee. "He took my money and did not answer the phone for the whole day [when I called to ask about it]. "I was going insane, and then he was like, 'Yeah, I took the money because I am in California getting [weed to sell]," she added. When Yee asked whether she ever got the money back, Cardi replied, "This n--a gave me back like USD 4,000, talking about the weed. ... Like, that traumatized me. I can't. See, I am getting shaky [now]." Meanwhile, Cardi B Cardi B reunited with Megan Thee Stallion or a fiery performance at the Wireless Festival in London on Friday, July 8. The hip-hop superstars, who were both part of the UK festival's weekend lineup, surprised fans with an explosive performance of their hit song 'WAP' during Cardi's headlining set at Finsbury Park, as per Billboard. Cardi B and Stallion last teamed up onstage for 'WAP' during a truly wild delivery of the Billboard Hot 100 hit at the 2021 Grammy Awards Center. During the fast-paced performance, the rappers spit out their verses while crawling and tossing on a giant bed at the centre of the stage. (ANI) Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) foreign ministers' meeting in Bali, Indonesia, July 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan on bilateral ties and cooperation. During their meeting on Friday on the sidelines of the Group of 20 foreign ministers' meeting, Wang said China-Singapore high-level cooperation has become a front-runner in the region and is leading trends of the times, calling for further strategic communication and broader practical cooperation to bring bilateral relations to a new level. Balakrishnan said Singapore-China relations have enjoyed a sound momentum of growth, with close high-level exchanges lending strong impetus to the development of bilateral ties. He expressed hope to restore offline high-level exchanges at an early date, and work with China to prepare for meetings under the Singapore-China bilateral cooperation mechanism. Singapore welcomes and supports China in applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), Balakrishnan said. He congratulated China on celebrating the 25th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, saying it is great to see Hong Kong restore stability and that he is confident that Hong Kong will embrace a brighter future and make greater achievements under the new-term HKSAR government. Wang said China stands ready to maintain high-level exchanges with Singapore, and thanked Singapore's support for China to join the CPTPP and DEPA, adding that China is willing to maintain communication with all relevant parties on this issue. Wang stressed that Hong Kong has restored order with its people enjoying security and freedom once again. The legal system has been gradually improved, and Hong Kong's status as an international financial, shipping and trading center will be more solid. The two sides also exchanged views on regional cooperation and other issues of common concern. Actor Florence Pugh, who recently found herself at the receiving end of trolls after she stepped out in a see-through dress, has an important message for all. On Friday, Florence attended the Valentino show in Rome in a hot pink gown. While many fans praised her look as the perfect Barbie movie audition, there's a section of social media users who criticised her for flashing her breasts, more specifically, her nipples, E! News reported. Reacting to the flak, Florence took to Instagram and slammed the trollers. "Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn't be a commentary on it," she began her lengthy message on July 10, along with photos of the controversial look. "What's been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman's body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see," she continued, noting that many of her critics include their "job titles and work emails" on their accounts. "It isn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time a woman will hear what's wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers, what's worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be," Florence added. The Little Women star said she has long "come to terms with the intricacies of" her body and has learned to be happy with the "flaws" others point out. "So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my 'tiny t--s', or how I should be embarrassed by being so 'flat chested,' she said. "I've lived in my body for a long time. I'm fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it," she emphasised. Florence said that she is "grateful that I grew up in a household with very strong, powerful, curvy women." "We were raised to find power in the creases of our body. To be loud about being comfortable. It has always been my mission in this industry to say 'fuck it and fuck that' whenever anyone expects my body to morph into an opinion of what's hot or sexually attractive.I wore that dress because I know," she expressed. Florence also urged everyone to respect each other and embace each other bodies instead of passing negative remarks. "If being loudly abusive towards women publicly in 2022 is so easy for you, then the answer is that it is you who doesn't know.Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans. Life will get a whole lot easier, I promise," she concluded. (ANI) Researchers from the University of Toronto recently conducted a study that found that elderly people who had been physically abused as children had a considerably higher likelihood of developing chronic pain and other physical ailments as they age. The findings of the research were published in the journal 'Aging and Health Research'. In comparison to those who did not experience this early trauma, they had a two-fold increased risk of developing depression and anxiety disorders. "Sadly, our findings suggest that the traumatic experience of childhood physical abuse can influence both physical and mental health many decades later. It also underlines the importance of assessing for adverse childhood experiences among patients of all ages, including older adults," said Anna Buhrmann, who began this research for her undergraduate thesis in the Bachelor of Arts and Science program at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario and is a research assistant at the Institute of Life Course & Aging at the University of Toronto. The physical illnesses that developed included diabetes, cancer, migraines, arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The links between childhood abuse and poor physical and mental health persisted even after accounting for income, education, smoking, binge drinking, and other causes of poor health. "Health professionals serving older adults need to be aware that it is never too late to refer people for counselling. A promising intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy [CBT], has been tested and found effective at reducing post-traumatic stress disorder and depressive and anxiety symptoms among survivors of childhood abuse," said co-author Professor Esme Fuller-Thomson, who supervised Buhrmann's thesis research. It was not possible for the cross-sectional study to determine the specific pathways through which experiencing physical abuse as a child affects an individual's health later in life. Current studies suggest that childhood physical abuse affects several physiological changes, including the dysregulation of systems that regulate the response of the body to stress. Future prospective research investigating disruptions to these systems that are already linked to several physical and mental illnesses, such as abnormal levels of cortisol, may help to shed light on the experience of childhood abuse victims. The data for this study were drawn from a representative sample of adults aged 60 and older in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It compared 409 older adults who reported a history of childhood physical abuse to 4,659 of their peers who reported they had not been physically abused during their youth. The data were drawn from the Canadian Community Health Survey. (ANI) 'Forgotten Kashmir' examines the evolution of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) over the past seven decades. It includes major milestones like the tribal invasion in 1947-48, the Sudhan revolt in the 1950s, the Ayub era, the Simla Agreement, the adoption of the Interim Constitution of 1974 and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It is not simply a historical account but one that analyses the events in PoK against the background of developments in Pakistan's polity and the situation within the area to better understand Pakistan's motivations for its policies in the region. The book, published by HarperCollins, delves into contentious issues, such as the right of self-determination that is distinct from the concept of plebiscite in Jammu & Kashmir debated in the UN Security Council (UNSC). For a fuller understanding, the issue is examined considering the positions of principal actors, particularly the United Kingdom up to the 1950s, as well as the subsequent evolution of the right of self-determination. More recently, Chinese presence in the region has grown with the development of the CPEC that runs through the Northern Areas, now renamed Gilgit-Baltistan. The book also covers internal developments in that remote area. The author, Dinkar P. Srivastava, a seasoned diplomat, provides a wealth of information that comes from his involvement in the Kashmir issue at India's Ministry of External Affairs and discussions at the UN, his stint in Karachi, and as a member of bilateral working groups on counter-terrorism with the US, EU, UK and Canada. "Much has been written about Jammu & Kashmir. However, very little is known about the other side of the Line of Control (LoC). The purpose of writing this book is to look at Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in terms of the aspirations of its people and the policies of Pakistan. The yardstick is not the Indian stand, but Pakistan's international commitments and the context of contemporary Pakistan. For better or worse, the destiny of the people of the territory is tied to the evolution of Pakistan's polity. If so, the people of PoK deserve to be treated at least on par with the people of Pakistan," Srivastava says. "Kashmir is often in the news, though we in India do not often hear about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As a result, it could be called 'forgotten' - not in the sense of memory but the absence of a specific strategic perspective. This is the gap that Ambassador Srivastava seeks to fill with this crucial book," said Swati Chopra, Executive Editor, HarperCollins India. Srivastava joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1978. In 1993-94, as Director (UNP), he was part of successful Indian lobbying efforts against four Pakistani attempts to have resolutions on J&K adopted in the UN General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights. He was involved in the drafting of the National Human Rights Commission statute. As Joint Secretary (UNP), he participated in Indian lobbying efforts to contain the diplomatic fallout of the Pokhran II nuclear tests and prevent the internationalisation of the J&K issue during the 1999 Kargil war. He dealt with Indian candidature for permanent membership of the UN Security Council, UN peacekeeping and the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism. He was a member of Indian delegations to the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, and the International Court of Justice in the case of the Aerial Incident of 1999 (Pakistan vs India). From 2011-15, as Indian Ambassador to Iran, he negotiated the MoU for Indian participation in Chabahar port. --IANS vm/kr ( 586 Words) 2021-01-28-19:06:05 (IANS) The Prime Minister's Office tweeted: "The Chief Minister of Maharashtra Shri @mieknathshinde and the Deputy Chief Minister Shri @Dev_Fadnavis called on PM." Earlier on Saturday, before meeting PM Modi, Shinde and Fadnavis addressed the media here. Answering a question about portfolio allocation, Shinde said: "Tomorrow is Aashadhi Ekadashi. We (Shinde and Fadnavis) will meet in Mumbai after that and then discuss portfolio allocation." Asserting there is no political agenda regarding the first visit to the national capital with Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after forming the government in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the portfolio allocation would take place after Aashadhi Ekadashi that falls on Sunday. Responding to a question if the government will last (the remaining) two and a half years (term of the assembly), Shinde claimed, "We will not just last the remaining term but also win the next polls with 200 MLAs." Since landing in Delhi on Friday evening, both Fadnavis and Shinde called on President Ram Nath Kovind, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and also BJP president J.P. Nadda as part of what they termed as "courtesy meetings". --IANS avr/pgh ( 219 Words) 2022-07-09-21:22:05 (IANS) The man has been identified as Ranjit Bordoloi. The incident that took place in the Bor Lalung area of Nagaon district came to light only after the police had launched a search operation to find Bordoloi. According to reports, a few villagers claimed that the man was burned alive and the body was buried later. Police sources said on Saturday that Bordoloi was suspected to have killed a woman in the village earlier. "A woman identified as Sabita Pator died under unnatural circumstances a few days back. The local village kangaroo court took up the matter in which Bordoloi reportedly admitted to killing the woman," a police source said. "Subsequently, an angry mob burnt him to death," the source added. Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley told IANS: "We have found the dead body. The circumstances which led to the incident are being investigated." --IANS tanuj/pgh ( 177 Words) 2022-07-09-22:36:02 (IANS) A day after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar cancelled the transfer and posting of 149 officers of the Land Record and Revenue Departments, the RJD slammed the "double engine" NDA government as transfer-posting industry is flourishing in Bihar. "Massive corruption is taking place during the months of June and December every year and it was proven on Friday when Nitish Kumar cancelled the transfer-posting of 149 officials. It is an open secret in Nitish Kumar government that bribes are taken for the transfer-posting," RJD national spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said. Tiwari pointed out that not only the ministry of Ram Surat Rai, who holds charge of the departments concerned, but every ministry is having the same situation. Noting BJP legislator Gyanendra Singh Gyanu had alleged earlier that large scale corruption was taking place in every ministry for transfer-posting, Tiwari said that their leader Tejashwi Yadav has also mentioned corruption in transfers and postings in the Assembly. He also said that BJP legislator Gopal Narayan Singh had claimed that BJP and JD-U is "a mismatched alliance in Bihar" and if this is so, why are they running the government together. "The BJP and JD-U are in the government to eat 'malai'," he said. Senior RJD leader Bhai Virendra said: "After such corruption emerged in the government, Nitish Kumar should throw out Ram Surat Rai from the government." Reacting to the issue, Rai said: "It is a special privilege of the Chief Minister to cancel the transfer-postings. I will give clarification, if needed. As far as RJD is concerned, they are in the opposition. Hence, it is not a big issue, if its leaders are criticising it." Bihar Governor Phagu Chauhan on Friday cancelled the transfer and posting of 149 officers of the Land Reforms and Revenue Departments, on the recommendation of the Chef Minister. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar found something fishy in the transfer and posting of 149 circle officers, settlement officers, and consolidation officers of these two departments, and recommended the cancellation. The Land Reforms and Revenue Departments are under the charge of Ram Surat Rai, of the BJP, and he had issued four notifications for the transfer and postings of 149 officers on June 30. --IANS ajk/vd ( 375 Words) 2022-07-09-22:42:01 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a Natural Farming Conclave on Sunday at 11:30 AM via video conferencing, said a press release from the Prime Minister's Office. As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, Prime Minister in his address at Gujarat Panchayat Mahasammelan in March 2022 exhorted at least 75 farmers in each village to adopt the natural way of farming, added the statement. Guided by this vision of the Prime Minister, Surat District undertook a concerted and coordinated effort to sensitise and motivate different stakeholders and institutions like farmer groups, elected representatives, talathis, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs), Cooperatives, Banks etc, in the district to help farmers in adoption of Natural Farming, as per the statement. Consequently, at least 75 farmers were identified in each Gram Panchayat and were motivated and trained to undertake Natural Farming. The farmers were trained in 90 different clusters resulting in the training of more than 41,000 farmers across the district. The conclave is being organised in Surat, Gujarat and will witness the participation of thousands of farmers and all other stakeholders who have made the adoption of Natural farming in Surat, a success story. The conclave will also be attended by the Governor and Chief Minister of Gujarat. (ANI) As several parts of Maharashtra have been witnessing heavy rainfall over the past few days, a flood-like situation occurred in different areas of the Gadchiroli district. Earlier on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a weather forecast report predicting heavy rain showers in several Indian states for the next five days. Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan are going to witness heavy (64.5 to 114.5 mm) to very heavy (115.6 to 204.4 mm) rainfall for the next five days, out of which three days will be accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka are predicted to witness fairly widespread/widespread rainfall and thunderstorm/lightning with isolated heavy rainfall during the next five days. On Wednesday, the Mumbai Regional Meteorological Centre issued a heavy rainfall alert for the next five days for Mumbai, Thane and other parts of Maharashtra. It also issued an orange alert for Mumbai and Thane till July 10. As heavy rainfall lashed Mumbai on Thursday, the Andheri Subway was waterlogged. The capital city has been witnessing heavy rain since Monday following which areas are waterlogged and traffic movement has been affected. A landslide incident was reported in Ghatkopar's Panchsheel Nagar in Mumbai on Tuesday amidst heavy rains, demolishing a house. And on Wednesday, another landslide was reported near Pratapgarh Fort in Maharashtra's Satara district. Several rivers in the state have reached the warning level. The Kundalika river has crossed the warning level and the water level of the Amba, Savitri, Patalganga, Ulhas and Garhi rivers is slightly below the warning level. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had put all the districts on high alert and is monitoring the situation. He directed the officials to make all arrangements including the shifting of people living in vulnerable areas. (ANI) Lalit Kumar, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), told ANI that five youths were present in the car. While returning from a party late on Saturday night, the vehicle lost control due to a tyre burst on the way which led to the mishap. Three youths, including Kalsi's personal assistant Updesh Kumar, his cousin Gurleen Singh, and his friend Sunil (Ginni Sodhi) died in the accident. The other two, including the MLA's younger brother Amrit Kalsi and his friend Manav Mehta, were seriously injured and are undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Amritsar. (ANI) "Whatever anger they (Maharashtra government) have against us should not be taken out on the city. Jungles and the environment need to be protected, climate change is upon us," the leader said. He further said, "We had proposed construction to be turned into a veterinary hospital for jungle". Earlier, Aaditya Thackeray on Sunday urged the new Eknath Shinde government to scrap the Aarey metro project. Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation announced its plan to cut down over 2,700 trees from the Aarey colony to build a car shed for the Metro. The colony, spread over 13,000 hectares, is home to over 27 Adivasi villages and has various animal species. The Bombay High Court in September 2019, verbally directed the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MMRCL) and the state government not to cut any trees in the Aarey forest area for the construction of a metro car shed, to which they agreed. Later in October 2019, the High Court dismissed all petitions against the proposed cutting down of over 2,500 trees in Aarey Colony of Mumbai to make way for a Metro car shed. However, the Maharashtra government had stayed the order for the Aarey metro car shed project following massive public agitation in the city. In 2020, the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that the state government had withdrawn cases registered against people who were protesting against the proposed metro car shed in Aarey. (ANI) Flash China and Pakistan will conduct the "Sea Guardians-2" joint naval exercise off Shanghai in mid-July, People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy spokesperson Liu Wensheng announced on Sunday. The exercise is aimed at "jointly confronting naval security challenges" and seeks to enhance defense cooperation between China and Pakistan, while also promoting an all-weather strategic partnership, Liu said, adding that the drills were scheduled according to an existing annual plan and do not target any specific third parties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the 'Surat model' of natural farming can become a model for the entire country. The Prime Minister addressed a Natural Farming Conclave via video conferencing. The conclave, organised in Gujarat's Surat witnessed the participation of thousands of farmers and all stakeholders who have made the adoption of natural farming in Surat a success story. Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the programme is an indication of how Gujarat is leading the country's resolution of achieving the goals of the Amrit Kaal. "Success of Surat in connecting 75 farmers in every panchayat with natural farming is going to become an example for the entire country", the Prime Minister said. He highlighted the role of Sarpanches and congratulated the farmers for moving ahead in the direction of natural way of farming. He said Gram Panchayats have been given a key role in the welfare projects for the poor and the deprived. "Local bodies played a concerted role in selecting 75 farmers from every panchayat and hand-hold them with training and other resources," he added. "This has led to a situation where more than 40,000 farmers in 550 panchayats have become involved in natural farming. This is a great beginning and is very encouraging. The Surat model of natural farming can become a model for the entire country," he said. The Prime Minister remarked that when big projects are undertaken with the power of people's participation then their success is ensured by the people of the country themselves. Modi gave the example of the Jal Jeevan Mission where people were given a key role in the project. Similarly "The extraordinary success of the Digital India Mission is also the country's answer to those who used to say that bringing change in the village is not easy. "Our villages have shown that villages can not only bring change but can also lead the change," he said. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that 'Jan Andolan' (People's movement) regarding natural farming will also be a huge success in the coming days. Farmers who will get involved early with this movement will reap great benefits, he said. He reminded the farmers that natural farming is a means of prosperity as well as respecting and serving Mother Earth. "When you do natural farming, you serve Mother Earth, protect the quality of the soil, its productivity. When you do natural farming you are serving nature and the environment. When you join natural farming, you also get the privilege of serving Gaumata," he added. The Prime Minister pointed out that the entire world is talking about a sustainable lifestyle. "This is one area where India has led the world for centuries, therefore, now is the time when we move forward on the path of natural farming and take full advantage of the global opportunities that are emerging", he said. The Prime Minister also informed about the quality assurance system for certification of the produce of natural farming. He also said that certified products are fetching good prices when farmers export them. Recalling the natural farming knowledge hidden in the scriptures and popular culture of India, the Prime Minister requested the institutions, NGOs and experts to do research on the ancient knowledge and how that can be communicated to farmers as per the demands of the modern times. He also expressed confidence that the beginning of 75 farmers taking up natural farming in every panchayat will soon increase manifold as demand for chemical-free natural products is bound to increase. As part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Prime Minister in his address at Gujarat Panchayat Mahasammelan in March 2022 had exhorted at least 75 farmers in each village to adopt the natural way of farming. (ANI) Border Security Force of Gujarat Frontier on Sunday exchanged sweets and greetings with Pakistan Rangers on the Indo-Pak international border in Gujarat and Barmer district of Rajasthan on the occasion of Eid Al-Adha. Eid Al-Adha or Bakra Eid, which is being observed on July 10 this year, is a holy occasion also called the 'festival of sacrifice' and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Around the world, Eid traditions and festivities vary and different countries have unique cultural approaches to this important festival. In India, Muslims wear new clothes and attend open-air prayer meetings. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbours, and the poor. Several dishes like mutton biryani, Ghosht Haleem, Shami Kebab and mutton korma, along with desserts such as kheer and Sheer Khurma are eaten on this day. Offering charity to the underprivileged is also considered an important part of Eid al-Adha. (ANI) Amid rumours that some Congress MLAs may cross over to the ruling BJP, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar on Sunday cancelled the notification announcing elections for the post of Deputy Speaker. The order withdrawing notification of election for the post of Deputy Speaker was withdrawn on Sunday morning. The election was scheduled to be held on July 12 during the upcoming monsoon Assembly session. Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman has said that the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn. "Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also," the order reads. "All the Hon'ble members may note the same. No nomination shall be accepted for the aforesaid Election," it adds. The two-week-long Assembly session will begin on Monday. The withdrawal comes amidst rife rumours claiming that a group of Congress MLAs may split to join the BJP. There was no formal confirmation even as the Congress MLAs held a series of meetings in the Margao town on Sunday. Goa Pradesh Congress Committee President Amit Patkar said that the rumours about a split in Congress are being spread by the ruling party, adding that all the MLAs are together and they have refused any possibility of a split. Amidst the rumours that Congress leaders are joining BJP, the incharge of the All India Congress Committee of Goa, Dinesh Gundu Rao said, "Yesterday we had a Congress Legislative Party meeting in Goa. All the MLAs of the Congress party are intact but BJP is trying to poach our MLAs and intimidate them. But all the MLAs are intact." Goa Congress leader Michael Lobo also said that the claims are false. "These are all rumours. There's nothing as such. Assembly (session) is starting and one rumour has to be spread by somebody or the other. I have not been told, if I am told I'll tell you first," he said. In the Goa Assembly elections held earlier this year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and reducing Congress to 11 seats. (ANI) Amid the recent cloudburst at the Amarnath shrine in Jammu, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited a base camp in Pahalgam and met pilgrims. "The security personnel and administration have carried out an efficient rescue operation. We pay condolences to those who lost their lives. Efforts are underway to resume the Yatra along with repairing the path. Pilgrims should come, we will provide them with all facilities," Sinha assured. The Amarnath yatra was temporarily suspended on Friday, till further notice. However, the pilgrims have been waiting at the Baltal Base camp for it to recommence. As many as 35 pilgrims were discharged following treatment, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) Officials informed on Saturday. "35 pilgrims have been discharged following treatment. 17 people are getting the treatment and are likely to get discharged tonight. All safe and healthy," said SASB Officials. The critically injured patients were airlifted to Srinagar. "Critically injured people were airlifted to Srinagar. 2 people who were buried but were alive were rescued. We're taking all precautionary steps. 41 missing as per Jammu and Kashmir police out of which some were rescued. Yatra may resume within a day or two," said Kuldiep Singh, DG, CRPF. As per the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) data on Saturday, at least 16 people have died in the cloud burst incident near the holy shrine of Amarnath. Meanwhile, four Mi-17V5 and four Cheetal helicopters of the Indian Air Force were deployed for rescue and relief efforts at the Amarnath shrine on Saturday. The Cheetal helicopters flew 45 sorties, carrying five NDRF and Army personnel and 3.5 tonnes of relief material while evacuating 45 survivors from the holy cave. Earlier the officials on Saturday informed that the LG chaired a high-level meeting to review the ongoing rescue and relief operations at Amarnath cave. Meanwhile, the Indian Army informed that they have pulled up "critical rescue equipment" to speed up the rescue operations in the affected areas. "Indian Army pulls up critical rescue equipment to speed up the process of rescue operations and route maintenance in view of recent cloudburst of Amarnath in which 16 people lost their lives while several are assumed missing," said the Indian Army. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday extended Eid-al Adha greetings to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina. He wrote a personal letter to the neighbouring country's Premier while greeting the people of Bangladesh. Taking to Twitter, the High Commission of India in Bangladesh wrote, "PM Shri Narendra Modi conveyed greetings on Eid-al Azha in a personal letter to HE PM Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh." "The festival, PM recalled, reminds us of the virtues of sacrifice and sharing. Our ties help promote inclusive growth for all in both countries," it added. Earlier in the day, Modi shared a heartfelt message greeting his countrymen on the occasion and wished that the festival inspires everyone to work towards furthering the spirit of collective well-being and prosperity for the good of humankind. "Eid Mubarak! Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. May this festival inspire us to work towards furthering the spirit of collective well-being and prosperity for the good of humankind," he tweeted. While extending the wishes for the festival, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wished for peace, joy and harmony in the country. "Eid-al-Adha greetings to all celebrating in India and around the world. May the festival bring peace, joy and harmony to all. Eid Mubarak," Jaishankar tweeted. Eid Al-Adha or Bakra Eid, which is being observed on July 10 this year, is a holy occasion also called the 'festival of sacrifice' and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Every year, the date changes as it's based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day Gregorian calendar. The festival is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. Around the world, Eid traditions and festivities vary and different countries have unique cultural approaches to this important festival. In India, Muslims wear new clothes and attend open-air prayer meetings. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbours, and the poor. Several dishes like mutton biryani, Ghosht Haleem, Shami Kebab and mutton qorma, along with desserts such as kheer and Sheer Qorma are eaten on this day. Offering charity to the underprivileged is also considered an important part of Eid al-Adha. (ANI) Maharashtra Legislature Secretary Rajendra Bhagwat has issued show-cause notices to 53 MLAs of both factions of Shiv Sena after receiving complaints from the two sides. All MLAs are expected to respond within a week's time. 39 MLAs belong to the faction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and 14 to Uddhav Thackeray group. Bhagwat, on being asked about the show-cause notices to 53 Shiv Sena MLAs said, "Whenever we get any application, we have to act on it. So, notices have been issued to each MLA against whom there was an application." Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on July 4 won the floor test in the State 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. Speaker Rahul Narvekar announced that the trust vote was carried by a majority vote. After the death of a Shiv Sena MLA recently, the current strength of the Assembly is reduced to 287, thus the majority mark is 144. Both sides have accused each other of defying the party whip during the Speaker's election and the trust vote on July 3 and 4, respectively, seeking disqualification of the legislators from both sides. A day before the floor test, Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had recognised Gogawale as the Shiv Sena's chief whip, removing Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction. On July 3, Rahul Narvekar of the BJP was elected Speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly. He had polled 164 votes, and he defeated Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi, who got 107 votes. After the Maharashtra government won the trust vote in the state Assembly, Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde faction on Monday gave a petition to Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar for the suspension of 16 MLAs of the party belonging to Uddhav Thackeray's camp for violation of whip. Bharat Gogawale, Chief whip of Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde faction gave the petition to the Assembly Speaker. The Speaker's office confirmed that 16 MLAs will be issued notice for suspension. Gogawale had also issued a whip to the party MLAs to remain present in the Vidhan Sabha for the floor test. Shiv Sena chief whip Bharat Gogawale said, "We have given the notice to disqualify all the persons who defied our whip except Aaditya Thackeray. We have not given the name of Aaditya Thackeray due to respect towards Balasaheb Thackeray." (ANI) Highlighting the delay in rulings by the judiciary, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said that if the courts give verdicts within a time limit, the country can be saved from financial loss. Speaking at an event in Nagpur, the Union Minister said, "An independent, impartial and fair judicial system is essential for a free and fair democracy. If the court gives its decision within the time limit, then the country can be saved from the loss of lakhs of crores of rupees. I have seen big companies getting ruined due to delays in justice. And by the time they get justice from the government or the court, they become dead." Gadkari said that when tribunals were discussed in the cabinet, he had put his point in front of the Union Law Minister and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Often I say to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Law Minister that whatever decision is to be given, it is the right of the judiciary. No one should interfere with that or it should not be influenced by anybody. But there should be a time limit for the decisions so that country can be saved from economic loss." Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Supreme Court judges Justice Bhushan Gavai, Justice PS Narasimha and senior judges of the Mumbai High Court were present at the event. (ANI) Amid a major political crisis in Sri Lanka, the Indian Coast Guard has deployed its hovercrafts, aircraft and patrol boats to step up the vigil on the maritime border with the island nation to prevent any possible influx of refugees or anti-India elements from there. The surveillance has been enhanced in the areas stretching from the Tamil Nadu coast to the parts of Kerala coast with the deployment of Coast Guard personnel and assets along with other agencies, government officials told ANI here. The surveillance activities were upped soon after the fresh round of political crisis started in the island nation where people have stormed the Presidential palace and the leadership is reported to have fled the capital city, Colombo. Along with the central agencies, the Tamil Nadu Coastal police is also on high alert. The officials said that ever since the political chaos due to the economic crisis started in Sri Lanka, a few cases of people trying to cross over have taken place but the numbers are not very significant. The monsoon has also made the sea conditions very tough which would be acting as a deterrence against people trying to use the sea route to enter Indian waters, the officials said. The officials said the hovercraft units deployed in Mandalay in Myanmar would be playing a key role in surveillance activities as they can travel at high speeds in the marshy area as well as shallow waters between the Indian and Sri Lankan coasts. The Dornier surveillance aircraft of the force are also flying more sorties to keep an eye on the maritime border. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday called the economic crisis in Sri Lanka is a "serious" matter and highlighted India's help to the island nation. Addressing mediapersons here, Jaishankar said, "The Sri Lankan crisis is a serious matter. It is something which has been built over a period of time. Prime Minister Modi has a policy called 'Neighbourhood First.' We try and support our neighbours in a way which meets their requirements." The EAM said the Centre has pledged USD 3.8 billion to support Sri Lanka amid its economical crisis this year alone. "We had given Sri Lanka a line of credit, which has kept essential commodities flowing to them for the past several months. We have also provided them a line of credit for the purchase of fuel. This year alone, we have pledged USD 3.8 billion in support to Sri Lanka," stated Jaishankar. He emphasised that managing finances is a bigger issue and India's focus is on helping Sri Lanka. "There is a bigger issue about how you manage your finances...About how you have a prudent fiscal policy. There are issues pertaining to the management of the economy. Our focus is on helping them," added Jaishankar. India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek prosperity and progress through democratic means and constitutional framework and continue to follow the development in the island country, the Ministry of External Affairs said. This comes after protesters stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire on Saturday. Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. External Affairs Minister spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, in a statement, said, "We continue to follow closely the recent developments in Sri Lanka. India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework." Responding to the situation in Sri Lanka, the MEA Spokesperson said that India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilizational bonds. "We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period," he said in a statement. In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka. The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports 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 days. Police have used tear gas and water cannons at times in a disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) Visakhapatnam District Collector A Mallikharjuna ordered the district officials to make the necessary arrangements. On Saturday evening, Collector, Commissioner of Police Srikanth, Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Commissioner Lakshmisha, along with Joint Collector KS Viswanadhan visited AU Engineering Grounds. On this occasion, the collector discussed and issued several instructions on the stage arrangements, stalls, VIP vehicle arrival, beneficiary arrival and vehicle arrival and other arrangements. He instructed officials to ensure the removal of shrubs and rust from the surroundings of the grounds in view of the Chief Minister's programme. Vahana Mitra is a welfare scheme for auto, taxi, maxi cab owners cum drivers under which the beneficiary will be given financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per annum for annual maintenance of their vehicle. The scheme was launched in September 2019. Earlier, the state government had relaxed some guidelines so that more auto and car owners cum drivers can avail the benefit. (ANI) Flash Argentine President Alberto Fernandez called for national unity during a celebration marking the 206th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on Saturday in Tucuman Province. "In order to move forward as the community that we are, we must tear down walls and start building bridges," said the president in a statement from his office. Fernandez reaffirmed the value of "unity," which "is always the fruit of the willingness of those involved to consolidate it. History teaches us that unity is a value that we must preserve in the most difficult moments." The president also called for the establishment of "the great consensus that is needed to develop ourselves once and for all in the face of the challenges we face in the 21st century." He called on Argentines "not to abandon the dreams, the commitment, and the dedication that we learned from those who built our country." Fernandez also stressed his work to recover "the most egalitarian country we had that was distinguished by upward social movement and a state that guaranteed it" and to banish "all kinds of inequalities." Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will take a decision on cabinet expansion after July 13, rebel Shiv Sena MLA Deepak Kesarkar said on Sunday. Speaking to ANI over the phone call today, Kesarkar said, "There is no chance for expanding the cabinet before July 13 as some of our MLAs and BJP MLAs will visit Delhi for a meeting related to the upcoming Presidential election." Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Friday had 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 on this, Kesarkar said, "It is just political tactics (by the Uddhav faction). We have the majority in the Maharashtra Assembly. Those who have a majority have formed a government in Maharashtra recently." Meanwhile, Uddhav Thackeray dared the rebels led by new Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the BJP to face mid-term elections. 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. On June 30, Eknath Shinde took oath as the new chief minister of Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis will be the deputy chief minister in the government. Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath of office to them at Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai shortly after 7.30 pm. (ANI) The Rajasthan administration lifted the curfew on Sunday, which was imposed after Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli was beheaded in Udaipur on June 28. After the restrictions have been limited, the Udaipur district administration said that section 144 shall remain invoked for seven hours, i.e, 10 pm to 5 am from Monday (July 11) onwards. Meanwhile, District Collector Prabha Gautam also issued orders in the matter stating that the districts Dhanmandi, Ghanta Ghar, Hathipole, Ambamata Surajpole, Bhupalpura, Savina, Govardhan Vilas, Hiran Magri, Pratapnagar and Sukher shall be freed from the invoked restrictions of movement. The brutal killing took place on June 28 (Tuesday) between 3 pm and 3.30 pm, and the information was received at National Investigation Agency (NIA) through an order issued by the MHA's Counter-Terrorism and Counter Radicalization Division (CTCR) on June 29. Earlier the case was registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur district under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 16, 18 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act relating to the murder of Kanhaiyya by two assailants armed with sharp weapons at his shop "Suprim Tailor". Followed by MHA's order, the NIA, in accordance with the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008, took up the investigation of the case and the Central agency's Superintendent of Police Ravi Choudhary, an IPS officer, was directed to take up the investigation of the case as the Chief Investigation Officer. NIA re-registered the case under sections 452, 302, 153(A), 153(B), 295(A) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 16, 18 and 20 of UA(P)A, 1967 against the accused who have conspired, planned and committed the heinous murder of Kanhaiya Lal Teli. The two accused Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad were taken into custody during the investigation of the case. As per the agency, the accused, both residents of Udaipur, are being questioned at NIA's Jaipur office. NIA's six to 10-member team under the supervision of an Inspector General and a Deputy Inspector General rank officer is probing the matter. Soon after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media boasting about the "beheading" and threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life as well. The victim was killed as he reportedly had recently shared a social media post in support of Nupur Sharma-- former BJP leader who had made controversial remarks against Prophet Mohammad. Notably, Kanhaiya had also filed a complaint with the police about receiving threats. (ANI) The Bharatiya Janata Party workers led by Asansol South MLA Agnimitra Pal staged a protest in front of a police station on Sunday and demanded action against Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra over her Kali remark. "We criticize her remarks. We demand strict action against her," said Pal. Moitra stirred a row after she called Goddess Kali as "meat-eating" and "alcohol-accepting". She 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. 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 backup 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. (ANI) Ranchi police officials said, "A man and his son have been found murdered inside a hotel room in Ranchi today. The duo were seen with injuries on their necks inflicted by a sharp-edged weapon." Prima facie investigations reveal that both the deceased were residents of the Hazaribagh area in the state. They had come to Ranchi for some business transaction related to a land-related matter, the police said. The police are investigating the matter. (ANI) Amid the concerns over the fuel prices, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the state governments must take some measures to ease the prices for the people. Addressing media persons here, Jaishankar said, "Oil we are getting is the cheapest available in the global market and this makes our government to reduce the price and now the State governments must take some measures to ease it for the people. It may or may not be from Russia, my obligation is to protect my people from the hiking oil prices." The Minister hailed India's ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive and said the country is capable of finding solutions while facing challenges. "We are the country which has made its own vaccine. We are one of the few countries to have our own CoWIN app so that everyone who vaccinates has a digital certificate. Today's India is capable of finding solutions while facing challenges," he said. Mentioning India's fight against COVID, the Minister said, "World today seeing us as a nation which stepped forward during the pandemic. In the beginning, they doubted our vaccine, our economy was in doubt. But now we have the self-confidence to prove it wrong. We are being treated better in other countries. Comparing the difficulty faced last two years, we are doing great. Our standing is higher at the global level." Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the Kerala capital and will hold several meetings with state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. Though there has been no respite from the high prices of petrol and diesel, the prices have remained stable for over a month now. The last major revision in fuel rates was on May 21 following Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement of a reduction in central excise duty. Duty on petrol was then cut by Rs 8 per litre while on diesel by Rs 6 per litre. This led to a slight fall in the prices of petrol and diesel. Since then, the price of petrol has been hovering around Rs 100 per liter in major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, while the price of diesel in these regions has been around Rs 95 per litre. Meanwhile, consumption of petroleum products in India during the month of June soared 17.9 per cent year-on-year to 18.67 million tonnes, data from Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas showed on Saturday. During the same period of 2021, the fuel intake was 15.84 million tonne. On a month-on-month basis too, the consumption of fuels increased marginally during the previous month. A rise in demand for fuels can be attributed to an increase in mobility and the reopening of the economy post the Covid pandemic. During the same period last year, India was grappling with a severe second wave of the virus, which had limited the demand for fuels to a great extent. (ANI) With an aim to spread clarity about the Agnipath scheme, the Defence Minister will chair a consultative committee meeting which will include the presence of Minister of State Ajay Bhatt, the three service chiefs and the Defence Secretary. Sources aware of the development say that it was a personal initiative taken by the defence ministry to allay the fears of the opposition on Agnipath so that it could lead to a clear political solution. The meeting holds importance in terms of laying out facts before various members of Parliament just before the upcoming Monsoon Session. "We have the Parliament session coming up and opposition parties are going to raise this particular issue and try and create a ruckus so in order to iron out whatever their issues or regarding the scheme and clarity can be provided this initiative has been taken by the Raksha Mantri," sources told ANI. Notably, Rajnath Singh also took on personal initiatives to brief senior opposition leaders on issues like India's relationship with China and the LAC issue. Even then Singh had made personal calls and clarified the issues with former defence Minister Sharad Pawar and AK Antony amongst the others. Indian Army and Navy have begun accepting registrations for the Agniveers programme, according to a July 2 Defense Ministry announcement. Agniveers will be enlisted for four years in the Army, Navy, and Air Force under the plan. Based on merit, willingness, and medical fitness, up to 25 per cent of them could be retained or re-enlisted in the regular cadre after four years. 75% of the population will be qualified for "Seva Nidhi" packages of 11-12 lakh rupees. Additionally, they will be given bank loans and skill certificates for their second career. The Air Force has received 7,49,899 applications for recruitment Several senior members of Parliament including Mallikarjun Kharge, Manish Tiwari, Supriya Sule, P Wilson amongst those who are part of this committee that will hold the meeting tomorrow. (ANI) Amid the Sri Lankan crisis, Trinamool Congress MLA from West Bengal Idris Ali on Sunday made a controversial remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said the latter will meet the same fate that of his Sri Lankan counterpart. "Whatever happened with the President of Sri Lanka, will happen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi here. Looking at the things in India, I say that Prime Minister Modi is a total failure. It will be even worse here. Prime Minister Modi will also resign and flee," TMC MLA Idris Ali told ANI. Reacting to Ali's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Priyanka Tibrewal said the TMC does not have respect for Constitution and federalism. "I believe it is not required to comment on the statements of the illetrate people. TMC MPs and MLAs have crossed all the limits. We have seen how Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is silent after the remarks of MP Mahua Moitra on Goddess Kali that hurt the sentiments of Hindus. It suggests that Chief Minister's consent is there in these things. Such remarks about Prime Minister show the mentality of these people. It means they do not have regard for Constitution and federalism," Tibrewal told ANI. The Ministry of External Affairs said that India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek prosperity and progress through democratic means and constitutional framework and continue to follow the development in the island country. In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka, added the External Affairs Ministry. Earlier on Saturday, protesters stormed into Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire. Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts. The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports 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 days. Police have used tear gas and water cannons at times in a disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice.Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) Concerned over the alarm raised by Goa Congress leader Dinesh Gundu Rao of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) conspiring to engineer defection in the party as five party MLAs go incommunicado, Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi has asked party MP Mukul Wasnik to rush to the coastal state to oversee the latest political developments. Congress leader KC Venugopal tweeted, "Congress President Sonia Gandhi has asked MP Mukul Wasnik to rush to Goa to oversee the latest political developments in the state." [{6bf206c4-502f-47e6-b626-b98a202349e3:intradmin/hfjeg.png}] Congress on Sunday also sacked Michael Lobo as the Leader of Opposition in the Goa Assembly for alleged conspiracy to engineer defections. Congress said that the BJP was trying for a 2/3rd split and offered huge amounts of money to party legislators. Congress alleged that Lobo along with Digambar Kamat hatched a conspiracy to engineer defections in "total coordination" with the BJP. "BJP was trying for a 2/3rd split, to see that a minimum of 8 of our MLAs leave. Many of our people have been offered huge amounts of money. I'm shocked at the amount offered. But our 6 MLAs stood firm, I'm proud of them," said Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress Goa in charge in a press conference on Sunday. Rao said that a conspiracy was hatched by some of our own leaders with the BJP to see that the Congress party in Goa is weakened and to engineer defections. "This conspiracy was led by two of our own leaders, Leaders of Opposition Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat. Both these people had been working in total coordination with BJP. One person- Digambar Kamat- did it to safeguard his own skin because so many cases are against him and the other person- Michael Lobo- for the sake of power and position. BJP wants to finish Opposition," he said. Rao said that a new leader will be elected for the post of Leader of Opposition. "A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let's see how many people will stay/move. Five of our MLAs are here, we are in touch with some more MLAs and they'll be along with us," he said. Rao asserted that the Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. "We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will inform the people that this betrayal is being engineered by two people for the sake of power and personal gain," he added. Amid rumours that some Congress MLAs may cross over to the ruling BJP, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar on Sunday cancelled the notification announcing elections for the post of Deputy Speaker. Earlier on Sunday, Congress MLA and wife of Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo was seen leaving the residence of CM and BJP leader Pramod Sawant. [{b0e8ff88-e719-4173-8e7a-7b0994238850:intradmin/dhfjv.jfif}] On being asked if Congress MLAs came to meet him, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said, "As CM, many people come to meet me. Tomorrow is Assembly, people came to meet me regarding that. I am busy with my Assembly work... Why will I comment on issues related to other parties?" The order withdrawing notification of election for the post of Deputy Speaker was withdrawn on Sunday morning. The election was scheduled to be held on July 12 during the upcoming monsoon Assembly session. Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman has said that the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn. "Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also," the order reads. "All the members may note the same. No nomination shall be accepted for the aforesaid Election," it adds. The two-week-long Assembly session will begin on Monday. The withdrawal comes amidst rife rumours claiming that a group of Congress MLAs may split to join the BJP. There was no formal confirmation even as the Congress MLAs held a series of meetings in the Margao town on Sunday. In the Goa Assembly elections held earlier this year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and reducing Congress to 11 seats. (ANI) Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said an impartial and fair judicial system is necessary for a free and fair democracy. "During cabinet meetings, when discussions on tribunals and other things are held, I often tell the law minister and the prime minister that whatever the decision may be, it is the right of the judiciary to give the decision and it should not be influenced by anybody," Gadkari said at the inauguration of an amenities block of the Maharashtra National Law University in Nagpur. Gadkari further called for time-bound court rulings to save the nation from financial loss. "An independent, impartial and fair judicial system is essential for a free and fair democracy. If the court gives its decision within the time limit, then the country can be saved from the loss of lakhs of crores of rupees. I have seen big companies getting ruined due to delays in justice. And by the time they get justice from the government or the court, they become dead." "Time is the biggest capital. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi many administrative reforms have taken place," he added. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Supreme Court judges Justice Bhushan Gavai, Justice PS Narasimha and senior judges of the Mumbai High Court were present at the event. Earlier, the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said that the political party in power believes that every governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement and the parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and cause but the judiciary is answerable to the Constitution only. Chief Justice Ramana affirmed at a felicitation organised by the Association of Indian Americans in San Francisco, US. "As we celebrate 75th year of Independence this year and as our Republic turned 72, with some sense of regret I must add here that we still haven't learnt to appreciate wholly the roles and responsibilities assigned by the Constitution to each of the Institutions," Chief Justice Ramana said. "The party in power believes that every Governmental action is entitled to judicial endorsement. The parties in opposition expect the judiciary to advance their political positions and causes. This flawed thinking of all hues flourishes in the absence of proper understanding among people about the Constitution and the functioning of the democratic institutions," he said.(ANI) Researchers provide some of the first empirical evidence that brain ripples exist. These electrical waves have long been hypothesized as a way for the brain to integrate and encode memories. 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, PhD, 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." (ANI) You are here: World Flash Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's personal residence was set on fire on Saturday amid nationwide protests, said the police. Eye witnesses said that fire brigades were unable to reach the house as the trucks were blocked by protesters. Wickremesinghe has agreed to resign after party leaders in the parliament demanded both he and the president to resign, as protesters stormed the president's residence and office on Saturday. The United States has introduced visa restrictions on 28 Cuban officials, including Cuban government employees and high-ranking members of the Cuban Communist Party, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday. "The Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on 28 Cuban officials pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 5377, which suspends nonimmigrant entry into the United States of officers and employees of the Cuban government and Cuban Communist Party," the statement read. Those 28 officials include officials involved in the alleged crackdown on the protests of July 11, 2021. Among them are high-ranking members of the Cuban Communist Party responsible for defining policy at the national and provincial levels, according to the statement. "Instead of ensuring the safety of the Cuban people and respect for their freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, these officials permitted or facilitated violent and unjust detentions, sham trials, and prison sentences spanning decades for hundreds of protesters," the statement added. The new restriction supplements previous US policies "to promote accountability for Cuban officials who enable their government's assaults on democracy and human rights," such as three rounds of visa restrictions imposed by the US Department of State since November 2021 and four rounds of financial sanctions imposed by the US Treasury Department since July 2021. "Also covered are multiple officials who work in the state communications and media sectors who formulate and implement policies that restrict Cubans' ability to freely access and share information and who engage in the spread of disinformation. The Cuban government-employed Internet throttling on July 11, 2021, to both prevent the Cuban people from communicating with each other and keep the world from witnessing the historic events that day," Blinken said. He further said state media officials continue to engage in a campaign against jailed July 11, 2021, protesters and their family members who speak publicly about their loved ones' cases. Earlier this month, the US imposed visa restrictions on five Cuban government officials in connection with human rights abuses including unfair trials and jailings. "The Department of State has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on five Cuban officials pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 5377, which suspends nonimmigrant entry into the United States of officers and employees of the Cuban government," Blinken said on Thursday. "These five officials are connected to unfair trials and unjust sentencing and imprisonment of peaceful July 11, 2021, protesters. This announcement of visa restrictions comes in response to the actions of Cuban government officials that deny Cubans their basic human rights and fundamental freedoms." (ANI) Jigme Gyatso, a prominent former political prisoner, died on July 2, according to the Washington-based advocacy group International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). Jigme Gyatso, 56, faced multiple detentions in the past for his protests against the Chinese government's oppression in Tibet. He had openly expressed his thoughts on oppression in Tibet and his personal experience of Chinese security forces torturing him and other Tibetan detainees. Gyatso had been unrecoverably ill since his release in October 2016 after serving five years in prison on a conviction for "inciting separatism." Facing further health complications, he was hospitalized in Xiling in May this year and passed away on July 2. "Owing to torture and other cruel and inhumane treatment during his detentions, his health conditions had become unrecoverably complicated after his release from prison in October 2016. He was suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and heart, liver and eyes diseases. Low-quality health care provided to him by prison medical personnel during his incarceration, after his appeal for medical parole was rejected, and his inability to access professional private care after release based on his identity being blacklisted made Jigme's health deteriorate steadily over the years," the Washington based group said. According to the ICT, Jigme Gyatso's death is part of a pattern of torture and mistreatment in Tibet. In May 2020, the Tibetan monk Choekyi died after torture in custody. In August 2020, a 36-year-old mother of three named Lhamo died in custody after apparent beatings. In 2015, the International Campaign for Tibet documented the cases of 29 Tibetans who suffered torture and mistreatment while in custody, many of who died as a result of their ordeals. Jigme is known for his defiant video testimony in 2008 that was shot in Tibet, providing an authoritative account exposing the Chinese government's oppression in Tibet. In the video, he identifies himself and gives a detailed account of the cruel methods Chinese security forces use to oppress the Tibetans who exercise their freedom of expression, torture methods used on him and other Tibetans and conditions in detention centers. He also offers his thoughts on racial inequality, the teachings of the Dalai Lama and China-Tibet conflict resolution. Although he had not taken part in the March 14 and 15 mass protests in 2008 in the town of Labrang, he was dragged into a white van by four security personnel while he was waiting on the street near his monastery for his shoes to be repaired. Soon after his release from detention, he made his video testimony to give a firsthand account of the Chinese government's oppression in Tibet. (ANI) Police officers on duty at the venue where former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe was shot didn't recognize a suspicious man in the crowd until hearing the first gunshot, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday. Abe died after being shot Friday by a gunman during a speech in the western city of Nara while campaigning for Sunday's upper house election. 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, NHK quoted defence sources as saying. He was arrested 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. Japan's National Police Agency said that considering the circumstances of the crime scene, it plans to review the day's security arrangements for the former prime minister, NHK reported. The agency cites possible problems with police arrangements for patrolling the area behind where Abe was speaking, the report said. The report further states that some security experts point out the seriousness of police officers failing to stop the gunman from firing at Abe. "They say, first and foremost, the officers should have prevented the assailant from getting anywhere near Abe." On Saturday, the head of police in Nara Prefecture, Kazuo Ohashi, said the potential security issues in the case of the assassination of Shinzo Abe cannot be denied. "There is no denying that there was a security issue there," the official said in a press conference. According to Ohashi, the assassination was an act of "inexcusable barbarism," and it is necessary to investigate the case "in the most thorough way." Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida earlier in his live address to the country yesterday 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 Japanese PM also requested everyone to not speculate about any political ramifications at the time. (ANI) Hainan Xiandun, a Chinese technology company, is actively recruiting Chinese university students as English language translators even after US law enforcement agencies accused Beijing of setting up such companies as a "front" for spying operations against western targets. Hackers with suspected links to China's intelligence agencies are still advertising for new recruits to work on cyber espionage, even after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) indicted the perpetrators in an effort to disrupt their activities. In another covert move by China, Beijing is luring job seekers into committing state-sponsored espionage on western targets along with persuading them to translate confidential stolen papers collected from various government agencies. To hire these Chinese university students, the country is hiding the information of the real duties that they will have to perform after they are hired, reported Hong Kong Post. The students are led into working for a top-secret technology business where they are identifying potential Western targets for espionage and interpreting stolen papers as part of Beijing's massive intelligence apparatus. About 140 possible translators, mostly recent graduates who studied English at public colleges in Hainan, Sichuan, and Xian, have been targeted for this job. In Chinese province of Hainan, people applied for job postings for a business called Hainan Xiandun. In a shocking revelation, translation tests on confidential papers collected from US government agencies were part of the application process. There were also directives to research people at Johns Hopkins University, a major target for espionage gathering. According to a 2021 US federal indictment, a Chinese firm Hainan Xiandun served as a front for the Chinese hacking organization APT40. Western intelligence services earlier reported that APT40 has been sent by China's Ministry of State Security to infiltrate colleges, businesses, and government organisations throughout the US, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. In a bid to stop the malice, last July, the US investigation bureau, Federal Bureau of Investigation indicted three state security officers in the province of Hainan to halt Hainan Xiandun's operations. These operations have alleged roles in creating the business as a front for state-backed espionage. These state security officials are Ding Xiaoyang, Cheng Qingmin, and Zhu Yunmin. Wu Shurong, another person included in the indictment, is thought to have been a hacker who assisted in managing staff at Hainan Xiandun. This has become a part of the Chinese tactic where the graduate students are enticed into a career in espionage. Not just this, but even the websites of Chinese universities also posted job advertisements for translators without providing any more information about the nature of the work. These developments and moves by Chinese universities will have long-term effects as these students may find it challenging to live and work in western nations, which is a major incentive for many students to study foreign languages. Their job applications provide light on APT40's strategies, which include targeting maritime, biomedical, and robotics research institutes as part of larger initiatives to learn about Western industrial strategy and acquire private information. A large workforce of English speakers who can help identify hacking targets, cyber experts who can access enemies' networks, and intelligence officials who can analyze the stolen data are all necessary for such a large-scale breach. The job seekers were instructed to download "software to go around the Great Firewall" in the instruction manual. It forewarns that the research will include visiting blocked websites like Facebook, which calls for the usage of a VPN, or programme that hides the user's location, in order to acquire access. Hainan Xiandun appeared to have a tight association with Hainan University and advertised job openings on university recruiting websites. The university library's first floor, which also houses the student computer area, was the location of the company's registration. (ANI) US State Secretary Antony Blinken will visit Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, State Department said. During his visit to Japan, Blinken will also meet senior Japanese officials. "Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger," the press release said. Blinken left Bali, Indonesia after attending the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting. During the G20 meeting, Blinken reinforced US' commitment to working with international partners to confront global challenges, including food and energy insecurity and the threat Russia's continued war against Ukraine presents to the international order. In addition to attending G20-related engagements, the Secretary held bilateral meeting with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. Among other bilateral engagements, Secretary Blinken also met with the People's Republic of China (PRC) State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the margins of the G20. Blinken's meeting with Wang Yi in Bali was a bid to reinforce guardrails on the relationship between Washington and Beijing that had become fraught with hostility. "In a relationship as complex and consequential as the one between the United States and China, there is a lot to talk about. I very much am looking forward to a productive and construction conversation with you." said Blinken according to a statement by the US State Department ahead of the meeting. "There is no substitute for face-to-face diplomacy," Blinken added. Blinken and Chinese State Councilor Wang Yi last met in Rome, Italy in October 2021. Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC). During that meeting, Blinken raised concerns about a range of PRC actions that undermine the international rules-based order and that run counter to our values and interests and those of our allies and partners, including actions related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China Seas, and Taiwan. As part of his travel from July 6-11, 2022, Blinken will also travel to Indonesia, Bangkok, Thailand, and Tokyo, Japan. In Bangkok, Thailand, Secretary Blinken will meet with Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai. Blinken will hold discussion on a range of issues, including building on the successes of Thailand's APEC 2022 agenda during US' 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) host year, expanding health and climate cooperation, and addressing the crisis in Burma. He will also meet with alumni of U.S. exchange programs. The U.S-Thai Alliance is essential for advancing the President's Indo-Pacific Strategy for a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure, and resilient region, the press release added. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday extended his wishes to the government and people of The Bahamas on their 49th Independence Day. Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar, " Best wishes to Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell and the Government and the people of the Bahamas on their Independence Day." Bilateral relations between India and The Bahamas continued to advance during the year. On October 27, 2020 a telephonic conversation was held between Jaishankar and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Bahamas Darren Allen Henfield. The discussions focused on cooperation in the context of COVID, development partnership and cooperation in the UN and Commonwealth. In 2020-21, bilateral trade between India and The Bahamas was worth USD 40.40 million. In July 2021, a consular camp was organized in Nassau to deal with the consular issues of the Indian community without having to send documents to Jamaica. In 2019, India extended immediate disaster relief to The Bahamas which was facing the wrath of Hurricane Dorian. "We are saddened by the large scale destruction caused in The Bahamas by Hurricane #Dorian. In solidarity with the friendly people of The #Bahamas in this difficult moment, the Government of India is extending an immediate disaster relief of USD 1 million," then Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had tweeted. Dorian, which ravaged The Bahamas as a Category 5 hurricane, wreaked havoc in the island country, uprooting trees, destroying communication lines and flattening houses, rendering hundreds of people homeless. The Bahamas became a British Crown colony in 1718. On July 10, 1973, The Bahamas was officially declared an independent nation when the documents relating to independence were delivered to Prime Minister Lynden Pindling by Prince Charles. The Bahamas joined the Commonwealth of Nations on July 10, 1973. (ANI) On the occasion of Eid Al-Adha, Ali Chegeni, Iranian Ambassador to India on Sunday offered prayers at Jama Masjid in New Delhi. Speaking to ANI after offering prayers, the Ambassador said, "It was a chance for me to pray with my brothers here. I advise everyone to come here at least once to experience the Eid celebrations, even Friday namaz prayers are beautiful." Devotees gathered at the Jama Masjid to offer namaz on the occasion of Eid-Al-Adha. Eid Al-Adha or Bakra Eid, which is being observed on July 10 this year, is a holy occasion also called the 'festival of sacrifice' and is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic or lunar calendar. It marks the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage. Every year, the date changes as it's based on the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Western 365-day Gregorian calendar. Eid Al-Adha is an occasion of joy and peace, where people celebrate with their families, let go of past grudges and make meaningful connections with one another. It is celebrated as a commemoration of Prophet Abraham's willingness to sacrifice everything for God. The history of this occasion traces back to 4,000 years ago when Allah appeared in Prophet Abraham's dream asking him to sacrifice what he loved the most. As per the legends, the Prophet was about to sacrifice his son Isaac when an angel appeared and stopped him from doing so. He was told that God was convinced of his love for him and hence was allowed to make something else as a 'great sacrifice'. The same story appears in the Bible and is familiar to Jews and Christians. One key difference is that Muslims believe the son was Ishmael rather than Isaac as told in the Old Testament. In Islam, Ishmael is regarded as a prophet and an ancestor of Muhammad.To mark this occasion, Muslims re-enact Ibrahim's obedience with the symbolic sacrifice of a lamb, goat, cow, camel, or another animal that is then divided into threes to be shared equally among family, friends and the needy. Around the world, Eid traditions and festivities vary and different countries have unique cultural approaches to this important festival. In India, Muslims wear new clothes and attend open-air prayer meetings. They may sacrifice a sheep or goat and share the meat with family members, neighbours, and the poor. Several dishes like mutton biryani, Ghosht Haleem, Shami Kebab, and mutton korma, along with desserts such as kheer and Sheer Khurma are eaten on this day. Offering charity to the underprivileged is also considered an important part of Eid al-Adha. (ANI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that India has been providing assistance to Sri Lanka and is monitoring the developments in the island nation adding that there is no refugee crisis now. "We have been supportive of Sri Lanka, are trying to help, and have always been helpful. They are working through their problem, we will see what happens. There is no refugee crisis right now, said Jaishankar upon his arrival in Kerala as part of intensifying the BJP's efforts to make gains in South India. Jaishankar's comments reflect how India continues to stand by its neighbours amid difficult times. His remarks particularly hold more importance as Sri Lanka faces an unprecedented political and economic crisis. Under the 'neighbourhood first policy', India has responded with urgency to government of Sri Lanka's request for assistance for overcoming hardships and will enhance economic linkages between the two countries be it through infrastructure connectivity and renewable energy. "India has delivered aid of around 3.5 billion dollars which has been given through currency swap, financing of food, and fuel. medicines and fertilisers," MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said earlier. Responding to a question on India-Sri Lanka ties, he said "We have responded with urgency to government of Sri Lanka's request for assistance for overcoming hardships," adding that "India stands in solidarity with the people of Sri Lanka and works in their best interest." Underlining the fact that India has been giving priority to 'neighbourhood first policy', Arindam Bagchi said, " India will try to enhance economic linkages between the two countries be it through infrastructure connectivity and renewable energy." In line with its "neighbourhood first" policy, India has been highly active to help Sri Lanka during its economic crisis. More than 25 tons of drugs and medical supplies which were donated by the Government and people of India during the last two months are valued at close to SLR 370 million. This is in addition to the economic assistance of around USD 3.5 billion and supply of other humanitarian supplies such as rice, milk powder, kerosene. These humanitarian supplies are in continuation of the Government of India's ongoing support to the people of Sri Lanka in multiple forms such as financial assistance, forex support, material supply and many more. These efforts prove that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Neighborhood First' policy which places people-to-people engagement is still active. India is becoming a stronger and more mutually beneficial partner to Sri Lanka. Apart from assistance during the pandemic and fertilizer chaos, India is also donating basic products to the island nation. Sri Lanka has been suffering a diesel shortage since February, which led to hours of daily power cuts. Presently, Sri Lanka is struggling with acute food and electricity shortages, forcing the country to seek help from its neighbours. The recession is attributed to foreign exchange shortages caused by a clampdown on tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is unable to buy sufficient fuel and gas, while the people are being deprived of basic amenities as well. Meanwhile, several dramatic videos have been doing the rounds on social media after Saturday's upheaval where thousands of protesters stormed his official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. With the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, they stormed into the President's house, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva urged all citizens to give their support to the armed forces and the police in order to maintain peace in the country, as per the media portal. He made these remarks in a special statement accompanied by Tri Force Commanders. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando and Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said they have decided to step down from their ministerial portfolios with immediate effect. Sri Lankan protesters also broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis. Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protestors gathered in the area, Daily Mirror reported. Police resorted to water cannons to stop the enraged protestors. The police also fired tear gas at the protesters but despite that, they entered PM's house and set the house on fire. Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire brigade said they were informed that the Prime Minister's private residence in Colombo was set on fire and its teams were unable to reach the location due to the unrest, according to Daily Mirror. Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, has announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa also agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. (ANI) Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Baglay met with Sri Lanka's Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and informed him about the arrival of over 44,000 MT of urea supplied under a credit line extended by New Delhi to Colombo. Taking to Twitter, the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka tweeted, "Various sections, diverse demands: one partner - India!!!! High Commissioner met the Hon'ble Agriculture Minister and informed him about the arrival of more than 44,000 MT of urea supplied under a credit line extended by India to Sri Lanka." "High Commissioner stressed that this latest assistance by India symbolises continued commitment to support the people of Sri Lanka, including the country's farmers, and bolster the efforts for food security of the country's citizens," it added. Meanwhile, several dramatic videos have been doing the rounds on social media after Saturday's upheaval where thousands of protesters stormed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. With the demand for President Rajapaksa's resignation, they stormed into the house, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Shavendra Silva urged all citizens to extend their support to the armed forces and the police in order to maintain peace in the country, media reports said. He made these remarks in a special statement accompanied by Tri Force Commanders. Sri Lankan Minister of Tourism and Lands Harin Fernando and Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara said they have decided to step down from their ministerial portfolios with immediate effect. Sri Lankan protesters also broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis. Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protesters gathered in the area, the Daily Mirror reported. Police resorted to firing water cannons to stop the enraged protesters. The police also fired tear gas at the protesters but despite that, they entered the Prime Minister's house and set it on fire. Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire brigade said they were informed that the Prime Minister's private residence in Colombo was set on fire and its teams were unable to reach the location due to the unrest, according to the report. Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, has announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens. Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa also agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. (ANI) Sri Lanka's Kollupitiya Police arrested three people in connection with the arson attack on Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe's private house. The arrested people included a 19-year-old from Mount Lavinia and two persons aged 24 and 28 who were residents of Kadawatha and Galle, Daily Mirror reported citing the police. The police have mentioned that further investigation is being carried out by the Kollupitiya police to arrest the other suspects as well. Sri Lankan protesters broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire on Saturday, angered by the unprecedented economic crisis. Just a few hours ago with the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, they stormed into the compound, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home. Several journalists were also attacked by the security forces after which more protestors gathered in the area, Daily Mirror reported. Earlier, the police fired tear gas at the protesters but despite that, they entered his house and set the house on fire. Meanwhile, Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) fire brigade said they were informed that the Prime Minister's private residence in Colombo was set on fire and its teams were unable to reach the location due to the unrest, according to Daily Mirror. Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, has announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens. Earlier, Sri Lankan Prime Minister said in a statement that he took this decision in view of the fact that island-wide fuel distribution is due to recommence this week, the World Food Program Director is due to visit the country this week and the Debt Sustainability report for the IMF is due to be finalised shortly." Meanwhile, Sri Lankan MP Harsha de Silva said that the majority of party leaders had agreed on President and Prime Minister's resignation and the Speaker to act as President for a maximum of 30 days. He further said that the leaders also agreed on the election of MP as President for the remaining term will be elected by the parliament. Lankan local publication Daily Mirror reported that several gunshots were heard being fired in the air and police unsuccessfully used tear gas to ward off protestors who surrounded the presidential residence. Two people have reportedly been injured. The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports 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 days. Police have used tear gas and water cannon at times in an unnecessary and disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the opening ceremony of an exhibition on the origin of Italy. China and Italy are outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations. This exhibition will show the rich Italian culture with a variety of precious antiques, Xi said in his letter to the exhibition that features ancient Roman civilization. He hoped that this will be an opportunity for the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism to promote exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations, strengthen bonds between people from the two countries, and inject new vitality into bilateral ties. Mutual respect, solidarity, and harmonious coexistence are the right path for the development of human civilization, Xi noted. He added that China is willing to work with the international community to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, to replace estrangement with exchange, clashes with mutual learning, superiority with coexistence, and to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Mattarella said in his congratulatory letter that cultural cooperation is an important part of Italy-China friendship. Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy is holding an exhibition of ancient Roman civilization, and a series of Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism activities in China, which fully prove the depth of bilateral relations. At present, the international community is facing many challenges, and only unity and cooperation can lead to fair and lasting solutions, Mattarella said, believing that Italy and China will continue to deepen bilateral relations and jointly safeguard world peace and stability. Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday expressed solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people amid the grave economic crisis and hoped India will continue to assist its people and government. "The Indian National Congress has been following with concern the evolving political situation in Sri Lanka. The economic challenges, rising prices and shortage of food, fuel and essential commodities have caused enormous hardships and distress among the people there," Sonia Gandhi said in a statement. Sonia hoped that India will continue to assist the people and government of Sri Lanka as they deal with the difficulties of the current situation. "The Congress party expresses its solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of grave crisis and hopes they will be able to overcome it. We hope that India will continue to assist the people and government of Sri Lanka as they deal with the difficulties of the current situation," she said. She also urged the international community to extend all assistance and support to Sri Lanka. The Congress reaction came at a time when thousands of protesters stormed Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence in the capital of Colombo, forcing him to flee to an unknown location. Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa also agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, has announced that he will resign from his post to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens. The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks, there were reports 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 days. Police have used tear gas and water cannons at times in a disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development and severely undermining the country's ability to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) The tally of infected people increased to 1,542,879 after adding the new cases, Xinhua reported citing the data released by the ministry. One more death was registered in the country on Saturday which took the total COVID-19 death toll to 30,421, according to the ministry statistics. At present, the country reported a positivity rate of 2.73 per cent. Currently, there are 145 active cases that are in critical condition in the South Asian country, reported Xinhua. Amid fears of a new wave of coronavirus, experts advocated mask-wearing indoors in cities reporting cases that constitute over 5 per cent positivity, reported Geo News. They also stressed vigilant watch through good surveillance and testing, vaccination with emphasis on boosters and communication about rising risk, especially in urban settings. Pakistan is currently witnessing a new surge in COVID-19 cases and amid this, the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also tweaked its mask mandates where now the masks are mandatory again for domestic flights with immediate effect. According to a notification from CAA, all concerned quarters must ensure compliance with the new order. The notification added that the other Covid-19 guidelines on domestic air travel remained unchanged. While speaking with Dawn, University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Dr Javed Akram said the virus was behaving like a "roller coaster". "The country will face similar situations for a few years," Dr Akram said. Akram said that the restrictions must be put back in place to contain the virus. He added that these measures will also help to fight the ongoing energy crisis. He said that people should go for vaccination and those who were already immunized should get booster shots. (ANI) Ambassador of India to Comoros and Madagascar, Abhay Kumar, paid a visit to Comoros President Azali Assoumani at the Moheli Island on Friday. The meeting followed a discussion on the strengthening of India-Comoros bilateral ties during the past three years and they agreed to further strengthen the relationship between the two countries. Kumar attended the 47th Independence Day celebrations of Comoros on Wednesday in Moroni and he called on Minister of Energy Mr Ali Ibouroi and they reviewed the ongoing cooperation in the field of energy generation in Comoros. On Friday, Ambassador Kumar paid a visit to Mr Moctar Hamdani, Tourism and Handicrafts minister of Comoros, and Afretane Yssoufa, Road Transport minister of Comoros. The meeting followed a discussion on strengthening the bilateral ties in the sector of tourism and infrastructure development. Kumar discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sector of posts and telecommunications between the two countries on the same day in a meeting with Mr Kalmaldini Souef, Minister of Post and Telecommunications of Comoros. Ambassador Kumar also met Mr Daniel Ali Bandar, the Secretary-General of the Government of Comoros, on Saturday and they talked about the ways to advance India-Comoros bilateral ties. Comoros is a strategically located island in the Indian Ocean. India established diplomatic relations with Comoros in 1976 and the relations between India and Comoros have been cordial and friendly. India does not have a resident Mission in Moroni and Mission in Madagascar is concurrently accredited to Comoros. The bilateral relations between the two countries have gained fresh momentum after the successful visit of the Vice-President of India to Moroni from 10-12 October 2019 when six new MoUs for cooperation between the two countries were signed and announcements for grants and a Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 20 million was made by the Indian side. (ANI) China is apprehensive about making more investments in Afghanistan due to recent attacks on Chinese civilians in Pakistan and more resistance groups fighting the Taliban. William A, writing in Afghan Diaspora Network (ADN) said that lack of international recognition has added to Chinese reluctance to fund Afghanistan infrastructure projects. Last year, China made several efforts to persuade several countries to recognise the Taliban but in absence of recognition, China would prefer to maintain its distance from the Taliban. The fear of political uncertainty stems from whether the Taliban can hold on to power and gain international recognition as the lawful government of Afghanistan, say experts on Sino-Afghan affairs. China faces threats from the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, a group that seeks to liberate Xinjiang Province and the Uyghur people from Chinese government control and impose an Islamic ideology, said William. Foreign Minister Wang Yi had told the Taliban delegation in China last July to "draw the line" with terrorist organisations including the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, which he described as a "direct threat to China's national security and territorial integrity". Beijing has long accused ETIM of promoting Uygur separatism in Xinjiang. Wang had pressed the issue repeatedly in diplomatic meetings and dialogues with his Taliban counterpart. But repeated bombings in Afghanistan claimed by Islamic State Khorasan, an ISIS affiliate that is hostile towards the Afghan Taliban because of sectarian differences, have raised questions over whether the Taliban is capable of providing security. So, the conflict in Afghanistan and the activities of ETIM have discouraged Chinese firms from extending Belt and Road Initiative projects, such as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and the Five Nations Railway Corridor, to Afghanistan feel experts, said William. The withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban assuming power in Afghanistan led to new opportunities for regional powers and Afghanistan's neighbours to have more active security strategies in the region, reported ADN. China grabbed the opportunity and started engaging with the Taliban in August last year. But within a year, it realised the difficulties in engaging with the Taliban and its style of functioning. After keeping a close watch on the Taliban government for nearly a year, China realised the blunder it made. It also realised that the ambition to wield significant influence in Afghanistan and secure investments in that country would be a risky affair. Beijing has realised that Afghanistan would continue to remain a risky investment proposition, reported ADN. Meanwhile, China continues to maintain some investments in Afghanistan, but those projects have been plagued by problems and have mostly been on hold for years. The most notable of these was the Mes-e Aynak copper mine in Logar Province, a project that was plagued by violence and instability for years. While the Taliban have been keen to reengage this project, China understands that restarting this project will require security. However, the ability of the Taliban to provide this, given the growth of Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) and growing fissures within the Taliban movement, remains questionable. (ANI) In order to curb the spread of COVID-19, the United States delivered 33,600 doses of the Pfizer pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to Bhutan, in partnership with COVAX and the Bhutan Foundation, an official statement said on Sunday. In a statement, the US Embassy in India informed that the vaccine does were donated by the US government as part of President Biden's commitment to donate COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world. These safe and effective pediatric vaccine doses delivered today will protect the lives of children in Bhutan and help stop the spread of COVID-19, the statement added. "The United States is committed to a global COVID-19 response because it makes us all stronger and safer--Americans and Bhutanese alike," said USAID's Mission Director to India and Bhutan, Veena Reddy. "USAID is proud to work with the Royal Government of Bhutan and our partner, the Bhutan Foundation, to deliver the pediatric vaccine doses today and values our ongoing partnership to defeat and recover from COVID-19," she added. The recent announcement is an addition to the 595,940 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the US donated to Bhutan in the last year. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the US government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has partnered with Bhutan to build the nation's resilience, strengthen its healthcare capacity, train healthcare workers, and promote pandemic prevention, readiness, and response, the statement said. It has also supported microenterprises and entrepreneurs to overcome the economic impacts of the pandemic, it added. USAID's COVID-19-related risk communication messaging has reached approximately 90 per cent of Bhutan's population, contributing to Bhutan maintaining one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world. Last year, in July US gifted 5,00,000 doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Bhutan. In addition, the United States also donated essential health equipment to Bhutan, including 110 oxygen cylinders, more than 17,000 N95 masks, medical machinery and vehicles, and 15 state-of-the-art ventilators which are in use at hospitals throughout the country. The statement from the Embassy stated that the US has pledged to donate more than 1.1 billion vaccine doses to 115 countries and has already delivered over half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. "With its contribution of USD 4 billion US dollars, the United States is the largest bilateral donor to the global vaccine initiative, COVAX," it added. The US does not have diplomatic relations with Bhutan and there is no United States diplomatic presence there. Consular issues relating to Bhutan, including assistance to US citizens, are handled by the US Embassy in New Delhi. (ANI) Sri Lankan protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts. Despite President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe agreeing to resign, protesters continue to protest outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo as they don't trust him. The protesters held demonstrations and sloganeered against the economic crisis, outside the Presidential Secretariat, which was stormed by a sea of protestors on Saturday. Speaking to ANI, one of the protesters, named Akushla Fernando said that the President had announced his resignation but they all are still waiting for the official confirmation. "We will be here till 13th July as we don't trust President, he has already sold our country. We just entered the premises and showed that people have more power than politicians," she added. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to step down from his post on Wednesday. Rajapaksa has informed that he will resign from the Presidency on July 13, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced in a press conference this evening, according to Sri Lanka's news outlet Newswire. Meanwhile, another protester said that they will continue the protest till July 13, the time President resigns. "For 6 months a group of people will stay here while others will move back. We want justice, we are protesting for our rights," he added. One of the protesters also said that they don't have faith in the president. He further said that the president had informed them about his resignation but didn't give the confirmation in writing. "We will be here at the protest site at Galle's face for more than six months after the president's resignation..." protestors told ANI. Meanwhile, the President's house has become a new tourist spot in Colombo as enraged protestors after taking over the residence entirely are unwinding -- strolling through the balconies, relaxing in bedrooms, dining in the kitchen and taking a dip in the swimming pool. People inside the president's house can be seen taking selfies with expensive cars as the backdrop. Dramatic visuals from outside Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapakse's residence on Saturday showed a sea of demonstrators storming into the compound, tearing down security cordons placed by police, taking a dip in the swimming pool and romping through his kitchen and home. With the demand for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation, they stormed into the President's house, tore down security cordons placed by police, took a dip in the swimming pool and romped through his kitchen and home. Wickremesinghe, who was appointed as Prime Minister in May, announced that he will resign from his post in order to ensure the continuation of the government and the safety of all the citizens but still the protesters broke into Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire. (ANI) The second ship carrying 3,740 metric tonnes of gas will arrive in the island nation tomorrow evening, Daily Mirror reported citing the Presidential Secretariat. The statement added that the officers were instructed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to carry out the unloading and distribution of LP gas as soon as the ship arrives at Kerawalapitiya at 3 p.m. The third ship with 3,200 metric tonnes of gas will arrive in the island nation on Friday and a total of 33,000 metric tonnes of gas is ordered for this month, local media reported. Furthermore, the statement mentioned that Litro Gas company chairman Muditha Peiris had said that the distribution of the gas will be regular and systematic from Tuesday and the problem regarding domestic LP gas demand will be completely evaded by the end of this month. Notably, Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since independence in 1948, leading to an acute shortage of essential items like food, medicine, cooking gas, and fuel across the island nation. The economic crisis has particularly impacted food security, agriculture, livelihoods, and access to health services. Sri Lanka is one of the few nations named by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) which is expected to go without food due to the global food shortage expected this year. The development comes after protesters stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire on Saturday.Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. (ANI) Liu Jianchao, the head of the International Liaison Department of the Chinese Communist Party, arrived in Kathmandu for a four-day visit. Liu, leading an eight-member delegation, landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu this morning. Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed him. This is Liu's first visit to Nepal since he took over the office in the first week of June, Pardafas, a Nepalese news portal reported. During his four-day visit to Nepal, he is scheduled to hold discussions with leaders including President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Foreign Minister Dr Narayan Khadka, CPN (UML) Chairman KP Sharma Oli and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. Foreign Minister Liu will stay at Hotel Dwarika. This is the second high-level visit from neighbouring China since Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited Nepal last March, reported Pardafas. Before coming to Nepal, Liu Jianchao held a virtual meeting with the top leadership of the ruling Nepali Congress and the Maoist Centre and the main opposition party CPN-UML. According to the Kathmandu Post, this visit comes as the Himalayan nation is heading towards federal and provincial elections and the country's Election Commission has already proposed holding both the elections in a single phase on November 18. In the Nepali newspaper, the Chinese are still weighing the possibility of unity among the communist forces. "A possible agenda of the visit could be to encourage a pre-or post-poll alliance between like-minded lefties forces or only between the UML and the Maoist Centre," a UML leader who has interacted frequently with Chinese leaders told the Kathmandu Post. The visit also follows the Nepal Parliament's ratification of the United States' Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact despite China's strong reservations. More recently, another US State Partnership Program (SPP) in the field of security and military caused a flurry of debates in the country. China expressed grave concerns over whether Nepal would be a US ally in defence cooperation. The Chinese government even commended the decision after the Nepal government decided not to be a part of the SPP. The report further states that the Chinese Communist Party is also keen to expand ties with the Nepali Congress. Besides building party-to-party ties between the CPC and Nepal's political parties, and expediting the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, the delegation will also look to promote Chinese interests in Nepal. (ANI) "In his letter, The Hon'ble Prime Minister of India conveyed that through the holy festival of Ed AI Adha, two hundred million Indians of the Islamic faith celebrate the universal message of love, piety, sacrifice and forgiveness," read the statement released by the Indian Embassy in Indonesia. "The Hon'ble Prime Minister also conveyed that he is looking forward to visit the beautiful country Indonesia later this year for the G20 Summit," it added. PM Modi also prayed for peace, harmony and fraternity among all people in the service of the greater good of humanity. Earlier in July, the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting was organised by Indonesia where countries like Russia, the United States, China, Netherlands, France and many more countries participated. Notably, India will assume the presidency of the G20 in December 2022 from Indonesia. A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was established in May 2018 during PM Modi's visit to Indonesia. President Widodo was among one of the Chief Guests invited for India's Republic Day celebrations in Delhi in 2018. Both leaders last met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit this year. Indonesia is the second-largest trading partner of India in the ASEAN region. The Bilateral trade of over USD 26 billion between 2020 to 2021. India and Indonesia also share cultural civilizational linkages. The 9th century Borobudur Buddhist temple and Prambanan Shiva temple are examples of shared cultural heritage. Ramayana and Mahabharata are key inspirations for Indonesian folk art. Around 8,500 Indians in Indonesia engaged in qualified professions like Chartered Accountants, Software Professionals, Teachers, and Engineers. (ANI) Thousands of devotees and Tibetan monks held prayers at the Tsuglagkhang monastery in Dharamshala on Sunday for the longevity of spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Tibetans across the world on July 6 celebrated the 87th birthday of the 14th Dalai Lama. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of the Tibetan government-in-exile organized the Dalai Lama's 87th birthday in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh. Hundreds of Tibetans including monks, nuns, school students, and foreigner supporters gather at the main Buddhist temple, Tsuglagkhang. The 14th Dalai Lama, Born on July 6, 1935, in Amdo Taktser to a farming family, Dalai Lama was at first named Lhamo Dhondup. Despite being revered by people across the globe has always referred to himself as a simple Buddhist monk. Simply at the age of 2, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso. His life as the spiritual leader of Tibet started in that period. The Dalai Lama, throughout his life in exile, has achieved prominence among the world's political, religious, and social leaders as a universal icon of peace, harmony and non-violence. Moreover, he has been successful in exposing the true nature of the anti-democratic, anti-religious, and anti-humanistic attitude of China and the untold sufferings of the Tibetans under the Chinese administration. China has always interfered in the matters of Tibet and has tried to prevent the people from exercising their spiritual practices. It continues to sinicize Buddhism, recently by imposing a ban on sharing religious content on social media. The Dalai Lama has won widespread international support for the Tibetan independence movement. He has been fighting with non-violence for the last many decades and has been convincing the international community on the right to their homeland, and culture, the restoration of the thousands of Buddhist monasteries that were destroyed by China, and the freedom of hundreds of Tibetans captured by Beijing. (ANI) Taliban's supreme leader Hebatullah Akhundzada has vowed to enforce the Islamic law across Afghanistan. In audio recorded from Eid prayers in Eid-Gaah Mosque in Kandahar, Akhundzada reiterated that the laws which were not based on Sharia in the previous government will be demolished, reported Tolo News. "I have asked the procedures and policies of all ministries made during the governments of Ashraf Ghani and Karzai or during the past 20-years, now put under the supervision of the clerics, if there was anything against Sharia or the interests of the people, it will be removed and we will bring a pure Islamic system," he said. This comes after the Taliban's Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund called on Afghans living abroad to renounce their opposition to the current Afghan government and take advantage of the general amnesty announced by the Islamic Emirate, reported Tolo News. "What do you want, a commission has been facilitated for you. Why you want to sever this world ...? What do you want?" he said. However, the analysts said that the Taliban has not been able to stick to its rhetoric. "The international community is not against the Islamic government on condition that it will be an Islamic government and bring a legislative government. So far, it has only been words. The Taliban couldn't make a proper mechanism, or a national mechanism, or a government confirmed by the people or a government of people," said Javid Sandel, a political analyst. Earlier, Akhundzada warned foreigners to stop meddling in Afghanistan's affairs and politics. At an event in Kabul, the reclusive leader told the conference that Afghanistan "cannot develop without being independent," CNN reported citing local media. "Thank God, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us their orders, it is our system, and we have our own decisions," Akhundzada added. In the speech, Akhundzada praised the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan last August, almost two decades after they were driven from Kabul by US troops, saying: "The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a source of pride for Afghans but also for Muslims all over the world." Akhundzada made the comments in an audio recording during a three-day religious gathering of 3,000 attendees -- all of whom were male, CNN said, quoting local media reports. The statements delivered by Akhundzada contradict the ones made by other members of the Taliban's leadership in recent months who have expressed an openness to a more inclusive government in order to gain international support. The three-day gathering that opened on Thursday and concluded on Saturday was the first nationwide gathering of Islamic clerics in the country, eleven months after the re-establishment of the Taliban in Afghanistan. The civil societies have strongly condemned the Jirga's decision to debar women and have called the gathering illegitimate in absence of women. (ANI) For an aggressive Beijing planning to integrate Taiwan with the Chinese mainland by force, Moscow's experience with the invasion of Ukraine has come as a warning shot. The cost of a Chinese misadventure in Taiwan may be prohibitive for Beijing, said Valerio Fabbri, writing in Geopolitica.info. The sanctions imposed by the US and the European Union on Russia for the misadventure in Ukraine are a message that world opinion is ready to galvanize in isolating China should it try to overrun the island of Taiwan. The stalled Russian offensive reveals to China that the cost of attempting an invasion of Taiwan is likely to be prohibitively high, even without a direct military conflict with the United States. US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have repeatedly said that China is now the main threat to peaceful world order. Unlike in the case of Ukraine, the Taiwan Relations Act of the United States mandates that "in any effort to determine the future of Taiwan by other than peaceful means, including by boycotts of embargoes, force or any other coercion that would jeopardize the security, or social and economic system of the people of Taiwan, the United States shall provide Taiwan with arms of a defensive character." Moreover, the US has encouraged Taiwan to acquire more mobile weapons for its military that would better enable it to carry out asymmetric warfare, should Beijing launch an all-out assault on Taiwan, said Fabbri. Besides, while Russian troops only had to cross a land border to enter Ukraine, China would have to launch a full-scale amphibious invasion of the island of Taiwan, a much more difficult operation. Above all, the swipe and speed of the financial and economic sanctions against Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine are likely to unnerve leaders in China, reported Geopolitica.info. The cost of attempting to invade Taiwan could be intolerably high, even without a direct military confrontation with the United States. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already made it clear that the Joe Biden administration is aiming to lead the international bloc opposed to the Russian invasion of Ukraine into a broader coalition to counter a "more serious, long-term threat to global order from China." This would mean not only economic sanctions against Beijing but also helping Taipei with arms and ammunition. Besides the USA, most of the European countries, Australia, Canada, Japan and South Korea are helping Ukraine with liberal military assistance. China is more integrated into the world economy and the international community than Russia; Beijing has reasons to be warier of international sanctions than Moscow. It will be difficult for China to insulate its economy from external influences. The disruptions in the Chinese economy caused by COVID - 19, the looming real estate crisis, marked by the rise in debt levels of real estate developers and the slump in the real estate market, and an aging population will stand in the way of China sustaining its economic growth on the strength of buoyant domestic demand, said Fabbri. Also, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on June 11 reaffirmed America's support for Taiwan. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, the premier defense summit in Asia, he said Chinese military activity around the self-governing island of Taiwan threatened to change the status quo, noting the steady increase in provocative and destabilizing military activities near Taiwan, including the almost daily military flights near the island. "Our policy hasn't changed," he warned. "Washington allows informal relations and defense ties with Taipei. We remain focused on maintaining peace, stability and the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. But the PRC's moves threaten to undermine security, stability and prosperity in the Indo - Pacific." (ANI) China has stepped up its incursions activities into Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by sending its combat planes to the region. According to Taiwan's defense ministry, the People's Liberation Army conducted 555 sorties in the first six months of the year, of which 398 involved combat aircraft, compared with 187 in the same period last year. Defense analysts say the mainland's forces are developing their ability to control the skies over a longer range as part of preparations for a possible conflict. China sent 29 warplanes into Taiwan's ADIZ in late June this year, according to media reports, marking the third-largest fly-by in the country this year. The warplanes including 17 fighter jets, six bombers and other supporting aircraft, entered the island's air defense identification zone, The Star newspaper reported citing the island's defense ministry. While the fly-bys were generally seen as one of Beijing's tactics to intimidate the island, the increased use of combat planes was worth noting, observers said. But in recent months, the PLA had stepped up training exercises with its combat aircraft in the airspace near Taiwan and further south to the Bashi Channel, an important gateway to the western Pacific, Wang said. Beijing has been sending patrols into Taiwan's ADIZ on almost a daily basis since late 2020 to ramp up pressure on the island. China had breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone in January also when 35 of its military aircraft, including J-16s and one H-6 bomber joined four other support planes entered its ADIZ. At the end of May, 22 fighter jets joined eight other support planes in breaching Taiwan's ADIZ area. The issue of Taiwan has been at the forefront of US-China relations in recent months. Tensions between Washington, which is committed to supporting the island's self-defense, and Beijing over Taiwan were in the open earlier this month when their respective defense chiefs met at the Shangri-La Dialogue defense conference in Singapore. Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since the defeated Nationalists retreated to the island at the end of the Chinese civil war more than 70 years ago. But China's ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views the self-ruled island as part of its territory -- despite having never controlled it. Beijing has not ruled out military force to take Taiwan and has kept the pressure on the democratic island over the past few years with frequent warplane flights into the island's ADIZ. An ADIZ is unilaterally imposed and distinct from sovereign airspace, which is defined under international law as extending 12 nautical miles from a territory's shoreline. (ANI) The United States on Sunday extended its support to Sri Lanka amid the ongoing political crisis in the country and urged cooperation from all the political parties to resolve the debt crisis in the country. US Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie Chung said that the United States stands with Sri Lanka while it takes a responsible and sustainable step toward resolving the debt crisis and creating a more equitable future for all. "This is a fragile and substantial moment in Sri Lanka's history, and we urge restraint and respect from all directions to allow the Sri Lankan parliament to approach this juncture with a commitment to the betterment of the nation-not any one political party," Chung said in an official statement. "The United States is closely following the ongoing political developments here in Sri Lanka, where thousands of people of all backgrounds have taken to the streets to demand accountability, transparency, and a better future for all Sri Lankans," she added. She called on all parties to cooperate to achieve a peaceful, democratic transition of power and said that the United States and other international communities are in support of Sri Lanka to overcome the ongoing crisis. "We call on all parties to cooperate to achieve a peaceful, democratic transition of power, and urge any new, constitutionally-selected government to work quickly to identify and implement solutions that will achieve long-term economic stability and address the Sri Lankan people's discontent over the worsening economic conditions, including power, food, and fuel shortages," she said. "The United States, together with many other members of the international community, stands by to support as Sri Lanka takes responsible, sustainable steps toward resolving the debt crisis and creating a more equitable future for all," the statement further said. The US Embassy also condemned the violence against the peaceful protesters and journalists and called for a full investigation and prosecution of anyone involved in violent incidents or destruction of property related to the protests. The United States' statement comes amid the worsened political situation in the country. Both President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe announced to step down from their posts on Saturday. Despite President and PM agreeing to resign from their posts, protesters continue to protest outside the premises of the Sri Lankan Presidential Secretariat in Colombo as they don't trust him. They have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts. Notably, Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress. Some 6.26 million Sri Lankans, or three in 10 households, are unsure of where their next meal is coming from, according to the latest food insecurity assessment from the World Food Programme (WFP). (ANI) At least 14 people were killed and nine others injured in a shooting at a bar in the South African township of Soweto on Sunday, local authorities said. According to CNN, Gauteng Police said in a statement that the incident took place after midnight when a group of armed men with rifles and millimetre pistols entered the bar in the Nomzamo informal settlement near Johannesburg and started shooting randomly at the patrons. Police said that around 23 people were shot in the incident out of which 12 died on the spot, while 11 suffered injuries. They were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment where two other people succumbed to their injuries. Citing a South African news channel ENCA, CNN reported that Gauteng Police Commissioner Elias Mawela said, "It's a bad scene. When you see the bodies [that] are piled up, you can see that every one of those people was struggling to get out of the tavern." Mawela told that the police are yet to find out the reason behind the shooting. They have opened investigations into 14 cases of murder and nine cases of attempted murder. "I have no doubt that with the cooperation of the community here, we will be able to crack this case," Mawela added. The police called on witnesses to come forward, saying the suspects were still on the run, CNN reported. In another incident at a bar in Sweetwaters in Pietermaritzburg, four other people were killed on Saturday evening, police said. The twin shooting comes as the country still mourns the deaths of 22 young people who were found dead at an East London nightclub in South Africa. As per the local media reports, there were speculations that the patrons were either exposed to some form of poison or an incident resulted in a large number being injured and killed in a stampede. The investigation into the case is underway. (ANI) The device blasted Saturday night at 11 p.m local time while children were returning home after a celebration at Natigou, 20 km northeast of Dapaong, the regional capital of Togo's northernmost Savanes region. "The ambulance came early this morning to carry seven corpses and two injured", the relative of a victim was quoted by local radio, Radio Motaog as saying. No official release has been made available about the attack, it reported. (ANI/Xinhua) Visiting Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Liu Jianchao paid a courtesy call on Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur and Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Sunday after landing in the capital city Kathmandu. Jianchao met the PM at his official residence Baluwatar and later visited FM Khadka's office to meet him. "H.E. Mr Liu Jianchao paid a courtesy call on the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr Sher Bahadur Deuba today. Matters of mutual interest between Nepal and China were discussed during the call on," a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nepal stated. During the meeting, the Chinese side pressed Nepal on the ongoing anti-China protests and raised the issue of not letting Nepali land be used against China, a source close to the Prime Minister informed ANI. In a separate tweet, the Ministry stated, "Hon FM Dr Narayan Khadka had a cordial meeting with HE Mr Liu Jianchao, Minister of IDCPC of the PRC today. The two Ministers discussed on various matters of Nepal-China relations and exchanged views on further strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation." Foreign Minister Khadka is also hosting a dinner in honour of CPP leader Jianchao at Hotel Marriott. The CCP leader's visit after assuming the responsibility of the CCP department and holding talks with top political leadership here shows China has been prioritizing Nepal. Jianchao has begun his foreign tour from Nepal after assuming the leadership of CCP's international liaison wing earlier in June. Before arriving here, he had held virtual dialogues with CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli, Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' and Foreign Minister Khadka. Liu Jianchao, leading an eight-member delegation, landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu this morning for his four-day visit. This is Liu's first visit to Nepal since he took over the office in the first week of June, Pardafas, a Nepalese news portal reported. The CCP Foreign Department Chief is staying at Hotel Dwarika. This is another high-level visit from neighbouring country China after the visit of the Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in March. Jiancho- Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China's visit to Nepal comes ahead of the general elections which are expected by November this year. The visit also follows the Nepal Parliament's ratification of the United States' Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact despite China's strong reservations. More recently, another US State Partnership Program (SPP) in the field of security and military caused a flurry of debates in the country. China expressed grave concerns over whether Nepal would be a US ally in defence cooperation. The Chinese government even commended the decision after the Nepal government decided not to be a part of the SPP. The report further states that the Chinese Communist Party is also keen to expand ties with the Nepali Congress. Besides building party-to-party ties between the CPC and Nepal's political parties, and expediting the China-led Belt and Road Initiative, the delegation will also look to promote Chinese interests in Nepal. (ANI) According to Sri Lanka's newspaper, News Wire, the recovered money was handed over to the police. A video was being shared on social media showing the protesters counting the currency notes that were unearthed. Earlier on Saturday, Sri Lankan commoners stormed into President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official home and later broke into Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence and set it on fire. Both President Rajapaksa and PM Wickremesinghe have announced to step down from their posts amid the ongoing protests. However, the protesters who have occupied the residences of the President and Prime Minister have cleared that they will continue to occupy their houses until they resign from their posts. Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress. The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty - some for the first time - adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic. (ANI) Cape Town [South Africa], July 10 (ANI/Xinhua): The death toll of a random shooting that happened early Sunday at a tavern in Johannesburg's Soweto township has risen to 15 after one more person succumbed to injury, an official said on Sunday. It is alleged that gunmen got off a minibus taxi, entered the tavern, and then shot at people inside, Faith Mazibuko, head of the Provincial Department of Community Safety, told reporters outside the tavern, or pub. "Currently, it is confirmed that 15 people have passed on," she said. A group of men armed with rifles and 9mm pistols entered the tavern at around 12:30 am local time (2230 GMT Saturday), and started shooting randomly at customers who were sitting inside, killing 12 people on the scene and injuring 11 others, the police said earlier in a statement. The victims are estimated to be 19 to 35 years of age and the police are still investigating the incident. The tavern is legal and the incident happened during its operating hours. In a live interview with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Mazibuko said that authorities "don't know if they (assailants) are trying to provoke the situation or what is happening." They were "unprovoked" as they came into the tavern, and didn't take any money or anything else, she said. It was not the first shooting of this kind in Soweto, as a similar incident happened in 2019, Police Commissioner of Gauteng Elias Mawela told local television eNCA. The highly urbanized Gauteng province is where Johannesburg, South Africa's largest city is located. Gauteng faces such issues where assailants roaming around the street target people randomly. On Saturday, a shooting incident in the province also killed three people and injured one, he said. (ANI/Xinhua) They said that some people threw the trash of the animals sacrificed in the feast in social areas instead of in the trash bins, reported Tolo News. This comes after the Kabul municipality has provided specific areas for the feast sacrifice for Eid-al-Adha. "The people are responsible for this. Instead of throwing it in trash cans, they throw it on the side of the street," said Meer Alam, a resident of Kabul. "This trash is harmful," said Mahmood, a resident of Kabul. Meanwhile, the Kabul municipality urged the residents to keep their environment clean, reported Tolo News. "There are more 10 to 15 big trash cans, and they are being drained every 12 hours. The workers of Kabul municipality are in the area, and they are working day and night," said Niamatullah Barakzai, an official of the Kabul municipality. Meanwhile, health officials said that the increase of trash in social areas in hot weather causes severe health issues. "Unfortunately, as part of the feast sacrifice, throwing out the remains of animals harms the environment, it causes pneumonia and skin diseases," said Ahmad Shikib Zaheer, a doctor. (ANI) Hong Kong: Health chief views SZ port testing Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today visited the Shenzhen Bay Control Point to inspect the workflow for special nucleic acid tests for outbound travellers. With the quotas for Shenzhens quarantine hotels increased to 2,000 per day and additional compassionate quotas, the number of travellers to Shenzhen through the control point has been on the rise. Prof Lo said: The outbound passenger flow during morning peak hours today was relatively large, leading to rather long waiting time for outbound travellers to undergo the special nucleic acid test prior to departure at Shenzhen Bay Control Point. I am sorry for the bottleneck situation at the Hong Kong control point and the inconvenience encountered by outbound travellers following the quota increase of Shenzhens quarantine hotels. I have already asked the testing operator to continue to strengthen capacity in conducting rapid nucleic acid tests, so as to avoid prolonged waiting arising from the clustering of travellers. He also thanked the Peoples Government of Guangdong Province and the Shenzhen Municipality, in particular officials from the Shenzhen Municipality Emergency Management Bureau, for their care for Hong Kong citizens and prompt action to increase the city's quarantine hotel quotas as well as local colleagues from the Department of Health, the Customs & Excise Department and the Immigration Department for the facilitation offered within a short timeframe to cope with the growing passenger flow. Liaison with Mainland authorities will continue, Prof Lo added. We shall respond to the needs of citizens as far as possible and expedite the realisation of cross-boundary travel between Shenzhen and Hong Kong while fighting and containing the COVID-19 epidemic, with a view to earnestly addressing peoples concerns and difficulties in daily life as instructed by President Xi Jinping. This story has been published on: 2022-07-10. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Prashant Kumar Sona, Second Secretary, Embassy of India on Sunday inaugurated a school building and hostel for Shree Ghanteshwar Secondary School for Doti district in Nepal under the grant assistance from the Government of India. The project was undertaken at the cost of NRs 9.69 million under the India-Nepal Development Cooperation in Education Sector as a Community Development Project, according to the statement released by the Embassy. This is one of the 75 projects being inaugurated this year in Nepal as part of "India@75 Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" which celebrates 75 years of India's independence. Shree Ghanteshwar Secondary School is established in Jorayal Rural Municipality-4, Kundikot, Doti District with over 650 students. The new infrastructure created for this school will provide a conducive learning environment. Since 2003, India has taken up over 527 High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDPs) in Nepal and has completed 470 projects in the areas of health, education, drinking water, connectivity, sanitation and creation of other public utilities across all 7 provinces of Nepal at the grassroots level. Out of this, 34 HICDPs are in Sudurpashchim Province, including 3 projects in Doti District, an official statement by the Embassy of India in Kathmandu said. India and Nepal enjoy a multi-faceted and multi-sectoral development partnership that is reflective of the closeness of the ties between both countries. The implementation of these projects reflects the continued commitment of the Government of India to complementing the efforts of the Government of Nepal to create infrastructure in priority sectors including Education. Earlier, in the last week, Karun Bansal, First Secretary, Embassy of India, inaugurated three school buildings, including Shree Secondary School, Buddhabhumi Municipality in Kapilvastu District, and two other buildings of Shivbhari Secondary School and Shree Janaki Higher Secondary School, Maharajgunj Municipality-9 in Kapilvastu District, Nepal under the Government of India grant assistance. The buildings were constructed at the cost of NRs.34.00 million, and NRs.59.20 million respectively under India-Nepal Development Programme in Education Sector as a Community Development Project, according to the statement released by the Indian embassy. (ANI) Flight delays and cancellations continue to disrupt passengers' travel plans. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images An American Airlines customer said passengers had to leave after the pilots said they had timed out. Sheila Gray said her flight from Charlotte to Boston had already been delayed by five hours. She said the airline did not offer any form of compensation. An American Airlines passenger said she had to get off the plane she had just boarded after a five-hour delay because the pilots had run out of flying time. Sheila Gray had arrived at Charlotte on Saturday after returning from Rome and was trying to get home to Boston. She told Insider: "All I wanted was to get home to my bed. I had been up for 24 hours at this point and the deplaning was just the straw that broke the camel's back." During the layover at Charlotte, her flight was delayed numerous times because "the plane was in a hanger being repaired," the gate agent told her. Video: Marriott exec on how travel mindset has changed since pandemic Once the plane was ready, just 20 minutes after boarding the pilot asked all passengers to leave the aircraft because "the crew has timed out and couldn't fly. We all deplaned and started scrambling to see if we could find other flights." Gray added: "People were angry and yelling at the gate agents. One irate gentleman in the gate area was later escorted off the plane after we reboarded. I did not hear him causing a commotion on the plane but had seen him after we were taken off the plane." Replacement pilots were found and the original cabin were also able to fly, it transpired. Gray shared text messages from the airline showing the numerous times her flight was rescheduled. She stressed that "the gate agents and flight attendants were wonderful," but everyone was angry at the pilot "because surely he knew he was about to time out before we boarded he continued to let us board anyway." Gray, her husband, and two daughters often fly with American but this was not their first bad experience. Last month the family missed a connecting flight from Philadelphia to Boston when their flight from Paris was delayed. Story continues Summer chaos continues to affect many passengers' travel plans. Thousands of flights have been canceled and airlines struggle to cope with demand, with luggage piling up in some terminals. American Airlines did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider The Associated Press ran a fact check of a screenshot of a tweet circulating online that was purportedly written by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about Hillary Clinton, determining that the tweet was fake. A screenshot shared online showed a tweet apparently posted by an account with the Twitter handle @ShinzoAbe that included a Google translation in English reading, I have information that will lead to the arrest of Hillary Clinton. It was purportedly written before Abes death, on July 7 at 1:09 p.m. The screenshot also shows a Twitter verified blue checkmark next to the users name. The AP determined the screenshot and its tweet were fake for several reasons. The Japanese text included in the screenshot of the tweet does not actually reference Clinton, Abes real Twitter account uses a different photo and account handle and the tweet is actually referencing a meme, the outlet reported. The AP also noted that the typeface used in part of the screenshot of the tweet was different from that used on the social media platform, behind some of the words there is a little discoloration, there appears to be some stretching and pixelation of the Japanese characters and the screenshot is blurry. Reuters also ran a fact check of the screenshot of the tweet and determined that the tweet did not actually come from the former Japanese prime minister. The longtime Japanese leader was giving a campaign speech on Friday when he was killed by a gunman. A suspect was soon detained by police. President Biden in a statement said he was stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened and called the attack a tragedy. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Lucila Sigal BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - Argentine President Alberto Fernandez called for unity on Saturday as protesters marched in the capital to the gates of the presidential palace, lambasting his government over soaring inflation and a crushing national debt. The center-left president is facing a rising challenge from a militant left-wing of the ruling coalition that wants more state spending to ease high poverty levels and inflation. Two key moderate allies have left his Cabinet in the last month. The South American country, a major producer of soy and corn, is grappling with inflation running at over 60%, huge pressure on the peso currency and spiking gas import costs that are draining already weak foreign currency reserves. In a speech to mark the anniversary of Argentina's declaration of independence, Fernandez called for "unity" and asked different factions to work towards it. "History teaches us that it's a value we must preserve in the toughest moments," he said, adding the country needed economic responsibility with low foreign currency reserves and soaring global inflation "seriously damaging" the local economy. "We must walk the path towards fiscal balance and stabilize the currency." Argentina, which has cycled through economic crises for decades, struck a $44 billion debt deal with the International Monetary Fund earlier this year to replace a failed 2018 program. Many blame the IMF for tighter economic policies. In the streets of Buenos Aires thousands of protesters marched on Saturday afternoon with banners saying "breakaway from the IMF" and "Out, Fund, out". Marchers criticized the government and called for debt payments not to be made. Parts of the government, including powerful Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, have called for more spending to alleviate the impact of COVID-19 and of the war in Ukraine, which have lit protests in countries globally such as Sri Lanka. Story continues "There is a monumental crisis within our country," said Juan Carlos Giordano, a socialist lawmaker who joined the march. "Argentina is a capitalist semi-colony in the chains of the IMF. Today we are here to say we need a second independence. Argentina must break its ties with the IMF which is the Spanish Empire of the 21st century." Fernandez's government was thrown into turmoil a week ago with the abrupt resignation of moderate Economy Minister Martin Guzman, a close ally to the president who had spearheaded talks with the IMF. He was replaced by economist Silvina Batakis. Batakis, seen as closer to the left-wing of the ruling coalition than Guzman, spoke with the IMF on Friday and has pledged economic stability despite concerns over a populist policy shift that have dragged down bonds and rattled the peso. "The resignation of the economy minister showed there is an economic and financial collapse that is affecting the lives of workers, of the whole the population," said Workers' Party member Marcelo Ramal. "We must consider that this year we'll have around 80%-90% inflation with wages that aren't rising as fast." (Reporting by Lucila Sigal; Additional reporting by Claudia Martini, Horacio Soria and Miguel Lo Bianco; Writing by Adam Jourdan; Editing by Sandra Maler) Stephen Bannon is willing to testify publicly before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, his lawyer told the panel in a letter Saturday, in a stark change of course after former President Trump said he would waive executive privilege. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), a member of the House panel, said on CNNs State of the Union on Sunday that Bannons attorney had sent a letter to the committee indicating his willingness to testify. Multiple outlets published the letter later on Sunday morning. President Trump has decided that it would be in the best interests of the American people to waive executive privilege for Stephen K. Bannon, to allow Mr. Bannon to comply with the subpoena issued by your Committee, Bannons attorney Robert Costello wrote in the letter. Mr. Bannon is willing to, and indeed prefers, to testify at your public hearing, he wrote. Bannon is set to go on trial later this month for defying a subpoena from the House panel. The Justice Department indicted Bannon in November after the full House voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. Costellos letter contained an attachment signed by Trump, which the former president also posted on his Truth Social platform, stating he would waive executive privilege if Bannon reached an agreement on the time and place for his testimony. When you first received the subpoena to testify and provide documents, I invoked executive privilege, Trump wrote. However, I watched how unfairly you and others have been treated, having to spend vast amounts of money on legal fees, and all of the trauma you must be going through for the love of your Country, and out of respect for the Office of the President. Multiple members of the panel have signaled a desire to hear testimony under oath from anyone with information relevant to the committees investigation. Lofgren on Sunday told CNN it was likely Bannon would testify. The Hill has reached out to the Jan. 6 committee, Bannons attorney and Trumps team for comment. In the attached letter signed by Trump, the former president railed against the House committees work, labeling the investigation a partisan kangaroo court and calling the panels members thugs and hacks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jul. 9A Berlin man has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Holly Banks and Keith LaBelle in Gorham in late April. Banks, 28, and LaBelle, 42, were found shot to death at Banks' home on Main Street in Gorham on April 27. Massachusetts State Police arrested Craig Keville, 33, formerly of Berlin, in Arlington, Mass., on Friday, after a warrant for his arrest was issued Thursday. A spokesman for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said that Keville knew Banks, but did now know LaBelle. He did not elaborate on the relationships between Banks and LaBelle or Keville. Keville is being held in Massachusetts, according to a news release from the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office. Keville's court date in New Hampshire will be determined after he is extradited from Massachusetts. By Nandita Bose WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Saturday defended his decision to travel to Saudi Arabia saying human rights would be on his agenda as he gave a preview of a trip on which he aims to reset ties with the crown prince, who he previously denounced as a pariah. Biden will hold bilateral talks with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and his leadership team, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on his visit to the Middle East next week. https://reut.rs/3PiLiB4 The Crown Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader, was believed to be behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist and political opponent Jamal Khashoggi, according to the U.S. intelligence community. In a commentary published in the Washington Post late on Saturday, Biden said his aim was to reorient and not rupture relations with a country that has been a U.S. strategic partner for 80 years. "I know that there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia. My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad," Biden wrote. Biden needs oil-rich Saudi Arabia's help at a time of high gasoline prices and as he encourages efforts to end the war in Yemen after the Saudis recently extended a ceasefire there. The United States also wants to curb Iran's influence in the Middle East and China's global sway. Biden argued that Saudi Arabia had recently helped to restore unity among the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, had fully supported the truce in Yemen and was working to stabilize oil markets with other OPEC producers. Biden said he will be the first president to fly from Israel to Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, next week, which he said would be a small symbol of "budding relations and steps toward normalization" between Israel and the Arab world. "I will be the first president to visit the Middle East since 9/11 without U.S. troops engaged in a combat mission there. It's my aim to keep it that way." Biden said. The president will first stop in Israel on his July 13-16 trip. (Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington; Editing by Robert Birsel) WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Biden, preparing for a trip to Saudi Arabia amid criticism of its poor human rights record, defended his decision in a newspaper opinion piece, insisting that he had long supported reforms and sought to reorient but not rupture relations with a longstanding strategic partner. In the article posted online Saturday night by The Washington Post, Biden pointed to developments in the Middle East that he contended had made the region more stable and secure than when the Trump administration ended, among them intense diplomacy as well as military action against state-sponsored attacks. But his framing of the Saudi relationship in particular appeared defensive, especially with some in the U.S. demanding that he not lend legitimacy to the government with a visit. Biden linked U.S. strength and security to countering Russian aggression and competition from China, then argued that engaging directly with countries like Saudi Arabia could help promote those efforts. The president said he aimed to strengthen a U.S.-Saudi partnership going forward thats based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values. I know that there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia, Biden wrote. My views on human rights are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip, just as they will be in Israel and the West Bank. It was notable that Biden's op-ed appeared in the Sunday opinion section of the Post, whose writer Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in 2018. On that issue, Biden contended he had responded with sanctions against the Saudi forces involved in the killing and issued scores of visa bans for anyone found harassing dissidents abroad. The president also noted that he released a U.S. intelligence report that asserted Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved of the operation that led to Khashoggis murder. Biden is expected to meet with the crown prince during his trip. Dancers whirled, jumped, kicked and stomped as hundreds gathered Saturday afternoon in Springfield to enjoy the performance and eat traditional Ukrainian food while celebrating the country and its culture. The dancers were happy to be back for Ukrainian Day at the Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, said Kalyna Piasta, one of the teachers during an intensive, two-week dance workshop that resulted in two performances on Saturday. "This is a blessing for us and this year more than ever important for us to be together celebrating this culture," Piasta said. "Given the state of Ukraine, its a very tough time for the country and culture but were really glad were able to celebrate." Father Richard Janowicz, the church's pastor, said he understands it can be difficult to continue supporting Ukraine and people are easily distracted, but the community needs to stand fast, keep the country and its people in their thoughts and prayers and continue to help as they're able. Youngsters with the The Veselka Ukrainian Dancers lineup to take the stage during a performance for Ukrainian Day held in Springfield Saturday. Though the Russian invasionhangs over Ukraine and a wider community, Saturday was a day of celebration, Janowicz and others stressed. "Its nice to be able to celebrate Ukrainian culture and people even though its during a time of war," Janowicz said. Piasta, whose great-grandparents immigrated to Canada from Ukraine and whose father started the dance workshop around 30 years ago, said it's important to stay positive and hopeful. Ukrainians are resilient, she said, and days of celebration like Ukrainian Day are "the kind of resiliency we need to exercise." The workshop has been flourishing, Piasta said, and Veselka is the largest Ukrainian dance group on the West Coast. Eighty-one students ranging from ages five to 25 danced in two performances Saturday, she said. A handful of Claudia May's 10 children danced on Saturday. All of them have danced on Ukrainian Day at some point, starting with her eldest daughters after the family joined the parish in 2006. Story continues Hannah Nameniuk, left, and Emmerine Helbling, right, help Richelle Ruhl, center, with her costume backstage during the Veselka (Rainbow in Ukrainian) performance in Springfield. Ukrainian Day is a "wonderful way to support Ukraine," May said, and everyone was "so happy to see each other again" after the pandemic meant canceling the celebration two years in a row "We're just so thankful and so glad to be able to have this event for the community," she said. May, along with other parishioners, helped prepare fresh food for the event. She also made pysanky Ukrainian Eastereggs that take hours to decorate using a method known as "batik" to sell. Many vendors planned to donate any profits from sales to Ukrainian relief efforts, Piasta said. There also were donation jars available for people to give money to help with relief efforts as the church continues raising money to support Ukrainian refugees. Read more:Community sending medical supplies, donations to support Ukrainian refugees Earlier this year, the church raised around $40,000 within a month to support Ukrainian refugees after the Russian invasion. As of Saturday, that figure was up to $110,000, Janowicz said. Contact city government watchdog Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1. This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: 'A blessing' to gather and celebrate Ukrainian culture STORY: Speaking at a news conference in Bangkok during a tour of Asia, Blinken also called on members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to hold Myanmar's government accountable to a "five-point consensus" peace agreement. ASEAN's nine members and Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in April last year signed an agreement that included immediate cessation of violence and dialogue among all parties. But Blinken said the U.S. continued to see repression and violence perpetrated against the Burmese people and "virtually the entire opposition in jail or in exile". BANGKOK Secretary of State Antony Blinken will pay a brief condolence visit to Japan next week following the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the State Department said Sunday. Blinken will travel to Tokyo on Monday to pay his respects to the former leader and meet with senior Japanese officials before returning to Washington from an Asian tour that he is now wrapping up. Secretary Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo and to meet with senior Japanese officials, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. The U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger. Blinken is in Thailand on a pre-scheduled visit and had been in Indonesia on Friday attending a Group of 20 nations' foreign ministers meeting in Bali when Abe was shot and killed. He will be the most senior U.S. official to visit Japan in the aftermath of Abes death. On Saturday in Bali, Blinken said Abe's killing was a tragedy for the world and, like many other current and former U.S. officials, lauded the former prime minister for his vision. Prime Minister Abe was a transformative leader, a statesman, someone of truly global stature, Blinken told reporters. He added that Abe's death had shaken the G-20 meeting with many of his foreign minister colleagues expressing shock and distress at the news. Shortly after Abe was pronounced dead, Blinken met in Bali with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin to review strategy mainly related to North Korea. In that meeting and again on Saturday, Blinken underscored the importance of the U.S.-Japan relationship. The alliance between Japan and the United States has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy for decades and as I said yesterday, Prime Minister Abe really brought that partnership to new heights, he said. The friendship between the Japanese and American people is likewise unshakable, Blinken said. So were standing with the people of Japan, with the prime ministers family, in the aftermath of a truly, truly appalling act of violence. Deepa and Gauri Joshi married in March after six years together. Apollo Fotografie Deepa and Gauri Joshi married on March 26, 2022 in San Jose, California, in what they dub a "big fat Desi wedding." The brides highlighted their Indian culture in the three-day celebration but also nodded to their same-sex union. Their wedding planner's video the couple's big day then went viral on TikTok. In March, wedding planner B Beloved Events posted a TikTok video of two brides and their spin on a traditional Indian wedding. It has more than 3.8 million views as of Friday. The brides told Insider they didn't realize how much reach their wedding would have until it went viral on TikTok. Apollo Fotografie When Deepa Joshi, 29, and Gauri Joshi, 32, were planning their wedding, they knew they wanted to put their own spin on a traditional Indian wedding by celebrating their unique love story with their friends and family. They had no idea that it would go viral on TikTok, too. Now, thousands of people from around would have reached out to them and thanked them for setting an example of how to pull off a traditionally heterosexual ceremony as a same-sex couple. Deepa and Gauri admitted they were nervous when organzing the festivities. They thought their extended family members and friends may not attend because it wasn't a heterosexual ceremony. "It was just so meaningful for us because we grew up with none of that representation," Deepa said of the couple's wedding celebration. "We grew up thinking it was not even an option. It wasn't until after the wedding that we really got to see the impact our wedding had." Long before planning their now-viral wedding, Deepa and Gauri were just two people looking to meet someone on Tinder in 2015. Gauri (left) and Deepa (right) had never been with another woman until they met each other. Apollo Fotografie Just three days after joining Tinder, Gauri received a message from Deepa. Story continues "We could just endlessly talk to each other," Deepa told Insider. "It didn't matter if there was something new to share or something mundane. It always felt interesting to hear from her." After a month of communicating on the app and via text, the two decided to meet for coffee. Gauri and Deepa admitted that it was their first time pursuing someone of the same gender. They both admited they were concerned with how to approach the coffee meeting, so they didn't even establish it as an official date. But as soon as they met, they said it felt easy. "The first date was really fun because we had already built a foundation of friendship since we were talking so much every day," Gauri said. After their initial meeting, Deepa and Gauri told Insider they hung out daily. Two weeks later, on June 12, Deepa asked Gauri to be her girlfriend. "The day we got together, we talked about not being able to imagine an Indian wedding between two girls," Deepa said. "It's so funny to think about how we made it happen after years of being together. After Deepa and Gauri officially started dating, the two decided they would come out to their parents. Gauri (left) and Deepa (right) knew there was something special about their relationship from the moment they met. Apollo Fotografie Because it was the first same-sex relationship for both women, the couple faced some early challenges, including that neither had shared their dating preference with their parents. For Deepa, she felt it was vital that she was financially independent and had graduated from law school before coming out to her parents. Her parents had had an arranged marriage and likely would want her to follow in those footsteps, she said. She hadn't mentioned to them that she was seriously dating anyone, let alone a woman. It would be a big step to talk to them. Deepa told Insider that after revealing to her mother that she was dating a woman, her mother was apprehensive at first but never questioned her about it again. "She was scared that people within their community were going to be mean, and she was afraid that I was going to get hurt because of what other people were going to say," Deepa said. "I could tell her reservedness came less out of disapproval and more out of fear." Shortly after Deepa came out to her parents, Gauri decided she would do the same when she visited her parent's home in Seattle. "I started by saying it bothered me when our relatives in India asked when I was getting married," Gauri said of the conversation. "I told them it bothered me because whoever I was going to marry wasn't going to be a man." "They were stunned, and then there was a pause," Gauri continued. "Right off the bat, my dad said, 'no matter what, we love you.'" Gauri then told her parents about dating Deepa, whom they had met under the pretense that Deepa was only a friend. "In true Indian parent fashion, they immediately said: 'Are you planning on getting married one day?'" Gauri said. After dating for more than four years, Deepa surprised Gauri with a proposal during a trip to Hawaii celebrating Gauri's 30th birthday. Deepa (left) and Gauri (right) dated for four years when they got engaged. Apollo Fotografie Two years after coming out to their families, the couple celebrated another big moment: their engagement. Deepa planned to pop the question on a July 2020 trip to Hawaii, originally set to be a 30th birthday celebration for Gauri. Gauri told Insider that she followed the birthday celebration ruse until they arrived for a private lunch, and she spotted a scrapbook Deepa had made on the table. "It was a sweet collection of all the memories from our relationship, and then when I turned to the last page, it said, 'Will you marry me?'" Gauri said. "It felt like an out-of-body experience because I had no idea it would happen. Of course, I said 'yes!'" After the proposal, Deepa and Gauri started planning their wedding. Deepa told Insider that it was vital for them to have a traditional Indian wedding because they wanted to normalize two women getting married and represent what that means within their culture. "I didn't want me being queer to mean that I couldn't enjoy the traditional wedding that is part of my culture," Deepa said. "I've always struggled with feeling like I needed to choose between being gay or being Indian like it couldn't be both." Gauri felt the same. "We wanted to make sure that our wedding felt we were doing it justice," she said. "There was an added pressure because of not growing up with that representation. We wanted to have the perfect, big fat Desi wedding." The couple set an original date in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they rescheduled it for March 2022. The three-day wedding celebration was set for March 24 to 26, 2022. The brides told Insider they were nervous going into their weekend planning. Apollo Fotografie Deepa and Gauri told Insider they worked with B Beloved Events to plan their wedding festivities, which took place around the Bay Area in northern California, where the couple resides. The three-day weekend kicked off with their mutual mehdni party at their home. The next day, the brides held a Haldi ceremony at the TPC Stonebrae Country Club, where they were cleansed by family members, and an evening Sangeet with 130 guests. Their wedding day would bring together 250 guests to the Hayes Mansion in San Jose, California. "It wasn't until we started sending out the invitations that we got excited," Deepa said, noting much of the planning was "touch-and-go" because of the pandemic. "We were happy to finally be out and see people that we never expected would be supporters of the LGBT community come out to celebrate us." The couple went against tradition and had their bridal mehndi done together before their Haldi ceremony. Deepa (right) and Gauri (left) decided to wear outfits at the Haldi ceremony that honored their Indian cultures. Apollo Fotografie To start the celebration, the brides hosted a mehndi ceremony, where they each had elaborate designs applied to their arms. Typically, this is done with the bride and her family, but Deepa and Gauri decided to do it together. As per tradition, they included each other's names hidden in their mehndi designs. The following day, the couple and their guests came together for the Haldi, a cleansing ceremony in which guests put turmeric paste on the couple before they officially tie the knot. Both brides donned yellow outfits, with each speaking to their backgrounds. To honor her South Indian roots, Deepa wore a sari. She told Insider that she chose to wear a silk sari because it is popular in Karnataka, the Indian state where her family is from. Gauri chose a dhoti, an outfit consisting of loose pants and a matching top, because it is a popular style among Maharashtra women, which is the Indian state where her family is from. She told Insider that growing up, her grandmother would often wear her sari in a dhoti style, and she wanted to pay homage to that for her wedding. "We didn't want to follow conventional gender norms, especially because we're a same-gender couple, so we made it a point to do all of it together," Gauri said of doing both the mehndi and haldi side-by-side. "This celebration was a testament to our relationship, who we are as a couple, and our love story." The couple told Insider their Sangeet was filled with Bollywood-themed dance performances, including a surprise one by Deepa. The couple welcomed guests to their Sangeet, held the night before their wedding ceremony. Apollo Fotografie After their Haldi, Deepa and Gauri headed to the Sangeet, a celebratory pre-wedding party that involves food, toasts, and choreographed dance numbers with their bridal parties and families. The brides changed into lehengas by Indian label B Anu Designs by Anu Batra. The brides told Insider in a heterosexual Sangeet, the groom normally wears a colorful look and the bride will wear a bright color because the celebration should be decorated in hues that reflect the sunset. Deepa and Gauri said they thought if they both wore bright looks, it would be too much, so Deepa wore orange and Gauri opted for olive green to balance their color scheme. As part of the Sangeet, the brides watched their friends perform two choreographed dances. Then, Deepa surprised Gauri with a final dance number. Deepa told Insider that she knew that Gauri loved the Bollywood movie "Main Hoon Na," which starred her favorite actor Shah Rukh Khan. Deepa chose to dance to one of the songs from the film, "Tumse Milke Dilka Jo Haal." "I was nervous because I don't think I'm the best dancer, but it was so much fun," Deepa said. "Gauri's love language is acts of service, so I wanted to do something for her. The dance was my way of showing her that I know her inside and out." At the party, guests could also have their mehndi done, dine on fusion Indian food like tikka masala pasta and arancini balls with Indian spices, and, of course, get down on the dance floor to more Bollywood jams. For their ceremony, the two brides told Insider they decided to get ready together because they wanted to celebrate every moment with each other. Deepa (left) and Gauri (right) said it was significant for them to get ready together. Apollo Fotografie The brides did everything together on the wedding day, including getting ready. Both Deepa and Gauri opted to dress in the same room but facing away from each other. "It felt nice to get ready together because it was one of the only times during our wedding weekend that we just got to chill out," Gauri said. For their outfits, the couple told Insider that many brides usually go to India to do their wedding shopping, but because of COVID, that wasn't feasible for them, so they shopped locally in the San Francisco area. Deepa said that in a heterosexual Indian wedding, the bride usually wears red, and the groom wears white. Because of that, they decided that Deepa would wear orange and Gauri would wear white accented with pink beading. Both brides wore traditional lehengas from B Anu Designs by Anu Batra. Deepa told Insider that her dress "felt like an entity" because it weighed about 20 pounds. Gauri said that she made the idea of wearing a white dress her own because it had floral motifs in shades of pink throughout the design. For their outfits, the couple said it was important for them to pay homage to their Indian culture. The brides wanted to make sure their wedding looks paid homage to their Indian roots. Apollo Fotografie Deepa and Gauri told Insider that their ceremony outfits were their most important looks of the weekend, so they wanted them to reflect their heritage. Deepa honored her South Indian background by wearing traditional jhumka earrings. Gauri's parents hail from Maharashtra, so she wore the region's traditional headpiece that features two strands of beads. She also nodded to her mother and grandmother by adding a bangle they had worn to each of their weddings to her bangle stack. "We wanted to incorporate our cultures as much as possible," Gauri said. Gauri told Insider it was very important for her to be the one to watch Deepa walk down the aisle. Both brides said their favorite moment of the multi-day celebration was the wedding ceremony. Apollo Fotografie The couple did choose one moment to play traditional roles: the walk down the aisle. For the entrance, Gauri said she wanted to ensure that Deepa had the spotlight. "We were both brides, but I wanted her to feel that moment, and I wanted to be able to watch her walking down the aisle," Gauri said. "I could have a front-row seat." The couple adapted parts of the ceremony, including the language by the pandit. The brides told Insider that their priest went out of his way to ensure the language was progressive and matched their preferred pronouns. They also chose who stood at the wedding mandap with them. Usually, it would be both sets of parents, but the couple decided to include other family members. Deepa chose to have her sister and brother-in-law walk her down the aisle and join her at the mandap. Gauri walked in with her father and brother-in-law, then had her mother and adopted mother at the mandap. "Even thought it was a same-sex wedding, we wanted our parents to feel like it still had their cultures intertwined," Deepa said. Since Indian weddings involve the groom putting on a mangalsutra, a gold necklace that serves like a ring does in a western wedding, the couple made that part their own too, Deepa said. The brides put necklaces on each other. The couple told Insider that seeing everyone there to celebrate them represented the life they had built together. Deepa (right) and Gauri (left) said their wedding felt like a reunion because so many people were seeing each other for the first time since COVID. Apollo Fotografie Deepa and Gauri agreed that seeing everyone together in the same room was the highlight of their weekend. "It reminded us why it was worth waiting for," Gauri said of the pandemic postponement. "Many people met for the first time at our wedding, and everyone gelled well together." Deepa told Insider that walking down the aisle was another favorite part of the wedding ceremony because she could see all their guests supporting their union. "It was a physical representation of my life not just as a queer person, but as a Desi South Asian person," she said. "I remember when we first got together, and Gauri said she couldn't imagine two Indian girls together. We were making it happen with our wedding." After their wedding ceremony, the couple changed into a new set of outfits for their reception. Deepa (right) and Gauri (left) gasped as they entered their reception and saw the room for the first time. Apollo Fotografie Later that evening, the couple held a reception. The brides wore two looks from Evotique; Deepa chose a blue lehenga and Gauri donned gold. The night included more nods to their love story. For their first dance, the couple took a spin to a "Glee" version of Taylor Swift's "Mine", significant for two reasons. Early on in their relationship, the couple discovered a shared affinity for Taylor Swift songs. And, the song included female pronouns, which felt more authentic to them. The brides decided to share the same last name. Both Gauri and Deepa go by the last name Joshi. Apollo Fotografie The couple agreed to share a last name, taking Gauri's surname, Joshi. "We both decided we want the same last name to solidify the fact that we are a family, especially since same-sex marriage isn't legal everywhere," Gauri said. The couple said that they are looking forward to their 2023 honeymoon in Italy and enjoying all the support they've recieved from people around the world, thanks to that video post by their planner. Deepa and Gauri told Insider that seeing their wedding go viral was shocking because they never thought it would have such an impact. "It's been great to see other people feel inspired by our wedding," Deepa said. "We hope our wedding can be the representation we wish we had growing up. We didn't know anyone who was Indian and gay." Read the original article on Insider WNBA star Brittney Griner. AP Photo/Rick Scuteri Players wore Brittney Griner's name and number on their jerseys during the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game. The superstar has been wrongfully detained in Russia on drug charges for nearly 5 months. Griner's wife, Cherelle, was seated courtside at Sunday's contest at Chicago's Wintrust Arena. CHICAGO Twenty two WNBA superstars took the floor at Chicago's Wintrust Arena for the 2022 WNBA All-Star Game on Sunday. Brittney Griner was not among them, but her name was everywhere. Players wore the 6-foot-9 WNBA superstar's name and number on their jerseys throughout the second half of this year's All-Star contest. The black and orange jerseys also featured the logo of Griner's WNBA franchise the Phoenix Mercury on the chest. Check out the special threads via an ESPN video posted to Twitter: Griner who has been to seven All-Star games in her illustrious career and was named an honorary starter in 2022 has been wrongfully detained in Russia since February of this year. The week before the All-Star game, she pleaded guilty to charges of large-scale transportation of drugs but sources tell Insider the move could help expedite her return home. Griner faces up to 10 years in Russian prison if convicted. And given Russia's notorious 99% conviction rate, she almost certainly will not earn her freedom through the courts. Instead, a prisoner exchange with Russia is most likely to secure her return to the United States. Sources told Insider Griner's freedom could hinge on an unorthodox swap involving an ex-US Marine and a notorious Russian arms dealer. Brittney Griner being led to a hearing in a Russian court. KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images The player jerseys were far from the only acknowledgment of Griner and her complex situation throughout All-Star weekend. A decal on the court at Wintrust Arena featured Griner's initials and number, as has been the case on every WNBA court throughout the 2022 season. Her wife, Cherelle, was seated courtside during Sunday's game. She also joined the Rev. Al Sharpton for a press conference near the festivities Friday evening. Story continues During that press conference, Cherelle said she was able to read a letter President Joe Biden wrote to her wife in response to the one Griner sent the White House on July 4. "It brought me so much joy, as well as BG," Cherelle said. "He sees her as a person and he has not forgotten her." Read the original article on Insider 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. It was kind of a joke at first. Brothers Tristan and Jackson Bredehoft were chatting about coffee one day in 2016 when they began toying with the idea of importing their father's favorite coffee beans from Cafe Naranjo, a co-op of small-scale coffee growers in Costa Rica and selling them online. "We never really expected that it would go any further than just selling coffee online," Jackson Bredehoft said. "We had no expectations." The online business, dubbed Cafe Rica, soon included glass bottles of Jackson's own cold brew coffee. Subsequent stints at the pop-up marketplace BC Cargo and retail food service incubator kiCH()n allowed the brothers to grow the business beyond its digital footprint, culminating with the opening of Cafe Rica in a more permanent downtown location complete with food and cocktails at 62 E. Michigan Ave. in 2020. Cafe Rica owners Tristan and Jackson Bredehoft pose for a photograph outside their downtown Battle Creek business at 62 E. Michigan Ave. Monday, June 27, 2022. The Bredehofts are now looking to pay it forward, joining a host of community partners in launching the Breaking Bred Bazaar, an open-air marketplace for makers and artisans in the Battle Creek area held on the last Sunday of each month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. along Michigan Avenue. "One of the biggest things we always hear and see is that besides eating or drinking theres nothing to do in downtown Battle Creek," Jackson Bredehoft said. "Were trying to change that." 'A place we could call home' Jackson Bredehoft was visiting the Battle Creek Area Chamber of Commerce to congratulate a friend on her new job in 2018 when he ran into Chamber President Kara Beer. Having previously ordered from Cafe Rica for the office, Beer recommended Bredehoft look into BC Cargo a new pop-up marketplace being launched by the city's Small Business Development Office. The program aimed to lower barriers for small businesses by lessening startup costs and offered a way to test the market using 160-square-foot shipping containers. The eventual goal was for participating entrepreneurs to transition to a more permanent location in Battle Creek. Story continues Rather than traveling to trade shows and farmers markets, the Bredehofts opted to give Cafe Rica a try inside one of the seven shipping containers, located in a parking lot at the corner of McCamly Street and Hamblin Avenue. The experience proved to be invaluable. "(BC Cargo) gave us a vessel where we could actually be consistent and build our brand," Tristan Bredehoft said. "We just had a place that we could call home for four months and really just put it all out on the line." The Bredehofts served up cold brew and hot coffee from May through September inside the cargo unit, rarely taking a day off as they worked to slowly build a following of loyal customers. Perhaps the biggest lesson the brothers took away from their lone season at BC Cargo was the value of consistency. "We were committed to being open seven days a week," Jackson Bredehoft said. While some may have felt inclined to close early on a slow business day, the Bredehofts refused to do so, maintaining the same slate of hours so as to not discourage potential customers. "We had a lot of people tell us that Sundays were a waste of our own time, (that) people in Battle Creek dont come downtown on Sundays," Jackson Bredehoft continued. "Sunday is consistently one of our busiest days of the week (now). ... The only reason that even happened is because of the consistency, us staying open." The BC Cargo space also allowed the Bredehofts to build a following around Cafe Rica. A party celebrating the two-year anniversary of the business, held at the open-air marketplace, is particularly memorable. "That event let us have all of (people) together, to be a Cafe Rica community," Jackson Bredehoft said. "Thats followed us all the way to here (at 62 E. Michigan Ave.)." Paying it forward Jackson Bredehoft, Hannah Stevens and Nickolas Gavin prepare drinks at Cafe Rica Monday, Jan. 25, 2021, in Battle Creek. While Cafe Rica now has its own permanent space downtown, the thrill of an open-air market is not lost on the Bredehofts. Recognizing the tremendous amount of support they've received along the way, the brothers now hope to provide a launching pad for local entrepreneurs themselves. So far, the Breaking Bred Bazaar has allowed roughly 16 makers from produce farmers to clothing designers and boutique floral companies to sell their wares along Michigan Avenue in May and June. More than 30 makers are set to participate in the next installment of the bazaar July 31. The events, held on the last Sunday of the month, will continue through September. "Our end goal is to shut the street down, have a giant open-air market down there, really reminiscent of what they have in the Middle East with the bazaars," Jackson Bredehoft said. "Were just a big community helping each other grow," Tristan Bredehoft added. For more information, visit getcaferica.com/. Contact reporter Greyson Steele at gsteele@battlecreekenquirer.com or 269-501-5661. Follow him on Twitter: G_SteeleBC This article originally appeared on Battle Creek Enquirer: Cafe Rica owners provide launching pad for local makers, artisans By Divya Rajagopal TORONTO (Reuters) -Rogers Communications complicated its chances of getting antitrust approval for a C$20 billion telecom merger after Friday's massive outage highlighted the perils of Canada's effective telecom monopoly and sparked a backlash against its industry dominance. The Rogers network outage disrupted nearly every aspect of daily life, cutting banking, transport and government access for millions, and hitting the country's cashless payments system and Air Canada's call center. Consumers and opposition politicians called on the government to allow more competition and enact policy changes to curb telecom companies' power. Rogers, BCE Inc and Telus Corp control 90% of the market share in Canada. Smaller internet and wireless providers rely on their infrastructure network to deliver their own services. "The reality is in Canada there is a serious monopoly of our telecommunications," New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh said in a TikTok video as he launched a petition to halt Rogers' merger plans and "break up these monopolies". "The impact of this outage makes it clear this monopoly cannot continue," he added. Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne, calling the outage "unacceptable", said on Sunday that he would meet with Rogers CEO Tony Staffieri and other industry executives to discuss improving the "reliability of networks across Canada." High cellphone bills have been a hot-button issue in recent Canadian elections. The disruption in internet access, cell phone and landline phone connections meant some callers could not reach emergency services via 911 calls, police across Canada said. "Because of the Rogers outage, millions of Canadians couldn't call 911 yesterday. Hospitals couldn't call in staff. There was no way to call families so that they could say goodbye to their loved ones at end of life," tweeted Amit Arya, director-at-large at the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians. Story continues Rogers, which blamed a router malfunction after maintenance for the disruption, said on Sunday it was aware that some customers were still facing disruptions. It did not comment on whether the outage could impact the merger proceedings. Friday's outage came two days after Rogers held talks with Canada's antitrust authority to discuss possible remedies to its blocked C$20 billion ($15.34 billion) takeover of Shaw Communications. Canada's competition bureau blocked the deal earlier this year, 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. The disruption could prompt the Competition Bureau, which generally assesses mergers based on their impact on price, to look more closely at other considerations such as quality and service, said consumer rights groups. "It is a 'non-price effect' (argument) - that is, concentration of ownership and control of critical infrastructure making an ever more central point of failure to deliver basic services," said John Lawford, executive director of the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which has argued against the merger at the Competition Bureau. But Vass Bedner, Executive Director of the Public Policy program in McMaster University, said the outage was a separate issue from Rogers' merger plan. "I dont think this issue will impact the merger because I am not sure how the Competition Bureau can account for risk of bigger outage, Bedner said. University of Ottawa professor Michael Geist, who focuses on the internet and e-commerce law, said the outage "must be a wake-up for a government that has been asleep on digital policy." "The blame for Friday's outage may lie with Rogers, but the government and (Canadian telecommunications regulator) should be held accountable for a failure to respond," he wrote on his blog. The outage, which began around 4:30 a.m. ET (0830 GMT) on Friday before service was fully restored on Saturday, knocked out a quarter of Canada's observable internet connectivity, said the NetBlocks monitoring group. The interruption was Rogers' second in 15 months with an external software upgrade knocking out service primarily to consumer clients last year. (Reporting by Divya Rajagopal; writing by Amran Abocar; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) 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 Christian Bale spoke about his role in "Thor: Love and Thunder." Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images Christian Bale spoke to The Wrap about his role in "Thor: Love and Thunder." Bale, 48, plays the film's villain, Gorr the God Butcher. Bale initially worried about the character's costume and body type. Christian Bale was initially concerned about his character's look in "Thor: Love and Thunder" because of the costume requirements and body type. While promoting the latest film in Marvel's "Thor" franchise, Bale spoke to The Wrap's Drew Taylor about embracing his character Gorr the God Butcher and translating the character from comic books to cinema. Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher in "Thor Love and Thunder." Marvel Studios Bale, 48, said director Taika Waititi gave him Gorr the God Butcher comic books ahead of filming for preparation, which made him pause. In the comic books, Gorr the God Butcher's costume is fairly revealing with only a cape and underwear. "I did have a look briefly and said, 'He's got a G-string on. Nobody wants to see me like that," Bale told The Wrap. "He was also crazy musclebound in the comics. And I was in the middle of making another film where I was really quite skinny." "Dude, nobody wants to see me in a G-string," Bale added. Bale continued that there was no use in working out to get brawny due to his costar Chris Hemsworth. Chris Hemsworth as Thor in "Thor: Love and Thunder." Marvel Studios "And there's no point in working out at all because you can't compete with Chris," Bale continued. Instead, Bale told The Wrap that he and Waititi worked together to create a new look for Gorr the God Butcher. Screen Rant reported that Gorr the God Butcher appeared younger in the film, and some of his backstory was changed. Bale's rendition also wears a draping cloak instead of the dark, thin, layered material depicted in the comic book. Although Bale previously played DC's Batman in the Dark Knight Trilogy, "Thor: Love and Thunder" marked his entrance into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). In a June interview with Total Film, Bale admitted that he didn't know what the MCU was before agreeing to play Gorr the God Butcher. "People would go, 'Oh, look at this! He's entered the MCU!' And I'd go, 'I've done what? I haven't entered shit, thank you very much,'" Bale said. Story continues Valkyrie, Jane, Korg, and Thor in "Thor: Love and Thunder." Marvel Studios "I'm like, 'The MCU?' I had to ask what that was," he continued. Natalie Portman, who plays Jane Foster/The Mighty Thor in the film, told In a Total Film in a separate interview that Bale looked terrifying while in costume. "The children would run screaming," she said. "He has a very, very, very scary look, in addition to, of course, his excellent acting. But, on this one, in between, he'd be like, 'Hey, what's up?' It was just a normal conversation, which was jarring, because he looked terrifying." Read the original article on Insider Bloomberg (Bloomberg) -- It will take almost a lifetime or seven decades for US colleges and universities to achieve racial parity among its freshman classes, according to analysis by McKinsey & Co.Most Read from BloombergThis Could Be the Start of a Dollar Doom Loop Like No OtherA Goldman Legend, Crypto Star and Top Banker Warn of Next Big RiskGhana Declares First Marburg Virus Disease OutbreakStock Optimism Evaporates With Apple Hiring Plans: Markets WrapThe study, which analyzed data from more th Activists from Food & Water Watch and Sunrise Movement rally for solar power outside the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power headquarters in 2019. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) When the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power adopted its time-of-use" electricity rates in 2008 to encourage less power consumption during peak hours, George W. Bush was still president, the utility got nearly half of its electricity from coal and solar was only a small contributor to the citys power supply. A lot has changed since then. Theres now an abundance of inexpensive solar and wind power in the middle of the day, so much that the state directed investor-owned utilities to adopt time-of-use rates that incentivize customers to run appliances and consume electricity at midday to take advantage of that cheap green power. The highest rates are charged from 4 to 9 p.m., when the sun goes down and the grid relies more on dirtier, gas-fired power plants. But not for Angelenos. Despite the change in the electricity market, the DWP has kept its obsolete time-of-use rates in place that charges the most between 1 and 5 p.m. About half of the electricity delivered to DWP customers is billed on time-of-use rates. Most of those are commercial and large-scale customers; a small percentage are residential customers. (Other customers pay standards rates based on how much power they use rather than when they use it.) That means the DWP is charging some customers more when power is actually less expensive to produce, thanks to renewables, and its price signal encourages these customers to use electricity in the evening when the power is more likely to come from dirtier, carbon-intensive energy sources. Fred Pickel, the utility's in-house ratepayer advocate, warned in a report earlier this year that the outdated price signal is an urgent situation in a state that has periodic power shortages in the evening and relies on customers curtailing use to avoid blackouts. Yet the DWP has been unwilling and, to a certain degree, unable to fix the problem for reasons that have more to do with voters, politics and scandal than with the electricity market. Story continues The hours of the DWPs highest time-of-use rates 1 to 5 p.m. are written into the 2008 ordinance. To change the hours, the DWP and the City Council must change the ordinance. But if they change the ordinance, the city will trigger Proposition 26, the 2010 ballot initiative that bars government from charging more for a service than it costs to provide it. The 2008 ordinance setting electric rates was passed before Proposition 26, so its exempt. But if the DWP revises or adopts a new rates ordinance, that opens the door to Proposition 26 lawsuits challenging the utilitys entire electricity rate structure, which includes important things like reduced costs for low-income customers and the annual $200-million-plus transfer to the city budget to pay for police, fire and other services. Someone could argue the DWP is charging ratepayers more than the actual cost of electricity in order to subsidize city services and low-income customers, in violation of Proposition 26. (Lifeline rates are standard practice among utilities and the transfer is essentially a payment in lieu of taxes that a private utility would pay to the state, but because DWP is a city-owned utility, Proposition 26 applies.) Nevertheless, fear of opening the Proposition 26 Pandoras box has stopped the DWP from modernizing its outdated rate structure. There is a possible fix. The DWP and the City Council could go to city voters and get explicit permission for the low-income rates and the transfer, which would negate Proposition 26. The utility considered putting measures on the November ballot, but there wasnt much interest or support from City Hall. Its no wonder why. Two former DWP executives are going to prison for their role in a bribery scheme related to the faulty billing system and theres an ongoing federal corruption investigation involving the utility. Its a bad time to ask voters to trust the DWP, particularly when it comes to something as complex and controversial as rate restructuring. But the reality is, the DWP has to modernize its rates to match the rapidly changing electricity market and facilitate the transition to cleaner, greener energy. For now, the DWP remains stuck in 2008. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Fiscal Times President Joe Biden and Senate Democratic leaders are prepared to take whatever win they can get and move on. When Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) pulled the plug on Democrats Build Back Better package late last year, the White House responded with fury. The tone this time has been much different in fact, the statement released by Biden last week after talks between Manchin and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer fell apart did not mention the West Virginia senator at all. Instead, the White House a BALTIMORE For whatever reason, it all came to a head on Thursday afternoon at one of Baltimores most inviting intersections: Go one way to the citys showpiece harbor, the other to its bandbox of a baseball park. Head north to downtown, or south to the redbrick, row house-scaled charm of Federal Hill. But beneath the surface of these postcard vistas, decades of a slow-burning anger in the city found its ignition on Conway and Light streets. A driver got out of his car with a bat to confront a group of squeegee workers, one of who police said fatally shot him and fled the scene. It was horrible and horrendous, said Kaye Whitehead, a Loyola University Maryland professor and WEAA-FM talk show host. It was shocking, but not surprising. She had noticed a hardening of rhetoric when it came to the predominantly Black youth and young men who squeegee windshields at high-traffic intersections in town. What once seemed like voluntary tips began to feel like extortion to some, Whitehead said, and there were those for who waving them off no longer felt sufficient. There was a sense something was coming, said Whitehead. There was going to be a huge explosion. It remains unclear what prompted Timothy Reynolds, 48, an engineer and father who lived in Hampden in North Baltimore, to pull over and approach the squeegee workers. Police are working to identify and find the person who killed him; a reward for information rose Saturday to $16,000. But the shooting came after decades in which Baltimore has wrestled over a practice that to many is at worst mildly annoying but to others a source of threat and rage. City and business leaders have long offered promises and programs, at least as far back as 1985. Thats when the windshield cleaners were given identification badges and instructed to dress neatly and smile and say, Thank you. The latest effort was underway Thursday and Friday at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, less than a mile from where Reynolds was killed, where the city hosted a job fair for squeegee workers and other young people. Story continues And yet, the initiatives have tended to come and go, while squeegee workers remain, darting into street lanes with their squirt bottles, emboldened by the lack of anyone stopping them, some say. Im so sick of the grandstanding by city officials who come out on TV after things like this happen and say, My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their lives, said Roland DeLeon, 71, a retired federal worker and veteran who lives in the South Baltimore neighborhood of Otterbein, just blocks from where Reynolds was shot. OK, but what are they going to do about it? he said. DeLeon said his military training keeps him in situational awareness as he walks his dog, and he grew concerned in recent weeks as he saw the number of squeegee workers in the area increasing. A group of two or three workers can quickly grow as others notice theyre making money, DeLeon said, and soon an intersection gets crowded and competitive. Theyll get frustrated if things arent going well, and vent by bullying drivers, he said. James Carnes, 31, was in the Inner Harbor and heard the shots Thursday, then saw police cars flying in and several young people he believes were squeegee workers scattering in all directions. Carnes, who said he is homeless, said there are a lot of good squeegee workers, but hes seen bad ones scratch cars, even beat up drivers. The problem is so complicated, though, that no single action will solve it, he said, including the idea police should lock them all up. The Rev. Alvin C. Hathaway Sr., the retired pastor of Union Baptist Church in Upton in West Baltimore, said city officials and residents alike need to make clear that squeegeeing cars is unacceptable. We have become too lenient with lawlessness, he said. They are intimidating, they are harassing. They become belligerent and, in some instances, violent. His idea: We should dry up the market. There should be some kind of citation if you give money to someone squeegeeing. We should send the signal we are not approving of this, Hathaway said. He said he waves them off if they approach his car. For those of us who know Baltimore, we know how to slow down to not get the light, Hathaway said. We know the avoidance technique. There were signs that Reynolds was familiar, too, with squeegee workers. A Twitter account linked to him included a 2019 tweet about someone who washed his windshield without permission and stared at him in a way he found threatening. These kids have no right to be out in traffic, the post says. And a friend said Friday that Reynolds expressed frustration a couple of weeks ago about squeegee workers acting aggressively and pestering him at downtown intersections. He mentioned an incident from about two years ago when a squeegee worker damaged to his car, the friend said. News of the shooting, at a prominent downtown intersection just hours before an Orioles home game, proved shocking even in a city where homicides continue at a record pace. This one is bad, Hathaway said. This is a watershed moment in the city. Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott has focused on outreach to the workers, seeking to divert them toward jobs and education and getting them in a better place. Thats what success looks like, he said at a news conference on Friday. Are you getting them hired? Are they staying hired? he said. Are you getting them re-enrolled in school? Are you finding them housing? Deputy Mayor Faith Leach, who oversees the Mayors Office of African American Male Engagement, said staff seek out squeegee workers daily and offer individualized plans, connecting them with mentors and jobs. She said an employment program announced in December led to job opportunities for 42 young people. Another 24 squeegee workers were hired to clean downtown during the CIAA basketball tournament in February. This is a difficult moment for all of us as a community, but its going to take all of us to solve this, she said. We all have to be disruptive and collaborative to really address the needs of our young people. They are out on these corners because they are out there meeting many of their basic, unmet needs. Still, the fact that Reynolds was killed even as such efforts were underway at the Lewis Museum raised questions over whether the citys outreach is enough. What that speaks to is a much, much larger conversation about fixing the core, root cause problem of why they are out there in the very first place and how to fix that, said Police Commissioner Michael Harrison. If we didnt fix that and solve their need to support themselves to take care of their basic needs, which is what were fixing, that is the real problem. As Scott dealt with the fallout from the fatal shooting, he also announced Friday the appointment of Anthony Barksdale, who directed police department operations from 2007 to 2012 and was acting commissioner in 2012, as his deputy mayor for public safety. In the past, Barksdale has criticized both a federal consent decree that is mandating reforms in the police department, and Harrison, who was brought in to implement it. To Whitehead, his appointment signaled a return to old-school policing, in contrast to Scotts more holistic approach, which has focused on violence intervention programs such as Safe Streets and root causes that contribute to crime. I feel as a civilian at this point, all the other solutions are not working, Whitehead said. You can feel it. Things like whats happening with the squeegee workers, whats happening with Safe Streets. She has grown unnerved, both by mass shootings such as in Buffalo and Uvalde, Texas, as well as horrific crimes in Baltimore: The midday shooting in which a gunman sprayed more than 60 rounds in the middle of an East Baltimore Street. The pregnant woman and her fiance who were fatally shot in a car in Barclay. The 11th grade boy killed after his junior prom. Speaking from the heart, as someone who is a homeowner in the city, I am concerned we have crossed the line where things are just out of control, Whitehead said. What is driving this level of violence? This is where America is right now, she said. Whitehead sees the focus on squeegee workers as getting to the heart of any number of flashpoints today, including race and guns. But the issue is difficult to talk about, she said, and people dont even agree on what to call those wielding squeegees on city intersections kids, workers, or a term the Scott administration has used: disconnected youth that squeegee. On the street, there are other terms: One squeegee worker said Friday that a white man had recently called him a racial slur. While residents and others filled social media with heated comments on the shooting, officials and civic leaders tended to retreat to previous positions or issue statements reiterating their concerns and desires to work toward solutions. Reynolds death was tragic and unacceptable, and another wake-up call, said Calvin G. Butler Jr., the chairman of the Greater Baltimore Committee board of directors. Butler, Exelons senior executive vice president and chief operating officer, said the GBC was committed to working with city and community leaders to help those who work on the street find sustaining jobs and to make public spaces safer from gun violence. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, a frequent critic of Scott, said Friday its quite obvious the mayors crime plan was not working. He praised Scotts decision to bring Barksdale back, saying hes a guy that understands violent crime and how to deal with it. The squeegee workers have been a terrible problem for many years and its been unaddressed by the city, Hogan said. Its certainly had a major impact on people being afraid to come to the city, because theyve been harassed for years and years, and this was just the pinnacle of the problem right in downtown across Inner Harbor with somebody getting shot. Nonetheless, more than 1,000 clergy and lay members of the Episcopal Church came to Baltimore for a general convention of the U.S. denomination, meeting just blocks from the shooting scene. A delegation of more than 100 bishops took to the streets Friday to respond to what had happened. Bearing a banner that read Bishops United Against Gun Violence, they marched from the Convention Center, down Pratt Street and past the Libertad, an Argentine tall ship temporarily docked at the Inner Harbor, singing the traditional spirituals Down By the Riverside and We Shall Overcome. They stopped at the Visit Baltimore center, across Light Street from where Reynolds was shot, to remember all the many victims of gun violence, said the Rev. Bonnie Perry, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan. With police cars in the background, lights flashing, the Right Rev. Eugene Taylor Sutton, bishop of the Maryland diocese, decried what he has called the unholy trinity of racism, poverty and violence. Jesus preached that we should love our neighbor, he said, and the man who wielded the bat and the young men who washed his windshield should all be seen as neighbors. So, were going to pray today for all of the victims, all of the victims of the violence thats in their hearts, the violence thats in their hands, Sutton said, and the violence that comes from angry people having access to guns. (Baltimore Sun reporters Ashley Barrientos, Sabrina LeBouef, Lea Skene and Emily Opilo contributed to this report.) (Getty Images) Brad Pitt as Neo? Josh Hartnett as Batman? Halle Berry as the lady that drives the bus in Speed? Believe it or not, all of the above would have happened if those actors had said yes. Dive into the history of Hollywood and most incredibly famous characters were nearly played by someone else. Those early and ultimately aborted casting decisions just dont tend to get talked about. Sometimes, though, actors are very open about the high-profile parts they turned down, and the pangs of regret left behind once those films are actually made. Imagine a world in which Leonardo DiCaprio was the star of a beloved drama about the porn industry and not Titanic, or Reese Witherspoon didnt play Legally Blondes Elle Woods. Shudder. Here are 13 actors who turned their nose up at iconic movies, only to feel very silly about it later on. Denzel Washington in Se7en Asked in 2012 if there were roles he turned down that he should have taken, Washington answered quickly: Se7en and Michael Clayton. The Oscar winner said that Tony Gilroys corporate thriller Michael Clayton was the best material I had read in a long time I was nervous about a first-time director, and I was wrong. George Clooney ended up playing the role instead. While Washington didnt offer an explanation as to why he turned down Se7en (it is unclear if he would have played the veteran detective or the cocky rookie, embodied in the end by Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, respectively), it may have been for a similar reason: director David Fincher had only directed one film before Se7en, and that was the disastrous Alien 3. Oddly, Washington ended up starring in a number of Se7en-esque serial killer thrillers made in the aftermath, including 1999s The Bone Collector and 2021s The Little Things. Leonardo DiCaprio in Boogie Nights Leonardo DiCaprio as prolific porn star Dirk Diggler? It could have happened. In 2008, DiCaprio confirmed that he turned down the starring role in Paul Thomas Andersons Boogie Nights which ultimately made Mark Wahlberg a star in order to do Titanic instead. He had a meeting with Anderson about the role, but got spooked by the filmmakers relative lack of experience at the time. Boogie Nights was Andersons second film after 1996s little-seen Hard Eight. Story continues Boogie Nights is a movie I loved and I wish I wouldve done, DiCaprio told GQ. Asked whether hed reject Titanic instead if he could go back in time, DiCaprio was stumped. Im not saying I would have. But it would have been a different direction, career wise. I think theyre both great and wish I could have done them both The truth is, if Id not done Titanic, I wouldnt be able to do the types of movies or have the career I have now, for sure. But it would have been interesting to see if I had gone the other way. Madonna in The Matrix Madonna has never been one for regrets, instead admirably sticking by creative decisions even if they get her jeered at, laughed at or criticised. But she did fess up to one movie role she shouldnt have been so quick to dismiss. I turned down the role in The Matrix, she told Jimmy Fallon during a TV appearance this year. Can you believe that? I wanna kill myself. Thats, like, one of the best movies ever made. A teeny-tiny part of me regrets just that one moment in my life. Madonna didnt confirm which role she turned down in the 1999 film, but presumably it was the female lead Trinity, who was ultimately played by Carrie-Anne Moss. During the same interview, Madonna also confirmed rumours that she turned down the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns, and Nomi Malone in the notorious Showgirls. I saw them both, and I regret that I turned down Catwoman, that was pretty fierce. Showgirls? No. Brad Pitt in The Matrix Speaking of The Matrix, Brad Pitt has also expressed regret about turning down the role of Neo. I took the red pill, he joked in 2020, referencing the choice in the film between having total clarity or remaining in blissful ignorance. I come from a place, maybe its my upbringing, [where] if I didnt get it, then it wasnt mine. I really believe [the role] was never mine. It was someone elses. Keanu Reeves ended up playing Neo, of course, while Pitt suggested during the same interview that The Matrix is just one of the massive movies he said no to. If we were doing a show on the great movies Ive passed on, we would need two nights, he joked. Will Smith and Brad Pitt both waved goodbye to the role of Neo in The Matrix' (Philippe Desmazes/Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Will Smith in The Matrix And just to drive home the fact that very few actors seemed to any faith in The Matrix, Will Smith also turned down the starring role. In 2019, Smith confirmed a long-standing rumour that he rejected the Neo part in favour of a far less adored movie. On his YouTube channel, Smith recalled meeting directors Lana and Lily Wachowski but struggling to understand their ideas for bullet-time, or the slow-motion effect that Neo masters in the movie. So I made Wild Wild West [instead], Smith confessed, referencing the notorious 1999 flop that he has spent more than 20 years regretting. Im not proud of it. He did, however, argue that he wouldnt have been as good in the role as Reeves. Keanu was perfect, Laurence Fishburne was perfect, so I probably would have messed The Matrix up. I would have ruined it, so I did yall a favour. Matt Damon in Avatar I still cant watch Thelma & Louise it still kills me Michelle Pfeiffer While Damon hasnt explicitly said that he regrets turning down James Camerons Avatar, he references the decision enough to suggest it still stings. In 2007, Damon was wooed by Cameron with the promise of not only starring in the film but also pocketing 10 per cent of the films gross. Avatar, which eventually starred Sam Worthington, ended up becoming the highest-grossing film in history. Meaning drumroll, please Damon lost out on an estimated $200m (148m). Ive left more money on the table than any actor, he told GQ in 2019. He added that his biggest regret is that it may have been his only opportunity to work with Cameron. He works so infrequently I realised in having to say no that I was probably passing on the chance to ever work with him. So that sucked and thats still brutal. But my kids are all eating. Im doing OK. Christina Applegate in Legally Blonde Its hard to imagine Legally Blondes Elle Woods as anyone other than Reese Witherspoon, but it was actually Christina Applegate who was first approached to play her. Applegate revealed in 2015 that she turned down the part as she thought it was too similar to the character she played on the long-running sitcom Married with Children. I got scared of repeating myself, she said. What a stupid move that was, right? [But] Reese deserved that. She did a much better job than I ever could, and so thats her life, thats her path. In a strange twist of fate, both Witherspoon and Applegate ended up playing sisters to Jennifer Anistons Rachel on Friends. Michael Keaton in Groundhog Day Like a Legally Blonde without Reese Witherspoon, its also difficult to imagine Groundhog Day without Bill Murray. But he wasnt the studios first choice for the part of an acerbic weatherman stuck in a time loop. Rather, Michael Keaton was approached. Speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2014, Keaton admitted that he had read the script in the early Nineties but didnt get it. Of the character, Keaton said: This guy sounds like the kind of wry, sardonic, glib young man Ive played and it ended up being so great. But you cant do it better than Bill Murray did it. Josh Hartnett in Batman Begins Josh Hartnett has been open about turning down a role that would have transformed his life and career. In 2015, he admitted that Christopher Nolan had sought him out to play Batman, but that fear got the better of him. I was so focused on not being pigeonholed and so scared of being considered only one thing as an actor, he told Playboy Magazine. He realised hed made a mistake when Nolan cast his eventual Batman, Christian Bale, in his Batman Begins follow-up The Prestige. I decided [Batman] wasnt for me. Then he didnt want to put me in The Prestige. They not only hired their Batman for it, they also hired my girlfriend [Scarlett Johansson] at the time. Thats when I realised relationships were formed in the fire of that first Batman film, and I should have been part of the relationship with this guy Nolan, who I felt was incredibly cool and very talented. Josh Hartnett in 2006, not at the premiere of The Prestige' (David Livingston/Getty Images) Michelle Pfeiffer in The Silence of the Lambs In the early Nineties, Michelle Pfeiffer reportedly turned down a long list of massive roles, from Thelma & Louise and Pretty Woman to Basic Instinct and Sleepless in Seattle. While she said in 2017 that she had to turn down Thelma & Louise due to a scheduling conflict (I still cant watch it it still kills me), shes admitted to regretting turning down The Silence of the Lambs, as it meant she didnt get to work with the late filmmaker Jonathan Demme more than once. Demme directed Pfeiffer in 1988s Married to the Mob, and always envisioned her for the role of rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling. But Pfeiffer got cold feet. I was trepidatious, she told The New Yorker earlier this year. There was such evil in that film. It was that evil won in the end, that at the end of that film evil ruled out. I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didnt want to put that out into the world. Jodie Foster ended up winning an Oscar for the role. Halle Berry in Speed Sandra Bullock has Halle Berry to thank for inadvertently making her a star. While promoting the 2019 sequel John Wick: Chapter 3 Parabellum, Berry admitted that she could have starred alongside Keanu Reeves decades earlier, as she was nearly cast in the runaway bus thriller Speed. I was offered Speed before Sandra Bullock, Berry told Entertainment Tonight. I stupidly said no. But in my defence, when I read the script the bus didnt leave the parking lot. Bullock ended up playing Annie, who is tasked with driving a bus rigged with explosives. Berry said that she came to regret turning down the part. I see the movie and Im like, arrrghhh. Bruce Willis in Ghost Willis and Demi Moore were a couple at the time they were both sent the script for the romantic drama Ghost in 1989 but only one of them ended up doing it. While Moore starred alongside Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg in the film, which became the highest-grossing film of 1990, Willis found the whole concept confusing. A dead man attempting to help his grieving girlfriend move on while simultaneously solving his own murder? Pfft. I just didnt get it, Willis told The New York Times in 1996. I said, Hey, the guys dead. How are you gonna have a romance? Famous last words. Just to punctuate his regrets, the Die Hard star dubbed himself a knucklehead for passing up the role. Eddie Murphy in Who Framed Roger Rabbit The number of famous roles Eddie Murphy has played is almost as long as the number he turned down. He thought Ghostbusters sounded like a crock when he was offered it in the early Eighties, rejected Rush Hour in favour of the forgotten comedy Holy Man, and probably wisely said no to Driving Miss Daisy. One film that he had second thoughts about, though, was Who Framed Roger Rabbit, which originally wanted him for the role eventually played by Bob Hoskins. The film a high-concept detective comedy that fused together live-action and animation was a bold risk for 1987, and Murphy wasnt convinced by it. I was like, What?, he said in 2003. Animation and people sounded like bulls*** to me. Now every time I see it, I feel like an idiot. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Sunday said it would be a mistake to impeach Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has drawn national scorn for suggesting the court reconsider precedents that affirmed the constitutional rights to same-sex marriage, contraception and privacy in the bedroom. I dont think its realistic, Durbin told Fox News Sunday anchor Mike Emanuel. I think its a mistake as to whether hes going to be impeached. Its not realistic, but [Thomas] should show good judgement. If this court is going to be credible, it has to be as apolitical as possible. Thomas, who voted to overturn the 1973 precedent Roe v. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion last month, drew a firestorm of criticism earlier this year after it was revealed that his wife, Ginni Thomas, was communicating with former President Trumps team in support of overturning the 2020 election results. In January, Clarence Thomas was the only dissenting justice when the court ruled that Trump could not block documents requested by the House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. A petition to remove him from the high court collected more than 1 million signatures last week. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has also led calls advocating for the impeachment of Clarence Thomas and other justices. While Durbin on Sunday said he does not support impeaching the justice, he does believe Clarence Thomas should recuse himself from matters involving Jan. 6. There is in my mind a clear conflict of interest when it comes to Justice Thomas and issues related to the Jan. 6 insurrection, the Illinois senator said. I would think that Justice Thomas should recuse himself from any decisions that relate to the Jan. 6 episode. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The EU plans to build a bunker for negotiations by 2024 Read also: Ukrainian top leaders sign joint statement on path to full EU membership It is noted that the chamber could host around 100 people up to 34 leaders and their 34 note-takers, as well as protocol, technical, and catering staff. The room will be offline but equipped with internal big-screen conferencing technology and microphones hardwired to equally secure booths for 30 interpreters. Read also: A turning point in the war of Putin's Russia against Ukraine and the civilized world Both the meeting room and booths will be enclosed in a NATO-certified insulation cage to "mitigate the risk of exploitation of compromising emanations" electro-magnetic and radio waves generated by IT screens and wires, which can be remotely intercepted. Also, EU leaders and staff will have to leave their phones, laptops, smart watches, electronic key fobs and even hearing aids in soundproof lockers outside the chamber. According to EUobserver, the facility is to be built by 2024 in the EU Council complex in Brussels, which already hosts summits. The exact location has not been decided yet, but officials are looking for somewhere near the normal EU summit room so that leaders can go back and forth more easily. It comes after Russia brought back war to Europe by invading Ukraine and amid EU plans to create a joint armed forces alongside NATO. "Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus" is the current exhibition at the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center. The exhibition features Midwest artists Catherine Reinhart and Giovanni Valderas. Bright colors and a variety of textures welcome guests as they walk into Missouri State's Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center this month. The themes behind the artworks on the walls, preserved on the floor and hung from the ceiling are not necessarily so bright and cheery. Carolla's current exhibition, "Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus" opened June 20. The exhibition is open through Friday, Aug. 5. "Mapping Awareness" features works from social artists Catherine Reinhart and Giovanni Valderas. Missouri State University Director of Exhibitions Jodi McCoy and Missouri State MFA student and gallery assistant Shauna LeAnn Smith curated the exhibition. "This exhibition showcases social practice-based works of art that document the detritus (waste or decay) of cultural domesticity and neighborhoods," the exhibition's statement reads. "Mapping Awareness" is the first summer exhibition at Carolla since its opening last fall and the first Missouri State MFA student co-curated exhibition. McCoy described "Mapping Awareness" as a trial run for Missouri State MFA students, with Smith as the guinea pig. Due to its success, MFA students will now have the opportunity to pitch and curate their own exhibitions through the university. The first phase of putting together "Mapping Awareness" was creating an intention. Smith said she wanted to portray social practice and socially-engaged art, which aims to improve conditions in either a specific community or the world at large. As for tracking down the artists, Smith already followed Reinhart and Valdera. How they both spoke about their communities whether family or a physical neighborhood through art resonated with Smith. Catherine Reinhart Interdisciplinary artist Catherine Reinhart is one of two participating artists in "Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus" at Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, located at 326 N. Boonville Ave. An artist, wife and mother of two, Reinhart is based in Ames, Iowa. Through her use of fabric, paper and abandoned textiles, Reinhart explores the themes of domestic labor, caregiving, motherhood and connection. Based in Ames, Iowa, Reinhart is an interdisciplinary artist, wife and mother of two. Through her work with fiber, paper and abandoned textiles, Reinhart explores motherhood, domestic labor, connection and caregiving. Story continues A year after graduating from the University of Kansas with a master of fine arts in textiles, Reinhart gave birth to her eldest daughter, who is nine years old today. "I have never not been both an artist and a mom," Reinhart said. "Not only is (the home landscape or domestic landscape) really underrepresented in the art world in general, I think, but that's where I've been for the past 10 years. It's been a rich place to make art and to build community." Reinhart's pieces featured in "Mapping Awareness," range from textile weavings to screen-printed maps. Many are from her body of work, "Topography of Dwelling," which explores how her family dwells together through topographic symbolism. Reinhart said "Mapping Awareness" is her first two-person exhibition, which excited her. Some of Reinhart's pieces are displayed under glass, as an artifact would be in a museum. This similarity is intentional. "If you were to go to a natural history museum ... or you go to an archaeological site, all these really just ordinary things are preserved as precious bits of history," Reinhart said. "How do we extend that type of looking into my landscape now?" Paper pulp molds of Polly Pocket dollhouses, created by Catherine Reinhart, are on display under glass in the exhibition "Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus" at the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center. Reinhart is an interdisciplinary artist based in Ames, Iowa. A few of the pieces displayed under glass are paper pulp molds of Polly Pocket dollhouses. Paper pulp mold is made from water and paper, typically cardboard, newspaper or a combination of both. "Museums aren't saving Polly Pocket toys, but maybe they would in 200 years if those little houses outlive our bodies," she said. "That's the reality of these objects we actually don't pay much attention to in our daily life." To see more of Reinhart's work and stay updated with the artist, visit her Facebook at facebook.com/catherine.reinhart.94 or Instagram at instagram.com/catherine_reinhart_studio/. Giovanni Valderas Giovanni Valderas is one of the two participating artists in "Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus" at the Robert & Margaret Carolla Arts Exhibition Center, located at 326 N. Boonville Ave. Valderas is a Dallas, Texas native. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, this is where Valderas continues to make art today. Valderas uses mixed media elements to discuss the relationship between his Guatemala, Mexican and American ancestry. He often creates art about his hometown neighborhood in Dallas, Oak Cliff. In "Mapping Awareness," Valderas has works from his projects, "CASITA TRISTE" and "Text Paintings." Translated to English, "casita triste" is "sad little house." Valderas described Oak Cliff, as a majority Latinx community. In recent years, the area has become gentrified. One effect of this gentrification was the loss of affordable housing, which inspired Valderas to start the guerrilla, public art project, "CASITA TRISTE." The project includes a series of 2x3-feet colorful pinata houses with sad faces. Valderas placed the houses around Oak Cliff, specifically in front of developing areas. Attached to each house was a bag of postcards, which included information about Dallas' affordable housing crisis. Viewers were encouraged to write their stories on the postcards, which were addressed to the mayor of Dallas. This project was in collaboration with the Texas Tenants' Union. Two pinata houses from "CASITA TRISTE" are on display in "Mapping Awareness." Valderas said he hopes to place the houses in Springfield after the exhibition closes. "What I love about public art is that you never know what's going to happen to these things," Valderas said. "The beautiful thing about it is they tend to wither and eventually fall apart, which I think is really symbolic of the community I was living in and how if they're not being taken care of, they're just going to disappear just like these little pinata houses." Valderas' "Text Paintings" also address Dallas' affordable housing crisis. These signs replicate "for sale" signs that began to appear through Oak Cliff as development continued. Similar to his houses, Valderas' signs replicate colorful pinatas. Each sign depicts a slang idiom Valderas grew up hearing in his Latinx community, such as "no hay pedo" (no problem) and "ya te vi" (I already saw you). To see more of Valderas' work and stay updated with the artist, visit his Facebook at facebook.com/giovanni.valderas or Instagram at instagram.com/giovannivalderas_com/. When can I see 'Mapping Awareness'? Carolla is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday during the summer. In addition to regular hours, Carolla is hosting a Slow Viewing Night on Thursday, Aug. 4 from 5-6 p.m. Slow Viewing, developed and facilitated by Smith, encourages folks to slow down and develop their skills of interpreting, observing and discussing art. Participants will spend the first 30 minutes analyzing one piece of art from the exhibition in silence. Then, the last 30 minutes will be spent discussing the piece together. "As a participant, it makes art feel really approachable," McCoy said. "I think so many people are just kind of scared or timid to come into the door because it's a gallery, it's fancy and I'm looking at this thing and I don't know what it is or how to talk about it. Slow Viewing really gives you a space to just feel comfortable to say how you feel about what you're seeing in a way that, I think, museums and galleries really struggle with." Slow Viewing is free and open to the public. Free public parking is available at 313 Boonville Ave. and 310 Boonville Ave. For Slow Viewing updates, visit the Slow Viewing Instagram at instagram.com/slowviewing/. After the closing of "Mapping Awareness," Carolla will open "Polish Comics in Brief." McCoy said she is allowing a Polish curator to use the space to share the history of Polish comic books. This exhibition will be open Aug. 23 through Sept. 7. For updates, visit galleries.missouristate.edu/Carolla/exhibition-schedule.htm or visit Carolla's Facebook at facebook.com/Carolla.ArtsCenter.msu. Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Carolla opens 'Mapping Awareness: Social Objects and Detritus' The Memphis Police Department (MPD) is searching for a man accused of stealing from a couple in a hotel while they were in their room. On Jul. 10, the victim and his family were awakened in their Four Points by Sheridan Hotel room in the 5800 block of Poplar Avenue to a man standing at the foot of their bed, a release said. The victim said his wife screamed and the suspect fled carrying a laptop bag, purse, wallets and other items belonging to him and his family, police said. These days you really have to watch out, take that extra measure, said Tracy Stone. Its a startling story that University of Memphis student Vivian Nguyen said could be a turn-off for tourists. I personally I would just want more security in hotels if Im coming to Memphis, that would make people that are traveling to Memphis not feel safe especially if its that easy to break into hotel rooms, Nguyen said. For retired Shelby County Sheriffs detective Michael Collins, travelers should always take advantage of the safe available inside the rooms to lock away all valuable items. I would go ahead and encourage people to put objects behind the door, a chair or something like that if youre a hard sleeper when you cant hear someone enter the room, said Collins. FOX13 reached out to the hotel Sunday afternoon and they said the manager will be back to answer any questions Monday morning Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: The FBI announced on Saturday that it was looking into a potential threat against an unidentified Texas synagogue months after a hostage situation took place at a synagogue in the state. The FBI is investigating a potential threat targeting an unidentified synagogue in Texas. We are working to determine the credibility of the threat and sharing information with our law enforcement partners and our partners in the Jewish community, the FBI said in a statement. We would like to remind members of the public that if they observe anything suspicious or have information about potential threats to report it to law enforcement immediately, call their local FBI field office, or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov, the agency added. The Jewish Federation of San Antonio said in a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon that the FBI had updated them that there is no known imminent threat in effect any longer for the San Antonio area Jewish community. The organization advised that members of the community be aware of their environment and be vigilant. The FBI said it had no additional updates to provide when asked about the post. The CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Jonathan Greenblatt, said in a statement on Saturday that a Texas synagogue was the target of a slew of threats and that the ADL had been in communication with law enforcement agencies about the matter. Greenblatt noted that they became aware of a more specific and credible threat within the last 24 hours. In this heightened threat environment and in the wake of the horrific act of domestic terror in Highland Park, IL we urge all communities to maintain a heightened sense of awareness and immediately report any suspicious activity to law enforcement, Greenblatt said, referencing the mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park that left seven dead and dozens more injured. We are grateful to the FBI, state and local law enforcement for their proactive work investigating these potential threats. Story continues In January, four people, including a rabbi, were held hostage for hours at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, by British national Malik Faisal Akram before he was ultimately killed by officers. President Biden labeled the incident an act of terror and an FBI special agent called it a hate crime and an act of terrorism. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Water-dropping helicopters battle the Washburn fire burning in Yosemite National Park on Saturday. (Noah Berger / Associated Press) A fire threatening hundreds of ancient sequoias in Yosemite National Park continued to spread Sunday as firefighters braced for more difficult conditions this week with warmer and drier weather approaching. The Washburn fire had grown to at least 2,044 acres by Sunday evening and was burning on the southern end of the park near the historic Mariposa Grove, home to about 500 giant sequoias, officials said. The blaze is also threatening the community of Wawona and prompted officials to close Highway 41 near the south entrance to Henness Ridge Road. Fire officials said that rising temperatures and dry weather were predicted for much of the week, creating the potential for flames to spread quicker and making an already difficult task even more challenging for crews fighting the blaze. "Today is turning out to be hotter and drier," U.S. Forest Service spokesman Stanley Bercovitz told The Times. "That makes conditions harder for the firefighters and better for burning, unfortunately." He added, however, that the "saving grace" is that winds are not high, which has helped keep the flames from fanning out more quickly. More than 545 firefighters were battling the blaze in a coordinated land and air attack, officials said. But Bercovitz said that thousands more from across the country are being called in. In the case of major fires with valuable assets at risk, such as homes or ancient groves, reinforcements typically are summonedfrom Oregon and Washington before their fire season has started and from Alaska, Arizona and New Mexico after their fires begin to die down. But because fire seasons everywhere are lasting longer, he said, it's getting more difficulty to secure help. "It's turning into a logistical nightmare to get people to work for a long season," he said. "But the orders are out now and it's just a matter of getting the resources." He added that the current deployment of 11 water-dropping helicopters and multiple air tankers would also grow. Story continues In the Mariposa Grove, crews were scraping the ground cover to bare soil to prevent flames and spot fires from spreading, and were installing portable sprinkler systems to spray the trees and increase humidity. Firefightersset up a sprinkler system to water down the famed Grizzly Giant, which is more than 200 feet tall and one of the largest sequoias in the park. "The fire is burning in difficult terrain with continuous fuels," posing a "significant threat to firefighters," fire officials said in a statement. On Saturday, intense smoke and flames sent embers and fire debris hundreds of feet into the air, nearly striking an aircraft that was battling the blaze, according to radio traffic from the firefight. "A branch went over the top of us," the pilot reported to dispatchers. "Pretty good size, probably 50 feet above us coming down and fell right between tanker 103 and myself." "OK, copy. So like a repeat of yesterday," a dispatcher said. "That's exactly what I'm getting at," the pilot responded. "So if we keep seeing that, we might have to knock it off. I don't want to take a chance of busting a window on an airplane or hurting an aircraft for this." Officials said Sunday that Yosemite remains open and visitors are advised to enter the park using highways 140 or 120, officials said. News about the famous park and its threatened ancient sequoias has been followed globally, with around-the-clock media calls from Europe and Asia, Bercovitz said. Last year was a devastating fire season for the sequoias after twin wildfires destroyed about 3,600 of the ancient trees as flames sparked by lightning strikes tore through more than two dozen groves in Northern California, National Park Service officials said. The loss was stunning and equaled roughly 3% to 5% of the world's sequoia population, officials said in a briefing last year after the KNP Complex and Windy fires. Ancient sequoias, with thick bark and massive canopies, can withstand low-intensity fire, and even need it to reproduce. But the giant trees are no match for intense wildfires fueled by climate change and years of drought. The Washburn fire was the latest to ravage the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The heavily forested region has been battered by years of drought and decades of aggressive fire suppression, which has resulted in dense vegetation in some areas. Located in the southern portion of Yosemite, the Mariposa Grove is the largest sequoia grove in the park and is historically significant. The concept of national parks is rooted in the grove. In 1864, President Lincoln signed legislation protecting the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley for "public use, resort, and recreation." It marked the first time that the federal government set aside scenic natural areas to be protected for the benefit of future generations. Fire officials noted that a history of prescribed burns in the Mariposa Grove, along with scars from recent burns, could slow fire spread and limit potential damage. "Once the fire reaches some of the recent fire scars, spread may slow," officials said. Staff writer Teresa Watanabe contributed to this report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A Florida man is now behind bars after he reportedly led Monroe County deputies on a police chase. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] According to authorities, deputies attempted to stop a vehicle that was suspected to have been involved in an aggravated assault-domestic incident that occurred on Interstate 75 northbound. The car was being driven by a white man with no shirt, later identified as Daniel Young, 38, of Tallahassee. Deputies believed Young was involved in the assault. TRENDING STORIES: Deputies said the car did not stop and proceeded to lead officers in a pursuit into Butts County. As the chase continued, Young tried to ram the deputies multiple times. The chase came to an end when Young wrecked the vehicle after a PIT maneuver was performed on I-75 in Butts County. Young continuously fought deputies while being pulled out from the car. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] He was checked out by EMS before being arrested and transported to the Monroe County Jail. Young is charged with four counts of aggravated assault, four counts of obstruction, one count of felony attempting to elude, a DUI refusal and several traffic violations. IN OTHER NEWS: A former Dayton congressman is set to receive Romanias highest honor. Tony Hall, former ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, is being honored with the Star of Romania, the countrys highest honor, today July 13. Hall, a Dayton native, is being awarded for his exceptional contribution to defense of democracy and support of human rights in Romania, according to a release from the Hall Hunger Initiative. >> Trotwood Police searching for endangered missing 1-year-old While in Congress, Hall traveled to Romania in the 1980s during the oppressive regime of dictator Nicholae Ceasuescu. When he returned, Hall started a bipartisan effort to remove Romanias Most Favored Nation trade status, an important sanction that strongly showed Americas condemnation of the regime. It was not an easy process, Ceasuescu had wined and dined members of congress and the administration so there was opposition to our efforts. However, the evidence of oppression was overwhelming and ultimately we were successful, Hall said. The people of Romania eventually overthrew Ceasuescu, leading to his arrest, trial and execution. While the people of Romania have told him the support from American was extremely important to their efforts, Hall said they were the ones who deserve the credit. >> This is the backbone of America; Thousands come out for Country Concert in Shelby Co. They showed remarkable courage and resilience under conditions we cant even imagine. I will always be in awe of their strength and faith, he said. Hall served the Dayton area in Congress for nearly 24 years. He also served as an ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture from 2002-2006. Hall has been nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize and was unanimously chosen to be awarded the Dayton Peace Prize in May. Hall will receive the Star of Romania Wednesday at the Romanian Embassy in Washington, D.C. France head coach Corinne Diacre (centre) celebrates with her players (Nick Potts/PA). (PA Wire) France head coach Corinne Diacre played down the significance of their 5-1 thumping of Italy in their Euro 2022 Group D opener, describing it as only the first of six steps. France blew Italy away in a one-sided first half, opening the scoring in the ninth minute though Grace Geyoros close-range finish before Marie-Antoinette Katoto doubled the lead a matter of minutes later. Three goals in eight minutes at the end of the half ended Italys faint hopes of a comeback, with Delphine Cascarinos powerful effort from outside the area making it three before Geyoro wrapped up the first hat-trick of the tournament. Italy at least salvaged some pride with their second-half performance as Martina Piemontes header earned them a consolation. Despite the manner of the victory, Diacre was in no mood to get carried away. She told a press conference: Its only the first game. This is only the first of six steps that we set out, so we will rest up and go again. We are staying focused, we have our heads down and its only the first game, we have five others. We want to be vigilant. We wanted to show what we were made of from the first game and hats off to my players, they were performing strongly from the off. Diacre admitted even she did not expect to five goals up by half-time. If someone said we would be winning 5-0 at half-time, I would say no, not against Italy, she said. We need to stay focused as we are just at the start of the journey. Italy head coach Milena Bertolini said her side could take heart from their second-half showing. She said: I did not expect to be trailing 5-0 at the break. We prepared the game different to how it panned out, I think the miss from Barbara (Bonansea early in the first half) actually got our hopes up that we could compete on a even footing and we cant do that against France. There are a number of positives to emerge from this evening. Well go again with the attitude the girls showed after the break, because its not easy to go into the second half 5-0 down, but we were in danger of having a big debacle. Its a defeat that can teach us a lot of things and we can learn from this. Opposition deputies on Sunday denounced reports of a secret deal between French President Emmanuel Macron -- when he was a minister under a socialist government -- and online transport giant Uber. The allegations come in the latest data-based investigation by leading international news outlets based on leaked files, announced on social media as #UberFiles. The report in France's Le Monde daily, citing documents, text messages and witnesses, alleges that Uber came to a secret "deal" with Macron when he was economy minister between 2014 and 2016. Le Monde's report highlights what it says was help from Macron's ministry intended to help Uber consolidate its position in France, such as suggesting that the company present "ready-made" amendments to deputies to help their case. Opposition deputies have denounced what they say appears to have been close collaboration between Macron and Uber at a time when the company was trying to get around tight government regulation of their sector. Contacted by AFP, Uber France confirmed that the two sides had been in contact. The meetings with Macron had been in the normal course of his ministerial duties, which covered the private-hire sector. The president's office told AFP that at that time Macron had, as economy minister, "naturally" been in contact with "many companies involved in the profound change in services that has occurred over the years mentioned, which should be facilitated by unravelling certain administrative or regulatory locks". But Mathilde Panot, parliamentary leader of the hard-left opposition France Unbowed party, denounced on Twitter what she described as the "pillage of the country" during Macron's time as minister under president Francois Hollande. She described Macron as a "lobbyist" for a "US multinational aiming to permanently deregulate labour law". - 'Against all our rules' - Communist Party leader Fabien Roussel described Le Monde's story as "damning revelations about the active role played by Emmanuel Macron, then minister, to facilitate the development of Uber in France. Story continues "Against all our rules, all our social rights and against workers' rights," he posted on Twitter. Communist deputy Pierre Dharreville called for a parliamentary inquiry into the affair. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party, tweeted that the revelations showed that Macron's career had "a common thread: to serve private interests, often foreign, before national interests". The Uber Files investigation is based on a leak of tens of thousands of documents to Britain's Guardian newspaper from an anonymous source, and has been coordinated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. The ICIJ is working with 42 media partners around the world on the story. sb-cgc-vl-reb/jj/imm 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. OLENA ROSHCHINA SUNDAY, 1O JULY 2022, 08:52 Over the past day, the number of children injured in Ukraine as a result of the actions of the Russian army has increased: a 12-year-old girl was injured in the centre of Kharkiv. Source: Prosecutor General's Office, citing prosecutors of crimes against juveniles Quote: "On 9 July, a 12-year-old girl was injured as a result of Russian shelling of residential buildings in the central part of Kharkiv". Details: According to officially confirmed data, between 24 February and the morning of 10 July, at least 995 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation: 347 dead children remained, but the number of injured children increased, to a total of 648 children. These numbers are not final: work is ongoing to confirm them in areas of active hostilities, in temporarily occupied territories and in liberated areas. According to the available data, the highest number of children killed or injured were in Donetsk Oblast 348, Kharkiv Oblast 187, Kyiv Oblast 116, Chernihiv Oblast 68, Luhansk Oblast 61, Mykolaiv Oblast 53, Kherson Oblast 52, and Zaporizhzhia Oblast 31. As a result of bombing and shelling by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, 2,116 educational institutions were damaged and 216 of them were completely destroyed. You can report a war crime against a child through the single hub warcrimes.gov.ua and by phone: +380961004438, +380683235856. Maryland Governor Hogan Speaks To The Media After Mass Shooting Brian Stukes / Getty Images Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Sunday said that Trump's influence on the Republican party is "diminishing." "It hasn't happened rapidly, but it has diminished dramatically," Hogan said. Hogan pointed to several Republican non-Trump-endorsed candidates that have won their primaries. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said on Sunday that former President Donald Trump's influence on the Republican party has "diminished dramatically." "I've been talking about this for years now, and I felt like I was on a lifeboat all by myself. But now we need a bigger boat because more and more people are speaking out every day," Hogan n NBC's "Meet the Press." "I said Trump's influence on the party was going to diminish over time. It hasn't happened rapidly, but it has diminished dramatically." Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) July 10, 2022 Hogan pointed to several non-Trump-endorsed candidates that have won their primaries as an "example" of Trump's influence fading. "There were five different governors where Trump was attacking them. All of them won," said Hogan, who sits on the Republican Governors Association executive committee. "I went down and did events for Brian Kemp, a couple of my staffers are down working at his campaign. Brian Kemp won by 52 points," he added. Kemp won Georgia's GOP governor primary against Trump-endorsed David Perdue in May. Trump's "Save America" PAC later baselessly claimed Kemp won because of fraud, despite his clear, 52-point victory. "Nobodys been standing up more to Donald Trump than me," Hogan told Todd. "I'm going all around the country helping people that Trump is attacking, and we're winning most of them." Last week, Kurt Bardellam, a former GOP House aide, said that Trump will likely announce his 2024 presidential run soon. "I'm hopeful that Donald Trump won't be running and won't be the nominee if he does run," Hogan said. Read the original article on Insider ST. LOUIS (AP) Eric Greitens resigned as Missouri governor amid criminal charges and legislative investigations, is accused by his ex-wife of abuse and bullying and has run a widely condemned ad suggesting he was hunting members of his own party with a gun. And the Republican is still a leading contender for election to the U.S. Senate. In the final weeks before the Aug. 2 primary, Greitens remains well positioned to clinch the nomination for the Senate seat being vacated by Republican Roy Blunt, who is not seeking a third term. If anything, the onslaught of criticism has made Greitens even more popular among his followers. They say they either do not believe the allegations against him or care more about his overarching message opposing the radical left and embracing former President Donald Trump. Every politician gets slammed for something or other, Michael Moynihan, 74, said at a recent Greitens campaign appearance in the eastern Missouri town of Elsberry. If youre into politics, buddy, believe me, theyre going to come after you. Ron Lowrey, 71, a retired oil and gas geologist from St. Charles, likes Greitens' resilience. Hes a fighter and hes pushed through that, and that impresses me a lot, Lowrey said. The contest is emerging as the latest test of the GOPs apparent willingness to embrace deeply flawed candidates who, before the Trump era, may have struggled to win their partys nomination. Some in the GOP, particularly those close to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, are watching the dynamics closely, fearful that a Greitens victory could jeopardize the party's ability to regain a Senate majority. A new candidate is banking on the belief that Republicans want an alternative. Lifelong Republican John F. Wood, 52, a former U.S. attorney in Kansas City and most recently a top investigator for the U.S. House committee investigating the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, announced his independent candidacy late last month. A super political action committee led by former Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo., is pledging to spend $20 million to support him. Story continues Im in this race to win it no matter who the Republican nominee is, Wood said in a phone interview. "But I think itll be Eric Greitens, and Eric Greitens is a big part of the reason I decided to get into the race. Danforth's PAC, Missouri Stands United, is spending $3 million on TV, radio, digital and direct mail ads through July as Wood gathers signatures to get a spot on the ballot and said it will spend up to $20 million through November. We are too divided, and politicians are making it so," Danforth says in one TV spot. "They are intentionally dividing us. Theyre appealing to the very worst in us. To our anger. Theyre trying to push us into enemy camps. But were not enemies. Were all one people. Were Americans. Danforth takes responsibility for some of that division. He was an early supporter of Missouri Republican Josh Hawley, who was elected to the Senate in 2018. But after Hawley's Electoral College challenge to Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 presidential victory, and after the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Danforth called supporting Hawley the worst decision Ive ever made in my life. Wood also alluded to the riot in his criticism of Greitens' latest ad, a 38-second spot showing Greitens brandishing a shotgun and declaring hes hunting RINOs Republicans in Name Only. Though Greitens said the spot was meant to be humorous, Facebook removed it. Twitter said it violated its rules about abusive behavior but left up the post because it was in the publics interest for the tweet to be viewable. The companys move prevented the post from being shared any further. If Jan. 6 taught us anything, its that words can inspire action," Wood said. "I think theres a risk that Eric Greitens words and conduct could inspire somebody to act in a violent way, and thats just wrong. Greitens, 48, is a former Navy SEAL officer and Rhodes scholar who was just a year into his first term as governor when in January 2018 he confirmed a TV report about an extramarital affair in 2015 with his St. Louis hairdresser. The sex scandal turned into a criminal matter when the St. Louis prosecutor charged Greitens with felony invasion of privacy, accusing him of taking a nude photo of the woman and threatening to use it as blackmail if she spoke of their relationship. Weeks later, a second charge accused Greitens of illegally using a donor list from a charity he founded to raise money for his campaign. An impeachment investigation began in the Missouri House. The invasion of privacy charge was dropped in May 2018 amid concerns that the chief investigator and St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner mishandled the investigation. Earlier this year, investigator William Tisaby pleaded guilty to misdemeanor evidence tampering. Gardner is awaiting punishment from the Missouri Supreme Court, but is not expected to lose her law license. Greitens points to both in saying he was the victim of a political hit. A special prosecutor examined the invasion of privacy case in June 2018 and said she believed the woman, but declined to file new charges. A House investigation was still ongoing when Greitens resigned in June 2018. The campaign finance-related charge was dropped when he stepped down. Blunt's announcement in March 2021 that he would not seek reelection set the stage for a potentially stunning political comeback for Greitens. His main opponents are Attorney General Eric Schmitt and U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler. Greitens has faced a series of scandals during this race. In March, Sheena Greitens filed an affidavit in a child custody case accusing her ex-husband of abusing her and their two sons. She cited one instance where Eric Greitens cuffed their then 3-year-old son across the face and yanked him by the hair. In another, he allegedly pushed her to the ground. Greitens denied the allegations and accused Sheena Greitens of colluding with Republican stalwarts such as McConnell to sabotage his campaign. Sheena Greitens said she worked with no one. If Greitens' campaign is worried about Wood's candidacy, its leaders are not letting on. We encourage anyone who wants to get in the race to do so, especially any prosecutors from the sham January 6th Committee, Greitens' campaign manager, Dylan Johnson, said in a text. Missouri is Trump Red and only an America First candidate like Governor Greitens will be the next U.S. Senator. Trump has yet to endorse in the race, but recently ruled out the potential of backing Hartzler. Trump, of course, has survived questions about his own past, winning election in 2016 just weeks after a 2005 Access Hollywood tape emerged of him bragging about grabbing women by the genitals. He carried Missouri by 19 percentage points in 2016 and by 15 percentage points in 2020. Nonmajor party candidates do not have a history of success in Missouri, which concerns Joshua Dull, 22, a real estate consultant who serves on the St. Charles County Republican Central Committee. Dull supports Schmitt and said he was disgusted by Greitens RINO-hunting ad but he will vote for Greitens if he wins the nomination. Independent candidates are great in theory, but in high-stakes elections like this one they can just create that party division that leads to Republican defeat, Dull said. Emmanuel Croset/AFP via Getty Images At around 12:30 am local time on Sunday, a group of men rolled up to a tavern in Johannesburg, South Africa, and shot 23 people, killing at least 15 of them, police said. According to the South African Police Service's media statement, 12 individuals died at the scene. A total of 15 are now dead, while seven victims remain in critical condition, The Guardian reported. #NomzamoTavern Blood stains outside the gate leading to the tavern where 15 people were shot dead on Saturday night. Eight others are hospitalised @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/2rtGVovE7C ntwaagae Seleka (@ntwaagae) July 10, 2022 As the Associated Press reported, police are probing a report that the alleged gunmen approached the tavernidentified by a local government official as Mdlaloses in the Nomzamo settlement in the township of Sowetoin a minibus and opened fire at bar-goers. According to the police commissioner, the number of cartridges recovered suggests that the gunmen opened fire within the tavern, a claim corroborated by witness accounts. [The gunman] didnt say anything and started opening fire, one witness, who says that the shooting lasted for approximately 10 minutes, told News24. My friend and others at the pool table scattered for cover. He sprayed them with bullets Four dead people were lying near me. #NomzamoTavern Two more Pathology Service vehicles leaving with some of the bodies of 14 patrons killed at Nomzamo Tavern on Saturday night. Some bodies were found lying on the street according to neighbours @TeamNews24 pic.twitter.com/t00td9XG8f ntwaagae Seleka (@ntwaagae) July 10, 2022 A national police spokeswoman said that the suspects, who remain at large, used rifles and a 9mm pistol in the mass shooting, in which police say people were attacked at random. As of right now, police do not know of a motive. Story continues 1241816741 Officials carry a victims body on a stretcher. Ihsaan Haffejee/Getty Images The initial investigation suggests, according to officials, that the tavern was operating legally and that all victims were of legal drinking age. According to the police commissioner, many were shot while struggling to run out of the tavern. Yet compiling a complete account of the attack is proving difficult, as the tavern was dark when the shooting occurred and witnesses struggled to identify the suspects. The Nomzamo settlement is one of the poorest in Soweto, a relatively affluent city on the edge of Johannesburg. A national police spokesperson said that the township has long been a source of difficulty for the police, as there is no electricity. Thabiso Letlojane, 31, is a lifelong resident of Nomzamo and told The Guardian that he was at the bar just hours before the attack. Its just a normal pub, he told the outlet. It was very calm in the eveningIt just shows that no one is safe, especially in this area. People are shooting all the time, every day every night. You cant sleep without hearing the sound of the guns. Though South Africas murder rate dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, it shot up in the final months of 2021. On Saturday, police say that another shooting at a bar in the city of Pietermaritzburg killed four people and injured eight others. Two weeks ago, 21 teenagers died under unknown circumstances at a tavern. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A look at the shareholders of Begbies Traynor Group plc (LON:BEG) can tell us which group is most powerful. Institutions will often hold stock in bigger companies, and we expect to see insiders owning a noticeable percentage of the smaller ones. I generally like to see some degree of insider ownership, even if only a little. As Nassim Nicholas Taleb said, 'Dont tell me what you think, tell me what you have in your portfolio. With a market capitalization of UK221m, Begbies Traynor Group is a small cap stock, so it might not be well known by many institutional investors. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it seems that institutional investors have bought into the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Begbies Traynor Group. See our latest analysis for Begbies Traynor Group What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Begbies Traynor Group? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. We can see that Begbies Traynor Group does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This implies the analysts working for those institutions have looked at the stock and they like it. But just like anyone else, they could be wrong. It is not uncommon to see a big share price drop if two large institutional investors try to sell out of a stock at the same time. So it is worth checking the past earnings trajectory of Begbies Traynor Group, (below). Of course, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider, too. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. Begbies Traynor Group is not owned by hedge funds. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is Begbies Traynor National Partnership with 12% of shares outstanding. Meanwhile, the second and third largest shareholders, hold 7.2% and 5.9%, of the shares outstanding, respectively. Richard Traynor, who is the third-largest shareholder, also happens to hold the title of Chairman of the Board. Story continues On further inspection, we found that more than half the company's shares are owned by the top 10 shareholders, suggesting that the interests of the larger shareholders are balanced out to an extent by the smaller ones. While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Begbies Traynor Group While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions. We can see that insiders own shares in Begbies Traynor Group plc. As individuals, the insiders collectively own UK16m worth of the UK221m company. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 18% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. This size of ownership, while considerable, may not be enough to change company policy if the decision is not in sync with other large shareholders. Private Equity Ownership With a stake of 5.3%, private equity firms could influence the Begbies Traynor Group board. Sometimes we see private equity stick around for the long term, but generally speaking they have a shorter investment horizon and -- as the name suggests -- don't invest in public companies much. After some time they may look to sell and redeploy capital elsewhere. Private Company Ownership We can see that Private Companies own 14%, of the shares on issue. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. Take risks for example - Begbies Traynor Group has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. But ultimately it is the future, not the past, that will determine how well the owners of this business will do. Therefore we think it advisable to take a look at this free report showing whether analysts are predicting a brighter future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here A woman whose sons used to be friends with Highland Park shooting suspect Robert Crimo has revealed that he attempted suicide as far back as 2016 as she branded his familys claims that they saw no warning signs ahead of the attack as a joke. The mother-of-two, who wishes to remain anonymous, told The Daily Beast that the 21-year-old went on a downward spiral around six years ago but his parents ignored his poor mental health. Mr Crimo is now facing life behind bars for the murders of seven innocent parade-goers during a July 4 parade in Highland Park, Illinois. The suspect is accused of perching on top of a nearby building and opening fire on the families, local residents and groups of friends who had gathered to enjoy the Independence Day celebrations below. Following the massacre, questions are now mounting around why Mr Crimo was able to legally purchase multiple firearms and why his father sponsored his gun permit application when he had previously displayed disturbing behaviour and made threats to kill his family. I thought it was a joke when his uncle came out and said There were no signs of this. He was always this quiet kid, working in his apartment and behind the house, the woman told The Daily Beast. When it was like he had tried killing himself twice when he was hanging out with my [children], so how could you say there was no signs of this? She added: I think theres a lot of balls dropped, no matter which way you look at it. The woman said her two sons used to go to the same local skatepark as Mr Crimo and so he would often come to their home around 2016 and 2017. Back then, she said that he was a sweet kid who was quiet and polite but was a loner and depressed. I think his emotional instability was kind of brushed under the rug by his family, she said. While she didnt think he was capable of going on to carry out a mass shooting, the woman said she did think he posed a danger to himself. He wasnt always like this, and I would have never guessed that he would hurt a fly. Hurt himself? Yes. But hurt someone else? No, she said. Story continues The woman said that Mr Crimo tried to kill himself multiple times and struggled with suicidal thoughts and self-harm as far back as 2016. Attorney George Gomez, who is representing Mr Crimos parents Bob Crimo Jr and Denise Pesina, told The Daily Beast his office was not aware of anything like that happening in 2016. He also said that his clients did not follow their son on social media and so werent aware of his rap music videos where he glorified violence and mass shootings. Robert Crimo appears in first court appearance on seven counts of first-degree murder (AP) A former friend of Mr Crimo also told the outlet that she had messaged his father on Facebook around 2015 to warn him that his son had spoken about wanting to overdose. The friend said that Bob Crimo ignored her message and blocked her on the social media platform. He felt a lot of times that his parents didnt care about him, she said. Mr Gomez denied Mr Crimos parents had any knowledge of their son feeling suicidal back then. It emerged this week that police were called to two separate incidents at the Crimo family home in 2019 involving the alleged mass murderer. In April 2019, police were called to the home when Mr Crimo allegedly tried to kill himself with a machete. Officers referred the incident to mental health professionals. Five months later, on 5 September 2019, officers responded to the home again for a wellbeing check 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 Mr Crimo admitted to officers that he was depressed and had a history of drug use, according to a police report released by Indiana State Police (ISP). 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 that he had simply been storing them in his sons room for safekeeping. A memorial to the seven people killed in the mass shooting (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) Despite the warning signs about Mr Crimos disturbing behaviour, three months later, his father sponsored his sons application for an FOID card (a state card required for an individual to purchase and possess firearms). 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. As well as the alleged threats to hurt himself and others, Mr Crimo also had a disturbing online footprint, posting videos where he glamourised violence, firearms and mass shootings. Among the trail of disturbing posts are music videos he posted on his YouTube account under his rap name Awake the Rapper, including one where he appears in a classroom with bullets and dressed in tactical gear, appearing to glorify school shootings. Questions are now growing around whether Mr Crimos father who had a failed run for mayor of Highland Park could now face charges in connection to the mass shooting. Bob Crimo has denied any potential culpability for the massacre saying he had zero involvement in what happened. 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. If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch. If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you. SheKnows While Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez were busy getting married over the weekend in Las Vegas, Jennifer Garner took herself on a relaxing vacation away from all of buzzy headlines. Of course, she was in on the secret since her three children with Affleck, Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13, and Samuel, 10, attended the A Little White [] When close to half the companies in Canada have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 10x, you may consider Innovotech Inc. (CVE:IOT) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 19.9x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E. Earnings have risen firmly for Innovotech recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this respectable earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price. See our latest analysis for Innovotech pe Although there are no analyst estimates available for Innovotech, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow. How Is Innovotech's Growth Trending? There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like Innovotech's to be considered reasonable. Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 29% last year. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company. Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 16% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results. In light of this, it's alarming that Innovotech's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually. The Key Takeaway It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator. Story continues We've established that Innovotech currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider market forecast. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium. Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with Innovotech (including 2 which are a bit concerning). Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a P/E below 20x. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid said on Sunday that his office would investigate reports of a mass grave in central Israel containing the bodies of Egyptian commandos who were killed during the 1967 Middle East war. Lapid's office said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi brought up the issue in a call after two Israeli newspapers published witness accounts suggesting there was an unmarked grave near Latrun, an area between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv where Israel's army fought the Egyptian soldiers decades ago. Newspapers Yedioth Ahronoth and Haaretz published archival material and interviews with residents recounting how dozens of Egyptian soldiers killed in the battle may be buried there. "The Egyptian president raised the report about the collective grave of Egyptian soldiers during the (1967) Six Day War," Lapid's office said. The Israeli leader, according to the statement, directed his military secretary "to examine the issue in depth and to update Egyptian officials". After fighting another war in 1973, Israel and Egypt signed a peace treaty in 1979. That was first it signed with an Arab country and Israel regards it as a cornerstone of its security. (Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch; Editing by Alex Richardson) A Johns Hopkins University researcher can continue medical experiments on barn owls after a lengthy battle with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals over animal cruelty and permit complaints. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources last month issued Hopkins a new permit to conduct what PETA calls cruel and worthless experiments on barn owls. The animal rights group has campaigned for years to end the experiments, saying researchers cut into the owls skulls, implant electrodes in their brains and run sensory tests before killing the birds. Hopkins has been staunch in its support for Associate Professor Shreesh Mysores research, which focuses on deconstructing neural circuits in the brain and understanding how they shape behavior. The study could yield critical insight into medical conditions, including ADHD, autism and schizophrenia so that scientists can develop better interventions and treatments, the university says. Experimenters place electrodes into the brains of barn owns. They then conduct sensory tests on the birds and record what the brain does as the owls react to their environment. The owls are restrained during the tests. While the implanted electrodes do not hurt or damage the birds, the owls are ultimately euthanized, said Eric Hutchinson, director of Research Animal Resources, which oversees animal care at JHU. Unfortunately, for neuroscience research, when youre studying the brain, the tissue you need at the end of the experiment is the brain, Hutchinson said. Theres no way to collect that tissue in a way that would preserve the life of the animal. And so, in order to collect that tissue, the animals undergo humane euthanasia prior to collection. PETA raises concerns over animal cruelty in experiments Mysores research appeared on PETAs radar in 2018 when NPR published an article about his work with barn owls. Initially, PETA tried to convince Hopkins that its experiments were brutal to the birds and that there were better methods. Story continues Looking at brain activity in barn owls with invasive procedures in the brain doesnt give any insight into human attention deficit disorder because of the inapplicable differences across species, Shalin Gala, PETAs vice president of international laboratory methods, told The Baltimore Sun in 2020. Superior, more relevant research methods can be used to scan peoples brains during certain tasks and with consent. Thats a better way to spare the animals and get the data we need. When that didnt work, PETA shifted its focus to a permit needed for using animals in scientific experiments. The group repeatedly contacted the DNR, which issues the permits, and the National Institutes of Health, which funds JHUs owl research, to contest the legality of Hopkins testing practices. Last month, PETA declared victory, though prematurely, after the DNR issued Hopkins a revised permit with language that prohibited Mysore from killing the owls. Maryland state Sen. Benjamin F. Kramer soon after sent letters to Hopkins, the DNR and the NIH, calling on them to ensure that the experiments end permanently and to sanction the researcher. The DNR had issued Hopkins a revised permit because PETA had filed complaints to the agency that Hopkins was killing the owls, which violated the conditions of the permit the university possessed. The DNR issued a scientific collection permit to Mysore in 2014 that allows for the collection of wildlife for scientific or educational purposes but becomes void with proof that the permittee killed any wildlife. When Hopkins first applied for a permit in 2014, the DNR issued Mysore the most applicable permit that they had, Hutchinson said. The agency knew and Hopkins was clear during the application process that Mysore was using captive birds, he said. Mysore brought the barn owls from a research facility at Stanford University before setting up a breeding colony on campus. He should have never been issued that permit, Hutchinson said. When we were issued [the revised] permit, we of course, immediately put a stop on any euthanasia so that we would be in compliance with that new permit, Hutchinson said. Meanwhile, [we] contacted DNR, and we were working with DNR to basically say the statute that this permit is issued under is for collections, and, in fact, theres an existing statute that he should have been issued a permit under that covers possession. The DNR on June 10 issued the university a Permit to Possess Protected Species of Wild Birds. This enabled Mysore to continue its owl research as before, which includes euthanizing the birds. The university has applied for and received a permit to possess barn owls for scientific purposes, which is the appropriate permit for their captive-bred animals, Gregg Bortz, the DNRS media relations manager, said last month. He noted that the agency is not the oversight body for this research. Concerns over how animal experimentation is regulated Gala, who oversees PETAs campaign against Hopkins owl experiments, says there is a troubling lack of oversight in the regulation of animal experimentation. For example, PETA learned through a public records request that Mysore conducted his experiments from 2015 to 2018 even though his old permit had lapsed. The permits must be renewed annually. When we raised this issue with NIH, NIH actually blamed DNR, saying that was their fault for not reminding him. But then DNR, when we raised it with them, [said] that they did send a reminder to him and that Mysore is the one who didnt renew, Gala said. So everyone is pointing fingers at everyone else, and no ones taking responsibility. This back-and-forth between the agencies is indicative of a larger system breakdown, he said. Had PETA not repeatedly raised these concerns with each agency, it would presumably have been business as usual, he said. Hopkins acknowledges that there was a lapse during those years. However, the stakeholders, including Hopkins, the NIH and the DNR, reviewed how that happened and concluded that it was essentially a clerical error, Hutchinson said. Mysores work gets reviewed thoroughly every three years and annually on a cursory basis, Hutchinson said. The NIH also reviews Mysores research regularly to determine whether its worthy of funding, he added. Emma Wojtowicz, public affairs specialist at NIH, said last month that the grant remains active. The agency has awarded more than $1.9 million to the project. The NIH is the final arbiter of Mysores research, Hutchinson said. Only 10% of NIH applications are funded, Hutchinson said. And so the fact that hes getting funded for this means that his peers and the NIH believe that what hes doing is important. In the months before and after June 2021 when Alex Murdaughs wife and son were shot to death, the then-Hampton attorney and now-accused embezzler was beset by escalating money problems and threats of exposure. On the surface, the then-52-year-old lawyer looked prosperous. He lived on a 1,772-acre homestead called Moselle in Colleton County valued at $3.9 million. He vacationed at a four-bedroom house near the waterfront at Edisto Beach valued at $920,000. He bought his kids a 17-foot motorboat, and he had a share in the Green Swamp Hunting Club worth $250,000. His wife, Maggie, drove a 2021 Mercedes valued at $85,000. Out of sight, financial pressures were squeezing Murdaugh. He was facing recurring cycles of unceasing debts, high spending, bank overdrafts, taking out loans, paying them off and getting new ones. He was a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit over a 2019 fatal accident involving his boat with not enough insurance coverage to cover a possible large verdict against him. Unknown to the public, Murdaugh also was secretly writing hundreds of thousands of dollars in checks to a distant cousin, Curtis Eddie Smith, a disabled logger who faces drug and financial fraud charges, prosecutors have said and records show. And, for years, Murdaugh was stealing money from clients and his law firms client trust account and, aided by a longtime friend, banker Russell Laffitte, he was laundering it through the Palmetto State Bank in Hampton, according to indictments and lawsuits. At the time his wife and son were killed, Murdaughs highly unusual financial situation faced the threat of exposure by proceedings in a civil lawsuit involving the boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach two years earlier. Mark Tinsley, the Allendale County lawyer involved in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Beachs mother, was seeking to compel Murdaugh to disclose his financial situation as part of pretrial proceedings. A lot of things were closing in on Alex, said Tinsley, whose lawsuit alleged Murdaugh and others were responsible for the boat crash that caused the death of Beach, a family friend. Story continues At Tinsleys request, a state judge scheduled a hearing for mid-June 2021. Tinsley planned to seek to compel Murdaugh to open his financial records, including bank statements, loans and mortgages. That hearing never happened. On June 7, 2021, Murdaughs wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, were found shot to death, lying on the grounds of the familys estate near the familys dog kennels. Murdaugh, who said he had been away, found their bodies and called the police. Clues were scarce. Each had been shot with a different weapon Paul with a shotgun, Maggie with an assault rifle raising the possibility that two people killed them. More than a year later, despite a still-ongoing investigation by the State Law Enforcement Division and frequent predictions of an imminent arrest, no one has been charged with murder. Murdaugh has been labeled a person of interest. He is now in the Richland County jail on a slew of financial charges, unable to post $7 million bond. A trial hasnt been set. Three months after his wife and sons grisly deaths, Murdaughs secrets began to unravel. In early September, his family law firm known as PMPED learned hed been stealing from clients and forced him out. The firms brief announcement didnt say how much he stole or how long he carried out the thefts. The state Supreme Court suspended Murdaughs law license. In mid-September, two lawyers filed a lawsuit against Murdaugh and two of this friends, alleging they were part of a scheme in 2018-19 that eventually would show he diverted $4.3 million in insurance proceeds meant for Murdaughs deceased housekeepers estate to Murdaugh and his friends. Murdaugh has since made a formal confession that he is responsible for the theft of the $4.3 million, according to a June 16 Supreme Court finding. The high court is now preparing a formal disbarment order. That lawsuit, involving the late housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, would trigger police investigations and lead to multiple criminal indictments against Murdaugh and others allegedly involved in his various theft and money laundering schemes. It also led Tinsley to obtain in November a court order appointing two prominent attorneys John Lay and Peter McCoy to be receivers and take over Murdaughs finances to inventory his assets and prevent him from transferring or selling them. Tinsleys goal is to identify and preserve any and all of Murdaughs assets for his clients in case of a court jury award or settlement in the Beach lawsuit. The receivers final findings may eventually document how Murdaugh, a supposedly well-to-do attorney, tumbled down a rabbit hole of ceaseless debt into a life of crime. Some of the receivers findings to date have already been made public, showing Murdaugh held many bank accounts, bank loans, mortgages on certain properties, and significant cash payments to third parties, according to a May 26 legal filing. A June 3 court filing says Murdaughs life of debt and loans could date back to 2005, the year that some say his secret life of juggling various in-and-out revenue streams began. In all, indictments allege Murdaugh stole $8.4 million from numerous victims who include friends, associates and former law partners. Many of them, including Murdaughs old law firm, are also suing him. Lowcountry bank at heart of Murdaugh probe At the center of Murdaughs alleged stealing and borrowing is Palmetto State Bank, a small financial institution in downtown Hampton long-controlled by generations of the Laffitte family, indictments and lawsuits say. Murdaugh grew up with Russell Laffitte, who held successive important positions at the bank and is accused of helping Murdaugh in various ways, from giving him hefty loans to cash-laden conservatorships that Laffitte controlled. For years, Laffitte also helped Murdaugh cope with his frequently overdrawn checking accounts, according to lawsuits and April indictments. Court records give glimpses of Murdaughs Palmetto State Bank overdrafts and loans: In February 2015, Murdaugh got a line of credit secured by real property with Palmetto State Bank. By May of that year, Murdaugh had overdrawn that amount by $51,937. The bank then approved upping his credit line to $1 million. In February and March 2018, Murdaugh again had a negative checking account that hit a low of negative $33,841. In the summer of 2020, Murdaughs bank checking account had a negative balance, at times reaching negative $53,302. In July 2021, one month after Maggie and Paul were killed, Palmetto State Bank gave Murdaugh a $750,000 line of credit at a time when Murdaugh had a checking account balance of negative $162,014. Murdaugh and Laffitte now face charges of embezzling, money laundering and criminal conspiracy in connection with what they allegedly did at Palmetto State Bank. The charges stem from alleged schemes where Murdaugh as a lawyer would oversee the collection of large amounts of insurance money due to his clients in personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits, and arrive at large settlements that went into the Murdaugh law firm client trust account. Then, indictments say, Murdaugh would dip into the client account and send money to Laffitte, who would set up a conservatorship for Murdaughs clients or funnel the money directly to Murdaugh. One indictment accuses Murdaugh of sending Palmetto State Bank and Laffitte a total of $1.3 million in 13 separate payments in 2013 and 2014. The money was compensation for the death of Allendale resident Donna Badger, and was due to her family after her death in a wreck. An indictment said Laffitte steered most of the money to Murdaugh for his use to pay off debts, buy money orders and give money to family members. In early June of this year, Arthur Badger, Donnas husband who represents her estate, filed a civil suit against Murdaugh, Laffitte and Palmetto State Bank, alleging they breached their fiduciary duties to the estate. He is seeking damages. The suit was filed by Tinsley, the same lawyer who sued Murdaugh in the Beach wrongful death case. Attorneys Eric Bland and Ronnie Richter who won settlements from Murdaugh and Palmetto State Bank after suing them for alleged wrongdoing in the case of Murdaughs deceased housekeeper have also raised the possibility of legal action against Murdaugh, Laffitte and the bank in yet another matter allegedly involving stewardship of a multimillion-dollar conservatorship. In a public statement in early June, Bland and Richter said Murdaugh and Laffitte misused money awarded to two young girls, Alaynia Spohn and Hannah Plyler, in the early 2000s by taking personal sweetheart loans out of the girls multimillion-dollar conservatorship. It is our intent to recover each and every dollar of loss suffered by these young ladies, Bland said. Funds held in conservatorship accounts are sacrosanct. They are not slush funds. They are not the personal piggy banks of the people appointed to protect the money. Bland said Laffitte and Murdaughs ability to use conservatorship funds for personal purposes for many years raises serious questions about oversight at Palmetto State Bank, where large or unusual financial matters are supposed to be reviewed by the banks board of directors. They were either asleep at the wheel or did not do their job, Bland said. Laffitte was fired from the bank in early January. A federal grand jury is investigating connections between Murdaugh, Palmetto State Bank officials and the bank. It has issued no indictments. Palmetto State Bank attorneys Tom Gressette and Trenholm Walker did not respond to requests for comment. Murdaughs attorney Jim Griffin declined to comment. Laffittes criminal lawyer, Matt Austin, said his client has cooperated with the state grand jury investigation and intends to fight the charges. Austin represents Laffitte with Charleston attorney Bart Daniels. Laffittes lawyer for civil cases, Andy Haselden, declined to comment. Murdaugh owed thousands to law firm partners Snapshots taken from court records of his financial situation around the time of his wife and sons killings show Murdaughs furious activity on multiple fronts. In March 2021, three months before his wife and son were killed, Murdaugh borrowed $227,000 from his longtime friend and law partner, John E. Parker. About the same time, Murdaugh convinced a lawyer friend, Chris Wilson, with whom hed just collected $2 million in fees in a Richland County lawsuit, to send him personally his share of the fees $792,000 instead of sending the fees to the Murdaugh law firms client trust account, as was customary. By getting the fee sent to him personally, Murdaugh got immediate use of the money to pay debts and write checks to family and an unidentified law partner, avoiding giving any money to his firm, according to a November state grand jury indictment that charged Murdaugh with obtaining money by false pretenses and money laundering. However, by May 2021, one month before the killings, Murdaughs law firm discovered that Wilson should have forwarded Murdaughs fee to its client trust fund. Murdaugh persuaded Wilson to send the $792,000 to the law firm, but only paid Wilson $600,000 back. In July 2021, one month after Maggie and Paul were killed, Murdaugh got another loan from law partner Parker for $250,000, according to a lawsuit Parker filed against Murdaugh in October. A few months later, right before Sept. 2, Murdaugh borrowed $75,000 from his brother and law firm partner Randy Murdaugh IV, to cover an overdrawn bank account, according to a lawsuit Randy filed against Murdaugh in October. Murdaugh money moves to his cousin Other activity before the killings shows that Murdaugh at that time was writing millions of dollars in checks to his longtime friend and distant cousin, Curtis Eddie Smith. In all, Murdaugh wrote 437 checks to Smith from 2013-2021, worth $2.4 million, and Smith used the money for a myriad of unlawful activities, according to a June indictment against Murdaugh and Smith. In March 2021, Murdaugh wrote 10 checks to Smith totaling $248,953 from a separate Bank of America account, according to records obtained by The State. That was the same month Murdaugh borrowed $227,000 from Parker and received $792,000 from Wilson for a fee in a lawsuit settlement. At Smiths bond hearing last month, the state Attorney Generals offices top prosecutor told Judge Clifton Newman that from May 2020 to February 2021, Murdaugh wrote approximately $1 million in checks to Smith. Then from March 2021 to September 2021, Murdaugh wrote some $973,000 in checks to Smith. September was the same month that Murdaugh and Smith were charged with insurance fraud in a scheme where Murdaugh tried to get Smith to kill him so Murdaughs remaining son, Buster, could collect $10 million in life insurance. The plot failed. What we see around March 2021 to June and thereafter is an extreme acceleration of the amounts Mr. Murdaugh is washing through the aid of Eddie Smith, prosecutor Creighton Waters told the judge at Smiths bond hearing. Smith used much of the money Murdaugh gave him to buy drugs for Murdaugh and others, but a substantial amount of cash is unaccounted for that passed through Mr. Smiths hands, Waters said. Meanwhile, in the three months after the June slayings, Murdaugh continued writing checks to Smith a total of $305,465 in multiple checks from his Palmetto State Bank checking account, according to court records. Smith, at his June bond hearing, claimed in a statement to the judge that he didnt have any money. All I have is the disability I live off of, and thats it, he said. The charges against Murdaugh and his ever-expanding alleged financial crimes have shocked those who knew him. Murdaugh is a descendant of a family that dominated Lowcountry legal, social and political life for four generations. His fall from grace has attracted statewide and national attention for more than a year now. Jay Bender, a prominent Columbia lawyer who has represented The State and other media outlets in court, said the Murdaugh saga is a continuing black eye for South Carolina lawyers. Everybody in South Carolina that has been paying attention has been talking about this case, how Murdaugh took advantage of clients, Bender said. Unfortunately, a lot of people are saying, What makes Murdaugh different from any other lawyer? Not only has he brought ignominy upon himself, hes tarnished the reputation of the rest of us. A man now faces several charges after a Memphis police officer was shot over the weekend. Giorgio Minnis, 34, has been charged with 3 counts of criminal attempt first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, aggravated assault/DV, reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, convicted felon in possession of a handgun, possess/employ firearm during a dangerous felony, and theft of property $10,000 to $60,000. RELATED: MPD officer shot while trying to detain suspect in Hickory Hill On July 9, the Memphis Police Department (MPD) received a call about a stolen car just after 1:30 p.m. According to a release, the person allegedly responsible for the theft was identified as 34-year-old Giorgio Minnis and is the nephew of the owner of the car. Minnis was reportedly armed and took the car to the 5900 block of Hickory Hill Square to another family members home, police said. Officers also received a call regarding that Minnis was at the Hickory Hill Square location, where he had fired a shot and was making threats to do harm to those inside the home, officials released. Theres been a lot of crazy stuff going on, said Theodis Fisher of Memphis. Police cant even do their job. Thats a terrible thing right there. Its just a lot of nonsense going on around here all the time. According to police, officers arrived on the scene in the 5900 block of Hickory Hill Square and attempted to take Minnis into custody when he retrieved a handgun from his waistband and allegedly shot one of the officers. PHOTOS: MPD officer shot Saturday afternoon in Hickory Hill Minnis was then disarmed and was taken into custody without injury. An officer on the scene applied a tourniquet to the injured officers wound until paramedics arrived and the injured officer was taken to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, a release said. He was later upgraded to a critical but stable condition. Theres always something going on around here, Fisher said. Like this Family Dollar right here. Police always up there. Someone always getting shot at the Citgo right across the street. I kind of hate that happened. Theres a lot of things going on in these streets. Story continues Minnis appeared in court Monday. His bond has been set at $1,080,000. Monday morning, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland spoke to FOX13 about how the injured officer is recovering. Strickland said the officer is doing better, and was alert and talking on Saturday. He said police officers and firefighters are heroes, because they risk their lives every day to protect the public. Minnis is due back in court Wednesday, where he could be appointed a public defender. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: A man was shot and killed in a Sunday shooting. The Memphis Police Department (MPD) responded to a shooting in the 3300 block of Brockcrest Cove. Officers are on the scene of a shooting in the 3300 block of Brockcrest Cove. A deceased male was located on the scene. The male suspects were seen running from the area; one was armed with a handgun. Please call 901-528-CASH with tips. pic.twitter.com/5dCFSHu1WY Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) July 10, 2022 When officers arrived, they found a man shot. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Police also said that the suspects were seen running from the area, one of them was armed with a handgun. Two people have been detained, police said. Officers have two detained. The investigation is ongoing. Memphis Police Dept (@MEM_PoliceDept) July 10, 2022 Please call 901-528-CASH with tips. Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Trending stories: Two churches were set on fire and a third was vandalized in Bethesda, Maryland, this weekend, authorities said. Around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, authorities were called to North Bethesda United Methodist Church about vandalism and arson, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Pete Piringer said. About 1,000 feet away, investigators also found damaged headstones and "broken wood pieces" scattered around Wildwood Baptist Church. MINNESOTA PREGNANCY CENTER VANDALIZED BY JANES REVENGE: WE SHOULDVE DONE MORE Then on Sunday morning, Montgomery County fire officials were called to Saint Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic Church, where several pews had been set on fire. Damage was estimated at $50,000 at the Catholic church, which is about a mile away from the other two churches that were vandalized, according to Fox 5 DC. Anyone with information about the incidents can call the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service's arson tipline at 240-777-2263. A decade ago, Elon Musk proposed a new form of transport that would shoot passengers through vacuum tunnels in levitating pods at almost the speed of sound -- he called it "hyperloop". Since then, cities from Abu Dhabi to Zurich have been touted as destinations, research projects have gobbled up millions of dollars and a host of commercial ventures have sprung up -- even Richard Branson got involved. "The transportation network has not had a new mode for over 100 years," said Rick Geddes, a transport infrastructure expert at Cornell University in the United States, who compared the excitement to the early days of aviation. But nobody has come close to making the hyperloop work. The difficulties have ranged from costs and finding suitable locations, to simply persuading people that travelling through a narrow tunnel at speeds faster than a jet plane is a good idea. Musk's initial proposal would have been a "barf ride", transport blogger Alon Levy wrote at the time. Despite all the problems, though, the hyperloop idea still energises university campuses, corporate board rooms and city halls across the world. Hidde de Bos, a 22-year-old engineering student, first heard of it four years ago. His university at Delft in the Netherlands excelled in competitions run by Musk's SpaceX firm, which invited students to develop pods to fire through vacuum tunnels. - Musk returns - "It made me really excited to see what the possibilities were," he told AFP. He is now chief engineer of Delft Hyperloop, a non-profit university spin-off. De Bos said the SpaceX competitions, which were discontinued in 2019, were too focused on speed and became like "drag races in a tunnel". Now, his team is taking part in a student-led competition, European Hyperloop Week, which he hopes will refocus on sustainable energy and developing levitation systems. And Musk himself recently gave a jolt to the hyperloop fraternity by tweeting that his tunnelling firm The Boring Company would "attempt to build a working Hyperloop" in the coming years. Story continues Musk first mentioned the idea in a 2012 media interview before publishing a white paper about it a year later. But his direct involvement has been sporadic, and he has always encouraged others to develop the idea. Los Angeles-based firm Hyperloop TT, among the first and most enthusiastic firms to run with Musk's idea, welcomed his return. Rob Miller, the firm's chief marketing officer, told AFP it was "further validation" for the concept. - 'More cautious' - But he stressed that hyperloop was now much bigger than just one man. Bearing out his point, new proposals have emerged in recent months from local authorities ranging from Italy to India. However, proposals are one thing, and revolutionising public transport is quite another. In its early years, Hyperloop TT signed exploratory deals in India, China and beyond. In 2019, the firm promised a 10-kilometre (six-mile) track would open in the UAE the following year. None of these projects has come to fruition. "We're a little more cautious now about those types of announcements," said Miller. Virgin Hyperloop, a firm briefly helmed by Richard Branson but majority-owned by DP World, which runs Dubai's ports, has also had to scale back its promises. - Prestige vs price - It was the first company to fire humans along a hyperloop test track back in 2020. Branson had mooted a 45-minute journey between London and Scotland. But Virgin Hyperloop recently abandoned the idea of carrying passengers altogether, shed half its staff and is now focused on a potential freight line in UAE. Musk has also promised various hyperloop projects that failed to materialise. Virgin Hyperloop and The Boring Company did not respond to AFP requests for comment. Critic Alon Levy says the hyperloop is caught between unrealistic prestige projects across short distances and longer routes that cost too much. The Abu Dhabi-Dubai route promised by Hyperloop TT is just 130 kilometres, "not even a distance for high-speed rail", he said. But potential routes like New York to Miami or Chicago would need around $50 billion just to get started, Levy reckons. - 'Bring it to life' - "You don't get that from private investors," he told AFP. Levy does see one ray of light -- newer designs featuring longer bends seem to have resolved the "barf" problem. And enthusiasts still radiate positivity. "We'll keep doing what we're doing and we'll bring it to life," said Miller. But he conceded his firm had been "overly optimistic about timelines". He now predicts the first city-to-city track within five years but won't divulge the location. Geddes is also optimistic about the future, though he also reflected that past promises weighed heavy. "We used to say five to 10 years," he said. "That was five years ago. Maybe it's five to 10 years now." jxb/rl/jm Armed Forces of Ukraine Read also: Russia's war in Ukraine kills 347 children, wounds 648, prosecutors say The front line has not changed, the enemy has not captured a single meter of new territory, said Synyehubov. Read also: Russia wants to annex Kharkiv Oblast, unveils flag for region with imperial symbols ISW On the contrary, our Armed Forces are trying to continue to liberate our settlements, he said. According to him, active hostilities continue in the north, in the northeast and on the Izyum axis. The enemy there is constantly attacking the positions of Ukrainian troops in attempts to break through, but suffers casualties and retreats to its previous positions. Read also: Russian troops shell crops, poultry complex and landfills in Kharkiv Oblast in past day At the same time, the head of the administration urged residents to be careful and not go out unless necessary. The arrival time for a missile is from 30 to 40 seconds that is too little time for people to go and hide in a shelter, he said. Help NV continue reporting on the Russian invasion Jul. 9NORWAY Town Manager Dennis Lajoie told the Select Board on Thursday that he plans to recommend Jeffrey Campbell be appointed as police chief in August. Campbell is an investigator for the department. The Select Board must approve the recommendation. Police Chief Robert Federico has said he will retire Aug. 4. He has served as police chief since 2004. In another matter, the nearly century-old Sandy Shore Swimming Club received unanimous approved from the board to continue marking its swim area on Lake Pennesseewassee with a buoy line. Established in 1923 for residents of Paris Hill, the club is operated on an irrevocable trust to allow members, residents of Paris Hill, to retain the property on the north side of lake as a recreational area. The group is not allowed to sell the property, under the terms of the trust agreement. The club pays taxes to the town. Tucked away in a cove, the buoy line will run parallel to the shore about 200 feet out, protecting swimmers from boaters. Also at the meeting, two companies from Waterford were awarded contracts to upgrade the town's website and supply with remote equipment for videoconferences. TownCloud, which Lajoie said specializes in designing websites for small municipalities, was the low bidder in a national search, which included companies from Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin and Denver. Some of the bids were three and four times more than TownCloud's bid of $4,789.80. A trial run using the software to generate the agenda for Select Board meetings received positive reviews. A second Waterford company, Modem Ways, was the low bidder to provide remote equipment for both the large and small conference rooms in the Town Office for $25,988. Funds from the town's allotment from the American Rescue Plan Act will pay for both projects. The board approved an application for a vendor license for Isuken Co-op Food Truck of Lewiston to operate at the Alan Day Community Garden farmers' market at 26 Whitman St. The truck will operate Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m. through Sept. 2. Story continues During the discussion, Selectmen Ryan Lorrain and Dennise Whitley suggested having a food truck park in town. Whitley said she visited one last week in Bridgton, which she said featured nine trucks and attracted hundreds of people. She wondered if the same could be done in Norway. In his report, Lajoie said he anticipates an agreement soon with H.E. Callahan Construction of Auburn for phase 1 to upgrade the municipal complex. The first phase would include safe expansion, the garage, phone wiring and American Disabilities Act compliance. For phase 2 swapping the police department and community space Sens. Angus King and Susan Collins have recommended the town receive an $850,000 grant for the project. Lajoie expects to hear this year whether the grant is approved. Steve Powers is serving as acting highway foreman, following the retirement of Art Chappel. Longtime Town Clerk Shirley Boyce retired last week. Deputy Clerk Lisa Lombard was promoted to clerk. The meeting was the first for Selectman Danielle Wadsworth, who was elected in a three-way race for two seats last month. Thomas Curtis, who lost his bid for a third term, was presented a plaque by Chairman Russell Newcomb for his service. Saying he loved his two terms on the board, Curtis said, "It's a wonderful town. Please keep up the good work. As wonderful as this town is, there is a lot of things still to do." Former Reading defender Omar Richards has returned to England after one season in the Bundesliga (Bradley Collyer/PA) (PA Archive) Nottingham Forest have signed defender Omar Richards from Bayern Munich on a four-year contract. Richards, who made 17 appearances in all competitions for the German champions last season after making the move from Reading last summer, has joined newly-promoted Premier League side Forest for an undisclosed fee. The 24-year-old told Forests official website: Im thrilled to return to England by joining Nottingham Forest at such an exciting time. Welcome to Nottingham Forest, Omar Richards #NFFC | #PL Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) July 10, 2022 The club has enjoyed an incredible last few months and theres great ambitions for the Premier League return. Ive played against Forest in the past and they get such great backing from their fans, whilst the City Ground is an amazing place that I can now call home. London-born Richards, a former England Under-21 international, helped Bayern seal the Bundesliga title in his only season in Bavaria. He started out at Fulham but moved on to Reading and made his senior debut for the Royals in August 2017. Richards made 104 appearances in all competitions for Reading before sealing a move to Bayern as a free agent at the end of the 2020/21 season. ROMAN PETRENKO SUNDAY, 10 JULY 2022, 21:27 Russians report that two Azov fighters face execution. Source: Russian propagandists; Ukrainska Pravda source in intelligence Details: According to reports from the militants, Mykola (call sign "Frost" surname unknown) and Kostiantyn Nikitenko ("Fox") were taken to be executed. According to a source of the Ukrainska Pravda in intelligence, the two Azov soldiers were taken out of the penal colony in which they were imprisoned in an unknown direction. Russian propagandists report different versions some write that the fighters were sentenced on 9 July; others report that the trial will take place in the future. There are also different versions of the reasoning for their executions it was first written that the Azov soldiers allegedly fired on civilians in Mariupol; later it was reported that they attacked a convoy with wounded occupiers. No evidence or details have been reported. For reference: Right before this, the militants canceled the moratorium on the death penalty on 8 July. Background: As the fallout from the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade rages in the media, the personal impact that these extremist judges will have in pregnant women's lives is getting lost in a sea of politics. Ending the constitutional right to abortion in America is a real crisis for people like me who actually need access to safe, legal abortion. Last summer, my husband Tony and I were ecstatic when we found out I was pregnant. Unfortunately, that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage but we remained determined to try again. Nine long months later we succeeded: I was pregnant again. We were nervous, but we had a healthy ultrasound at six weeks. At 11 weeks, when the chance of miscarriage diminishes to less than 1%, we heard our babys heartbeat on an at-home heart monitor. That made us confident enough to start decorating a nursery. Our hearts were full. But then things changed. At 12 weeks, we saw our baby moving around on the ultrasound but the doctor also saw some abnormalities that eventually revealed a severe cystic hygroma (a cyst on the neck) and multiple complications. We saw multiple specialists who told us our baby would not survive and that continuing the pregnancy could both endanger my health and my future ability to conceive. A week later, test results showed that the baby had Trisomy 21, or Down syndrome. While trisomy itself is not a danger, the condition was exacerbating the fatal buildup of fluid. We were devastated. According to the abortion laws in Ohio, any fetus that has been diagnosed with trisomy 21 cannot be surgically terminated, even if they have no chance of survival for other, unrelated reasons. My husband and I were facing one of the most difficult, heartbreaking situations of our lives but we could not make our own decision about what to do because the state of Ohio had already made it for us. We should have had better options than just waiting for our sick baby to die, risking my life, traveling out of state to a hospital to pay as much as $15,000 out of pocket for an abortion or just lying to an Ohio provider about the reason for the abortion. But elected officials, rather than supporting parents like us, took away those options in the name of political extremism that has nothing to do with our personal situation and what is best for my family. Story continues For a week and a half I carried a baby I knew I would never hold, even as my baby bump was just finally starting to show. On May 10, I said a painful goodbye to my baby during my final ultrasound. Due to COVID restrictions, Tony was not allowed to come with me to the appointment, so I had to say goodbye alone. The following day, I ended my pregnancy at an abortion clinic in Cleveland. I had to withhold the real reason for the abortion to my provider because doing so would expose the clinic to criminal penalties. Aggressive anti-abortion protesters yelled and waved giant pictures with graphic images while I went in for the procedure alone, grieving the loss of a child that I had wanted. I ended the pregnancy at 15 weeks and I know it was the right decision. But today, Id be prohibited from making it if faced with the same circumstances because Ohios six-week abortion ban is now in effect thanks to the Supreme Court's Roe ruling. I wouldnt know enough at six weeks of pregnancy to understand the risks of continuing and if I waited until later, when the doctors diagnosis came, my abortion would be a crime. Stories like mine dont fit into the neat boxes that our political discussions carve out about abortion. But my experience made me believe more than ever that everyone deserves access to the care they need and that those decisions must be determined by themselves and their doctors not by politicians who know nothing about the real lives they seek to control. I fear that women facing hard decisions like mine, as well as their doctors, will increasingly be vulnerable to criminal punishment. Even when Roe was in place, prosecutors with ideological agendas have been known to treat even miscarriages like crime scenes. Now, without the civil rights protections that Roe created, the persecution and prosecution of pregnant people is likely to only get worse. As Ohio lawmakers move to restrict abortion even further, I urge them to keep my story in mind. People get abortions for many reasons, but it is not up to politicians to decide which matter. Michelle Price and her husband, Tony, live in Akron. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron woman shares abortion story, calls abortion ban a crisis LGBTQ employees and their supporters walk out of Disney Animation in Burbank, protesting the company's handling of Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill in March. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) After the recent wave of conservative judgments from the Supreme Court on abortion, gun control and environmental regulation, many Americans are looking for alternatives to the courts for ways to enact democratic change. Yet, in the past several years, many state lawmakers often Republicans have systematically attempted to restrict other traditional paths for political participation. Some of these shifts have received widespread attention, particularly a slew of new state laws that were inspired by President Trumps false claims that he won the 2020 election. These laws limit opportunities to vote and set the stage for potential partisan interference in elections. As concerning as these laws are, they are only part of a much larger set of constraints facing citizens wanting to engage in our democracy. As the country has become increasingly polarized, politicians have targeted the ability of opponents to push dissenting views. Consider those who wish to go into the streets to protest the Supreme Courts decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which allows states to restrict access to abortion, including making the procedure illegal. Since 2017, 45 states have considered over 200 anti-protest bills, so far enacting 38 of them, mostly in reaction to Black Lives Matter and environmental protesters. These laws significantly increase liability for common forms of peaceful protest. For example, after the protests in response to the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin in 2020, Arkansas, Iowa and Tennessee increased the penalty for blocking a sidewalk during a demonstration. Now in all three states a protester can be sentenced to up to a year in jail for this offense. These laws can also appear to encourage violence. Iowa, for instance, enacted a statute last year that eliminated civil liability for certain drivers who hit those participating in an unauthorized demonstration in the street. While the regulation does not protect drivers who recklessly or willfully strike protesters, laws like these still send a chilling message. Perhaps not surprisingly, a truck in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, drove through a group of pro-choice demonstrators last month, injuring several. No arrests have been made. Story continues Another cherished U.S. tradition, the right to boycott, is also being targeted. Since our colonial boycott of British goods, Americans have long used their consumer power to make their voices heard. However, led by states such as Texas and West Virginia, policymakers have enacted laws that ban those doing business with the state government from engaging in boycotts of the fossil fuel industry, gun manufacturers or Israel. Legislation like this is often brought to lawmakers by lobbyists for these industries or supporters of Israel. In June, the full 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against an Arkansas newspaper that refused to sign onto a state-mandated pledge that it would not boycott Israel, and the paper lost an advertising contract with a state college as a result. Remarkably, the judges found that economic boycotts are not protected under the 1st Amendment because they claimed they are neither speech nor expressive conduct. The ACLU has pledged to appeal the ruling. It is not just demonstrations and boycotts that are threatened. Employee activism has long pushed companies to take stands against injustice, but even those actions are facing pushback. In May, under pressure from employees, the Walt Disney Co. spoke out against the so-called Dont Say Gay bill recently enacted in Florida, which restricts discussion of sexual orientation in schools. Gov. Ron DeSantis then led the successful charge to remove Disney Worlds special tax status in the state. The move was seemingly sparked not because the tax status was bad policy, but because the governor did not appreciate Disneys criticism. Taken together, these moves represent a form of hardball by state officials that creates a climate of fear for those wishing to engage in traditional forms of political mobilization. With the Supreme Courts recent abortion decision, this adversarial environment will likely worsen. Several states are moving to follow Texas lead and enact laws that allow private citizens to sue those who assist women in having an abortion. While the Texas laws reach is unclear, it could put activists who help pregnant people get out-of-state abortions in legal jeopardy. That could include something as simple as supplying them with information about abortion providers. States that ban abortion will likely continue to ratchet up their efforts to target pro-choice groups. These attacks on the ability of Americans to engage in their democracy are not isolated or ad hoc they are a larger compression of civic space. Any response will need to be holistic and should include educating fellow citizens about the importance of different types of protest throughout U.S. history. But first, Americans must be made to recognize the scope of the danger. Nick Robinson is a senior legal advisor at the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images Protesters demanded Biden declare a national public health emergency with the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Exiting White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said protesters were 'out of step.' Biden signed an executive order Friday directed at aiding abortion and contraception access. Departing White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield told The Washington Post a group of pro-choice activists were "out of step." Her remarks sparked criticism from social media users and activists who don't believe the administration has done enough to protect abortion care, The Daily Beast reported. Women's March protesters used demonstration Saturday to demand more from the Biden administration amid the repeal of Roe v. Wade. Though Biden signed an executive order on Friday hoping to salvage some abortion and contraception access, the demonstrators believe Biden should also declare a national public health emergency. "Joe Biden's goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party," Bedingfield told The Post Saturday. "It's to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition to defend a woman's right to choose now, just as he assembled such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign," she continued. Bedingfield's departure from the White House first reported by The Wall Street Journal comes after Jen Psaki's May exit as press secretary, but a changing administration is not uncommon throughout a presidency, CBS News reported. The White House said in an online statement that Bedingfield known by campaign aides as "Captain of the 'Team of Killers,'" per the Journal was stepping down to spend more time with her husband and children. The White House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider Alex Wong/Getty Images Editors note: This story has been updated to correct a quote from the White House, which actually said some pro-choice activists are out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party. The White House tried to defend President Joe Bidens seemingly drowsy response to the reversal of Roe v Wade on Saturday but instead sparked an instant backlash by labeling pro-choice activists out of step. The apparent jab was made in a statement to The Washington Post responding to criticism of what many Democrats see as a response that has been too little, too late. White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said: The president has been showing his deep outrage as an American and executing his bold planwhich is the product of months of hard workever since this decision was handed down. She went on to say that Joe Bidens goal in responding to Dobbs is not to satisfy some activists who have been consistently out of step with the mainstream of the Democratic Party but to deliver help to women who are in danger and assemble a broad-based coalition to defend a womans right to choose now, just as he assembled such a coalition to win during the 2020 campaign. Womens March Director Rachel OLeary Carmona told activists she hoped to push [Bidens] authority to the limit regarding abortion rights. By Sunday morning, Carmona had changed her Twitter name to Out of Touch Activist. The statement, which many noted had taken aim at those fighting to uphold abortion rights rather than those who actively put women in danger by stripping them of the right to bodily autonomy, came as more than 1,000 demonstrators with the Woman's March's Summer of Rage rally surrounded the White House to urge Biden to declare a state of emergency to protect abortion access. Upon getting to the tall north gates outside the White House on Saturday afternoon, some abortion-rights activists danced while others expressed frustration at the Biden administration. Story continues Whose house? organizers yelled at one point, while activists responded: Our house. Abortion rights activists further tied green bandanas to the gates of the White House as part of their demonstration. Zachary Petrizzo for The Daily Beast Despite the group predicting arrests of its activists over blocking the sidewalk near the White House, neither D.C. Metropolitan police nor U.S. Park Police took any activist into custody. Since the Supreme Court decided on June 24 to effectively overturn Roe v Wade, activists and abortion rights advocates have questioned why the White House apparently did not have a contingency plan for such a landmark decision, given that a draft opinion leaked nearly two months beforehand had given fair warning the ruling was on the horizon. More frustration followed over what many saw as a lethargic response. It took the Biden administration six days after the Supreme Court decision to announce its support for an exception to the filibuster to codify it into law. Its executive order to protect access to abortions took a week longer. The White Houses apparent dismissal of some activists as out of step on Saturday seemed to be just the latest move to leave activists feeling jilted. All this White House has for people who need abortions is empty promises and disrespect, tweeted activist Renee Bracey Sherman, the founder of We Testify, an organization that aims to spread awareness about abortions. Hayley McMahon, an abortion researcher and PhD student at Emory University, tweeted, Biden and the Democrats have done absolutely fuck all to deliver help to women who are in danger, whatever that ultra-vague bullshit means. I cannot emphasize enough how badly telling pro-choice people to go fuck themselves right after Roe was overturned is going to go, she wrote. It is remarkably concerning that there are members of the Biden Administration who seem more frustrated at pro choice activists than at Republicans who systematically dismantled abortion rights, tweeted Matt McDermott, a Democratic pollster and strategist. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Jul. 10Palestine celebrates the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the railroad on Monday, July 11. The International Railroad reached Palestine on July 11, 1872 and the Great Northern Railroad from Houston followed on Dec. 7, 1872. The next year, the two lines merged to become the International & Great Northern Railroad Company with main offices in St. Louis and general offices, shops and repair facilities in Palestine. Palestine became a hub for steam locomotive and coach repairs when IGN built its first major depot here in 1892 with over 1,200 craftsmen employed. In 1902, a modern passenger coach shop was built. Those shops remained in operation until 1954 when the present facility was built exclusively for freight car repair. In 1919, the railroad general offices burned down and the company leased space in the Redlands Hotel for temporary headquarters until a new office structure could be built. The new general office building was constructed on South Magnolia St. Most operations in those offices were transferred to St. Louis in the late 1950s. The International Great Northern railroad became part of the Missouri Pacific Lines in 1925. The Missouri Pacific merged with the Union Pacific in 1982. At present, Union Pacific has about 57 employees in Palestine and must maintain an employment of 0.52% of its entire office and shop employees in Palestine, which according to the 1954 agreement, includes the following classifications: executives, officials and staff assistants; professional, clerical and general; maintenance of equipment and stores; transportation, other than train, engine and yard; and transportation, yardmasters, switch tenders and hostlers. In the next sixth months the Herald-Press will be sharing the unique history of the arrival of the railroad and how it has framed the growth of Palestine and Anderson County. The main aim of stock picking is to find the market-beating stocks. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 51% over a half decade. Furthermore, it's down 10% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. Of course, this share price action may well have been influenced by the 14% decline in the broader market, throughout the period. Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business. See our latest analysis for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Looking back five years, both Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A's share price and EPS declined; the latter at a rate of 5.4% per year. Readers should note that the share price has fallen faster than the EPS, at a rate of 13% per year, over the period. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 7.99. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here. What About Dividends? When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A's TSR for the last 5 years was -31%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective Although it hurts that Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A returned a loss of 6.4% in the last twelve months, the broader market was actually worse, returning a loss of 16%. What is more upsetting is the 6% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. While the losses are slowing we doubt many shareholders are happy with the stock. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A (2 can't be ignored) that you should be aware of. If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges. 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. Join A Paid User Research Session Youll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here Jul. 10JOHNSTOWN, Pa. They fled Poland, Slovakia and other Eastern European homelands for the promise of a better life in Johnstown through Cambria Iron collieries such as the Rolling Mill Mine. One-hundred and 12 of them died there on July 10, 1902, victims of a gas explosion that drew national headlines and sparked early change in safety oversight within Pennsylvania's mines. A crowd of local residents and historians, community leaders and United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) representatives unveiled a marker commemorating the moment on Saturday, across the river from the hillside where the early 1900s-era mine's portal once welcomed miners. "This Pennsylvania historical marker recognizes this horrific event and its perpetual impact on the commonwealth and its people," said Frank Grumbine, who serves as a regional community preservation coordinator for the agency that oversees the statewide marker program, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. "It serves as a memorial to those who perished in one of Pennsylvania's deadliest mining disasters, while inspiring hope and change for future generations." A group led by Pennsylvania Highlands Community College's Barbara Zaborowski spearheaded a two-year effort to have one of the recognizable blue historical markers placed near the base of the Johnstown Inclined Plane. To do so, Zaborowski said researchers had to provide verified accounts about the event and the change it caused through newspaper articles from the period and documented personal accounts of the tragedy. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College President Steve Nunez shared one of them. He described a journalist's account of an immigrant widow refusing to be pulled from her loved one's lifeless body in the aftermath. Events and stories like this one "bind us to our past," Nunez said, stressing the importance of preserving those moments. An open flame inside the underground mine walls caused the explosion in 1902. It was a carbon monoxide-rich gas called "after damp," which was produced after the explosion, that asphyxiated the crews. Story continues Cambria Iron laid out the dead so loved ones could identify them. A memorial still pays tribute at St. Casimir Cemetery. Following Saturday's new historical marker dedication, a remembrance ceremony was held in the Cambria City neighborhood where most of those workers once lived. The group gathered inside the Casimir Cultural Center, one of a handful of former Catholic churches where immigrants worshiped a century ago, to pay respect to the city's losses 120 years earlier through scripture and song. With candles flickering behind him, Casimir Cultural Center co-owner Steven Biter read each name aloud. Afterward, the Rev. George Gulash, of Resurrection Roman Catholic Church, led the room in prayer to remember the deceased and the families who mourned them. To retired UMWA International secretary-treasurer Dan Kane, it was also crucial to remember the hard-fought change the tragedy ushered in, one that was slow building through unionization and decades of calls for improved mine safety. "(Those 112 miners) didn't deserve what they got. For a long time (afterward), coal companies didn't have to obey laws," Kane said, noting companies were able to skirt many measures for decades afterward. "People often talk about the good old days. Well, for a long time, the good old days weren't so good for a lot of miners." Even as city officials continue working to rebrand the city as a mountain town that embraces reborn landscapes and rivers once scarred by industry, stories such as the Rolling Mill disaster must not be forgotten, Mayor Frank Janakovic said. After all, it was the steel and coal industries, and the immigrant populations that fueled them that built Johnstown, he added. "Let us never lose sight of how we got here," Janakovic said. President Biden has signed an Executive Order attempting to safeguard privacy and abortion rights, but a lot more needs to be done to stop tech companies from passing along your most personal reproductive health information - which some prosecutors may want to use against you. NBC News Tech Correspondent Jacob Ward joins Ali Velshi to explain why right now, anyone searching for anything abortion-related doesnt have any privacy around their data. 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 Police are investigating two reports of indecent assault in the same part of South Boston. The assaults were reported in the area of East Broadway Street and Dorchester Street. Detectives with the Boston Police Departments Sexual Assault Unit are investigating both incidents. Anyone with information is urged to call detectives directly at (617) 343-4400. Anonymous tips may be left at the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463). Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Associated Press Officials have ended their search for a woman whose 2-year-old grandchild was found alone last week in a locked car that stuck in mud on a rural Alaska road, authorities said. No clues to the whereabouts of Mary Dawn Wilson, 69, have emerged since her Ford Focus was found last Thursday with the child and personal items believed to belong to Wilson, the Alaska Department of Public Safety said in a statement on Saturday. Authorities believe the child was alone in the car for two days. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam's Kilo Pier on December 27, 2016 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Kent Nishimura/Getty Images The man suspected of killing Shinzo Abe said he blamed a religious group for his mother's bankruptcy. The Unification Church, whose followers are colloquially known as the Moonies, confirmed his mother was a member. The suspect said he blamed Abe for promoting the unspecified religious group. The man arrested on suspicion of fatally shooting former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday might have been motivated by anger towards the controversial religious group known as the Moonies, reports say. Suspect Yamagami Tetsuya, 41, told investigators he believed the Japanese leader was linked to a religious group that he blamed for his mother's financial problems, according to Japanese newspaper The Mainichi Shimbun. On Sunday, a Tokyo-based representative of the Unification Church confirmed that the suspect's mother is a member, The Washington Post reported. The Unification Church is a religious movement founded in 1954 by Korean Reverend Sun Myung Moon. The group's followers are colloquially known as the Moonies, and the church has widely been described as a cult by former members. The church gained international notoriety for holding mass weddings for its members and is now headed up by Reverend Moon's widow, Hak Ja Han. The suspect in the shooting of Shinzo Abe, Yamagami Tetsuya, seen on July 8, 2022. NHK vis Reuters Yamagami told investigators that his mother became bankrupt after donating money to a religious group and that his family disintegrated because of his mother's obsession with the group, Mainichi Shimbun reported. It is not clear whether Tetsuya's mother is a member of any other religious group. The Unification Church representative told The Post that he did not have information about the mother's donations and that the organization is reviewing any donations she may have made to the Nara branch. According to Japanese media reports, Yamagami wanted to kill the leader of a religious group, which investigators did not name, but decided to kill Abe instead. Yamagami said that he blamed Abe for promoting the unnamed religious group, according to The Mainichi Shimbun. Story continues Abe had appeared at Unification Church-related events as a paid speaker, most recently by video link in September 2021, per The Post. The church frequently features high-profile conservative politicians from around the world as speakers at their events, including Donald Trump. The organization's members have also historically provided a voter base for Japan's conservative ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which Abe was a part of, Jeffrey J. Hall, an expert on nationalist activism at the Kanda University of International Studies, told The Post. A police investigation into the suspect's motives, the homemade weapon he allegedly used, and the security protocols at the event are ongoing. Mainstream Japanese media outlets have not named which religious organization Yamagami's mother was a member of, The Post reported. Read the original article on Business Insider Footage shared by the Ukrainain Defense Ministry thanking the US for its donation of HIMARS. Ukraine Ministry of Defense Advanced US-supplied weaponry has been used by Ukraine to destroy a number of Russian military depots. Videos of huge explosions depict how eastern weapons are being put to use. President Zelenskyy thanked the USA for its aid in his nightly video address. Ukraine is using US-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to undermine Russian artillery superiority by attacking its munition warehouses. Twenty ammunition depots have been destroyed by the advanced weaponry supplied by the West, the Kyiv Independent reports. As Insider's Alisa Shoaib reported, Ukraine has sought new strategies in the eastern Donbas region where the war is concentrated. Earlier tactics, such as relying heavily on drone warfare, have proven less effective in the face of a better-organized Russian force. The HIMARS are essentially truck-mounted, GPS-guided rocket launchers with a range of around 44 miles. A Russian military blogger Andrey Morozov (widely known as "Murz"), quoted by Illia Ponomarenko, the defense and security reporter at the Kyiv Independent, said Putin's troops were suffering from growing "munitions hunger" due to recent Ukrainian attacks. Ukraine has released videos of massive explosions depicting how Western military aid is helping to blunt the Russian artillery onslaught in Donbas, where Putin's forces have used their enormous firepower to advance slowly. Insider was not able to verify the video claims. More US rocket systems are on the way On Friday, President Joe Biden signed a new deal to send a weapons package worth $400 million to Ukraine. It takes the total amount of aid sent to Ukraine from the US to $7 billion, according to CNBC. An additional four HIMARS were part of the package, an official told Reuters, bringing the total to 12 supplied to Ukraine. The new US aid also included more precise ammunition for howitzer artillery systems, Reuters said. In his nightly video address on Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the US for "the decision to provide Ukraine with a new defense aid package, allowing us to take anti-terrorist steps and reduce Russian attack capabilities." Story continues On Wednesday, President Zelenskyy said, "We finally feel that the Western artillery we received from our partners is working very powerfully." "Our defenders carry out painful strikes against warehouses and other important logistic nodes of the occupiers. And this materially lowers the offensive potential of the Russian army," he said. Two Ukrainian soldiers inside a US-donated HIMARS truck. CNN Serhiy Kuzan, the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center chair in Kyiv, told the Guardian that the delivery of HIMARS and howitzers have slowed Russia's offensive, forcing them "to be more careful." "It allows us to participate in what is an artillery duel," he said, per The Guardian. "And with the longer-range rockets, we have destroyed over 20 warehouses of Russian artillery." Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, also told the paper that the military supply from across the West is making a "tactical difference" but added that "Ukraine still has to manage multiple supply chains, relatively small fleets of a lot of different systems, and the ammunition available is very limited." Read the original article on Business Insider Why isn't Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland prosecuting Trump? Indicting a former president for trying to subvert an election is harder than it looks. (Patrick Semansky / Associated Press) The House committee on the Jan. 6, 2021, insurgency, whose hearings resume this week, has produced impressive evidence that could allow prosecutors to argue that former President Trump committed crimes as he tried to overturn the 2020 election. Thanks to the hearings, we now know more clearly that Trump tried to bully Vice President Mike Pence into blocking Congress count of electoral votes, tried to bully Justice Department officials into declaring the election fraudulent even though they knew it wasnt and stood by with seeming approval while his armed supporters sacked the Capitol. All of which has led many ordinary citizens and not just Trump-haters to wonder: Why isnt Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland prosecuting this man? The answer is both complicated and simple. Indicting a former president for trying to subvert a presidential election is harder than it looks. Its definitely not a slam-dunk, Paul Rosenzweig, a former federal prosecutor (and anti-Trump Republican), told me last week. It will require tough decisions. The problem isnt lack of evidence. The former Trump aides who have testified before the House committee and been interviewed by the FBI have taken care of that. The problem, Rosenzweig and other former prosecutors said, is that convincing a jury that Trump is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt will still be difficult especially when the former president, armed with good lawyers, can challenge that evidence. We know from the polls that about 30% of the American people think Trump did nothing wrong on Jan. 6, Rosenzweig said. Thirty percent of a jury is three or four people. I think getting a unanimous conviction will be nearly impossible, even in the liberal District of Columbia. And a trial that ends in Trumps acquittal, he warned, would backfire. It would not only have the effect of giving Trump impunity, he said, "it would give him impunity and an aura of invincibility. Others disagree. Donald B. Ayer, another Republican former prosecutor, thinks a conviction would be possible. Trump was ready to have Mike Pence be killed, Ayer said. You tell that story to a jury, and I think you win. Story continues But Ayer notes that Justice Department regulations require that prosecutors believe they have a high probability of winning a conviction before they can indict. By that standard, what Garland is doing is both correct and by the book. Hes investigating aggressively but prosecuting cautiously. Justice Department lawyers have served subpoenas on Rudolph W. Giuliani and John Eastman, lawyers who advised Trump on his schemes, and on pro-Trump activists who organized bogus slates of alternative electors in swing states like Arizona and Georgia. Last month, FBI agents searched the Virginia home of Jeffrey Clark, a former top Justice Department official who pushed colleagues to endorse Trumps claims of voter fraud. And prosecutors have indicted leaders of the right-wing Proud Boys and Oath Keepers militias on charges of seditious conspiracy in connection with Jan. 6. All of which suggests that the Justice Department is pursuing a traditional organized-crime model in its investigation: prosecuting small fish to build cases against the higher-ups. Even so, Trump will be able to argue in his defense that he lacked criminal intent, by claiming either that he genuinely believed the election had been stolen or did not know that interfering with Congress could be against the law. The most likely charges against Trump are conspiracy to defraud the United States, a broad statute that covers almost any illegitimate interference with government operations, and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding. There is also a broader policy question surrounding a decision to indict a former president, an action no prosecutor has taken before: Would it be in the national interest? Indicting a past and possible future political adversary of the current president would be a cataclysmic event, Jack Goldsmith, a former Justice Department official in the George W. Bush administration, warned last month. It would be seen by many as politicized retribution. The prosecution would take many years to conclude [and would] deeply affect the next election. Others lawyers, both Republicans and Democrats, disagree vigorously. Its essential that Trump be prosecuted, if only to deter him and future presidential candidates from trying to do this again, Norman Eisen, a former Obama administration official, argued. It would do terrible damage to allow a former president to walk free after committing acts for which anyone else would be indicted. Those debates dont amount to a conclusive argument against prosecuting Trump. But they do add up to a list of reasons why Garland should avoid a rush to judgment while his investigators do their work and that, to all appearances, is precisely what hes doing. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Raleigh police arrested a man Saturday following a fatal shooting in North Raleigh earlier that day. Willie Edward Frederick, 56, has been charged with the murder of Aaron Jamel Downer, 26. Frederick is being held at the Wake County Detention Center. Officers with the Raleigh Police Department responded to a shooting Saturday afternoon at a North Raleigh apartment complex. They found Downer at his home at 6100 Piedmont Ridge Circle with multiple gunshot wounds. He later died at the hospital. This marks the fifth fatal shooting in Raleigh in a week. On Tuesday, a man died from gunshot wounds on New Bern Avenue in Raleigh, followed by the shooting deaths of a man and a baby at a Raleigh apartment complex later that night. On Friday, a man was found shot to death in a driveway in east Raleigh. ROMAN PETRENKO - SUNDAY, JULY 10, 2022, 6:56 PM Russia, which attacked Ukraine, has accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of allegedly striking their "peaceful territories" and is threatening him with a lawsuit. Source: Head of the State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin in an interview "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin," quoted by TASS Quote from Volodin: "You can't be a clown, holding such a position. In our opinion, he [Boris Johnson - ed.] is involved in many ways in the fact that strikes are carried out on the peaceful territories of the Russian Federation. It was he who insisted on bombing the peaceful cities, what more can we say. The court should be waiting for him. At the very least, I think it is correct that we do not remove this issue from control, and he prepares to testify." Note: Volodin stated that the USA should remember that Alaska was Russian and the Russian Federation can begin to "return" it to their control. The Concorde was a supersonic commercial airliner, flying passengers at 1,350 miles per hour. High costs, safety concerns, and loud sonic booms forced the plane to retire in 2003. Several companies are trying to reintroduce supersonic air travel with new ultra-high-speed jet concepts. The age of supersonic commercial air travel started in 1973 with the first transatlantic crossing of the famous Concorde aircraft. Air France Concorde olrat/Shutterstock The Concorde made its first supersonic passenger flight 40 years ago this is what it was like Jointly developed by Aerospatiale a predecessor of Airbus Industries and the British Aircraft Corporation, the high-speed jet could fly up to 1,350 miles per hour, or twice the speed of sound. Associated Press Source: Insider The first passenger flight occurred on January 21, 1976, when British Airways flew the Concorde from London to Bahrain in just four hours two and half hours faster than subsonic jets. Associated Press Source: Insider Air France started Concorde operations the same day, flying from Paris to Rio de Janeiro via Dakar, Senegal. Air France Source: Air France The Concorde's early success pushed British Airways and Air France, the only two operators of the jet with seven each to add more routes, like Paris to New York and London to Washington, DC. A British Airways and an Air France Concorde pass each other at JFK. Associated Press Source: Britannica However, over time, the jet proved to be too expensive and too noisy to maintain. A deadly crash in 2000 further accelerated its retirement, which came in 2003 after 27 years of commercial service. Air France's Concorde flight 4590 takes off from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris with fire trailing from its engine on the left wing on July 25, 2000. The plane crashed, killing 113 people. Toshihiko Sato/AP Why we still don't have another Concorde Since the Concorde's demise, the industry has not seen another supersonic jet because manufacturers are still trying to solve the challenges the iconic plane faced, like efficiency, cost, and noise. Reuters Source: Insider However, companies worldwide have jets in development, and the Federal Aviation Administration has expressed its support for the reintroduction of supersonic travel in the US "as long as safety parameters are followed." Robert Evans/Getty Images Source: Federal Aviation Administration Story continues Texas-based startup Venus Aerospace is the most recent manufacturer to unveil a new supersonic jet except the company hopes to go hypersonic, at Mach 9, meaning the plane will fly nine times faster than the speed of sound. Venus Aerospace Source: Venus Aerospace According to Venus Aerospace, its Stargazer jet will connect any two cities on Earth in an hour or less by flying along the edge of space. Venus Aerospace Source: Venus Aerospace The jet, dubbed a "spaceplane," will have a capacity of just 12 passengers and be powered by zero-emission rocket engines. Venus Aerospace Source: Venus Aerospace Other companies are also hoping to enter the hypersonic market. China's Space Transportation, also known as Beijing Lingkong Tianxing, is developing a 12-passenger jet that can fly 4,350 miles per hour, connecting New York and Beijing in one hour. Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone Source: Beijing Economic and Technological Development Zone, CNN The ultra-high-speed jet concept, which is planned to begin flight testing in 2023, is not the company's first product. Lingkong Tianxing has also been developing reusable rockets, which are the foundation of its future commercial spaceplane. Step-by-step development of the spaceplane. Space Transportation ((Lingkong Tianxing) Source: Space Transportation (Lingkong Tianxing) NASA and Lockheed Martin have partnered to develop the X-59 SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) aircraft. While not a passenger concept, the supersonic jet will help minimize sonic booms over land. Lockheed Martin Source: Lockheed Martin, NASA This will allow commercial supersonic planes to travel faster than the speed of sound over populated areas, which the Concorde was not permitted to do. The X-59 SuperSonic Technology (QueSST) test aircraft after a flight. Lauren Hughes/NASA Source: Lockheed Martin, NASA Lockheed Martin is planning to build on top of its testbed by creating a 40-seater ultra-fast commercial aircraft, which it calls Quiet Supersonic Technology Airliner (QSTA). The plane is planned to fly at Mach 1.8, or about 1,380 miles per hour. Lockheed Martin Source: Lockheed Martin, CNN Meanwhile, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the country's national space agency, is developing an unnamed supersonic jet that will carry 50 passengers and have a sonic boom 50% smaller than the Concorde's. JAXA Source: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency The agency is developing the aircraft in partnership with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Subaru. JAXA is also partnered with NASA on the X-59 QueSST project that will help the agency reduce its own jet's sonic boom. Experimental airplane testing low sonic boom design concept. JAXA Source: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency US-based Exosonic is also developing a quiet, low-boom supersonic passenger plane. The 70-seater jet is planned to fly at Mach 1.8, with tickets costing the same as a regular business-class fare. Exosonic Source: Aerotime In 2020, Exosonic was awarded a grant from the US Air Force to build a supersonic plane that could serve as the future Air Force One. The above image does not represent Exosonic's current configuration due to proprietary concerns. Exosonic Source: Exosonic The Air Force's Life Cycle Management Center said the deal will push the development of a "low-boom supersonic executive transport aircraft that will allow key decision makers and teams to travel around the world in half the time it takes now." Exosonic Source: FlightGlobal South African billionaire Priven Reddy's company, EON Aerospace, is also trying to get into the supersonic market with EON nxt-01, an environmentally friendly ultra-fast jet. EON Aerospace Source: EON Aerospace The plane would fly at Mach 1.9 and have up to 88 seats, with the goal to run on sustainable aviation fuel and operate with net-zero carbon emissions. EON hopes to get the jet into service by 2029. EON Aerospace Source: EON Aerospace Colorado-based Boom Supersonic, which is developing a Concorde-like plane known as Overture, is the only startup that reports having orders on the books. Boom's supersonic prototype conducting flight tests. Boom Supersonic Boom Supersonic's ultra-fast planes that United Airlines is set to begin flying in 2029 will be built and tested in North Carolina United Airlines has purchased 15 of the high-speed Overture aircraft in a deal worth $3 billion. The jet is scheduled to enter commercial service with the airline in 2029. Boom Supersonic Source: Insider The $200 million jet will fly at Mach 1.7, or about 1,300 miles per hour, and connect cities like Newark, New Jersey, and Frankfurt, Germany, in four hours. United estimates it will carry 65-88 passengers in an all-business cabin. Boom Supersonic Source: Insider Japan Airlines also invested $10 million in Boom as part of a preorder for 20 Overture jets in 2017. The company plans to carry 45-55 business-class passengers and originally expected a mid-2020s entry to service, but there has been no update since. Boom Supersonic Source: Japan Airlines, Boom Supersonic If United's plan stays on track, the airline will become the first commercial carrier to fly a supersonic plane in regularly scheduled passenger service since the Concorde. Boom Supersonic Read the original article on Business Insider Families, kids, women and men making posters for abortion-rights at McKennan Park on Saturday, July 9th, 2022. Nearly 100 gathered at McKennan Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon to make signs in preparation for Sundays abortion rights protest in Sioux Falls, two weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of Roe resulted in an immediate abortion ban in South Dakota. The event was organized by a small group of South Dakota State University students, like Althena Bjorback, 23, from a Snapchat group. She told the Argus Leader events like this empower and build communities, and give hope to people to remain in solidarity with those who don't have an option to an abortion anymore. More: South Dakota's Rep. Erin Healy meets with VP Kamala Harris to discuss abortion restrictions Sidewalks decorated with "Roe the Boat," "My Body, My Choice" Kaylee Milbrandt, 27, is the mother of two sons and traveled from Mitchell to come to McKennan Park for the poster-making event. Photo taken on Saturday, July 9th, 2022. Sidewalks at McKennan Park were adorned with sayings like "Roe the Boat," written in chalk. Participants sat in the grass, making other signs that read "Reproductive Rights are Human Rights." Police also escorted a man holding a black sign with a white cross outside of the park halfway through the three-hour event, who some said has visited past abortion-rights protests and events. More men need to show out for women, says Aberdeen resident 48-year-old Shelby Roberts sits in her chair, with a word chart under her arms. She told the Argus Leader, pointing to words and phrases, "everybody needs a choice." Roberts, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, thinks of her five nieces when it comes to Roe being overturned. Photo taken at McKennan Park in Sioux Falls on Saturday, July 9th, 2022. The event saw people from all walks of life: grandmothers with their daughters and granddaughters, fathers with their brothers and women of all ages with their own ties to the abortion issue. Tony Newman, 28, drove from Aberdeen to show support, thinking of his female friends who are concerned with having their rights stripped away, he said. "If there's more men at these events, it'll show everyone is affected by this," he said. Spotted a few supporters that were men, some of them shared stories of a daughter who was raped but protected by states like Oregon and had their abortion covered by the state via criminal restitution. The man in the middle said rape is violence, but SD doesnt see it that way. pic.twitter.com/nzu0cad4ox Nicole Ki (@_nicoleki) July 9, 2022 Isabella Purzol, 18, traveled from Yankton and thinks of sister. Story continues "My sister has polycystic ovary syndrome and has medical complications," Purzol said. "If they get pregnant, and with everything that's going on, they don't know what could happen or where to go with their risk factors." More: SCOTUS abortion decision sparks rally in front of U.S. Courthouse in Sioux Falls Others, like 82-year-old Kansas native Sara Post, worry voter's rights might be the next to go. She remembers her first Women's March in New York back in 1958, a time "when women didn't have rights." Ran into this family, Eloise Post, 11, on the left finishing the my body, my choice sign. Sara, on the left, is the grandma and brought her daughter and 2 granddaughters. She didnt have a choice, her daughter did, and now her granddaughters dont; shes afraid for whats next pic.twitter.com/btA1IfDGTp Nicole Ki (@_nicoleki) July 9, 2022 Post brought her 50-year-old daughter and her two granddaughters, both 11 and 14 years old. "My age had no access, Jenny's age had and now these girls don't," she said, gesturing to her two yo granddaughters. "I'm afraid of what's next." Attendees plan to meet in front the courthouse at noon tomorrow for ACLU of South Dakota and Planned Parenthood's protest against the Roe ruling. Email human rights reporter Nicole Ki at nki@argusleader.com or follow on Twitter at @_nicoleki. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: "More men need to show solidarity": Sioux Falls community prepares for abortion rights protest 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: More: Jamie Smith taps Aberdeen-area lawmaker as running mate on Democratic ticket for governor 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. More: 'Our rights have been slowly taken from us': Organizers plan 2 abortion-rights protests this weekend in Sioux Falls 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. Story continues 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. More: South Dakota Democrats see open AG, secretary of state contests as paths to statewide office 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. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota Democrats strategize on abortion, elections Spirit Airlines EQRoy A Spirit Airlines flight caught fire while landing at the Atlanta airport on Sunday. The brakes overheated and ignited, according to a Spirit spokesperson. "The aircraft was towed to the gate where guests safely deplaned without any injuries," the spokesperson told Insider. A Spirit Airlines flight caught fire while landing at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, the airline confirmed. All passengers were safely evacuated and nobody was harmed, a Spirit spokesperson told Insider. "Spirit Flight 383 from Tampa to Atlanta landed safely in Atlanta International Airport and upon landing one of the brakes overheated. The aircraft was towed to the gate where guests safely deplaned without any injuries," the spokesperson said, noting that the plane will be temporarily removed for maintenance. The incident occurred at 9:25 a.m. on Sunday when brakes in the landing gear of the plane caught fire, the Atlanta airport tweeted, adding that the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department successfully extinguished the flames. The aircraft was then towed to gate D2, where passengers were able to safely disembark. Airport officials also confirmed there were no injuries and said the incident will not impact operations, airport officials said. Scottie Nelms, one of the plane's passengers, recounted the experience to FOX 5: "Once we landed it made a weird noise from the left side of the plane. Nobody knew what it was until we stopped completely in the middle of the landing strip. We saw a flame coming from the engine and people and myself started freaking out." A video posted on Twitter by Alaina Hardie shows smoke and flames engulfing the underside of the plane. Another video recorded from within the aircraft depicts flight attendants telling passengers to remain seated until the pilot instructs them to evacuate. Story continues "Ladies and gentlemen, stay seated, stay seated, we do not have to evacuate now. Please remain seated," a Spirit Airlines flight attendant says in the video, posted by Twitter user @imgoinscottie. Read the original article on Business Insider As Muslims around the world get ready to mark Eid al-Adha, people in Afghanistan are still struggling to survive, with many blaming U.S. sanctions for the soaring prices. Produced by Xinhua Global Service With the actions of school boards coming under increasing public scrutiny, a recently released study has offered a surprising window into the motivations of their members. In a paper examining a decade of election outcomes, academics at the University of Rochester, the University of Colorado, and Duke University discovered that many winners of North Carolina school board races saw property values rise in their neighborhoods. The gains may have been generated by winners manipulation of attendance zones to sort whiter and higher-achieving students into nearby schools. Sign up here for The 74s daily newsletter. Donate here to support The 74's independent journalism. The findings also deliver an unmistakably partisan message: Board members registered as Republicans or independents yielded increases in home prices, while effects for Democratic winners were null. The finding that non-Democratic but not Democratic school board members affect local school attributes in ways that raise home prices in their neighborhoodraises the question of self-interested, as opposed to public service-oriented, motivations for seeking office, the authors write. The studys design offers a somewhat dark perspective on the linkage between school quality and the cost of real estate, hinging on the often-controversial power of local education authorities to determine which schools in their district enroll which students. To derive a clear picture of board members potential unspoken agendas, it combines data from a host of sources and examines three phenomena at once. First, the research team gathered a comprehensive set of election results from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, focusing on all school board races between 2006 and 2016. While the vast majority of those races were nonpartisan (as are most such races around the country) they were able to determine the partisanship of roughly two-thirds of all candidates by matching them to county-level voter registration rolls, which also provided identifying information on race, ethnicity, age, and home address. Story continues Next they built an index of home values throughout North Carolina at the level of the Census block using records from ZTRAX, a database encompassing all home transactions in the state between 1995 and 2016. The inventory, maintained by the online real estate marketplace Zillow, tracked not just sales prices and addresses, but also design and construction details such as square footage, structural condition and number of bathrooms. John Singleton (University of Rochester) The combined figures clearly showed that property values in winning, non-Democratic candidates neighborhoods rose by an average of 4.2 percent compared with the neighborhoods of losing non-Democrats in the four years following a school board election. By comparison, winning Democratic board members enjoyed no bump in prices relative to losing Democratic candidates. Among winners registered as Republicans, who made up roughly 80 percent of non-Democratic candidates, the effects were even larger: a 6.2 percent increase in home prices relative to Republican losers. It could totally be possible that board members are increasing house prices across the whole district because theyre doing great things for schools, said co-author John Singleton, a professor of economics at the University of Rochester. What were showing in this paper, though, is that the distribution of those effects across neighborhoods is related to where school board members live. Its about how the pie is being divided, and it looks like its being divided in a more equal fashion by Democratic candidates. Controversy over attendance zones But what could explain the higher prices? To answer that question, Singleton and his collaborators introduced a final set of facts: records from the North Carolina Education Research Data Center, which included academic, residential, and demographic information on students and schools. Soon enough, they found that the schools serving the neighborhoods of winning non-Democrats seemed to improve in the years following their election to school boards. Specifically, math and reading scores on the North Carolina standardized End-of-Grade Tests increased slightly for children enrolled in those schools between kindergarten and the eighth grade. At the same time, average years of teacher experience (a crude but intuitive measure of school quality) increased significantly, with the proportion of brand-new teachers dropping by 12.8 percent and the proportion of teachers with over a decade of experience increasing by 3.8 percent. Singleton said that the marked increase in teacher experience could be linked to lower turnover. Whatever the cause, it would be one of the clearest signals to potential home buyers along with climbing overall test scores of elevated school quality, which would in turn push home values higher. Thats something thats potentially very visible to people who are deciding which neighborhood to live in and where to send their kids to school, Singleton said. But its also going to be private information thats not more widely known it travels by word of mouth through social networks: This school is good, they retain their teachers. But the perception of better academic performance seems to have more to do with changes in school composition than actual improvement. While overall standardized test performance in these schools trended upward, scores derived from teacher value-added a measure derived by economists to isolate exactly what schools contribute to student learning remained flat. Related: 74 Interview: Author Tim DeRoche on the Inequity of School Attendance Zones, the Flaws of Open Enrollment and Why the Government Should Drive Down Housing Prices Instead, the ostensible academic growth may have been generated by changes in the schools students were assigned to. Those patterns in school assignment are substantially decided by board members, who may have a personal financial stake in having good schools (often, those that enroll more advantaged students who are most prepared to succeed academically) located near their own homes. The process of drawing and redrawing school attendance zones is typically highly controversial for that reason. In recent decades, some education analysts have advocated the intentional construction of attendance zones that cultivate more racial and socioeconomic diversity in classrooms. Efforts to put such plans into action have sometimes been stymied by changing election results including in Wake County, North Carolinas largest school district, where voters have reacted harshly to an ambitious desegregation plan. Related: Integrating Schools by Income, Not Race: Why Cities Are Embracing an Idea Whose Time Has Come Singleton and his colleagues found that in the years after local non-Democrats won election to school boards, the schools serving their neighborhoods became 3.5 percent whiter relative to those serving the neighborhoods of non-Democratic election losers; enrollment of high-achieving students (those scoring higher on state exams than same-aged children the previous year) increased by 3.6 percent. No such changes were detected among schools serving the neighborhoods of winning Democrats. The authors also revealed that, compared with results measured in the year before an election, average test scores markedly increased in the schools enrolling children who lived in the same Census block as a winning, non-Democratic school board candidate; in other words, local kids were being assigned to higher-performing schools after their neighbor became a board member. Eric Brunner, an economist at the University of Connecticut, said that factors like test scores operated as clear signals in real estate markets because of the very limited information that families can otherwise access. Previous research has shown that the school ratings included in sites like Zillow can lead directly to neighborhood segregation. Related: Power Is Knowledge: New Study Finds That Wealthy, Educated Families Are Using School Ratings to Self-Segregate What buyers are given by their realtors, and the research they do themselves, is typically the average test scores in different school zones, Brunner argued. If [board members] were able to adjust test scores within the boundaries of the school zone such that they went up on average even though students werent smarter, and it was just due to sorting then home values will go up. People think its a better product. Normal people engaging in politics Brunner noted that the study builds on previously released research by Singleton and another co-author, economist Hugh McCartney, which found that Democratic school board members in North Carolina tended to reduce school segregation by shifting school assignments. The latest paper takes that insight one step further, he said, by demonstrating the self-dealing that might follow from the massaging of attendance zones. Eric Brunner (University of Connecticut) He also took note of an interesting sub-finding of the newer study: The changes in school-level achievement and home values were driven not only by non-Democrats, but also by candidates elected on an at-large basis to represent an entire school district. At-large contests only made up about one-quarter of board races in North Carolina over the course of the study, but their structure could help explain its results, Brunner said. Marginal changes to school attendance zones would theoretically produce a small number of winners, but also some losers: those who live near a board member but see themselves as adversely impacted by school assignment changes.. Under new assignment patterns, such voters might see their own property values fall as their children are enrolled at relatively lower-achieving schools. That kind of dissatisfaction would be a serious liability in a ward-based race, Brunner observed; but if the candidate was elected on an at-large basis, most of their voters would take no notice of minor assignment changes occurring in other parts of their school district. Related: Skyrocketing School Board Recalls Offer Window into Year of Bitter Education Politics If youre elected at large, you could do something that satisfies a very small, unique group of people without pissing off the other voters within your ward. You dont need to be worried about satisfying the rest of your ward you could satisfy a microcosm of it. Robert Maranto is a political scientist at the University of Arkansass Department of Education Reform. Between 2015 and 2020, he also held a seat on the Fayetteville School Board, which undertook several rounds of student redistricting during his tenure. Maranto noted that such policy changes were some of the most fraught he could remember, recollecting in an interview that certain constituents needed to be grandfathered in to attendance zones viewed as superior. When people buy a house, or sometimes even an apartment, they have the expectation that their kid will go to a certain school, Maranto said. So if you upend that expectation, it can be very controversial. Even if theyre redistricted to a brand-new school, people are usually not happy about that. Robert Maranto (University of Arkansas) He added that the magnitude and direction of the effects measured by Singleton and his collaborators was very plausible, but added that his own interpretation was somewhat less nefarious than what others might infer. Your constituents either want or, more often, dont want boundary changes, he said. It could be for elitist purposes We dont want our kids going to school with those kids but youre representing that on the board. For me, it seems more like normal people engaging in politics. Singleton himself added that he would like to see similar research conducted in other states to reveal more about the connection between district leadership, school outcomes, and home prices. Though the findings from North Carolina were suggestive, he noted, the very distinctive flavor of local politics including a comparative abundance of private and charter schools, which could dilute the effects somewhat by partially de-linking home addresses from school assignment meant that a similar experiment might yield different results elsewhere. Related: San Francisco School Board Recall Hinged on Competence, not Critical Race Theory. In a Rarity, it Succeeded Above all, he said, it was important to further explore the role of school boards as actors in a complex machinery of school governance because the difference between a good board and a bad one might be greater than is now understood. I think theres mounting evidence that boards can be consequential players. And were just starting to learn more about the conditions under which these kinds of effects can arise. People stand on Minnesota Avenue after a rally for abortion rights in Sioux Falls on Sunday, July 10, 2022. Despite excessive heat and humidity, hundreds of people stood in the shade of the trees in front of the Minnehaha County Court House for a protest against the United States Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade on Sunday. The protest, organized by Planned Parenthood and the South Dakota ACLU, called attention to how pregnant people and those with the ability to get pregnant would be harmed by the mid-June decision that has left abortion access up to the states. In South Dakota, a trigger law meant that abortion was no longer legally obtainable in the state. More: Abortion is now illegal in South Dakota. Here's what you need to know. "There's nothing pro life about letting pregnant people die of preventable deaths," Kim Floren, a co-founder of JEN, the Justice through Empowerment Network, which helps pregnant people get access to abortions. Floren added that South Dakota is the second-largest maternity care desert in the nation, meaning people lack access to maternal health care options. Others spoke about how people of color have already been impacted by people in power making decisions about their bodies. Serene Thin Elk (left) and April Matson (right) from South Dakota Urban Indian Health speak during a protest about abortion rights in front of the Minnehaha County Courthouse on Sunday, July 10, 2022. "There was forced sterilization that happened to both men but primarily women in the 1970s," Serene Thin Elk, who works at South Dakota Urban Indian Health, said. "To once again to have these things come upon us where we seemingly don't have a choice and don't have a voice. We actually do very much have a choice and have a voice and we need to continue to stand up for what we know is true and right despite the cycles of oppression continue." Jett Jonelis, the advocacy manager at the ACLU, added that it was already known people who faced barriers to healthcare would be disproportionately harmed by the Roe decision. "No one should have to leave their home and their state to obtain essential time-sensitive health care and many people will not be able to do this," they said. "This has never been just about abortion. It's about control, state control of our bodies and our futures." Story continues For Kristin Hayward, the advocacy manager at Planned Parenthood North Central States, Sunday's protest reminded her of an earlier rally in October. Protestors leave the Minnehaha County Courthouse on their way to Van Epps Park to demonstrate for abortion rights on Sunday, July 10, 2022. "We didn't have this happening to us. We didn't lose our rights. We still had rights in front of us in our own state and now they're gone," she said. "It's devastating. It's terrible." Hayward received cheers as she talked about how angry she was with Gov. Kristi Noem. More: Will Sioux Falls doctors be charged for performing abortions? Here's what we know. Tori Storm stood in the crowd looking up at the speakers like Hayward. Dressed in green, she said she was terrified about what the overturn of Roe meant for her daughter. "If my daughter is pregnant and something [happens] I could lose her," the 60-year-old retired special education teacher said. "It's just not right." Storm wasn't the only one dressed in green. The use of the color can be traced back nearly two decades to the abortion fight in Argentina, according to National Public Radio. Organizers said they chose green because it was a symbol of "hope, health, life." Argentina legalized abortion nationwide in 2020, and the "Green Wave" has continued to spread internationally. People walk in front of the Old Courthouse Museum on their way to Van Epps Park for an abortion rights rally on Sunday, July 10, 2022. Before the crowd broke from the courthouse to take to the sidewalks in front of Van Epps Park, Jonelis had one last parting message. "While the courts are letting anti-abortion politicians attack our fundamental rights, they don't get the final say. We do," they said. "No matter how long it takes, we will win this fight and we will do it together. Follow Annie Todd on Twitter @AnnieTodd96. Reach out to her with tips, questions and other community news at atodd@argusleader.com or give her a call at 605-215-3757. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Hundreds at Planned Parenthood, ACLU abortion rights protest in Sioux Falls It was a week of celebration, with new beginnings for some and goodbyes for others. Last week started with a bang, as Fall River and surrounding communities gathered to celebrate July Fourth with food, fireworks and fun. The excitement continued as a much-anticipated fast-food chicken joint finally landed in the city and a former mayor's new cannabis business opened its doors. In other news, a proposed 346-unit housing development on Weaver Street is before the Fall River Zoning Board of Review, but the project has a few hitches. Also, Fall River formed a veteran advisory committee, allotting $100,000 to 18 local organizations, and the superintendent at Diman announced his departure. The most read stories of the week on heraldnews.com were the following: Child pornography arrest A Swansea man arrested last week for possession of child pornography remained in custody of the U.S. Marshal's Service after a detention hearing in the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston on Tuesday. The 51-year-old allegedly admitted to investigators that he used the mobile messaging app Kik to receive, distribute and trade child pornography, although he claimed that he received more than he shared. Read more on this story here. Local man arrested for child porn: The details are the stuff of nightmares The drive-thru at the new Chick-fil-A in Fall River. Chick-fil-A finally lands in city Cars wrapped around the building and the restaurant overflowed with customers as the citys first Chick-fil-A location opened on Wednesday. The new restaurant is located in the SouthCoast Marketplace shopping center, near the Market Basket and Picture Show movie theater. The new store is the businesss first in Fall River and the next closest is in Seekonk. Take a look inside and find out how the first day went. 'Eat mor chikin': Fall River's first Chick-fil-A opens to large crowd of customers Former Fall River mayor Will Flanagan in the new store, Cosmopolitan Dispensary in Fall River. From mayor to pot entrepreneur Will Flanagan has worked as a prosecutor, assistant corporation counsel, mayor of the city of Fall River and a defense attorney. Now add another profession to Flanagans resume: marijuana entrepreneur. On Thursday, Flanagan and his business partners, Sunny Aroustamian and Gevorg Saribekyan, held a grand opening of Cosmopolitan Dispensary, a recreational cannabis shop at 82 Hartwell St. in the site of the former Salter School. Story continues Recreational marijuana: A former Fall River mayor opens Fall River's newest cannabis shop John Perry, director of the Department of Community Development, stands next to William S. Canning Boulevard where a new entrance lane for the Southcoast Marketplace is being added. Head of DCM resigns The director of the citys Department of Community Maintenance, who has been suspended pending an investigation since May 19, has resigned after signing an agreement with Mayor Paul Coogans administration. John Perry, who has been a city employee for more than 20 years, severed his employment as head of DCM as of June 17. Read more on this story here. Government Center news: Fall River DCM director resigns after two-month investigation Then-Diman Interim Superintendent/Principal Elvio Ferreira addresses the Class of 2019 during their graduation ceremony. He became superintendent that year and is now departing to lead Brockton Public School's CTE program. Diman super says goodbye The Superintendent and Director of the Greater Fall River Vocational School District is departing this fall, capping off 13 years at Diman Regional Vocational Technical High School including three as superintendent. His departure comes as the district works its way through the process of constructing a new school building. Ferreira has another job lined up, and not as the superintendent of another district. Read more on this story here. 'Theres a lot Im going to miss': Diman's superintendent is resigning after only three years here's why This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Top stories from Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Tiverton WASHINGTON Former White House strategist Steve Bannon has said he's "willing" to testify before the House Jan. 6 committee after he received a letter from former President Donald Trump saying he would waive his claim of executive privilege, according to two letters obtained Sunday by NBC News. Bannons purported willingness to reverse course comes a little more than a week before jury selection is scheduled to begin in his contempt of Congress trial and after months of his stonewalling the committee's investigation, which is entering its final stages with two public hearings scheduled for this week. In the letter, Trump said that Bannon had been treated unfairly and had been forced to spend vast amounts of money on legal fees and that he would therefore waive claims of executive privilege, which have been disputed, if Bannon agrees to a time and a place to testify. I will waive Executive Privilege for you, which allows for you to go in and testify truthfully and fairly, as per the request of the Unselect Committee of political Thugs and Hacks, who have allowed no Due Process, no Cross-Examination, and no real Republican members or witnesses to be present or interviewed. It is a partisan Kangaroo Court, the letter says. In a separate letter to the committee, Robert Costello, a lawyer for Bannon, wrote that "Trump has decided that it would be in the best interests of the American people to waive executive privilege for Stephen K. Bannon, to allow Mr. Bannon to comply with the subpoena issued by your Committee. Mr. Bannon is willing to, and indeed prefers, to testify at your public hearing." Steve Bannon, former adviser to Donald Trump, speaks to members of the media after appearing in federal court in Washington on Nov. 15, 2021. (Samuel Corum / Bloomberg via Getty Images file) Costello, who communicated with the committee on Bannons behalf, is seeking to withdraw as Bannons counsel in the contempt of Congress case because he expects to be called as a witness, according to a court filing Friday. Courts have overruled some of Trumps efforts to invoke executive privilege to block information from the committee. The Supreme Court in January rejected an attempt to stop the National Archives from giving the committee hundreds of pages of documents from Trumps time in the White House. Story continues Bannon, who served in the White House for only seven months in 2017, was indicted in November by a federal grand jury and charged with two counts of contempt of Congress for defying a congressional subpoena from the committee. He was present at a meeting in a Washington hotel the day before the insurrection, where Trump supporters talked about possible efforts to overturn the election, the panel has said, adding that it would like to ask him about a Dec. 30 phone conversation in which Bannon is alleged to have urged Trump to focus his attention on Jan. 6. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, the Trump appointee overseeing Bannons trial, also questioned his claims of executive privilege. Nichols said last month that it was at best ambiguous whether Trumps claims of executive privilege covered the information sought in Bannons subpoena. Nichols has also ruled that Bannon cannot defend himself based on the notion that he was following the advice of counsel. The White House Counsel's Office advised Costello in a letter on Oct. 18 that Trumps use of executive privilege in connection with the investigation was not valid and could not be asserted by Bannon, according to the FBI. The letter came about 10 days after the White House declined an attempt by the former administration to withhold documents from Congress about the riot. NBC News legal analyst Barbara McQuade suggested on Twitter that the Bannon team's letter to the committee was "a gimmick to provide a last-ditch defense in Bannon's criminal case and poison the well in the Jan 6 investigation." Citing the publicity generated by the Jan. 6 committee, Bannons team had sought to delay his trial in the middle" of ongoing public hearings. NBC News obtained the letters following a request to Bannons legal team. The Guardian was first to report Bannons lawyers letter to the committee. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., a member of the Jan. 6 committee, said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the committee had received a letter from Bannon's lawyer overnight saying he would testify. "I expect that we will be hearing from him," Lofgren said. "And there are many questions that we have for him." Bannons lawyers had argued that under Justice Department policies, former White House officials have no legal obligation to comply with congressional subpoenas when the president has asserted executive privilege. Bannon relied on those positions in reasonably believing that the subpoena was not valid and that compliance was not, therefore, either appropriate or required as a matter of fact and law, his lawyers told the judge in legal documents. That defense is not available to Bannon, the government contended, because the subpoena dealt only with his actions as a private citizen long after he left government service and because Trump never directed him to ignore it. Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone did not contradict the testimony of previous witnesses as he appeared before the January 6 committee on Friday. The grueling day-long private session produced new information to be divulged in future public hearings, according to one of the lawmakers present. He did not contradict the testimony of other witnesses, California Democrat Zoe Lofgren told Wolf Blitzer on CNN. Rep 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 Ms Lofgren. And I think we did learn a few things, which we will be rolling out in the hearings to come. Mr 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. Two more of the committees hearings are scheduled for this upcoming week, on Tuesday 12 July at 10am, and on Thursday, potentially during primetime, though this has not yet been confirmed. The focus of Tuesdays hearing is former President Trump and his allies role in luring thousands of Mr Trumps supporters to the nations capital for the day of the riot itself, members revealed in interviews last weekend. NEW: Rep. Zoe Lofgren provides @WolfBlitzer with details about Pat Cipollone's deposition:. *Says he did not "contradict" testimony that has already been revealed. *Makes clear "not contradicting" is not the same as "confirming". *Described the interview as "worth while" pic.twitter.com/Jbpi8nQRvY Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) July 8, 2022 Congressman Adam Schiff, another member of the committee, confirmed the scope of the next hearing during an interview with CBSs Face the Nation. Story continues Our very next hearing will be focused on the efforts to assemble that mob which attacked Congress after Donald Trumps speech on the Ellipse concluded the day of January 6, Mr Schiff said. The identities of potential witnesses for Tuesdays hearings have yet to be made public. Mr 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 then-President Trump from joining the mob at the Capitol. In a stunning public hearing , Ms Hutchinson testified that Mr Cipollone warned her that Mr Trump would be charged with every crime imaginable if the defeated president went to the Capitol on 6 January 2021, trying to stop the certification of Joe Bidens election. It has been reported that the committee did not specifically ask Mr Cipollone about this comment during Fridays meeting, though this has not been confirmed. Ms Hutchinson testified that Mr Cipollone urged her to persuade her boss, chief of staff Mark Meadows, not to let the president go to the Capitol. She also said that she was told Mr 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, but multiple reports seem to confirm it . At another key juncture, Mr Cipollone was also part of a meeting on the Sunday before January 6 when Justice Department officials at the White House threatened to resign if Mr Trump went ahead with plans to install a new acting attorney general who would pursue his false claims of voter fraud. During that meeting, Mr Cipollone referred to a letter that Jeffrey Clark, the attorney President 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. Mr 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, Mr 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. However, Mr Cipollone appeared for some eight hours before the panel and its investigators on Friday. Though he was subpoenaed for his testimony, Rep 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 Mr 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, 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. Reporting by The Associated Press Yasin Ozturk/Getty Images Twitter has hired one of the world's top corporate law firms to sue Elon Musk, Bloomberg reports. The social media company plans to file a lawsuit against Musk early this week, sources told the outlet. The Tesla CEO moved to terminate the $44 billion Twitter deal on Friday. Twitter has hired Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz LLP to sue Elon Musk over his move to terminate a $44 billion deal to acquire the app, sources familiar with the matter tell Bloomberg. The firm specializes in merger litigation and has connections to the Delaware court system, where the case will be tried. Twitter plans to file a lawsuit against the Tesla CEO early this week, the sources told Bloomberg. Musk himself will be represented by Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. The law firm successfully won a defamation trial for the billionaire back in 2019. Representatives for Twitter and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz did not immediately respond to Insider's request to comment. Twitter's board said in a statement on Friday that it was "committed to closing the transaction at the price and terms agreed upon," and that it would be pursuing legal action to enforce the deal. "We are confident we will prevail in the Delaware Court of Chancery," the board said. Musk's central objection in recent weeks has been over the data and methods used to estimate the number of fake accounts on the platform. His lawyers argue that he did not waive his right to inspect this information when he elected not to look at it before signing the merger agreement. The lawyers claim that Musk's analysis so far indicates the percentage of false accounts is "wildly higher than 5%" contrary to Twitter's disclosures in its financial reports. Legal experts told Insider Musk is facing a considerable legal fight, including a possible $1 billion breakup fee, as he attempts to walk away from the deal. Read the original article on Business Insider By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - A U.N. Security Council mandate for U.N. aid deliveries to some 4 million people in Syria from Turkey expired on Sunday as diplomats struggled to find a deal with Russia, which traded barbs with the United States over the renewal of the operation. Ireland and Norway are still working to reach a compromise, diplomats said, but a vote on Sunday was unlikely so the huge U.N. aid operation would be shut down. In 2020 the mandate ran out, but was renewed a day later on the council's fifth attempt. U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths told Canada's CBC television on Sunday that the operation, which delivers aid including food, medicine and shelter, was a lifeline and that if it cannot continue "people will die." Russia vetoed a one-year extension on Friday and then failed in its own push for a six-month renewal, which would have required the 15-member body to adopt a new resolution in January to extend it for another six months. The United States, Britain and France have said a six-month extension is not long enough for aid groups to plan and operate effectively. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, spoke to aid groups on Sunday, who told her that without the U.N. operation 70% of food needs would go unmet." "An entire generation is at risk," she posted on Twitter. "The NGOs (aid groups) asked the UNSC to continue fighting to save these lives ... We have been working all weekend with the UNSC to find compromise." Russia's Deputy U.N. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy replied on Twitter: "There's no need to fight and you know it perfectly well!" He said Russia was not trying to kill the U.N. operation and just wanted to make it more efficient and transparent. After the two council votes on Friday, Polyanskiy said that Moscow would continue to veto any text other than its own. Russia argues that the U.N. aid operation violates Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It says more aid should be delivered from inside the country, raising opposition fears that food and other aid would fall under government control. Story continues The Security Council vote on the authorization of the aid operation has long been a contentious issue, but this year also comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and Western powers over Moscow's Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine. In 2014, the Security Council authorized humanitarian aid deliveries into opposition-held areas of Syria from Iraq, Jordan and two points in Turkey. But veto powers Russia and China have whittled that down to just one Turkish border point. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Diane Craft) The files show Emmanuel Macron was on first name terms with Uber's founder while ex-EU commissioner Neelie Kroes secretly lobbied for the firm Thousands of leaked files have exposed how Uber courted top politicians, and how far it went to avoid justice. They detail the extensive help Uber got from leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and ex-EU commissioner Neelie Kroes. They also show how the taxi firm's former boss personally ordered the use of a "kill switch" to prevent raiding police from accessing computers. Uber says its "past behaviour wasn't in line with present values" and it is a "different company" today. The Uber Files are a trove of more than 124,000 records, including 83,000 emails and 1,000 other files involving conversations, spanning 2013 to 2017. They were leaked to the Guardian, and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and a number of media organisations including BBC Panorama. They reveal, for the first time, how a $90m-a-year lobbying and public relations effort recruited friendly politicians to help in its campaign to disrupt Europe's taxi industry. While French taxi drivers staged sometimes violent protests in the streets against Uber, Mr Macron - now president - was on first name terms with Uber's controversial boss Travis Kalanick, and told him he would reform laws in the firm's favour. Uber's ruthless business methods were widely known, but for the first time the files give a unique inside view of the lengths it went to in achieving its goals. They show how ex-EU digital commissioner Neelie Kroes, one of Brussels' top officials, was in talks to join Uber before her term ended - and then secretly lobbied for the firm, in potential breach of EU ethics rules. At the time, Uber was not just one of the world's fastest-growing companies - it was one of the most controversial, dogged by court cases, allegations of sexual harassment, and data breach scandals. Eventually shareholders had enough, and Travis Kalanick was forced out in 2017. Uber says his replacement, Dara Khosrowshahi, was "tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates" and has "installed the rigorous controls and compliance necessary to operate as a public company". Story continues 'Spectacular' Macron help Paris was the scene of Uber's first European launch, and it met stiff resistance from the taxi industry, culminating in violent protests in the streets. In August 2014, an ambitious former banker named Emmanuel Macron had just been appointed minister for the economy. He saw Uber as a source of growth and badly needed new jobs, and was keen to help. That October, he held a meeting with Mr Kalanick and other executives and lobbyists, which marked the start of a long - but little-publicised - stint as a champion of the controversial firm's interests within government. Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann described the meeting as "spectacular. Like I've never seen," the files show. "We will dance soon," he added. email about first meeting with Macron "Emmanuel" and "Travis" were soon on first name terms, and met at least four times, the files show - in Paris, and at the World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland. Only the Davos meeting has been previously reported. At one point Uber wrote to Mr Macron saying it was "extremely grateful". "The openness and welcome we receive is unusual in government-industry relations." French taxi drivers were particularly enraged by the 2014 launch of UberPop - a service which allowed unlicensed drivers to offer rides, at much lower prices. Courts and parliament banned it, but Uber kept the service running as it challenged the law. Mr Macron didn't think there was a future for UberPop, but he agreed to work with the company to rewrite France's laws governing its other services. "Uber will provide an outline for a regulatory framework for ridesharing. We will connect our respective teams to start working on a feasible proposal that could become the formal framework in France," an email from Travis Kalanick to Mr Macron reads. On 25 June 2015, the protests became violent, and a week later Mr Macron texted Mr Kalanick with an apparent offer of help. Protests against UberPop turned violent. Paris, 25 June 2015 "[I] will gather everybody next week to prepare the reform and correct the law." The same day, Uber announced the suspension of UberPop in France. The extent of the now-president of France's relationship with the controversial global firm that was operating in violation of French law has not been revealed until now. A spokesperson for Mr Macron said in an email: "His functions naturally led him to meet and interact with many companies engaged in the sharp shift which came out during those years in the service sector, which had to be facilitated by unlocking administrative and regulatory hurdles." Uber said the "suspension of UberPop was in no way followed by more favourable regulations," and a new law that came into force in 2018 resulted in France adopting "stricter regulations" that were "in no way beneficial to Uber". Regulator turned lobbyist The files also reveal how Uber's relationship with one of Europe's top officials, European Commission vice-president Neelie Kroes, began significantly earlier and ran deeper than previously was known, putting her in an apparent breach of rules governing commissioners' conduct. They reveal she was in talks to join Uber's advisory board before she even left her last European post in November 2014. EU rules say commissioners have to respect a "cooling-off" period, then 18 months, during which new jobs require the approval of the commission. As a commissioner, Ms Kroes oversaw digital and competition policy, and was a high-profile scourge of big tech, playing a leading role in hitting Microsoft and Intel with massive fines. But of all the companies she could have worked for after leaving, Uber was a particularly controversial choice. In her home country, the Netherlands, the UberPop ridesharing service had also brought legal and political trouble. Uber drivers were arrested in October 2014, and that December a judge in the Hague banned UberPop, threatening fines up to 100,000 euros. In March 2015, Uber's Amsterdam office was raided by Dutch police. Emails say that Ms Kroes called ministers and other members of the government to persuade them to back down during the raid.During another raid a week later, Ms Kroes again contacted a Dutch minister the Uber Files show, and, in the words of an email, "harassed" the head of the Dutch civil service. An internal email advised staff not to discuss her informal relationship externally: "Her reputation and our ability to negotiate solutions in the Netherlands and elsewhere would suffer from any casual banter inside or outside the office." email about keeping Neelie Kroes relationship confidential The files show that the company wanted Ms Kroes to pass messages on to the office of the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte. In October 2015, an email reads: "We'll get backchannel going with Neelie and the PM's Chief of Staff, to extract maximum advantage through 'giving' them the notion of a 'victory'." She wrote to the commission's Ad Hoc Ethical Committee requesting permission to join Uber's advisory board before the 18 months were up, and appealed to commission president Jean-Claude Juncker. That permission was denied, but documents show Ms Kroes continued to help the company informally until her appointment was announced, shortly after the cooling-off period had ended. This underlines that Ms Kroes was in a "clear breach" of the rules, says Alberto Alemanno, Jean Monnet professor of European Union law at HEC Paris. "You're proving the fact that you're doing something you are not allowed to do," he told BBC Panorama. "Because if she didn't necessarily ask for permission, you might still argue there was a grey area, there was a grey zone. But now it's no longer there." Looking at all the disclosures about Ms Kroes' relationship with Uber, he said: "It makes me feel that our system is probably not fit for purpose because this situation should have been prevented." Ms Kroes denies that she had any "formal or informal role at Uber" before May 2016, when the cooling-off period expired. She said as an EU commissioner she interacted with numerous technology companies, "always driven by what I believe would benefit the public interest". During the cooling off period, the Dutch government appointed her special envoy for start-ups, which involved interactions with a "wide array of business, government and non-governmental entities" with the aim of promoting a "business-friendly and welcoming ecosystem in the Netherlands", she said. A spokesperson for the Dutch ministry of economic affairs says that "Uber was not considered a start-up in 2015". Uber says Ms Kroes left the advisory board in 2018, and says it has since introduced new guidelines "strengthening oversight" of "lobbying and external engagements with policymakers" in Europe. 'Hit kill switch ASAP' If the police came knocking, Uber had a second line of defence - the "kill switch", which made it impossible for visiting law enforcement to access the company's computers. This would restrict officers' access to sensitive company data, such as lists of drivers, which the company believed would harm its growth. The files confirm earlier news reports about the kill switch, and reveal that Mr Kalanick himself activated the system at least once. "Please hit the kill switch ASAP. Access must be shut down in AMS [Amsterdam]," an email from his account says. message from Travis Kalanick re: Kill Switch The kill switch was also used in Canada, Belgium, India, Romania and Hungary, and at least three times in France. Uber says it has had no "'kill switch' designed to thwart regulatory inquiries anywhere in the world" since the new chief executive took over in 2017. A spokesperson for Mr Kalanick said he never authorised any actions or programmes that would obstruct justice in any country, and any accusation he did is completely false. He said Uber "used tools that protect intellectual property and the privacy of their customers" and that "these fail-safe protocols do not delete any data or information, and were approved by Uber's legal and regulatory departments". Uber Files The Uber Files is a leak of 124,000 records including emails and texts exposing conversations and meetings between Uber executives and public officials as the technology-driven taxi firm sought to expand its business. The files were leaked to the Guardian which shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists in Washington DC and media partners in 29 countries, including the BBC's Panorama. You can watch Panorama: Taking us for a Ride: The Uber Files on BBC Two at 20:00 BST on Monday 11 July or on BBC iPlayer (UK only) Uber Files reporting team: James Oliver, Rory Tinman, Nassos Stylianou, Becky Dale, Will Dahlgreen. Writer: Ben King Correction 11 July 2022: A previous version of this article stated that Mr Macron agreed a decree relaxing requirements for licensing Uber drivers. While the decree did relax some requirements, it also introduced new conditions. By Anna Voitenko and Max Hunder CHASIV YAR/KYIV, Ukraine (Reuters) -At least 15 people were killed and two dozen more were feared trapped after Russian rockets hit a five-story apartment block in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday as rescuers picked their way through rubble. Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, while Moscow said its forces struck Ukrainian army hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery, near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service gave the death toll at 15 on Sunday afternoon. Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential office, wrote on Telegram that six people had been rescued from the rubble at Chasiv Yar, and that 23 people, including a child, remained buried. "We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen," said a local resident who gave her name as Ludmila, speaking as rescuers removed a body in a white sheet and cleared rubble using a crane as well as their hands. "The second, I do not even remember, there was lightning, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning." Another survivor, who gave her name as Venera, said she had wanted to save her two kittens. "I was thrown into the bathroom, it was all chaos, I was in shock, all covered in blood," she said, crying. "By the time I left the bathroom, the room was full up of rubble, three floors fell down. I never found the kittens under the rubble." FIGHTING FOR TERRITORY Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result. Story continues Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarize Ukraine, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Luhansk and Donetsk provinces comprise the Donbas, Ukraine's eastern industrial region that has become Europe's biggest battlefield in generations. Russia wants to wrest control of the Donbas on behalf of the separatists that it supports. Ukraine and the West - which has been supporting Ukraine with weapons and stiff sanctions on Russia - call Moscow's invasion an unprovoked war of aggression. Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraine's military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border. It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering near the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk. Russia is "shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region," he said on Telegram. Russia claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend. Russia's defence ministry said its forces had destroyed two hangars near the Donetsk town of Kostyantynivka holding the U.S.-made M777 howitzers, which it said had been used to shell residential areas of Donetsk. Russian news agencies quoted separatist officials as saying on Sunday that Ukraine's military had been shelling Donetsk using NATO-standard 155-mm artillery since the morning, wounding two residents. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts. Ukrainian military spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions, including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraine's military command said. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk warned civilians in the Russian-occupied Kherson region on Sunday to urgently evacuate as Ukraine's armed forces were preparing a counter-attack there, not giving a timeframe for action. "I know for sure that there should not be women and children there, and that they should not become human shields," she said on national television. (Reporting by Max Hunder in Kyiv and Reuters bureaus; Writing by Robert Birsel, William Maclean and Patricia Zengerle;Editing by Pravin Char, Alex Richardson, Frances Kerry and Aurora Ellis) LIMA, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Peru international midfielder Paolo Hurtado has returned to his original club Alianza Lima after parting ways with Chile's Union Espanola. The 31-year-old joins the Peruvian top-flight club on a free transfer in a deal that runs until December 2023. "It's a dream come true to come home and play for this club again," Hurtado said in a video posted on social media on Saturday. Hurtado, who has been capped 37 times for Peru's national team, made 73 appearances and scored 12 goals for Alianza during his first spell with the club from 2008 to 2012. He is expected to make his return in Alianza's home Primera Division fixture against Sport Boys on July 17. Air defense systems of Ukraine Read also: Russia has more than 15 cruise missiles on ships in Black Sea ready to launch at Ukraine, says operational command The enemy has changed the tactics of using his aircraft, said Ignat. We all see cruise missiles flying over, most of them Soviet-made. That is, we understand that stocks are dwindling. We cannot be sure that they are saving them, (but its) probably so. Their tactics for the last two-and-a-half months remain the same they operate from outside the territory of Ukraine, they do not enter our air defense zone, because they dont want to be shot down. Read also: Ukraine bolsters Kyivs air defenses, says official According to Ignat, the Russian invaders only use their air forces on the front lines, where there are intense military clashes. "Enemy helicopters and ground attack aircraft are operating there and launching air strikes directly in the vicinity of the hostilities," he added. Read also: Russian troop losses in Ukraine hit 37,200, says Ukraine's General Staff He also noted that the Ukrainian air force is also providing air support on the front line. "Our air force, which includes bombers, attack aircraft and military helicopters, work daily on the front line, as well as in the depths of enemy defenses, said Ignat. They strike enemy troops, equipment, as well as rear command posts, ammunition depots, and so on. Help NV continue reporting on the Russian invasion Unprecedented, a new Discovery+ docuseries that pulls back the curtain on Trump world during the 2020 election, and in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot, debuted Sunday with an unprecedented look at one of the most chaotic periods in American history. Filmmaker Alex Holder was given such unfettered access to Donald Trump and his family that his footage was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 committee, making Unprecedented appointment viewing for people hoping get a better sense of how the presidents inner circle responded to the attack on the U.S. Capitol. In that regard, they may be disappointed. The series shifts its focus to the Trump-fueled insurrection in Episode 3, but theres no footage of Trump lunging at his security detail in the Beast, for instance. But there are many shocking, enraging and genuinely WTF moments in the three-part series, which makes pretty clear that Trump doesnt really think that the people who stormed Congress did anything wrong. More from Variety Here are six takeaways from a docuseries that is sure to make waves. 1. Donald Trump calls the Jan. 6 rioters smart The 45th president sees the Jan. 6 riot as a sad day, but not because it was a violent attack on democracy that left five people dead. No, because his supporters believed that the election was stolen (whoever gave them that idea?) and, anyway, according to him, only a few of them actually breached the U.S. Capitol. People went to Washington primarily because they were angry with an election that they think was rigged, Trump offers up in a post-riot interview. A very small portion, as you know, went down to the Capitol, and then a very small portion of them went in. But I will tell you they were angry from the standpoint of what happened in the election because theyre smart and they see, and they saw, what happened. And I believe that that was a big part of what happened on January 6th. Story continues Video: Jamiroquai's Jay Kay on resemblance to Capitol rioter Others in the Trump orbit, such as the usually voluble Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, wouldnt answer questions about the storming of the Capitol. Lets skip the 6th, Eric Trump tells Holder when asked. As for the smart rioters, Holders cameras captured Richard Barnett, better known as the guy who broke into Nancy Pelosis office, ranting on the Capitol steps that this is my house. 2. Georgia on his mind In the weeks after the election, Trumps acolytes were scurrying around the country peddling conspiracy theories, and trying to stop vote counts in states where the 45th president was ahead, while still tabulating ballots in those where he was behind. But one state seemed to obsess Trump above all others. That would be Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger refused to help the president overturn Joe Bidens victory. You cant have elections that are meaningless, Trump says, going on to complain that with Kemp we have a governor, the poor guy doesnt know what the hell is happening, while likening Raffensperger to a hard-headed rock. Trump seems quite miffed that they wont just accept his baseless claims of fraud. They dont want to do it and theyre Republicans, he vents. Whats their problem? Theyre stupid. Theyre stupid people. 3. Its a family affair Holders docuseries spends a lot of time on the complicated family dynamics of the Trump clan, and the Darwinian way in which the children were raised. Theres Ivanka, the lacquered apple of her fathers eye, whom he wanted to serve as his U.N. Ambassador. Theres Don Jr., the overstimulated attack dog with a Hunter Biden fixation. And theres Eric, who appears to be minding the family business while his siblings have gotten more involved in politics. Could one or more of Trumps progeny create a political dynasty? Maybe, but their father wants the credit for it. All three have a tremendous following, Trump says. They have a baseits part of my base. So who will it be? Eric says hes focused on family, while Ivanka makes a point of saying that shes enjoying being out of the Beltway with her kiddos. But Don Jr. clearly enjoys the adulation he received on the campaign trail, and seems the most eager to seek higher office. I will stay involved, because I think we need someone whos willing to initiate those tough conversations that a lot of conservatives are perhaps, lets call it too prude [sic], to ever go there, he explains. 4. On Twitter bans and thugs In the days after the Jan. 6 riot, Trump was kicked off of Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites, depriving him of an important megaphone. And Trump well, hes not too happy about losing his tweeting privileges. Its a shame what Twitter did, and what Facebook did, Trump says. Thats what they do. These people are thugs. They allow other people to be on who are horrific people. Im not a horrific person. I have a big voice. I have a voice that had hundreds of millions of people listening. 5. Mike Pence would like a print out One of the weirdest moments of the entire series is when Mike Pence interrupts his interview with Holder to receive an email with a congressional draft resolution demanding he invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump from power. Tell Zach to print me out a hard copy for the trip home, Pence asks an aide while giving a pained smirk. The former vice president, who only a few days before had to be rushed to safety from a violent mob chanting hang Mike Pence, remains a glass-half-full guy. Im always hopeful about America, Pence says. I always believe that Americas best days are yet to come. 6. What to expect in 2024 Trump doesnt come out and say hes running again, but he leaves the door wide open. We have a tremendous base, Trump offers up. Every poll says I gotta run, I gotta run. But Ill be making a decision in the not-too-distant future, and stay tuned. And Eric Trump makes it clear that we havent seen the last of the Trump brand of politics. Do I think politics is over for this family? he muses. No, I can assure you politics is not over for this family in some way shape or form. I think my father will continue to be probably the most pivotal force in Republican party history. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. In this April 22, 2019, file photo, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel arrives at a news conference outside of the south air traffic control tower at O'Hare International Airport. President Joe Biden is nominating former Emanuel to serve as his envoy to Japan. AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File Amb. Rahm Emanuel shared Japan's reaction to the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "This is a total shock to the system," Rahm Emanuel told ABC News on Sunday. Abe was fatally shot while giving a speech on Friday. US Ambassador to Japan says that the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has left the country aghast. "It's a shock around the world, but it's clearly a shock here in Japan, not just because gun violence is so rare," Rahm Emanuel said during an interview on ABC's "This Week" on Sunday. "But also, you know, this is a nation that's an island, and a lot of what ails other countries, it is immune and feels immune. It's a very trusting society. "To have something like this is a total shock to the system, a shock to the culture," Emanuel continued. Abe was shot and killed while giving a speech outside a train station in Nara on Friday. Japanese officials said that Abe was shot in the neck and was also bleeding from the left side of his chest, Insider reported. A 41-year-old man, identified as Yamagami Tetsuya, was arrested and during questioning, he reportedly told police he "was dissatisfied with former Prime Minister Abe and aimed to kill him." As Emanuel noted, the assassination of the longest-serving prime minister left Japan shocked, especially as a country that has strict gun laws, resulting in incredibly low gun-related deaths. President Joe Biden called Abe's death a "tragedy" and "stunned, outraged, and deeply saddened." "The United States stands with Japan in this moment of grief," Biden said. "I send my deepest condolences to his family." During an interview with ABC, Emanuel touted Abe as "a visionary who had a vision and a sense of where he was going, where he wanted to take Japan, where he wanted to take the region." "He is a big figure that has pervaded across the political stage here for over a decade," Emanuel said. "I could tell you this hasn't been totally absorbed into the society or the politics. People are walking around with a sense of disbelief." Read the original article on Business Insider Jul. 10WATERBORO Four people were taken to hospitals Sunday morning after a fire destroyed their home, according to the Waterboro Fire Department. Shortly before 7:30 a.m., the fire department responded to a fully involved fire at 1331 Sokokis Trail in North Waterboro. A press release from the fire department said the homeowner called 911 saying there was a fire in the basement. In addition, someone passing by reported seeing the fire, with the building engulfed in flames and "people trying to get out," according to the fire department. Sanford firefighter Chris Calnan was driving home from his shift when he arrived at the scene. He relayed updates as firetrucks and emergency units rushed to get there. York County Sheriff's Office deputies arrived and helped rescue the homeowner, who was suffering from smoke inhalation, according to the fire department. A total of two adults were having difficulty breathing and were transported to local hospitals. Two minors were also taken to hospitals as a precautionary measure, according to the fire department. The State Fire Marshal's Office is investigating. Mutual aid was provided by Saco, Alfred, Buxton, Goodwins Mills, Hollis, Limerick, Limington and Ross Corner. The names of those injured in the fire, and their conditions, were not available on Sunday. Abortion rights supporters hold signs of U.S. Supreme Court Justices as they participate in a rally and march on May 14, 2022 in New York City. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images ShutDownDC, a left-leaning organization, seeks to hold political figures accountable for their actions. People who report the locations of conservative SCOTUS justices to the group could earn $200. The group interrupted Justice Brett Kavanaugh's dinner at Morton's on Wednesday. A left-wing organization will offer individuals up to $200 for sharing the current whereabouts of conservative Supreme Court justices. On Wednesday, protestors gathered outside of Morton's, a steakhouse in Washington, DC, after the group, ShutDownDC, learned Justice Brett Kavanaugh was eating dinner there. Kavanaugh who alongside 4 other justices overturned the landmark court ruling Roe v. Wade that established abortion rights was escorted out the back of the restaurant. "DC Service Industry Workers... If you see Kavanaugh, Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Coney Barrett or Roberts DM us with the details! We'll venmo you $50 for a confirmed sighting and $200 if they're still there 30 mins after your message," ShutDownDC tweeted Friday to their more than 23k followers. ShutDownDC "uses strategic direct action to advance justice and hold officials accountable," according to their website. It's unclear who is behind the group as members are not identified on their social media pages or website. Far-right pundit Tucker Carlson brought attention to the group through his Fox News show on Friday. Carlson suggested his viewers "flood them with reported sightings until they give up." "If enough people do that, they won't be able to do what they want to do which is to intimidate judges into bowing to their will," Carlson added. According to the organization's Twitter page, the group received an influx of Twitter messages with fake reported sightings of the justices after Carlson's segment, but they also gained a boost in monetary donations. ShutDownDC and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Read the original article on Business Insider KATERYNA TYSHCHENKO SUNDAY, 10 JULY 2022, 21:43 Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, ordered the Ukrainian military to re-establish control over coastal regions in southern Ukraine. Ukraine is amassing a million-strong fighting force in order to achieve this goal. Source: Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Minister of Defence, in an interview for The Times [of London] Details: "Ukraine is massing a million-strong fighting force equipped with western weapons to recover its southern territory from Russia," The Times wrote. Reznikov said that President Zelenskyy had ordered Ukraines military to retake occupied coastal areas which are vital to the countrys economy. Quote from Reznikov: "We understand that, politically, its very necessary for our country. The president has given the order to the supreme military chief to draw up plans. After that the general staff are doing their homework and say to achieve this goal we need XYZ [] This is my job. Im writing letters to counterparts in partner countries []" Earlier: RICHMOND U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-5th, came to Capitol Square on July 9 to urge lawmakers to protect life from conception and not settle for incremental steps such as Gov. Glenn Youngkins proposal to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Good, whose district includes part of the Lynchburg area, did not mention Youngkin by name in his remarks to more than 100 people who gathered for a rainy rally at the Bell Tower. But the implication was clear as he urged legislators across the country to match the courage of the Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade. Republicans should not be in the business of negotiating the timeline of abortion, Good said. Six weeks, eight weeks, 10 weeks, 12 weeks, whatever it may be... Abortion should not be negotiated. It should be eliminated. On June 24, the day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Youngkin said he will work to ban most abortions in Virginia after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest or when a womans life is in jeopardy. Four days later, Youngkin told The Family Foundation that he would like to go further. Citing the 21-19 Democratic edge in the state Senate, he told the audience that his goal is to get a bill he can sign. It wont be the bill that we all want, Youngkin said, indicating that he believes life begins at conception. Both Youngkin and Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, one of the four GOP lawmakers he has asked to work on abortion legislation, have said that while they prefer a 15-week bill, a 20-week standard could be a fallback position. Good said Saturday that 92% of the abortions in Virginia take place before 15 weeks and 99% before 20 weeks. Im sorry to say Republicans here in Richmond are the worst negotiators of all. You want to play poker with these folks, Good said. They show you whats in their cards, they tell you their highest bid and then they fold anyway. Diana Shores, a veteran conservative activist and a senior strategist for Good for Congress, urged members of the crowd to hold Youngkin and GOP lawmakers accountable. We are here today to ask Governor Glenn Youngkin to be the pro-life governor he promised he would be, she said. We are here today to ask every legislator who said they would fight for life to garner the courage to fight for life at conception. Speakers at the rally included Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, who said she will introduce legislation for the January session to protect life as of conception. There can be no compromise, said March. Abortion bills in the General Assembly traditionally go through the Senate Education and Health Committee, on which Democrats hold a 9-6 edge. Sen. Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, who heads the committee, told CNN over the weekend that a 15-week bill would be dead on arrival in the committee. Members of the crowd at Saturdays rally held signs with messages such as: Choose life your mother did, I am the pro-life generation, and I am the post-Roe generation. Janet Robey of Bedford, like others in the crowd, said she supports babies from the moment of conception to natural death. But as a practical matter, she said, Any incremental step we could take toward banning abortion completely saves babies lives. And thats why Im here to stand for life. Robey said of Goods view: I get where hes coming from, and in a perfect world we would have protection from conception. But unfortunately, we live in such a society that were going to have to take it by steps. Good was first elected in 2020, after unseating Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-5th, in a drive-thru nominating convention. In November Good faces Democrat Josh Throneburg, a minister and small-business owner, in a strong Republican district in which Youngkin beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe by 20 percentage points in the 2021 contest for governor. Throneburg has called the Supreme Courts ruling overturning Roe a heartbreaking decision and said it will do nothing to end abortion in this country. It will only make it more dangerous. After redistricting the 5th District includes all or part of 24 cities and counties. In the Lynchburg area it includes the city of Lynchburg, the counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Campbell and Nelson, and the eastern part of Bedford County. Last week, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced more than $10.2 million in Growth and Opportunity for Virginia (GO Virginia) grants, and a portion of that money is making its way to Lynchburgs Vector Space to help expand workforce development programs for the underserved. Part of the Go Virginia funds $324,000 will go to Vector Space, a makerspace located at 402 5th St., to facilitate the implementation of expanded programming and equipment centered around workforce development and entrepreneurship for underserved populations. GO Virginia is a critical tool for spurring innovation and inspiring regional collaboration for economic growth in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, Youngkin said in a news release. These projects will allow us to expand Virginias workforce development opportunities, strengthen our talent pipelines, and continue building a Commonwealth that works for all Virginians. Vector Space is a makerspace and community workshop with the mission to build an open and collaborative community that fosters innovation, creativity, and the pursuit of science based knowledge. Throughout its 12-week Women in Machining program, women learn to operate metal lathes and milling machines, creating precision metal parts and understanding the operation of industrial equipment paramount to the manufacturing industry. Entrepreneur support will include access to equipment and training for startups, as well as professional support services for prototyping. To support workforce development needs in the materials and machinery cluster, Vector Space will partner with HireLynchburg and Virginia Career Works to implement a 12-week Women in Machining Program. HireLynchburg exists to support talent and in-demand skill development for Lynchburg industries by providing skills training and pathways to job opportunities within the citys target industry clusters. Virginia Career Works aims to advance economic stability and growth by preparing and connecting people who want to work with employers who need to hire through its training providers and network of professional partners. Elise Spontarelli, executive director of Vector Space, said the grant is a piece of a larger project theyre working toward an expansion and purchase of a building. The Go Virginia piece is supporting the expansion of programming, because thats what theyre interested in, is programming for workforce development and entrepreneurship, and the funding from them will help us to expand our programs and acquire new equipment for programming, and all of that is in partnership with funding that were raising for expanding, she said. The current location on 5th Street is 12,000 square feet and offers multiple programs, but Spontarelli and her husband, Adam, have cobbled it together into a makerspace. Which has been great, and we have loved it, but there are definite aspects that are not ideal, she said. Our second floor doesnt have elevator access, and our woodshop is in a convenience store where the ceilings arent high enough and the floors are slippery. And so theres parts of the building that are unfinished that we cant justify putting a lot of money into. In the past six years Vector Space has been open, it has expanded twice and sees that growth continuing. The business is now looking to expand into a space that has 20,000 to 25,000 square feet. When we expand our footprint, we will also have the capacity to expand our programming and the Go Virginia money is the programming aspect of that, Spontarelli said. The Women in Machining program has existed through Vector Space for three years now and has worked with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Lynchburg and the city of Lynchburgs HireLynchburg run out of the citys Economic Development Office (EDA) to write a Small Business Administration match grant specifically for makerspaces who are doing workplace development programming. This year, it also will partner with Virginia Career Works. In the past, students would learn the machining skills, but it was a huge lift to get them ready to apply for jobs and complete their resumes, Spontarelli said. This year, instead of trying to get them to complete resumes after the program with the help of Vector Spaces small staff, Virginia Career Works will step in to teach the SkillsUSA curriculum during the 12-week program. So it went from being a two-day program to a four-day-a-week program and they did their resumes, practiced interview skills and did all this professional development at the same time that they were learning machine skills, she said. So now theyre applying for jobs as soon as they finish the program. Traci Blido, executive director for Virginia Career Works, said the organization along with the Central Virginia Workforce Development Board, is proud to support Vector Space because it promotes career pathways in skilled trades and aligns with the organizations mission to connect job seekers to high-quality careers. The Women in Machining program has helped some of our clients to learn new skills that led to great jobs in manufacturing and changed their lives. This expansion will only add to the quality workshops and training provided there and its great news for our region, she said. So this is our third iteration of the program and we continue to learn and expand and were going to try to add more women and increase the success rates of getting them employed, she said. Were bringing in more employer partners each year. Alisha Meador, economic development manager for the Office of Economic Development & Tourism and lead on this program for the city, said machining is a historically male-dominated field, with over 95% of local machinists being men. When Vector Space approached us with this concept, we immediately saw the potential in being able to broaden the pool of who could fill these important jobs, she said. The HireLynchburg program is grant funded, and specifically aims to provide workforce training and opportunities for individuals who fall within 200% of the federal poverty level or below. Being able to match women to these high-paying, skilled jobs was in alignment with these goals. She said the workforce training program run by Vector Space aims to assist women in finding employment in the machinist field, filling a critical role in advanced manufacturing jobs in the City. All of last years graduates went on to additional schooling or obtained employment in their chosen career field at a living wage, and all of this years participants are set to do the same, she said. Vector Space also partners with Lynchburgs EDA and SBDC to run a 10-week entrepreneurship training program called Co.Starters. Spontarelli said the program has been on hiatus during COVID but will be back this fall. The Lynchburg Community Market hosted We got the beet Saturday morning, in collaboration with the Central Virginia Health Department and the Virginia Cooperative Extension to show community members healthier eating options. Its really engaging not only the children, but the parents about healthy eating and proper nutrition, said Jeanell Smith, Snap-Ed agent for Virginia cooperative extensions family nutrition program. The community market had a tent near the entrance, where people could try different fruit options. On Saturday, the group had a watermelon salad option, which included cubes of watermelon with lime juice, kosher salt, fresh minced mint and grounded cayenne. The participants received a brochure from the family nutrition program on healthy snacks for children and a recipe for their watermelon salad. They also had a choice to try a small sample of blueberries, blackberries and fresh watermelon from local farmers. We really try to encourage people to eat local because it supports our local economy and our local farmers, Smith said. This year marks six years since the event started. They received a grant from the CDC to start the event. The goal was to do nutrition education, physical activity education and give people the opportunity to try different recipes. Really trying to expose children, especially children to fresh fruits and vegetables and give them a little nutrition education, Smith said. The Chinese audiovisual brand "China Zone" was launched Friday in Brazil. Through it, the Brazilian people can watch Chinese movies, TV programs, documentaries, cartoons and other audiovisual content with Portuguese subtitles on local platforms to learn more about China. Produced by Xinhua Global Service BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday respectively sent congratulatory letters to the opening ceremony of an exhibition on the origin of Italy. China and Italy are outstanding representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations. This exhibition will show the rich Italian culture with a variety of precious antiques, Xi said in his letter to the exhibition that features ancient Roman civilization. He hoped that this will be an opportunity for the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism to promote exchanges and mutual learning between the two civilizations, strengthen bonds between people from the two countries, and inject new vitality into bilateral ties. Mutual respect, solidarity, and harmonious coexistence are the right path for the development of human civilization, Xi noted. He added that China is willing to work with the international community to promote equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness among civilizations, to replace estrangement with exchange, clashes with mutual learning, superiority with coexistence, and to build a community with a shared future for mankind. Mattarella said in his congratulatory letter that cultural cooperation is an important part of Italy-China friendship. Against the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, Italy is holding an exhibition of ancient Roman civilization, and a series of Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism activities in China, which fully prove the depth of bilateral relations. At present, the international community is facing many challenges, and only unity and cooperation can lead to fair and lasting solutions, Mattarella said, believing that Italy and China will continue to deepen bilateral relations and jointly safeguard world peace and stability. Hundreds of people will climb 110 flights of stairs Saturday, Sept. 10, in remembrance of the first responders who ascended the 110 floors of the World Trade Center during 9/11. At 8:30 a.m., people will gather at Werner Park in Papillion for the annual Nebraska 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb. While walking up the stadium, theyll have a chance to reflect on what happened that day, said David Yelovich, the Nebraska 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb regional coordinator. You can walk a mile in the firefighters shoes that were climbing up the tower, Yelovich said. They went in while everyone else went out. The event honors not only firefighters but also police officers and emergency medical technicians. Its about remembering their ultimate sacrifice. Matt Gibbons of the Offutt Fire Department brought the national event to the Sarpy County community seven years ago. It started at Offutt, then moved to Papillions Werner Park in 2017 so that the public could participate. He said it was important to him that the community shows its support for those who died during the national tragedy. Within our line of work, its a brotherhood thats out there, Gibbons said. We need to remember those that came before us, the possibilities that can happen and all the sacrifices. The public is welcome to join in their efforts. Companies can create teams, or individuals can walk alone. Gibbons said its a great event for all ages and physical activity levels. Yelovich said younger generations, including those who werent alive or dont remember, are encouraged to attend. Typically, they arent as involved, he said. It would be cool to see the younger (crowd) you know, 18- to 20-year-olds coming out and talking with the older people, Yelovich said. Its not a race, Yelovich said, though its fine that some people like to act as though it is. Those interested in the fitness aspect of the stair climb could prepare by doing a stair stepper with a weighted belt, he said. At the event, Yelovich hopes to have a featured speaker. He also intends to get local fire departments involved. Participants can check out a 9/11 display, as well as wear a tag with the photo and name of a person who passed away during 9/11. Around 400 people attended the day of remembrance last year. Yelovich has ambitious goals for this year, he said. Hes aiming for 1,000 participants. Those interested in joining can register at tinyurl.com/2022stairclimb. If a person registers before Aug. 1, theyll receive a free T-shirt. Those who cant attend but still want to contribute to the cause can still donate. The Nebraska 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb is raising money for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which supports families of firefighters who have died. They hope to raise $25,000. The climb is also looking for more event sponsors. Those interested can advertise at the event with tents. For more information, follow the Nebraska 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb at facebook.com/nebraskastairclimb or visit nfff.akaraisin.com/ui/nebraska22. The new campground at Iowas Lake Manawa State Park has opened, and its already a hit with visitors from near and far. The 40-campsite campground, which has been open since the end of June, features modern amenities including full hook-up campsites, a shower house and a paved walking trail connecting the campground to the beach and Dreamland Playground. It also features a gated entrance to access the campground. The old campground was closed in 2015 and was reconstructed as a picnic area with a large pavilion in 2017, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. It was dated and needed a lot of upgrading, said Michelle Reining, the DNRs Southwest District supervisor. We closed the old one and then the new one in the new location was in the works ever since. The new campground is in a more centralized location, closer to the playground and the swimming beach. A registration building at the campground gate provides online and telephone reservation information for those who come to the park looking for a site. Campers will receive a four-digit access code to open the gate and enter the campground. All 40 campsites are available for online reservations; walk-in sites will not be an option. Lake Manawa is the third Iowa state park to offer 100% reservable campsites, said Sherry Arntzen, chief of the DNRs Parks, Forests and Preserves Bureau. Campers have been pleased with the flexibility and convenience it provides and we are excited to offer this feature and for campers to enjoy this beautiful new campground. With 100% reservable sites, availability is known in real time. Campers can search and book sites online before leaving home, on the way to the park or at the campground. Reservations can be made from April 15 to Oct. 15 until 9 p.m. the day of arrival online at iowastateparks.reserveamerica.com or by calling the reservation call center at 877-427-2757 weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The call center is closed on Sundays. Having the 100% reservable and same day reservations actually gives our customers more flexibility, Reining said. Lake Manawa is located right between two interstates. Travelers coming down the road can get out their phone and see, Oh, yep, Lake Manawa has a campground available. They can reserve it then and know they have a camp site. The process also makes it easier for campers to book a site three months ahead of time, or check if sites are available on a whim. Customers will no longer need to fill out the paper walk-in registration forms or pay with cash or check; all reservations will require a credit card payment online or over the phone. Customers can still pay by check if the reservation is made through the call center and made at least 21 days in advance. Construction began on the campground in fall 2020. It officially opened on June 1. Reining said that so far, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. They like the nice, big, wide sites; the concrete pads and having access to the playground and beach right there, she said. The only negative Ive heard is no trees. Thats just part of any new construction, unfortunately. Well be planting some trees in the near future. Saturday afternoon, Manawa campgrounds were full of RVs and campers, with a handful of tents scattered throughout. Local and out-of-state visitors expressed their enjoyment of the new facilities. Denny Nelson of Council Bluffs spent this weekend at the new campground with his grandchildren and dogs. He said it was his first time checking it out and that it wont be his last. Im already looking for another weekend to come out here, he said. He said he was impressed with the amenities, especially the camper hook-ups and spacious concrete pads for each campsite. He said having a sewage connection at each site is a game changer for campers staying in RVs, not having to wait in line at a sewage disposal site on the way out of the park. Nelson and his grandkids enjoyed biking along the trails and walking their dogs along the waters edge. He said he definitely wants to get a lakeside spot for his camper next time out. Chatsworth Jacobs of the Cincinnati, Ohio, area and his family spent the last few days at Lake Manawa while on their way back from a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and Colter Bay Village in Wyoming. Having stayed in several state parks across the country, Jacobs said it was one the best experiences hes had, noting the modern amenities and the nearby beach and playground for the kids. They had a spot right off the water, and he complimented the spaciousness of the sites. This is a great campground, he said. Well be looking to stay here anytime we travel west again. James Thomas, a Council Bluffs resident who just spent the last week at the new campground, provided a review in the Council Bluffs Chat group on Facebook. The campground was full with not only RV campers, but there were several tent campers, he said. The campsites are huge, you are not packed in on top of one another. The amateur photographer said wildlife was everywhere. Sitting under the canopy relaxed in the shade, you could hear the barred owls calling one another in the mornings and evenings, Thomas said. A short walk down a trail and you would see them. Every afternoon I watched an eagle, a vulture and a kestrel flying or roosting in the trees. The trees were full of song birds. Out-of-state user permits required for Lake Manawa, Waubonsie state parks The Iowa Legislature has extended the out-of-state user permit requirement for Lake Manawa and Waubonsie state parks through Dec. 31, 2025. The law also changes the expiration date for annual permits from one year from the date of purchase, to the end of the calendar year. Annual permits purchased Jan. 1 through June 30, 2022, will be honored into 2023, expiring one year from purchase date. Annual permits purchased starting July 1 will be valid until the end of 2022. The daily permit for out-of-state visitors costs $5 and an annual permit is $40. Daily passes can be purchased at pay stations throughout the park. Those with a campsite reservation do not need the out-of-state user permit. More information can be found at iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/Nonresident-Vehicle-Entrance-Permits. A Lewis Central High School alumnus now serves with the U.S. Navys submarine force. Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeffrey Reicks, who graduated with the Class of 2004, has been stationed at Naval Base Kitsap at Bangor, Washington, home port to West Coast ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines. Reicks, a culinary specialist, joined the Navy to continue a family tradition of service, according to a press release from the Navy Office of Community Outreach. I joined the Navy because my brother currently serves in the Navy and I wanted to follow in that family tradition, he said. Reicks has found the values and resilience he learned in Council Bluffs useful during his time in the Navy. Growing up in my hometown, I learned to roll with the punches in life and not take anything negative to heart, he said. These lessons have helped Reicks while serving with Commander Submarine Group 9. Known as Americas Apex Predators!, the Navys submarine force operates a large fleet of technically advanced vessels. These submarines are capable of conducting rapid defensive and offensive operations around the world in furtherance of U.S. national security. There are three basic types of submarines: fast-attack submarines (SSN), ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN), the press release stated. Fast-attack submarines are designed to hunt down and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships; strike targets ashore with cruise missiles; carry and deliver Navy SEALs; conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions; and engage in mine warfare. The Virginia-class SSN is the most advanced submarine in the world today. It combines stealth and payload capability to meet Combatant Commanders demands in this era of strategic competition. The Navys ballistic-missile submarines, often referred to as boomers, serve as a strategic deterrent by providing an undetectable platform for submarine-launched ballistic missiles. SSBNs are designed specifically for stealth, extended patrols and the precise delivery of missiles. The Columbia-class SSBN that will replace the current Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines in 2028 will be the largest, most capable and most advanced submarine ever produced by the U.S. Guided-missile submarines provide the Navy with unprecedented strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Each SSGN is capable of carrying 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, plus a complement of heavyweight torpedoes to be fired through four torpedo tubes. Strategic deterrence is the nations ultimate insurance program, according to Navy officials. As a member of the submarine force, Reicks is part of a rich 122-year history of the U.S. Navys most versatile weapons platform, capable of taking the fight to the enemy in the defense of America and its allies. Serving in the Navy means Reicks is part of a team that is taking on new importance in Americas focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy. With more than 90% of all trade traveling by sea, and 95% of the worlds international phone and internet traffic carried through underwater fiber optic, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy. A major component of that maritime security is homeported at Naval Submarine Base Bangor. Strategic deterrence is the nations ultimate insurance program, and for decades Naval Submarine Base Bangor has been home to Ohio Class ballistic-missile submarines. Beginning in 2028, the new Columbia Class ballistic-missile submarines will arrive and provide continuous sea-based strategic deterrence into the 2080s. Reicks and the sailors he serves with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service. My submarine warfare qualification is my proudest accomplishment, he said. Also, Im proud of earning the trust of my superiors. I can be trusted to do any task to get the job done. As Reicks and other sailors continue to train and perform the missions they are tasked with, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy. There is a sense of purpose with serving in the Navy, said Reicks. There is definitely a sense of camaraderie also. Abortion doesnt prevent povertyChildren have been in poverty, ill-fed and abused for the last 49 years, when abortion was legal. Pro-abortionists tout that abortion prevents that. Wrong! Abusing babies is evil. Killing babies is evil. Substituting one evil for another is not progress. A womans body is her own. A babys body is its own. That are separate entities, otherwise killing a fetus would always also kill the mother. Follow the science. Most people know or have a family member who suffered in their young life, many of whom were rescued by adoption. How many of us would prefer they had been killed rather than born? Beth Trimmell Council Bluffs Unintended consequences from banning Roe v. WadeThe recent U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning the precedent of Roe v. Wade is going to drop a whole bunch of problems upon government officials (and their successors). Current government officials should get past the ideology and party politics of the moment. Should government, any level of government, have the authority to make personal decisions on a womans health rights and future? I am anti-abortion, but I also mind my own business. Abortion is an unfortunate sad thing for the mothers involved. No one wants to go through that. It is a procedure of last resort. Given that fact, the women who need abortions should receive our empathy, our compassion and our non-ideological understanding. They are not criminals, and neither are the doctors who serve them. Accusing them, name-calling, and legal (or moral) penalties are just making their bad situation worse. Then there are the mothers that need abortions (politely called D & Cs) for miscarriage and other physical heath necessities. They are already in great emotional (if not physical) pain, and will be for life. Making their situation illegal and stigmatized makes that pain extremely unnecessary and unfortunate. We must mutually assume that abortions are a solution to a unwanted pregnancy. Regardless of who the mother is, her age, her situation, her marital status, her future plans, even her own health, this pregnancy is unwanted. If not, there is no discussion. Taking a miscarriage (and already dead fetus) out of the picture, the living fetus will potentially grow to be a baby. Perhaps healthy, perhaps not. But still unwanted by definition. For the pregnancies that make the 40 weeks, there is no guarantee that this new bundle of joy will be wanted. The mothers situation is not likely to have changed much. She may have had a birthday, but it is unlikely that a rich aunt died and left her a fortune. Her husband (if she had one) is unlikely to now be president of the company. Rape and incest victims are still rape and incest victims. Now, having a baby to raise (with the accompanying maternity leave, childcare and different food and lodging adjustments for the next 18 years) have changed the plans she once had. She may have some regrets, some disappointments, and some anger of what could have been. Strong women can take this. But many cannot. Forced motherhood is not the way to build strength of character. If an unwanted pregnancy becomes an unwanted child, then what happens? Perhaps the baby is turned over to the hospital, fire station or police to become an orphan and ward of the state. Potentially becoming a foster child. Lots of tragic history and literature has been created from this scenario. What if the unwanted child is added to an overwhelmed family with little means of support? Is a larger government welfare system adequate to put entire families below the poverty line? Who will pay this cost for 18 years? The cycle of poverty will roll on. Will mental health systems be adequate to meet the needs of a whole set of new problems? In 1993, roughly 20 years after Roe was implemented, the crime rate declined. One projected reason was that the typical young criminal element was reduced because they were not born. While this could be anywhere, it was most seen in the usual high-crime and gang areas. Making ideological (or religious based) laws is one thing, and those certainly sell to the base voters. Enforcing those laws is quite another. Will the FBI, Department of Criminal Investigation, County sheriffs, or city police be getting involved here? Who keeps the computer data-bases on suspected violators, their doctors, their pharmacies and their mail? Who sends out the criminal investigators to go through their trash? Who pays the bounty to the private abortion snitches? Is our County Attorney and court system ready to take on thousands of new cases for prosecution and trial? Enforcement and prosecution of women will be an expensive nightmare. Rural landowners in Iowa have made a big deal about the government taking away their private land rights with the proposed Waters of the United States laws. They did not want the government telling them how to manage their farm ditches. It is surprising that they do not share that same concern regarding their own wives and daughters. Bottom line is that any societal changes must be prudent, practical and well thought out. Cooler heads and long-term consequences need to be considered before American rights are denied. That is not being done currently in Iowa. John Klein Treynor Time to retire GrassleyAs recent as 2015, Senator Chuck Grassley wanted a Reagan-like candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential field. President Reagans brutal policies gutted the middle class. Its worth remembering, the middle class built America. On July 14, 2014, Grassley gave a floor speech, glowingly quoted Reagan, then said, This is an opportunity to in-source jobs that might otherwise be done overseas. He dripped with hypocrisy. Grassley long ago sold out to big corporations by voting for tax breaks to send American jobs overseas. How can Republicans like Grassley further enrich corporations and the wealthy, leaving little for American workers? Its no wonder American workers struggle. Before Reagan, the middle class had strong unions. Wealthy Americans were taxed appropriately. Reagan lowered President Franklin Roosevelts income tax on the wealthy from 70% to 28%, shifting the tax burden to the middle class. He canceled tax deductions for auto loans, credit card interest, and imposed an income tax on Social Security. The middle class continues to take it on the chin. Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump also gave generous tax cuts to the wealthy, redistributing wealth upward. Recently, Senator Rick Scott released a Republican plan to Rescue America that raises taxes on low income Americans. Anyone surprised? Republicans have one mantra: the billionaire class should profit while the working class should struggle with less representation. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead, said Reagan before leaving office. Grassley has been an instigator in middle class decline. Its time to retire Grassley. In November, Iowans should choose an American patriot for U.S. Senate with true Iowa values: Retired Navy Vice Admiral Mike Franken. Ellen Ballas Iowa City KEARNEY Nebraska GOP Chairman Dan Welch opened the state's GOP convention Saturday by saying he hoped the event would "clear the air" in what he admitted was a divided Republican Party. He ended the day fired. Nebraska GOP delegates voted to oust Welch after eight years as the party chairman during a tumultuous convention that also saw one party activist be arrested outside the venue, win reinstatement as a delegate while he was still in jail, and then return to the meeting. Welch later was replaced by Lancaster County GOP Chairman Eric Underwood through a majority vote of delegates. Underwood had introduced the motions that led to Welch's firing. Im not asking you to trust me tonight but Im asking you for the opportunity to earn your trust, Underwood said after being chosen to finish Welch's term. The state party will elect a chairman for a full term at the end of the year. A wave of resignations followed Welch's termination, including the party's executive director, Taylor Gage, who previously served as spokesman to Gov. Pete Ricketts. Other resignations included national committeewoman Lydia Brasch, the first and second district chair, the party treasurer and secretary, and the assistant chairman and assistant state party chair. Welch blamed the turmoil on divisions caused by the hard-fought gubernatorial primary race, which was won by Jim Pillen. He said many believed the Nebraska GOP took sides in the election to favor Pillen, although he claims the party was "absolutely neutral." "The only thing I wish you knew was the real information," Welch told delegates in some of his final words as chairman. Those who supported Welch's termination said the upheaval was because some Nebraska Republicans have felt excluded and unheard by the Ricketts-led party establishment. During the primary campaign, Ricketts endorsed Pillen. That put him at odds with fellow Republicans who supported former President Donald Trump and Charles Herbster, the gubernatorial candidate Trump endorsed. Herbster came in second behind Pillen, and so far has refused to endorse Pillen. The division was on display during the morning's speeches from Republican leadership. Though all of the speakers shared messages touting similar conservative talking points, Ricketts and Pillen did not receive the same full standing ovations as other speakers, such as newly-elected U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, Rep. Adrian Smith and Sen. Deb Fischer. Before Welch's termination, delegates passed a resolution to amend the state party's constitution to allow delegates to immediately remove an officer with or without cause by a majority vote. Welch supporters called his termination a "coup d'etat" and criticized other delegates for trying to push through motions without debate. "Go start your own party," one attendee yelled. The tension was high from the start of the convention after the state party's credentials committee last week revoked credentials for six delegates. One of those delegates, Matt Innis from Crete, was arrested in the morning for third-degree assault and second-degree trespassing, according to Buffalo County Jail records. But following his arrest, a majority of the GOP delegates voted to reinstate him, along with four others who been blocked from attending the meeting. Their credentials had been revoked because they had spoken out against Republican leadership or nominees, including Ricketts and Pillen. The debate over the credentials issue dragged into the lunch hour, delaying it over an hour. Ultimately, delegates also voted to cancel several workshops that had been scheduled in the afternoon to save time for more debates on party resolutions. The convention was supposed to end at 3:45 p.m. but continued well into the evening following Welch's removal, which came on a 204-120 vote. Tensions rose during the credentials debate as some delegates questioned the authority of GOP leadership to block some delegates and criticized the decision as an attack on free speech. One delegate compared the GOP leadership to Soviet Russia and the British monarchy before the American Revolution. "That's not America, and that's not the Republican Party," the delegate said. Loud cheers and boos echoed through the convention center during the comments and GOP leaders' attempts to manage them. Welch repeatedly asked the crowd to remain civil and refrain from applauding or booing any speakers to no avail. 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. We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription. Spain and the EU paid tribute to Moroccos efforts to curb illegal migration as the three parties agreed to cooperate closely against migrant trafficking networks whom they blamed for the violent crossing attempt into Melilla on June 24. Moroccan authorities said 23 migrants died in a violent crossing attempt after they stormed a narrow border gate creating a stampede with dozens falling from the fence on eachother. At least 140 Moroccan security forces were injured in the very violent crossing attempt. On July 8, Moroccos interior minister Abdelouafi Laftit, EU home affairs chief Ylva Johansson and Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska met in Rabat. In a joint statement, they underscored shared responsibility in the field of migration and agreed to renew their partnership to address together human trafficking networks, especially after the emergence of a new modus operandi adopted by these criminal networks that is very violent. Last week, Head of migration and border control at the interior ministry spoked of the involvement of trafficking gangs with militia experience they acquired in conflict areas. Currently, 64 migrants, mostly from Sudan, are brought before justice on charges of attacking and kidnaping security forces, human trafficking and setting fires in forests. They denounced the actions of these networks and the connivances of those who help them. The tragedy that followed the violent crossing shows the extent to which human trafficking networks can go in their violent tactics, the statement said. As investigations continue into the incident, the EU and Spain lauded the fact-finding mission by the National human rights council (CNDH) and underscored the full respect of Morocco and the EU for fundamental rights. Under the new partnership, the three parties vow to reinforce border management, foster police cooperation -including joint investigations- and to raise awareness about the dangers of illegal migrations. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation between Morocco and EU agencies in charge of home affairs. While describing Morocco as a strategic partner, the EU and Spain lauded Moroccos efforts to rescue migrants at sea and its migration policy. The Moroccan National Immigration and Asylum Strategy (SNIA) is one of the most well-developed migration management systems today, in both legislative and institutional terms, and has enabled the regularization of the situation of thousands of migrants, and their integration into Moroccan society, underlined the European Commission in a press release on the Rabat meeting. It recalled that King Mohammed VI was appointed leader for Africa on the issue of migration by African Heads of State. The European Commission, which praised Moroccos efforts in the fight against illegal migration, underlined that these efforts have resulted, in the first half of this year, in preventing more than 26,000 irregular departures one tenth of them saved at sea. In the same period, Morocco has dismantled around a hundred criminal trafficking networks. In connection with the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, the Commission is establishing migration partnerships with the countries of origin, transit and destination, to combat human smuggling networks, but also to address the root causes of migration and improve legal migration routes so that people do not feel the need to risk their lives on dangerous journeys. On Thursday, Moroccan Govt. Spokesman Mustapha Baitas said the latest violent mass crossing attempt made by illegal sub-Saharan migrants from Northern Moroccan region of Nador into Spanish enclave of Melilla, was a premeditated and planned operation. King Mohammed VI has sent a message of condolences to the Emperor of Japan Naruhito, following the fatal shooting of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. In this message, the Sovereign said he learned with deep emotion and grief the despicable assassination of Shinzo Abe, expressing on this occasion to Emperor Naruhito and, through him, to the family and relatives of the late great statesman, his sincere condolences and feelings of compassion. I was deeply saddened by this tragic loss due to the cordial relations that the late PM had with the Kingdom of Morocco and his unwavering commitment to consolidating the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations, said the Monarch. In this painful circumstance, the Sovereign conveyed to Emperor Naruhito his heartfelt condolences to the Japanese people who have lost an accomplished political leader who devoted his life to serving the supreme interests of his fellow countrymen and to the achievement of their aspirations, while working tirelessly for the promotion of peace and prosperity in the world. Abe was Japans longest-serving Prime Minister and his death at the age of 67 has profoundly shocked his country and the world. He was shot dead while speaking at a political campaign event on Friday morning in the southern city of Nara. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits Jinjiang international land port in southeast China's Fujian Province, July 8, 2022. Li made an inspection tour in Fujian Province from Thursday to Friday. (Xinhua/Li Tao) FUZHOU, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has urged efforts to well implement policies to stabilize the development of market entities and employment, and advance opening-up. Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in east China's Fujian Province from Thursday to Friday. He heard a report on stabilizing employment by the provincial government and visited an innovation park named Bosssoft. Praising the parks' achievements in incubating high-tech enterprises and creating many job opportunities, Li urged the local government to provide funds to help incubators reduce costs, such as rent. Talking with entrepreneurs and fresh college graduates working at the park, he said the country should encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation by inspiring more people, especially the youth, to start businesses and make innovations. While inspecting Lioho Machinery, a Taiwan-funded enterprise, he encouraged the company to gain larger market share through innovations and quality management. There are dozens of Taiwan-funded firms at the industrial park where Lioho Machinery was based. Li talked with some of the entrepreneurs, welcoming them to invest in the Chinese mainland, stressing to protect their lawful rights and interests, and hoping they would cooperate with companies on the mainland for win-win results. Li heard a report on foreign trade and investment in Fujian Province and inspected Jinjiang international land port. Noting that ports are a key window for opening up and provide important support for imports and exports, he urged advancing reforms in delegating power, improving regulations, and optimizing the business environment at ports. He also stressed strictly implementing policies on smoothening logistics, continuing to facilitate customs clearance, and enlarging the capacity of ports in collection and distribution to lower costs for firms, stabilize market expectations, and improve international competitiveness. During his visit to ANTA Sports, a large-scale private sportswear company, Li encouraged the firm to compete in the high-end market while focusing on expanding the mass market with massive consumption potential. Hearing the company has created over 300,000 jobs nationwide, Li said the Chinese economy has been more resilient and active as many private companies have grown into large ones and worked closely with a large number of smaller firms and self-employed businesses. Stressing the role of market entities in promoting economic growth, he urged efforts to provide equal support regarding relief and development to state-owned, private, and foreign-invested companies. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with entrepreneurs and fresh college graduates working at an innovation park named Bosssoft in southeast China's Fujian Province, July 7, 2022. Li made an inspection tour in Fujian Province from Thursday to Friday. (Xinhua/Li Tao) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, talks with employees of ANTA Sports, a large-scale private sportswear company, in southeast China's Fujian Province, July 8, 2022. Li made an inspection tour in Fujian Province from Thursday to Friday. (Xinhua/Li Tao) Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits Lioho Machinery, a Taiwan-funded enterprise, in southeast China's Fujian Province, July 7, 2022. Li made an inspection tour in Fujian Province from Thursday to Friday. (Xinhua/Li Tao) The Tangier Police foiled, early Saturday morning, an illegal immigration attempt and arrested 25 individuals from sub-Saharan African countries. According to a statement from the National Police (DGST), the suspects were arrested at a checkpoint at Tangiers entrance, immediately after their arrival on board a public transport bus in possession of 36 artisanal iron objects, which would be used to climb fences and barriers in illegal immigration attempts. Research and investigations conducted in this case have revealed that all these would-be illegal immigrants have no identity or travel documents and are illegally living in Morocco, according to the statement. A judicial investigation is underway to shed light on this case and identify all the people involved in the organization of such illegal immigration attempts. King Mohammed VI has pardoned 979 convicts on the eve of Eid Al Adha celebrated Sunday in the North African Kingdom. A press release issued Saturday by the Ministry of Justice unveiled the list of the beneficiaries of the royal pardon. The list includes inmates who were granted a pardon over their remaining jail terms, convicts who had their prison terms reduced and prisoners who saw their sentences commuted from life imprisonment to fixed jail terms. Some convicts benefited from pardon over their imprisonment terms but their fines were maintained. Other convicts saw their fines canceled, while others benefited from both a pardon over their prison terms and fines. Among the beneficiaries of the Royal pardon, there are 11 inmates convicted in extremism and terrorism cases. These prisoners benefited from Royal clemency after they renounced all forms of extremism & terrorism, and voiced attachment to the sacred values of the Nation and national institutions. Three of these convicts benefited from royal pardon over their remaining prison terms, 5 had their prison terms reduced and their fines annulled, 2 inmates had their prison terms shortened and one person had his prison sentence commuted from life imprisonment to fixed prison term. The King usually grants free pardon to inmates and convicts on religious and national celebrations. The Lincoln County commissioners will consider donating $4.6 million in COVID-19 relief aid to the North Platte Area Chamber and Development Corp. Monday at the boards regular weekly meeting. Those funds would help purchase the former Greenbrier Rail Services facility near Hershey for the Hershey Industrial Rail Park inland port authority the board established in June. The inland port authority will help manage the rail park. Prior to their decision, the board will enter closed session at 9:40 a.m. to discuss the real estate purchase, according to the board's weekly agenda. The board tabled the decision at the July 5 meeting so county and Chamber officials could determine whether the countys donated funds would count toward a $7.5 million local requirement to receive $30 million in state funding for the project. Also Monday, at 9:30 a.m. the commissioners will discuss a request for Sutherland Rural Fire District and Village of Sutherland Fire to merge into Sutherland EMS. In other action, the commissioners will: Authorize chairman to sign the Nebraska Office of Highway Safety grant for the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office for the national "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. Discuss an interlocal agreement with the city of North Platte for fuel. Approve a letter of understanding with McChesney Martin Sagehorn P.C. for the fiscal year 2022-23 Lincoln County budget. Authorize the chairman to sign Region II Human Services Interlocal Participation for fiscal year 2022-23 behavioral health match. Consider authorizing the chairman to sign an agreement with Lutz & Co. for consulting services for the county's share of COVID-19 aid. Consider authorizing the chairman to sign a donation of temporary construction easement form with Lyle and Chrystal Minshull for Sutherland North Bridge project. Consider authorizing the chairman to sign an acquisition contract for a permanent easement from Lyle and Chrystal Minshull for Sutherland North Bridge project. The commissioners will consider property valuation protests as the Lincoln County Board of Equalization. I have been on the ground in Ukraine for almost a month. The things I have seen and the things I have been told by scores of soldiers and government officials in the cities and towns I visit would fill a book. Its hard to know where to begin because I try to keep this weekly update to about five hundred words. In this installment I will try to describe some history behind this war. Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to reunify the old Soviet empire, and he sees Ukraine as a buffer between Russia and the NATO countries to the west. The Russians see Ukraine much the same way China sees Taiwan. It is a breakaway province of the mother country who have never been sovereign in their own right. Following this thinking, some will argue that had President Biden assured Mr. Putin that Ukraine would never be a member of NATO, there is a good chance this war would never have happened. I dont know if this thinking is accurate, but it does force you to ask, when did the entirely peaceful and defensive NATO alliance adopt an expansionist policy? Since the 18th century, Ukraine has had its own language and culture. They have a very strong sense of national pride and identity. In contrast, the civil wars in the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan were fought by soldiers who put religious sect or tribal affiliation before national identity. The war in Ukraine is about the survival of their modern country. One way or another they have been fighting the Russians for their independence since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. They lost this fight and were forced to become part of the communist Soviet Union. Nearly 4 million Ukrainians were starved to death during the holodomer, the man-made famine created by Stalin in the 1930s. I fear we will see another one of these when winter sets in. When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine began building itself into a sovereign country from the ground up. Ukraine celebrates Aug. 24 as their Independence Day, when they declared by a 92% vote of the people to become independent from the USSR. This was the first time in centuries Ukraine was an entirely independent country. In 1994, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and President Bill Clinton signed the Budapest Memorandum. In exchange for turning over the worlds third largest stock pile of nuclear weapons for safe disposal, Ukraine received security assurances from the USA and the United Kingdom. In 2014, millions of Ukrainians took to the streets to protest for a more democratic and European-oriented future for Ukraine. Russia reacted to this by invading the country and occupying the Crimean Peninsula. Todays war is a continuation of this aggression. At that time President Obama responded by sending humanitarian aid. Besides stern language, nothing was done to provide Ukraine security assistance and enforce the Budapest Memorandum. When combined with Americas shameful departure from Afghanistan, it became very clear to Mr. Putin that the United States had betrayed its allies yet again, and wasnt going to do anything about his war against Ukraine. Weakness has invited aggression since the dawn of man. The U.S. Congress has passed a $53 billion aid package for Ukraine. Next week I will report on how much of this is actually reaching the 2.9 million refugees and the soldiers fighting for their countrys national survival. Contact state Sen. Tom Brewer: tbrewer@leg.ne.gov, 402-471-2628. (Bloomberg) -- Most Read from Bloomberg Even if Joe Biden secures a pledge for more oil when he visits Saudi Arabia this week, it may do little to drive down the high fuel prices roiling the global economy. The US presidents visit to a country he once vowed to isolate represents a significant thawing of relations, but the Saudis and their OPEC partners have limited spare production capacity to offer in return for this political concession. Some market watchers also question whether tapping this supply buffer would calm energy markets, or just make matters worse. A surge in Saudi production seems unlikely, said Ben Cahill, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Saudi Arabia and OPEC+ have very limited spare capacity, and they have to manage it carefully. Oil prices retreated last week, but remain above $100 a barrel. World crude production and refining output are still struggling to keep pace with the post-pandemic rebound in demand and the supply disruption resulting from sanctions on Russia over the invasion of Ukraine. The price of gasoline remains a source of political peril for a president heading to mid-term elections with approval ratings near 40%. Biden said his visit to the Middle East, which includes a stop in Israel, will focus on security issues rather than energy supplies. He said he wont specifically ask Saudi King Salman or Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman to raise oil production. Nevertheless, the trip represents a reversal for the president, who previously vowed to recalibrate Americas relationship with the kingdom after the 2018 murder of regime critic Jamal Khashoggi. The Saudis have already offered up one gesture of reconciliation before Bidens visit by steering the OPEC+ alliance to speed up its output increases this month and next -- rolling back the last of the production cuts introduced at the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. Story continues Biden has signaled he wants exporters around the Persian Gulf to do even more, which is where questions about spare capacity come to the fore. Narrow Margin Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the only members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries with significant volumes of unused output. Together they currently have a buffer of about 3 million barrels a day, official data from the countries indicate. Thats about 3% of global oil output, and roughly equivalent to the amount of Russian oil that could be kept off the market by sanctions at year-end, according to the International Energy Agency. But the margin of emergency supplies could be even narrower than official figures indicate. French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on camera at the G-7 summit last month, telling Biden that UAE ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed had admitted to him that Abu Dhabi is at maximum production and the Saudis can only increase a little more. The UAEs Energy Minister Suhail al Mazrouei promptly sought to clarify that it his ruler been referring to quota limits agreed with fellow OPEC+ members, but uncertainty persists. Shell Plc CEO Ben van Beurden warned on June 29 that the world faces an ever-tighter market and a turbulent period because OPEC has less spare capacity than assumed. State-run giant Saudi Aramco says it can reach and sustain maximum production of 12 million barrels a day. OPEC data show the country has only held this level for a single month, April 2020, in its many decades as a major oil producer. The kingdom didnt make full use of its OPEC+ quota in May, pumping about 125,000 barrels a day less than it could have, despite international pleas for more supply, the groups data show. RBC Capital Markets estimates that there may be near-term soft ceiling of 11.5 million barrels a day, with more drilling needed to reach higher levels. Theres a realization that Saudi Arabia doesnt have much to bring to the table in terms of supplies, at least for the time being, said Bill Farren-Price, a director at Enverus Intelligence Research. Magic Wand As a result, Saudi Arabia and the UAE may offer a generic pledge to stabilize world oil markets while keeping their spare production capacity powder dry for a period of even tighter supplier expected later in the year, said Bob McNally, president of Washington-based consultant Rapidan Energy Group and a former White House official. Theres no magic wand for any president in this situation, said McNally. The best you can do is ask OPEC, and they dont have much to give. If the Gulf nations were to fully tap their spare capacity, it could backfire. Traders tend to grow anxious when the global market has nothing held in reserve to cover potential disruptions. The recent collapse of production in OPEC member Libya due to renewed unrest has served as a reminder of the perennial risks to global production. Theyre going to be judicious on how they deploy any remaining spare barrels, said Helima Croft, chief strategist at RBC Capital and a former CIA analyst. I dont think they want to exhaust all of their spare capacity as part of a strategic reset with the US. Setting aside all the potential risks and rewards related to OPECs crude flows, theres one pressing problem they can do little to solve -- the lack of capacity around the world to make gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. US refineries are operating at 95% of capacity, the highest in almost three years, as they strain to keep up with peak summer fuel demand. Years of underinvestment, coupled with the disruption to Russian oil-product exports, have spurred the White House to consider restarting mothballed refineries. This energy crisis needs long-cycle investment in infrastructure like refineries, and addressing energy and military security issues, said Jeff Currie, head of commodities research at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. The questions over OPEC production capacity are a sideshow. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. At the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., Yayoi Kusama's work is dazzling audiences with dots, pumpkins and mirrors. https://t.co/Qv6RAKqGD2 NPR (@NPR) April 1, 2022 Yayoi Kusama is an acclaimed artist who is known for her amazing "Infinity Rooms." She uses a handful of elements dots, pumpkins, mirrors, phalluses to create environments you can enter, and then lose yourself in. The Hirshhorn Museum in D.C. finally opened the One with Eternity exhibit following a two-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most people familiar with contemporary art know of her art, but what about the the artist behind the magic? Who is Yayoi Kusama? Let's find out!Kusama was born in 1929 in the Japanese city of Matsumoto. Her childhood was marred both by the horrors of WWII and by her parents unhappy marriage. Although Kusama fell in love with drawing at the age of 10, her parents disapproved and discouraged her from pursuing her passion. When she was a young child, she was attacked in a field, which she later described as an extremely traumatic and life-changing event*:When I looked around, I saw the flowers everywhere. It was this sense of being obliterated by flowers.Some people attributed this event as the driving force in the repetitive pattern-making aspect of her work.Her family was not happy at her wanting to become an artist, so in the 60s Yayoi set out for NYC. This brought shame upon her family, and her old elementary school even removed her name from the permanent roster of students. Back then, unmarried Japanese women traveling overseas to pursue a career in something like art was unheard of. She was very prolific in her output of art during this time but the art movement back then was very White and Male, and poor Yayoi was overlooked time and time again. After living in New York for four years, in 1962, Yayoi Kusama made one of her most famous sculptures, Accumulation No.1 in a downtown loft located in the same building as the studio of artist Claes Oldenburg. Male critics ignored their obvious symbolism, while her friend Oldenburg shadily stole her ideas of soft sculpture design. Kusama still claims that Accumulation was the biggest inspiration for Oldenburgs subsequent soft sculptures, but while Kusama received no recognition, Oldenburg shot to fame. This made Kusama depressed.Nor was he the only thief. Culture-Vulture extraordinaire Andy Warhol attended Kusamas solo exhibition, Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show, at the Gertrude Stein Gallery. She presented a rowboat covered in phallic soft-sculptures, which she took a photo of, and papered the entire space with a replicated image in an attempt to immerse her viewers in infinity. Wow, fantastic Yayoi! I like this so much, Kusama recalls Warhol saying, as she explains the situation in Infinity. In those days it was very common for NY artists to have open studios where people could either peep in their windows to observe what they were painting, or come inside and talk to the artist. Warhol promptly did his own take of Kusama's work, covering a room with pictures of a cow. While it wasn't as blatant as Oldenburg's thievery in the sense that he did his own take on it it still left an increasingly paranoid Yayoi extremely angry, and from that point on made sure her windows were covered. It's also important to note that during this time Kusama was making work of equal, if not more, importance, but wasnt getting the same recognition because of the blatant sexism and racism at hand, both of which played a part in her depression.It was during this period that Kusama became a friend of the gays. She has said in interviews that she felt more comfortable with gay people than anyone else, and years before it was fashionable to do so (or legal) she would have marriage ceremonies where she "married" gay couples in her loft. This was also around the time that Vietnam War was going on, and Yayoi was very anti-war. She would paint her gay friends naked bodies with her now famous circles and dots and do a "sit in" in public spaces to protest the war.After the death of her friend and once partner, painter Joseph Cornell, and depleted by the depression of her declining career in New York, Kusama relocated to Tokyo in 1973. Having lived in America for over a decade, Kusama was not recognised as an artist in Japan, so she was forced to start her career from scratch. It also didn't help that Japan thought of her as being this sort of scandalous person. Her father also died around this time, opening up a lot of horrible memories and was the beginning of her audio and visual hallucinations and a decline in her mental health, culimating in a suicide attempt. Even though she started experimenting in different mediums, the dots and repetition was still the cornerstone of her work. By translating hallucinations and fear of hallucinations into paintings, I have been trying to cure my disease, Kusama explains in a later interviews. After another suicide attempt in 1974, Yayoi found a mental hospital in Tokyo that offered art therapy and checked herself in. It turned out to be a nurturing, supportive environment for her, and in March 1977, Kusama became a permanent resident at Seiwa hospital, and she bought a studio nearby. She still lives and works at both spaces today.Things started to look up for in the 1980s, when Kusamas Fuji show, Obsession Yayoi Kusama, was the first show in Japan to exhibition Kusamas paintings and sculptures, drawing on 30 works from the 1950s-60s. Hearing about the show, curator Alexandra Munroe flew over to Tokyo, and after attending the exhibition, she knew she had to display Kusamas work in New York again. Kusama had her first New York retrospective in 1989 at the Centre for International Contemporary Arts. Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective signified a major revival of American and European interest in the artists work, and it was the first time she had shown in the US in over 16 years. This show made a lot of people more interested in Kusama and her work in general and she continued to only grow in fame to become the first Japanese woman to show, and have a solo exhibition at the 1993 45TH Venice Biennale.Despite her resurgence in the western world and being chosen to represent her country at the Biennale, back home in Japan, Kusama was still largely resisted. This was until the Matsumoto City Art Gallery was built. In 2002, the space held a Kusama retrospective, uniting over 280 of the artists works, and drawing huge floods of Matsumoto residents. This not only sparked important Japanese interest in Kusama, but it also cemented Kusamas position as one of Japanese art historys most important revolutionaries. I was finally able to bring the crown home, Kusama stated at the reception to the show, to which people almost wept in response. Finally, her hometown was proud of the local girl who made good, and her old primary school added her back to the roster, lol.Since then, Yayoi is one of the most famous women artists of the 20th century. Not bad for a girl from a small town who made it despite other people's bullshit. I understand, relate to applaud her. This woman got her flowers after decades of hard work and bullshit, it is never too late, ONTD!What do you think, ONTD? Is this a case of someone making their mental illness work for them, or a woman having an understandable response to trauma and the later racism and sexism rampant in the NY art scene at that time? You decide. Also, there was something about her saying something ignorant about Black people seeing her work but I can't find it and I'm sure some jackal on here will be more than happy to post the receipts in the comments.Also, if you get a chance, watch "Kusama: Infinity" on Prime video because it's really good and goes more into detail about what I've discussed here.Watching "Kusama: Infinity" on my TV The U.K. appears to be going full throttle on its nuclear power plans. From big to small, the British government is encouraging the development of a variety of nuclear developments as it offers support for a wide range of clean energy projects to solidify the future of its domestic energy security. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent introduction of sanctions on Russian energy, several European powers are racing to boost their fossil fuel and renewable energy output to help them avoid shortages and ensure their energy security. While some are going all-in with renewable energy projects, others are backing more controversial nuclear energy developments. After a significant movement away from nuclear power in much of the world over the last few decades, several state governments are reembracing the much-critiqued energy source. In June, the U.K. government bought a 20 percent stake in the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk for $100 million, demonstrating its dedication to a future with nuclear power in the energy mix. The development is owned by EDF and China General Nuclear Power (CGN), although the governments stake could see CGN pushed out of the project after criticism of China becoming too heavily involved in U.K. infrastructure plans. Earlier this year, Prime Minister Boris Johnson outlined national plans for the development of eight nuclear reactors by 2030. Sizewell C is expected to gain planning consent on 9th July, despite controversy over the construction costing taxpayers over double previous estimates and taking five years longer to build. Delays have already been seen in EDFs Hinkley Point C, which is expected to open a year later than planned, in 2027, and cost $3.6 billion more than anticipated, totaling between $30 and $31.5 billion. EDF is partnering with CGN on the construction of Hinkley and says the change in costs will not cause taxpayers any additional expense. The development was originally approved in 2016 but has seen delays due to pandemic disruption, according to EDF. In addition to largescale nuclear power projects, the U.K. is also embracing smaller-scale developments in a shift away from solely traditional nuclear plants. After announcing plans to construct several Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) across the U.K. last year, Rolls Royce is expected to be granted permission for development by 2024, having started the regulatory process this year. The company hopes to start generating nuclear power by 2029. Related: Attacks By The Islamic State Are On The Rise In Afghanistan Rolls Royce announced this week that it has established a site shortlist for its first SMR factory. The government is aiming to build 16 SMRs over 25 years as part of its decarbonization strategy. The SMRs can be built on a production line to be assembled on sites. The locations being suggested are Richmond in North Yorkshire, Deeside in Wales, Ferrybridge, Stallingborough in Lincolnshire, Sunderland, and Carlisle. The nuclear plant sites would receive an influx in investment as well as see a rise in the number of job opportunities in the region. The aerospace and defense company received $236 million in funding from private firms and $254 million from the government for its SMR business last year. SMRs are becoming more attractive as they take up considerably less space than a traditional nuclear power plant, at around a tenth of the size, while still providing enough energy to power around one million homes. Rolls Royce expects each SMR to be able to generate 470MW, equivalent to the power produced by 150 onshore wind turbines, costing $2.4 billion each. And now a U.K. startup is looking for a piece of the action as it announces recent nuclear power innovations. In June, nuclear energy startup Newcleo raised $315 million in funds to develop its technology and launch pilot projects in France and the U.K.. Newcleo, based in London, aims to decrease the cost of nuclear power production using a lead-cooled fast reactor, a new technology that uses atmospheric pressure rather than high-pressure water reactors. The system can be fuelled by waste produced in traditional plants, without the need for mined uranium. It is thought to be safer than existing nuclear technology. Newcleo aims to construct its first 30MW prototype for $480 million, a fraction of the cost of a conventional nuclear plant. CEO of the firm Stefano Buono explained We are going to use these reactors as a test for these technologies. He added, we believe our reactor is cheaper than current reactors. The prototype is expected to be scaled up for the construction of a 200MW plant if deemed viable. Newcleo is currently appealing to the U.K. government for building site approval and the granting of its operating permits. It also hopes to also produce mixed plutonium-uranium oxide fuel from processed nuclear waste. Significant innovations are being seen in the U.K.s nuclear power, with the potential for the construction of several new conventional power plants as well as the development of alternative nuclear reactors, thanks to recent innovations in technology. In addition to renewable energy developments, nuclear power is expected to contribute substantially to the U.K.s decarbonization plans. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The sharp drop in imports necessary for investment projects is driving what may be Russia's steepest economic decline in three decades. Similar stories of dashed hope are playing out around Russia, especially in its Far East regions. Plans to build a massive gold plant have been halted as sanctions against Russia continue to mount. Sergei had for years been clinging to hope that his hometown of Sovetskaya Gavan, a once bustling port city in Russia's Far East, would soon see better days. Sovetskaya Gavan had been home to ship construction and repair factories, a vibrant fishing industry, and military personnel of all stripes during Soviet times. However, the factories closed and the military largely left with the fall of communism and the economic turbulence that followed. The population of the greater Sovetskaya Gavan area has tumbled by a staggering 40 percent over the ensuing three decades to about 38,000 as well-paying jobs became hard to find. But plans by Polymetal, one of Russia's largest gold producers, to build a $730 million plant on the outskirts of the city to process ore had raised some hopes of an economic turnaround. Mayor Pavel Borovsky called the processing plant a launchpad for the city's future development. The gold plant could have opened the door to further investments in the economically depressed city, including the expansion of the local power plant, Sovetskaya Gavan's largest employer. Ore processing consumes a large amount of energy. It could have also helped build the case for the extension to Sovetskaya Gavan of the second leg of the Baikal-Amur rail line, the lack of which has kept some investors away, Sergei says. Now Western financial and technology sanctions imposed on Russia to punish the Kremlin for its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine have upended Polymetal's plans. The gold company announced in April that it had "suspended indefinitely" plans to build the ore-processing plant in Sovetskaya Gavan and is now studying options to construct one in neighboring Kazakhstan. "As soon as I found out that the plant would not be built, to be honest, I sat down in the evening, poured myself a shot, and decided: 'Stop living with dreams. It's time for us to leave,'" Sergei told RFE/RL's Siberia.Realities. "We haven't been bombed, but we too have been destroyed," he said, referring to the war-driven sanctions. Sergei says he will likely join the exodus from the city and move to Krasnodar in Russia's south, a popular destination for people leaving the Far East. Mass Project Delays Similar stories of dashed hope are playing out around Russia, especially in its Far East regions, as domestic companies scale back, delay, or cancel large-scale investment projects due to the financial and technology sanctions, while foreign companies simply leave. Polymetal had planned to invest as much as $700 million in 2022, according to its February presentation to investors. Two months later, it cut that to $650 million. Apart from suspending the Sovetskaya Gavan project, Polymetal announced that it would delay the construction of a $450 million gold project in Eastern Siberia by 12 to 18 months and a second ore-processing plant in the Far East by six months. Russian metals, mining, and energy companies rely heavily on Western equipment and technology to build and operate plants, as well as to develop mines and energy fields, and they are struggling to get access to them amid harsh sanctions and Western firms' fear of doing any business with the country. Russian imports have fallen by nearly half following the imposition of sanctions. Related: Kazakhstan Looks To Diversify Oil Export Routes Away From Russia Polymetal management said it had become expensive and difficult to import equipment directly from Europe. Although the company is not under sanctions itself, Western transportation firms are refusing to deliver containers with equipment and spare parts to Russia, it said. The gold miner must gather large volumes of documents to show it is not violating Western sanctions when buying equipment. The company said it had been forced to import Western equipment via China, which delays delivery by at least two months. Polymetal said the trouble importing equipment forced it to delay development of its Eastern Siberian gold mine. Steep Economic Decline The sharp drop in imports necessary for investment projects is driving what may be Russia's steepest economic decline in three decades. Russia's economic output could fall by as much as 7 percent this year and 10 percent next year, German Gref, the CEO of Sberbank, the country's largest lender, said at a state-sponsored business forum in June. Russia has not experienced consecutive years of economic decline since the early 1990s. The punishing sanctions are also forcing Russia to turn further to China for trade and investment. And while China has emerged as a major producer of equipment and high technology, the Kremlin can't look to it as a savior, experts say. Not all Western equipment and technologies have analogues in China, meaning more projects could be indefinitely canceled. "I have said more than once that China will not be able to replace all the equipment that we imported [from the West]," Natalia Zubarevich, a professor at Moscow State University, told RFE/RL. "This is impossible, not because China will be afraid of secondary sanctions, but because, in principle, it cannot produce everything. It simply does not have the competencies for everything high-tech." By RFE/RL More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: MEXICO CITY The Mexican navy said Tuesday it has begun a controversial plan to drop concrete blocks onto the bottom of the Gulf of California to snag illegal nets that drown critically endangered vaquita marina porpoises. As few as eight of the tiny, elusive porpoises remain in the Gulf, also known as the Sea of Cortez. It is the only place they live, and they cannot be captured and bred in captivity. Vaquitas become trapped and drown in gill nets fishermen set illegally for totoaba, a fish whose swim bladder is a delicacy in China and sells for thousands of dollars per pound. The Mexican government has largely abandoned efforts to keep small fishing boats out of a 110-square-mile zero tolerance area near San Felipe, Baja California, where the few remaining vaquita have been seen. Environmentalists said Tuesday the plan to sink 193 concrete blocks was approved with no public comment and expressed concerns that the metal hooks attached to the blocks may accumulate remnants of nets that could continue to entangle and drown sea life. This is a total surprise, because the environmental impact statement was approved in record time, in six weeks. It wasnt opened to public comment, said Alex Olivera, the Mexico representative for the Center for Biological Diversity. Mexicos Environment Department acknowledged there had been no public comment, but said that was because nobody had requested one. The department has become known for quickly signing off on government projects. Doubts about the plan abound. It would scatter one block, with a metal hook attacked, every one kilometer over the zero tolerance area. It is not clear how, or whether, any snagged nets would be recovered from underwater. A net can be snagged on these hooks, and we dont know, were talking about nets that are hundreds of yards long, so we dont know if a net snagged down there might be a double-edged sword, and trap vaquitas, said Olivera. Abandoned nets, known as ghost nets, can continue killing marine life for years. Another expert, who did not want to be cited by name out of concern over reprisals, said the plan might discourage the illegal fishermen by causing them to lose nets to the snags. But he added that it would be crucial for the navy to regularly clear out any snagged nets, or other species could be killed down there. In a statement announcing the plan, the navy made a vague mention of recovering detained nets. In practice, it would probably require divers to descend and manually cut nets off each of the 193 blocks every few days. Given the defiance of the fishermen and the lucrative nature of the illegal trade in dried totoaba bladders, there is also no guarantee that fishermen might not mark either physically or with GPS the location of the blocks and fish around them. Earlier this year, the United States filed the first trade-based environmental complaint under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact, arguing that Mexico is failing to protect the species. BARENTSBURG, Norway (AP) Russian food supplies bound for an Arctic coal mining settlement have resumed transiting via mainland Norway after weeks of tension, a Russian representative said Wednesday. Sergey Gushchin, the Russian consul general based in the settlement of Barentsburg, said Oslo had allowed Norwegian carriers to pick up the disputed cargo and cross the Russian-Norwegian border with it. All these days there has been close contact between the Russian and Norwegian Foreign Ministries. The situation has been resolved, a workaround has been found, Gushchin said in a live interview on Russian TV. No one can detain Norwegian carriers on the territory of Norway. On July 5, a vessel with containers left the port of Tromso and will come to us in Barentsburg on July 8 (Friday), he said. Russian officials previously accused Oslo of blocking a shipment of essential goods, including food and medication, destined for Russian miners in Barentsburg, on the far-Northern Svalbard archipelago. According to Norwegian media, local authorities in May stopped two containers carrying 20 tons of Russian goods at the sole land border crossing between the two countries, citing European Union sanctions against Moscow. Gushchin said that there were no immediate food shortages in Barentsburg. Norwegian media reported last month that the countrys ambassador to Moscow was summoned to the Foreign Ministry for a complaint over supplies bound for the settlement being prevented from transiting. Just hours later, a cyberattack temporarily knocked out public and private websites in Norway, which Norwegian security officials attributed to a criminal pro-Russian group. The distributed-denial-of-service (DDOS) attack on Norway came two days after a similar attack targeted public and private websites in Lithuania, with a pro-Moscow hacker group reportedly claiming responsibility. That incident came a week after Russian officials threatened to retaliate because Lithuania restricted the transit of steel and ferrous metals sanctioned by the EU through its territory to Russias exclave of Kaliningrad. TEHRAN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The United States seeks to erode the negotiations that aim to revive the 2015 nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), by imposing new sanctions against Iran, an Iranian senior lawmaker said on Sunday. "The recent U.S. sanctions against several individuals and companies that cooperate with Iran, while negotiations over JCPOA are underway, showed that they are not looking for cooperation but to exert pressures," Abbas Moqtadaei, vice chairman of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament, told official IRNA news agency. This further showed the "unreliability" of the United States and proved that they seek to achieve their goals by putting more pressure on the Iranian nation, he was quoted as saying. The U.S. President Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a new round of sanctions against the "international network of individuals and entities" involved in trade with Iran's petroleum and petrochemical products. The U.S. fresh move came amid diplomatic efforts to rescue the JCPOA. Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to curb its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. However, former U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, prompting the latter to drop some of its commitments under the pact. The talks on the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal began in April 2021 in Vienna but were suspended in March this year because of political differences between Tehran and Washington. After a three-month pause, the talks resumed recently in the Qatari capital Doha, but it failed to result in any agreement to settle the remaining differences. Altus Architectural Studios, Inc. Altus Architectural Studios, Inc. announced today that it will become an employee-owned company, giving eligible employees the option to own stock in the award-winning healthcare architectural firm. Company founder Loren Lamprecht, AIA said, "the time is right to acknowledge the many dedicated employees who have built Altus, and I am excited to see how much this team can accomplish as we move forward." The company announced a new Board of Directors that includes Partners Michael Hamilton, AIA, Carrie Hinshaw, AIA and Evan Lamprecht, AIA. Co-founder Hamilton will serve as President for the firm. Hinshaw will lead the firm's Denver office as a Vice President and Lamprecht will lead in the Omaha office as a Vice President. "Ultimately, strong team performance depends on people who believe in each other and feel their work has greater purpose- Altus is no exception," Hamilton said. "We believe this new structure will allow Altus to attract and retain top talent for the clients we serve." He added, "Altus is moving forward with a strong employee focused culture that provides opportunities for people to grow and advance in their career." In addition to the newly named Board of Directors, Dwayne Meyer, AIA and Erik Austin, AIA were awarded stock and have been named Principals in the firm. The following employees were awarded stock and named Associates in the firm; Ray Dryzmala, Eric Eschenbrenner, AIA, Kyle Adamson, AIA, Chris Peterson, Assoc AIA and Eva Krueger, NCIDQ. Loren Lamprecht will remain involved with the firm as Principal and will continue to contribute his talents and 40+ years' experience to clients' healthcare planning needs. About Altus Architectural Studios Altus Architectural Studios was founded in 2001 with a vision to provide superior architectural planning/design services for the healthcare industry. For more than 20 years, the firm has collaborated with and worked tirelessly for healthcare organizations of all sizes to create thoughtfully designed, functional settings that are both healing and exceptional. Altus, with offices in Omaha, Neb., Denver, Colo., and Cheyenne, Wyo., understands the responsibility that comes with creating environments that directly impact patient care and delivery. They proudly embrace the role they have in helping humanity heal by enabling healthcare clients to deliver the kind of care patients need and deserve. Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP is pleased to announce the addition of Senior Counsel, Monte L. Schatz to the Omaha Office Monte L. Schatz joined LDM in June, 2022 as Senior Counsel in the Firm's Corporate Department. Mr. Schatz has over 35 years of experience in estate planning, trust and probate administration, and corporate law. Thirty of those years entailed work in bank corporations with an emphasis on Wealth Management and Trust Department Management and Administration. Mr. Schatz received his bachelor's degrees in Economics and Political Science from South Dakota State University. He received his law degree from the University of South Dakota. Mr. Schatz also obtained a master's degree in Taxation from the University of Tulsa. Lamson Dugan & Murray is a full-service law firm with over 45 attorneys specializing in all areas of litigation and business counseling. The Firm's excellent reputation is well known and far reaching. Of the 45 attorneys, many of them are licensed in both Nebraska and Iowa. Lamson Dugan & Murray has offices in Omaha, Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska and West Des Moines, Iowa. Swanson Russell Hires Seven in Lincoln and Omaha Offices Mckenna Arthur Kenny Bottoms Scot Eaton Katie House Nathan Schreiter Olivia McCown Grace Niemeyer Swanson Russell welcomes Mckenna Arthur, Kenny Bottoms, Scot Eaton, Katie House, Nathan Schreiter, Olivia McCown and Grace Niemeyer. Arthur joins the agency as a project manager in the Lincoln office. Prior to coming to Swanson Russell, she served as both marketing coordinator and content/QA coordinator at RKD Group. Originally from Lincoln, Nebraska, Arthur earned a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Bottoms joins Swanson Russell as a project manager in the Omaha office. Before joining the agency, Bottoms served as a local search strategist at Hurrdat. The Parker, Colorado, native earned a bachelor's degree in business with a marketing emphasis from the University of Colorado Springs in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Eaton joins the agency as an associate designer in the Lincoln office. Before coming to Swanson Russell, he served as a graphic designer at the Nebraska Hospital Association, as well as served in graphic design internship roles with Runza and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. Hailing from Malcolm, Nebraska, Eaton earned a degree in graphic design media arts from Southeast Community College. House joins Swanson Russell as an art director working remotely from the Kansas City area. Prior to joining the agency, House worked as a graphic designer then art director at MMGY Global. Originally hailing from Leawood, Kansas, House earned a bachelor's degree in design and visual communications from the University of Kansas-Lawrence. Schreiter joins the agency as an account manager in Lincoln. Before joining Swanson Russell, Schreiter served as creative marketing operations manager at Firespring and as a marketing specialist/campaign manager at Arbor Day Foundation. He is currently president of the American Marketing Association, Lincoln chapter. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. McCown joins Swanson Russell as an associate writer/producer in the Omaha office. McCown comes aboard full-time after serving as a copywriting intern at the agency. Prior, she served in various marketing roles at Lincoln Public Schools and Nonprofit Hub. The Lincoln, Nebraska, native earned a bachelor's degree in journalism, advertising and public relations from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Niemeyer joins the agency as a public relations associate based in Lincoln. Before joining Swanson Russell, Niemeyer served in a variety of event management and marketing roles. Most recently, she worked as a project manager and then manager of content services at Propaganda3 in Kansas City. The Cortland, Nebraska, native earned a bachelor's degree in communication with an emphasis in public relations from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. Swanson Russell is a nationally recognized full-service branding, advertising and public relations agency in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. The agency partners with clients across many industries while specializing in agriculture, construction, landscape/turf, outdoor recreation and healthcare. To learn how Swanson Russell builds a Real Connection between brands and audiences, visit swansonrussell.com. Naomi Campbell fought back tears as she accepted an honorary doctorate in London on Thursday (07.07.22). The supermodel accepted a PhD for her contribution to the fashion industry from The University for the Creative Arts in a ceremony at the UK capital's Royal Festival Hall - and 52-year-old Naomi was seen wiping a tear from her eye as she addressed the audience while wearing her special cap and gown. She told the graduates in the crowd: "Never let anyone change the way you feel, change the course of what you and your vision and what you want for yourself ... Never quit." The model's mum Valerie Morris was watching from the audience and was given a special nod by her daughter, who praised the "very strong women" in her life. She revealed they taught her the "three Ds" for success - dedication, determination and drive. Naomi's appearance at the ceremony came just a day after she walked the runway for fashion brand Balenciaga at a show in Paris, France and a video posted online showed her wiping away a tear as she told the university crowd: "I'm just thinking, yesterday I was on the runway doing Balenciaga." She was joined at the star-studded catwalk show by stars including Kim Kardashian, Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid who all walked for the brand. The honourary doctorate comes after a milestone year for the star, who recently became a first-time mum and celebrated her first Mother's Day in 2022 with her baby daughter. During her special day, she posted online: "1st Mothers Day UK ... Gods Greatest Blessing !! #happymothersday #blessed #grateful ... " Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe has died following a shooting on Friday (08.07.22). The 67-year-old politician was giving a campaign speech in the city of Nara when he was gunned down and was airlifted to hospital where he was said to be in critical condition after suffering several gunshot wounds but it was later reported he had lost his fight for life. News of his death was reported by Japan's national broadcaster NHK. They tweeted: "[Breaking News] 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.(sic)" It comes after Mr. Abe's wife, Akie Abe, was said to have arrived in Nara to be by his side. Current Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida previously gave an update on Abe's condition and said: "I am hoping and praying that former prime minister Abe will survive this. " Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said: "My thoughts are with him and his family. Nato stands with the people of our close partner Japan." Mr. Abe was giving a campaign speech ahead of this Sunday's upper house elections when he was shot in the chest and the neck and rushed to Nara Medical University hospital. The shooter - believed to be a Nara man in his 40s who was a member of the maritime self defence force for about three years, until 2005 - did not attempt to flee and was taken into custody at the scene. Japan has some of the world's toughest gun-control laws and it is believed the weapon used to attack him was homemade. Mr. Abe was Japan's longest-serving premier before stepping down in 2020 citing ill health. The first of two new Julios Tex-Mex restaurants has opened at 192nd and Q Streets in a building that previously housed a Tanners Bar & Grill. The menu for the revived eatery is similar to that of the original, including its popular nachos, the Mexican flag enchiladas, and fajitas for two. Owner Brett Clure bought the rights to the Julios name and recipes when the local chains last location, at 123rd Street and West Center Road, closed in 2020. At its peak, the restaurant had 11 outlets in Omaha, Lincoln and Des Moines. Clures second Julios, in the former Jack & Marys Restaurant near 114th Street and West Dodge Road, is expected to open next month. Diners have been posting reviews on social media: Margaritas were good, nachos were awesome, one said. Others said it was experiencing the usual opening-week glitches, but were happy it had returned. Clure is also part owner of four Tanners locations in Omaha, Lincoln and Wisconsin; four Tavern 180 outlets in the Midwest; and Capri, a new Italian restaurant near 173rd Street and West Center Road. When he was planning the Julios menu, he said he would include a few new items but the main thing was keeping the recipes the same. If your favorite dish isnt on the printed menu, it may come back periodically as a special, he said in an interview earlier this year. Julios is open from 3:30 p.m. to close Mondays through Thursdays and 11 a.m. to close Fridays. Saturdays and Sundays. The website is www.julios.com. Learn how to forage for food in Nebraska You should never eat wild plants unless you are certain you have identified them correctly. An online seminar will teach you how to do just that. Horticulture program coordinator Bob Hendrickson will present Edible Wild Plants of Nebraska: Part 3 via Zoom on Monday, July 11, from 7 to 8 p.m. The program, from Conservation Nebraska and Nebraska State Arboretum, focuses on the states tree species and how you can use them for food. Both groups advocate foraging, which they say is a great way to eat healthy, low-cost meals while spending time outdoors. You can register for the presentation at neconserve.org, where youll also find links to parts one and two of the program. Free fries? We want to know where they are Its only three days until National French Fry Day. On that day, which is Wednesday, July 13, Penn Station East Coast Subs restaurants will give away a free small order of fresh-cut fries with the purchase of any sandwich. Omaha-area Penn Stations are at 2875 S. 168th St. and 225 N. 80th St., Suite 12. Theyre open from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays. If you know of other restaurants that will celebrate the day with specials, we want to hear about them. Email elizabeth.freeman@owh.com with details. Another day, another French-flavored celebration You might want to take a staycation day Thursday, July 14. Its Bastille Day, and the Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel plans a day full of fun, frolic and food. The hotel, at 302 S. 36th St. in the Blackstone District, has a resort-style pool that both locals and guests enjoy from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. through the Cottonwood Pool Club. You can dine on seasonal poolside snacks and enjoy cocktails while sunning and swimming. You can pretend its the French Riviera. In early evening, the hotels Cottonwood Room will have a champagne happy hour. In addition to the bubbly, there will be $6 wines, $5 drafts and a variety of hors doeurves. And you can bring your French poodles (or any other dog, for that matter, regardless of size or breed.) Happy hour runs from 5 to 6 p.m. You can end your outing with appropriate Bastille Day entrees in the Orleans Room. The menu includes French onion soup, Raclette grilled cheese sandwiches, beignets and creme brulee, among other items. If you've ever felt your insides twist in knots before a big speech, you know the stomach listens carefully to the brain. In fact, the entire digestive system is closely tuned to a person's emotions and state of mind, says William E. Whitehead, PhD, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Functional GI and Motility Disorders at the University of North Carolina. People with irritable bowel syndrome often suffer flare-ups during times of stress and anxiety, and even perfectly healthy people can worry their way to stomach pain, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, or other problems. Even if a doctor can't find anything physically wrong, the misery is real. In the past -- back when scientists believed the mind and the body operated as separate entities -- some physicians wrote off digestive distress with no sign of organic disease as being "all in the head." But in recent years, that wall has crumbled. Doctors now see intricate links between the nervous system and the digestive system. The two realms constantly exchange streams of chemical and electrical messages, and anything that affects one is likely to affect the other. The connections between the two systems are so tight that scientists often refer to them as one entity: the brain-gut axis, an increasingly hot topic in medicine. For people suffering from persistent digestive troubles unconnected to disease, such research suggests that reducing stress, depression, and anxiety may go a long way toward calming the gut. Listening to your gut It may surprise many people to learn that the gut actually contains as many neurons (nerve cells) as the spinal cord. In an article in the medical journal Gut, author J. D. Woods and colleagues compare this network -- known as the enteric nervous system, or ENS -- to a "local mini-brain" storing a library of programs for different patterns of gut behavior." Woods and colleagues compare the ENS to a microcomputer with its own independent software, "whereas the brain is like a larger mainframe with extended memory and processing circuits that receive information from and issue commands to the enteric computer." With all these messages, the connection between the brain and the digestive system is a busy two-way street. The central nervous system releases chemicals (acetylcholine and adrenaline) that tell the stomach when to produce acid, when to churn, and when to rest. Similar signals help guide the movements of the intestines. The digestive system responds by sending electrical messages to the brain, creating such sensations as hunger, fullness, pain, nausea, discomfort, and possibly sadness and joy. As strange as it sounds, our guts just might help shape our moods, says Emeran Mayer, MD, a gastroenterologist and director of the Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology at the University of California at Los Angeles. Mayer points to the vagus nerve, essentially a large electrical cable that runs between the brain and the digestive system. "Doctors once believed the nerve's main job was controlling acid production in the stomach," Mayer says. "But 95 percent of the fibers go the other direction -- from the gut to the brain." Nobody knows exactly what messages travel along this cable, but scientists have found that stimulating the nerve at different frequencies can cause either anxiety or a strong sense of well being. Perhaps the term "gut feeling" isn't just a figure of speech after all. Mayer suggests another intriguing possibility: Prozac and similar antidepressants may actually work on the gut, not the brain. Drugs known as SSRIs (short for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) ease depression by enhancing levels of serotonin. Most experts assume it's the extra serotonin in the brain that helps improve mood. But 95 percent of the serotonin in the body actually lies within the digestive system. Perhaps, Mayer says, SSRIs do their job by boosting serotonin in the gut and changing the signals along the vagus nerve. The stress alarm Whatever messages may be passing back and forth, they can easily become garbled in times of stress. When the brain senses a threat, real or imagined, it sounds the alarm by flooding the body with adrenaline and another hormone called CRF (short for corticotropin-releasing factor). These hormones trigger the "fight or flight" response -- helpful back in the days when humans had to run from lions, but a potential liability when we lose a job or go through a divorce. If you suffer from frequent emotional distress -- perhaps because of extreme stress, depression, or anxiety -- the unrelenting flood of adrenaline and CRF will take a toll on your digestive system. For one thing, the hormones can make the cells in the stomach and intestines extra-sensitive to pain. As a result, normal contractions and movements can become excruciating. The new signals can also disrupt the motion of the intestines, causing bouts of constipation or diarrhea. Functional disease in a dysfunctional world Because of the close connection between the brain and many abdominal disorders, some digestive disorders are known as "Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders," or FGIDs. A "functional" disease, in this case, means a disturbance in GI function that it isn't related to any injury, infection, or other obvious physical problem. These criteria, which include persistent constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, or irritable bowel syndrome unrelated to a diagnosable physical disorder. Among these disorders is irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a very common and perplexing malady often characterized by painful cramps, bloating, and constipation alternating with diarrhea. If you have "functional" IBS, you may feel that "dysfunctional" is a much more apt term. Emotional distress alone can't cause IBS -- the source of the disorder is still unknown -- but stress or a mood disorder may worsen the symptoms. In fact, few other conditions provide such a clear illustration of the link between the mind and the body. One Australian study found that chronic distress -- arising from such traumas as divorce, lawsuits, serious illnesses, or job troubles -- accounted for 97 percent of all changes in IBS symptoms. Interestingly, short-term swings in mood don't seem to have much effect on IBS, which explains why many people still suffer symptoms on relatively calm, relaxing days. In a similar manner, strange messages along the gut-brain axis also seem to be a major cause of "functional" dyspepsia, or indigestion. People with dyspepsia often experience the discomfort of constant ulcer pain without actually having ulcers. Stress definitely makes the symptoms worse, but the effect isn't nearly as dramatic as with irritable bowel syndrome. If adding stress to functional dyspepsia is like throwing woodchips on a fire, combining stress with IBS is like dousing a blaze with gasoline. The influence of the mind on the gut goes beyond functional diseases. For instance, people with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis -- two conditions with clearly physical origins -- often suffer flareups during times of emotional stress. In one survey, 68 percent of people with basically healthy digestive systems said stress gives them stomachaches. Scientists are also studying the possible connection to the gut-brain connection and mental disorders. Gut microbes affect the "brain fertilizer" your body needs to maintain its equilibrium, according to Psychology Today, and animal studies suggest that probiotics and other beneficial germs that alter the gut microbiome may eventually be used to influence mental as well as physical disorders in the future. Setting your mind on relief So what can you do if your mind and your digestive system aren't getting along? One thing you shouldn't do is suffer silently. Ask your doctor if you would be a good candidate for cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, relaxation therapy, or another form of counseling. In several studies, these treatments have been shown to give IBS patients more relief than standard medical therapies. You might even consider hypnosis or self-hypnosis. Hypnosis is a popular -- and apparently effective -- treatment for IBS in Europe, Whitehead says. Preliminary studies suggest it may also help ease functional indigestion. There's another reason to go to the doctor: Simply hearing you're not crazy or gravely ill may be a great source of comfort. "Reassurance from a physician is probably the most effective treatment [for IBS]," Mayer says. Meanwhile, do what you can to avoid stress and work closely with your doctor. With a little luck, your gut feelings will be much more pleasant. References The Brain-Gut Connecton. Johns Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-brain-gut-connection D.A. Drossman. The functional gastroinestinal disorders and the Rome II process. Gut, Volume 45, Supplement II. Babette S. Duncan, Pharm.D., Walter "Buzz" Stewart, Ph.D., MPH. Gastrointestinal Disorders. Innovative Medical Research (IMR), AdvancePCS. Emeran Mayer, telephone interview. Rome II: A Multinational Consensus Document on Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Gut: An International Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. No. II, Vol. 45. UCLA-The Inside TRAK. Does stress cause IBS or similar disorders in other parts of the GI tract? J.D. Wood et al. Fundamentals of neurogastroenterology. Gut. Volume 45. Supplement II. William Whitehead, telephone interview. Wilhelmsen I. The role of psychosocial factors in gastrointestinal disorders. Gut. Wilhelmsen I. Brain-gut axis as an example of the bio-psycho-social model. Gut. Nebraska Medicine is expanding its corps of nurses specially trained to care for sexual assault victims and collect evidence if patients consent for potential prosecution. The health system historically has employed 11 Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, said Kalen Knight, who in April became Nebraska Medicines first nurse supervisor dedicated to the program. More recently, the number has increased to 18 with the goal of reaching 30 and offering 24/7 coverage at the Nebraska Medical Center and the Bellevue Medical Center. Said Dr. Cynthia Hernandez, the programs medical director, Its been in the works for a while, but now we have a lot of momentum, so its exciting. Knight said SANE nurses are trained to care for and provide emotional support for victims and to walk them through their reporting options. If patients consent, the nurses also collect evidence for potential prosecutions, including taking photographs and conducting an interview. If the person who was assaulted chooses that option, the information must be collected in a standardized way in order to be admitted in court. That means evidence must be collected within five days and a chain of custody maintained. Methodist Health System offered the states first forensic nursing program to better deal with sexual assault victims. According to its website, CHI Health offers the service at its five emergency rooms in the metro area and in Grand Island. Hernandez, an emergency medicine physician, said its important for assault victims who arrive at a hospital to know they will receive care from trained nurses. Sometimes, victims are terrified to come in for care. Knight said Nebraska Medicine has seen an uptick in people seeking the service since the health system began growing its program. Under a change in state law that took effect in January 2019, Knight said, victims of sexual assault have four reporting options. Health care providers no longer are required to report sexual assault as they are other violent crimes. Victims can choose to provide a full report to law enforcement and identify as a victim; provide a partial report and identify as a victim but not involve law enforcement; provide an anonymous report, in which a SANE nurse collects evidence but does not involve law enforcement, leaving the patient the option to report later; or request medical treatment only. The increase in SANE nurses also has allowed the health system to offer the service at its Bellevue hospital and by telehealth to Mary Lanning Hospital in Hastings and Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk, Knight said. In telehealth cases, a SANE nurse consults with the patients nurse on-site and also speaks to the patient through a video monitor to conduct an interview and explain reporting options. If a patient consents, the SANE nurse talks the on-site nurse through evidence collection. Once the program staff reaches 30 nurses, Knight said, it plans to also respond to victims of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking and elder abuse. Currently, the health system is hiring only internally, he said. The nurses in the program all work full time in various areas and take four 12-hour on-call SANE shifts a month. Its a sad topic, Hernandez said, but unfortunately, its there. ... Its just exciting to know were improving the care these patients receive. KEARNEY, Neb. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin told Nebraska Republicans Saturday that his victory last year in what he described as a dark blue state was the beginning of a red wave that he suspects will sweep across the U.S. and will land in Nancy Pelosis California. Youngkin defeated his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in a state where Republicans had won only one of the past five elections for governor. His Virginia success has led to some recent speculation that he might run for president in 2024. Saturday, he was the keynote speaker at the Nebraska Republican Partys state convention a gathering that later turned contentious with the ouster of the party chairman. In Virginia, Youngkin said, the political tide started to shift during the COVID-19 pandemic because Democratic leaders had shut down local small businesses and schools. The school closures gave parents a glimpse into their childrens education they had not seen before, said Youngkin, whose campaign tapped into culture war battles over schools and race such as the debate over critical race theory. On Saturday, he raised those issues again, claiming that Virginia public schools were teaching politics and telling students to judge others based on the color of their skin. Youngkin said a big reason why he won his election is that he drew support from Democrats and independents who had never voted Republican before, including members of the Black and Latino communities. He said Virginians also felt confident in the 2021 election security because thousands of volunteers showed up at the polls to work and supervise the voting areas. He encouraged Nebraskans to follow a similar strategy, volunteering at polling places and putting out more red signs supporting conservative candidates. Republicans already dominate Nebraska politics. They have a 49% to 28% voter registration lead over Democrats and hold many state and local offices. For example, Republicans havent lost a race for Nebraska governor since 1994. In touting his partys prospects, Youngkin said the GOP is poised to retake control at the federal level during the 2022 midterm elections this November. Its time for us to start leading again, Youngkin said. Trump ally Bannon now willing to testify before Jan. 6 panel WASHINGTON (AP) Steve Bannon, a former White House strategist and ally of Donald Trump who faces criminal charges after months of defying a congressional subpoena over the Capitol riot, has told the House committee investigating the attack that he is now willing to testify. Bannon's turnabout was conveyed in a letter late Saturday from his attorney, lawmakers said, as the committee prepares to air some of its most striking revelations yet this week against Trump in what may be its final set of hearings. I expect that we will be hearing from him and there are many questions that we have for him, said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif. She and other committee members said in television interviews Sunday they intend to have Bannon sit for a private interview, which they typically conduct in a deposition with sworn testimony. Bannon had been one of the highest-profile Trump-allied holdouts in refusing to testify before the committee, leading to two criminal counts of contempt of Congress last year for resisting the committees subpoena. He has argued that his testimony is protected by Trumps claim of executive privilege. The committee contends such a claim is dubious because Trump had fired Bannon from the White House in 2017 and Bannon was thus a private citizen when he was consulting with the then-president in the run-up to the riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Still, in recent days, as the former president grew frustrated with what he decried as a one-sided presentation by the committee of seven Democrats and two Republicans, Trump said he would waive that privilege claim, according to a letter Saturday to Bannon's lawyer. In Mideast, Biden struggling to shift policy after Trump WASHINGTON (AP) Joe Biden took office looking to reshape U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, putting a premium on promoting democracy and human rights. In reality, he has struggled on several fronts to meaningfully separate his approach from former President Donald Trump's. Biden's visit to the region this week includes a meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the oil-rich kingdom's de facto leader who U.S. intelligence officials determined approved the 2018 killing of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. Biden had pledged as a candidate to recalibrate the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia, which he described as a pariah nation after Trump's more accommodating stand, overlooking the kingdom's human rights record and stepping up military sales to Riyadh. But Biden now seems to be making the calculation that there's more to be gained from courting the country than isolating it. Biden's first stop on his visit to the Mideast will be Israel. Here, again, his stance has softened since the firm declarations he made when running for president. 15 killed in Russian strike in Ukraine, 20 believed trapped CHASIV YAR, Ukraine (AP) Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. More than 20 people were believed still trapped. The strike late Saturday destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories. On Sunday evening, rescuers were able to remove enough of the bricks and concrete to retrieve a man who had been trapped for almost 24 hours. Rescuers laid him on a stretcher and he was quickly taken to a hospital. Ukraines Emergency Services said the latest rescue brought to six the number of people dug out of the rubble. Earlier in the day, they made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said an estimated 24 people were believed still trapped, including a 9-year-old child. Japan ruling party wins big in polls in wake of Abe's death TOKYO (AP) Japan's governing party and its coalition partner scored a major victory in a parliamentary election Sunday imbued with meaning after the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe amid uncertainty about how his loss may affect party unity. The Liberal Democratic Party and its junior coalition partner Komeito raised their combined share in the 248-seat chamber to 146 far beyond the majority in the elections for half of the seats in the less powerful upper house. With the boost, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stands to rule without interruption until a scheduled election in 2025. That would allow Kishida to work on long-term policies such as national security, his signature but still vague new capitalism economic policy, and his partys long-cherished goal to amend the U.S.-drafted postwar pacifist constitution. A charter change proposal is now a possibility. With the help of two opposition parties supportive of a charter change, the governing bloc now has two-thirds majority in the chamber needed to propose an amendment, making it a realistic possibility. The governing bloc already has secured support in the other chamber. Abe's killing haunts Japan with questions on homemade guns TOKYO (AP) The shooting sent shudders through low-crime, orderly Japan: A prominent politician was killed by a man emerging from a crowd, wielding a homemade firearm so roughly constructed it was wrapped in tape. The 40-centimeter-long (16-inch) weapon used to kill former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday as he campaigned for his ruling party in western Japan, looked crude, more like a propellant made of pipes taped together and filled with explosives. A raid of the suspects home, a one-room apartment in Nara, turned up several such guns, police said. Unlike standard weapons, homemade guns are practically impossible to trace, making an investigation difficult. Firearms are rarely used in Japan, where most attacks involve stabbings or dousing a place with gasoline and setting it ablaze, or running haywire on the street in a vehicle. Strict gun control laws likely forced the attacker to make his own weapon. Tetsuya Yamagami, who was arrested on the spot, was a former member of Japan's navy and knew how to handle and assemble weapons. EXPLAINER: Why Sri Lanka's economy collapsed and what's next COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) Sri Lankas prime minister said late last month that the island nations debt-laden economy had collapsed as it runs out of money to pay for food and fuel. Short of cash to pay for imports of such necessities and already defaulting on its debt, it is seeking help from neighboring India and China and from the International Monetary Fund. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who took office in May, was emphasizing the monumental task he faced in turning around an economy he said was heading for rock bottom. On Saturday both he and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to resign amid mounting pressure from protesters who stormed both their residences and set fire to one of them. Sri Lankans are skipping meals as they endure shortages and lining up for hours to try to buy scarce fuel. Its a harsh reality for a country whose economy had been growing quickly, with a growing and comfortable middle class, until the latest crisis deepened. HOW SERIOUS IS THIS CRISIS? Biden says he's mulling health emergency for abortion access REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. (AP) President Joe Biden said Sunday he is considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources to promote abortion access even though the White House has said it doesn't seem like a great option. He also offered a message to people enraged by the Supreme Court's ruling last month that ended a constitutional right to abortion and who have been demonstrating across the country: Keep protesting. Keep making your point. It's critically important." The president, in remarks to reporters during a stop on a bike ride near his family's Delaware beach house, said he lacks the power to force the dozen-plus states with strict restrictions or outright bans on abortion to allow the procedure. I dont have the authority to say that were going to reinstate Roe v. Wade as the law of the land, he said, referring to the Supreme Court's decision from 1973 that had established a national right to abortion. Biden said Congress would have to codify that right and for that to have a better chance in the future, voters would have to elect more lawmakers who support abortion access. Biden said his administration is trying to do a lot of things to accommodate the rights of women after the ruling, including considering declaring a public health emergency to free up federal resources. Such a move has been pushed by advocates, but White House officials have questioned both its legality and effectiveness, and noted it would almost certainly face legal challenges. Yosemite fire grows as crews protect iconic sequoias YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) A wildfire threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park more than doubled in size in a day, and firefighters were working in difficult terrain Sunday to protect the iconic trees and a small mountain town as the U.S. weathers another very active year for fires. Campers and residents near the blaze were evacuated but the rest of the sprawling park in California remained open, though heavy smoke obscured scenic vistas and created unhealthy air quality. Today it's actually the smokiest that weve seen, Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson, said Sunday. Up until this morning, the park has not been in that unhealthy category, but that is where we are now. More than 500 mature sequoias were threatened in the famed Mariposa Grove but there were no reports of severe damage to any named trees, including the 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant. A sprinkler system set up within the grove kept the tree trunks moist and officials were hopeful that the steady spray of water along with previous prescribed burns would be enough to keep flames at bay, Phillipe said. Crypto plunge is cautionary tale for public pension funds MINNEAPOLIS (AP) When the Houston Firefighters Relief and Retirement Fund bought $25 million in cryptocurrencies, with the fund's chief investment officer touting their potential, retired fire Capt. Russell Harris was concerned. Harris, 62, has attended the funerals of 34 firefighters killed in the line of duty. He was already worried about his pension after an overhaul by state and city officials cut payments as they grappled with the ability to pay out benefits. He didn't see crypto, unproven in his eyes, as an answer. I dont like it," Harris said. "Theres too many pyramid schemes that everybody gets wrapped up in. Thats the way I see this cryptocurrency at this time. ... There might be a place for it, but its still new and nobody understands it. The plunge in prices for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in recent weeks provides a cautionary tale for the handful of public pension funds that have dipped their toes in the crypto pool over the past few years. Most have done it indirectly through stocks or investment funds that serve as proxies for the larger crypto market. A lack of transparency makes it difficult to tell whether they've made or lost money, let alone how much, and for the most part fund officials won't say. But the recent crypto meltdown has prompted a larger question: For pension funds that ensure teachers, firefighters, police and other public workers receive guaranteed benefits in retirement after public service, is any amount of crypto investment too risky? Report: Uber lobbied, used 'stealth' tech to block scrutiny WASHINGTON (AP) As Uber aggressively pushed into markets around the world, the ride-sharing service lobbied political leaders to relax labor and taxi laws, used a kill switch'' to thwart regulators and law enforcement, channeled money through Bermuda and other tax havens and considered portraying violence against its drivers as a way to gain public sympathy, according to a report released Sunday. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a nonprofit network of investigative reporters, scoured internal Uber texts, emails, invoices and other documents to deliver what it called an unprecedented look into the ways Uber defied taxi laws and upended workers' rights.'' The documents were first leaked to the Brtiish newspaper The Guardian, which shared them with the consortium. In a written statement. Uber spokesperson Jill Hazelbaker acknowledged mistakes'' in the past and said CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, hired in 2017, had been tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates ... When we say Uber is a different company today, we mean it literally: 90% of current Uber employees joined after Dara became CEO.'' Founded in 2009, Uber sought to skirt taxi regulations and offer inexpensive transportation via a ride-sharing app. The consortium's Uber Files revealed the extraordinary lengths that the company undertook to establish itself in nearly 30 countries. by Saud Abu Ramadan, Emad Drimly RAMALLAH/GAZA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Othman Jabarin, a 57-year-old resident of Masafer Yatta area south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, has been living in anxiety for two months, fearing that he and his family will be expelled from where they have been sheltering for decades. In May, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled to approve the Israeli army's recommendation to forcibly transfer residents in eight villages in Masafer Yatta who "failed to prove" they were permanent residents in the area before it was declared a military training zone for the army. In June, the White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden would visit Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank during his trip to the Middle East on July 13-16, and meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem. However, the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza said they do not have high expectations for the visit and don't think it will end their suffering or find a solution to their cause. Jabarin was one of the Palestinians who showed no interest in Biden's visit. He told Xinhua that Biden's visit to the West Bank and his meeting with Abbas "will not benefit the residents of the eight residential communities in Masafer Yatta who were threatened with displacement, including children and women." "Can Biden stop the Israeli measures against the residents of Masafer Yatta -- the original owners of the land, who inherited it from their parents and grandparents?" Jabarin said, adding that the visit will meet neither the aspirations nor the just demands of the Palestinians. These Palestinians interviewed also said Biden's visit to Palestine is doomed to failure as he hasn't fulfilled the promises he made regarding the two-state solution, reopening the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, and pressuring Israel to stop its unilateral measures. Biden's visit "will not make any difference in the political and living reality of the Palestinian people," Mohammed Abed Rabbo, a 45-year-old Arabic language teacher from northern Gaza, told Xinhua. "The first mission of Biden's visit is to defend Israel's regional and international interests in an attempt to win Israeli public opinion on one hand, and ensure the support of the Zionist lobby in the upcoming elections on the other," he noted. Rabbo was echoed by Hadia Al-Sha'er, a 25-year-old woman from Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip, who told Xinhua that "the visit will not benefit the Palestinian people, especially since the Americans always defend Israel's interests." She called on the Palestinians to reject Biden's visit "as it does more harm than good," adding: "Instead of receiving Biden, the Palestinians should move towards ending internal division and restoring national unity to confront the dangers facing the Palestinian question." Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been stalled since March 2014, while Israel stepped up settlement construction, house demolitions, land confiscation, and population displacement in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. According to official figures, 18 Israelis have been killed since March in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians, while more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children, had been killed since January. Dalal Yassin, a journalist from the West Bank city of Ramallah, told Xinhua that Biden's visit would not achieve a serious breakthrough that would help the Palestinian people to live in freedom and peace. "Biden had never fulfilled the promises he made during his election campaign," which were made a long time ago "without achieving any tangible steps on the ground," she said. Two days ago, the secretary of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein al-Sheikh, told reporters in Ramallah that "the loss of hope among the Palestinians and the continuation of the daily Israeli field policy of escalation, abuse, killing, settlement, and incursion are unbearable." Al-Sheikh called on the international community "to assume its responsibilities in this situation." However, Al-Sheikh still expressed hope that the outcomes of Biden's first visit to the Palestinian territories since he took office "would be positive and give us hope and enable us to go to a more advanced and positive stage." ATLANTA (AP) Not all the political money in Georgia is flowing to the marquee governor's showdown between incumbent Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams, or the U.S. Senate race where Republican challenger Herschel Walker is trying to unseat incumbent Democrat Raphael Warnock. But some of the downballot candidates are operating on many fewer dollars, as they reported results Friday for the two months ended June 30. Democratic challenger for attorney general Jen Jordan outraised Republican incumbent Chris Carr. Also, Democratic secretary of state challenger Bee Nguyen outraised Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger in part because she had a runoff and Raffensperger did not. Here's a look at fundraising for Georgia statewide races: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR Jones, a state senator from Jackson, raised $657,000 for the period and $4.7 million so far for the campaign. That excludes a $2 million loan Jones took out from a bank and used to repay a previous $2 million loan from himself. Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Jones spent heavily in beating state Senate President Pro Tem Butch Miller and two other candidates in the May 24 primary, leaving himself $452,000 in cash. Democrat Charlie Bailey, his party's nominee for attorney general in 2018, beat Kwanza Hall in the June 21 runoff, raising $388,000 over the two months and $915,000 overall. Bailey, endorsed by Abrams, had $116,000 as of June 30. Libertarian Ryan Graham reported $1,390 in donations and had $1,383 on hand. ATTORNEY GENERAL The matchup between Jordan and Carr could become the fall's most expensive down-ballot race. Jordan's campaign said the Sandy Springs state senator raised $601,000 in the two months, bringing the Democrat's campaign total to more than $2.1 million, with $756,000 in the bank. Jordan easily beat Christian Wise Smith on May 24. Carr was close behind, raising $577,000 for the period and bringing his total for the campaign to $3.2 million. The Republican had $556,000 in the bank on June 30 after blowing out Trump-endorsed GOP challenger John Gordon in the May 24 primary. Libertarian Martin Cowen raised no money and had $632 in cash. SECRETARY OF STATE Nguyen, an Atlanta state representative who won a Democratic runoff on June 21 with Abrams backing, raised $874,000 before and after the runoff, for a total of $2.17 million so far. She had $400,000 in the bank on June 30. Raffensperger raised $305,000 in May and June as he won the Republican nomination on May 24 despite Trump's opposition. He's raised $2 million so far, including a previous $850,000 loan to himself, and had $104,000 in cash. Libertarian Ted Metz raised $1,381 and had $363 in cash. AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER Republican state Sen. Tyler Harper of Ocilla, who was unopposed for his party's nomination, raised $250,000 during the period and reported having $938,000 in cash on June 30. Democrat Nakita Hemingway of Dacula, who won a three-way primary on May 24, reported raising no money and having $49,000 on hand. Libertarian David Raudabaugh raised no money and had $1,600 in cash. No filing was available Saturday for independent Mollie Beavers. INSURANCE COMMISSIONER John King, the Republican incumbent appointed by Kemp, raised $169,000, bringing his total for the campaign to more than $900,000. King reported $90,000 in cash as of June 30 in his first statewide race, having handily beat two other Republicans in the May 24 primary including Trump-endorsed Patrick Witt. Democrat Janice Laws Robinson, also her party's nominee in 2018, reported raising $19,000 in the period, for a total of $61,000 so far. Robinson said she has spent nearly $69,000, leaving her with a negative balance of nearly $8,000. LABOR COMMISSIONER Republican state Sen. Bruce Thompson of White, seeking an open seat being vacated by Mark Butler, raised $327,000 including $177,000 in loans. That brought his campaign total to $663,000, including $327,000 in loans. Thompson, who bested two other Republicans on May 24, had $121,000 in the bank. State Rep. William Boddie of East Point, who won a Democratic runoff with Abrams' endorsement, raised $210,000 in May and June, driving his overall total to $528,000. He had $14,000 in cash Libertarian Emily Anderson reported raising and spending no money. STATE SUPERINTENDENT Republican incumbent Richard Woods continued his low-dollar ways as he cruised to victory in the GOP primary on May 24, raising $24,000 for the period to bring his campaign total to $55,000. Woods had $37,000 in cash on June 30. Alisha Thomas Searcy, who won a four-way Democratic primary on May 24, raised a little more, bringing in $36,000 during the period for a campaign total of $98,000. She had $13,000 on hand. PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION Two sets of Public Service Commission candidates are running statewide, although they must live in particular districts. Incumbent Republican Tim Echols raised $42,000 in District 2, giving him $281,000 for the campaign so far. Echols had $132,000 in cash on June 30. Numbers were not available Saturday for Democratic challenger Patty Durand, who faces a legal challenge to her residency. Libertarian Colin McKinney raised $150 and had $1,142 on hand. In District 3, Republican Fitz Johnson, appointed to the post by Kemp, raised $52,000 for the period and $364,000 overall, including an earlier $150,000 loan to himself. Johnson had $311,000 in cash on June 30. Democrat Shelia Edwards raised $530, bringing her total to $20,000. She had a negative campaign balance of more than $3,000. 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. KEARNEY, Neb. Nebraska GOP Chairman Dan Welch opened the states GOP convention Saturday by saying he hoped the event would clear the air in what he admitted was a divided Republican Party. He ended the day fired. Nebraska GOP delegates voted to oust Welch after eight years as the party chairman during a tumultuous convention that also saw one party activist be arrested outside the venue, win reinstatement as a delegate while he was still in jail, and then return to the meeting. Welch later was replaced by Lancaster County GOP Chairman Eric Underwood through a majority vote of delegates. Underwood had introduced the motions that led to Welchs firing. Im not asking you to trust me tonight but Im asking you for the opportunity to earn your trust, Underwood said after being chosen to finish Welchs term, which runs through this year. The state party will elect a chairman for a full term at the end of the year. A wave of resignations followed Welchs termination, including the partys executive director, Taylor Gage, who previously served as spokesman to Gov. Pete Ricketts. Other resignations included national committeewoman Lydia Brasch, the first and second district chair, the party treasurer and secretary, and the assistant chairman and assistant state party chair. Welch blamed the turmoil on divisions caused by the hard-fought gubernatorial primary race, which was won by Jim Pillen. He said many believed the Nebraska GOP took sides in the election to favor Pillen, although he claims the party was absolutely neutral. The only thing I wish you knew was the real information, Welch told delegates in some of his final words as chairman. Those who supported Welchs termination said the upheaval was because some Nebraska Republicans have felt excluded and unheard by the Ricketts-led party establishment. During the primary campaign, Ricketts endorsed Pillen. That put him at odds with fellow Republicans who supported former President Donald Trump and Charles Herbster, the gubernatorial candidate Trump endorsed. Herbster came in second behind Pillen, and so far has refused to endorse Pillen. The division was on display during the mornings speeches from Republican leadership. Though all of the speakers shared messages touting similar conservative talking points, Ricketts and Pillen did not receive the same full standing ovations as other speakers, such as newly elected U.S. Rep. Mike Flood, Rep. Adrian Smith and Sen. Deb Fischer. Before Welchs termination, delegates passed a resolution to amend the state partys constitution to allow delegates to immediately remove an officer with or without cause by a majority vote. Welch supporters called his termination a coup detat and criticized other delegates for trying to push thorough motions without debate. Go start your own party, one attendee yelled. The tension was high from the start of the convention after the state partys credentials committee last week revoked credentials for six delegates. One of those delegates, Matt Innis from Crete, Nebraska, was arrested in the morning on suspicion of third-degree assault and second-degree trespassing, according to Buffalo County Jail records. But following his arrest, a majority of the GOP delegates voted to reinstate him, along with four others who been blocked from attending the meeting. Their credentials had been revoked because they had spoken out against Republican leadership or nominees, including Ricketts and Pillen. The debate over the credentials issue dragged into the lunch hour, delaying it over an hour. Ultimately, delegates also voted to cancel several workshops that had been scheduled in the afternoon to save time for more debates on party resolutions. The convention was supposed to end at 3:45 p.m. but continued well into the evening following Welchs removal, which came on a 204-120 vote. Tensions rose during the credentials debate as some delegates questioned the authority of GOP leadership to block some delegates and criticized the decision as an attack on free speech. One delegate compared the GOP leadership to Soviet Russia and the British monarchy before the American Revolution. Thats not America, and thats not the Republican Party, the delegate said. Loud cheers and boos echoed through the convention center during the comments and GOP leaders attempts to manage them. Welch repeatedly asked the crowd to remain civil and refrain from applauding or booing any speakers to no avail. Saturday evening, after the leadership changes, the delegates began considering a number of policy resolutions. One such resolution called for increased election security. As amended by delegates on the floor, the resolution also backs counting ballots by hand under continued video surveillance. Gun control has recently been a hot topic. The wrangling over how to solve the problem of gun violence is not likely to end any time soon because people on both sides of the debate have sincerely held beliefs supported by data. Todays column highlights some challenges and offers a path forward from my perspective as a supporter of Second Amendment rights and a career law enforcement official who recognizes the need to reduce gun violence. I grew up in the rural Midwest where guns are common. I remember wilderness campouts where adult leaders discretely carried guns to protect us from poisonous snakes and rabid animals. I learned firearms safety and marksmanship as a pre-teen. I got my first gun, a .22 caliber rifle, when I was 14 years old and many of my peers had similar guns. Despite the prevalence and availability of guns, gun violence was nonexistent and shooting a person was unthinkable. I know the heartache caused by the criminal use of firearms. I started and led a gang task force in Hartford, Connecticut, after a 5-year-old girl was killed when rival teenage gangs engaged in a shootout on a busy street. I have attended funerals of police officers, some of whom I personally knew, who were shot and killed in the line of duty. I have personally been shot at (fortunately not injured), so I know the danger posed by guns in the wrong hands and I support reasonable gun controls. There is much disagreement regarding the extent of the problem. Data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA) showing there have been more than 250 mass shootings so far this year is often cited. The GVAs definition of a mass shooting is four or more victims shot regardless of the extent of injury. To be sure, any gunshot wound causes suffering but conflating fatalities with injuries, some of which may be minor, is misleading. Northeastern University professors James Fox and Jack Levin published a research study this year in the journal Homicide Studies, entitled Mass Murder in America: Trends, Characteristics, Explanations, and Policy Response. This research showed nearly half of the mass shootings documented in the GVA resulted in no fatalities, less than one-quarter involved multiple deaths, and only 7% reached the threshold of a mass killing (defined by the FBI as four or more victim fatalities). Fox and Levin differentiate between mass killings, mass shootings and random mass public shootings (as opposed to domestic violence or shootings while committing another crime). Their research concludes the numbers have remained relatively level over the past 15 years, with an average of approximately 30 mass killings annually, roughly two dozen of which were committed with guns. The annual number of random, mass public shootings has ranged from three in 2020 to 10 in 2018, with an average of less than six. While any death is a tragedy and mass shootings of any type are distressing, it is important to understand the nuances in the definitions, data and analyses. The 1994 attempt to address mass shootings by banning assault weapons and large capacity magazines is generally viewed as having mixed results at best. A 1999 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) paper by Roth & Koper titled Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 199496, says the ban may have contributed to reducing the gun murder rate, but it failed to reduce the average number of victims per incident or multiple gunshot victims. A 2013 memo authored by NIJ Deputy Director Greg Ridgeway stated that gun buybacks are ineffective as generally implemented, the 1994 ban on high-capacity magazines had limited effectiveness, and the complete elimination of assault weapons would not have a large impact on gun homicides. Similarly, a 2013 study by Northeastern Universitys James Fox in the journal Homicide Studies, concluded the 1994 ban did not make a significant difference. Foxs data showed from 1976 to 1994, an average of 18 mass shootings occurred each year. During the ban, 1995 to 2004, the average was 19 incidents per year. After the ban, through 2011, the average went up to 21. Rather than controlling specific types of guns, a more effective way to address gun violence might be focusing on changing behavior. I believe contributors to the recent spike in gun violence include the grievance mentality embraced by some, and the current tendency to emphasize individual rights rather than personal responsibility and respect for the rights of others. Renewed attention to traditional values and focus on the behaviors that contribute to gun violence, rather than trying to control the instrument used, might be more productive. The scourge of drunken driving deaths was addressed by enacting severe penalties for driving while intoxicated and holding people accountable for supplying alcoholic beverages to obviously inebriated individuals, not by banning motor vehicles or alcoholic drinks. There are also concerted efforts to educate the public on the dangers and illegality of drunken driving as well as messaging to make it socially unacceptable. According to Responsibility.org, drunk driving fatalities have decreased 45% since 1982 while overall traffic fatalities declined only 12%. Moreover, drunk driving fatalities decreased 83% for people under 21. A similar approach to gun violence would entail increasing the penalties for committing gun crimes; holding accountable those who provide a gun, or allow easy access to a gun, used in a crime; and enacting laws to curtail straw purchases of guns for persons prohibited from buying guns themselves. A concomitant public service messaging campaign to highlight these initiatives would be beneficial, and a renewed societal emphasis on self-responsibility and respect for others might help ameliorate several societal issues in addition to gun violence. Bloomington-Normal Galleries, museums Some cultural institutions are open or making plans to reopen under current COVID restrictions. Check with each facility for indoor, online or outdoor programming. Open facilities have face covering, distancing and other guidelines in effect; see websites or call for details. Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio; 101 W. Monroe St. Suite 201, Bloomington; Open First Fridays 5-8 p.m. and by appointment; 309-825-4655; angelambrose.com. David Davis Mansion; 1000 Monroe Drive, Bloomington; open for tours, 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Wed.-Sat.; groups of 10 or less; $10 per person; $100 minimum; daviddavismansion.org; 309-828-1084. Eaton Studio Gallery; 411 N. Center St., Bloomington; 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays; 5-8 p.m. First Fridays, or by appointment or ring bell; eatonstudiogallery.com; 309-828-1575. Illinois Art Station; 101 E. Vernon Ave., Normal; Gallery open Saturdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; illinoisartstation.org; 309-386-1019. Inside Out: Accessible Art Gallery & Cooperative; 200 W. Monroe St., Bloomington; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; Saturday 8 a.m.-2 p.m.; by appointment Sunday-Tuesday; and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. First Friday; insideoutartcoop.org; 309-838-2160. Jan Brandt Gallery; Normandy Village, 1100 Beach St., Building 8, Normal; by appointment; janbrandtgallery.com; 309-287-4700. Joann Goetzinger Studio and Gallery; 313 N. Main St. Suite A, Bloomington; open first Fridays 5-8 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m., also by appointment; masks and social distancing required; 309-826-1193. Main Gallery 404; 404 N. Main St., Bloomington; 12-5 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays; 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturdays; By chance or appointment at 309-590-6779. McLean County Arts Center; 601 N. East St., Bloomington; open; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday, 12-4 p.m. Saturday; masks and social distancing required; mcac.org; 309-829-0011. McLean County Museum of History; 200 N. Main St., Bloomington; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday; closed Sundays, until further notice; reservations at education@mchistory.org or 309-827-0428; mchistory.org; 309-827-0428. Merwin and Wakeley Galleries; Illinois Wesleyan University; Bloomington; open; 12-4 p.m., Monday through Friday; 7-9 p.m., Tuesday evening; 1-4 p.m., Saturday through Sunday; iwu.edu/art/galleries; 309-556-3391. Prairie Aviation Museum; 2929 E. Empire St., Bloomington; opens April 2; hours 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; prairieaviationmuseum.org; 309-663-7632. University Galleries of Illinois State University, Normal; open; 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, Sunday; 309-438-5487; galleries.illinoisstate.edu/about/visit/. Central Illinois Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 212 N. Sixth St., Springfield; advance reservation required; adults $15, seniors $12, under 5 free; presidentlincoln.illinois.gov; 217-558-8844. Art Center at Greater Livingston County Arts Council; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; noon-4 p.m. Sunday; 209 W. Madison St., Pontiac; pcartcenter.com; 815-419-2472. Contemporary Art Center of Peoria; Riverfront Arts Center, 305 S.W. Water St., Peoria; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; peoriacac.org; 309-674-6822. Dickson Mounds Museum; 10956 N. Dickson Mounds Road, Lewistown; open, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; free; illinoisstatemuseum.org; 309-547-3721. Illinois State Museum; 502 S. Spring St., Springfield; open, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Monday-Friday, free; illinoisstatemuseum.org; 217-782-7386. Lincoln Heritage Museum; Lincoln Center at Lincoln College, 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 1-4 p.m. Saturday, closed Sundays, Mondays and on Lincoln College breaks; $4-7; museum.lincolncollege.edu; 217-735-7399. Peoria Art Guild; 203 Harrison St., Peoria; open; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday or by appointment; peoriaartguild.org; 309-637-2787. Peoria Riverfront Museum; downtown riverfront Peoria; open 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday and Friday; 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday; 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday; and closed Sunday; adults $11, seniors, students $10, ages 3-17 $9; peoriariverfrontmuseum.org; 309-686-7000. Simpkins Military History Museum; 605 E. Cole St., Heyworth; Open Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 1-5 p.m.; Free admission (donations accepted); Private tours, call first; 309-319-3413; Open House, 1-5 p.m., March 19, marking 63 years of collecting military items. Time Gallery; 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday; 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Saturday; Closed Sunday; Clock Tower Place Building, 201 Clock Tower Drive, East Peoria; 309-467-2331. U of I Krannert Art Museum; 500 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign; open; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Thursdays until 8 p.m. when classes are in session; closed Sunday and Monday; kam.illinois.edu; 217-333-1861. Exhibits "Design & Duplication: Treasures of the Peoria Riverfront Museum Collection; Gallery 2, through Fall 2022; "Archibald Motley's Bronzeville at Night"; through March 2023; "Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence"; through Sept. 5, Experience Gallery; "Modern Masters: Modern Masters from the Heintzman Collection"; through Sept. 11"; Peoria Riverfront Museum. "Stories of Survival; Object. Image. Memory."; through Jan. 22, 2023; Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. "To Know The Fire: Pueblo Women Potters and The Shaping of History"; through Sept. 3; "Latina Community 'Voces'"; through July 9; U of I Krannert Art Museum. "2022 Honoring the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans"; through Nov. 12; Simpkins Military History Museum. "Edgewise"; second floor gallery; through Sept. 3; "Climate Change in Your Back Yard"; first floor Hot Science Gallery; through April 22, 2023; "NOIR II: The Migration"; second floor gallery; through Sept. 6; Illinois State Museum. "Denise Treizman: In Between Living"; through July 31; "In Living Color"; Curated by Teen Art Group; through Aug. 10; University Galleries. "Vandana Bajikar"; through July; Time Gallery. "Inscapes: Robert Lee Mejer & Jason Dillard Mejer"; through Aug. 13; "Jessica McGhee: You Can Rest Here"; through Aug. 13; "Hot Ciao IX; Group Art Exhibition"; through July 23; Contemporary Art Center of Peoria. "Harold Gregor: The Painter's Pedagogy"; Brandt/Armstrong/Dolan Galleries; July 15-Aug. 26; McLean County Arts Center. "We Didn't Know"; July 14-Aug. 6; Erin Eveland; Lincoln Arts Institute. NORMAL The Normal Police Department is investigating reports of gunfire Saturday night at an apartment complex close to Illinois State University. NPD Sgt. Jeff Longfellow said officers were called at 11:51 p.m. Saturday to The Lodge On Willow, 214 W. Willow St., after witnesses reported shots were fired. He added it wasn't fireworks, and an ISU Police Department officer heard the shots as well. Longfellow said there are no reports of injuries or damage to property as of Sunday morning. He also said detectives are continuing to investigate all possible leads. Anyone with additional information on this incident is asked to call NPD at 309-454-9535. 100 years ago July 10, 1922: The citizens of DeWitt County were thrown into turmoil over the killing of 13-year-old "Jimmie" Fitzgerald. He was shot to death, and his father wounded, by a guard at the Illinois Central railroad in Clinton. Striking workers had gathered to meet an incoming train that was supposed to be loaded with non-union men. Three companies of state militia gathered to ensure no further trouble. 75 years ago July 10, 1947: John F. Thompson, 72-year-old former professional balloon jumper, failed to satisfy an ambition to attempt a final leap from a huge hot air balloon. Thompson and a crew of helpers inflated a huge silk bag with air, but the ascension came to an abrupt end when ropes dangling from the contraption became entangled on high tension wires. "I wanted to do it just once more," the Watseka mechanic-carpenter explained after he landed. 50 years ago July 10, 1972: A masked gunman got between $30 and $40 at Clark Super 100 Service Station, 806 S. Main St., police say. Attendant Wayne Bryant, 29 of Ellsworth, said the robber appeared to have part of a pillow case as a mask. He walked into the station, pulled a pistol and ordered him into a back room. He pulled $20 to $30 in bills from the attendant's shirt pocket and another $10 from the register. 25 years ago July 10, 1997: The McLean County Historical Society's grounds at the former courthouse square in downtown Bloomington will be the site of an archaeological dig under the direction of Allison Weiss, its director of education, and Ed Jelks, retired professor of anthropology at Illinois State University. The four-day project will peel back the layers of the earth over the spot that once was the heart of the county's legal and political life. Researchers check the growth of rice at an agricultural science and technology demonstration base in Midong District, Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 5, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) A farmer remotely controls the drip irrigation facilities in a cotton field with his smartphone in Manas County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 30, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Aerial photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows a drone carrying out agricultural work in a rice paddy in Dujiazhuang Village, Sandaoba Township, Midong District, Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Aerial photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows a combine harvester reaping wheat in a field in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaocheng) A cotton field watered with drip irrigation is seen in Manas County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 30, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) A farmer checks the growth of cotton in a cotton field in Manas County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 30, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Aerial photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows a farmer checking the wheat in a field before harvesting in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaocheng) Utility technicians check the power supply of the drip irrigation facilities with farmers in a cotton field in Manas County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 30, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows a drone carrying out agricultural work in a rice paddy in Dujiazhuang Village, Sandaoba Township, Midong District, Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Aerial photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows a combine harvester reaping wheat in a field in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaocheng) Aerial photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows a combine harvester reaping wheat in a field in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaocheng) A villager flies a drone in a cotton field in Korla City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 6, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Photo by Huang Wanli/Xinhua) A drone carries out agricultural work over a cotton field in Korla, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 6, 2022. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Photo by Huang Wanli/Xinhua) Photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows a drone carrying out agricultural work over a rice paddy field in Dujiazhuang Village, Sandaoba Township, Midong District, Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) Aerial photo taken on July 7, 2022 shows combine harvesters reaping wheat in a field in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Zhang Xiaocheng) Aerial photo taken on July 4, 2022 shows a drone carrying out agricultural work in a rice paddy in Dujiazhuang Village, Sandaoba Township, Midong District, Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Summer harvest in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is now in full swing. Modern agricultural science, technology and machinery have been applied in the region to help local farmers increase yield and attain a bumper harvest. (Xinhua/Wang Fei) For American women, the 19th century was one of struggle and disappointment. But their decades of agitation and protest paid off with a major victory in the early part of the 20th century. Passed by Congress on June 4, 1919, and ratified on Aug. 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, in theory, granted women the right to vote nationwide. It would take over 40 years, however, for the amendment to become a reality for millions of Black women, thanks to the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Long before any of these gains were secured, a group of Black women, some of the first to graduate from university, others among the ranks of housekeepers, worked to organize a club movement to address issues of equality and the desire to uplift their race. Those efforts led to the formation of the National Association of Colored Womens Clubs (NACWC) in Washington, D.C., in 1896. NACWC founders included some of the most renowned African American women and civil rights activists of the time, including Harriet Tubman, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, Frances Harper, and Mary Church Terrell, (the organizations first president). The organization whose motto declared, Lifting as we climb, helped Black women and girls with concerns of general welfare, education, health, hygiene, and housing. The NACW also raised funds to support kindergartens in public schools and homes for the elderly. The organizations also made aid to Black soldiers a high priority through its involvement in the American Red Cross during World War I. By 1916, the organization had over 300 clubs. Here in Bloomington, many local Black women took up the charge, organizing clubs in support of World War I efforts and serving as officers of the various Club organizations. One headline in The Pantagraph in 1918 proclaimed, Colored Womens Red Cross Unit Sews every Saturday at the Sewing Shop. The Illinois Federation of Colored Womens Clubs, organized at Institutional Church in October 1899 in Chicago, was created with the motto of Loyalty to Women and Justice to Children. The first annual meeting was in 1900. Two Bloomington women, Nellie Henderson and Margaret Wyche of 527 W. Taylor St., were both life members of the organization. On Aug. 22, 1918, the Illinois Federation of Colored Womens Clubs held its 19th annual session at Wayman A.M.E. Church, then at 806 N. Center St., Bloomington. They reported that over 100 delegates representing 75 clubs in attendance. The Pantagraph reported, A chief feature of the afternoon session was a demonstration on the use of food substitutes. Ada Wilson representing the Colored Womens Club of Bloomington, prepared and served samples of gingerbread made of rice flour, and Victoria Thomas of the Domestic Art Club served samples of bran bread. The convention opened the second day with religious services and committee reports, followed by elections. The Illinois Federation of Colored Womens Clubs elected Lillian Jameson of Peoria (formerly of Bloomington) president, and Margaret Wyche third vice president. Wyche is known for her service during the First World War. Also, during the convention, much attention was given to the fact that Black club women pledged a whopping $5 million in the Third Liberty Loan campaign (which today would be worth approximately $85.9 million). Elizabeth Lindsay Davis was appointed historian to author the story of the Illinois Federation. At the close of the session that week, a reception was held for the delegates at the resident of Emily Wilson, 313 S. East St. The uplift of the race has always been a concern for the clubs as prescribed by the national organization. At the closing session of the seventh annual central district of the Illinois Federation of Colored Women on March 27, 1924, at Mount Pisgah Church in Bloomington, Sadie Jones spoke on behalf of the clubs. In her remarks, she stated, You have come to consider a few of the difficult problems that confront the nation in general, and the race and its struggle for just recognition in this commonwealth. You are here evidencing the truth, that in the betterment of social, economic, religious, industrial, and educational conditions, the women of our race have been an important factor. Many clubs formed locally over the years. The Colored Womens Civic Club was organized in 1901 for the purpose of bringing women of the community together and fostering a greater interest in literature, philanthropy and social connections. Emma Smith was a successful businessperson and the clubs first president. The Domestic Art Club, mentioned here earlier, was organized on Dec. 18, 1915, by Margaret Wyche. In "The Story of the Illinois Federation of Colored Womens Clubs 1900-1922," Elizabeth Lindsey Davis noted, Such a potent factor has the Domestic Art Club become in civic affairs that no important move for the relief or betterment of conditions among the colored people of their city, was made during or has been made since the war, without representatives of the Club first being consulted. Other local clubs that formed later include the Three C Club. This club was considered a social club that organized in Bloomington-Normal on Aug 8, 1908. The purpose of this social club was to host meetings and invite friends to discuss issues that African American women dealt with daily. The 12-member club was based on Christian service and sought to inspire younger women who would hopefully follow their example. The Three C Club was one of the oldest social clubs for women established in this area. Pioneer members of the club included Minnie Anson Baily, Clara Anson, Luttie Anson, Lucy Dabney, Alverta Duff and Catherine Stearles. The group was concerned with literary progress and current events. The club celebrated its 72nd anniversary at the Knights of Columbus Hall in 1980 but is no longer active. Pretty impressive, given the times, for a small group of women successfully building a strong network of organizations dedicated to benevolent service across the nation. This American history of servant leadership is still held in high regard in the local Black community today. The inability of fishermen along the Volta Lake at Akateng in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region to secure premix fuel for fishing has led to an acute shortage of fish in the area. Akateng is a major fishing community which supplies large quantities of fish to various parts of the region and beyond. However, the shortage of the premix fuel has virtually rendered the fishermen and fishmongers redundant. According to the Secretary of the local Boat Transport Association, Nicholas Tsornyake, although the commodity had not been coming regularly to the town as it used to, when a consignment finally came, the fishermen realised that they had been given a small quantity which could not last for even a day. He explained that after exhausting their supplies, they had to obtain the commodity from middlemen at exorbitant prices, which made it uneconomical for fishing because they operated at a loss. He, therefore, appealed to the government to, as a matter of urgency, supply them with adequate quantity of the product to save them from the middlemen who sold to them at exorbitant prices. Middlemen Mr Tsornyake said the middlemen normally sold seven gallons of the premix fuel to them for between GH120 and GH150 instead of the actual price of GH65. He stated that the situation had arisen because instead of the communitys premix fuel distribution committee giving out the commodity to the fishermen, that duty had been given to people who are not in the industry. Most of those supplied with the premix fuel are not fishermen and when we report to the district assembly at Asesewa, nothing is done about it because they are in power, Mr Tsornyake alleged. There is a lot of fish in the lake but we cannot catch them because there is no premix fuel, and this has brought a lot of hardship on us. If we are not careful the fishing business will collapse and we will not be able to repay loans contracted from the banks, he lamented. Empty boats berthed The Chairman of the Inland Canoe Fishermen Council at Akateng, Ossom Asiah Tetteh Mausour, also told the Daily Graphic that the lack of the product had forced the fishing boat owners to berth their empty boats along the shores of the lake for a long time, and that had seriously affected their earnings and their ability to cater for themselves and dependents. He said the lack of the product had also made it impossible for the boats to ferry livestock, particularly cattle, sheep, goats among other things across the lake to the Akateng market for sale. A fishmonger who is also a boat owner, Joyce Ayittah, told the Daily Graphic that the acute shortage of the premix fuel had adversely affected the price of fish in the market. She said most of the fishmongers who bought GH1,000 worth of fish, after selling them at places such as Accra and other parts of the country had to come back with half of that amount because they sold at a loss. Transportation, fish cost Madam Ayittah stated that the high cost of transportation had aggravated the situation, as such they did not know what to do to make ends meet. Most of us the fishmongers and boat owners find it difficult to even pay light bills, let alone school fees of our children in tertiary institutions, so we beg the government to do something about the premix fuel situation, she cried out. Some housewives who went to the market to buy fish, Sarah Ayittah and Joyce Vede, told the Daily Graphic that the price for fish was too high, and as such they could not buy what they wanted. They attributed the situation to the lack of premix fuel for the fishermen to go fishing, since that was the only way they could have the required fish in the market. A visit to the lakeside by the Daily Graphic last Wednesday revealed that some empty canoes had been berthed at the shores with fishermen sitting near the canoes doing nothing. The Dadematse (community leader) of Akateng, Lawer Terkper, deplored the situation and said he had not been involved in the distribution of the premix fuel. He pointed out that due to the inability of the fishermen to go fishing, fish had become so scarce that they had to depend on imported fish stored in cold stores. When contacted, the Chairman of the Premix Fuel Distribution Committee, Jeremiah Nyebu, declined to speak on the current shortage of the commodity. General problem For his part, the District Chief Executive for Upper Manya Krobo, Joseph Sam, said the scarcity of the commodity had been a problem in all the fishing communities countrywide. According to him, people who were not in fishing deceived members of the Premix Fuel Distribution Committee that they were fishermen and managed to secure the product for sale at exorbitant prices, which needed to stop. He, however, indicated that he would see how best to make the product available in the required quantity for the fishermen at the actual price. Source: graphic.com.gh 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. Featured Video President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made a passionate appeal to striking teacher unions in the country to, as a matter of necessity, call off their six-day-old strike as government continues negotiations with them on their demand for 20% to 30% cost of living allowance. Addressing Muslim faithful at the Independence Square at their Eid-ul-Adha celebration today, Saturday 9 July 2022, President Akufo-Addo said he is hopeful that the ongoing negotiations will yield positive results. Government sacrifices President Akufo-Addo observed that all Ghanaians are going to have to make some sacrifices to afford the nation space to navigate the trouble waters of the current economic difficulties. In the case of government, discretional expenditures of ministries, departments and agencies have been cut by 30%. The salaries of all political appointees including myself have been reduced by 30%. Fuel coupon allocations have been slashed by 50% and other expenditures suspended the President said. COLA demand In his address, the President noted that he is very much aware that some teacher unions have declared a strike in pursuit of a 20% cost-of-living allowance demand. I am happy that yesterday, the teachers were joined by other members of organized labour under the umbrella of the trade unions congress, to sit down with government, led by the Ministers for Employment and Labour Relations and Education to begin negotiations on this matter the President said. I want to add my voice to the appeal by the outstanding Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, the Honourable Ignatius Baffour Awuah, for the teachers to return to the classrooms pending the outcome of these negotiations so that that education of our children, some of whom are preparing to sit their final exams, is not affected the President further stated. Teachers strike At least four teacher unions in Ghana are currently on an indefinite strike over demands for cost of living allowance (COLA). They are the Ghana National Association of Teachers, National Association of Graduate Teachers, Coalition of Concerned Teachers, Ghana and the Teachers and Educational Workers Union. The strike began on Monday, 4 July 2022, after the unions said government failed to meet their 30 June deadline to pay their members between 20% and 30% of their salaries as cost of living allowance. We have been compelled under the current circumstances to publicly communicate to Ghanaians on our intention to go on strike having gone passed the 30 June deadline we gave government for the payment of cost of living allowance, the general secretary of GNAT, Thomas Musah, said when he addressed the media at the start of the strike. Consequently, we have decided to embark on strike from today, Monday 4 July 2022. By this, we are informing the general public that we are withdrawing services in all the pre-tertiary education institutions. This includes teaching and non-teaching staff., he added. Source: classfmonline 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. Featured Video The South African High Commissioner to Ghana, Her Excellency Grace Jeanet Mason, has pledged the Commission's full support to the 2023 edition of the Forty Under 40 Africa Awards, which will be held in Cape Town, South Africa. Xodus Communications Limited in May 2022, officially granted the license and the hosting right of the event to Black and White Attorneys in South Africa during a press conference at the Royal Baeng Residence in the Limpopo Province. Speaking during a courtesy call on her by the Chief Executive Officer of Xodus Communications, Mr. Richard Abbey Jnr., Her Excellency Grace Jeanet Mason said her outfit will support this Pan African idea of celebrating young achievers on the continent. She advised that the event should be used as a tool to promote culture and tourism in South Africa. "I am very honoured to see an entity in my province and country granted the license and the right to host the 2nd edition of the Forty under 40 Africa Awards", she said. Her Excellency Grace Jeanet Mason commended Xodus Communications Limited for the initiative to encourage, empower and celebrate influential young businessmen and women on the continent. She called on young business leaders under the age of forty to participate in the 2023 edition to experience South Africa. The Chief Executive Officer of Xodus Communications Ltd, Richard Abbey Jnr., thanked the High Commissioner for the warm reception and the pledge to support the event. "The uniqueness about the 2023 edition is that it will be a five-day event comprising tourism at the Safari, an entrepreneurs business summit and exhibition in Pretoria and Gauteng, and finally climaxed with an Awards night in Cape Town" he noted. The Forty Under 40 Africa Awards seeks to identify, honour and celebrate a cross-section of the continents most influential and accomplished young business leaders under the age of forty from a wide range of industries. Source: Peacefmonline.com 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. Featured Video The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has been urged to fully implement the National Gender Policy to provide a clear framework for addressing inequalities deeply rooted in society. The National Gender Policy was developed in 2015 with comprehensive insights into the empowerment, rights and access to justice, leadership and accountable governance, gender roles and relations, and economic opportunities for women. She Leads Voices Social Movement, a group of girls and young women championing womens rights and empowerment wants the Ministry to prioritise the full implementation of the policy to ensure a level playing field for both men and women. The movement was formed as part of the implementation of the She Leads project which is being implemented in selected districts in the Ashanti Region, to lead advocacy for girls and young women to participate in decision-making and leadership at all levels. The five-year project is a collaboration between African Womens Development and Communication Network, Plan International Netherlands, Defence for Children International, ECPAT Netherlands and Terre Des Hommes Netherlands, with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. In a communique issued by the movement after participating in the Annual General Meeting of the Defence for Children International Ghana (DCI-Ghana) in Kumasi, the movement also demanded that the Ministry takes the necessary steps to ensure the Affirmative Action Bill is passed into law. The communique also implored Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to create a budget to support girls and young womens inclusion in decision-making. It called on traditional authorities, assemblies, unit committees and opinion leaders to change negative gender norms, eliminate structural barriers and traditional gender and age role division to promote gender equality. The Electoral Commission should reduce by 40 per cent the cost of filing nominations for presidential and parliamentary elections for women to encourage more capable women to contest for leadership positions during national elections, the communique appealed. It urged civil society organisations to support girls participation in leadership and decision-making through mentorship and leadership programmes. Source: GNA 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. Featured Video At least 15 people have been shot dead in a bar in the South African township of Soweto, police say. Police said gunmen entered the Orlando East tavern in the early hours of Sunday morning and started firing randomly at a group of young people. They then fled the scene in a white minibus. No motive for the attack has been established, police said. Several more people are in a critical condition in hospital, the BBC's Nomsa Maseko reports. The victims are believed to be between 19 and 35 years old. Gauteng province's head of police, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela, told the BBC the shooting appears to have been "a cold-blooded attack on innocent tavern patrons." A press statement released by his office said the gunmen had been armed with rifles and 9mm pistols when they entered the bar. Police are searching for the suspects, whose identities remain unknown, it said. Four other people were killed in a separate tavern shooting in the south-eastern province of KwaZulu-Natal, police said on Sunday. Shootings are not uncommon in South Africa. They are often linked to gangs or alcohol. But this is an exceptionally high death toll and comes soon after the death of 21 teenagers thought to have been either gassed or poisoned at another bar in the city of East London. Source: BBC 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. Featured Video Protesters have said they will continue to occupy the Sri Lankan presidential and prime ministerial residences until both leaders officially resign. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he would step down on 13 July, according to an announcement made by the parliament's speaker on Saturday. But the president has not been seen or made a public statement himself. Thousands descended on Colombo on Saturday demanding his resignation after months of protests. The president has been blamed for the country's economic mismanagement, which has caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine for months. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe also said he would step down following Saturday's protests, in which his private residence was set on fire. But protesters remain sceptical about the leaders' intentions. "Our struggle is not over," student protest leader Lahiru Weerasekara said, quoted by AFP. "We won't give up this struggle until [President Rajapaksa] actually leaves," he said. "The next couple of days are going to be extremely uncertain times as to see what transpires politically," political analyst and human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka told Reuters, adding that it would be interesting to see if the two leaders "actually resign". Political leaders are due to hold further meetings to discuss a smooth transition of power on Sunday. The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said that any new government needed to immediately focus on long-term economic stability. Read Full Story .... HERE >>> : Source: BBC 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. Featured Video Kate Gyamfua, an aspirant for National Women's Organizer of the New Patriotic Party, has made an appeal for the return of Mrs. Mercy Adu Gyamfi, popularly called Ama Sey, who lost her Parliamentary seat to Ernest Yaw Kumi during the party's primaries. Ama Sey was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Akwatia constituency but her position was taken away despite calls for the New Patriotic Party to retain her by allowing her to run unopposed. She is said to have been unjustly treated by the party as the contest between her and Mr. Ernest Kumi was strategically made to oust her and hand over the MP slot to Mr. Kumi who also lost the seat to Henry Yiadom Boakye of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2020 parliamentary elections. It was widely believed that Ama Sey would have defeated the NDC candidate but the NPP did nothing to help her. She was said not to be fluent in the English Language, so the party didn't see her worthy to go unopposed. Discussing the Ama Sey matter in an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" programme, Kate Gyamfua expressed her resentments over how the party handled the former MP. To her, the party should have given Ama Sey their unflinching support because she was the right candidate for the constituency and also believed she stood a good chance of winning the Akwatia seat. "The party should have protected her . . . some women were protected and allowed some of them to go unopposed. Why didn't the party let her go unopposed?", she said. She further debunked claims that she was against the candidature of Ama Sey, disclosing she did everything within her strength to make the party permit the latter to run unopposed but apparently her efforts were rendered futile. However, Kate Gyamfua still believes in the potentials of Ama Sey, so is pleading with her to contest again when the party opens nomination for its parliamentary primaries. "I told her yesterday that if she wants to run again, I will hold her hands up to contest. I don't have anything against her," she added. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/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. Featured Video NPP National Women's Organizer, Kate Gyamfua, has lambasted the party's communicators for not ably communicating the good works of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia administration to Ghanaians. In an interview on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kate Gyamfua said the party's communication mechanism has reduced, hence making the voice of their political opponents sound louder than them. Expressing her concerns, she wondered if the communicators are afraid of the opposition National Democratic Congress' propaganda. "I don't know if it is the propaganda that the NDC deliberately learns that terrorizes the NPP. Sometimes, the NPP members are too cowardly," she said. She advised the communicators to up their game and peddle the great performance of the President to the citizenry. She was however confident that the party will "break the eight" in the 2024 elections. Kate Gyamfua has revealed her desire to contest again as National Women's Organizer during the party's delegates conference scheduled on July 15 to July 17, 2022. Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/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. Featured Video The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has said the ongoing economic crisis sweeping through the world must be a wake-up call to African countries to adopt a technological approach to development, especially as the continent seeks to rebuild and rise. Addressing a high-level African Union-backed "BOMA" event (www.africaboma.com), the Veep cautioned against focusing on the short-term symptoms of the current crisis and forgetting the structural issues that the worst-hit countries are confronted with, which are mostly to do with the lack of competitiveness of their economies. A situation only technological advancement can address sustainably. The Boma forum brought together global political and business leaders to deliberate on the progress of Africa towards Agenda 2063, the AU's timetable for transforming Africa into a global economic force. Vice President Bawumia said the twin factors influencing the global economic crisis - the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Ukraine conflict - have exposed gaps in the world's economic and political architecture, which will affect Africa's quest for growth if the continent does not act decisively to build technological industries that are more resilient to global economic shocks. It is clear that countries that depend mostly on primary industries suffer harsher consequences when the global economy takes a nosedive than those that have diversified their economies through higher technology inputs. "The challenges that have beset the global economy may have been fuelled by temporary crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine conflict. But these challenges are still a wake-up call to Africa that there are deep structural gaps in the global economic and political architecture that can frustrate its rise unless serious concerted efforts are made to plug them," Dr. Bawumia told the forum on Friday. Plugging the structural gap, Dr. Bawumia observed, is for the African continent to adopt the emerging data-driven, technological approaches to development, which would help create the right structure for African businesses and SMEs and connect them from isolation, to the world of business. Urging fellow African countries, Dr. Bawumia noted that Ghana has chosen to take a path to economic development marked by increasing technological, especially digital, content in its development programs. Responding to Meta's (corporate parent of Facebook) President for Global Affairs and former Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Nick Clegg, Dr. Bawumia conceded to certain ongoing challenges to optimally harness data, talent and improved regulations to advance the course of technological advancement in Ghana and Africa. But he insisted that these matters are being given the necessary attention. Elaborating on the theme, he added, "if the massive shifts currently underway, such as the fast emergence of a new type of internet, are to benefit, rather than further marginalize Africa, the continent must make the right investments now." He continued: "We are very mindful of these potential pitfalls and are investing in both the institutions and infrastructure that will enable us to both leapfrog our infrastructure and education system limits and rapidly advance the regulatory capabilities we need to deal with complex challenges like balancing sovereignty and efficiency, as we become a data-driven economy." Dr. Bawumia, while acknowledging efforts some African countries are making in adopting technology-driven development, also shared with the forum some specific areas Ghana has invested in, and how they are expected to boost commerce. "We have successfully developed a new identity infrastructure that will transform credit scoring for SMEs, remove the bottlenecks in e-commerce and lay the ground for the modernization of business supportive government services," he said. "We have totally transformed the financial technology landscape and reworked our mobile telecom industry to enable us take advantage of the 5G revolution and the internet of things as they gather pace." "No one who has followed our policy journey in Ghana can doubt our total commitment to the technological approach to development," added the Vice President. In addition to Sir Nicholas Clerg, who is the President of Global Affairs of Meta, owners of popular social media sites Facebook and Instagram, the Forum was also addressed by former US President Clinton, former US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and many other dignitaries including the Director-General of the World Health Organisation and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. Also participating were several former and serving African Heads of States, the Deputy Chairperson of the African Union (AU), and a number of AU Commissioners. Reacting to comments by some of these eminent personalities, Dr. Bawumia emphasized the importance of a global mindset shift in technology investments. "The likes of Meta, Google and Amazon must think beyond consumer products and targeted advertising and invest heavily in utility infrastructure on the ground." He added, "their ability to connect with their customers beyond Facebook posts and tweets and to impact their lives depend on this deeper integration into industrial and enterprise infrastructure. There are also broader issues of equity." "As much as we recognize that some of the evolving technologies are changing how we do business and bringing down barriers, they also provide the opportunity for us to create the fluid structures and soft infrastructure our SMEs and startups, long isolated from global value chains, need to leapfrog and convert these challenges into opportunities in a broader marketplace shaped by AfCFTA." ABOUT THE BOMA OF AFRICA The Boma of Africa (www.africaboma.com) was organised jointly by the African Union, the AfCFTA Secretariat, the Africa CDC and AfroChampions. With support from Afreximbank, Ecobank, IC Publications, the Village Foundation, BADEA, Orango and MTN. It was instituted in response to a decision in 2019 by the African Union Heads of State that a date in early July of every year should be set aside to mark and celebrate the effort to realize African integration. Convened at the highest level, the Boma seeks to move beyond mere deliberations and instead delve deep into actions that can inspire Africans in various fields such as science and technology, education and creative arts to hone talents for Africa's common good. Practical Outcomes of Boma 2022 This year, the African Union launched two main flagship initiatives at the Boma: the African Vaccine Passport and eHealth backbone (www.africacdc.org/trusted-vaccines) and a digital platform for accelerating the Source: Peacefmonline.com 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. Featured Video Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosts the Second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (not in the picture) in Bali, Indonesia, July 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin) BALI, Indonesia, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-hosted the Second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism here on Saturday with Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. Luhut said Indonesia-China relations bear strategic significance and global influence, and the two countries have conducted all-dimensional, wide-ranging and multi-tiered cooperation with a commitment to building a community with a shared future. Indonesia supports and is willing to actively participate in the China-proposed Global Development Initiative and Global Security Initiative, he said. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who was also attending the meeting, said Indonesia highly values its close coordination with China and stands ready to join hands with China to focus on current pressing issues including peace, food and energy security, so as to contribute to the development and prosperity of the region and the world at large. For his part, Wang said the two sides have set the direction of building a China-Indonesia community with a shared future, and forged a new pattern of bilateral relations featuring "four-wheel drive" of political, economic, cultural and maritime cooperation. The two sides comprehensively reviewed the progress of practical cooperation between the two countries in various fields and reached a broad consensus. Both countries are satisfied with the fruitful outcomes of economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, especially with the highest increase in bilateral trade among ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members last year, and will continue to promote more balanced and high-quality development of economic and trade cooperation. The two sides spoke highly of the progress made in development financing cooperation and will take a multi-pronged approach to carry out more financing cooperation on conventional infrastructure and new infrastructure projects. Both sides will continue to build the Belt and Road with high quality, deepen the integration of industrial chain and value chain, and jointly build a highland for regional development, so as to boost post-pandemic global economic recovery. Both sides will accelerate cooperation on major landmark projects such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, the regional comprehensive economic corridor and industrial parks, expand cooperation on digital economy and green development, and strengthen cooperation on agriculture, poverty alleviation and food security. China will expand imports of quality agricultural and fishery products from Indonesia. Regarding anti-COVID-19 cooperation, China supports Indonesia in building a regional vaccine center, and is ready to help Indonesia increase vaccine production capacity and advance the construction of a joint research center for vaccines and genes. Both sides will also strengthen cooperation in law enforcement, security, cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (C), Indonesia's Coordinator for Cooperation with China and Coordinating Minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (L), and Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi pose for photos before the Second Meeting of China-Indonesia High-level Dialogue Cooperation Mechanism in Bali, Indonesia, July 9, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin) Fedirico Bentayen, a 91-year-old grandfather, went viral after graduating high school as "Model Student of the Year" in La Union, Philippines. (Source: Femie Aligo Apola/Facebook) A 91-year-old man went viral on social media after he graduated from senior high school and was even hailed Model Student of the Year in Balbalayang National High School in San Gabriel, La Union. Federico Sibayan Bentayen Sr, also known as Lolo Pedring finished high school on June 29, through the governments Alternative Learning System (ALS) program. In a Facebook post from one of his teachers, Femie Aligo Apola, Bentayen was pictured giving a speech to inspire his younger batchmates. Our oldest student Lolo Fedirico Bentayen (91 years old)... Congratulations you've made it!! Apola wrote. Several netizens congratulated the senior citizen on the teachers post. 91 is just a number, congrats, a commenter wrote, while another one said that Pedrings feat at his age was incredible. Bentayens son, Randy, in a tribute, said that his father put his education on hold because he married their mother, raised six children, and worked hard so their family can live a better life. In 1959, my Dad and Mom together with my 2 sisters went to Palacapac Candon Ilocos Sur to plant Tabacco, in 1965 he moved to Baguio City to work with my Uncle (Alipio's Pioner Wood Carving) in 1973 he went to Atok Benguet Western Minolco Corporation to worked as a Miner, Randy narrated. After his retirement, Lolo Pedring enrolled in Balbalayang National High School at 88 and successfully finished K-12. Meanwhile, one of Lolo Pedrings grandaughters, Zoilo Salvador, in an interview with Yahoo Philippines said that they are very proud of Bantayens accomplishment. Bilang apo proud ako sa kanyang accomplishment. Ang kanyang gulang ay hindi hadlang upang makamtam ang kanyang inaasam, Salvador said. (As his granddaughter, I am proud of his accomplishment. His age was not a reason for him not to reach his dream.) Tumayo bilang ama sa amin when our father left us. Mapagmahal na Lolo pag ng dumating na ang kanyang pension uunahin niyang bumili ng baon namin sa school, she shared. Story continues (He assumed the role of our father when the latter left us. Hes a very loving grandfather, when his pension comes, he always buys our needs first for the school.) Although Lolo Pedring went through a lot of hardships and difficulties, he never lost hope of finishing high school. On his graduation day, his daughter joined him in accepting his hard-earned diploma. Pola Rubio is a news writer and photojournalist covering Philippine politics and events. She regularly follows worldwide and local happenings. She advocates for animal welfare and press freedom. Follow her on Twitter @polarubyo for regular news and cat postings. Watch more videos on Yahoo: The government issued a national 'state of contingency' as the latest fires raged, which puts rescue personnel on alert. Around 2,800 firefighters were battling multiple wildfires in central and northern Portugal on Sunday amid a heatwave, prompting the government to implement a "state of contingency". The fires have been burning in several areas since Thursday, destroying at least two homes. Nearly 250 fires were reported to have started on Friday and Saturday. The blazes come amid an intense heatwave in Portugal, with temperatures reaching over 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) this week and expected to rise in the coming days. Scientists say extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts are linked to climate change. They are expected to become even more frequent, more prolonged and more intense in the future. On Sunday the Portuguese government issued a national "state of contingency", which puts rescue services on alert. It is above state of alert but beneath state of calamity and state of emergency. The Civil Protection agency said some 1,500 firefighters were battling blazes in Ourem, Pombal and Carrazeda de Ansiaes municipalities. "The fire got 50 metres (165 feet) from the last house in the village," pensioner Donzilia Marques, from the hamlet of Travessa de Almogadel in central Portugal, told AFP. "Up there everything burned," the 76-year-old said, pointing to the hills between her home and the town of Freixianda. More than 700 soldiers were dispatched to the area on Sunday after the fires destroyed an estimated 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres) of vegetation, the Civil Protection agency said. The fires have injured around 40 firefighters and civilians. Most were treated on the spot for breathing problems or exhaustion. Prime Minister Antonio Costa cancelled a planned trip to Mozambique to keep track of the fires. The government has asked the European Union to trigger its common civil protection mechanism, which will allow Portugal to access two water bomber planes stationed in Spain. "We are facing an almost unprecedented meteorological situation", national civil protection commander Andre Fernandes said on Saturday. Portugal regularly sees extreme weather this year. Extreme drought affected around 28 percent of the country in June. In May, 97 percent of the country suffered severe drought and one percent was classed as extreme. Explore further Spain sends help to battle Portugal's wildfires 2022 AFP EASTON A 6-year-old autistic boy who went missing Sunday morning near the Washington County Fairgrounds was later found to have drowned in a pond, police said. At about 6:40 p.m. Sunday, state forest rangers found the body of Onnex Thompson-Hall in in a pond not far from his home, according to a state police news release. The drowning appears to be accidental, but the investigation is pending, police said. State police were made aware of the missing child around 10:40 a.m. Sunday. A subsequent search involving numerous police, fire and rescue agencies ensued. State police and forest rangers were assisted by NYS Fire, Cambridge-Greenwich Police, Washington County Sheriffs Office, Washington County Public Safety, Middle Falls Fire Department, Greenwich Fire Department, Argyle Fire Department, Fort Edward Fire Department and the Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad. State Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, has received national attention in environmental and technology journals for championing bipartisan legislation to establish a clean fuel standard for gasoline and diesel fuel sold in New York. David Catalfamo, her Republican re-election opponent in November, said the concept is impractical, and Woerner should abandon it. The proposed legislation would establish a standard for the percentage of carbon content in gasoline and diesel fuel sold in New York. Companies that produce fuel with less than the standard would receive a credit, which they could sell to companies that produce fuel with more than the standard. Those companies would be required to purchase enough credits to bring their fuel in compliance with the standard. Woerner, a four-term incumbent, said that establishing such a system would create a new revenue source for area farmers and manufacturers, such as Plug Power in Latham, while reducing greenhouse gases and establishing a viable, long-term strategy for eventually converting to electric vehicles. Catalfamo, an economic development official and writer from Wilton, said the technology Woerner advocates is not practical for suburban and rural communities where residents depend on individual vehicles for transportation rather than subways and public transit buses. It makes great sense in Manhattan, he said in a telephone interview on Thursday, after he held a press conference at a gas station in Saratoga Springs. But right here, right now, where people are struggling, why would you make it a priority? Catalfamo acknowledged that his position distinguishes him from local Assemblyman Matt Simpson, R-Horicon, who is among six Republican co-sponsors of the legislation, A8628. Sen. Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, introduced companion legislation in the Senate. I do not support the idea of government selecting technologies, Catalfamo said. Its the wrong priority. He said it would make gasoline and diesel fuel more expensive. This is not the time to raise gas prices, he said. Woerner, in a telephone interview on Friday, acknowledged that it might raise gas prices slightly, but it would benefit the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That would be disingenuous of me to say it would have no impact on prices, she said. A study of fuel prices in California, which established a clean fuel standard in 2010, found that wholesale gasoline prices in California in December 2020 were 5 cents-per-gallon more expensive than the U.S average, and wholesale diesel fuel prices 0.6-cents-per-gallon more expensive, according to Biofuel Digest, an industry publication. Woerner said that studies in Oregon, which more recently established a clean fuel standard, show even less of a disparity. Washington state also has a clean fuel standard, and legislatures in Illinois and New Mexico are considering it. Catalfamo is skeptical of the studies. Its fair to say that we do everything (in New York) more expensive than America, he said. The Clean Fuel NY Coalition, which the New York League of Conservation Voters leads, said that high fuel costs would be offset by a general reduction in medical expenses because cleaner air would result in fewer people suffering from asthma. Some environmental organizations, particularly those in the New York City area, oppose the legislation because they prefer to eliminate gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles entirely. Woerner said that, so far, environmental groups that oppose the legislation have blocked it from advancing from the Assembly Environmental Conservation Committee. If re-elected, she will reintroduce the legislation next session, Woerner said. The League of Conservation Voters and other environmental organizations support the legislation because, they say, slightly higher fuel prices would encourage people to convert to electric vehicles. The fact is there is no legislation under consideration that would do more to advance electrification, the Clean Fuel NY Coalition said in a news release. Catalfamo said that the average price of an electric vehicle is $57,000, while the median income of Saratoga County is $43,000, Washington County $30,000 and Warren County $35,000. Carrie Woerner must have forgot where she lives because the median price of an EV is currently out of reach for most families in the 113th district. And if you can afford one, you cant get one, he said. Woerner said thats the point of the legislation. Its unrealistic to expect area residents will all immediately convert to electric vehicles, but the legislation would help reduce global warming over a multi-decade transition period. This proposed legislation is, I think, a low-impact, glide-path into a low-emissions impact for transportation, she said. Woerner said that she became interested in the technology a few years ago when she was studying methane digesters, which convert methane emitted from livestock into low-carbon natural gas, leaving residual fertilizer and animal bedding. She discovered that natural gas produced by digesters qualifies as a low-carbon fuel under California clean fuel standards. So, it became another revenue stream for the farmer, she said. Woerner said it also could create a new market for biofuels produced from composting food waste. ATLANTIC CITY Come Thursday, a large crowd of delegates will start arriving for the 113th annual NAACP National Convention, a weeklong event that will highlight rich pieces of the city's Black history while it draws thousands of visitors to the resort this summer. Yolanda Melville, vice president of Atlantic City's NAACP chapter, said the return of the national convention here is the culmination of four years of hard work lobbying, organizing and prepping. "We are all ecstatic that the convention is back in Atlantic City and can't wait for everything to get started on Thursday," Melville said. Melville, a local attorney, was instrumental in getting the proposal off the ground she ran into the chairman of the NAACP's National Committee, Michael T. Turner, at a Black Caucus in Washington, D.C., and first pitched the idea that this self-described "small town" was big enough for the national stage. Melville told Turner to keep Atlantic City in mind as a possible destination for the convention. Once the two of them talked, Melville brought the idea up to the president of Atlantic City's NAACP chapter, Kaleem Shabazz, and other NAACP members. After everyone agreed, they set out to win the bid. Atlantic City is no stranger to the NAACP Convention. The resort city hosted the 46th annual convention in June 1955. The five-day event took place at Atlantic City High School. This time around, the convention is going to have a big presence in the city as Tropicana Atlantic City, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and the Atlantic City Convention Center will play host to a steady parade of conferences, lunches and events. Larry Sieg, president and CEO of Meet AC, Atlantic Citys convention and visitor's bureau, expects about 8,000 people to attend and for the convention to bring over $9 million to the local economy. At past NAACP conventions, notable political figures have attended and given speeches, such as the president and vice president, as well as prominent civil rights activists such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump. This year's convention falls in a midterm election year, and because of that, Melville said, "everybody who's anybody" could show up. Melville was unsure whether President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris would make an appearance. They both attended the last in-person convention in 2019 in Detroit. With this year's convention being the first held in person in three years, a large, enthusiastic turnout is expected. "Atlantic City is going to be hot, but in a good way," Turner said during a recent conversation with Shabazz and Melville posted on the city's NAACP YouTube channel. "With the pandemic, people have been stuck at home and haven't been able to get out quite as much. For two years people have been itching to get out and engage with others, so I think delegates and members of the general public are going to be excited for it." The original blocks of rooms set aside for the delegates have already been taken, Shabazz said, so organizers have needed to work with area hotels to secure additional rooms. Convention organizers also are working closely with the city and police to ensure security will be sufficient. "We have coordinated law enforcement presence as well as private security. The delegates can rest assured that the security will be at the highest level for everyone," Shabazz said. The city's interim police officer-in-charge, James Sarkos, said multiple law enforcement agencies will be in the city to help with security. "The security effort will be a co-response between local, county, state and federal law enforcement agencies," Sarkos said. Another aspect of the convention is showing Black youth what the NAACP has to offer. Maryam Sarhan, who is the community organizer for Atlantic City's NAACP chapter, has worked on getting local youth to the convention and hopes the event will have a big impact on them. "When they get to see Black men and women from all over the country bring their initiatives forward to the delegates and attendees, I hope they can look at those people as role models and maybe aspire to be like them in the future," Sarhan said. The importance of themes Ever since its inception, each NAACP convention has had a specific theme. African American-centered quilt exhibition in Ocean City 'is for everybody' Chase Jackson never tried to quilt, but she knew the objects most commonly used as warm bed This year's theme is #ThisisPower. The various events throughout the convention will go over issues related to voting and reproductive rights, student debt and police reform. The NAACP also will use the convention as a time to lay out its policy agenda for the rest of this year and into 2023. The last two conventions, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had the themes #WeAreDoneDying and #FightingForward, and events at both highlighted racial justice. Here's a rundown of some previous themes: The last in-person convention was in 2019 in Detroit, and the theme was "When We Fight, We Win." Police brutality, voter suppression and mental health were highlighted issues. In 2016, a crucial election year, the convention took place in Cincinnati. The theme was "Our Lives Matter, Our Votes Matter," as the convention highlighted killings of Black men and Black police officers. The 105th convention in 2014 took place in Las Vegas and emphasized voting. The theme was "All in for Justice and Equality." In 2013, the convention took place in Orlando, Florida, under the theme "We Shall Not Be Moved." The theme derived from the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in the death in 2013 based on Florida's Stand Your Ground law. The law allows people to use deadly force when they believe it to be necessary to defend themselves. A rich history The first convention was held May 31, 1909, at Cooper Union College in New York City after the NAACP's founder, William English Walling, observed a series of riots and lynchings in Springfield, Illinois. After seeing the violence, he called for a meeting with activists from all around the country to discuss and come up with ways to mitigate the violence. School integration activists call on NAACP to disinvite Murphy from convention An anti-segregation activist group is taking the governor and NAACP leadership to task a wee In attendance were civil rights activists W.E.B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells-Barnett along with more than 300 Black and white activists. On top of coming up with ways to alleviate the violence against African Americans, another goal of this first meeting was to secure the rights that are laid out in the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments. At the end of this first meeting, the group decided to call itself the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. They would make these meetings a yearly occurrence, and with that the annual NAACP Convention was born with the goals of celebrating the achievements of African Americans, setting goals for the future and addressing ongoing issues within the community. Wells-Barnett was the first keynote speaker at one of these conventions. Over the years, prominent U.S. figures have been invited to speak. No matter the party, the current president is always invited by the organization to give a speech. The first president to speak at an NAACP Convention was Harry Truman in 1947, and on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, he pressed the federal government to put more of an emphasis on securing civil rights for African Americans. This year, Washington might have a big presence as Biden and Harris were invited to attend as well as U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, both D-N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy was invited to attend along with Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. If you go The 113th NAACP convention will be held July 14-21 at the Atlantic City Convention Center and other sites in the area. The general public is welcome to attend the variety of workshops and events throughout the week. You don't need to be an NAACP member, although you do need to register. To do so, visit naacp2022-observer-nm.streampoint.com. For more information, visit naacp.org/convention/schedule. Have you had cataract surgery but it seems like your vision is clouding and the cataracts are coming back? Do you see glare and halos with night driving? Find out whats causing this problem and the straightforward procedure to fix it. During cataract surgery, the natural lens inside the eye is removed, replaced by an artificial lens and held in place with the eyes natural bag or capsule. This capsule can become cloudy or wrinkled leading to blurry vision and glare and halos at night. This is called posterior capsular opacification or a secondary cataract and occurs after about 30% of cataract surgeries. The fix is a five-minute laser procedure called a posterior capsulotomy, or a yag capsulotomy. It is a more straightforward and quick procedure compared to cataract surgery. You dont even need an IV or sedation. The eye is dilated and the doctor uses a microscope with a laser. Numbing drops are applied to the eye, a lens is then applied to the eye and a few bright lights are flashed into the eye, producing laser openings in the capsule. The procedure is easily tolerated, like having your eyes dilated. However, as with any procedure there are risks and your doctor will discuss those with you, if its determined that you need a yag. Patients can return to normal activities right away. The day after the procedure, most patients see better. Expect a few floaters in your vision that usually settle out over 2-5 days. Ideally, the vision is restored to how it was immediately following cataract surgery within a couple days if no other problems are occurring in the eye. If you feel that your vision has deteriorated following cataract surgeries, make an appointment with your eye doctor to see if you may be a candidate for this straightforward laser procedure. Dr. Repp is a board certified ophthalmologist with Eye Surgeons Associates. She has special interest in the surgical treatment of cataracts with the latest techniques. Dr. Repp practices in Bettendorf and Muscatine, Iowa and Rock Island, Illinois. The material contained in this article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider. A Davenport woman has been charged by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals for allegedly defrauding the Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic of $12,450. Carrie Ann Kephart, 49, is charged with one count of first-degree fraudulent practice. The charge is a Class C felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 10 years. According to the arrest affidavit, the Iowa Finance Authority administers the Foreclosure Prevention Program that assists income-eligible renters who are at risk of eviction because of the involuntary loss of income as a result of COVID-19. The tenant and landlord each are responsible to complete their own separate applications and verifications and provide supporting documentation via a web-based portal. The tenant and landlord digitally sign and date a certification verifying that all information is true and correct and acknowledge that they understand it is a criminal offense to make a false statement in writing to procure assistance. The applications are then reviewed to determine if the applicants meet the programs qualifications. If approved, funds are deposited directly into the landlords bank account to assist with the tenants rent. On Aug. 31, 2020, the Iowa Finance Authority, or IFA, received an Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Program, or EFPP, application for Lamonta Payne. The application indicated that on March 28, 2020, one or more of his household members had experienced a documented, involuntary loss of income because of COVID-19. The application attested that 1529 Fulton Court was Paynes primary residence and because of the involuntary loss of income the household was unable to pay its monthly rent of $800, for August, September, October and November of 2020. On Sept. 2, 2020, payment in the amount of $3,200 was issue to the landlord, Carrie Kephart. An investigation of the application found that Payne was not living at the address on Fulton Court during that period but was instead incarcerated in the Dallas County, Texas, Jail from June 2, 2020, through April 27, 2021. Additionally, Kephart and her co-defendant in the case, William Santino Maylone, 51, evicted Payne from the Fulton Court property on June, 30, 2020. Scott County District Court records do not indicate that Maylone has yet been charged in the case. On Sept. 7, 2020, the IFA received an EFPP for Santino Maylone, which indicated that on April 6, 2020, one or more members of Santino Maylones household had experience documented, involuntary loss of income because of COVID-19 and were unable to pay their monthly rent of $800, for June, July August and September of 2020. The home where he allegedly was living was 2213 Farnam St. On Sept. 7, 2020, payment was made to the landlord, Kephart, in the amount of $3,200. An investigation revealed that Santino Maylones date of birth on the application of July 31, 1998, was false and that the real date of birth is July 31, 2008. Additionally, Santino Maylone was living with his parents, who are Carrie Kephart and William Maylone, at 2514 E. Locust St., Additionally, the social security number for Santino Maylone was invalid, and the Farnam Street residence was only owned by William Maylone until July 31, 2020, when it was acquired by FFG Partners LLC in a Tax Sale Deed. On Oct. 5, 2020, an application for assistance was received by the IFA for Francisco Cavazos. The application stated that on April 7, 2020, the Cavazos household suffered a loss of income because of COVID-19 and that the residence of 2213 Farnam St., was the households primary residence. The application stated that Cavazos needed help with rent for the four months from August 2020 through November 2020. A check for $3,200 was sent to Kephart. An investigation revealed that Cavazos no longer lived at the Farnam Street home during the time period for which rent was requested and that William Maylone no longer owned the property. On Oct. 19, 2020, the IFA received an EFPP application for a Brad Dose. The application attested that Doses residence was 2612 Long Hollow Road in Dorchester, Iowa, in Allamakee County. A payment was made to Kephart in the amount of $2,850 to pay for Doses alleged $950 per month rent for the three months of August, September and October of 2020. An investigation revealed that the property in Dorchester, Iowa, belongs to Kepharts father, Jeri Schwartzhoff, who knew nothing of the application, told authorities it was fictitious and said that Dose had never lived at the residence. Kephart was arrested Friday and booked into the Scott County Jail. During a first appearance hearing in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Paul Aitken released Kephart on her own recognizance and set a preliminary hearing date of July 28. CHICAGO - Someone shot an off-duty Chicago police officer in the back during an altercation early Saturday morning in the Beverly neighborhood, police said. About 2:30 a.m., the 31-year-old off-duty officer was involved in a verbal altercation at a bar in the 2400 block of West 104th Street and shots were fired after the fight, according to police spokesman Don Terry. The officer was shot in the back and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was listed in fair condition, police said. In a public safety update, Alderman Matt OShea said the officer suffered serious injuries in the shooting. The shooter retrieved a gun from a vehicle parked outside near the establishment after the altercation and fired multiple shots. Alderman OShea asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact police at 312-747-8271. No arrests have been made. The sniper who fired more than 70 rounds into a crowded Fourth of July parade near Chicago killed seven people and wounded three dozen more. He obtained five weapons before the shooting, including the rifle used in the massacre. Police described it as similar to an AR-15. He bought the weapons despite police visits to his home in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide. For more than 20 years now, this country has been in a furious debate over how to stop mass shootings, a discussion largely framed by extremists on both sides of the aisle. It is high time people with common sense gained control over this debate so that real change might be brought about. We support some solutions mental health services, better background screenings though they might take years to develop. But our nation does not have years to wait. We must act now. We must ban high-capacity magazines. Its one step we can take immediately to curb mass shootings, especially those where gunmen use high-capacity magazines to spray dozens of rounds in moments. To this board, its not a political issue. Its a practical one. Look at the numbers. If the key gun control proposals now being considered in Congress had been law since 1999, four gunmen younger than 21 would have been blocked from legally buying the rifles they used in mass shootings, according to the New York Times. At least four other assailants would have been subject to a required background check, instead of slipping through a loophole. Ten might have been unable to steal their weapons because of efforts to require or encourage safer gun storage. And 20 might not have been allowed to legally purchase the large-capacity magazines that they used to upgrade their guns, helping them kill, on average, 16 people each. Weapons and magazines designed for modern warfare should not be available to the general public. Make no mistake, this board is an active defender of the Bill of Rights. This newspaper and journalists around the country have fought to maintain their freedoms protected by the Bill, especially under the First Amendment, which says, Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Yet libel laws, privacy restrictions and other government regulations restrict the press and do not adhere to the specific language that Congress make no law. Speech has been regulated, too, since the Constitution was ratified. The Second Amendment says, A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Yet the government already takes steps to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the populaces hands. (Think of Tommy submachine guns.) For these reasons, we believe a ban on high-capacity magazines does not violate the Second Amendment. The rights of people to assemble without fear of a mass shooting should trump peoples insistence on owning weapons designed to kill many people in a short amount of time. We can no longer tolerate the slaughter of children, if for no other reason. Protect our loved ones from these madmen. Ban high-capacity magazines before another mass shooter strikes. Benny Gantz (R), Israel's defense minister and leader of the centrist Blue and White party, and Gideon Sa'ar, justice minister and leader of the right-wing New Hope party attend a joint press conference in central Israeli city of Ramat Gan on July 10, 2022. Leaders of two parties in Israel's outgoing coalition government announced on Sunday that they would run jointly in the upcoming national elections. Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar called in a joint statement for a centrist unity government with Gantz at the helm that would "say no to extremism." (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of two parties in Israel's outgoing coalition government announced on Sunday that they would run jointly in the upcoming national elections. Benny Gantz, Israel's defense minister and leader of the centrist Blue and White party, and Gideon Sa'ar, justice minister and leader of the right-wing New Hope party, called in a joint statement for a centrist unity government with Gantz at the helm that would "say no to extremism." "Today, we are laying the foundation of the next government," Gantz said. Sa'ar said the new alliance was formed in a bid to break Israel's three-year political deadlock and establish "a broad national unity government not dependent upon the fringes." Gantz was "the best-suited leader to stand at the helm of a unity government," he added. The announcement marked the first shift in the political map since the parliament voted to dissolve itself on June 30 following the collapse of the coalition government, sending the country to its fifth elections in fewer than four years. Gantz previously served as chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces and Sa'ar was a member of former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party. Both Gantz and Sa'ar were part of the outgoing coalition government composed of eight ideologically diverse parties united only by the will to oust Netanyahu, who is facing a criminal trial in three separate corruption cases. Benny Gantz (R), Israel's defense minister and leader of the centrist Blue and White party, and Gideon Sa'ar, justice minister and leader of the right-wing New Hope party attend a joint press conference in central Israeli city of Ramat Gan on July 10, 2022. Leaders of two parties in Israel's outgoing coalition government announced on Sunday that they would run jointly in the upcoming national elections. Benny Gantz and Gideon Sa'ar called in a joint statement for a centrist unity government with Gantz at the helm that would "say no to extremism." (Gideon Markowicz/JINI via Xinhua) Bitterroot Quilters Guild has chosen HEARTism Community Center in Corvallis as the recipient of the 2022 grant of $400 to use toward programming. HEARTism, the first and only certified autism center in the state, uses the arts to educate to help socialize children on the autism spectrum. Bitterroot Quilters Guild President Fran Milano said the donation reflects caring. Bitterroot Quilters Guild is proud to partner with HEARTism, Milano said. We both deliver comfort to people in need in our community. Milano is referring to the mini-groups of the Bitterroot Quilters Guild that donate quilts to first responders, Headstart, Emma's House, hospice, individuals going through dialysis, chemotherapy, and other places where there is a need and a request. HEARTism Director Jessica Fitzpatrick said the kind gesture of the quilters guild adds to the great community. We are honored that they chose HEARTism for this grant, Fitzpatrick said. We will put the funds toward our fall programming, more specifically our after-school art program. It was such a delight to meet these ladies what a wonderful group of women working together to make our community a better place. BQG has over 100 members and its purpose is to "Enhance community knowledge of all forms of quilt making, patterns and the history of quilt making." BQG sponsors a scholarship each year, now for $2,000. BQG has provided grants to nonprofits for several years. The Grant Committee, Joyce Hooper and Carole Steigerwalt, chose the awardee. We are a nonprofit and in the past raised funds with quilt shows to support our needs fund donations, pay insurance, etc., Milano said. During and post-COVID, we have turned to having a boutique at the Ravalli County Fair, selling handmade items donated by our members. Bitterroot Quilters Guild will have a boutique at the 2022 Ravalli County Fair with proceeds used for an annual scholarship award, grants and other activities. With hundreds of millions of dollars at stake, the federal government wants Virginia to establish an electric vehicle fast charging network. But if ongoing legislative battles in statehouses across the U.S. are any indication, that wont be easy. The federal government allocated $106.4 million to Virginia over the next five years to develop an electric vehicle charging network, and the guidance has made clear that the ideal recipients of these funds are the existing gas stations and convenience stores that line every interstate exit in the commonwealth. However, under current regulatory policy, its difficult for any of those gas stations to get into the EV charging business without operating at a loss. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, Virginia has 2,182 slow charging ports, which take up to eight hours to charge an electric vehicle. But there are only 832 direct current fast charging ports available statewide; they recharge a car in 20 to 60 minutes. The sparsity of fast charging ports across U.S. highways is one of the main deterrents of consumers buying EVs, and is the reason behind the federal funding allocated to states. At a fast charging station on Brook Road in Henrico County on Thursday afternoon, New Jersey resident Linda Murphy filled up her car. When she first bought the electric car four years ago, she never would have taken it on a road trip, she said. Four years ago, there werent nearly enough fast charging stations to make a road trip possible. Theres still not enough, she said, but its now possible to take a road trip with some careful planning and mapping of charging stations beforehand. The Electrify America charging station in Henrico is situated at the end of a Walmart parking lot, not far from Interstate 95, where Murphy was driving. Thats the only problem at nighttime, stopping at these places by yourself, Murphy said. If it was along the route, where theres the big stops, like the big truck stops, that would be better. Range anxiety Most EVs will run out of juice and need a full recharge after about 250 miles, which is no big deal for someone whos using it to commute and can recharge it for eight hours a night. But the range anxiety caused by the lack of abundant fast charging ports along U.S. highways is one of the biggest things preventing people from buying an EV (besides price, which will come down eventually). A Consumer Reports survey this month asked people why they wouldnt get an EV, and 61% said charging logistics were the biggest barrier. To remedy that barrier, U.S. legislators passed the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Joe Biden last year, part of which is intended to jump-start the high-speed EV charging network with a big bucket of federal cash. The $7.5 billion investment supports Bidens goal of building a nationwide network of 500,000 EV chargers. The first $5 billion of that $7.5 billion must go toward the federally designated alternative fuel corridors, which in Virginia include interstates 64 and 95 which intersect in Richmond and run through Henrico and Hanover County. The designation also includes Virginias interstates 66, which runs across Northern Virginia, and 81, which runs from Northern Virginia down through Roanoke and Bristol. The guidance put forth by the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program states that the sites should have onsite amenities like food and restrooms, be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and meet height and fueling capacity requirements to accommodate large vehicles. The guidance is apparently describing existing gas stations and convenience stores. This year could be pivotal for EVs, with high gas prices encouraging the public to consider going electric, $7.5 billion to jump-start the charging network, and almost every major auto manufacturer promising to ramp up their EV offerings. The major question hanging over the EV charging industry is how much control power companies will wield over the fledgling industry. The clock is ticking With an Aug. 1 deadline looming, state transportation officials are putting together a plan to apply for millions in EV charging funding. The Virginia Department of Transportations sustainability office is assisting in the development of the plan under the guidance of Virginia Secretary of Transportation W. Sheppard Shep Miller III. A VDOT spokesperson said the initial plan will be focused on building public direct current fast chargers on the federally designated alternative fuel corridors in order to meet federal requirements, while also supporting charging in rural and disadvantaged communities. VDOT has collaborated with state agencies and solicited input from current and potential EV drivers, according to a VDOT spokesperson. A public survey posted on VDOTs website received survey responses from about 870 individuals as of Thursday, according to VDOT. Dominion Energy, the largest investor-owned utility in Virginia, confirmed that its employees are also involved in hatching the plan. The major obstacles for any private retailer hoping to sell EV charging come from the public utilities, according to several gas station and convenience store owners. Wawa began hosting EV charging at its first store in 2017, and now hosts chargers at more than 100 locations, according to spokeswoman Lori Bruce. But the mega chain doesnt make any money off its fast charging stations, according to top corporate leaders. I think most customers dont realize that Wawa is not making any money offering EV charging, said Rich Macon, Wawas vice president of fuel. Knowing exactly what the cost is before purchasing the electricity to resell to the customer ... would help with lowering costs because it would make it a more traditional business model than what we have [now]. Its very difficult to understand the cost of your electricity because of the demand charges that the utilities include. Wawa and other fuel retailers say the monthly demand charges on their power bill render high-speed EV charging unprofitable. A demand charge is a fee based on the maximum amount of power being utilized by a commercial power customer at one time. A high-speed EV charge, which pulls 125 kilowatts or more of electricity at once, will cause that demand charge to spike. When retailers have only a handful of EV charging customers per month, the hefty fee is spread across just a handful of customers. Chicken or the egg Kate Staples, director of electrification and new technologies at Dominion, said theres a reason for those charges. Demand charges are intended to help electric companies make sure the grid is appropriately sized, and make sure that its most affordable for all customers, Staples said in an interview. A customer that might pay a higher demand charge, its probably because we have to put in some more expensive infrastructure for that customer. Right now, many retailers say they are hesitant to offer EV charging because there arent enough customers. And drivers say they are waiting until there are more charging stations before they will buy an EV. Its a chicken-or-the-egg scenario, said Jay Smith, executive director of Charge Ahead Partnership, a coalition of fuel retailers, convenience store owners and other private retailers who want to get into the EV charging business but say impediments like demand charges imposed by the public utilities make it impossible. Retailers need to have certainty that they can compete on a level playing field, Smith said. The utility, the power companies can still at any point come in and compete with a retailer with an unfair advantage. Legislatures in such states as Florida, Georgia and Ohio have considered bills determining whether public utility or private industry will have control of the EV charging network. Louisiana lawmakers just passed a bill directing the Public Service Commission to come up with a fair rate for the resale of electricity for EV charging. No such bill has been introduced in Virginias General Assembly. Smith said the uncertainty causes worry that public utilities will set up their own charging stations, and avoid charging themselves demand charges by using money from ratepayers to subsidize the costs. Retailers dont have that option to just send everybody in Richmond a bill to pay for the EV charger that someones going to put in at a Wawa or a Sheetz, Smith said. Because the power company has that ability to get people like you and me to pay for it on our bill, thats how theyre able to then get into business and have a huge advantage. They dont have to recover those costs from the EV driver. Staples said Dominion does not want to compete head-to-head with private retailers. We want our customers all of them to be able to drive electric and get those benefits, Staples said. If there are places where the private market isnt able to serve, or isnt able to install chargers, that could be a place where Dominion could help. But uncertainty still looms. A familiar scenario: a remote area, a lodge for paying guests, escalating fears and frightening events. In pedestrian hands, a mundane mystery would result. But not in those of Gilly Macmillan, whose The Long Weekend (William Morrow, $27.99, 352 pages) is built on a foundation of originality rather than a flimsy floor of cliches. Jayne Pavey, Ruth Land and Emily Ramsay arrive in northern England for a weekend at Dark Fell Barn on the farm run by Maggie and John Elliott. Set to follow the next day are their husbands, Mark Pavey, Toby Land and Paul Ramsay, whose long friendships are the basis of the couples relationships. But when the women enter the lodge, they find a note threatening that by the time you read this, Ill have killed one of your husbands signed only E. The three assume it was written by Edie Porter, a recent widow whose husband, Rob, was a bosom buddy of the three men. So much for a few days of relaxation and camaraderie. *** On rare occasions, a marriage ends in blood. But a wedding? Thats what happens as Sally Hepworths The Younger Wife (St. Martins, $28.99, 352 pages) begins. But dont expect to learn the identities of the perpetrator or the victim until near the end of this cleverly crafted domestic thriller set in Australia. Heart surgeon Stephen Aston, 63, plans to divorce his wife, Pamela, 69, who suffers from end-stage dementia in a nursing home, to marry Heather Wisher, 34, an interior designer who has surmounted the challenges of her childhood. The Astons elder daughter, Tully Harris, 37, is a stay-at-home mom who has two young sons with her lawyer husband, Sonny. Shes also a kleptomaniac who has been shoplifting since she was 11. Meanwhile, Sonny has lost $2 million of the family treasury from a bad investment. Younger sister Rachel, 35, works from home as a baker and has not dated anyone man or woman since she was a teenager. And who is the mysterious Fiona Arthur? So dysfunctional are Hepworths characters that they make the Sopranos resemble the Waltons. *** When we think of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, we generally conjure images of England. But the storied and beautiful Forest of Broceceliande in the Brittany region of France also claims a connection. Thats where Commissaire Georges Dupin is assigned to a baffling case of murders in The King Arthur Case (Minotaur, $26.99, 384 pages), the seventh installment in Jean-Luc Bannalecs series. Seven Arthurian scholars have gathered there to study. An eighth had died in England of a possible heart attack, but his widow wants his body exhumed. In Brittany, Fabien Cadiou, the head of the group, is shot to death, and Paul Picard, a Parisian professor and archaeologist, is fatally stabbed. Some of the scholars eye others with professional rivalry, while some have personal connections seemingly unrelated to their task. And while the investigation continues, another scholar is slain and two of Dupins inspectors vanish. Also complicating matters is Cadious widow, Blanche, the CEO of a company that wants to construct a theme park in Broceceliande, a project opposed by residents of the region. And what would a mystery animated by legend be without a tie to the Holy Grail? Intricate and engrossing, Bannalecs story continues the development of Dupin, a coffee addict, and his lover, Claire. And the portraits the author paints of each Arthurian scholar rings with individuality and casts suspicion on all of them. Ann Cabell Baskervill said she sustained a traumatic brain injury resulting from a fall in April and medical personnel advised her to step down temporarily as Dinwiddie County commonwealths attorney to give her adequate time for recovery. Woman who opened fire on West Broad Street is charged with attempted murder Authorities charged Demetrea Flowers, 53, of Richmond was also charged with the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Baskervill notified the 11th Judicial Circuits chief judge on June 30 that she currently is unable to perform her duties, which led to the courts appointment of an acting commonwealths attorney for 90 days. The Virginia State Bar on Wednesday subsequently suspended indefinitely Baskervills law license due to impairment. Following Richmond Times-Dispatch stories on Saturday and Sunday about the developments, Baskervill issued a statement Sunday through her attorney, Jeffrey Geiger. In it, she said she looks forward to returning to her elected post after completing treatment. My family and I are so very appreciative of the outpouring of support and prayers, Baskervill said. Both our local community and the legal community have reached out in such meaningful ways and we thank you. The nature of Baskervills impairment was not publicly disclosed until her Sunday statement. The Times-Dispatch reached out to Baskervill and her attorney on Friday but received no remarks. Stepping down from my responsibilities temporarily was advised by ER doctors and my treating physician, as well as the Virginia State Bar, Baskervill said. I suffered a severe concussion from a fall in April which resulted in a diagnosis of traumatic brain injury. The doctors have advised me that rest and immediate continued treatment are crucial for my recovery. Chief Judge Paul Cella of the 11th Judicial Circuit appointed Colonial Heights Senior Commonwealths Attorney Erin Barr on July 1 to serve as Dinwiddies acting commonwealths attorney for at least 90 days. In her letter to the judge, Baskervill said her condition requires up to three months of treatment. Barr is assuming the role at a critical time for the prosecutors office and the courts, which are dealing with a backlog of criminal cases that include eight people charged with murder. Colonial Heights Commonwealths Attorney Gray Collins and Henrico County Commonwealths Attorney Shannon Taylor have agreed to assist by assigning members of their staffs to prosecute six of the eight homicide cases. This accident created a perfect storm, Baskervill said. Jury trials were being set following an extended hold due to COVID, the county had numerous homicide charges pending to be brought to trial and recent changes in state law imposed greater time consuming duties on prosecutors. Our office, like many, is underfunded and understaffed to respond to such an acute situation as when the elected prosecutor is challenged with health concerns, she added. This is particularly so in the case of traumatic brain injury, which gets worse and indeed did get worse without the rest and immediate treatment advised by health care providers. I tried very hard to recover without stepping aside. Baskervill said shes extremely grateful for Barr stepping in and filling the role in her absence. She said shes also grateful to Collins and Taylor for providing prosecutors from their offices to handle cases. I believe strongly in our system of justice and am blessed to have colleagues who are committed to ensuring our role is fulfilled, she said. Baskervills impairment suspension issued by the State Bar will remain in effect until it is established that she no longer suffers from impairment, the order states. Baskervill will be required to petition the Bar to have her license reinstated. 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. By Shaughn Dugan Students are struggling. We all can see it. As a teacher this past school year, I saw it in the outbursts the way my seventh-graders struggled to sit still, the extra time we had to spend on fundamentals. I saw it in the eyes of their parents during conferences held via Zoom. They were worried about their normally bubbly, smiling children. These kids have missed out on so much over the past two and a half years. Theyve missed birthdays, bar mitzvahs, quinceaneras and family reunions. Theyre suffering. Their parents are tired from two-plus years of calculations of: Is this safe? Are we doing the right thing? Will our kids be alright? A recent New York Times article drove this home. Out of 362 counselors surveyed in public schools, 94% reported seeing more signs of depression and anxiety in their kids. Eighty-eight percent said their students were having trouble regulating their emotions. If youre a teacher if youve worked in schools like I have these past two years youre not shocked. You know. Youve seen this ever since you sent your students home, saying, Dont worry. It will be fine. Well see you next week. Anxiety is filling our kids right now, said an elementary school counselor in Colorado. They are worried about their family and friends. They are stressed because they are behind in school. The weight of everything has left and continues to leave its mark on our most vulnerable students. Think back to the early days of the pandemic. How did you deal with the weight of it all? So many of us sought relief by being outside. We were told it was safer. But a lot of us found it also made us happier. We were calmer. We just felt better. We went to the park with our families. We chatted happily with our friends and neighbors on their porches and in their yards. According to the American Psychological Association, exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits. Among them are improved attention, lower stress, better mood ... and even upticks in empathy and cooperation. We spent time outside with friends and found our spirits were lifted just a little bit. Our students are suffering, and they deserve all the power and support of their schools, their community and the commonwealth. But teachers and students are unlikely to get what they deserve this year. We need more counselors for our struggling students. We need more educators to provide better teacher-to-student ratios. We need to help students who were ahead in their studies but now have fallen behind from two and a half years of enduring trauma and interrupted learning. This all comes under increasing pressure to make up for a lag in academics resulting from online school and the pandemic. Theres an immutable drumbeat to keep calm and carry on as though everything is and has been normal. And yes, the worry about academics is warranted. Our children and students lost out on valuable face-to-face learning, and we must do all we can to make up for that. But plowing full steam ahead without adequate attempts to heal our students emotional wounds is short-sighted. What small actions can we take to help? We can push Virginia school districts and their administrations to fully adopt the benefits of House Bill 1419. Passed in 2018 by the General Assembly, this legislation allows for up to 15% of the required 5.5 hours of elementary school instructional time to be used for recess. That equals roughly 50 additional minutes of physical activity. This change, however, was made to state-mandated minimums. School divisions still need to adopt these changes to their regulations. In the Richmond area, that is not yet the case, with elementary students currently getting only 30 minutes a day for recess. People understandably might be worried about losing any classroom learning time as teachers struggle to get their students back to where they should be. But recess and unstructured play have many benefits. The APA reports you can boost your mood by walking in nature, even in urban nature. Research cited by the More Recess for Virginians campaign shows physically active children are better at paying attention and have faster cognitive skills. More unstructured playtime also can increase the likelihood of better test scores. A 2009 Pediatrics study of 11,000 third-graders saw just this when a district in Texas expanded playtime. A 2019 Arkansas Tech University dissertation also found this trend in math scores of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders after state lawmakers adopted a bill to increase recess time. Students, like the rest of us, need to step away from intense concentration. This can lead them to feeling more refreshed and better able to focus. It also can help them commit classroom lessons to memory. Twenty more minutes of recess is not everything. It wont be a cure-all. But it can help create small, sun-filled moments that make our educators and students feel a little better. After everything this pandemic has thrown at all of us, dont we deserve that? A recent Times-Dispatch news article 10 years ago, UVA fired and rehired its president, fearing a crisis that never materialized put on full display a past debate over the control of public higher education and its priorities. This power struggle is as prevalent now as it was 10 years ago. But the notion that board intervention in university administration somehow is inappropriate is a misguided one. The priorities of Virginias public universities should be synonymous with those of the public it exists to serve citizens of the commonwealth who have invested billions of dollars in creating and sustaining them. But without adequate oversight and public accountability in university governance, priorities are left to the ambition of unelected administrators. To keep Virginias universities aligned with public interest, those representing citizens must be ready to intervene and hold them accountable. State Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, and then-Del. Jason Miyares, R-Virginia Beach, who now serves as attorney general, intervened when universities failed to hear from students and citizens before setting new tuition rates. They championed a new law requiring them to do so. In recent years, lawmakers intervened in university plans to raise tuition by incentivizing tuition freezes or caps. This year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin called upon universities to cancel planned tuition increases. And just like that, most of Virginias public universities not including the University of Virginia acquiesced, quickly negating the effects of their increases on in-state students this year. Intervention by elected officials is effective in protecting the public interest in public higher education, but they are not the first line of defense. In Virginia, our public universities are governed by citizens serving on boards of visitors. Appointed by the governor, these boards exist to hold our public universities accountable to Virginians by overseeing schools leadership. Trustees owe their primary fiduciary responsibility to the public, not to college administrators. Among their most important responsibilities is approving tuition and fee rates, approving and reviewing program offerings, and the hiring and firing of university presidents. Yes, I said firing. It is their job to intervene. Board members are not there to simply rubber stamp the agendas of university administrators. They should feel empowered to provide tough love and push back to ensure university decision-making is serving public interest. The boards of visitors are vital to their universities public mission, but their role as public servants is grossly understated so much so that, as previously mentioned, most Virginia universities did not afford board members the opportunity to hear public input during board meetings until state lawmakers mandated it in 2019. In the absence of engaged, diligent and responsive boards of visitors, Virginias public universities are effectively private institutions on the taxpayers payroll. So these appointments should not be made, nor accepted, lightly. Board members need to be prepared to make difficult decisions that will have lasting consequences on their universities and students. They must be willing to give thoughtful and sometimes tough feedback to presidents and administrators. They must be willing to ask hard questions, require sufficient information and not be afraid to debate issues to arrive at optimal decisions. When it comes to protecting the public interest at Virginias public universities, the boards of visitors are the first line of defense. *** Whether the existential crisis referenced in the recent RTD news article ever materialized depends entirely on who you ask and what their respective priorities are. Its true that the University of Virginia the commonwealths flagship institution does not fall short of accolades and prestigious rankings. Applications and enrollment are up, shiny new buildings are being raised and endowment coffers are full. But do these priorities best reflect those of the public? Is it more important to continue offering underperforming programs than to expand those more closely aligned with workforce needs and postgraduate success in a rapidly changing economy? Is pursuing prestige and rank at odds with ensuring socioeconomic mobility, and providing greater access and opportunity to qualified Virginia students from all walks of life? Governor Youngkin recently made his first board of visitors appointments. Now these new members must decide the answers for themselves. Whatever they decide, these decisions are theirs to make. They have every right to do so. LEBANON A new study of the likely next phase of the proposed Coalfields Expressway could help lower the projects cost. Marty Halloway, the Virginia Department of Transportations Bristol district engineer of mega projects, outlined that agencys plans during a June 30 meeting of the Virginia Coalfields Expressway Authority board. The study will revisit a 16.5-mile segment proposed from Grundy to the West Virginia state line. Funds for the study come from a $1.99 million federal appropriation. The current estimate for that section of the proposed route is between $1.5 billion and $1.8 billion, according to VDOT. The total cost of the entire proposed roadway from U.S. 23 in Wise County, eastward across Dickenson and Buchanan counties to the West Virginia state line, is about $4 billion. Construction is not getting cheaper. Its obvious in everything that were doing, Halloway said. What we have to recommend to the Federal Highway Administration is we are giving the most feasible, economically sound alternative to construct with the least amount of impacts. Work on the study is expected to begin soon and be completed in one year, he said. It must include a broad range of items, from possible environmental impacts including streams and wetlands, likely mitigation costs, cultural resources, any hazardous materials, endangered species, recreational, noise and air quality impacts, Halloway said. Those environmental findings will be valid for about five years, Halloway said, adding that is a window of opportunity to seek needed funding. The study is also expected to include three or four different route options to connect with the West Virginia segment of the roadway northeast of the town of Slate and just west of Paynesville, West Virginia. Current plans for that segment include a substantial bridge project spanning the Levisa River, but Halloway said they are looking for ways to exclude the bridge. Eliminating the bridge across the Norfolk-Southern Railroad and the Levisa River would be about a $40 million cost savings in todays dollars, Halloway said. VDOT is currently on schedule on segments of the roadway just west of Grundy, Halloway said. Work continues on the expressway with the segment from the Kentucky state line to state Route 744 at Southern Gap expected to be completed in early fall of 2023. The section from Southern Gap to Route 604 at Poplar Creek is expected to be done in early 2025 and the remainder, from Poplar Creek into Grundy, is expected to be done by late 2027. Simultaneously, West Virginia officials have set a goal to have all its 62-mile portion of the Coalfields Expressway completed within 10 years, or 2032. The current two-lane roadway in Buchanan County between Grundy and the state line handles 6,000 to 9,000 vehicles daily. Once the West Virginia portion is done connecting eastward to Interstate 77 traffic flow is expected to increase to 15,000 per day, Halloway said. U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-9th, said it will likely take multiple states working together to secure funding to complete the entire project. We need the help of Gov. Justice [W.Va.], the senators in West Virginia and our Congressional delegation to help us push that. The same is true of Kentucky, but to a lesser extent, because West Virginia has already put so much money into their part investing in this heavily, Griffith said. On the Infrastructure bill, the two [W.Va.] senators got Gov. Justice to come out and say, Were going to put a big chunk of the money were getting for roads into the Coalfields Expressway, Griffith said. Because of that there is a political synergy that is starting to build in central Appalachia to get this project done. What we have to do is encourage the rest of our team. Griffith said he remains committed to the project which, he said, gives the region a fighting chance to attract major employers and turn its economy around. The authority is presently awaiting final word on a $7 million request for federal money for a paving additional lanes portion of project at the intersection of U.S. 121 and U.S. 460 and in the Hawks Nest section. Earlier this week, the House Appropriations Transportation Subcommittee released its bill for fiscal 2023 but only included $3.5 million. The House only appropriated $3.5 million but I hope the Senators [Kaine and Warner] can get the $7 million on the Senate side. They have been great to work with and I know they know the need, Griffith said. Authority Executive Director Jonathan Belcher views either amount as progress. Momentum for the Coalfields Expressway continues to build and is headed in the right direction, Belcher said, adding, The Coalfields Expressway is the only solution to the economic plight of many areas of the coalfields. Federal prosecutors are not ruling out a connection between a Covington man charged in the U.S. Capitol riots and an extremist group accused of helping to organize the uprising. The attorney for Joshua Dillon Haynes says his client is not a member of the Proud Boys, and has asked in court papers that prosecutors not be allowed to suggest otherwise when he goes on trial. In response filed last Thursday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Tessman wrote that while the government does not initially plan to present evidence of an association, it could become relevant if the defense opens the door for example, by arguing that Haynes does not support the Proud Boys. Prosecutors asked a judge to either deny Haynes motion to exclude such evidence or delay a ruling until later. The 49-year-old is charged with eight crimes in connection with a Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection in which hundreds of Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building as Congress was meeting to certify an election won by President Joe Biden. Of the six Western Virginia residents charged in the case, Haynes is the only one to be linked in court records to the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers, another far-right group charged with seditious conspiracy by plotting to forcibly oppose the lawful transfer of presidential power. Haynes is not accused of seditious conspiracy. He denied being a member of the Proud Boys when questioned by the FBI during a search of his Covington home last summer. However, he told federal agents that he attended a meeting of the Proud Boys in Fredericksburg in late 2020 and had dinner with several of its members. Haynes said he would have joined the group if it had a chapter closer to his home, according to court records. And he expressed support for the rioters, who he said were being treated unfairly compared to those in other movements, such as Black Lives Matter. A document filed by prosecutors last week states that when Haynes attended two rallies held in Washington in support of Trumps debunked claims of a stolen election, he stood near members of the Proud Boys because he feared being attacked by members of Antifa and Black Lives Matter. Steven Kiersh, a Washington lawyer who represents Haynes, contends that any mention of the Proud Boys at a trial scheduled for November would be highly prejudicial to his client. The question for a federal judge is whether the harmful nature of the evidence would be outweighed by its probative value. Tessman wrote that Haynes dealings with extremist groups could be fair game for a jury if the defendant argues that he lacked any criminal intent to commit the crimes he is charged with. Therefore, the evidence of Haynes association with the Proud Boys may be relevant at trial to show Haynes intent or to rebut any suggestion that he is unaware of or does not support the organization, Tessman wrote in opposition to the motion to exclude the evidence. The Proud Boys have been involved in violence at political rallies, the government says, and describe themselves as a pro-Western fraternal organization for men who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world; aka Western Chauvinists. Among the charges Haynes faces is damaging the cameras, tripods and other equipment of news media crews who were covering a horde of Trump supporters as they overcome Capitol Police officers who were trying to hold back the mob. i Kicked the fake news a, he allegedly wrote in a text. Other charges include unlawful entry of restricted grounds, disorderly conduct, committing an act of physical violence on restricted grounds and obstruction of an official proceeding. More that 850 people from across the country have been charged with participating in the riots, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, and as of July 6 about 340 have either pleaded guilty or been convicted by judges or juries. A chef displays food at a restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) by Burak Akinci GAZIANTEP, Turkey, July 10 (Xinhua) -- In a traditional restaurant in the southeastern Turkish city of Gaziantep, chefs, like all their counterparts in any other restaurant in the Turkish gastronomy hub, have been perfecting their craft to remold centuried recipes to satisfy modern palates. "Our cuisine is ancient and rich. We have about 500 recipes and here we serve about 80 of them to our customers," Taner Olca, the third-generation owner of the locally renowned Yesemek restaurant, told Xinhua. In a blend of the East and the West, the rich culinary heritage of Gaziantep has become a mainstay of the local economy. "In Gaziantep, we live for the food. At breakfast, we think of what we are going to eat for dinner, and at dinner, what we are going to eat later at night," the young restaurant owner said. The richness of ingredients and spices, and the exchange and fusion of various cultures have generated Gaziantep's unique gastronomic cultural traditions, he added. One of the culinary masterpieces in the city is beyran, a spicy soup often served as breakfast, where tender strips of lamb topped with rice are drowned in a rich and fiery broth teeming with red pepper flakes. "I have been cooking beyran for 35 years. It is made of an entire lamb except the head. The meat is cooked for 14 hours on a special stove one day prior to serving," Okkes Babacan, the chef from the Metanet restaurant located in the heart of Gaziantep's old city, told Xinhua. "This is a recipe inherited from the Ottoman period," the veteran chef said. Declared a Creative City of Gastronomy by UNESCO in 2015, Gaziantep holds a very special place in the Turkish cookbook. "We attach great importance to Asian, and particularly, to Chinese visitors who come to Gaziantep for cultural and gastronomy tourism," Fatma Sahin, mayor of Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality, told Xinhua. Sahin said her city has a wide variety of dishes on a global scale to offer to foodies from all over the world. About 60 percent of professionals in Gaziantep are employed in the food industry, and nearly 50 percent of its enterprises operate in food manufacturing, according to local official statistics. "Gaziantep is a hub, a melting pot of civilizations that draws foodies, history lovers and those looking for a rich and diverse culture," said Osman Turgay Baloglu, a local retired teacher. A chef operates at a restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) Chefs prepare pasta at a restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) A chef prepares food ingredients at a restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) Customers are seen at a restaurant in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) A salesman waits for customers at a spice market in Gaziantep, Turkey, on July 5, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) Photo taken on July 5, 2022 shows an interior view of a spice market in Gaziantep, Turkey. (Xinhua/Li Zhenbei) Nearly eight years ago, a clean energy company hoping to build a wind farm atop a Botetourt County ridge hired a professional birdwatcher to find out if soaring eagles and towering turbines could coexist. A field biologist with Western EcoSystems Technology repeatedly hiked to four vantage points on North Mountain, where she spent two days each month for the next year looking for American bald eagles and eastern golden eagles. The count: three bald and eight golden eagles. Based on the low numbers, a lack of breeding habitat and no obvious flight patterns in the area, Western determined there was little risk to eagles in a 2016 report submitted to Apex Clean Energy, one of multiple studies required for the companys wind farm. Today, Apex has yet to start construction, and questions are being raised anew about the dangers of eagles flying into the spinning blades of 643-foot-tall turbines. Apexs claim that its turbines pose no risk to golden eagles is simply untrue, the American Bird Conservancy wrote in a letter to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The letter, which was also submitted to Apex as part of a recently completed public comment session, asks that DEQ require additional studies and other steps before allowing the project to move forward. Virginia has the opportunity to set a precedent here and do this right, said Shawn Graff of the conservancy, noting that Apexs Rocky Forge Wind would be the states first onshore wind farm. DEQ is considering an amended permit for the project in a process that resulted from a lawsuit filed by opponents, some of whom live near the proposed wind farm site on isolated rural land north of Eagle Rock. The issue over eagles is one of many complications for Rocky Forge, which finds itself in the crosswinds of two movements one to protect wildlife and other natural resources and the other to protect the earth from climate change by producing more renewable energy. Opponents point to a case in which at least 150 eagles were killed by wind turbines in eight states over the past decade. In April, a wind energy company pleaded guilty in Wyomings federal court to violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and was ordered to pay more than $8 million in fines and restitution. Most of the deaths occurred in western states, which have more turbines and eagles than are found on the East Coast. No fatalities of golden eagles have been documented at East Coast Wind farms, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Some bald eagles have been found dead at the facilities, the service said, but details were not available because the cases remain under investigation. Apex contends that the field surveys that found a low risk to eagles on North Mountain, conducted in 2014 and 2015 by Western EcoSystems Technology, remain valid today. The study also documented 48 other avian species in the area, but found that most of them did not fly at the high altitudes the mountaintop turbines will occupy. However, both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources say that additional study is needed to better determine what dangers to eagles, if any, exist. Its unclear how much power those agencies have in the current DEQ permitting process. Irina Calos, a spokeswoman for DEQ, said the state agency does not have the authority to order Apex to conduct new field surveys as part of its reconsideration of a permit originally granted to the company in 2017. But DEQ has ordered additional studies for other species of birds and turtles, and its ridiculous to think it cant do the same for golden eagles, Molly Petty said. Petty is part of a group of 13 Botetourt and Rockbridge county residents who claimed in a lawsuit that DEQ cut corners to benefit Apex in the regulatory process. While a judge re-opened a public comment period for the state permit earlier this year, he ruled against opponents on other matters, including a request to throw out the approval. The group is appealing, and the dispute seems far from resolved. Critics: Bird counts outdated The eastern golden eagle is a relatively rare and elusive species with a range that includes its breeding grounds in northeastern Canada southward to its winter habitat in the Appalachian Mountains. Its estimated population is about 5,000; there are more than 150,000 western golden eagles. The large raptor with golden feathers on the back of its head and neck spends much of its time when not airborne in forested landscapes with steep slopes and cliffs, which provide updrafts for soaring. Although less than a dozen of the birds were spotted on North Mountain by the field biologist hired by Apex, critics say the survey is too old it documents sightings from between Dec. 18, 2014, and Dec. 14, 2015 and too limited, with a total of about 190 hours of birdwatching over the year-long period. A wind farm applicant should base its decisions on at least two years of preconstruction surveys, according to Tom Wittig, eagle coordinator for the North Atlantic-Appalachian region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The service agreed with Apex in 2015 that the one-year study was sufficient, the company has said in regulatory filings with DEQ. However, there can be a shelf life to the applicability of our advice, Wittig wrote in an email last month to Apexs environmental permitting manager. The American Bird Conservancy obtained the communication through an open-records request and included it in its written comments to DEQ. At the time of the 2015 agreement between the service and Apex, the wind farm was expected to be in operation by 2017, Wittig noted. Difficulties in finding a buyer for the electricity to be generated by the turbines delayed the project, and Apex later applied for an amended permit that would allow the turbines to be taller than 550 feet as originally allowed. A modified permit was issued in 2020. Current plans call for 13 turbines along the ridgeline. Each would be 643 feet tall, about twice the height of the Wells Fargo tower in downtown Roanoke. In his email, Wittig wrote that he did not believe the current bird conservation strategy by Apex provides enough evidence to support that the project is at a low risk of taking eagles. Renewed public comments Apex declined to answer questions from The Roanoke Times about the eagle issue, citing ongoing litigation. Given that this group is currently suing us over this project, we prefer that our responses to their questions be in writing for all to see, including the environmental experts at DEQ, Karlis Povisils, senior vice president of development, wrote in an email last month, following a public hearing in which a small group of opponents peppered company officials with questions about eagles and other concerns. The June 15 hearing in Fincastle was held after Botetourt County Circuit Judge Joel Branscom ruled that DEQ made a procedural error when it considered Apexs request for an amended permit that would allow taller turbines. DEQ sought public comment only on new information that pertained to the increased height of the turbines. Other studies dealing with matters not affected by that change, such as documentation of the wind farms ability to connect to the electric grid, were not made available for comment in 2020. Branscom ruled that all of the information should have been put up for discussion. He ordered a new public comment session, and directed DEQ to review the latest input and the companys response. The agency must then determine whether its amended permit remains valid, Branscom wrote in a May 31 order explaining his decision in the lawsuit brought by Petty and other opponents. A monthlong public comment period held by Apex ended June 25. The company is currently reviewing the information received and preparing written responses. That material will then be forwarded to DEQ for final action. Of the 49 people who spoke or wrote, 23 expressed support for Rocky Forge, according to company spokesman Patrick Chilton. DEQ plans to share the information with its sister agencies, including the state Department of Wildlife Resources, and provide feedback as needed to Apex before making a decision, Calos said. It has 90 days to act. Safer solutions sought Wind farms can be made safer for eagles in a variety of ways, none of them currently envisioned for Rocky Forge. One idea is to use cameras to send alerts when the flying birds approach turbines, activating inflatable tubes mounted at their bases. The undulating plastic tubes, similar to those seen outside car dealerships and other businesses, scare the birds away. Audio signals have also been suggested to deter eagles, although that would likely not be embraced by opponents who already complain that the turbines make too much noise. In its public comments, the American Bird Conservancy suggested ways to improve avian surveys, including mounting GPS tags on migrating eagles to better track their movements. The conservancy also urged DEQ to order Apex to stop the turbines from spinning at times of heavy eagle traffic. Such a mitigation strategy is already in place to protect bats. As a condition of its state permit, the company agreed to shut down the wind farm from dusk to dawn in the warmer months, when bats are most active. Amy Martin, manager of wildlife information and environmental services for the states Department of Wildlife Resources, said the agency believes turbines can threaten eagles. The magnitude of the risk depends on a wind farms location, the type of turbines and its operation, she said. DWR recently contracted a landscape model study to better determine what risks wind farms might pose to eagles in the Blue Ridge region, Martin said, but additional funding is not yet available to evaluate the Rocky Forge project. While acknowledging some risks, supporters cite the dangers of a warming planet. The Roanoke Group of the Sierra Club endorsed Rocky Forge in 2016, provided that environmental protections are followed and Apex abides by all state and federal regulations. Our greatest concern is rapid climate change, said Dan Crawford, president of the group. Wildlife is struggling as well, and will continue to perish along with humans if we dont transition away from fossil fuels as fast as reasonably possible. At its maximum capacity which is when the wind is blowing Rocky Forge will generate enough electricity to power about 20,000 homes. Although thats a relatively small output, advocates say other wind farms will follow in Virginia once this one is finally in operation. Chilton, the Apex spokesman, said the company hopes to clear the remaining legal and regulatory hurdles in time to begin construction by no later than 2024. The bill holding new firearm legislation that was signed June 25 by President Joe Biden demonstrated that a strip of common ground, however narrow, could be found on the hyper-polarized issue of gun regulation. That significant bipartisan agreement, however, ended up overshadowed by the June 24 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that with a 6-3 vote overturned the 50-year-old Roe v. Wade decision, ending federal protections for abortion access. The demise of Roe v. Wade has been telegraphed for months. You could even say years, depending on your starting point and how much credence you give hindsight. It could be 2016, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, successfully prevented Merrick Garland, President Obamas choice to replace the late conservative icon Antonin Scalia, from even getting a confirmation hearing. It could be 2020, when President Donald Trump appointed Scalia protege Amy Coney Barrett to take the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburgs place on the court. Hindsight and a bit of brazenness could even allow one to put the date at 1991, when then-Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Joe Biden gave short shrift to sexual harassment allegations shared by law professor Anita Hill and paved the way for ultra-conservative Justice Clarence Thomass confirmation. Even Ginsburg repeatedly expressed doubts about Roe v. Wade, contending on multiple occasions that the 1973 ruling constituted a disruptive interruption on the part of the Supreme Court at a time when the national debate was trending in favor of abortion access in fact, the mainstream Republican position was largely pro-choice, not unlike how Republicans then broadly supported the Equal Rights Amendment. Heavy-handed judicial intervention was difficult to justify and appears to have provoked, not resolved, conflict, Ginsburg wrote in 1984. The New York Times suggests a date of 2010, when backlash to Obamas election saw a wave of Tea Party-supported Republicans take control of 25 state legislatures. Sympathetic to abortion opponents, they passed 205 abortion restrictions and bans over the three years that followed, a record number. Armies of certitude Justice Samuel Alitos own heavy-handed intervention arrives in the midst of a radically changed political climate. In the debate over abortion access, almost no bipartisan common ground exists among lawmakers, beyond the relatively rare existence of a pro-abortion rights Republican or anti-abortion rights Democrat. Among the general populace the debate remains similarly antagonistic. Those who vehemently oppose abortion view government sanctioned deaths of the unborn as the greatest single human rights travesty of our time. Those who battle for abortion access see giving women no choice in carrying every pregnancy to term as a scramble backward toward the barbarous era when women were regarded as property, and as a lurch toward religious tyranny of the kind imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan and the ayatollahs of Iran. Just as it is unrealistic to expect that a ban on abortions at any level of government will genuinely put a stop to them, it is unrealistic to expect that a triumph on one side of this struggle will cause people on the other side to do anything other than fight harder. In a country that often feels dangerously divided, divisions will deepen. Published six months before the leak of Alitos draft opinion that mapped out the undoing of Roe v. Wade, a New York Times column by conservative essayist David Brooks eloquently describes the nature and causes of the polarization. On one side, Brooks surmised, many conservatives wont acknowledge the problems that have always made this issue so hard. For example: How do we show proper respect and deference to women who become pregnant in terrible circumstances? he wrote. Many conservatives focus on the fetus to the exclusion of all else. On the other side, progressives frame the issue solely in terms of health care, Brooks wrote. A lot of progressives talk about abortion as if it couldnt possibly be a termination of a human life. As a result, vocal minorities dictate the conflict. The armies of certitude march forth and dominate debate and politics. The rest of us, hampered by ambivalence, hang back. We live in a democracy in which the majority often does not rule, Brooks wrote. Virginians need to vote For anti-abortion activists, the ruling is a major victory in a decades-long fight that still isnt over. For abortion rights activists, the ruling is a predictable but disheartening setback and a gut-check after years of relative complacency and lack of urgency on the part of Democrats, who put their faith in the durability of Roe as Republicans furthered the cause of their anti-abortion allies at all levels of government, guided by what New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg described as a movement that spent decades mastering the nuts and bolts of American politics, persisting despite years of failure and disappointment. For the balance to tilt the other way, abortion access advocates and their Democratic allies will have to find the mettle to buckle down for a similar long haul. Meanwhile, red and blue grow further apart. As California and New York look to enshrine abortion access in their constitutions, conservative states not only impose or explore total abortion bans, but consider laws that could put women in prison who travel to other states to terminate a pregnancy, and impose criminal penalties on anyone who helps them. No such law of the latter kind has been passed, yet. For Virginia, which teeters on a purple fulcrum, with Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin charging into divisive culture war battles despite a narrow election victory, the Roe v. Wade reversal could be especially consequential. At present, the Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Heath Organization ruling has no affect on abortion access in Virginia, but Youngkin has made clear that, should voters put the General Assembly completely under GOP control, hell pursue new restrictions with gusto. Though Youngkin has advocated for a ban on the procedure at 15 weeks, he has also said he believes life begins at conception and will be open to any abortion restrictions that reach his desk. The present General Assembly is about as perfect an expression of Virginias purple status as one could find. Republicans hold the House of Delegates by a mere four seats, 52-48, while Democrats control the Virginia Senate by a two-vote margin, 21-19, with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears able to tilt things Republican on a tie vote. However the argument moves forward, the vandalism in June of a pro-life womens center in Lynchburg and similar incidents across the country resoundingly demonstrate how to make things worse and grant resolve to ones opponents. Civil discourse must stay part of the debate, and those who care deeply about this issue have no business staying home when the voting booths are open. "The Federal Sentencing Guidelines: Some Valedictory Reflections Twenty Years After Apprendi" | Main | Rounding up lots of good recent criminal justice reads March 5, 2021 Did a Sixth Circuit panel largely decimate the federal sentencing fraud guidelines (and perhaps many others)? A helpful colleague made sure I found some time in a busy week to think about the Sixth Circuit's panel decision on Wednesday in US v. Riccardi, No. 19-4232 (6th Cir. Mar. 3, 2021) (available here). The Riccardi decision is the latest in a series of relatively new circuit rulings in which courts are declaring it improper and impermissible for the commentary to the federal sentencing guidelines to be applied in ways that expand the meaning of the actual guidelines (prior Sixth Circuit en banc example flagged here). Riccardi seems like an especially big deal because it is focused on the commentary to the fraud guidelines, USSG 2B1.1, which has an extensive accounting of how courts should account for the key factor of "loss" in the main guideline. Here is how panel's majority opinion gets started: Jennifer Riccardi, a postal employee, pleaded guilty to stealing 1,505 gift cards from the mail. Most of these gift cards had an average value of about $35 for a total value of about $47,000. The Sentencing Guidelines directed the district court to increase Riccardis guidelines range based on the amount of the loss. U.S.S.G. 2B1.1(b)(1). Yet 2B1.1 does not define the word loss. A search for its ordinary meaning might produce definitions such as [t]he amount of something lost or [t]he harm or suffering caused by losing or being lost. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 1063 (3d ed. 1992). Perhaps, then, the word is ambiguous on the margins. Does it, for example, cover only financial harms or emotional ones too? But one definition of loss that you will not find in any dictionary is the rule that the district court used for Riccardis stolen gift cards: a $500 minimum loss amount for each gift card no matter its actual value or the victims actual harm (which, for Riccardi, amounted to a total loss amount of $752,500). Riccardi challenges the use of this $500 minimum loss amount, which comes from the Sentencing Commissions commentary to 2B1.1. The commentary instructs that the loss shall be not less than $500 for each unauthorized access device, a phrase that Riccardi concedes covers stolen gift cards. U.S.S.G. 2B1.1 cmt. n.3(F)(i). But guidelines commentary may only interpret, not add to, the guidelines themselves. United States v. Havis, 927 F.3d 382, 386 (6th Cir. 2019) (en banc) (per curiam). And even if there is some ambiguity in 2B1.1s use of the word loss, the commentarys bright-line rule requiring a $500 loss amount for every gift card does not fall within the zone of ambiguity that exists. Kisor v. Wilkie, 139 S. Ct. 2400, 2416 (2019). So this bright-line rule cannot be considered a reasonable interpretation of as opposed to an improper expansion beyond 2B1.1s text. We thus reverse Riccardis sentence and remand for resentencing without the use of the commentarys automatic $500 minimum loss amount for every gift card. Though the part of the loss commentary found to be an "improper expansion" of the 2B1.1 guideline in Riccardi might seem like a quirky example, I suspect a good many fraud cases involve commentary that could be considered an "improper expansion" of the guideline term "loss." For example, the commentary states that "loss is the greater of actual loss or intended loss," but can see a good argument that "intended loss" which is loss that did not actually happen, but was part of the design of an offense is not a reasonable interpretation of "loss." Similarly, the commentary states sentencing judges "shall use the gain that resulted from the offense as an alternative measure of loss only if there is a loss but it reasonably cannot be determined." I feel pretty confident that "gain" is not really an interpretation of "loss." Critically, the fraud guideline is not the only one important part of the federal sentencing guideline with an intricate set of commentary instructions that might be challenged as full of "improper expansions." I sense a growing number of litigants and courts are starting to hone on potentially problematical guideline commentary and that some variation of this issue with be getting to the US Supreme Court before too long. In the meantime, defense attorneys would be wise to challenge (and preserve arguments around) any application of guideline commentary that even might be viewed as "expansionary." March 5, 2021 at 09:58 AM | Permalink Comments Post a comment A police car drives past the home of David and Louise Turpin where police arrested the couple accused of holding 13 children captive on Jan. 24, 2018, in Perris, Calif. Associated Press/Damian Dovarganes The 13 Turpin siblings who were abused by their parents have now been "failed" by social services. Riverside County, CA, commissioned a law firm to investigate the hardships they have endured since their escape. They have been in the custody of the county since 2018 and have experienced unstable housing and food insecurity. The 13 siblings who were starved, shackled, and abused while their parents, David and Louise Turpin, held them captive in their California "house of horrors" have since been "failed" by the social services system that was supposed to care for them, according to a new report commissioned by Riverside County. The siblings were freed from captivity in 2018 after one of them escaped from the Turpin home through a window and called police. David and Louise Turpin were arrested and later pleaded guilty to torturing and abusing their children. They were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Police, prosecutors, and some of the siblings themselves over the years have publicly described the horrific conditions the children endured. The siblings, who were aged 2 to 29 when they were rescued, were often chained up for days or weeks at a time, fed just one meal a day, not permitted to bathe for months on end, isolated from the outside world, and forced to keep a nocturnal schedule where they slept during the day and awoke at night. But the county officials tasked with caring for the siblings after their 2018 rescue often subjected them to other types of neglect, according to the report. Last year, ABC News published an investigation alleging the children struggled to access the services they needed, as well as the roughly $600,000 in donations that poured in from strangers from around the world. ABC News reported the adult Turpin children had often been unable to access basic services like healthcare, transportation, and even food. Louise Turpin and husband, David Turpin appear in Superior Court in Riverside County, Calif. on Wednesday, June 20, 2018 for a preliminary hearing on charges that include torture and child abuse. Watchara Phomicinda/The Press-Enterprise via Getty Images "With respect to the Turpin siblings, we conclude there were many times over the last four years that they received the care they needed from the County," the report said. "This was not always the case, however, and all too often the social services system failed them." Story continues The county, spurred by the ABC News investigation, commissioned the law firm Larson LLP to investigate the siblings' hardships. Larson LLP's report, published Friday with significant redactions, totaled 634 pages and will be presented to the Riverside County Board of Supervisors on July 12. The report said some of the younger children were "placed with caregivers who were later charged with child abuse." The older siblings, who required extensive assistance from the county as they transitioned into living as independent adults, experienced unstable housing and food insecurity, the report said. "When they complained about their circumstances, they often felt frustrated, unheard, and stifled by the system," the report said. The report also found the social services system in Riverside County was seriously lacking in terms of staffing, placements for children, and services like mental health treatment, transportation, and teaching teenagers and young adults important life skills such as "managing money" and "forming healthy relationships." The report recommended a slew of improvements to Riverside County's social services system, including increasing compensation and reducing workloads for social workers and supervisors, increasing funding for new placements for children, and launching a county-wide effort to increase foster homes available. Read the original article on Insider Cookie notifications become a ubiquitous aspect of online life. Mohssen Assanimoghaddam/picture alliance via Getty Images Website cookies are online surveillance tools, and the commercial and government entities that use them would prefer people not read those notifications too closely. People who do read the notifications carefully will find that they have the option to say no to some or all cookies. The problem is, without careful attention those notifications become an annoyance and a subtle reminder that your online activity can be tracked. As a researcher who studies online surveillance, Ive found that failing to read the notifications thoroughly can lead to negative emotions and affect what people do online. How cookies work Browser cookies are not new. They were developed in 1994 by a Netscape programmer in order to optimize browsing experiences by exchanging users data with specific websites. These small text files allowed websites to remember your passwords for easier logins and keep items in your virtual shopping cart for later purchases. But over the past three decades, cookies have evolved to track users across websites and devices. This is how items in your Amazon shopping cart on your phone can be used to tailor the ads you see on Hulu and Twitter on your laptop. One study found that 35 of 50 popular websites use website cookies illegally. European regulations require websites to receive your permission before using cookies. You can avoid this type of third-party tracking with website cookies by carefully reading platforms privacy policies and opting out of cookies, but people generally arent doing that. One study found that, on average, internet users spend just 13 seconds reading a websites terms of service statements before they consent to cookies and other outrageous terms, such as, as the study included, exchanging their first-born child for service on the platform. These terms-of-service provisions are cumbersome and intended to create friction. Friction is a technique used to slow down internet users, either to maintain governmental control or reduce customer service loads. Autocratic governments that want to maintain control via state surveillance without jeopardizing their public legitimacy frequently use this technique. Friction involves building frustrating experiences into website and app design so that users who are trying to avoid monitoring or censorship become so inconvenienced that they ultimately give up. How cookies affect you My newest research sought to understand how website cookie notifications are used in the U.S. to create friction and influence user behavior. To do this research, I looked to the concept of mindless compliance, an idea made infamous by Yale psychologist Stanley Milgram. Milgrams experiments now considered a radical breach of research ethics asked participants to administer electric shocks to fellow study takers in order to test obedience to authority. Milgrams research demonstrated that people often consent to a request by authority without first deliberating on whether its the right thing to do. In a much more routine case, I suspected this is also what was happening with website cookies. I conducted a large, nationally representative experiment that presented users with a boilerplate browser cookie pop-up message, similar to one you may have encountered on your way to read this article. I evaluated whether the cookie message triggered an emotional response either anger or fear, which are both expected responses to online friction. And then I assessed how these cookie notifications influenced internet users willingness to express themselves online. Online expression is central to democratic life, and various types of internet monitoring are known to suppress it. The results showed that cookie notifications triggered strong feelings of anger and fear, suggesting that website cookies are no longer perceived as the helpful online tool they were designed to be. Instead, they are a hindrance to accessing information and making informed choices about ones privacy permissions. And, as suspected, cookie notifications also reduced peoples stated desire to express opinions, search for information and go against the status quo. Cookie solutions Legislation regulating cookie notifications like the EUs General Data Protection Regulation and California Consumer Privacy Act were designed with the public in mind. But notification of online tracking is creating an unintentional boomerang effect. There are three design choices that could help. First, making consent to cookies more mindful, so people are more aware of which data will be collected and how it will be used. This will involve changing the default of website cookies from opt-out to opt-in so that people who want to use cookies to improve their experience can voluntarily do so. Second, cookie permissions change regularly, and what data is being requested and how it will be used should be front and center. And third, U.S. internet users should possess the right to be forgotten, or the right to remove online information about themselves that is harmful or not used for its original intent, including the data collected by tracking cookies. This is a provision granted in the General Data Protection Regulation but does not extend to U.S. internet users. In the meantime, I recommend that people read the terms and conditions of cookie use and accept only whats necessary. ___ Elizabeth Stoycheff has received funding from WhatsApp and Facebook for other endeavors, but that has no bearing on these research findings. ___ LEAD, S.D. (AP) In a former gold mine a mile underground, inside a titanium tank filled with a rare liquified gas, scientists have begun the search for what so far has been unfindable: dark matter. Scientists are pretty sure the invisible stuff makes up most of the universes mass and say we wouldn't be here without it but they don't know what it is. The race to solve this enormous mystery has brought one team to the depths under Lead, South Dakota. The question for scientists is basic, says Kevin Lesko, a physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. What is this great place I live in? Right now, 95% of it is a mystery. The idea is that a mile of dirt and rock, a giant tank, a second tank and the purest titanium in the world will block nearly all the cosmic rays and particles that zip around and through all of us every day. But dark matter particles, scientists think, can avoid all those obstacles. They hope one will fly into the vat of liquid xenon in the inner tank and smash into a xenon nucleus like two balls in a game of pool, revealing its existence in a flash of light seen by a device called the time projection chamber. Scientists announced Thursday that the five-year, $60 million search finally got underway two months ago after a delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. So far the device has found ... nothing. At least no dark matter. Thats OK, they say. The equipment appears to be working to filter out most of the background radiation they hoped to block. To search for this very rare type of interaction, job number one is to first get rid of all of the ordinary sources of radiation, which would overwhelm the experiment, said University of Maryland physicist Carter Hall. And if all their calculations and theories are right, they figure theyll see only a couple fleeting signs of dark matter a year. The team of 250 scientists estimates theyll get 20 times more data over the next couple of years. By the time the experiment finishes, the chance of finding dark matter with this device is probably less than 50% but more than 10%, said Hugh Lippincott, a physicist and spokesman for the experiment in a Thursday news conference. While that's far from a sure thing, you need a little enthusiasm," Lawrence Berkeley's Lesko said. You dont go into rare search physics without some hope of finding something. Two hulking Depression-era hoists run an elevator that brings scientists to what's called the LUX-ZEPLIN experiment in the Sanford Underground Research Facility. A 10-minute descent ends in a tunnel with cool-to-the-touch walls lined with netting. But the old, musty mine soon leads to a high-tech lab where dirt and contamination is the enemy. Helmets are exchanged for new cleaner ones and a double layer of baby blue booties go over steel-toed safety boots. The heart of the experiment is the giant tank called the cryostat, lead engineer Jeff Cherwinka said in a December 2019 tour before the device was closed and filled. He described it as like a thermos made of perhaps the purest titanium in the world designed to keep the liquid xenon cold and keep background radiation at a minimum. Xenon is special, explained experiment physics coordinator Aaron Manalaysay, because it allows researchers to see if a collision is with one of its electrons or with its nucleus. If something hits the nucleus, it is more likely to be the dark matter that everyone is looking for, he said. These scientists tried a similar, smaller experiment here years ago. After coming up empty, they figured they had to go much bigger. Another large-scale experiment is underway in Italy run by a rival team, but no results have been announced so far. The scientists are trying to understand why the universe is not what it seems. One part of the mystery is dark matter, which has by far most of the mass in the cosmos. Astronomers know it's there because when they measure the stars and other regular matter in galaxies, they find that there is not nearly enough gravity to hold these clusters together. If nothing else was out there, galaxies would be quickly flying apart, Manalaysay said. It is essentially impossible to understand our observation of history, of the evolutionary cosmos without dark matter, Manalaysay said. Lippincott, a University of California, Santa Barbara, physicist, said we would not be here without dark matter. So while there's little doubt that dark matter exists, there's lots of doubt about what it is. The leading theory is that it involves things called WIMPs weakly interacting massive particles. If that's the case, LUX-ZEPLIN could be able to detect them. We want to find where the wimps can be hiding, Lippincott said. Follow Seth Borenstein on Twitter at @borenbears. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. ALGIERS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- Algeria said on Saturday that seven of its citizens were subject to an armed attack in the Gao region of Mali, and three of them were injured. Algerian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the seven citizens were truck drivers transporting containers to Mali when they were attacked by a group of motorbike-riding armed assailants. The assailants first attempted to rob the drivers, and when they failed, they used guns to wound three drivers, according to the ministry. It added that the victims were taken to hospital, with one in critical condition. Last weekend, the Fourth of July was celebrated across the country with fireworks, oratory and parades. Those serving in the armed forces were saluted, along with veterans of the various wars we have fought. In some speeches, citizens were urged to take inspiration from their service as well as that of our Founding Fathers. Aspects of the latters lives and careers are continuously celebrated in a steady stream of books. We have been blessed with multiple biographies of George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson (who never seems to go out of style), James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton even Aaron Burr as we pay dutiful homage to the heroic past. But whens the last time you heard or read anything about Tom Paine? History students still learn that he was the author of Common Sense, a revolutionary tract that sold the idea of independence to the average citizen. While most colonists simply wanted a better deal from King George, Paine insisted on complete separation. Im sure he is largely overlooked today because he was a difficult man, both then and now. He was born in England in 1737, the son of a corset-maker. His schooling ended at 13 and he tried several professions, including his fathers, at all of which he failed. He entered into two brief and equally unsuccessful marriages and was pretty much at loose ends bankrupt, in fact when he met Benjamin Franklin in London. Franklin admired Paines intelligence and provocative ideas and helped him get to America to start a new life. He started writing for Pennsylvania publications, attracting attention with his articles against slavery and for giving women equal access to public life. Scandalous! Franklin prompted him to take up one of his own interests, the struggle of the colonies against the English crown. Paine responded with the pamphlet, Common Sense, which set forth arguments for independence in language the average reader could understand. It sold 150,000 copies and played a major role in turning public opinion in favor of the revolution. During the war, in which he served as a Continental Army soldier, he published 16 pamphlets under the title of The American Crisis, which helped sustain the morale of soldiers at Valley Forge and citizens who were becoming nervous about the wars outcome. Crisis produced one of his most familiar quotes: These are the times that try mens souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of men and women. Paine was given a government job after the war, but didnt last long after making charges of federal corruption. Later he settled on a farm in New Rochelle, a gift from the state of New York. He visited France and England, building a bridge of his own design in the latter country. He got into trouble in England with the publication of The Rights of Man, defending the French Revolution against the attacks of British Prime Minister Edmund Burke. He was charged with treason, but moved to France before the trial ended. There he was greeted as a hero, given French citizenship and membership in the National Assembly. He took his seat, not with the revolutionaries, but with the moderates who later fell from favor. He was stripped of his citizenship, sent to jail and came very close to being guillotined. While in prison he wrote his great deistic work, The Age of Reason. Surviving the terror, he returned to the French Assembly, but finally left for America in 1803. He then published a Letter to George Washington, accusing Americas first president of plotting with Governeur Morris against him. As I said, a difficult man. The Rights of Man became the most popular book of the 18th Century, selling over a half-million copies. Jefferson championed it, John Quincy Adams loathed it, and the two fought over it bitterly. In that book, Paine argued for government actions, which later became part of Franklin Delano Roosevelts New Deal: welfare payments to the poor, pensions for the elderly, public funding of education, reduction of military spending, and an estate tax limiting the amount of an inheritance. While in his communist days, novelist and screenwriter Howard Fast wrote a fictionalized account of his life, Citizen Tom Paine, and you can understand the attraction: Paine was one who opposed aristocracies, either of money or birth, and all organized religion. As he put it: My own mind is my own church. For all that, he was one of the great actors in the Revolutionary drama. He was not a crank making arguments intemperately, but in a generous spirit. The propertied founding fathers found him very disconcerting. As do many people now who are trying to change our democracy into an oligarchy of the wealthy. Paine would be right at home today, writing his pamphlets, not against the English monarch, but against Congress: royalist in sentiment, monarchical and aristocratical in its actions, Federalist in its mistrust of freedom, imperialist in the bluster of its military pretensions, evangelical in its worship of property. Small wonder that Paine was buried in his own yard, having been refused a spot in consecrated ground. His bones were taken to England to be buried in a monument there but were somehow lost. Rather like his place in the pantheon of respectable American patriots. They may come if you build it, but that doesnt mean anyone is going to air it. Thats the problem behind Field of Dreams, a television series based on the 1989 Kevin Costner movie. Slated to shoot in Iowa, the series was awarded $6 million from a new state tourism program called Destination Iowa. Afterwards, officials with the NBC streaming service Peacock said they decided to pass on the project, leaving it without a home. Field of Dream producers said they would look for another broadcast partner. State officials emphasized Destination Iowa funds would remain in play even without a replacement. The real question, of course: Why did Iowa get involved in the first place? With a distributor like Peacock, they easily could have found money elsewhere. Was someone in state government eager to get back in the movie-making business? Or did they really think a TV series would enhance Iowas tourism program? Those who dont remember history may be doomed to repeat it. Doesnt anyone remember the trouble the former Iowas Film Office had several decades ago? The fraud and abuse in Iowas tax credit program for movies was rampant. Approximately $26 million in improperly used credits was identified. At least a half dozen people were convicted of fraud or theft. So what would be the benefit of the state getting back in that business? The series will be shot in various Iowa locations, but its not as if tourists could drop in on a set and watch whats going on. If its the values batted around in the film, you could easily visit the real movie site near Dyersville and watch a game at the nearby park. There really isnt a need for another Field of Dreams promotion. Then, too, if state officials were eager to get behind filmmaking in Iowa, why didnt they give money to residents already making films in the state? An Iowa film showcase perhaps on IowaPBS could attract attention and support the state. Broadway has a revival of The Music Man and it didnt require state subsidies. Theres an upcoming series based on A League of Their Own and it found funding. As thrilling as Is this heaven? may have been to hear, we shouldnt still rely on a 30-year-old catchphrase to jumpstart tourism. Our advice columnists have heard it all over the years. Each Sunday, we dive into the Dear Prudie archives and share a selection of classic letters with our readers. Join Slate Plus for even more advice columns. Dear Prudence, I am a woman who has been married for 15 years, and I have a 13-year-old child. I have been in a long-distance love affair for four years with a single man almost 20 years older than I am. Our plan has always been to wait until my child is out of high school (four more years) before I divorce my husband and we begin our life together. I know I am not going to be viewed favorably because of my affair, but now I have a different problem. My lover recently had a stroke, and chances are not looking good for a full recovery. I very much want to spend whatever years my significant other has left with him. Our plan was to ease into our full-time relationship while causing the least amount of damage as possible. But now I dont know what to do. Any advice? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To quote that philosopher of love, Donald Rumsfeld, the unknown unknowns here significantly outweigh the known knowns and known unknowns. Here you are, far away from your ailing lover, and you dont know whether you should upend everything and run to his side to become his caretaker. You have been living with a long-running dream to one day take your secret life public, but neither you nor your lover could have guaranteed that once your child packed up for college you both would have actually put this plan into place. Maybe you would have discovered he liked having that committed future always out of grasp, and he preferred an ardent, no-strings lover. Maybe you would have discovered you didnt want to take the financial hit of a divorce and you were enjoying the freedom of your empty nest. You dont say whether your lover has other people who are emotionally close and close by. Its possible he has a rich, full life and people ready to help him. It could be the last thing he would want is to be dependent on you and for you to tear apart your family. You have a romantic notion of nursing him back to whatever degree of health is possible. Before you do that, sit in on a support group for spouses of stroke victims and find out what thats really like. You have specialized in long-term, long-distance deception. Thats not going to work anymore. I cant tell you what to do, beyond being willing to shine a harsh light on whats known, and trying to grasp the consequences of whats unknown. Emily Yoffe Advertisement Advertisement From: Help! My Affair Partner Just Had a Stroke. Should I Blow Up My Family to Care for Him? (March 12, 2015) Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence, My husband and I are driving six hours through the snowy mountains in a rental car with two other couples who are close friends to a wedding in a practically unreachable place (thats a story for another advice column). One of the men in another couple went ahead and reserved the car rental for us as he travels frequently for work. The problem is we are all terrified of him as a driverhe drives too fast, doesnt pay attention, and honestly doesnt drive often enough to be any good at it. We would prefer that someone else drive, but he says time and time again that hes happy to do it. How do we convince him to let someone else get behind the wheel without hurting his feelings? Hes very sensitive and we think he might be crushed with our lack of trust in him. Advertisement If youre terrified of his driving, its better to offend him a little before the trip, rather than die in a four-car pileup out of politeness. At least he never knew how bad a driver we all thought he was, right until he crashed the car is going to be cold comfort to you. Tell him youre not comfortable with his drivingsomeone who speeds and doesnt watch the road is a pretty lethal combinationand rent a separate car if you have to. He can have all the feelings he wants to about it. Thats not your problem. You can tell him kindly, of course, and stress that youre concerned about his safety, but this is a matter that calls for honesty more than tact. Danny M. Lavery Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From: Help! How Do I Stop Our Terrible-Driver Friend From Driving Us? (Nov. 24, 2015) Advertisement Dear Prudence, One of my wifes friends has hated me since the day she met me. While early on, her hatred was tolerable, lately its become annoying and more than a little creepy. I work in research and development, the same industry as her. I often have lunch with colleagues, both male and female, while we discuss work. She has spotted me a few times having lunch with a female colleague and without even talking to me, shes reported to my wife that she thinks Im having an affair (even though its been a different woman each timeapparently I really get around). My wife was suspicious at first but is not so worried now. (Ive never cheated on her and have given her no reason to believe I have or would.) This woman ran into me last week and told me, Im going to destroy you and walked away. I told my wife, and she said I must not have heard her correctly. How do I convince my wife that she needs to confront this nutcase? If she doesnt change her behavior toward me after that, I think its only fair that my wife stop seeing her as a friend. What do you think I should do? Advertisement Advertisement So, weve got the set-up for a thriller. In the Hollywood version youre working late one night when you hear the click-click-click of high heels coming down the corridor, and when you turn around theres the friend, wearing a wig to look like your wife, the knife in her hand glinting. Sorry, I didnt mean to get carried away, but this situation is seriously disturbing. Im not suggesting you start keeping pepper spray in your briefcase, but you have to do something about this nut. It wouldnt take too many false reports from a friend that my husband was having an affair with a new woman every week for me to drop the pal. Its odd that your wife continues to have fond relations with a woman who has made it her goal to ruin your marriage. What does your wife think her friend actually said last week: Im going to Hanoi. You? You need to explain to your wife that since this woman is in your industry and has an irrational hatred of you, she could spread vicious rumors that harm your career. I think you should get your wife to accompany you to a lawyers office where you discuss this womans behavior and find out what you can do about it. But a helpful first step would be for your wife to become your ally and make clear to her friend that this hostility to you is unwarranted and needs to end. E.Y. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement From: Help! My Wifes Best Friend Threatened to Destroy Me. (Jan. 9, 2012) Dear Prudence, Im getting married next spring to an amazing guy, and I have two cocker spaniels Ive had since before I met him. He loves them, but theyre my dogsI pay for everything involving them and Im the primary caretaker. I love my fiance and I trust him more than anyone else in the world, but I want to have some sort of agreement in place that if we should ever split, the dogs would stay with me. When I was 13, my parents had a messy divorce and our three family dogs were sent to the shelter when my parents couldnt reach a settlement. I was devastated, and the idea of that ever possibly happening to my beloved dogs makes me tear up. Would it be absurd of me to bring this up with my fiance? I dont see us ever splitting up and I want to spend the rest of my life with him, but worrying over this is actually keeping me up at night. Advertisement The one difference between your dogs and your parents dogs is that yours were acquired and primarily raised before your marriage, which would make them premarital assets and much easier to win custody of in the event of your divorce. But no, its not absurd to bring up your dogs in a prenup discussion; custody battles over pets are extremely common, as you yourself have witnessed firsthand. If you two did split at some point far down the line, after these dogs have passed on and you two acquired other dogs as a married couple, I hope you could agree that at some point, it would be better for one of you to forgo custody rather than send the dogs in question to a shelterperhaps committing to that compromise now would ease your mind about future worst-case scenarios. D.L. Advertisement Advertisement From: Help! I Love My Fiance, but I Want a Doggy Prenup in Case We Divorce. (Oct. 18, 2016) More Advice From Dear Prudence I did something recently that concerns me on many levels. I am under a large amount of stress because Im in an unhappy marriage (which were trying to work out) and because my company laid me off. I am under treatment for depression. A week ago, my doctor doubled the dosage of my antidepressant and, because Im not sleeping well, he prescribed Ambien. On Saturday morning, I confused the vials and took two Ambien. I told my wife what happened and that I would probably sleep all day and went to bed. The Tri-County Lakes Administrative Commission will be holding its first public hearing next week for a proposed no-wakesurfing zone in the Merriman Run area of Smith Mountain Lake. The public hearing comes nearly a year after TLAC approved the use of no-wakesurfing zones on the lake as an effort to alleviate the growing concerns of many lake residents. Applications for the zones became available at the TLAC office on Jan. 1, but so far only one has been completed. TLACs navigation committee will listen to public comments before voting on the no-wakesurfing application on July 19 at 6 p.m. in the TLAC offices on Scruggs Road in Moneta. The recommendation of the navigation committee will go to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources where they will make a final vote on the application. If the application is approved by TLACs navigation committee and the DWR, there is a question of how the no-wakesurfing zones will be enforced by conservation officers. Sgt. Tim Dooley with the DWR said no final decisions have been made so far. We are waiting to see what comes out of the public hearing, Dooley said. We have stayed out of the discussion at this point. Dooley did say the DWR would likely coordinate with other area lakes that have no-wakesurfing zones already in place to see how officers there enforce them. Lake Anna in northern Virginia has implemented multiple no-wakesurfing zones in recent years. To complete an application for a no-wakesurfing zone at Smith Mountain Lake, applicants must first obtain written consent from at least 75% of neighbors in the impacted area that they agree to have the zone. Those applying must also show verifiable proof that a public safety hazard exists and occurs on a regular basis through written statements, videos and reports to law enforcement. Applicants can also show structural, shoreline or vessel damage has occurred that can be verified by submitting repair bills, pictures or a written statement from a business professional that can verify the damage was caused by wakesurfing. Applicants in a channel, cove or area of water with less than 400 feet between shorelines or the furthest extending points of a structure such as docks are also considered for no-wakesurfing buoys. Lorie Smith, chairman of TLAC, said a lot of work has gone into working through the first application to assure that everything is correct. She said there is an emphasis that the committee gets it right with the first application. She admitted there had been some initial hurdles they needed to overcome in this first application, although it was expected as this is a totally new to the lake. We didnt expect it to be seamless, she said. The TLAC board expected some unforeseen issues in the first year. That is why it agreed to an annual review of the no-wakesurfing zone application process to assure it is working as intended. Smith said she expects a review to take place late this year or early next year. CAPE TOWN, July 10 (Xinhua) -- At least 14 people were killed and another nine are receiving treatment in hospital due to a random shooting early Sunday at a tavern in South Africa's Soweto township, close to Johannesburg, police said. The incident happened in the early hours of Sunday morning in Soweto' Orlando township, said Elias Mawela, police commissioner of Gauteng Province, which encompasses Johannesburg and other areas. The assailants entered the bar and shot people randomly at 12:30 a.m. local time (2230 GMT Saturday), said Mawela at the scene. He said twelve people died at the scene while two died in hospital, adding that three of the injured are "in critical condition." The victims are estimated to be 19 to 35 years of age. Police are still investigating the incident. A comprehensive hydrogen energy utilization demonstration project on east China's Dachen Island was put into operation on Friday. It utilizes wind power resources to generate green hydrogen, promoting conversion and supply of clean energy to foster low-carbon development. #GLOBALink Produced by Xinhua Global Service LAGOS, July 9 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed when a boat carrying 16 people capsized in Lagos on Friday afternoon, Nigerian authorities announced on Saturday. At the time of accident, the boat was travelling along a waterway in the Ojo area of Lagos, when "the tide of the water drifted the boat to a stationary barge, which caused it to overturn," said Ibrahim Farinloye, the zonal coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in the southwestern region in a statement. He said the boat captain breached the ban of ferrying passengers by night. The marine police and volunteers swung into action after the accident happened, trying to locate all the missing victims. "Recovery operations are still ongoing," Farinloye said. Boat accidents in the West African country are frequently reported due to overloading, bad weather and faulty operations. Beach Glass was made the 7-5 morning-line favourite for the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace on July 16 after winning his elimination by 5-1/4 lengths in 1:48.1 on Saturday (July 9) and drawing post six for next weeks final at the Meadowlands Racetrack. Market Based, who won Saturdays second $50,000 elimination at The Big M by a neck over Night Hawk in 1:48.4 at odds of 11-1, drew post four for the final. He was made 5-1 on the morning line for the final, which will feature a field of 10 three-year-old male pacers. In the first elimination, Beach Glass was part of an early three-horse battle for the front with I Did It Myway and Greatest Ending, with Greatest Ending eventually claiming the lead in a :25.2 opening quarter. I Did It Myway moved to the top on the backstretch but held that spot only briefly before Beach Glass got the lead on his way to a :53.2 half. Beach Glass, the 3-5 favourite, and driver Yannick Gingras controlled the action from there, hitting three-quarters in 1:22 before sprinting home in :26.1 to win by 5-1/4 lengths over Captain Cowboy. I Did It Myway finished third, followed by Early Action and Mad Max Hanover to all advance to the final. I didnt know, but I thought he might be [ready for that type of performance], and I was hoping he was, trainer Brent MacGrath said. If you would have told me he would be parked in :25.2 and home in :26.1, I probably wouldnt have went that stretch, but hes good. Were high on him. Hes just a really nice colt thats green and he got woke up here tonight. Once [Gingras] moved him back to the front, I was very comfortable. We wanted to put him in play and give him an opportunity, and he did, and he got the job done. Hopefully it will set up good for next week. Beach Glass is a homebred son of Somebeachsomewhere-Im With Her owned by Schooner II Stable. MacGrath and the Schooner partners also campaigned Somebeachsomewhere, who won 20 of 21 career races, with his lone setback being a second-place finish by a neck to Art Official in the 2008 Meadowlands Pace. Somebeachsomewhere passed away in 2018. I said to Yannick when he pulled up in the winners circle that Ive been this far before, MacGrath said with a smile. We need to finish this off. Its almost surreal. It's unbelievable that we would get another horse of this caliber, that we would get another horse in the Meadowlands Pace. To have a son of Beachs last crop, one we bred, Hanover [Shoe Farms] raised him, its just unbelievable. Beach Glass has won two of four races this year and five of nine in his career, finishing worse than second only once while earning $330,750. In the second elimination, Market Based led to the opening quarter in :26.4 before Caviart Camden took the top spot in a :54.4 half. Caviart Camden remained there, hitting three-quarters in 1:21.4, but Market Based rallied in the stretch and held off favourite Night Hawk by a neck at the line. Fourever Boy finished third, followed by Caviart Camden and Captainryanmichael. Dexter Dunn drove the homebred Market Based, a son of Sweet Lou-Economy Terror, for trainer Nancy Takter and owners Chuck Pompey, Edwin Gold, and H And M Taylor Stable. I was quite surprised that he left the gate as hard as he did and cleared over as well as he did because thats been a little bit of an issue with him running into the first turn, Takter said. Obviously, on a bigger track he has a little bit more room before he hits the turn, so that definitely benefited him. Market Based has won three of seven races this year and seven of 20 lifetime, earning $301,104. In his prior two starts, he went off stride in his Messenger Stakes elimination on June 24 at Yonkers Raceway and returned with a fourth-place finish in a conditioned race at the Meadowlands last week. Hes definitely heading in the right direction, Takter said. He definitely stepped forward with that [previous] race and hopefully hell step forward off this race as well. Following is the field for the $600,000 Meadowlands Pace in post order with elimination drivers, trainers and morning-line odds: 1 Captain Cowboy Dexter Dunn Ake Svanstedt 8-1 2 Caviart Camden Todd McCarthy Tony Alagna 12-1 3 Night Hawk David Miller Brian Brown 4-1 4 Market Based Dexter Dunn Nancy Takter 5-1 5 Early Action Brian Sears Joe Holloway 8-1 6 Beach Glass Yannick Gingras Brent MacGrath 7-5 7 Fourever Boy Mike Wilder Tim Twaddle 10-1 8 I Did It Myway Andrew McCarthy Tony Alagna 10-1 9 Mad Max Hanover Tim Tetrick Jake Leamon 15-1 10 Captainryanmichael Brian Sears Joe Pavia Jr. 20-1 Eliminations winners drew for posts one through six. Second-place finishers drew for remaining posts one through seven. Third-place finishers drew for remaining posts one through eight. Fourth-place finishers drew for remaining posts one through nine. Fifth-place finishers drew for the remaining two posts. BETTING TOPS $3 MILLION: With four races seeing well over $300,000 in action, all-source handle on the 13-race card totalled $3,282,634, an average per race of $252,510. The sixth race saw $355,052 pushed through the windows, $113,497 of that on the Early 50-cent Pick-4. A total of $343,476 was bet on the eighth race, with $53,446 in new money put into the 20-cent Pick-6 pool, which, with the Friday night carryover added in, totalled $61,861. In the 10th race, the Late Pick-4 took in $104,829 as wagering totalled $359,295 before the 11th race (Bulldog Hanovers 1:46.1 win) saw $374,626 in total play. There have been 53 race cards contested at The Meadowlands in 2022, and on 15 occasions, betting has busted the $3-million barrier. A LITTLE MORE: Dexter Dunn and Yannick Gingras were at the top of their respective games, leading the driver colony with three wins apiece while Tim Tetrick had a driving double. Ake Svanstedt trained a pair to victory lane. Racing reverts back to the normal Friday-Saturday schedule for the upcoming week (July 15-16). Post time is 6:20 p.m. (EDT). (USTA / The Meadowlands) A power-packed 11-race card opened the 2022 season at the Miami Fair on Saturday (July 9) and the driver-trainer team of Glenn Le Drew and Travis Ellis dominated with five wins on the card. Le Drew, who topped the driver's standings at Miami in 2021, piloted all five of conditioner Travis Ellis' winners on the card. The team opened the day with a win by Perpetual ($5.70) and followed a few races later with a win by Buck Rogers ($2.40). They scored their third win on the day with Cartiere ($4.20) followed by a win with Rip It Up ($5.90) before bookending the card with a win by Jay Dees Scooter ($4.30). Woodmere Alvin won the featured race on the day, the $5,000 Horses & Geldings Open Pace. Driver Don Howlett sent the Mathew Howlett trainee to the lead from the pylon post and kept all his foes seated through splits of :29.1, 1:00.2 and 1:30.1 in progress to a 2:00.1 victory by 1-1/2 lengths. Don Howlett co-owns the four-year-old Rollwithitharry gelding with Blair Kidd. He won his 11th race from 48 starts, pushed his earnings to $78,585 and paid $3.10 to win. Don and Mathew Howlett also paired to take the co-featured $4,800 Fillies & Mares Open Pace with Heavenly Evelyn. The seven-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven mare sat pocket to Sheslikefinewine through fractions of :27.4, :57.1 and 1:28.1 before blitzing the pacesetter off the turn and dashing home a head better than Good Day Is Coming closing for second. Sheslikefinewine settled for third. Don Howlett co-owns the winner of nine races and $57,013 with Blair Kidd and Dwayne Taylor. She paid $3.60 to win. Racing returns to the Miami Fair on Saturday, July 16. To view Saturday's harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results - Miami Fair. Once Divine Art swept to the lead past the half, the remaining competition could just chase in her wake as the Nate Sobey-trained favourite romped to a 1:53.3 win in the $56,600 Alberta Diamond Final on Saturday (July 9) at Century Downs. Sent to post as the 2-5 choice, Divine Art raced unhurried from the pylon post to sit third to a :26.3 first quarter contested by Chaste Forever and Proud Of My Roots, with the latter yielding to the former by the stands. Divine Art then vacated her position at the cones and attacked the pacesetter into a :55.4 half and kicked clear in the backside. Chaste Forever faltered in the sprint to three-quarters, to which Divine Art opened seven lengths on her competition while tripping the mark in 1:23.4. She coasted from there to home to win by 6-1/4 lengths over Jamaica Move, who rallied from second-over to take second. Wrangler Jewel made first-over gains but settled for third and Saphire Blue took fourth. A daughter of Outrageous Art, Divine Art won her third race from six starts this season and her sixth from 12 overall. She has banked $110,617 for owners Robert T. Jones, Diane Bertrand and John Hind. Divine Art returned $2.30 to win. Lets Tie One On lunged from off cover rounding the final turn to land the winning blow in the $56,600 Alberta Marksman Final, clocking the mile in 1:55. Joe Rich ripped to the lead with Vegas Gambler obliging for the pocket to a :27.2 first quarter. Favourite Ernesto Delacruz marched uncovered out of third to challenge for the lead but broke stride passing a :56.4 half. That left Joe Dimagio braving the wind for the outer tier up the backside, and driver Phil Giesbrecht swiftly hurried Lets Tie One On from seventh to catch that cover to three-quarters in 1:24.4. Joe Dimagio forged to the lead off the bend but could not hold off the final charge from Lets Tie One On as he slid a half-length in front to the line to snag the prize. Vegas Gambler pulled pocket to take third from Joe Rich, who faded to fourth. Conditioner Chris Lancaster co-owns Lets Tie One On with Kelly Hoerdt and Derek Gilbert. The Vertical Horizon colt collected his second win from six starts this season and his sixth from 15 overall and has now earned $97,145. He paid $9.30 to win. Earlier in the card, Stash The Cookies pushed first-over for the lead around the final turn and sustained her bid to score a 1:52.4 win in the $13,500 Fillies and Mares Preferred Pace. The six-year-old Sunfire Blue Chip mare sat the pocket to pacesetter If Only Id Known through a :27 first quarter and :56 half before trainer/driver Logan Gillis made his move for the lead. She marched to take a narrow lead from If Only Id Known by three-quarters in 1:24 and held firm on the point coming for home to keep three-quarter lengths in front of Past Affair closing for second. Mrs Suhwiggins took third and Betcha Baby rallied for fourth. Stash The Cookies races for owner Derek Gilbert. She won her fifth race from 16 starts this season and her 15th from 59 overall and has now earned $173,229. She paid $12.80 to win. Trainer Dave Kelly won three races on the 12-race card. His victories came with Sunset Rider ($5.60), HF Thegreatpumpkin ($3.30) and Bonus Round ($12.70). To view Saturdays harness racing results, click the following link: Saturday Results Century Downs. Vernon downs played host for the annual Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial races on Saturday afternoon (July 9). Temporal Hanover (Brian Sears) charged late to capture the $310,000 Zweig Memorial Three-Year-Old Open Trot. Branded By Lindy (Yannick Gingras) was one of three horses who broke at the start of the race which changed the complexion instantly. Temporal Hanover ($4.70) got the first call but Fast As The Wind (Dexter Dunn) advanced from his outside position to be first to the quarter in :26.2. Fast As The Wind used a :29.1 second quarter and cruised to the half first in :55.3. Pretender (Andrew McCarthy) took the first-over plunge and was side-by-side with Fast As The Wind through a 1:24.2 third station. As they made the turn for home Fast As The Wind and Pretender were joined by Temporal Hanover, making it three across the track. Temporal Hanover blew right on by in deep stretch to win and equaled his lifetime mark of 1:52.2. Periculum (Mattias Melander) came charging late to finish second giving trainer Marcus Melander a one-two finish in the big race. Pretender held on for third. Temporal Hanover is a three-year-old colt by Walner. He is trained by Marcus Melander for owners AMG Stable Inc., Ken Kjellgren, Rich Wahlstedt, and the Heights Stable. It was his third win in four starts this season and he now owns eight career victories. Jiggy Jog S (Dexter Dunn) snuck through late to win the $123,000 Zweig Memorial for sophomore fillies. Yanaba (Brian Sears) wrestled the lead away from Baptism (Ake Svanstedt) and led to the first quarter in :26.4. Yanaba slowed things down with a :29.3 second quarter and led to the half in :56.2. Baptism was flushed out of the pocket by Cash Infusion as they made their way around the final turn. Yanaba had a slight lead at three-quarters in 1:25.3. Baptism took a short lead as they reached the stretch. Needing racing room badly, Jiggy Jog S found a small opening on the inside as Delilah Hanover (Todd McCarthy) made a late bid in the middle of the track. Jiggy Jog S found a burst of speed and blew on by to win in 1:53.3. Delilah Hanover managed to pick up second money as Baptism held on to finish third. Jiggy Jog S is a three-year-old filly by Walner. The Zweig tally was her third win this season and fifth lifetime. Driver David Miller swept the Zweig consolations, winning the $25,620 filly consolation with Venerable and the $53,410 colt division with Testing Testing in 1:52 the fastest time of the day. Vernon Downs returns to live racing on Friday (July 15) at 6:05 p.m. (Vernon) With great sorrow, the Terry family has announced the passing of longtime harness racing industry participant Allan James 'Al' Terry at the age of 79. After a short battle with pancreatic cancer Al peacefully passed into the arms of Jesus on July 7. He was a caring and loving husband to Georgina for almost 61 wonderful years. He was predeceased by his parents Fred and Mary, and seven brothers and two sisters. Al was a father to his daughter Natalie (Wayne), and two sons Dana (Wendy) and Dale (Jenna). He was also blessed with an extended family, Donna, and her two daughters Shantell (Tim) and Breyll (Andy). Al was a grandfather to many grandchildren; Gina, Christine, Shawn, Coralee, Lane, Cole, Kyle, Kara and Ashley and 19 great grandchildren that he truly enjoyed spending time with. We are blessed that the Lord graced him with almost 90 years. He retired from the Canadian Postal Service after 35 years as a letter carrier. Al started working with Standardbred racehorses in 1972 and continued with this passion for 44 years. Al & Georgina especially enjoyed their time with the horses, which is where they met some of their most precious friends. Thank you to everyone who made Al feel loved and appreciated over the years. He only saw the good in everyone he met, was loved by many and will be truly missed. The family will be having a Memorial to remember and celebrate Als life on Saturday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m. at the Glenwood Funeral Home located at 52356 Range Rd 232, Sherwood Park, located south of Wye Road and across from Salisbury Greenhouse. Reception to follow. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Allan Terry. (with files from ASHA) SHANGHAI, July 10 (Xinhua) -- A four-day joint maritime exercise between China and Pakistan kicked off at a military port in Shanghai on Sunday. The drill, codenamed Sea Guardians-2, is a normal arrangement as per a yearly plan between the two militaries, said Liu Wensheng, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. It is not related to any regional situations and does not target any third party, Liu noted. The joint exercise aims to enhance defense cooperation, exchange expertise and experience, deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries and militaries, and promote the development of China-Pakistan all-weather strategic cooperative partnership. The 46th annual Chadron Fur Trade Days parade headed north down Main Street from 10th to First streets with a large crowd of spectators, mostly lining the east side of the road. Despite the warm temperatures Saturday, parade participants and spectators enjoyed the festivities with several water sprayers for relief from the heat. This years parade theme was Rockin USA, so floats were decorated in American flags, streamers and red, white and blue items. One of the highlights for the youth was the candy. Kids would shout, throw candy before they raced into the street to collect the candy pieces. Vivian Ritzen said her favorite part of the parade was getting candy and the horses. The cart with the horses was my favorite, she said. I like horses. Chadron residents Jameson Margetts, Lauren Collins, Hunter Hawk and Grace Sorenson attended the parade together and enjoyed seeing the turnout. I enjoyed seeing an eclectic variety of floats in the parade, Collins said. While the pandemic affected previous years parades and turnout, Margetts said, I think its exciting to see everyone get involved in the festivities of Fur Trade Days. They were sprayed by several parade participants, saying it gave them a relief from the heat. The main parade was preceded by the Parade of Historic Fur Trade Flags and the Parade of Puppies on the 400 Block of Main Street. In the Historic Fur Trade Flags parade, local youth carried various flags. The Union Jack flag was the first flag presented Saturday morning. The War of 1812 has been called the second war of independence, Miles Bannan, vice president of Fur Trade Days Inc., read from a script. Its called the Union flag because it exhibits the clever joining of the Scottish, English and Irish flags into a single flag, representing Great Britain and was adopted in 1801. Ol glory received a round of applause from spectators as Bannan shared he story of Fur Trade of North America as one filled with struggle on a vast continent that made people bankrupt and rich. Another flag on display was Spotted Tails Friendly Camp. After the Civil War, the fur trade degenerated as settlement brought the extermination of fur bearing animals as the Indian wars broke out. During the Indian wars, the Army issued special white flags to friendly bands of Sioux Indians to avoid them being attacked by soldiers, Bannan said. This flag flew outside of Spotted Tails Camp outside of North Platte, Nebraska. As the parade of historic flags concluded and the puppies got ready, Bannan hopes the spectators got a little bit of Fur Trade Days flavor with the history of each flag. Following the flag presentations, furry companions walked or rode in wagons down Main Street for the Parade of Puppies. Willow Frink and her basset puppy, Betty, were among the participants this year. I heard there was a puppy parade and I thought my dog is slow, maybe I can do it, Frink said. Im looking forward to when she falls over and doesnt get up. Kristol Cummings, of Chadron, showed her mini Australian shepherd, Jaspyr. I did the Puppy Parade last year and I thought it was fun, Cummings said. People like to see the puppies and its good socialization for Jaspyr. A large crowd congregated on the lawn outside the Dawes County Courthouse Friday evening to hear the Nebraska National Guard 43rd Army Band. The members of the 43rd Army Band of the Nebraska National Guard performed a variety of genres from decades of music at the gazebo. The concert began at 7 p.m. with music highlighting our nations independence as well as popular music from multiple genres. Commanding Chief Warrant Office 2 Paul Kenney told the Star-Herald how the concert tour is an opportunity for the public to enjoy a professional military band performance. Because we are a part of the Nebraska National Guard, we have this very neat opportunity and duty and honor to serve the citizens of Nebraska by getting out in the communities and perform for those community members, service members and everyone really, Kenney said. Fur Trade Days has returned to offering a variety of public events after the pandemic, something Chadron resident Gary Bieganski said is an opportunity for the community. I think this is an opportunity for Chadron to really shine at Fur Trade Days, Bieganski said. Now that were in a different situation with COVID, its really great to see so many of the activities ongoing again and for all of the people to come out and support them. Weve got a great group of people here a big crowd. One of the biggest Ive seen here this evening. He also appreciated that the army band performed in multiple Panhandle communities, so he was able to attend. Im really pleased that they were able to come, he said. They were over at Fort Robinson for the Fourth of July and I wasnt able to get the time to see them then, so I wanted to make a special effort to see them this evening. As a military brat, Bieganski said he enjoyed hearing some of the older music, particularly when the band started the concert performing the theme song from Hawaii Five-O. Representing the military, I believe music is important to them also in a variety of areas, he said. I really like some of their older music because its from when I was growing up. Fur Trade Days festivities also attracted people from outside of the country, including Stephen Cole and Sissel Heiberg of London, England. Heiberg is originally from Scandinavia and said their trip to the states happened to coincide with Fur Trade Days. This whole weekend is just so full of life, she said. Its such a great event. They decided to visit smaller communities to experience America, saying the vibe was great. Its just a lovely way, for me, to see America and whats going on outside of big cities and get a real feel of the country. The concert ran for 90 minutes and celebrated citizens in the audience who served our country by asking them to stand. Emmett Till is as relevant today as when the 14-year-old was brutally murdered, nearly 67 years ago in 1955. This isn't because a needle-in-a-haystack search of dusty old files recently turned up an unserved warrant. The document names the woman who may well have set the believed killers (one of whom was her then-husband) toward Emmett. Don't know the story? These days, a shocking number of people do not. Emmett was a cherub-faced, gregarious boy from Chicago who one summer visited beloved relatives in the Mississippi Delta. He returned home to his mother as a horrifically disfigured corpse in a casket. No one was ever convicted in the case. Emmett's plight has alternately mortified and energized people for decades, often after they stumble upon the many gory details, various theories out there about who was involved, and intriguing subplots. It was a hate crime of white racism. Emmett was Black. The believed killers were white. But in 1955, there was no federal hate crime statute. Emmett challenged a southern social code by throwing a wolf whistle at the young white wife of a local grocery owner. To authorities, she later accused him of more, claiming that he grabbed her by the waist and hand and used foul, sexualized language. Still living, she's the woman with the unserved warrant alleging her involvement in the kidnapping of Emmett. Her name is Carolyn Bryant-Donham. In recent days the outcry to charge Bryant-Donham, who is believed to be living in Raleigh, North Carolina, with something, with anything, has risen to jolting levels on social media. But a warrant is not new evidence, despite the recent headlines and wishful thinking to the contrary. It's not even a new revelation. It's always been known that Bryant-Donham was initially named. The anguish and anger about what happened to Emmett has never receded, never found solace or justice. Mostly, it's because his trauma feels so in sync with today. It's not just because Bryant-Donham wasn't really questioned until the case was first reopened by the FBI in 2004, then again in 2017. It's not because the initially accused were able to escape conviction, living out their lives until they each died of cancer. It's not even because Emmett's mother made the heart-wrenching and poignant decision to order his casket to be opened at the funeral, letting her son's horribly disfigured and decomposing body be shown to mourners in Chicago for five days. His mother's insistence on a public viewing has long been characterized as a flame that spurred activism for civil rights legislation. No, Emmett continues to resonate because so much of his story underscores what is so damningly current. Emotions about Emmett are tripped every time that headlines show a white perpetrator doing something recklessly violent and then is allowed to surrender to police without incident. Those cases are juxtaposed against Black people in police chases. The latter are often gunned down, as if their lives matter less. Bryant-Donham has been protected by her gender and race. And both factors are entwined with misplaced codes of Southern chivalry, allowing her to escape legal questioning at the time of the murder. She gave her account at one point, but not to the jury. Authorities reasoned that there was no need to haul her in for questioning, because she had young children at home. Memes call her the original "Karen." Her former husband (Roy Bryant) and Bryant's half-brother (J.W. Milam) all but bragged about the incident, providing details about what happened to Emmett, whose body was found in the Tallahatchie River, weighted down by a cotton gin fan. The men were tried and quickly acquitted of murder. Double jeopardy allowed their orchestrated retelling from ever being used at retrial. Instead, they pocketed a few thousand dollars to have their words published in Look magazine. If Bryant-Donham is suspected of anything chargeable, neither her age nor infirmity should matter. But truth does. Provability matters as well. New York-based documentarian Keith Beauchamp understands that well. He's hopeful evidence of Bryant-Donham's complicity, of her involvement, could be forthcoming. Beauchamp organized the group that found the unserved warrant. He's also the talent behind the 2005 film "The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till," and has worked on the Till and other unsolved civil rights murders for nearly 30 years. Beauchamp is among the many filmmakers, journalists and historians who have been enveloped by the story. Through his work, he grew close to Emmett's mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who died in 2003. As a ten-year-old he'd stumbled across a copy of Jet Magazine that showed the vibrant and alive Emmett, and then his body in the coffin. His parents discussed it with him, and later, when he dated inter-racially, they warned him "don't let what happened to Emmett Till, happen to you." Emmett became a "boogie man story." "I could never shake Emmett out of my head," Beauchamp said. "And as people of color, we're always just supposed to accept what the government says." But too often, the government was complicit or hesitated in finding the justice that Emmett's mother sought. For now, Beauchamp is pressing for District Attorney for the Fourth Circuit Court District of Mississippi W. Dewayne Richardson to act on the warrant and at least investigate if Bryant-Donham could be culpable for the kidnapping and murder. Other scholars on the case are less sure, believing the possibility has been investigated. Even the last living Till relative present the day Emmett entered the grocery where Bryant-Donham was working, is skeptical. A man of faith, he's also at peace with the idea that God ensures that people reap what they sow. In a phone call, the Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr., Emmett's cousin, said when the FBI and the civil rights division of the Department of Justice last closed the case in December of 2021, they'd interviewed Bryant-Donham, but couldn't find enough evidence to bring any charges. "You never know," Parker, 83, said. "Maybe she is tired, and she will confess and will say what she needs to say." He was in the house the night people kidnapped Emmett, asking for the boy "who did the talking." Today, Emmett's name is sometimes misspelled, even in the Black press. The details of the case are often twisted and retold in versions that couldn't pass a basic fact check. But it's the racism, the two-systems of justice involved - one for whites, another for people of color - that people feel viscerally, even without being deeply schooled in the case. "They don't talk about how they took the law into their own hands," Parker said. "The atrocities... to a boy who had just turned 14. It's like he got what he deserved. And I've had to live with it, all of these years." The emergence of any new document helps complete the historical record. Beauchamp and the others who publicized it after it was found deserve high praise and credit for their perseverance and dedication to Emmett's legacy. Emmett's been bearing the burden of the nation's need for racial reconciliation for a long, long time. He likely will continue to, as long as his case illuminates current emotions and present racial inequities. When Floyds Roger and Nancy Mannon held the first Virginia Vintage Comics and Collectibles Show in 1998, it was the only event of its kind between Richmond and Bristol. Now in its 25th year, the show is slated for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, at the Salem Civic Center. Door prizes for the Silver Anniversary will include silver dollars and $25 gas cards. Roger said while the Vintage Comics and Collectibles Show was the first in the region, there are now four regular shows in the Roanoke Valley, and there have been shows in Blacksburg, Dublin, Wytheville, Hillsville and Woodlawn. The popularity of comic books was in decline when the Mannons held their first show in 1998, but Disneys revitalization of superhero franchises has allowed them to continue providing a space for the collectible community. When we first started the Vintage Show, the all-time record for a comic books sale was Action No. 1 (first appearance of Superman), which auctioned for $100,000, Roger said. Now that issue is at $3 million. The show has drawn vendors and collectors from 15 states, and it is the longest running comic books show in Virginia. Roger said select comics are worth a small fortune, but the Vintage Show will have thousands of old comics for sale for $5 to $10. The Salem Civic Center is located at 1001 Roanoke Blvd. in Salem. The 25th annual Vintage Comics and Collectibles Show is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 30. Admission at the door is a vintage $3 for adults and children 12 years and under get in free. For additional information or details, call Roger Mannon at (540) 320-7056. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, made her case for flipping Washingtons 3rd Congressional District blue this weekend in Kelso. The 34-year-old small business owner is the most prominent Democrat in the field of eight other challengers including incumbent U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground for the House seat representing Southwest Washington in the Aug. 2 primary election. Perez attended a Democratic candidate town hall Friday night at the Kelso Senior Center organized by Lower Columbia Indivisible. The only other Democrat in the race, Davy Ray of Stevenson, was not at the event. District 3 has been a swing seat in the past but is now viewed as heavily Republican. The redistricting process maintained a significant Republican lean for the district, according to nonpartisan analysis by the websites FiveThirtyEight and PlanScore. Jobs Perez lives in unincorporated Skamania County and runs an auto repair shop in Stevenson with her husband Dean. During the forum she repeatedly returned to the need to protect small businesses and trades to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States. We have not maintained our capacity for fixing things in America, and that includes fixing Congress, Perez said. Other District 3 candidates Herrera Beutler, Joe Kent, R-Yacolt and Washington state Rep. Vicki Kraft, R-Vancouver, say they are in favor of rolling back government regulations that hinder business, according to their campaign websites. Heidi St. John, R-Battle Ground, says she would not support legislation that would eliminate state jobs, and Leslie French, R-Vancouver, says he wouldnt support laws that put U.S. workers at a disadvantage. Abortion Over the past few weeks, Perez said the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has been galvanizing for people she met in the district. Perez has been open about her personal experience with abortion. She endured a miscarriage in early 2020 and was told by doctors that her life would be at risk if she didnt end her pregnancy. Perez said it was a highly traumatic experience but showed that abortion needed to be protected as a piece of health care. To think about the sheriff showing up at your door the next day to say youre going to get prosecuted for murder, this is insane. This is such an intrusion of privacy for women, Perez said. She added that Republican candidates in the district would vote for a full federal ban on abortion if elected. Herrera Beutler, St. John, Kraft and French supported the June decision that removed constitutional protections for abortion, but St. John said abortion is a state issue, not federal, according to The Columbian. The Columbian also reports Kent said the decision occurred because of former President Donald Trump. Oliver Black of Longview whose party, American Solidarity, advocates for anti-abortion policies was pleased with the ruling. Chris Byrd, I-Toutle, said he doesnt understand how legislation could dictate a persons decision to receive reproductive care. Accessibility Perez told the small crowd Friday she wants to be reachable and engaged with the people she represents. Perez has said she wont accept any corporate PAC funding for her campaign, which she said led to politicians no longer paying attention to everyday workers and constituents. Jaime is a ghost. Shes smoke. If youve tried to get her to show up and talk to you, its a real problem, Perez said. Herrera Beutlers campaign spokesperson Craig Wheeler refuted Perezs allegations in an email to The Daily News. The dozens of residents who had one-on-one meetings with her last week, the 5,000 people who joined her town hall a few weeks ago, the hundreds who spoke with her at her 11th annual Jobs Fair in June would all dispute the claim that comes from a rival candidate desperately looking for votes, he wrote in the email. Contact information and an online form to request a meeting with Herrera Beutler is at jhb.house.gov/contact/meetingrequest.htm. On Saturday, the Washington Democrats kicked off their canvassing ahead of the election by knocking on doors in Cowlitz County and across the state. Washington state Rep. Joel McEntire, R-Cathlamet, is facing two challengers from the left as he goes into his first re-election campaign. McEntire was elected to represent District 19 in 2020, ousting Democrat Brian Blake from the seat he had held for 18 years. He will appear on Aug. 2 primary ballots along with Cara Cusack of Chehalis and Jon-Erik Hegstad of Longview. The top two candidates will move on to the general election in November. Cusack and Hegstad appeared at a town hall in Kelso Friday night organized by Lower Columbia Indivisible to make their cases for the seat. During the town hall, the Democrats said they are about compromise. Cusack said she is a moderate Democrat who wants common-sense gun control and protections for abortion, but believes in compromise for other issues. We dont want to lose sight of the people and lives that are affected by trying to go too far, too fast, Cusack said. Hegstad is a self-described progressive Democrat who helped organize racial justice protests in Longview after George Floyd was killed in 2020. He made the case for immediate action to address climate change. We need to go forward as fast as humanly possible so we dont do any more damage to the country, to our globe, Hegstad said. In an interview with The Daily News, McEntire said hes tried to make sure the concerns of rural Southwest Washingtonians have been represented in the state Legislature. Speaking for those small, rural areas is where I shined the most and where Ill continue to do good work, he said. Homelessness and housing McEntire said legislators and party leaders on both sides of the aisle arent willing to make the tough choices to address the states rise of homelessness with a policy that takes away the right to reject help. His idea, which McEntire admitted is unlikely to pass, is to establish mandatory treatment at state-funded facilities for unhoused people who are arrested and struggle with mental health issues or substance addiction. There needs to be due process, but if someone is committing crimes and is homeless, you cannot allow them to refuse help, McEntire said. At the town hall Friday, Cusack and Hegstad talked about the dual needs for expanded mental health care and better housing affordability to address homelessness. On the housing side, Cusack floated ideas ranging from rules about corporations buying homes to limits on significant rent increases. Ive had three adult children who have moved back in with me because they cant afford to make it on their own. And thats really sad, Cusack said. School spending One of the few areas where all the candidates agree is on the need to reform education spending. McEntire, a former teacher and current mentor for Western Governors University, introduced a bill in the last legislative session that would create a grant program for small school districts to modernize or replace buildings. McEntire said he planned to make a stronger push for the bill next year if re-elected. Hegstad and Cusack also mentioned education spending gaps as a significant issue at the town hall. The two said they are for improved mental health access and support systems within schools. Children are being affected the most and its because they understand they are the ones who will be dealing with the vast majority of problems coming to light right now, Hegstad said. Fundraising McEntire has raised $22,700 this year, with a little more than $10,000 coming from individuals and $7,500 from businesses. Cusack has raised $11,800 but the vast majority is in-kind donations from herself. Hegstad has received $1,900 in contributions. Of the four state house seats affecting Cowlitz County that are up for election, McEntire is the only candidate with a meaningful primary vote. State rep. Jim Walsh, R-Aberdeen, has one opponent, Democrat Kelli Hughes-Ham from Pacific County. Reps. Ed Orcutt and Peter Abbarno from District 20 are both running unopposed. SEOUL, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday fired what appeared to be artillery shots, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Tapping natural sources of hot water deep underground is allowing the Hungarian city of Szeged to quit its Russian gas habit to heat homes. At plants painted with birds and hedgehogs, hot water from deep underground is being channeled to produce energy and heat for thousands of households in Hungary's third largest city Szeged. Experts say the projectbilled as Europe's biggest urban heating system overhaulcan serve as a model for other cities across the continent as EU nations scramble to wean themselves off Russian gas after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. "Geothermal energy is local, accessible and renewable so why not use it," geologist Tamas Medgyes told AFP beside a recently completed well in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The city of 160,000 people, located some 170 kilometers (110 miles) south of Budapest, is one of 12 in the landlocked central European country with geothermal district heating. When the system is fully built out next year, 27 wells and 16 heating plants will push geothermally heated water through 250 kilometers of pipes to heat 27,000 flats and 400 non-residential consumers. 'Blueprint' This will make it Europe's biggest geothermal urban heating system outside of Iceland. But unlike in the Icelandic capital, Szeged's heating systems were built to run on gas. EU member Hungary covers 65 percent of its oil needs and 80 percent of its gas needs with imports from Russia. Underground water near the boiling point brought to the surface to heat water running though municipal heating pipes to buildings. "This housing project was built in the 1980s. Since then we have burnt millions of cubic meters of imported Russian gas to heat cold water in these apartments," Medgyes said. But now, "we drilled down and got the hot water beneath our feet," he said about the project, whose cost of more than 50 million euros ($51 million) is partially covered by EU funds. He added the project can be a "blueprint" for cities in parts of France, Germany, Italy or Slovakia that are rich in geothermal deposits. Experts says geothermal energy is an underutilized source of renewable heat in Europe. "The geothermal urban heating development in Szeged is an easy-to-adopt example in many regions of Europe," said Ladislaus Rybach, an expert at the Institute of Geophysics in Zurich, Switzerland. Lajos Kerekes of the Regional Center of Energy Policy Research told AFP that more than 25 percent of the EU's population lives in areas suitable for geothermal district heating. Researchers say more than a quarter of Europeans live in areas where geothermal energy could be tapped. Long before the Ukraine war, Balazs Kobor, director at Szeged heating firm Szetav, began exploring how cities can use geothermal energy and "knocking on doors of decision-makers". In 2015, the city municipality appointed him and Medgyes to initiate the integration of renewables into district heating. "To heat the city annually the firm was burning 30 million cubic meters of gas and producing around 55,000 metric tons of carbon emissions every year," said Kobor. "The city itself was its biggest carbon emitter," he added. Replacing gas by geothermal energy will slash the city's greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percentaround 35,000 tonsannually, according to Kobor. If similar small-to-medium-sized cities switched their district heating to geothermal it would be "a major step towards a carbon neutral, sustainable Europe," he said. Up to three months is needed to drill far enough down to tap the hot water. 2,000 meters below ground Surrounded by the Carpathian and Alps mountain ranges, Hungary and especially the area around Szeged forms a basin where 92-93 degree Celsius (198-199 degree Fahrenheit) hot water collects as deep as 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) below ground. In facilities adjacent to the wells, "heat exchangers" comprising hundreds of metal panels transfer the heat to water in pipeline circuits that serve different neighborhoods. The geothermal water itself does not enter the circuits but re-enters the earth through a "reinjection" well nearby, explained Medgyes. Residents don't notice any changes in their heating or hot water. In another neighborhood, a noisy drill is gradually working its way deeper and deeper into the ground, adding sections of pipe as it goes. The drilling period takes around three months, said Medgyes. And while residents can see and hear the drills as they work, after the work is done, they don't notice the change of heat source in their homes. "The radiators and tap water are as warm as before. I don't feel any difference," Gabriella Maar Pallo, a 50-year-old clerk, told AFP in her nearby apartment. Explore further New research shows geothermal heating may have limited longevity 2022 AFP A study of more than 100,000 Uber documents and records show the company employed ethically dubious tactics as it sought to assert early dominance in the ride-share industry. A leaked cache of confidential files from ride-sharing company Uber illustrates ethically dubious and potentially illegal tactics it used to fuel its frenetic global expansion beginning nearly a decade ago, a joint media investigation showed Sunday. Dubbed the "Uber Files," the investigation involving dozens of news organizations found that company officials leveraged the sometimes violent backlash from the taxi industry against drivers to garner support and evaded regulatory authorities as it looked to conquer new markets early in its history. Culled from 124,000 documents from 2013-2017 initially obtained by British daily the Guardian and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the revelations are the latest hit for a company dogged by controversy as it exploded into a disruptive force in local transportation. The cache includes unvarnished text and email exchanges between executives, with standouts from co-founder and former chief executive Travis Kalanick, who was forced to resign in 2017 following accusations of brutal management practices and multiple episodes of sexual and psychological harassment at the company. "Violence guarantee(s) success," Kalanick messaged other company leaders as he pushed for a counter protest amid sometimes heated demonstrations in Paris in 2016 against Uber's arrival in the market. Uber's rapid expansion leaned on subsidized drivers and discounted fares that undercut the taxi industry, and "often without seeking licenses to operate as a taxi and livery service," reported The Washington Post, one of the media outlets involved in the probe. Drivers across Europe had faced violent retaliation as taxi drivers felt their livelihoods threatened. The investigation found that "in some instances, when drivers were attacked, Uber executives pivoted quickly to capitalize" to seek public and regulatory support, the Post said. According to the Guardian, Uber has adopted similar tactics in European countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, mobilizing drivers and encouraging them to complain to the police when they were victims of violence, in order to use media coverage to obtain concessions from the authorities. A spokesperson for Kalanick strongly denied the findings as a "false agenda," saying he "never suggested that Uber should take advantage of violence at the expense of driver safety." Uber, however, placed the blame Sunday on previously publicized "mistakes" made by leadership under Kalanick. "We've moved from an era of confrontation to one of collaboration, demonstrating a willingness to come to the table and find common ground with former opponents, including labor unions and taxi companies," it said, noting that his replacement, Dara Khosrowshahi, "was tasked with transforming every aspect of how Uber operates." Uber has placed the blame on previously publicized 'mistakes' made by leadership under former CEO Travis Kalanick (pictured February 2018). 'Kill switch' The investigation also found that Uber worked to evade regulatory probes by leveraging a technological edge, the Post wrote. It described an instance when Kalanick implemented a "kill switch" to remotely cut off access of devices in an Amsterdam office to Uber's internal systems during a raid by authorities. "Please hit the kill switch ASAP," he wrote in an email to an employee. "Access must be shut down in AMS (Amsterdam)." Kalanick spokesperson Devon Spurgeon said the former chief executive "never authorized any actions or programs that would obstruct justice in any country." Kalanick "did not create, direct or oversee these systems set up by legal and compliance departments and has never been charged in any jurisdiction for obstruction of justice or any related offense," she said. But the investigation charged that Uber's actions flouted laws and that executives were aware, citing one joking that they had become "pirates." The reports say the files reveal Uber also lobbied governments to aid its expansion, finding in particular an ally in France's Emmanuel Macron, who was economy minister from 2014 to 2016 and is now the country's president. The company believed Macron would encourage regulators "to be 'less conservative' in their interpretation of rules limiting the company's operations," the Post said. Macron was an open supporter of Uber and the idea of turning France into a "start-up nation" in general, but the leaked documents suggest that the minister's support even sometimes clashed with the leftist government's policies. The revelations sparked indignation among leftist politicians, who denounced the Uber-Macron links as against "all our rules, all our social rights and against workers' rights," and condemned the "pillage of the country." Explore further Dutch court: Uber drivers covered by taxi labor agreement 2022 AFP Elon Musk, seen here in Texas in April 2022, looks to be in the weaker position from a legal standpoint as he tries to pull out of buying Twitter -- but can still wreak havoc on the social network as he goes. Courted and then jilted by the world's richest person, Twitter looks well positioned to win a court battle with Elon Musk over a $1 billion breakup fee and morebut the company will not emerge unscathed. The entire saga has left observers baffled by what Wedbush analyst Dan Ives described as "one of the craziest business stories ever." "I think it starts off as a circus show and it's ending as a circus show," Ives told AFP. Musk, the founder of electric car company Tesla, sent a letter to Twitter on Friday saying he was pulling out of the controversial deal he made in April to buy the platform for $54.20 per share, or $44 billion in total. But such merger agreements are "designed to prevent buyers from getting cold feet and deciding they want to walk away," explains Ann Lipton, a professor of law at Tulane University who specializes in corporate litigation. Musk, who also heads SpaceX, has accused the social media giant of "false and misleading representations" about the number of fake accounts on its platform. His lawyers also point to recent Twitter employee layoffs and hiring freezes, which they say are contrary to the company's obligation to continue operating normally. Those arguments may be valid, but they do not merit pulling out of the deal, says Lipton, dismissing them as "nitpicky." "It's not enough, unless he can show that the representations (about fake accounts) are not just false, but also that they dramatically call the fundamentals of the deal into question," she explains. "Looks very much like Musk is legally wrong." 'Twitter would die off' That leaves the possibility that the multi-billionaire is actually trying to renegotiate the price down. This tactic has been used successfully elsewhere, such as by LVMH: two years ago, the global luxury giant broke off a deal to acquire Tiffany before getting a discount. But experts don't see how Musk and Twitter could agree on a different price at this point, given that the platform's stock has lost more than a quarter of its value since late April. "Both have a lot to lose," Lipton points out. If Twitter wins in court, the mercurial entrepreneur will, at a minimum, have to pay a few billion dollars in damages. At worst, he could be forced to honor his commitment and buy Twitter at a price that has become exorbitant, while his fortune has melted down by tens of billions of dollars in recent months. But though this would be a victory for shareholders, it would still leave Twitter in Musk's handsand his libertarian vision of absolute free speech is not aligned with that of many of the employees, users and advertisers on whom the platform's business model depends. "Twitter is worse off than six months ago, but in the long run, it's better off without him," says Creative Strategies analyst Carolina Milanesi. "It feels like a toy that a spoiled kid wants, but doesn't really know what to do with, so he would get bored of it, and not give it the attention it deserves, and forget it in a corner ... Twitter would die off slowly and painfully," she predicts. 'Battle on all fronts' Any court proceedings are expected to last for months, especially since Musk "will drag it out," according to Lipton. "Twitter is in a strong position," she says. But Musk, followed by more than 100 million people on the platform, "will try to embarrass themit will be distracting and demoralizing for employees," she argues. He has already harassed the platform with highly critical tweets, mockery and outlandish suggestions, encouraged by his many fans. For Twitter, "it's going be a battle on all frontskeeping employees, competitors going after their business, brand issues, investors believing the numbers," says Ives, the Wedbush analyst. Unlike its Silicon Valley neighbors, Twitter has never been a money-making machine, able to turn users' attention into astronomical advertising revenues. "The past few months have been a huge distraction for Twitter, keeping it from focusing on its business fundamentals," notes Debra Williamson of eMarketer. "If Musk is able to terminate the deal, Twitter will still be left with the same problems it had before he came on the scene," she says. "Its user growth is slowing. And while ad revenue is still growing marginally, Twitter is now dealing with a slowing economy that could squeeze ad spending on all social platforms." Explore further Elon Musk deal to buy Twitter in danger: report 2022 AFP LOS ANGELES A preliminary count of signatures submitted in a petition to recall Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon totals 715,833, L.A. County elections officials reported Saturday. L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean Logan said his office has completed the first step in the review of the petitions submitted Wednesday and is now working on verifying signatures. The process must be completed no later than Aug. 17. At least 566,857 valid signatures are required before voters can decide whether to recall Gascon from office. Fueled in part by rising crime and homelessness, Gascon and his progressive policies have been the subject of intense criticism since he was elected in 2020. Although the recall campaign said it turned in more than 715,000 signatures, some of those will be disqualified during the verification process conducted by the county registrar. Election officials plan to use the random sampling technique for the verification of petition signatures, which is allowed under the California Elections Code. The random sample is 5% of the total number of signatures submitted. If the petition meets the sufficiency requirement, it must be certified by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors at its next regular meeting. The earliest a recall election could take place is Nov. 8, in a general election that includes runoff races for Los Angeles city mayor and county sheriff, as well as congressional midterms. If its put to a vote, more than 50% of voters would have to vote to oust Gascon. An attempt to recall Gascon failed last year when the recall campaign was unable to garner enough signatures on a petition to put the issue to voters. Growing frustrations with Gascon have centered on his all-or-nothing policy stances. On his first day in office, Gascon barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, trying juveniles as adults or filing sentencing enhancements, which increase the amount of prison time a defendant will face in certain situations, including if they use a gun in the commission of a crime. Gascon has said he believes trying juveniles as adults or handing out decades-long prison sentences will only create more long-term problems instead of deterring crime, for example, making it harder for those defendants to re-enter society. Gascon backpedaled on some of his absolutist policies earlier this year. Prosecutors can now seek approval from committees to try juveniles as adults or to seek a life sentence in a murder case. But he said those shifts were not a result of the recall effort or external criticism. The concept that these changes were made solely because of the outside pressures, I know it may appear to be that way, but I can tell you its much more nuanced than that, said Gascon, insisting the committees had been in the works for months. Frankly, regardless of where the recall goes, there will be additional adjustments. Odessa city officials are still investigating what caused a massive water line break that left the city without water for 48 hours last month. But theyve shared one important detail: The water line was about 60 years old. Aging water systems are common throughout the country, said Thomas Kerr, Odessas utilities director, during a press conference the day after the line broke. Its often difficult for municipalities to be able to afford to manage those systems as they age. Thats the situation we find ourselves in. The water outage in Odessa exposed the city to a reality that happens all over Texas and the nation water supply systems have become increasingly more vulnerable to disasters. In February, many Laredo residents had their water cut off due to a break in the 50-year-old pipes. In May, Bell County residents were asked to use 50% less water after a water leak. Last month, a water line break caused areas of College Station to flood, and officials said it was due to the dry conditions. Last year, the American Society of Civil Engineers issued a report that gave a grade of C-minus to Texas drinking water infrastructure, describing it as mediocre [and] requires attention. The report notes its important for Texas to keep up with drinking water demand as its population continues to grow. According to the report, Texas population is projected to grow by more than 1,000 people per day during the next five decades from 29.7 million in 2020 to approximately 51.5 million by 2070. The report also states that many wastewater systems arent resilient enough to withstand extreme events. According to the report, the number of sanitary sewer overflows more than doubled from 2,500 to nearly 6,000 between 2016 and 2019, and theyre a threat to Texas lakes, rivers and beaches. Ken Rainwater, a professor of civil, environmental and construction engineering at Texas Tech University, said a lot of factors can cause critical infrastructure to fail, and in the case of water pipes, it could be anything from how old they are to what material theyre made from. Other factors are the conditions surrounding the pipes, including the areas climate and whether theyre buried near high-traffic areas. In an interview with the Odessa American, Kerr said 40% of the citys pipes are made of cast iron and another 20% are made from iron-based materials. According to Rainwater, cast iron was widely available and used after World War II when a lot of cities were growing their infrastructure. Now, because of the way the material degrades as it ages, Rainwater said its not used when pipes are upgraded or repaired. While its likely that Odessa has replaced some of its old pipes in the past, Rainwater said its to be expected that cities with older infrastructure will be surprised now and then with breaks and failures. Weve learned that cast iron pipes have lives of about 50 years, so [Odessa] got past 60 years, he said. But its like you deciding, How long am I going to wait to change the tires on my car? Water boil notices are a good indicator of how troublesome a citys water infrastructure is becoming. Rainwater said when a water system is shut down, it also takes time to start disinfecting and cleaning water again before its safe to use, which is typically why water boil notices are issued. According to data from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, 2021 was the worst year for water boil notices in the last decade, with 3,866 reported. The high number of reports could be linked to the winter storm last year, when more than 14.6 million Texans water supply was disrupted by frozen or burst pipes. During that time, 1,655 water boil notices were issued. On average in the last 10 years, East Texas has experienced more water boil notices than any other area per year. TCEQ said only 12 of Texas 254 counties had no listed notices in the last decade. The agency did not have additional information about why that is, noting that the information available is self-reported by each citys public water officials. Smaller cities, bigger challenges Keeping the water healthy is an important function of a citys infrastructure, and its a challenge in places like Idalou, a town of about 1,815 residents about 150 miles north of Odessa. Our main priority is funding for a water treatment plant, said Idalou city administrator Suzette Williams. Our best-producing well has a contaminant that exceeds the maximum level, and weve tried fixing it in the past but we couldnt keep up with the level. The contamination issue has been ongoing for about five years, but Williams said its been difficult to find the funds to get the towns treatment plant. According to Williams, its been 12 years since the city issued a bond to citizens, and even then, that was for water and sewer improvements. The funding opportunities are not as easily accessible as maybe other larger cities that can issue larger amounts of debt to do a large project, Williams said. Its a 20-year note, so we look at the climate of the economy, too, because whenever we add debt to our portfolio, that debt is passed on to the citizens, and thats when were looking at utility rate increases to cover that bond payment. In March, Williams presented seven requests to the Lubbock County Commissioners Court as part of funding applications through the American Rescue Plan Act, which is expected to dole out about $5.7 billion for COVID-19 recovery to Texas. Williams requests were mostly related to water system improvements. Regardless of if we get funded through the countys ARPA funds, this project has to go on, Williams said. If we have to look at issuing debt, that will be our next step. Residents want to raise their families here, they want to have safe drinking water, she added. And they understand that theres going to be some costs associated with it. Raising money for these projects is a hurdle for small communities, but rate increases are a feasible option. According to the Texas Water Journal, raising rates is the only low-cost means cities and utility boards have to secure the funds for needed upgrades in a short period of time. Financing upgrades and repairs has become all the more difficult because of supply shortages and price increases in raw materials as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Perry L. Fowler, executive director of the Texas Water Infrastructure Network, said contractors who specialize in water systems are having a harder time giving their clients a precise estimate for repair work because of those uncertainties. Getting pricing guaranteed on certain items is difficult until youre submitting a purchase order that day. So theres a lot of risk thats out there. It really requires a lot more planning and communication in some cases, and more funding, Fowler said. No silver bullet President Joe Bidens Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which passed in November, promises to bring much-needed financial relief to Texas. According to the Texas Water Development Board, it has not received funds yet but is expecting to receive nearly $508 million this fiscal year. Although the federal funds that will flow into the state are much-needed aid, some experts say its not enough. People talk about it like its going to be this infrastructure renaissance, and frankly, I just disagree with that, Fowler said. Anybody whos really familiar with it knows that thats not necessarily the case. Its more money, certainly. It might go to some communities that really need it, but it is not the silver bullet for our water infrastructure needs by any means. Another issue facing Texas water infrastructure is the ongoing drought. Texas is experiencing the worst drought in the last decade. About 80% of Texas has been facing drought conditions most of the year, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. When it gets dry, the soil expands and contracts, and when it does that, it impacts everything underground, Fowler said. So if pipes are in conditions where the soil is expanding and contracting, especially if theyre old and brittle, theyre more likely to have potential failures. Which is why typically we do see more pipes breaking in the summertime in Texas. Last years winter storm also caused pipes to freeze and burst all throughout the state. Any severe weather conditions are gonna potentially impact infrastructure, especially if the ground is shifting and things are moving around where you have facilities for water, wastewater systems. ... It exposes your vulnerabilities, Fowler said. In colder states, water infrastructure is typically placed further underground to prevent freezing something that Texas might need to consider in the future. In the meantime, Fowler said, infrastructure upgrades need to happen sooner rather than later. These projects cant wait, thats the problem, he said. If you delay investments, or you have a project thats ready to go on the shelf, its going to cost more money if you go further down the road. With extremely hot temperatures forecast for the week, Bryan-College Station utility companies recommend citizens cut back on their water consumption. Since June, local temperatures have reached triple digits multiple times and little rain has left many residents relying on sprinkler systems to keep their yards alive. Jennifer Nations, the water resource coordinator for College Station, said yards often dont need as much water as people think. The first thing is to look at your landscape and determine if it needs water, Nations said. So try to drive a screwdriver into the soil and if you cant drive the screwdriver into the soil then it needs moisture. Nations said that overwatering lawns can lead to it becoming even more susceptible to dry conditions. If youre watering more often, but for a shorter amount of time, your grassroots will be shorter and so your lawn is going to look worse than if you water deeply once or twice a week, she said. The best way to water your lawn is through a process called cycle and soak, Nations said. Instead of watering for 30 minutes continuously, you water for 10 minutes and then wait a little bit and then water for 10 minutes and it lets the water really, really soak into the soil versus running off, Nations said. When watering, Nations said its best to not do it during the day when evaporation is at its highest, making it less efficient. The reason for the recent recommendations is because daily consumption has gone up drastically, Nations said. We are running right around 23 million gallons per day, which is pretty high, she said. Weve been doing that since June, its almost mid-July now and we still have August to get through. Kent Watson, the general manager for Wickson Creek Special Utility District, said they implemented the first stage of their drought contingency plan on June 24. If youre at 90% of capacity for three consecutive days, then its triggered at that point and customers are requested to voluntarily conserve water, Watson said. Wickson Creek, which distributes water along the east side of Bryan, has a capacity that is set by how much they pump from the aquifers each day, according to Watson. In our case, once we reach to about that three million gallons a day, then thats our capacity, he said. The increase in water demand goes right along with the high temperature. Watson said that when they first recommended the restriction, residents seemed to abide by it. Theyve really cut back at certain times and the first three or four days after we enacted it, we could tell that we had achieved that 10% [reduction] which is great, he said. As of Friday, Watson said they are currently at 85% capacity, good enough to keep them from entering stage two of the drought contingency plan. Stage two is triggered when we reach the system capacity for three consecutive days and our net storage is continually decreasing, Watson said. Not all local water utility companies are currently under a contingency plan, however, and Kristen Wagener, the communications director for the Bryan Public Works Department, said they do not expect to implement one. We are always asking people to conserve water, but we are not under any sort of water restrictions, she said. We dont anticipate being so. Watson said he is glad citizens are understanding of the circumstances. I appreciate the public working with us on implementing stage one and I appreciate the considerations and the reduction that theyve accomplished so far, he said. Nations said another way to stop excessive water waste is to look for leaks and call the utility dispatch number at 855-528-4278 24 hours a day. Jeff Gilbertson, principal at Grand Island Senior High, has received a statewide honor and will represent Nebraska at a national principals conference. The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) announced Gilbertson their 2022 High School Principal of the Year earlier this week. According to an NSASSP press release, the honor is given to a principal who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, region, and at the state level. Gilbertson has been Executive High School Principal since 2012. Over the course of those years, Gilbertson has been at the helm of the school, helping guide it through significant changes. Arguably the most significant change at GISH since Gilbertsons tenure was the establishment of the schools learning academy system. Last year GISH celebrated the graduation of the schools academy first four-year graduates, being educated within the academy system for the duration of their time in high school. In a previous Grand Island Independent article, Gilbertson said of the GISH Vision Teams efforts establishing the system: We had a lot of questions and not a lot of answers. It was scary. We dumped out our high school and completely rebuilt it. While there was a degree of opposition to the academy model, supporters prevailed and the model was fully implemented Fall 2019. Grand Island Senior High graduate Kendall Bartling said in an NSASSP press release, The attitude that Mr. Gilbertson holds that students come first has had a lasting impact on the lives of countless students, myself included in my final year at the Academies of Grand Island Senior High, no single person has had as much of an impact on my emotional well-being and my future aspirations as Mr. Gilbertson. Candidates for High School Principal of the Year are evaluated based on personal excellence, collaborative leadership, curriculum, instruction, assessment and personalization. In a statement, Gilbertson said, To be recognized by your peers is a welcome surprise. Im honored to represent Grand Island Public Schools, but this is unquestionably a team effort. We have great work going on here and Im grateful to play a part in it. October 2022, Gilbertson will represent Nebraska and GISH at the National Principals Conference, which will have one middle or high school principal from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Department of State Office of Overseas Schools and the Department of Defense Education. From these state winners, according to conference host National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), From these state winners, three finalists are named as contenders for the National Principal of the Year award. The NASSP National Principal of the Year is selected from among the finalists. Gilbertson started at Grand Island Public Schools as elementary principal, splitting duties between Stolley Park Elementary and Seedling Mile Elementary. He has been an educator since 1996. He was an elementary teacher in Lincoln. Gilbertson has been a member of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) for 18 years, the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP) for 13 years, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) for 11 years. CANBERRA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The Australian government said on Sunday that eligibility for "potentially lifesaving" COVID-19 antiviral treatments will be widened from Monday. Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed that all Australians aged over 70 who test positive for COVID-19 will be able to access antivirals on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which means the government will subsidize the treatments. Access will also be expanded to people aged over 50 with two or more risk factors for severe disease, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people aged over 30 with two or more risk factors for severe disease. Immunocompromised people over 18 may also be eligible. It comes as the COVID-19 infections continue to surge in Australia in the current winter months, when community transmission of both coronavirus and influenza is placing stress on the health system. There were about 4,000 cases being treated in Australian hospitals recently. "COVID cases and hospitalization numbers are climbing, particularly with the new variants," Butler said in a statement on Sunday. "These oral antivirals dramatically reduce the risk of severe disease, particularly for older Australians, and will help keep people out of the hospital." Antiviral treatments, taken as a tablet or capsule, help to stop COVID-19 infection from becoming severe -- but they need to be started early after testing positive, according to the health minister. Australians aged 30 and older will be eligible to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine dose from Monday. On Saturday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged as many people as possible to take up the opportunity. "I intend myself to get this additional booster shot. People if they're eligible should do it. It minimizes the impact and people should follow that health advice," he told reporters. "The pandemic isn't over." On Sunday morning, Australia reported more than 20,000 new COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths. "Grand Island Young Professionals is now an officially registered tradename. The program via Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce pursued registration to protect the name of the Grand Island Young Professionals and prevent it being used by others, said GIACC Vice President Courtney Glock. To confirm and solidify that name, we applied to create that tradename that recognizes it in Grand Island as a full-on organization, as it has been since 2006, said Glock. It affirms that what weve been doing all along is official, and that it is longstanding and not anything thats going to end tomorrow. There are two names that were registered: Grand Island Young Professionals and Young Professionals of Grand Island. Were one of the only communities (in Nebraska) that hadnt had that tradename, having that name, official title, associated to us, so that was something we found important, she said. We didnt know we didnt have it, but now we do. The program, which started in 2006, boasts as many as 130 members, said Glock. Its sole mission is building and growing our young leaders in the community. Its something the Grand Island Chamber has spearheaded since day one, she said. Its an organization that lies within the Grand Island Chamber. Glock oversees the program in her capacity as GIACCs workforce development director. The program, like Grand Islands Leadership Tomorrow, aims to attract to and retain in Grand Island those young professionals. Its designed to dig the heels of those individuals coming to our community, working in our community, living in our community, into our Grand Island soil, so they stay here, so they find that sense of investment in the community, she said. The program has no cap and is always welcoming new members, said Glock. Anyone who wants to join that program can do that at any time, she said. Were comprised of individuals ages 21 to 40 primarily. I always say that anyone who feels young can be a young professional. Program members engage in tours of local industries and businesses and meet with business owners and community leaders. Young Professionals on Thursday enjoyed a tour of Central Nebraska Regional Airport. Its those little behind-the-scenes tours and one-on-one conversations that allow young leaders to really put themselves out there, and build on those leadership skills and step outside their comfort zone, she said. Having completed the registration process is exciting, said Glock. It was something we didnt necessarily know we were missing, but its an important piece of confirming and validating all that our program has to offer our community, showing that we are going to continue moving forward in building that momentum, she said. Its also a recognizable name for everyone who comes into Grand Island. For more information, visit www.gichamber.com. On June 3, a local businessman took the stage with his band at Hear Grand Island. In addition to being a musician, Kyle Sayler is also the owner of Sayler Screenprinting, which opened recently in downtown Grand Island at the corner of Third and Pine streets. During the concert, Sayler mentioned hed just opened up a shop downtown, and that were happy to be in Grand Island. If people were looking for T-shirts, give him a call, he said. He also threw a few of his T-shirts into the crowd. That move, he said, was a little shameless advertising. Sayler Screenprinting deals in custom-printed shirts and apparel. Those products include business and office clothing. In addition to T-shirts, hoodies and hats, the company will also put your name on koozies. Sayler does embroidery as well as screenprinting. People should choose his business, he says, because of its emphasis on quality and service. Sayler Screenprinting, he says, works hard at doing things right. Even if a client has signed off on a product that includes a mistake, the company will make good on the order. Amanda Friesz, Saylers girlfriend, says its much easier dealing with Sayler Screenprinting than an internet company. You dont have to spend a long time waiting to get someone on the phone. And Sayler employees will work with you personally to make sure an order comes out to your satisfaction. Sayler, 33, already has a successful Sayler Screenprinting business in Kearney. That company was voted Small Business of the Year by the Kearney Chamber of Commerce in 2019. His website, he says, makes it easy for school groups and other organizations to do fundraisers. We try to make the process as smooth as we can, he says. Sayler Screenprinting offers free shipping anywhere in Nebraska for orders of 25 items or more. He estimates that 80% of orders are delivered to a customers door at no extra charge. First-time customers gets 20% off of their order. Sayler got into screenprinting working out of his garage in 2008. He opened his Kearney store in 2015. It started as a little side hustle and then it turned into something a little bit more than that, he said. His first big order was 100 shirts for Kearney Powersports then Kearney Yamaha where his father worked. Most of Saylers success is due to word of mouth. He now has 16 employees, including four designers, at his Kearney store. Sayler graduated from Kearney Catholic and the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he received a bachelors degree in graphic design. Before going into business himself, he worked for three years at The Buckle. In Grand Island, hes anxious to work with businesses, school organizations and groups organizing fundraisers. He bought out a local company called 308 Threads. Hes hoping to work with some of that companys clients. Sayler Screenprinting hosted its ribbon-cutting on Friday. Were still building the name. Its going to take a while, he said. Playing off the name Sayler, the business has a nautical theme. Sea-faring knickknacks can be found inside the store. Theres even a stuffed shark nicknamed Schnozz. The stores slogans include Whatever floats your boat and Work like a Sayler, play like a pirate. The attractive corner location, with brick walls and a tin ceiling, is owned by Tom Ziller. Sayler is assisted in the business by his father, Dave, as well as Friesz. Friesz is a Grand Island resident. Shes the reason, he says, he came to Grand Island. The Kyle Sayler Band, by the way, focuses on country music, with a classic rock song thrown in here and there. Country is a nice way to get people on the dance floor, and thats kind of what were about, is just showing people a good time. HASTINGS Sandra Newman, who founded the Prairie Winds Art Gallery in Grand Island in 1996, will return to the area for a show at the Gallery on Lincoln Avenue in Hastings. Into the Woods opens Friday, July 9, with an artists reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at the gallery, 221 N. Lincoln Ave. Newman grew up in the Black Hills of South Dakota and has also lived in Colorado, North Dakota and Nebraska, where she enjoys capturing the landscapes and other interesting subject matter from these areas. In 2001 she and her husband moved from Central Nebraska back to the Black Hills, where she has become involved in painting plein air as well as in her home studio. En plein air is a French expression meaning in the open air, and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artists subject in full view. A picture is nothing but a bridge between the soul of an artist and that of the spectator, a quote from Eugene Delacroix, is one of Newmans favorites. If I can capture the feeling of a particular subject and convey that to the viewer, I feel I have been successful, she said. Newman served as the art director at the Black Hills Childrens Home and was on the roster of South Dakota Artists in the Schools for many years. She lives in Rapid City and is a signature member of Artists of the Black Hills and says she enjoys painting in the Black Hills and traveling to other states to experience new subject matter. Into the Woods will remain on display through the end of August at GOLA. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday or by appointment. For more information about the exhibit, contact Kay Grimminger at 308-379-5207 or kgrimmin@esu10.org. For more information about the artist and to view her work, check out her website at www.sandranewmanart.com. Crane Trust to feature film Follow the Water Follow the Water, a film featuring photographer Mike Forsberg and filmmaker Peter Stegen as they undertake a 55-day journey through the Platte Basin Watershed, will be the focus of the monthly speaker series set for Tuesday, July 12, at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center in Wood River. Forsberg and Stegen traveled the Basin from snowmelt in the mountains of Wyoming, through the Colorado Rockies, to the mouth of the Platte. Why did they do it? As Forsberg explains, All life on this planet depends on water. I want to know where our water comes from! A potluck dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. (a covered dish to be shared is appreciated but not mandatory; silverware, plates and drinks are provided) and the movie follows at 7. Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center is located at 9325 S. Alda Road, just south of I-80 at Alda. For more information, call 308-382-1820 or check online at cranetrust.org. Rowe Sanctuary to host Firefly Picnic GIBBON The Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary will host a Firefly Picnic on Saturday July 16. The event is BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic) as food will not be provided. Groups are encouraged to arrive after 7:30 p.m., but can come and leave any time during the two hours of the program. Families should plan to complete their picnic first then enjoy hands-on activities all about prairie insects. Once the sun starts to set, the fireflies will come out and families can learn more about these glowing insects. Attendees can expect a relaxing evening along the Platte River enjoying all the sights and sounds along the river. There is no better place to learn about fireflies than at the prairie, said Beka Yates, education manager for Audubons Rowe Sanctuary. This event is free to the public and is open to all ages; registration is requested. Email Yates at beka.yates@audubon.org. Rowe Sanctuary is located south of Gibbon at 44450 Elm Island Road. For more information, call 308-468-5282 or check online at rowe.audubon.org/. This weekend at the Grand ... Elvis is showing this weekend at the Grand Theatre, 316 W. Third St. in Grand Island. Showtimes are 7:15 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Elvis is an epic, big-screen spectacle from Warner Bros. Pictures and visionary, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Oscar winner Tom Hanks. This film is rated PG-13 for substance abuse, strong language, suggestive material and smoking. Admission is $5 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger and seniors. For more information, call 308-381-2667 or visit grandmovietheatre.com. Your Ticket briefs are published every Thursday in The Independent. To submit arts and entertainment announcements, submit to Terri Hahn at terri.hahn@theindependent.com at least two weeks prior to the event. No information will be accepted over the phone. There is no charge for publication, but announcements must follow newspaper style and policy. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war? You voted: Workers carry relief materials donated by China Railway Group Limited (CREC) in Keraniganj on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 5, 2022. As millions of Bangladeshis were deluged in some of the country's worst flooding ever, China Railway Group Limited (CREC) provided relief. (Xinhua) DHAKA, July 10 (Xinhua) -- There is a saying in Bangladesh "manush manusher jonno" (Humans are for humanity). As millions of Bangladeshis were deluged in some of the country's worst flooding ever, China Railway Group Limited (CREC) provided relief, just like the old Bangla saying. CREC, engaged in the construction of the Padma Rail Link, donated relief materials to a ceremony in a site office in Keraniganj on the outskirts of capital Dhaka. Engineer Khaled Masood is glad to know that CREC has stood by the flood victims in a very good way. "Today I'm proud that my company has stood by the flood victims in the midst of such a big disaster." On the sidelines of the handover ceremony, Md Afzal Hossain, project director, told Xinhua that two districts in the northeastern part of Bangladesh had been suffering from severe floods. He said the homes of millions of people had been damaged, and many roads and bridges have been destroyed. "The food given here includes about 1,750 kg of rice, 450 liters of edible oil and 750 kg of flour and about 700 kg of sugar. All these are essential," he said. According to the official, it will help about 500 families. "The people of Bangladesh will be grateful for this. The government of Bangladesh will be grateful to them," he said. For the past twenty years, CREC has been carrying out various development activities in Bangladesh and abroad. The Padma Bridge Rail Link Project, financed by the Export-Import Bank of China, is the biggest project of the Bangladesh Railway. Bangladeshi State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Md Enamur Rahman earlier said that both the government and private agencies are working in the Sylhet region, which has been facing the worst floods in 122 years. According to a daily flood report of the Health Emergency Operation Center and Control Room, the floods killed 107 people between May 17 and July 5. With roads washed away, authorities have been battling to deliver supplies in many northeastern and northern districts. Shi Yuan, project director of the Padma Rail Link project of CREC, said he is very glad that they could do something to help flood victims. "If there is any further requirement we'll organize again," Shi said. "Food will soon reach affected areas," he said as workers were loading the relief materials into an army truck. Bangladeshi soldiers were deployed last month to help the Sylhet region. Troops have since remained deployed to deal with rising water levels in Sylhet and Sunamganj districts, 296 km northeast of the capital Dhaka. SPRINGFIELD Four months before the general election, six incumbent state lawmakers appeared primed for an early rejection by voters based on unofficial tallies this week. The longest-serving of the incumbents to lose their primary election was Democratic Rep. Mike Zalewski, of Riverside, a founding member of the Houses Mod Squad of moderate Democrats. He was unseated by a more liberal challenger, Abdelnasser Rashid, of Justice, who had the backing of the progressive group Our Revolution, which has roots in the 2016 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders. It's a race that Kent Redfield, a campaign finance expert and professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Springfield, called stunning. Redfield calculated that Zalewski raised just over $1 million and about $96,000 was raised by associated independent expenditure committees. Rashid, on the other hand, raised $383,000 with his biggest contributor being family members at $60,000, according to Redfields analysis. I mean, there were issues within positions, a bunch of other things, but if you look at that money, that's just stunning that you've got $1 million that he raised during that 18-month period, Redfield said. Zalewski was one of three incumbent House Democrats who were trailing in their elections this week. Election results wont officially be certified until July 29, and some jurisdictions continue to await mail ballots which will still be accepted through July 12, provided they were postmarked as of election day. While Redfield said its not unusual for incumbents to be unseated in a primary, usually those with establishment backing and big money donors end up prevailing. Mitigating factors this year, he said, were that every legislative district was redrawn with new decennial census data, and the fact that the House has a new speaker. Emanuel Chris Welch, of Hillside, replaced former Speaker Michael Madigan in January 2021 after Madigan held the gavel for all but two years since 1983. You know, I don't want to say, well, Madigan would have won it and Welch didnt sort of thing, Redfield said. Because you can't ever go back. Madigan, a couple of cycles ago, you'd be shocked. The ousting of the three Democratic incumbents wasnt as shocking this year, he said, because Welchs operation isnt as top-heavy as Madigans was. I mean, part of that is, is it possible to do that? And secondly, do you want to do that? he said of maintaining a level of control that Madigan had over House races. And he said Rashid ran a successful grassroots campaign. Rashid frequently attacked the seven-term incumbent on his vote against a measure repealing a parental notification of abortion requirement and for his ties to Madigan, who has been indicted on bribery and racketeering charges. The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark newspaper quoted a Rashid election-night victory speech in which he said he would fight for the middle class, work to end corruption and that he was excited to be the General Assemblys first Palestinian Muslim. Zalewski, meanwhile, was no stranger to heavy lifts in the General Assembly, frequently carrying major revenue bills as well as a measure that would have set the rates of a graduated income tax structure had it not been rejected by voters. That district, the 21st, encompasses a long stretch of the southwest Chicago suburbs, stretching from the Berwyn area in the north to the Bridgeview area in the south. Rashids margin of victory was about 320 votes, unofficially as of Friday, although Zalewski conceded on election night. I loved this job, gave my all for the people of the district and the state, and did it the best I could, he said in a social media statement. The voters of the district made their voices heard, and thats democracy. Rashids general election opponent will be Matthew Schultz, who the Landmark reported is a 26-year-old from Brookfield who works for the anti-tax group Taxpayers United. 77th House District In the 77th District, which includes OHare Airport and the suburbs of Northlake and Addison, incumbent Democrat Kathleen Willis trailed challenger Norma Hernandez by about 200 votes as of Friday. Hernandez had the backing of progressive U.S. Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia, as well as powerful labor unions such as the Mid America Carpenters Union and the Chicago Laborers District Council. Willis was a member of Madigans leadership team who ultimately opposed Madigans reelection as speaker in 2021, helping to end his historic run. While she was not named to leadership under Welch, he did campaign for Willis during the primary race. Willis was the sponsor of gun dealer licensing legislation that became the first bill signed by Gov. JB Pritzker. Fundraising was about equal in that race, with Willis raising $330,000, including $76,000 from teacher unions, $100,000 from other elected officials candidate committees and $63,000 from Democrats for the Illinois House. Hernandez raised $316,000 with $86,000 raised by independent expenditure committees that were working in her favor. She received $120,000 from organized labor and $133,000 from other elected officials committees, according to Redfields analysis. The Republican candidate in the district is Anthony Airdo, of Melrose Park, who lost to Willis in the districts old boundaries in 2020 by a margin of about 44 percentage points. 16th House District The Gun Violence Prevention PAC claimed the apparent unseating of incumbent Denyse Wang Stoneback as a victory in the 16th District. Rep. Stoneback failed her constituents when she worked against and refused to vote for life-saving legislation that would require universal background checks for all gun sales and provide funding for mental health, Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of GPAC, said in a statement. Kevin Olickal, a Skokie Democrat who had a lead of about 640 votes over Stoneback as of Friday, also had the backing of U.S. Rep. Garcia, as well as his state senator, Ram Villivalam, of Chicago. Billed on his campaign website as a true progressive, Olickal is currently working part-time toward his juris doctorate at Loyola University Chicago School of Law School. Spending in that race was near equal as well, with Stoneback raising $285,000, including $44,000 from organized labor, $14,000 from Democrats for the Illinois House and $44,000 from Welchs candidate committee. Olickal raised $204,000, with $96,000 in independent expenditures raised to oppose Stoneback by anti-gun groups. GPAC also gave $36,645 directly to Olickals campaign. He also received $90,000 between organized labor and the nursing home industry. The Republican candidate in the northside Chicago-area district is Vince Romano, also of Skokie. He ran unsuccessfully for the district under its previous boundaries in 2012 against former Madigan lieutenant Lou Lang, garnering just 32% of the vote. 43rd Senate District The Senate Democrats lost one incumbent to a primary challenger, although Eric Mattson had only been in the Senate since May. He had replaced John Connor, a Will County Democrat who left the chamber in a bid to become a judge, in the 43rd District. Mattson was beaten by Will County board member Rachel Ventura by more than 1,800 votes. Venturas campaign page describes her as pro-ethics, no strings attached, and as a progressive Democrat who is dedicated to fighting the wealth gap. She was dwarfed in fundraising by Mattson, who raised $801,000, including $245,000 from the Senate Democrats campaign apparatus and $416,000 from organized labor. Venturas biggest backer gave her $6,000, and her candidate committee received just 12 contributions exceeding $1,000 while raising only $41,000. On the GOP side, Diane Harris, who received backing from the Senate Republican Victory Fund the campaign apparatus for establishment Senate Republicans held a lead over her challenger by about 120 votes as of Friday. Her opponent was Michelle Lee, a further right candidate whose focus was education policy with a stated goal of banning critical race theory in Illinois schools. 93rd House District Two House Republican incumbents lost in their primaries as well. Mark Luft, a House Republican and mayor of Pekin, had the backing of over $59,000 from the campaign account of House Minority Leader Jim Durkin and $268,000 from organized labor. He lost by more than 3,000 votes to the son of a retired state senator in the 93rd District. All told, Luft raised $463,000. Travis Weaver, the victor in that race, was backed by the GOP nominee for governor, state Sen. Darren Bailey. Weavers dad, Chuck Weaver, served in the Illinois Senate from 2015 through January 2021. Weaver raised $295,000, including $60,000 from his fathers campaign committee and $83,000 from business and professional organizations. No Democrat ran in the western Illinois district that runs from Geneseo to the north to the Pekin area. 75th House District In the 75th House District, David Welter, a Morris Republican, was defeated by Jed Davis, a more conservative challenger from Newark who also had Baileys backing. Welter was one of the House GOPs more effective bipartisan lawmakers, having most recently voted for the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, a massive energy overhaul which helped secure the future of the nuclear plants in his district. Welter was bested by about 1,000 votes in the district that includes suburbs such as Yorkville and Oswego. He had raised $663,000, including $205,000 from organized labor and $40,000 from the state Republican Party. Davis raised just $48,000, including $6,000 from Bailey supporter and GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein, and $15,000 from the Restore Illinois PAC, which also supported Bailey. No Democrat filed to run in the district. The Eutawville man who testified against his co-defendants in a quadruple murder has been sentenced to 10 years in prison. Derrick Warren Coleman, 32, was sentenced after pleading guilty to obstruction of justice. Circuit Judge Ed Dickson sentenced Coleman during a recent term of court at the Orangeburg County courthouse. At the discretion of prosecutors, the following charges against Coleman were dismissed: four counts of murder and one count each of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime, first-degree burglary and attempted murder. Coleman testified in the trial of his three co-defendants: Robert Pockets Bailey, 42; Antly Jermaine Jackie Man Scott, 40 and Luther Joseph Smith, 41. On Feb. 23, an Orangeburg County jury convicted Bailey, Scott and Smith each on four counts of murder and one count each of first-degree burglary and attempted murder. Dickson sentenced each of the three men to five terms of life in prison on the murder and burglary counts, plus 30 years for the attempted murder count. The three men were found guilty in the July 15, 2015 murders of Tamara Alexia Perry, 14; Shamekia Tyjuana Sanders, 17; Krystal Hutto, 28; and Jerome Butler, 50, at Huttos Eutawville home. They were also found guilty in the shooting of Dreamzz Nelson, who was 8 years old when he survived the attack. After the murders, investigators spoke with Coleman about a motorcycle transaction that took place at Baileys house the day before. Coleman told investigators the truth about motorcycle swap, but didnt volunteer information about the murders. He didnt hear from investigators again until July 19, 2016. By that point, Scott had moved in with Coleman on St. Julien Drive on Lake Marion in Eutawville. Coleman said investigators asked him questions about what happened on the early morning hours of July 15, 2015. Coleman testified he lied to law enforcement at that time. Investigators ended up arresting Coleman and Scott on drug charges after discovering marijuana. Coleman said once he bonded out, he helped a friend and his family move from North Carolina to Alabama. Coleman returned to check on things at his Eutawville home, then decided to return to Alabama taking Scott with him. By Sept. 26, 2016, the law caught up with him and Scott. Coleman was at friends house when the friends sister asked him to go outside. The front of his friends yard was surrounded by officers with their guns drawn. Coleman later agreed to testify against his co-defendants. He testified he drove Scott and Smith to Baileys home to buy drugs late on July 14, 2015. After they werent able to get drugs at Baileys house, Scott allegedly told Coleman he knew they could get drugs at Huttos home. Hutto was a fiancee of Christopher Dean Wright, who was away that evening. Wright is the father of the children who were shot. Coleman testified that he never went inside the house after he drove Scott and Smith there. He claimed that he was sitting in his truck listening to music on the stereo and playing games on his phone while he waited instead. Nelson, however, testified that he saw the burned up guy in the house before Bailey shot him and everything went black. Coleman testified that Scott and Smith ran back from the home to the truck. Scott yelled, Go! Go! Go! I was freaking out and panicking, Coleman said. Coleman drove the men west on Old State Road, toward Wells Crossroads, just a few miles from Huttos residence. The men switched seats. Coleman said Smith drove them to Indian Bluff Landing. When they got there, Smith allegedly got out of the truck and went to a wooded area. I saw like a flame, a flicker of light, like he was burning something, Coleman said. Coleman testified that Scott went by the water. It looked like he threw two objects into the water, Coleman said. He couldnt tell what they were. He heard splash, he said. Scott returned to the truck. What the hell is going on! Coleman said. I just killed five f - - - - - - people! Quit giving me s - - -! Scott said, according to Coleman. Smith drove them to a little cul-de-sac area near the entrance to the landing, Coleman said. Coleman and Scott smoked some marijuana to relax their nerves. Smith allegedly drove them to his half-brothers trailer on Gaillard Street in Eutawville. Once they got there, Scott pulled drugs out of his pocket, Coleman said. It was crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. According to the online S.C. Appellate Management System, Bailey and Scott have filed appeals, but Smith did not. SouthState is closing its Elloree branch, leaving the town without a bank. SouthState Bank will close and consolidate its Elloree branch at 6512 Old Number Six Highway into its Santee branch at 657 Bass Drive. The move will be effective Aug. 26. "Like every other bank, SouthState has experienced high levels of digital adoption accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has resulted in less traffic to some of our branch banking locations," SouthState said in a prepared statement. "SouthState routinely assesses the companys operations and makes adjustments based on changing consumer behaviors and in-branch traffic and demand." "The decision to close the Elloree, SC branch is the result of that review process," the statement said. "Customers that currently bank at the Elloree branch will be invited to bank at our branch located at 657 Bass Drive in Santee, SC, which is approximately six miles from our Elloree branch. "SouthState Bank's history has been one that has been very supportive of the community and its customers," Elloree Mayor Mike Fanning said. "We will miss them and we wish they would stay." Fanning said despite the departure of the town's only bank, the "best days are still ahead" for Elloree with the expected growth of housing both in and outside the town. He also noted there are plans to continue to revitalize the downtown district. He said two banks -- Farmers and Merchants Bank and First National Bank -- have expressed an interest in bringing services to the town. "Both banks are weighing what real estate options are available," Fanning said, adding that he believes Elloree would be able to support one bank but probably no more at this point in time. Fanning also noted that SouthState will deed its branch to the town with plans to move town hall and the city's police department into the building. Fanning said the current town hall could be a good location for a business. Elloree has had a bank presence at least for a century. According to a March 24, 1921, edition of The Times and Democrat there was a First National Bank located in Elloree at the time. The bank remained until 1993, when it was purchased by First National Bank of Orangeburg. In June 2001, the bank -- First National Corporation -- moved its headquarters from Orangeburg to Columbia and became South Carolina Bank and Trust in 2002. The Elloree bank assumed the same name. As the bank continued to grow, it changed its name again in June 2014 to SouthState Bank. SouthState Bank today has over 275 branches in six states including six branches in The T&D Region and three ATM locations. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) The stark differences in state-by-state approaches to abortion law were on display in South Carolina on Thursday, when national advocacy groups and hundreds of demonstrators descended on the Statehouse grounds to testify before lawmakers considering new abortion-related measures in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Trigger bans immediately went into effect in 13 states after the ruling two weeks ago and Democratic leaders in other areas have sought to demarcate their states as safe harbors for abortion providers and seekers. South Carolinas Republican leaders have signaled their intent to go further than the law banning abortion around six weeks of pregnancy that took effect on June 27. After the Supreme Court ruling, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster said he would work with the General Assembly where the GOP holds a supermajority in both chambers to determine the best solution for protecting the lives of unborn South Carolinians. That process began Thursday, with the first meeting of an ad hoc committee considering a bill to prohibit abortions. More than 150 people demonstrated outside the meeting, with dozens lining up at sunrise to secure a spot to testify. Savannah Duke, a 21-year-old college student from Spartanburg, testified that a 20-week ultrasound showed her parents she had a severely underdeveloped left leg and a cyst on her brain. Although a doctor encouraged them multiple times to seek abortion, her parents decided against it. Im thankful my parents chose to speak up for me and give me a chance to live, Duke said before the committee. So now its my turn to speak up. Abortion-rights supporters emphasized that the state has the countrys eighth-highest maternal mortality rate, with Black women dying at four times the rate of white women during childbirth. These health disparities, they argued, would only worsen under increased abortion restrictions. In his testimony, Democratic gubernatorial nominee Joe Cunningham noted the story of a 10-year-old rape victim in Ohio which has a similar six-week abortion ban who recently traveled out-of-state for an abortion. This little girl is not old enough to vote. Shes not old enough to hold a job. Shes not old enough to hold a bank account, Cunningham said. But she was told she was old enough to become a mother. Ahead of the hearing, Planned Parenthood Action Fund President Alexis McGill Johnson told The Associated Press the laws being discussed are designed to create chaos and confusion for people seeking access to care." McGill Johnson had just come from North Carolina, where Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday protecting out-of-state abortion patients from extradition. McGill Johnson praised North Carolina as an abortion refuge and condemned South Carolina lawmakers efforts. According to Planned Parenthood South Atlantic President Jenny Black, over one-third of Planned Parenthoods appointments in North Carolina this week were made by out-of-state patients many from South Carolina and Tennessee. At the moment, North Carolina is a regional outlier on abortion. In Georgia, a 2019 law banning most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy also blocked in federal court is expected to take effect. In Alabama, it is a felony to perform an abortion at any stage, with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. Mississippis only abortion clinic closed this week. Black said the organizations locations in North Carolina have been working to increase capacity in anticipation of abortion rights rollback. We arent brand new to this, Black said. Advocates have been saying this is the future that will happen. James Pollard 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 James Pollard on Twitter. After two years of pandemic restrictions, the Equality March, formerly known as the Pride Parade, returned to Esch-sur-Alzette on Saturday. The Equality March was the opening of the two-day-long Pride Festival in Luxembourg's southern city. The goal of the march is to increase the visibility of people outside of the heterosexual norm and those not identifying with their given genders. The so-called queer community is therefore extremely diverse, but what connects people is the desire for tolerance and acceptance. Organiser Andy Maar provided insight into the areas that are still in need of improvement and proposed concrete changes: "We want automatic recognition of same-sex couples, the preservation of queer safe spaces, and a prohibition of non-medically required surgeries of intersex people without their consent." Although not everybody is familiar with terms like pride, LGBTQ, or queer, the desire to feel accepted should be a universal issue, the organisers further highlighted on Saturday. Video report in Luxembourgish Liz Cheneys campaign has a new TV and radio ad. The 30-second spot, titled Shield, is the third one in just over a month, and features footage from the recent House congressional debate at Sheridan College. If we dont abide by the Constitution when it is politically inconvenient, then we will not have the Constitution as our shield when we need to defend our First Amendment rights and our Second Amendment rights, Cheney says. The ad then moves to three Wyoming residents Jane Curry, Susan Stubson and Dan Sullivan who laud her support for the Constitution. Shes doing whats right, Sullivan says. Shes standing up for our constitutional rights. Cheney has repeatedly stressed her oath to the Constitution after voting to impeach former President Donald Trump over his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In the midst of Cheneys rebukes, the former president sought a challenger to unseat her. He selected natural resources lawyer Harriet Hageman, who entered the race in September. Cheney has angered many Wyoming Republicans for her steady criticism of Trump, and the GOP primary is by far Cheneys toughest reelection challenge since she first won the states lone House seat in 2016. Cheneys earlier TV spots focused on her policy making and did not mention her oath to the U.S. Constitution. Her recent mailers, however, did mention that subject. And in the Sheridan debate, Cheney was as clear as shes been thus far that she is willing to lose the election over her commitment to her principles. I will never violate my oath of office, and if youre looking for somebody who will, [then] you need to vote for somebody else on the stage, because I wont, she said. At the end of March, the campaign had $6.7 million in the bank, a massive figure for a congressional candidate to possess in a small state. Since the Jan. 6 hearings began, Cheney has garnered even more attention as vice-chairwoman of the congressional committee investigating the attack. That high-profile is expected to result in more financial support for her reelection campaign. A better picture of the campaigns spending and fundraising will emerge later this month when its expenditures become public. Until recently, the Cheney campaign had spent little money, especially considering how much it was raking in. But after this latest spot, the campaign will have released multiple ads in a tight window, started a concerted effort to get campaign signage posted and sent out multiple mailers. Shield began running Saturday. The Cheney campaign declined to say how much it cost. The primary is just over a month away and early voting has begun. Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said he is anxious to have the Public Procurement and Disposa 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. Ana Merino embraces her son, Jose Antonio Macedo, 11, Thursday, July 14, 2022, in Sunrise, Fla. The family fled Venezuela, crossing the Mexican border in December. They are part of a large group of Venezuelans who did not receive temporary protective status. The U.S. government extended TPS to those who arrived before March 2021. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) The resignation of Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party in Britain and his havi Tara Archuleta, a teacher at University High School, received the 2022 High School Chemistry Teacher Award from the Southern Arizona Section of the American Chemical Society. Archuletas focus on research has become critical for her students success in college and has inspired some students to consider pursuing STEM studies (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), says a news release from the society. Through her work Archuleta has made contributions to University High Schools Career and Technical Education Program, as well as to the SARSEF science fairs. The American Chemical Society awarded Archuleta $500 for her personal use, as well as an additional $500 to University High for Archuleta to equip her classroom with new resources. Tools for Schools Two Tucson high school teachers were among 50 finalists throughout the United States for the Harbor Freight Tools for Schools Prize for Teaching Excellence award. Nikolas Sanchez, a precision machining and manufacturing teacher at Tucson Magnet High School, and Mike Schmidt, an advanced manufacturing teacher at University High School, were among the finalists. What I love most about being a skilled trades teacher is seeing the moment when something in their brain clicks and they are able to unlock an entire new skill set that they never knew they had, Sanchez wrote in his application. Schmidt wrote about the importance of rotating his students through different activities, so they can find out what they might excel at and which skills they dont wish to continue working on. No matter what the students are working on, it rarely goes perfectly the first time. Students need to identify what went wrong last time and make the proper adjustments, Schmidt wrote. Harbor Freight Tools for Schools will announce the winners in October. It will award more than $1.25 million in cash prizes to 20 teachers and their skilled trade programs. Now more than ever, we need to make educated decisions about how to cast our votes. Thats why the Star is changing our approach to election coverage. Our goal will be to provide tools that help voters understand who the candidates are, what they stand for, and the important issues each office handles. We plan to publish candidate questionnaires, host online candidate interviews, invite guest opinion columns from candidates and more. Deciding what we wanted to do meant talking about what we should stop doing. And after much consideration, we decided we will not endorse candidates for the primary or general elections. Readers consistently tell us they know which candidates they support for statewide elections and major local races because they have access to our news stories, as well as candidates social media, newsletters, and mass email. What they want is guidance on candidates and issues in the many down-ballot races that dont get much attention, but play an important role in their daily lives. Pivoting away from endorsements gives us more time to focus on these races. Our decision to not endorse candidates doesnt mean we wont call out politicians when they push repugnant ideas or present worthy proposals. It just means we arent going to try to influence your vote. There may be exceptions, such as endorsing initiatives we feel strongly voters should approve or vote down. Here are a few of the tools we will offer voters this election season: We are compiling lists of ballot initiatives and candidates in local, state, and federal elections, as well as organizations and politicians who endorse candidates or initiatives. Those lists will be available on our website soon and we will update them as needed. In the coming days, we will post a questionnaire for candidates on our website. When candidates fill it out, we will post their responses so voters can review them. In April we began publishing an invitation for candidates to submit guest opinions about an issue they think is important. So far, we received and published 20 of them on the Opinion pages. As we receive more, we will update the collection, which is available on our website. Starting in August, we will host interviews with local candidates for the general election on Zoom. Voters can attend the interviews and submit questions they want candidates to answer. Keep an eye out for notices about those interviews in the Opinion pages. We also are gathering livestreams of candidate debates hosted by the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission and Arizona PBS. If you would like to comment on our plan for covering the elections or have a question youd like us to include in the candidate questionnaire, email us at staropinions@tucson.com. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Facing dramatic water shortage, the Arizona Legislature passed, and Gov. Ducey signed, a $1.2 billion allocation to identify new sources of water. Two proposed ideas are building a desalination plant in Mexico to convert ocean water to fresh water or a pipeline to capture and transmit flood water from the Mississippi River. Neither of these solutions would be immediate or practical ways to alleviate water shortage. Better solutions exist. Importing Mississippi flood water has been proposed and studied before. Pipeline completion would take years as court challenges slowed construction across state lines. Construction and delivery costs would be enormous, and the delivered water would not be adequate to address Central Arizona Project water shortfalls. The second option of desalinating water also makes little sense. Converting salty ocean water to fresh water is enormously expensive and energy intensive. Creating desalinated water costs between $2,000 and $2,500 per acre-foot, while current CAP water is priced at a cost of about $140 per acre-foot, and desalinated water creates environmental issues. The additional costs of safely disposing of salt residue would need to be added, as would the cost of building a pipeline to transmit water hundreds of miles to higher elevations. Transmitting water would require either burning fossil fuels or building a nuclear power plant. The first exacerbates climate change while the second would take many years and cost billions of dollars. Desalination may make some sense for coastal cities; in Arizona it doesnt. Addressing the water shortage requires practical, immediate, and cost-effective action. The quickest way to mitigate water shortage is to increase the cost of water while reducing its use. No other solution will move us as quickly to reduce our water use. Using less water might bring us into line with the amount of water we can sustainably use and sustainably afford. That can be accomplished by using funds from the billion-dollar legislative allocation to subsidize more efficient use of water. At the residential level, subsidizing the cost to xeriscape lawns and stop water leaks can reduce water usage dramatically. Las Vegas pays residents $3 per square foot to change from turf to xeriscaped landscapes designed to use less water. Additionally, they help connect homeowners with xeriscape landscape designers and landscape contractors experienced in the creation of such lawns that are both beautiful and designed for arid regions. Arizona could easily afford to do the same with some of the billion-dollar allocation. Repairing dripping faucets, worn toilet flappers and other water leaks can save homeowners money on their water bills and reduce water usage dramatically at almost no cost to homeowners. A public education campaign coupled with assistance from knowledgeable workers who could help homeowners and landlords with those tasks would not be terribly expensive. However, residential water use is far less than agricultural water use. The bulk of funds should be dedicated to reducing water use by agriculture. Agriculture accounts for 70-80% of water usage in Arizona. Because water is cheap, farmers and ranchers have little incentive to reduce its use. Pricing water at its cost would change that. Five percent of Arizona farms use drip irrigation while 36% of California farms have converted to drip systems. Why the difference? Because California subsidized their farmers making the change to reduce their water usage. Low-cost or subsidized loans to install drip irrigation or other ways to reduce water use would be a quicker solution than a pipeline from the Mississippi or a desalination plant in Mexico. Increasing the cost of water and changing water policy are the simplest and most cost-effective ways to address the water shortage. The knowledge and technology already exist. The money has already been set aside. The Tucson City Council is working on practical, cost-effective solutions to an immediate crisis. The state Legislature needs to do the same. HELENA, Mont. (AP) Kris Hansen, who recently departed the No. 2 post at Montana Attorney Generals Office, has died at age 52, according to state officials. A news release from the Montana Department of Justice said Hansen died early Thursday, the Independent Record reported. No information about her cause of death was released. Hansen was named chief deputy of the Montana Department of Justice in December 2020. Before that, she worked for the Montana state Auditors office and represented Havre as a Republican state lawmaker. In late May, Hansen confirmed she was leaving the office, but declined to say why. The Attorney Generals Office said at the time she was leaving to attend to personal and family matters. Kris was a dear friend, a conservative leader, and an amazing woman who dedicated her life to others, Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement Friday. Hansen was a central figure during the state Republicans conflict with the judicial branch last year. Hansen, representing Republican lawmakers who had subpoenaed judicial records, wrote 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 a Montana National Guard veteran and served during Operation Iraqi Freedom. She also served a tour of duty with the Central Intelligence Agency in Mogadishu, Somalia in the early 1990s. Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a statement that Hansens indomitable spirit left an impact on all who knew her. A spokesperson for Knudsen declined Friday to offer information on the cause or location of death, as well as funeral information. Residents near the town of Medford in northwest Oklahoma were asked to remain evacuated in a one-mile radius Sunday evening following an explosion at a natural gas facility on Saturday. No injuries were reported in the explosion, which occurred at a natural gas liquids fractionation facility owned by Tulsa-based ONEOK in Grant County. The site is about 135 miles northwest of Tulsa. Grant County Sheriff's Office, in a social media post asked that all residents south of Oklahoma 11 in Medford remain evacuated until at least 6 p.m. Sunday. A two-mile evacuation order was reduced to one mile around the plant, authorities said Sunday night. Westward winds carried a tall, black plume of smoke over farm fields after the explosion, The Oklahoman reported. As flames billowed from the plant, local fire departments staged equipment and crews at a grain elevator on Oklahoma 81 north of the blaze. They werent able to get near the plant because of extreme heat and risk of explosion, firefighters told the Oklahoman Saturday. ONEOK made several hotels in the area available to house evacuated residents, authorities said. For Dr. J. Clark Bundren, the draw to the specialty of in vitro fertilization at the time of its infancy was about solving a puzzle. From the start of the Tulsa physicians 40-year career in medicine, Bundren sought the underlying reasons for infertility to design the right therapy, often using cutting-edge technology. He co-founded Oklahomas first clinic with IVF services and is credited with helping thousands of parents have children. Last month, this IVF pioneer stopped accepting new patients, and on July 1 he hung up his white medical coat to start retirement. My generation of physicians who engineered this work from Australia to England is now moving on, he said. Its been fun. Bundrens interest in IVF began as a 16-year-old Bartlesville student named as a Sir Alexander Fleming Scholar. The program put him in a lab through the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, working with cell culture systems for patients with malignancies and chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It was the same kind of technology used to solve the problem of infertility, Bundren said. He received an undergraduate degree from Philips University in Enid, attended the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine and completed his training in Tulsa. Graduating from medical school in 1978, his was among the first classes at the Tulsa campus. IVF technology was emerging in the 70s, and Bundren was recruited for his obstetrics and gynecology residency and fellowship in human in-vitro fertilization at Eastern Virginia Medical School. The head of the program was Dr. Howard Jones Jr., considered one of the American trailblazers in assisted reproductive technology. Bundren was the youngest member of the team assembled by Jones. That high school experience with cell therapy came back to Bundren in problem-solving for fertility. The concept of altering cells for cancer treatment was applied to growing embryos for transplant. IVF and embryo transfer was the focus of the work, Bundren said. The idea was to get together enough people to figure a solution to make IVF more successful as a treatment for infertility. In 1978, the first baby born after conception by IVF was Louise Brown in England. A doctor on that team, physiologist Robert Edwards, won the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for the breakthrough IVF technology. There was proof this was possible, but how do we make that consistent? We knew we could make it work, but how to do it was our challenge, Bundren said. In 1981, the team, including Bundren, delivered the first baby conceived by IVF in the United States Elizabeth Carr. But the historical milestone wasnt without controversy. The Rev. Jerry Falwell and other leaders of the Moral Majority movement led protests outside the facility, condemning IVF as the work of the devil and claiming that the team was playing God. Some religious faiths continue to oppose IVF. It took me by surprise, Bundren said. You have this work, and youve got these infertile patients who are truly suffering. They are grateful for what we are doing. The opposition didnt deter Bundren. It also didnt deter medical institutions desperate to get IVF technology and physicians specializing in the field to offer fertility services there. Bundren returned to Tulsa in 1982 as an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the OU-Tulsa medical school, bringing a few people from the Norfolk IVF team with him. He and Dr. J.W. Edward Wortham Jr. became co-directors of the Hillcrest Infertility Center the first clinic of its kind in the region and the fifth in the nation. In 1983, Bundren and his team delivered twins as the first children in Oklahoma born after IVF conception. The mother had permanently blocked fallopian tubes from complications with a previous birth. We never had pushback in Oklahoma, he said. I think that is because of the farming culture here. The concept is familiar because it has been done in animal husbandry for a long time. In the U.S., about 2% of babies are now born through the use of assisted reproductive therapy, with IVF as the most common, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Oklahoma, there were 493 pregnancies from assisted reproductive therapy in 2019, with 419 live births, according to the CDC. Nationally, there were 95,030 pregnancies after fertility therapies, resulting in 77,998 births. In the early days, the chances of a woman getting pregnant through IVF were about 1 in 10. Now it is closer to 50%, Bundren said. Those improvements came through better cell culture systems, improved drugs to stimulate ovaries and eggs, and a reduction of diseases that affected fertility, particularly sexually transmitted diseases. The future of the field includes getting more insurance coverage for IVF and infertility therapy, Bundren said. Now 13 states require coverage, but Oklahoma is not among them. We need to make this more cost effective for more patients, he said. Several hundred former infertility patients, most bringing their children, went to his office recently to bid Bundren and his staff farewell. That was very gratifying, he said. Bundren retires at a time when womens reproductive rights are back as a top issue after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down abortion rights. Half of the states, including Oklahoma, have enacted abortion bans. He says the anti-abortion laws will have consequences for IVF. Asked whether a lawmaker ever asked him how a law would affect his practice, he simply says, No. But particularly in states like Oklahoma, which have declared that legally life begins at fertilization, what to do with unused cells and embryos becomes a quandry. Some embryos are not considered viable, sometimes through genetic anomalies or other problems that would affect a healthy delivery. Are those still considered lives? Or, if a lab worker drops one of the dishes containing cells, is that murder? These are issues for the next generation. Bundren decided to retire after a grueling time working in hospitals during the pandemic, spending a lot of time working with high-risk deliveries at Hillcrest Medical Center. The pandemic wore on people more than what I recognized, he said. It was hard on hospitals, constantly wearing masks and constantly under threat of the virus. That is stressful. In his retirement, Bundren plans to spend more time fishing and farming with his wife, Mary, three children and six grandchildren. As opportunities arise, he plans to continue to work on solutions to the human suffering of infertility. <&rule> Featured news video: Navy shipwreck is deepest ever discovered, has ties to Tulsa-area families of sailors Former President Donald Trump has endorsed candidate Markwayne Mullin for the U.S. Senate race. Congressman Markwayne Mullin is running to represent the Great State of Oklahoma in the United States Senate, Trump said in a press release. I won Oklahoma twice, by record margins, and Markwayne will be doing the same thing for many years to come. Mullin is currently the congressman for Oklahomas 2nd district and in a runoff with former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon for the GOP nomination to fill retiring senator Jim Inhofes seat. The runoff is Aug. 23. I am so honored to have President Trumps endorsement in our fight to defeat the radical left in the U.S. Senate. Mullin said in a tweet. The fact that a kid from rural Oklahoma could earn the support of Donald J. Trump is truly humbling. OKLAHOMA CITY A political action committee that worked to get Republicans elected to the state Senate has agreed to pay $62,750 to the state, according to a settlement agreement with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission released Friday. The Republican Senatorial Committee agreed to pay $37,750 for impermissible contributions it accepted, according to the settlement agreement, as well as a $25,000 civil penalty. The funds will go to the states general revenue fund. The political action committee also agreed to dissolve, according to the settlement agreement. Jeff Starling is listed as the PACs chairman and signed the settlement agreement. We are happy to work with the Ethics Commission to resolve this and put it behind us, Starling said. In the past, State President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, accepted contributions from the political action committee and was paid for consulting services, according to reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. We will still have a political operation, Treat said. Many of the contributions are five years old, he said. These are mainly clerical errors, Treat said. Secretary of State and former Senate President Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, is listed as a former chairman of the political action committee. He could not be reached for comment. Featured video: The Jan. 6 congressional hearings investigating the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol have uncovered a gross swamp of people grabbing for power, whether by violence or by unconstitutional actions. Its quite a cast of characters including the wife of a Supreme Court justice, Fox News commentators, an executive aide, former U.S. attorney general, presidential daughter and son-in-law and even a former general who invoked the Fifth Amendment to avoid the question, Do you believe in the peaceful transfer of power. That shouldve been a softball question. This year also is the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in that led to resignation of President Richard Nixon. There are comparisons to be made, and Oklahomas Carl Albert is at the center. The late 3rd District congressman and U.S. House Speaker can be counted among the heroes for showing leadership during a constitutional crisis. He put our nation before party and personal gain. The integrity he showed then ought to be a model today. Albert, a Democrat from Bugtussle, known as the Little Giant from Little Dixie for his 5-foot-4-inch stature, served as U.S. House Speaker from 1970 to 1977. He was credited for organizing his party into an effective majority in Congress with a reform movement that brought him more power than any speaker has enjoyed since the time of Czar Joe Cannon did in the early 1900s, according to an Oct. 11, 1973, Associated Press profile. Twice, he was next in line for the presidency during the Republican Nixon administration. The first came after Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned in 1973 after a bribery scandal and federal tax evasion conviction. Albert was a heartbeat from the presidency until Gerald Ford was confirmed as vice president. Watergate was boiling and talk of impeaching Nixon was growing. It presented a chance for a Democrat to take the presidency. Alberts influence could have slowed down Fords confirmation or sped up Nixons impeachment. He could have rallied the Democrats to block any Republican vice president nominee. Members of his party certainly encouraged him to do so. Former Rep. Bella Abzug, D-New York, and leader of the feminist movement once barged into his office with an aggressive demand. Get off your goddamned ass, and we can take this presidency, Albert recalled in a 1982 Washington Post interview. Other Democrats made more understated suggestions on how to capitalize on the opportunity. Albert was prepared for the presidency given Secret Service protection and a direct line to the White House. But he didnt make special moves to promote himself. I knew better than that. My instincts were against that but I thought about it all the time. I thought about the possibility, what am I going to do and how will it come out? Albert told the Washington Post. Former adviser to President John F. Kennedy, Theodore C. Sorensen, wrote a contingency plan in case Albert found himself as president. Recommendations were to continue with Ford as the vice president and move the country toward unity. Basically, drop the division and engage with the opposing party to bring the country out of the darkness. It was, of course, a period of political and emotional turmoil, Sorensen told the Washington Post. We knew that the future of the presidency was in doubt and, with the office of vice president vacant, the country faced the possibility of unprecedented political succession in which the Democrats might take over the executive branch without having been chosen for that role in an election. I dont believe there was any sense of partisan glee or desire to push such a change, but there was concern that if it came about it be done in the most responsible fashion possible. Albert didnt push for Nixons resignation after the Watergate story broke. Only after Nixon fired Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox in the famous Saturday Night Massacre did Albert get on board with impeachment proceedings. Even during the hearings, Albert showed restraint, saying that these things need to be threshed out, that we should get the facts out in to the open. The matter should be disposed of and we cant dispose of it without getting the facts out into the open. He added, I hope sincerely that when all the facts are out we wont go through the traumatic experience of having the country think the president should be impeached. Congressional Republicans who were among Nixons strident supporters saw and heard the evidence from those hearings. They were swayed by the facts and pressured Nixon to resign, which he did on Aug. 8, 1974. Those Republicans put the nation first. Albert, once again, was second in line for the presidency until Nelson Rockefeller was confirmed as vice president. He did not act differently the second time. Nixon could have been a great president, but he was a flawed man who confused personal power with constitutional processes. His departure was not the defeat of his person but the triumph of that process, he told the late historian Danney Goble. Much went right after Watergate to rein in power from those who were abusing it. It took the courage of leaders to put aside party allegiances, self-promotion. The process only works if good people allow it to do so. Albert remains Oklahomas highest-ranking elected official in history. He retired as House Speaker in 1977 after 30 years in Congress and died in 2000. The obituary in the New York Times choose this quote to show he got crossways with both parties: I very much dislike doctrinaire liberals they want to own your minds. And I dont like reactionary conservatives. I like to face issues in terms of conditions and not in terms of someones inborn political philosophy. Travelers from Vietnams major cities of Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang can take direct flights to Busan, a famous beach city in South Korea, from next month onward. The services will be available from July 20 and July 25, respectively, no-frills carrier Vietjet said in a press release on Sunday. The airline will operate one daily direct flight for each route to bring passengers from Vietnam to Busan on less-than-five-hour flights. Vietjet relaunched the Hanoi - Busan route on July 1 and will continue resuming the Nha Trang Busan service from July 21, with one daily return flight for each service. Customers can book tickets now with fares starting at just VND7,700 (US$0.33) per direction for travels from August 15, 2022 to March 26, 2023, with terms and conditions applied. Customers will soon be able to opt for the Fly Now - Pay Later program easily with only three minutes of online registration for international routes. New routes from Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City to Busan will increase Vietjets total routes between the two countries to 10, said Nguyen Thanh Son, vice-president of the airline. Vietjets direct routes between Vietnam and South Korea offer diverse flight options and cost-saving fares for travelers from this summer to enjoy flying to their favorite destinations. Busan is a beautiful port city and well known for its beaches, temples, unique colored Gamcheon cultural village, and romantic Haeundae Dalmaji Hill, among other hidden gems. It also has all good places to meet the need of every shopaholic and foodie. Along with four direct routes to Busan, Vietjet currently operates six routes from Vietnam to Seoul. The Ho Chi Minh City/Hanoi/Da Nang - Seoul (Incheon) routes have increased to twice daily return flights for each service. The Phu Quoc/Nha Trang/Hai Phong - Seoul (Incheon) routes operate one daily return flight. While South Korea has resumed the issuance of short-term travel visas to international visitors, Korean travelers can enjoy visa exemption for a stay of up to 15 days in Vietnam. International visitors are subject to neither COVID-19 tests nor health declaration upon arrival in Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Ecotourism has driven transformation and community development in a mountainous commune in Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City. The rise of the new travel form has woken up the verdant land on the edge of the vibrant coastal city in central Vietnam and brought local people countless jobs. A hidden gem The green scenery in Hoa Bac Communes villages, which are located along the Cu De River, is a magnet for people seeking a getaway from urban life. The long journey of dozens of kilometers along a small asphalt road from the Nam O Bridge to Hoa Bac proves to be worth it. Upon their arrival, along the hillside, the river gradually appears in the visitors horizon, accompanied by foggy smoke from burning rice straws on haverest fields and familiar features of the countryside such as fishing nets, shrimp and fish farms, enormous sugarcane, and corn fields, offering travelers serene and nostalgic feelings. Flows of clear water from streams originating from Bach Ma Mountain, where clouds take shape over the peak all year round, merge to form the Cu De River crossing Hoa Bac. The river does not only irrigate the fields but also shapes the mountain and forest landscapes in Hoa Bac. A woman plays a game with children at an ecotourism site along the Cu De River in Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City, Vietnam. Photo: Q.T. / Tuoi Tre Nature favorably bestows Hoa Bac with such beauty of a hidden gem, but it did not benefit the locals. Younger generations grow up and take one same path -- leaving their hometown to find work in the city -- as they rarely start farming jobs, which were their parents bread and butter. But the commune has changed. A place to immerse oneself in nature Yen Retreat, the first campsite along the Cu De River, recently became popular online because of bridal photos and travel pictures taken by tourists. It offers a combination of white tents on the green grass under the white clouds and the blue sky over the green river, along with basic amenities. That was more than enough to create a fever among young people. People come to Hoa Bac not to enjoy comfortable resort services, but to satisfy the desire to immerse themselves in unspoiled nature. Visitors are expected to sleep outdoors in a peaceful atmosphere, with background music played by fish splashing in the river and frogs croaking from the fields, inhaling the fresh air and smelling the herbal scent wafting in the wind. Tourists visit an ecotourism site along the Cu De River in Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City, Vietnam. Photo: Q.B. / Tuoi Tre Ngoc Dieu, a 33-year-old tourist from the center of Da Nang, recently had a satisfactory weekend trip with her husband and two young children at Yen Retreat. She visited many modern tourist areas before, but the overnight stay in Hoa Bac gave her a very different experience. This is not a place for a comfortable experience, but we love it because it feels like were closer to nature and living slower compared to the hustle and bustle of our usual everyday life, said Dieu. My children love to play with flowers and plants. I feel a special joy in the children, unlike the times when we usually take them to the movies or allow them to play video games. Located near Yen Retreat, nestled in the middle of the vast sugarcane fields facing the river, a new ecotourism site called Lang Me (Me Village) has lured many visitors with its wild look. Lo Vinh Hoang, a 32-year-old, who recently visited Me Village for the first time with his family and friends, said that he was completely surprised that Da Nang had such a beautiful natural landscape. Both the aforementioned sites are suitable for group activities and weekend camping. This photo shows the Me Village camping site along the Cu De River in Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City, Vietnam. Photo: Q.B. / Tuoi Tre Wind of change The establishment of ecotourism sites has brought about the wind of change in Hoa Bac. The locals started earning their living from doing tourism, accommodation, and restaurant businesses. Truong Thi Thuy Linh, a 18-year-old native to Hoa Bac, is now able to apply her two years of experience of working as a bartender to earn an income right in her hometown, instead of struggling to make ends meet in the city. Linh said the monthly income from bartending is much higher than farming. It allows her to add to her savings, in addition to helping her family. Linhs mother is also working for an ecotourism site as a cleaning lady. Her familys life has been significantly improved. A family takes a photo at a camping site along the Cu De River in Hoa Bac Commune, Hoa Vang District, Da Nang City, Vietnam. Photo: T.L. / Tuoi Tre Many locals in Hoa Bac are enjoying the wind of change as Linhs family is. Lien, the owner of a streetside stall selling sugarcane drinks, said the business has been profitable and earns her enough to afford groceries and her childrens books. Many residents of Hoa Bac are turning their backs on farming which generates a precarious income in comparison and switching to running tourism services, such as eateries and beverage stalls. Thanks to tourism, this place has developed and the people have benefited, said Huynh Thi Cam Hanh, a 35-year-old resident of Hoa Bac, who supplies prepared food to tourists. Melons, eggplants, chickens, and ducks are sold to tourists for a good price. They even place further orders to bring the agricultural products home. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Editors note : Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe died in a hospital on Friday after being shot from behind by a man when he was delivering a speech on the street in Nara City, western Japan. Security officers arrested the suspect immediately at the scene. Abe was 67 years old. The author of the following piece of writing is Stephen Nagy, senior associate professor at the Department of Politics and International Studies of International Christian College in Tokyo, Japan. Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was known as a conservative politician who advocated amending Article Nine of the Japanese Constitution. This article dates back to the post-World War II era and explicitly prohibited Japan from using military force as an instrument of foreign policy. As the longest-serving prime minister of modern Japan, Abe's legacy will be associated with proactive diplomacy that put Japan back on the geopolitical map by building strong relationships with the United States, India, Australia, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Europe, and other countries based on his vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. This vision focused on a rules-based approach to international affairs in the Indo-Pacific region, strengthening diplomatic engagement, development, infrastructure, and connectivity, and building common norms for negotiations and a shared vision of the Indo-Pacific region. Whether it was Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi or former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden, Prime Minister Abe was seen as an important, if not the quintessential, statesman in the Indo-Pacific region, representing stability, wisdom, and a vision for the region's development. During his tenure as prime minister, Japan became known for its multidirectional diplomacy and invested significant resources in Southeast Asia and South Asia, as well as in multilateral organizations such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD). Prime Minister Abe visited each Southeast Asian country more than once during his tenure. He worked to promote regional integration within ASEAN so that the bloc could function with more strategic autonomy over decisions in the [East Vietnam Sea] and throughout the region. Like previous prime ministers, he deployed a tremendous amount of diplomatic and political capital to help Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam build their own capacity to manage their maritime space and also engage them in key trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which is now called Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Indeed, Abe saw countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore as important allies in building a free and open Indo-Pacific vision that is based on common interests to ensure peace and stability in the region. At home, he sought to revitalize the Japanese economy through quantitative easing and deregulation under the umbrella of Abenomics, which he succeeded in doing until his early resignation from the prime minister's office due to gastrointestinal problems in August 2020. His Abenomics gained momentum and received quality support from economists and others until the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China wiped out much of the momentum associated with Abenomics. Importantly, Prime Minister Abe, despite his conservative background and strong position toward China's assertive behavior in the Indo-Pacific region, was responsible for bringing Japan-China relations back from the brink in 2019. This year, Prime Minister Abe visited Beijing for an Abe-Xi summit that resulted in more than 50 agreements to build infrastructure and connectivity projects in third countries across the Indo-Pacific region. He also concluded numerous business agreements with China, recognizing that Japan's sustainable economic future is tied to a balanced, sustainable, but strong relationship with China. Had the COVID 19 pandemic not broken out in January 2020, we would likely have seen a fifth policy document signed between Japanese Prime Minister Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The fifth political document was the framework for how the two countries would shape their bilateral relationship over the next 10 years. Prime Minister Abe was considered an experienced statesman who had the uncanny ability to work with President Trump as well as other leaders in Europe, North America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. His resignation from the prime minister's office in August 2020 was lamented by many heads of state, and his death on July 8, 2022 will be seen by many heads of state as a day of reflection and contemplation. Prime Minister Abe was seen as an experienced statesman who had a vision for the region, who understood how balanced Japan should be in working with China, but who at the same time drew clear red lines. At the time this article is written, there is no way to assess the consequences of his death. For Japanese politics, Japanese citizens are likely to become much more aware of the fragility of their local and international security as Abe's assassination shakes the domestic view that Japan's stability and political sustainability are assured through consensus-based decision-making. In the days and months ahead, we will see Japanese politicians and citizens lament the loss of their longest-serving prime minister. At the same time, we will see political opportunism on both the left and the right attempt to shape a prime minister who will leave other lasting marks. What is clear is that Abes foreign policy legacy will be marked by his proactive advocacy for a free and open Indo-Pacific region where rules-based order, good governance, development, and engagement are paramount. Importantly, he also championed not only Japan's security in the Indo-Pacific region but also the security concerns of the regional stakeholders. Eight people from Bac Kan Province, northern Vietnam suffered food poisoning after having dinner at a house on Saturday evening, the Vietnam News Agency reported. Doctors from Bac Kan General Hospital confirmed on Sunday they had received eight patients who needed emergency treatment for food poisoning. On Saturday evening, the family of N.T.H. in Nong Thuong Commune, Bac Kan City welcomed their relatives from northern Ha Giang Province and some neighbors for dinner. Eight people who joined the meal, including H. and her husband, their two daughters and two sons-in-law, and two neighbors, later showed signs of severe poisoning and began to lose their consciousness. Local residents rushed them to Bac Kan General Hospital for emergency treatment. Among the eight patients, three suffered respiratory failure and needed breathing support from ventilators. As of Sunday morning, the three were no longer in a critical state, but two of them were transferred to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi for further treatment. The remaining six patients were in stable conditions. Preliminary information showed that the patients had eaten carp soup cooked with wild vegetables. Health authorities in Bac Kan Province are working with relevant agencies to determine the cause of the food poisoning. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! An ex-border guard chief in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam has been charged with lending a hand to a transnational gasoline smuggling ring and taking bribes, as monthly salary, totaling US$560,000 and VND6.2 billion ($265,350) from the kingpin. The Central Military Procuracy has completed an indictment for the case of smuggling, taking bribes, arranging for others to flee abroad, and failing to report crimes, with the involvement of Nguyen The Anh, 49, former border guard commander in Kien Giang and 13 others including many senior coast guard and border guard officials. Anh has been indicted for taking bribes and arranging for others to flee abroad, as prescribed in the Vietnamese Penal Code. The trial for Anh and his accomplices is scheduled to take place at the Military Court of Military Zone 7 for three days from July 12. Phan Thanh Huu, 65, is facing charges of leading a ring that smuggled over 198 million of liters of gasoline, from September 2019 to February 2021. Huu was arrested in February last year, but he and his ring members will be tried in a civil trial as their offenses are not subject to the jurisdiction of a military court. In September 2019, Huu colluded with many others to smuggle gasoline from Kien Giang to Cambodia, with the help of Anh, who was then deputy head of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Combating Smuggling, Commercial Fraud, and Counterfeit Goods, also known as Steering Committee 389, according to the indictment. This image shows Vietnamese police officers questioning Phan Thanh Huu, the leader of the transnational gasoline smuggling ring. Photo: Dong Nai Province Police As agreed, Huu paid $30,000 and VND100 million ($4,280) to Anh every month from October 2019 to February 2020, translating to US$150,000 and VND500 million ($21,400) in total. In March 2020, Huu and his accomplices wanted to smuggle gasoline from Singapore into Vietnam so he asked for Anhs support and the official demanded that Huu pay $60,000 and VND950 million ($40,660) per month in return for his and other relevant agencies aid. Huu agreed and paid $360,000 and VND5.7 billion ($243,950) as bribes to Anh from March 2020 to August 2020. A month later, as Anh was transferred from the Steering Committee 389 to become the border guard chief in Kien Giang, Huu had bribed Anh $10,000 monthly for the five months through January 2021, one month before Huus arrest. As such, the total bribes Anh received from Huu in the case amounted to $560,000 and around VND6.2 billion ($265,350), according to the indictment. Huu did not pay such monthly bribes directly to Anh but through the latters cousin, Nguyen Van An, the document said. On March 3, 2021, nearly a month after Huus arrest, Anh arranged for An to illegally cross the border into Laos, where he was captured and handed over to Vietnamese authorities by Lao police a month later. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health is seeking feedback on the plan to construct a 300-hectare pharmaceutical industrial park during the 2025-30 period, a step to prepare for the citys export of medical products in the future. The pharmaceutical industrial park is included in the draft project on the development of the pharmaceutical industry in Ho Chi Minh City until 2030, with a vision for 2045. The southern metropolis has several advantages for developing the pharmaceutical industry with many leading universities, high-tech parks, and major factories, according to the health department. The city also has a large market with 133 hospitals, 1,202 trading businesses, and 6,529 pharmacies. However, the capacity of pharmaceutical factories in Ho Chi Minh City is still modest as the majority of them can only produce generic drugs. To meet the high demand for medicine, the health department developed a three-phase road map to build a pharmaceutical industrial park in the city. During the 2022-25 period, local authorities will implement mechanisms and policies on land banks, tax, and financial resources, as well as call for investment into the project. They will also identify the types of pharmaceutical products and medical equipment to be manufactured at the park, along with specific criteria for such products. From 2025 to 2030, the city will carry out the construction of the pharmaceutical industrial park and necessary infrastructure with a scale of about 300 hectares, as well as gradually put it into operation. From 2030 to 2045, connectivity and open links will be forged between businesses inside and outside the venue. It is necessary to create mechanisms and policies to bring together domestic and foreign investors so that the pharmaceutical industrial park will be able to produce patent medicines, specialty drugs, and hi-tech generic drugs, the health department said. The park will also manufacture vaccines, biological products, testing equipment, and hi-tech biomedical products to serve the diagnosis and treatment at domestic health facilities, and to prepare for export to other countries in the region. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Vietnam have arrested an English language teacher for allegedly raping a sixth grader, a source told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Officers in Ha Tinh Province, located in north-central Vietnam, apprehended Le Dung Cuong, a 42-year-old English teacher from Xuan Vien Commune, Nghi Xuan District, Ha Tinh on suspicion of rape, the source said Tuesday. Cuong will be held for four months for an investigation into his raping an under-16 person. Commands and decisions told above were green-flagged by the People's Procuracy of the same level. Cuong had been denounced as raping L.N.T.T., enrolled in sixth grade in Vu Quang District, on school grounds. T. joined an English tutoring session by Cuong on June 20, the victims family said. On the same evening, T. returned home in unusual manners and reported Cuongs sexually assaulting her after getting asked by family members. Following their verification and investigation, police officers in Vu Quang District detained Cuong for having raped the schoolgirl, before transferring the case to their colleagues at provincial levels for a further probe. The Tuoi Tre source said Cuong is being prosecuted by the police for raping an under-16-year-old individual, as per Section 2 of the Article 142 under the Penal Code. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! (Bloomberg) -- Near the tip of Nigerias Bonny Island, an arrowhead speck of land where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Niger Delta, a giant plant last year produced enough liquefied natural gas to heat half the UK for the winter. Most of it was shipped out of the country, with Spain, France and Portugal the biggest buyers. Most Read from Bloomberg Just 17 miles away in the town of Bodo, residents still use black-market kerosene and diesel to light wood stoves and power electricity generators. The fuel is manufactured with crude stolen from the foreign energy giants Shell, Eni and TotalEnergies that co-own the Bonny Island facility along with the Nigerian government. The gas here goes to Bonny and Europe to power homes and industries but we have no benefits from it, said Pius Dimkpa, chairman of Bodos local community development committee. Nothing comes to us. Nigeria has 3% of the world's proven gas reserves, yet has tapped almost none of it. Like most African countries, what has been extracted is mostly sent to Europe, which now wants to import even more to make up for supplies lost to Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Italy in April struck fresh deals to buy gas from Angola and the Republic of Congo, while Germany has been looking to secure supplies from Senegal. Thats despite discouraging the use of gas and other fossil fuels around the world in pursuit of global climate goals, a case some European leaders made at the United Nations COP26 conference in Glasgow last November. While African leaders are eager for the millions in revenue that the gas deals are likely to bring in, they're also calling out the sudden interest in their resources as a double standard that perpetuates the Wests exploitation of the region. They question why Africa must move away from dirty fuels thereby delaying access for hundreds of millions of people to electricity even as its gas is used to keep the lights on in Europe. Rich countries have been reluctant to fund pipelines and power plants that would facilitate the use of gas in Africa because of its emissions, yet havent delivered on promises to help finance green projects that could be an alternative source of energy. Story continues Europes awkward position was on display at the Group of Seven leaders summit last month. The worlds most advanced economies walked back a climate commitment to halt financing for overseas fossil fuel projects, but indicated that exceptions would likely apply to projects that would allow for more shipments of LNG to their countries. In another climbdown, European Union lawmakers recently voted to classify gas and nuclear energy projects within the bloc as green investments, potentially opening up billions of euros in fresh funding. That approach has irked African leaders who need fuel, any fuel, to lift millions out of poverty. We need long-term partnership, not inconsistency and contradiction on green energy policy from the UK and European Union, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said in written comments. It does not help their energy security, it does not help Nigerias economy, and it does not help the environment. It is a hypocrisy that must end. To be sure, sub-Saharan African governments share the blame for their underutilized gas reserves. Few countries have seriously invested in or reformed their power or oil and gas sectors, particularly Nigeria, where the Bonny Island plant has run at least 20% below capacity since 2021 because of pipeline theft and vandalism. Many African leaders support boosting gas exports to help their cash-strapped governments, but they also want access to financing that would allow them to harness the fuels potential to create domestic natural gas markets. They cannot just come and say, We need your gas, Ill buy your gas and well take it to Europe, Gabriel Obiang Lima, energy minister of Equatorial Guinea, said at a press conference in May. They need to give something back to us. Gas has long been controversial from a climate perspective: it burns cleaner than other fossil fuels but still generates carbon pollution and tends to leak the super-warming greenhouse gas methane. Europe's own stance on the fuel has shifted since the war began. Its top priority now is to buy up as much LNG as it can get its hands on, while countries including Germany, Austria and the Netherlands have turned to coal as a backup. European politicians argue the fossil fuels are a band-aid needed to get the bloc through the current crisis, so it can avoid shortages and blackouts that could weaken support for sanctions against Russia. In theory, concurrent plans to ramp up renewable power much faster than previously targeted will balance the climate scale, resulting in lower emissions overall. But the EU has also hesitated to put in place policies that would curb energy consumption right now for fear of political backlash. While the climate math may end up working out the way EU officials say it will, its a more difficult message to sell abroad. The pathway being pushed by European leaders that Africa moves straight to clean energy sources isnt viable unless rich countries, private investors and development banks help with funding. Theres ample sunshine and wind in Sub-Saharan Africa, which collectively uses less energy than Spain, but little infrastructure to harness it. Developing countries also face much higher financing costs for green projects because theyre seen as riskier investments. Adding to Africas frustration is that rich nations have failed to deliver on a target to provide $100 billion a year in climate finance that was supposed to have been met in 2020. The whole of the West developed on the back of fossil fuels even as we speak some Western nations are deciding to bring coal back into their energy mix because of the war. So when the world wants to transition to zero carbon emissions, who has to do more? said Matthew Opoku Prempeh, energy minister for Ghana, which has in the past few years made significant oil and gas discoveries. Is the West saying Africa should remain undeveloped? The issue of climate finance will likely dominate this years COP27 talks in Egypt, which is set to focus heavily on solutions for Africa. The future of gas will also be a key topic given the host nation and many developing countries see it as a way to move away from coal, according to Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary of the UK, which hosted last years summit. For them, gas is part of the transition." The International Energy Agency, which last year called for an end to new fossil fuel developments, in a recent report argued that Africa should be allowed to exploit its gas resources. The continents share of historical global emissions would only rise to 3.5% from 3% even if it tapped every molecule of its known gas reserves. Universal energy access on the continent could be achieved by 2030 with $25 billion a year in investment the equivalent of just 1% of the money pouring into the energy sector globally. A recent spate of major discoveries has led to big private projects with fossil fuel giants including Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell spending tens of billions in Mozambique, Tanzania, Senegal and Mauritania to extract more gas for export. There are plans to grow existing LNG facilities in Nigeria and Angola that could help Africa produce 470 billion cubic meters of gas a year by the late 2030s, equal to about 75% of Russian output this year, according to consultants Rystad Energy. Almost all of it will be headed out of the region. Meanwhile, theres a dearth of new funding for power plants to burn gas within Africa. Governments and businesses have $100 billion in planned projects, including 35 gigawatts of gas-powered electricity, but cant find the money to build most of them. Some countries have negotiated deals for some portion of gas extracted by foreign entities to be used domestically, and all are paid taxes by the companies, but the proceeds often arent enough to completely transform electricity grids and build major infrastructure. Financing from institutions such as the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and European Investment Bank for gas power projects has all but disappeared for climate reasons. Theres also a worry from private investors that they could end up as stranded assets as the world tries to reach net-zero emissions in the coming decades. Projects such as Mozambiques Central Termica de Temane power station, which secured $652 million of funding in December, have become increasingly difficult to get investment for, according to Mike Scholey, chief executive officer of the plants owner Globeleq Inc. The World Bank's International Finance Corp. and the US International Development Finance Corp., two key investors, have both taken steps to halt overseas funding of carbon-intensive projects. Vicky Ford, the UK's minister for Africa, has suggested that the bar for any development financing to flow to gas proposals would be high. The biggest challenge that the world faces is still climate change, she said in an interview on May 17. The long-term strategy must continue to be working towards renewables as well. At home, her government is pushing for more exploration of North Sea oil and gas wells. The turn to Africa for a short-term gas fix is patronizing and hypocritical, said Carlos Lopes, former head of the UN Economic Commission for Africa. It is absolutely outrageous to say to the Africans that they should basically not look into the options that they have in front of them, and at the same time accelerate the request for gas for Europe because of the Russia-Ukraine war. Vijaya Ramachandran, director for energy and development at the Breakthrough Institute, a California-based think tank, was more blunt. Its green colonialism, she said, as rich countries exploit poorer nations resources while essentially denying them similar access in the name of climate action. In response to the criticisms, the European Commission said the EU is investing massively in renewables and energy efficiency at home and around the world. There is an opportunity for many countries to leapfrog carbon-intensive development and benefit from a greener, more equal economy that provides energy access to millions of people, Tim McPhie, a spokesperson, said in an e-mail. The urgency of the climate crisis is hardly lost on Africans. Global warming has already brought devastation across the continent. The Horn of Africa is currently experiencing its worst drought in four decades. Desertification threatens the arid Sahel while erosion eats away at coastal cities such as Lagos and Accra. In the coming decades, as the population booms and the Earth warms, it will only get worse. A World Bank report released in October projected that the continent will be the hardest hit by climate change, with impacts including mass internal migration and increased poverty, fragility, conflict, and violence. Economic development, some of it driven by fossil fuels, is needed for the region to adapt to extreme weather events that will happen whether or not emissions are cut in time to avoid the most catastrophic global warming outcomes. But the hurdles African countries face in transitioning to gas or green energy mean millions of people are burning dirtier fuels such as charcoal instead, breathing in deadly fumes and generating more emissions. The IEA estimates that the number of people in sub-Saharan Africa without access to clean cooking fuel will grow by 6% a year from 2020 to 2030. In Bodo, near Bonny Island, dead power lines hang limply overhead while women cook on firewood. We notice many negative effects smoke worries our eyes, said Monica Gboro, who sells beans and corn flour from a makeshift shop. If your kids come near you in the kitchen, you chase them away because of smoke. It shouldnt be so. With assistance from Ekow Dontoh, Will Mathis, David Malingha, Stephen Stapczynski, Jess Shankleman, Antony Sguazzin, Akshat Rathi, and Codratus Godson Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2022 Bloomberg L.P. In this photo illustration, the Cisco Systems, Inc. logo is... SOPA Images / Getty Images Onur Aksoy established multiple stores to sell counterfeit Cisco Hardware, according to the DOJ. Aksoy generated millions of dollars, reselling faulty hardware to hospitals, schools, and more. The counterfeit hardware malfunctioned, causing damage to users' networks and operations. A Florida-based CEO was charged with selling $1 billion worth of counterfeit Cisco equipment imported from China, according to the Department of Justice. The Justice Department announced in a release on Friday that they arrested 38-year-old Onur Aksoy for allegedly running multiple stores that sold fraudulent Cisco hardware. The DOJ alleged that Aksoy imported the fake equipment from China and resold them to included hospitals, schools, government agencies, and the military under the company name "Pro Network" to make it appear legitimate. According to a DOJ complaint filed in 2013, Aksoy bought counterfeit hardware at "95 to 98%" lower than authentic Cisco products. The counterfeit hardware malfunctioned, damaging the users' network and operations and costing them tens of thousands of dollars. Aksoyn"allegedly ran at least 19 companies formed in New Jersey and Florida as well as at least 15 Amazon storefronts, at least 10 eBay storefronts, and multiple other entities," the According to the DOJ statement, between 2014 and 2022, Customs and Border Protection seized 180 shipments of counterfeit Cisco devices being shipped to Pro Network. Under the alias of "Dave Durden," Aksoy falsely submitted paperwork to CBP to avoid investigation. In July 2021, federal agents obtained a warrant to search Aksoy's warehouse, where they seized 1,156 counterfeit Cisco hardware valued at over 7 million dollars. "We are committed to maintaining the integrity and quality of Cisco products and services. Cisco is grateful to law enforcement and customs officials for their tremendous collaboration in this investigation and to the DOJ for bringing the perpetrator to justice," Cisco said in a statement to PC Mag. According to the DOJ, Aksoy is charged with conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods and to commit mail and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and three counts of trafficking in counterfeit goods. Prosecutors have set up a website for anyone who believed they were a victim of Aksoy's companies. Read the original article on Insider After three long and competative days of Omaha Hi-Lo action, Bradley Anderson has won Event #72 $1,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo to win his first WSOP Gold Bracelet and a cool $195,565. Anderson navigated a final table littered with poker legends such as Men "The Master" Nguyen and Barny Boatman, plus seasoned players Peter Neff and Scott Abrams to become champion. Railed by Savannah, his wife of 12 years, Anderson captured the bracelet by outlasting 771 opponents to take a huge chunk of the $3,628,530 prize pool. Anderson, who resides in Missoula, Montana, played his second-ever WSOP final table. In 2014 with five players left, Anderson was the chip leader but ended up finishing in fifth place for $355,913. Day 3 started with 23 players in Paris Ballroom and the field thinned to a final table of eight within three hours, with Mel Judah, Rami Boukai and Adam Friedman among the notable casualties. The final table was moved into Bally's Event Center, where it felt like the eye of the storm with the razzmatazz of the Main Event bubble surrounding the final eight. Event #72 $1,500 Mixed Omaha Hi-Lo Final Table Results Place Player Country Prize 1st Bradley Anderson United States $195,565 2nd Scott Abrams United States $120,881 3rd Barny Boatman United Kingdom $83,050 4th Peter Neff United States $58,089 5th Men Nguyen United States $41,377 6th Mark Erickson United States $30,026 7th Jarod Minghini United States $22,205 8th Shawn Carter United States $16,740 Winner's Reaction "It is definitely surreal. Today was a tough grind. I had a big chip lead going into heads-up, and Scott chipped away at me, but I weathered the storm. I wasn't really thinking about the money. I was focused on winning the bracelet." said an emotional Anderson, minutes after receiving his bracelet. When asked about playing with poker legends Boatman and Nguyen at the final table, the champion responded "Barny was beating my butt in a lot of pots today! Men Nguyen is such a character and it was a good group on the final table today." Anderson revealed he never intended to play in this tournament until he busted the Main Event. A PokerNews reporter asked if busting the Main Event was the best thing to happen this year? "Yeah, Exactly!" Anderson responded "If you offered to me to bust the main and win a side event, I for sure would have taken that." Final Table Action Shawn Carter was the first casualty of the final table who was narrowly out pipped on both high and low pots by Neff. Adrenaline junkie Jarod Minghini was the next to be eliminated. The competitive snowboarder could not get a run of hands together and eventually ran out of chips when up against Nguyen and Mark Erickson Start-of-day chipleader Erickson had a phenomenal run in this event but was on the wrong end of the most dramatic hand of the tournament. At the river, Nguyen and Erickson were all-in and Anderson was deep into the tank whether to call with the nut low or not to risk being quartered. Anderson found the call and was the only one to hold the nut low, which proved vital in the tournament's latter stages. Nguyen took the high with a queen-high straight, which defeated Erickson's set of queens, which left him with only 300,000 chips. Erickson was eliminated shortly after the dinner break. Men Nguyen was the next to exit proceedings shortly after Erickson's exit losing two big pots in a row. Peter Neff exited in fourth place after getting scooped by Anderson, who had a better two pair than Neff. Barny Boatman UK poker icon Barny Boatman clung on as long as possible, but the increasing blinds played havoc with his stack and he was down to four big blinds when he clashed with Anderson, who turned a full house to eliminate the Hendon Mob member. Abrams put up a brave fight in heads-up play. After Boatman was eliminated, Anderson started with an 80/20 chip advantage. Abrams almost reached parity with the eventual winner, but Anderson stepped on the gas and managed to defeat Abrams to write his name in the poker history books. The closing stages of the 2022 World Series of Poker are in sight, but PokerNews will be on hand to bring you all the latest news and information from the last moments of the greatest poker festival in the world. If the only thing you know for sure is the that the active shooter isnt in the room youre in, maybe the best th twitter.com/i/web/status/1 ROME, ITALY - JULY 08: Anne Hathaway is seen arriving at the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 22/23 fashion show on July 08, 2022 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/WireImage) Daniele Venturelli/WireImage Anne Hathaway is coloring the streets of Rome! At the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2022/2023 fashion show on Friday, the WeCrashed star, 39, looked radiant in a hot pink look from the iconic fashion brand. The ensemble was made up of a sparkling turtleneck minidress, which featured a peplum ruffle just below the bust. The dress was paired with a miniature studded purse and the brand's signature chunky platform heels. Hathaway kept the rest of her look simple with minimalist makeup, small stud earrings and her hair in effortless waves. RELATED: Anne Hathaway Says She and Zoe Kravitz Share a Catwoman 'Legacy': 'It's Such an Amazing Part' ROME, ITALY - JULY 08: Anne Hathaway is seen arriving at the Valentino Haute Couture Fall/Winter 22/23 fashion show on July 08, 2022 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Jacopo Raule/Getty Images) Jacopo Raule/Getty Styled by Erin Walsh, Hathaway's look paid homage to the house's previous Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2022-23 Collection, where creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli introduced the color named "PP Pink" in collaboration with Pantone. Unsurprisingly, Hathaway was not the only star in all-pink at the event. Emily in Paris' Ashley Park, also styled by Walsh, wore a plunging pink long sleeve gown with signature pumps. Ariana DeBose similarly wore the platforms, pairing them with an off-the-shoulder floral dress. Speaking to Vogue about her look, stylists for the West Side Story star, Zadrian Smith and Sarah Edmiston, said they initially wanted DeBose, 31, to wear black to the event, given the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade. "Collectively, we were feeling extremely somber," Edmiston said to the outlet. RELATED: Anne Hathaway Discusses Roe v. Wade on Devil Wears Prada Anniversary: 'See You in the Fight' But, during the fitting, spirits quickly changed and they selected Piccioli's pink. According to DeBose's stylists, they wanted to be "unapologetic, loud, proud and shouty". And after changing their mind, Valentino "created something very last minute, especially for her with her story and who she is in mind," the celebrity stylist said to the outlet. Story continues "@ArianaDeBose x @MaisonValentino #HauteCouture Show in Rome! " the pair captioned a post on Instagram of DeBose's look. RELATED: Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway Star as the 'Crazy' Couple Behind WeWork in WeCrashed Trailer For Hathaway, her all-pink look is not the only vibrant look she's worn this year. In May, while heading to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Hathaway looked as colorful as ever in a rainbow ensemble from Christopher John Rogers the Louisiana-born designer that celebrities can't get enough of. The look, which featured striking green, red, purple and orange shades, was made of a structured bustier top, palazzo pants and a coordinating blazer. Hathaway finalized her look with a turquoise La Medusa Mini Bag by Versace. anne hathaway Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Hathaway's stylist Walsh shared photos of The Devil Wears Prada star in her outfit on Instagram at the time, where she wrote, "SPOTTED in NYC @annehathaway in @christopherjohnrogers yesterday at @colbertlateshow for #WeCrashed." She added, "Let the clothes bring you JOY guys! Love that fashion can do that #NYC #streetstyle #fashion #styleinspo #annehathaway." Chelsea want 7million to sell Cesar Azpilicueta to Barcelona. The 32-year-old has already agreed personal terms on a two-year deal with the Spanish giants, which will see him pocket a substantial pay rise compared to his Blues contract. Azpilicueta will earn 11million a season before tax and has held talks with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and new co-owner Todd Boehly about making the switch. Chelsea want to recoup the 7m paid for Azpilicueta when he joined from Marseille a decade ago, but there is a belief that further negotiations will see the asking price lowered. Tuchel is reluctant to lose Azpilicueta after already seeing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave for free, to join Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. However, with talks advanced to sign Manchester City defender Nathan Ake, the door should open for Azpilicueta to follow the pair to La Liga. Cesar Azpilicueta has been at Chelsea for 10 years. (Getty Images) The Blues are also waiting on Barcelona's interest in Leeds forward Raphinha. Chelseas 55m bid has been accepted by Leeds but the player favours a move to Spain, with Chelsea his second choice should an offer not materialise. Discussions between Barcelona and Leeds continue but as yet an offer matching Chelseas is yet to be tabled. The 26-year-old will decide his future in the coming days. Police officers stand outside the outpatient department of Ruijin Hospital following a stabbing incident, in Shanghai, China July 9, 2022. (REUTERS) Four people have been stabbed in an attack at a hospital in Shanghai. Chinese police were called to the Ruijin Hospital on Saturday morning following reports of a man wielding a knife. Videos on social media showed chaos as visitors clambered under turnstiles to get out of the hospital while doctors were seen running out with their patients, some in wheelchairs and one on a mobile bed. Footage of patients fleeing the stab assault at Ruijin Hospital #, #shanghai. Chinas medical system has long been plagued by distrust & disputes between patients & doctors, many ending up violent attacks on medics. This time ordinary patients also became victims. pic.twitter.com/3oEvVFScE2 PENG Lin (@deepfriedmc) July 9, 2022 A long trail of blood was seen on the marble surface of a flight of stairs in one video. Its very shocking, said a Shanghai resident who had arrived for a check-up just after the hospital was sealed off, declining to give her name. This is very despairing. What has happened to this society? Reports of patients attacking medical staff are quite common in China with hospitals facing problems including touts keep up an illegal trade in appointment tickets to long queues to see doctors. Local police said the man was using a knife to hold a crowd of people hostage on the seventh floor of the building. They said they opened fire when he threatened to harm his hostages subduing him in the process. None of the wounded is believed to be in a life-threatening situation and the incident is being investigated, the police said. The hospital has been cordoned off and all appointments cancelled and an investigation has been launched. It comes after a man was arrested on Monday after going on a stabbing spree in the citys downtown Jingan district. GENEVA A resolution on human rights and climate change drafted by Viet Nam in coordination with Bangladesh and the Philippines has been adopted at the 50th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). The resolution, introduced annually by Viet Nam, focuses on realisation of the rights to food and climate change. Each year, the resolution targets specific groups such as children, migrants, and women in the context of climate change. The active participation in the core group in formulating and introducing the resolution by the UNHRC reflects Viet Nam's efforts in promoting and protecting human rights as well as in responding to climate change. It also contributes to the implementation of an active and responsible foreign policy in the common issues of the international community. Up to 23 resolutions and one decision were approved by UNHRC during the session, which ended on July 8. The council also discussed 76 thematic reports and reviewed the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports of 13 countries. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Assistant to Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet, co-hosted a symposium on ensuring the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of climate change together with Bangladesh and the Philippines. A photo exhibition on ethnic groups and religions in Viet Nam was held on the sidelines of the session helped international friends understand more about the harmonious life of 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, as well as their freedom of belief and religion. The Vietnamese delegation actively took part in 18 sessions such as discussions on ensuring the rights of vulnerable groups in the context of climate change, good governance in protecting and promoting human rights during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In their speeches, the Vietnamese delegation upheld the consistent policy, efforts and achievements in promoting and protecting human rights, affirming the country's commitment to sustainable development for the benefits of the people, placing the people at the centre of government measures and policies during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery process. VNS Duong Van Chuong, founder of Chuong Tailor. Photo courtesy of Chuong Tailor Chuong Tailor has long been a recognisable brand in many foreign embassies in Viet Nam. Recently, the President of Sierra Leone opted to have suits made by the tailor during his visit and paid compliments to the brand. Duong Van Chuong, the founder, talks with Thu Huong about his story. Inner Sanctum: What elements of your product attracted the attention of the President of Sierra Leone? My connection with President Julius Maada Bio began more than a decade ago. This results from a lengthy effort to provide excellent service to around 16 foreign embassies in Viet Nam. The US Embassy, for instance, has been purchasing suits from my brand, Chuong Tailor, for the past seven to eight years. They sign contracts annually and become loyal customers. Many Ambassadors also invite me to their country's National Day events. I take advantage of such opportunities to promote my products to logistics officers at the Presidential Palace and foreign government offices. For me, it was an honour to host the President of Sierra Leone after having previously hosted the former presidents of South Africa and Nigeria and Ethiopia's former prime minister. A typical handcrafted Vietnamese product is popular for many visiting heads of state. Van Phuc silk, Bat Trang porcelain, Hang Gai embroidery, ao dai, and suits are probably the best-known Ha Noi-made products. I believe my brand has some sway in the men's fashion market. Inner Sanctum: What is the most challenging part of creating outfits for a national leader? I have been doing this job for many years, but I must admit, when taking body measures for the President of a country, I'm still really nervous. President Julius Maada Bio is 58, yet he appears much younger. If you want to make an elegant suit, you must first figure out what the client dislikes about his current attire. I remember he asked me: "Did you see anything wrong with my outfit?" I responded: "Your outfit is very nice, although the shoulders are a little sloppy and wrinkled. Based on the former style, I think it should be changed slightly to create a tighter shoulder. Your trouser crotch is large, but their legs are small." "Since you are tall, I will adjust it by enlarging the trousers' legs to match the measurements. I will also use youthful features to conceal the waistline. Dark colours, such as navy, dark blue, and plaid patterns, suit you better because they make you appear taller and leaner. The material should be a sweat-wicking, ultra-light, and cool fleece." After getting my recommendation, he was pretty excited. The President smiled and said: "Vietnamese tailors have excellent skills." I then made the best of that opportunity to introduce him to Vietnamese tailoring culture, the abilities of our country's finest artisans, and the number of steps required to create a suit. Having listened, he added: "I also visited other places and ordered numerous suits, but Viet Nam is a country with superior craftsmanship. Your attention to detail and sophistication has reached the top." Chuong taking body measurements for President Julius Maada Bio. Photo courtesy of Chuong Tailor Inner Sanctum: Is President Maada Bio the national leader who has left you with the greatest impression? Each senior foreign leader left me with a distinct impression. Before President Maada Bio, I had fond memories of making suits for former President of South Africa Thabo Mbeki. He often wears long and flowy clothes because his country rarely wears suits. When he tried on our suit, he was surprised and delighted. He embraced me and said, "I can't believe how elegant the Vietnamese suit is. Your skills are excellent. If you come to South Africa, I'm happy to help you open a showroom in the capital." Even though I know that it is merely a word of encouragement, I'm still pleased since it proves that the top leader of South Africa truly enjoys Vietnamese suits. That evening, President Mbeki invited me to dinner and presented me with a statue of a giraffe, a symbol of Africa, made of precious wood. I feel honoured to receive such special attention. Inner Sanctum: What makes national leaders appreciate Vietnamese suits so much when they have travelled to numerous places and worn high-class suits? When I had the opportunity to travel to Europe, I made a point of stopping on tailoring streets to examine where the Vietnamese handmade suit business stands on the global stage. After many visits, I've concluded that Vietnamese products are equivalent to those of Western countries. European garments are frequently simple, even though they are created at a price twice as expensive as ours. Everything, including labour, is pricey there. Inner Sanctum: What is there to be proud of in a Vietnamese suit if the imported fabric and style are European? Suits are intrinsically European. Hence, they must be in European style. For some reason, only Vietnamese outfits work for me. Weirdly, even when I buy suits from well-known names like Gucci, Hermes, Valentino, Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana, I never seem to be able to get a good fit in any of them. The reason is that Asian bodies are normally smaller, and my measurements are not as standard as those of a model. Ready-to-wear clothes that fit my waist have long sleeves or lengthy bodies. But I work hard to learn from big fashion brands. I keep about 10 current outfits from some of the world's most well-known brands in my closet to examine what makes them unique in design or fabric. No brand is 100 per cent perfect. Thus, it's necessary to research and bring their finest aspects into their products. VNS A mecca of mechanical know-how and business start-ups is emerging in South Waco, just blocks from the tourist magnet of Magnolia Market. On any given day, a former cabinet factory at 1211 Webster Ave. hums with teenagers who are welding, screen-printing, building a food trailer, programming laser cutters or studying for technical certifications in food safety, small business or Photoshop. This is the home of Triple Win Waco, an initiative created on a shoestring by Rapoport Academy four years ago. Now it is coming into its own with an expanded campus, additional funding, growing enrollment and partners including the Waco, La Vega, Connally and Lorena school districts. The initiative this spring expanded into the largest building of the former Khoury Inc. complex, bringing its usable space to more than 30,000 square feet. Officials will continue building out the space and add programs in the next two months with a $350,000 Texas Education Agency grant approved in June, said Clay Springer, Triple Win Waco director and career and technology director at Rapoport. Springer said within a few years he aims to serve 500 to 700 students per year in a space that is serving about 80 in the current summer trimester. Triple Win is creating a makerspace with high-tech equipment such as CNC routers, 3D printers and more conventional tools, with plans to open it to the public by the first of next year. The vision is an incubator for start-up businesses, both for youth and adults. Within two or three years we want to see student-led businesses alongside entrepreneurs from the community in our environment, Springer said. In the meantime, other partners keep lining up to use the Triple Win space. McLennan Community College this summer is offering maker camps for intermediate and middle-school students using Triple Win staff. Creative Waco has claimed a part of the building for its Artprenticeship program, which will begin work on a mural for the building in the coming week. Space has also been reserved for Upskill Waco, a job training program for adults ages 18 to 24, supported by the city of Waco, Prosper Waco, the Cooper Foundation, Texas State Technical College and MCC. Triple Win Waco is also planning in the near future to create a cafe and food truck in front of the building on Webster Avenue. But the heart of the sprawling enterprise is hands-on training for local high school youth in career and technical education. They are able to earn certifications and get paid for work on projects for local businesses. Those who earn their small business and entrepreneurship certifications can access $1,000 in start-up capital to create their own small businesses, such as mobile food sales. C.L. Fry, 18, who graduated from Lorena High School this spring, is among the crew working on a food truck for Daves Burger Barn, which involves fitting it out with sheet metal and appliances. On a recent afternoon, on break from wiring the truck, he said the certifications he is getting from the programs will make him more employable in the short term and will help prepare him for earning a degree in computer engineering at Texas A&M University. Im looking at working on hardware for computers, so this is going to be really good experience for that, Fry said. Its a good work environment. There are lot of good people to work with here. Meanwhile, Rapoport seniors Mikayla Lee and Rafael Pena were finishing up their small business and entrepreneurship certifications, which involve exams proctored by the centers staff. Pena, 19, said he is already putting that knowledge to work as he builds a vending machine business. He already owns four machines and plans to install one at Triple Win. Having that certification makes me seem that I know what Im doing, he said. They helped me understand the margin on snacks, which ones I was losing money on and which were doing all right. Pena said he may go on to automotive and welding programs in college, with a goal of creating an automotive business. He has already renovated an old BMW, fixing brakes and suspension and converting it to a manual transmission. Lee, 17, discovered an interest in welding through the program and is continuing it through a dual-enrollment course at Texas State Technical College. I started off with this program because I wanted more real-world experience, she said. I ended up falling in love with welding and small business. Lee is hoping to study biomedical engineering at Texas A&M and perhaps go on to help develop new artificial organs. Im honestly not sure, she said. Im just really interested in new inventions and helping people. Triple Win Waco sprouted from a one-off collaboration in 2018 between Springer and entrepreneur Cory Dickman, whose ventures include Waco Axe Co., Rogue Media, Waco Escape Rooms, Waco Pedal Tours and others. Dickman is now an instructor and makerspace coordinator for Triple Win. When the electric vehicle Waco Pedal Tours was using for downtown tours broke down before spring break, Dickman hired Springers team of four mechatronics students at Rapoport to repair it. He fixed it and it was great, Dickman said. And then he comes back and is like, Have yall ever thought about doing another one? Theyre like 70,000 bucks brand new, and its really hard to find them because you have to go through these different channels. He said, I think we can build you one, at like, half the cost. And I said, nope, Im out. This thing is breaking and its built by adults and now youre going to have high school kids do this? But you know, he was persuasive. So we thought if this thing doesnt work we can probably sell it off. Dickman was impressed with the new vehicle, and he commissioned the team, along with Connally students, to fit out a mobile trailer for his new ax-throwing company. The venture moved on to building its own food truck, which is available for young Triple Win entrepreneurs to rent out. East Waco Innovative School Development, the parent nonprofit of Rapoport Academy, established the Triple Win program, named for its benefits to students, schools and businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic put a damper on the venture, but it continued on a limited basis in 2020, moving in to part of the Khoury building. This summer, we kind of feel like were back on the pace were were on back in 2020, when we were adding more schools on, Dickman said. This is the year. Dickman and Springer said there seems to be no end of student demand for the program, and now that they have adequate space, it is just a matter of getting the staffing, equipment and funding to continue to grow. Dickman, who has two degrees from Baylor University, said the demand shows the need for alternatives to the conventional approach to education and career. For students who dont feel the pressure to get a four-year liberal arts degree and graduate with $180,000 in loans, I would rather say, way dont you come here? Dickman said. Lets get you on a path of entrepreneurship or mechatronics and you go down that pathway and by the time youre 24 or 25 you might be doing that thing you love, making good money and being happy in what you do. The jail population is surging in McLennan County, but jailers are becoming scarce. The jail has 92 staff vacancies, applicants are not clamoring for jobs there, and commissioners may consider cutting 40 positions. Jail officials say a solution may include a 10% pay increase and an incentive package that could put $5,000 in new jailers pockets. Were getting into a weird market, jail Lt. David Ives said. We used to compete with law enforcement agencies for staff. Now we compete with Amazon and Chick-fil-A. Were in desperate need. Come see us. Not only is pay an issue, but were talking about working weekends, holidays, nights in a less than ideal environment, with some of the worst people in the community. But we still have to provide care. The county last week reported 1,395 inmates, compared with 1,285 in a comparable July week a year ago and 1,103 two years ago. Jail staffing last week equaled 5.4 inmates per jailer or jail corporal, above last Julys 4.64 inmates per staffer, and July 2020s 4.07 inmates per staffer. Asked about stated goals to reduce jail numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, County Administrator Dustin Chapman said via email, COVID didnt stop criminal activity, and we have the duty to house those arrested. Starting McLennan County jailers make $42,983 annually. County jail officials, including Ives and jail Maj. Pam Whitlock proposed in a letter to commissioners all jailers and jail corporals receive a 10% increase in base pay. The letter says the countys step system of increasing pay with longevity would not be modified. The estimated cost of taking this step is $1.5 million, if all 357 budgeted jailer and jail corporal positions are counted. But jail officials have asked commissioners to consider eliminating 40 budgeted jail positions, leaving 317, Ives said. More than 50 budgeted positions would remain empty, but jail officials say the odds of filling them would improve with raises and bonuses. Incentives would include $2,500 upon graduating from the jail academy and $2,500 upon completing the first year of service. Anyone employed by the sheriffs office in the past 24 months would not qualify. These are slots we just cannot fill, and empty slots do us no good, Ives said. Our inability to fill those slots means taxpayer money is not being utilized, and it will not be utilized ever at the salary were paying. Ives said it is his understanding commissioners will act on the request for pay raises as they consider possible cost-of-living adjustments for all county employees in the next budget year. Budget discussions have begun. Jail employee turnover has reached a 5-year high while the number of applicants has hit a five-year low, according to the countys human resources department. The county has received 159 applications for jailer positions, a 44% decline from the 284 applications this time last year. The jail has lost 48 employees year-to-date, according to a letter submitted last week to commissioners. This time last year the number of separating employees was 33. This is a 45% increase in exiting employees. McLennan County Judge Scott Felton said workforce shortages have become prevalent nationwide, and jail hiring presents more challenges. People are thinking about careers. They want something that meshes with their abilities, and want to be respected for doing it, Felton said. A few cities have made the bad judgment that law enforcement may be part of the problem. In my view, thats 180 degrees wrong. But is that affecting hiring? I do not see how it could not be affecting it to a certain extent. One request weve received includes offering incentives to get people hired right now, to curb turnover and get new people on board. In a related matter, the Texas Juvenile Justice Department on Friday announced it was addressing high staff turnover and shortages through a 15% permanent pay raise for direct-care staff, effective July 1, 2022. The Texas Juvenile Justice Department pay raises follow a recent halt to new admission of juvenile inmates in the states five juvenile lockups, in response to struggles to provide adequate supervision in the facilities. The move leaves kids longer in county-level facilities that lack the specialized programs provided in the state facilities. The raises will apply to juvenile correctional officers, dorm supervisors, case managers and case manager supervisors, cooks, food service managers, youth safety managers, parole officers and parole supervisors, according to a press release. The raises make permanent a temporary pay hike instituted as an emergency measure in April. Juvenile correctional officers will see their starting annual pay increase from $36,238 to $41,700, according to the press release. TJJD leadership recognizes that this is not the only solution but believes that making pay more competitive will address the immediate crisis of high turnover and begin to stabilize the agencys workforce, Interim Executive Director Shandra Carter said in the press release. Re-entry enrichment programs will be postponed to make money available for the raises. The agency is funding these raises through cost savings from vacant positions and de-prioritizing other planned expenditures, the press release says. Spring Valley lane closed The Texas Department of Transportation will close one lane of Spring Valley Road in Hewitt from Judy Drive to Westhill Drive on Monday and Tuesday to install drainage structures. Flaggers will be in place to direct traffic through the one-lane, two-way configuration. Motorists should expect delays in the area. The closure and roadwork are part of TxDOTs project that will reconstruct Farm-to-Market Road 2113, consisting of widening the pavement to include 10-foot-wide shoulders and a 14-foot-wide continuous left turn lane. Homespun Quilters The Homespun Quilters Guild will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, at New Road Church of Christ, 3100 S. New Road. The Guild Challenge projects will be revealed. Visitors are always welcome. Confederate Veterans Waco Sons of Confederate Veterans will meets Tuesday at Poppa Rollo's Pizza, 703 N. Valley Mills Drive. A meal will start at 6 p.m., and a speaker will talk at 7. For more information, call 254-717-1186. Waco Class of 1957 The Waco High School graduating Class of 1957 will meet for its 65th class reunion, with lunch and visiting from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Friday at Uncle Dans BBQ. For information, call Ron Benson at 254-744-0376. Film festival screening Deep in the Heart Film Festival will screen the short film, "A Little Dead," at 8 p.m. July 23 at the Waco Hippodrome, 724 Austin Ave., as part of the festival's "Saturday Night Fright" block of short films. It is a suspense/horror film with strong mental health themes throughout. General admission tickets are $10, $5 for students and military members. Japan votes in shadow of ex-PM Abe assassination Japanese voters cast their ballots Sunday in an upper house election, just two days after former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated while on the campaign trail. Voters receive their ballots during Japan's upper house elections at a polling station in Tokyo on July 10, 2022. The election, which is expected to see Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party increase its majority, has been overshadowed by the murder. But Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other politicians have insisted the shock killing would not halt the democratic process. "We must never allow violence to suppress speech during elections, which are the foundation of democracy," he said Saturday, as he campaigned across the country. He also took time to pay condolences at Abe's family home in Tokyo, where the former premier's body arrived on Saturday afternoon from a hospital in western Japan. The assassination on Friday morning rattled the nation and sent shockwaves around the world, prompting an outpouring of sympathy even from nations with which the hawkish Abe had sometimes difficult relations, like China and South Korea. The man accused of his murder, 41-year-old Tetsuya Yamagami, is in custody and has told investigators he targeted Abe because he believed the politician was linked to an unnamed organisation. Local media have described the organisation as religious and said Yamagami's family had suffered financial trouble as a result of his mother's donations to the group. - 'No bigger regret' - Abe had been campaigning in the western region of Nara for a candidate from his ruling LDP when Yamagami opened fire, and local police there on Saturday admitted "problems" with the security plan for the high-profile figure. With little violent crime and tough gun laws, security at Japanese campaign events can be relaxed, though in the wake of Abe's murder, measures were beefed up for Kishida's remaining appearances. Security at polling stations on Sunday remained normal, however, with 79-year-old Takao Sueki saying he was voting with an eye on international instability, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Watching the world now, I think every day about how Japan will manage with the situation," he told AFP. "This is a democratic country and I despise the use of violence to eliminate someone," he added when asked about Abe's murder. "I strongly believe that if people have disagreements, they should dispute them with dialogue." Police have promised a "thorough investigation" into what the head of the Nara regional police called "problems with guarding and safety measures" for Abe. "I believe it is undeniable that there were problems with the guarding and safety measures for former prime minister Abe," Tomoaki Onizuka told reporters on Saturday evening. "In all the years since I became a police officer in 1995... there is no greater remorse, no bigger regret than this," the tearful police chief added. - Election win expected for ruling LDP - The murder of Japan's best-known politician has sparked international condemnation, with US President Joe Biden ordering flags flown at half-mast through Sunday and Chinese President Xi Jinping saying he was "deeply saddened". Abe's office told AFP that a wake will be held on Monday night, with a funeral for family and close friends only on Tuesday. Local media said both were expected to be held at Tokyo's Zojoji Temple. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in Asia for meetings, will stop in Tokyo on Monday to offer condolences in person, the State Department said. Abe was the scion of a political family and became the country's youngest post-war prime minister when he took power for the first time in 2006, aged 52. His hawkish, nationalist views were divisive, particularly his desire to reform the country's pacifist constitution to recognise the country's military, and he weathered a series of scandals, including allegations of cronyism. But he was lauded by others for his economic strategy, dubbed "Abenomics" and his efforts to put Japan firmly on the world stage, including by cultivating close ties with Biden's predecessor Donald Trump. Kishida, 64, was once described as among Abe's favoured successors, and holds a solid majority in parliament along with coalition partner Komeito. Sunday's vote is expected to cement that hold on power, leaving Kishida even better positioned to go into a "golden three years" in which he will face no further elections. But he faces significant policy headwinds, including rising prices and energy shortages, particularly after an early summer heatwave that led to a power crunch. Polls close at 8:00 pm (1100 GMT), with projected results from Japanese media expected immediately after. Several states around the U.S. are currently considering whether to legalize medical aid in dying for terminally ill patients. More than 20% of Americans already live in a state with access to a medically assisted death. Despite this rapidly changing legal climate, the language for describing this new way to die remains surprisingly antiquated. The term that continues to dominate media coverage on the issue is assisted suicide. The American Medical Association uses the term physician-assisted suicide. A quick look at Google Trends reveals that nine times as many people search for assisted suicide as assisted dying. As a cultural anthropologist, I know that how we name something determines how we think about it. Until just recently, the primary term in the English language for the purposeful, voluntary death of oneself was suicide. Besides martyrdom or sacrifice, there was no other way to refer to an intentional self-death. But times have changed. For the past 25 years, since Oregon enacted the countrys first assisted dying law, a medically assisted death has occupied a new legal and moral category. An assisted death is a medical response to the devastating reality of terminal illness. Equating assisted dying with suicide isnt only antiquated or misleading its actually harmful. I have spent five years shadowing patients, families and physicians involved with assisted dying in America, and I saw how damaging this conflation can be. In my new book, The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America, I explore the complexities and constraints of the choices that people who pursue an assisted death face. A loaded term Until well into the 19th century, suicide was viewed as a crime in the United States, punishable with confiscation of the deceaseds property and denial of a Christian burial. Although suicide but not its assistance has been decriminalized today, it remains heavily stigmatized. As philosopher Ian Hacking writes, News of a suicide among us has an immediate response: horror. Calling assisted dying suicide taps into the social taboos and moral outrage that surround the act of taking ones life. That stigma can lead to very sick patients hiding their desire to pursue an assisted death from loved ones for fear of being judged for suiciding leaving patients without critical support. It also poses a problem for terminally ill patients who have a strong wish to be released from their suffering but whose religion considers committing suicide a sin. One devout homeless patient from Portland with end-stage renal failure spent his last waking moments before he drank the lethal medication agonizing about whether God would forgive him for ending his life. As I found during my research, the conflation of assisted dying with suicide sometimes causes families to feel isolated in the bereavement process. Afraid of being shamed for abetting their loved ones suicide, some have had to mask their grief. Valerie, whose elderly mother used Oregons assisted dying law in 2018, told her supervisor at work about her mothers chosen death. He emitted a hushed groan, offering no condolences for her loss. After that encounter, I only revealed the details to trusted friends and family, Valerie told me. It added a layer of sadness to expend energy trying to figure out what someones reaction might be. Bereavement experts call this type of mourning disenfranchised grief hidden grief that is not fully acknowledged or even allowed by society because of the way someone died, such as from a drug overdose or in utero. A medical procedure From their inception, assisted-dying laws in America were designed to mobilize the tools of medicine to ease suffering at the end of someones life. These laws draw a clear line between assisted dying and a suicidal act. The nations first assisted-dying statute, Oregons 1997 Death with Dignity Act, specifies that Actions taken in accordance with [the Act] shall not, for any purpose, constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing or homicide, under the law. As Roger Kligler, a physician and cancer patient who is suing the commonwealth of Massachusetts for his right to die, put it, Calling it suicide means that were not talking about end-of-life issues. The participation of medicine and a patients social network, write psychiatrists John Michael Bostwick and Lewis Cohen, are what differentiate assisted dying from suicide. An assisted death is collaborative and sanctioned by a patients support system not unilateral and covert. When they acquiesce to requests to facilitate dying, [physicians] are not abetting suicide or committing homicide, Bostwick and Cohen write. The distinction between clinical suicide and other types of end-of-life decisions demands a new formulation. Key differences Terminally ill patients who seek an assisted death arent suicidal. Absent a terminal prognosis, they have no independent desire to end their life. In fact, prescribing physicians must uphold the distinction between assisted dying and suicide in their clinical work by screening for mental illness, such as depression (which is clinically associated with suicidal thoughts). A patient who shows any signs of mental impairment must undergo further scrutiny by a mental health expert. Patients who pursue medical aid in dying are no longer looking at an open-ended life span either. To qualify for an assisted death in states with these laws they must already be on the verge of dying that is, within six months of the end of their life. These patients dont face a meaningful decision between living and dying, but between one kind of death and another. As more states are inching closer to legalizing assisted dying, its time that we revise and refine our cultural lexicon around this emergent end-of-life practice. A medically assisted death definitively warrants a linguistic and conceptual category of its own. ___ Anita Hannig does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. ___ CEDAR FALLS A group of Latino students from across Iowa visited the University of Northern Iowa campus last week for a preparatory college camp. The camp, put on by Al Exito, or Latinos to Success, is an after-school program in 18 Iowa communities started to build knowledge, access, and opportunities for achieving higher education and career goals, developing leadership, and nurturing cultural identities. None of the groups are based in the Cedar Valley, but there is one active in the Hampton-Dumont middle and high schools. The entirely free program helps high school students start their college plans through outlined pathways and timelines, a customized scholarship list and completed scholarship essays. About 60 students participated in the camp, which was held Wednesday through Friday. Dawn Martinez Oropeza, Al Exitos executive director, said the university camp started in 2013 after some of the groups high school students went to college and then realized they werent prepared. She said the students had not been exposed to college language and skills or prepared to leave their families. Another reason for the camp is the surprise students experience at the lack of racial/ethnic minorities when they move on to a college or university. A lot of students who go to a university that is predominantly white may not see a person of color for a whole day, and its a culture shock, Oropeza said. We talk about that issue: how to find your allies. Oropeza said the camp was hosted at UNI last year and she decided to return, saying the Cedar Falls university is one of the most Latino friendly campuses. The camp invited multiple post-secondary institutions to participate such as Simpson, Central, Buena Vista, and Hawkeye Community colleges as well as the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. Al Exito was started in 2005 as an eighth-grade girls program in Marshalltown. Oropeza said the group tackled issues such as high dropout rates and high pregnancy rates. Coming full circle, another Marshalltown student, Natalie Andrade and her friend started a group called Mujeres years later. The group focuses on feminist issues. (School) is sometimes difficult because theres so many stereotypes about us and theyre all negative, Andrade said. Its pressure because its like, youre the only Latina in the room. So you have to prove yourself extra, and people dont really take you as seriously in classes. Andrade goes to Marshalltown High School, which is around 53% Latino, but said most of her teachers are white and she still feels like a minority. With the lack of Latino teachers, Oropeza said one goal of the college camp is to connect students to mentors and adults who look like them. The camp also addresses specific issues such as applying for student aid, what to do if a student is a part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or if their parents are undocumented immigrants. Oropeza said Latino students going to college and succeeding is important. Theyre the future of leaders and soon theyll be voting, and hopefully make some change for women and Latinos, Oropeza said. Theyre unstoppable. WATERLOO Waterloo Community Schools is receiving a $176,762 state grant to establish an apprenticeship program in health careers. The Board of Education on Monday will accept the recently awarded Health Careers Registered Apprenticeship Program grant. The board meets at 5 p.m. at the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St. The apprenticeship program introduces health care opportunities to high school students, starting with certified nursing assistant positions. They could qualify for other paid health care jobs, as well, before graduating from high school. Students enrolled in the Waterloo Career Centers nurses aide program will be placed into care centers and hospitals in the area. The school hopes 30 students will become CNAs through the program. During the meeting, which will be the first for new Superintendent Jared Smith, the board will also consider approving an $87,480 solid waste management contract with Republic Services, the lowest of two bids received. The other one was for $135,348. The district operates an in-house program but is switching to an outside company. According to a board memo, the districts garbage truck is at the end of its lifespan. Repairing it would cost more than a new truck, which would take 10-12 months to deliver. In other business, the board will set an Aug. 8 public hearing on the proposed plans and specifications to renovate East High Schools east parking lot and consider approving bids. The project scope includes an asphalt overlay, a concrete ramp, stairs, sidewalk improvements and lighting upgrades. Bids will be opened Aug. 2. The board approved an $85,000 asphalt overlay for the schools north parking lot during a June 28 special session. Tuesday, 2-2:45 p.m. (ages 5-9) and 3-3:30 p.m. (ages 2-4), Breath, Bend, and a Book in Meeting Room AB, part of the Youth Summer Library Program. Gray Lane Studios Kelsey Hahn will teach basic yoga poses and mindfulness. Shell also read from the book Yoga Bug: Simple Poses for Little Ones. Attendees are encouraged to bring a towel or yoga mat, and children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Registration is required and limited to 50 people per session. 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 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 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. U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., believes the Constitution is rooted in Christianity. The church is supposed to direct the government, she said. The government is not supposed to direct the church. That is not how our Founding Fathers intended it. And I am tired of this separation of church and state junk. Its not in the Constitution. Ugh! Heres the historical record: In1455, Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the moveable-type printing press, published the Bible in German, giving the (literate) masses access to it. Amid rising literacy in 1517, Martin Luthers 95 Theses gained traction, condemning corruption in the Catholic Church, which ruled European politics and culture, and ushering in the Protestant Reformation. Critical thinking begat the 18th century Enlightenment, placing reason and science above blind faith. The Founding Fathers were devotees of Enlightenment thinkers John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, David Hume, Adam Smith, Rene Descartes, Isaac Newton, Voltaire and Montesquieu whose Spirit of Laws advocated three co-equal branches of government the executive, legislative and judiciary. Freedom of (and from) religion was based on a Virginia religious freedom law promoted by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison outlawing taxes supporting the states official Church of England, while discriminating against Presbyterians and Baptists. As president, Jefferson wrote government should not intrude on religion and vice versa, Building a wall of separation between church and state. Now the U.S.is going pre-Reformation with six Catholic jurists (Neil Gorsuch also attends the Anglican Church) dictating social policy, starting with its recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade. Writing for the majority, Justice Samuel Alito found no right of abortion in the Constitution, a document excluding women. Yet abortion was commonplace and not illegal during its enactment. So Alito dove into the 17th century, quoting British jurist Matthew Hale, who also debunked marital rape because wives were their husbands property, and Henry de Bracton, an English cleric and jurist in 1250, who believed, as the Washington Post reported, Women are inferior to men. Im neither an absolutist on abortion nor have antipathy toward Catholics. I attended a Catholic law school, the University of San Diego, where we had vigorous arguments on abortion. Both sides made valid points. I was married in a Catholic church. But Im wary of any governmental entity imposing religious orthodoxy. Catholic policy is a religious outlier opposing artificial contraception, but isnt alone against same-sex marriages. Both may be in the courts crosshairs, as with its abortion ruling, defying popular opinion. The court majority largely appointed by two presidents who lost the popular vote is the outgrowth of the politically savvy Christian nationalism movement. Yet a 2017 Baylor University study found one in five Americans agreed the U.S. should be a Christian nation, down from one in four in 2007. As the great Baptist preacher John Leland, a contemporary of the Founding Fathers, stated, Nip the first bud of intrusion on your Constitution. Never promote men who seek after a state-established religion; it is spiritual tyrannythe worst of despotism. Thanks, Supreme Court My heart is filled with joy and thanks. I am so thrilled that the Supreme Court of the United States of America finally woke up from their Satan-induced coma and overturned Roe v. Wade, that almost-50-year lie that stated it is a constitutional right to have an abortion. I pray that all 50 states will ban abortion. Millions of babies have been aborted in these 50 years and even before Roe v. Wade. Why is this, when none of the unwanted pregnancies are the babys fault? They did not ask to be conceived. I agree that it is very tragic when a girl or woman of any age becomes pregnant because of rape or incest, but why blame the baby? Birth the baby and then give it to the poor couples who have been praying and trying to conceive for many years. As far as a womans body is her own and she can do what she wants with it, let me remind you if that is your mindset, your body is not your own. You were bought with a price. Jesus Christ has bought us all with his precious blood he shed for us on the cross at Calvary. Delores Sisk, Waterloo Lame duck Biden Quack, quack. Hey, Mr. President, do you hear a duck quacking? The Democrats have decided youre a lame duck. Theyre beginning to look for somebody else to run in 2024. In almost 50 years of serving in the Congress, as vice president and president you have never been to the southern border to see the crisis that is happening every day. Over 50 people died of suffocation and heat stroke while locked in the back of a semi-trailer a few days ago. Enough drugs are flowing into the country to kill everyone living here. While President Trump was in office we almost completed the wall on the border, and then you were elected and the multi-billion dollar wall just sets uncompleted (no wonder people get angry with politicians). People that have applied legally to get into this country just wait at the end of the line while others push ahead. Just another day in Bidens America. The Democrats never wanted you for president, they just used you to get rid of President Trump. No wonder people are yelling quack, quack! They cant get rid of you quickly enough. Jerald Bartlett, Waterloo A house divided A house divided against its self cannot stand Abraham Lincoln, June 16, 1858. Why is this so difficult for political parties to understand? The framers of the Constitution considered political parties a necessary evil and did not mention them in the Constitution. George Washington warned the new nation of the divisiveness of political parties. Many of our Founding Fathers had immigrated from Europe and had witnessed the destruction political parties had brought about. Let us never forget this is the United States of America. Do not destroy it. Bob Black, Waterloo Help small business I am wondering what Iowas leadership can do in the way of helping small businesses reboot from the pandemic in the way of hiring? I am glad Gov. Reynolds pushed for reopening, but a lot of businesses were hit hard. Larger businesses who benefit from tax cuts and incentives pushed by the GOP are able to offer extravagant wage increases. The small businesses who pay more than our fair share of taxes, and who were hit hardest by the pandemic, cannot compete. If there are incentives that I am unaware of for small businesses, I am all ears. We have been in business since 1939. We serve Waterloo and the state with great services and product. We have employed generations of locals. We have given second chances to individuals who needed it. We have watched those individuals succeed, stay with us, and move on to other great journeys. Looking for some sort of information, resources, etc. We could use some help. A lot of us can. Matthew Gibbon, Waterloo Stop the booms I would like to thank the city of Evansdale for most wonderful relaxing evenings. I mean it was like living on a gun range the past few nights! I mean real peaceful for four hours each night. I hope that they enjoyed disturbing everyone elses evening as they played kaboom all night. I pay taxes also. If the city isnt going to respect those of us that dont shoot off fireworks, maybe they could at least enforce code. Saturday and Sunday night it was after midnight. Thomas Menuey, Evansdale Is journalism dead? The American Press Institute cites the book The Elements of Journalism by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel to identify the essential principles of journalism, including the following: Journalisms first obligation is to the truth. Its first loyalty is to citizens. Its essence is a discipline of verification. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover. It must serve as an independent monitor of power. Thus, journalism is supposed to investigate all facets of a given topic, and by presenting all the facts in an unbiased manner, help you to reach a conclusion. However, regarding politics or social norms, do you honestly think any of our mainstream, cable or social news media follow these core principles? Are we being gaslighted, manipulated and brainwashed by opposing forces to gain ratings? Focusing on the first element above, where is the truth and how do we find it? Why dont we see presentations of facts and arguments on both sides of political and social matters? Why arent professional journalism organizations protesting the avalanche of misinformation and disinformation and seeking a legitimate forum? Or, has the pursuit of ratings turned legitimate journalism into an oxymoron. Thomas Hoag, Cedar Falls Minority tyranny On July 4, we came together to celebrate our nations Independence Day, freedom from tyranny, and liberty. But now, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, freedom and independence applies to some not but not all of this nations people. Womens reproductive freedom and autonomy over their own bodies have been stripped away by partisan, extremist justices. Republican politicians use state laws to further control womens bodies by making abortions a felony offense and have abolished womens reproductive rights. Now, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her plan to essentially ban abortions in Iowa. In 2022, women are struggling against the tyrannical rule of the far-right Republican minority. Remember that many women are not free to make their own reproductive decisions and are controlled by the state. This November, vote. Support candidates who will restore womens rights. Tyranny must not be allowed to win. Karen Pratte, Waterville On July 4, we came together to celebrate our nation's Independence Day, freedom from tyranny, and liberty. But now, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, freedom and independence applies to some not but not all of this nation's people. Women's reproductive freedom and autonomy over their own bodies have been stripped away by partisan, extremist justices. Republican politicians use state laws to further control womens bodies by making abortions a felony offense and have abolished women's reproductive rights. Now, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced her plan to essentially ban abortions in Iowa. In 2022, women are struggling against the tyrannical rule of the far-right Republican minority. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal Albuquerque police released the name of the Black teen found dead in a home that caught fire after authorities threw tear gas inside during a standoff overnight Wednesday in Southeast Albuquerque. Gilbert Gallegos, an Albuquerque Police Department spokesman, identified the boy as 15-year-old Brett Rosenau. Police initially said the teen was believed to be 14 years old. The preliminary results of an autopsy cited the cause of death as smoke inhalation and also confirmed that Rosenau was not shot by anyone, as some bystanders alleged at the scene, Gallegos said Sunday. Rosenaus death comes after a national outcry over the deaths of George Floyd and other black men at the hands of police. Hours after the teens body was pulled from the charred home, dozens gathered on East Central to protest the death, waving signs that said Black Lives Matter and (expletive) the police. Rosenau died as police tried to get 27-year-old Qiaunt Kelley out of a home near Southern and Pennsylvania SE. APD said Kelley had violated probation for armed carjacking and stolen vehicle charges and was also wanted for questioning related to a May 5 officer-involved shooting, a June 26 homicide and a recent armed robbery. On Wednesday evening detectives tracked Kelley down at a home in the 8100 block of San Joaquin SE. Rosenau went to the home with Kelley before the standoff began, according to police. The SWAT team threw tear gas canisters and shot chemical munitions inside the home, and more than an hour later the house was on fire. Kelley surrendered and Rosenaus body was subsequently found inside. Arson investigators are now working to determine how the house caught fire. APD Chief Harold Medina has acknowledged the possibility that the devices used to introduce irritants into the home may have sparked the blaze. In our effort to track down and arrest a violent criminal, a young person tragically lost his life, Medina said in a statement. I know many people in our community are hurting right now, and appreciate everyones patience while the incident is thoroughly investigated. Medina said that if any of his departments actions inadvertently contributed to the death, we will take steps to ensure this never happens again. A fundraising site for the teens funeral expenses had raised more than $15,000 by Sunday evening. Though all the facts and circumstances have not come out, I do know that Brett was not involved in the SWAT situation where he succumbed to his injuries of severe burns and smoke inhalation, the page states. I was not mentally, emotionally, financially prepared for the phone call I received this morning. As a mother you would never imagine you would be attending your childs funeral. The incident has drawn anger from those who lived at the home and the local community as they blamed the department for starting the blaze that killed the boy and called the SWAT teams actions overkill. By Friday afternoon flowers had been set outside the charred and boarded up home, with a note attached to the bouquet: Dear child, your life mattered. Black Lives Matter, all blessings to your family. Mayor Tim Keller expressed his condolences to Rosenaus family and friends in a statement Sunday. No matter what the circumstances were, a boys life was tragically cut short, something no person or parent should experience, Keller said. Every single life is valuable and the loss of anyone is devastating to the family and the community. A multi-agency task force is investigating the incident and will forward its findings to the District Attorneys Office for a decision on whether any criminal charges are warranted. APD is also conducting an investigation to determine if policies were followed throughout the incident. And Gallegos noted that APD is required to report details of the investigations to the Department of Justice and the independent monitor as part of the Court Approved Settlement Agreement. APD is also pledging to release video from the incident. Detectives were following Kelley Wednesday evening to arrest him on a state and federal warrant, according to police. Police said Kelley and the teen ran inside the home and wouldnt come out. The SWAT team responded around 9 p.m. SWAT officers from APD and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office tried for several hours to convince them to peacefully exit the home, Gallegos said. The teams also used strategies such as public address announcements and placing a phone into the residence to make contact with the two males. He added that crisis negotiators never heard from Kelley or Rosenau. Over the next several hours, the SWAT team used tear gas and other chemicals in an attempt to get Kelley to surrender. Police said that around 1 a.m. Thursday the last Flameless Tri-Chamber tear gas canister was thrown into the home. More than an hour went by before smoke began billowing from inside. Albuquerque Fire Rescue said firefighters responded around 2:45 a.m. and were forced to fight the fire from the outside due to the ongoing standoff. Kelley came out as the fire still burned and, after the flames were extinguished, Rosenaus body was found inside. Police say Kelley suffered burn injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment before being booked into jail. APD said that beyond the warrants, he was wanted for questioning in the June 26 shooting death of Leonard Fresquez, for a recent armed robbery and for a May 5 incident on the 7600 block of Central in which someone fired an automatic weapon toward officers. Gallegos noted that detectives discovered a gun in the car Kelley arrived in. While APD acknowledges the possibility that the devices it used could have sparked the house fire, the agency noted that they are designed for indoor use to minimize the likelihood of igniting a fire and that no fires have been reported over the many years they have been used in Albuquerque. One of the blessings about returning to New Mexico was that it put me back in touch with Jose Armas. His death on June 27 was a personal blow, not just because Ive known him my entire life, but also because he knew Albuquerque especially the Hispanic community inside out. My thought was he would be an indispensable resource as I navigated a new job with a community engagement hook. We had a reunion a week after I started my job at the Journal in November the first of what I had hoped would be many conversations. Alas, it was our last. But it reflected much of who Jose was. I met him at his house on the West Side overlooking the Rio Grande. We caught up on family and he showed me photos of Sandhill Cranes that he had taken nearby. He was an avid photographer and visual artist. He was many things. The Journals Rick Nathansons news obituary summed up Joses many achievements as a social justice warrior, scholar, organizer, newspaper columnist, magazine editor, political commentator and founder of a publishing house. But he was always quick to say he wouldnt have achieved so much without the inspiration and support of his late wife, Linda Morales Armas. She was amazing in her own right. I admired Jose, but I adored Linda. There she is, he said, pointing to a photo he had taken. Ive never forgotten those blue eyes, I said. Linda was a Mexicana from South Texas, just like my mom. My dad, Merle Smith, and Jose had become acquainted through the VISTA program, the domestic version of the Peace Corps, when they were both in Texas in the late 1960s. Later, after we drove to Garcias Cafe on Central for lunch, he told me something I didnt know. Merle was responsible for helping me become training director for VISTA New Mexico, Jose said. Growing up, I had a vague notion that our families were connected through some kind of shared Chicano power experience. But I didnt need to know much beyond that. Jose and Linda were fixtures always there. Always accessible, supportive and caring. Their home was always open to us. But I hadnt seen them since graduating from high school in 1986. The waitress took our order. We traded a few journalism anecdotes. He told me he was helping Manny Aragon write a biography and showed me an outline of the books major areas of exploration.Its about the rise and fall of arguably the most powerful Latino public servant in the country, he said. I said I was looking forward to reading it. But what I really wanted to know was what Jose thought was the biggest challenge facing the state right now. What followed was a 20-minute dissertation on the states broken education system. The largest threat to New Mexicos future is the continuing failure to educate Latino kids, who make up 63% of all students, he said. I didnt know Jose had been one of the organizers of the lawsuit that eventually became known as Yazzie/Martinez v. State of New Mexico. Jose was a leader in the Latino Education Task Force, which enlisted the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, to represent the interests of Latino students. The New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty represented the Native American community. A judges landmark ruling directed the governor and lawmakers to follow existing laws and provide sufficient education to culturally distinct underserved communities that make up the vast majority of the states student population. Despite the legal victory, Jose lamented that nothing has changed because he had yet to see a comprehensive plan established with a singular goal of eliminating the achievement gap. The state of the education issue is such that the (Public Education Department) has proposed another set of programs and funding that they want, none of which are addressing the fundamental problem, as far as my community is concerned, he said. They continue to not want to address the reality that the education system we have today has got to be disbanded and phased into something completely new. This was before PED issued its Martinez/Yazzie Discussion Draft Action Plan, which sets targets to reach by 2025. Knowing Jose, who provided a blow-by-blow overview of how every administration since Bill Richardsons has kicked the education equity can down the road, I think he would have questioned whether the targets do enough or are even realistic, given PEDs track record. Yet, he made a difference. Someday, when New Mexico lives up to its constitutional obligation to provide sufficient education to all students, kids who graduate prepared to enter the job market or attend college without remedial help will be standing on the shoulders of this giant who stood maybe 55 in real life. At his memorial service on Friday, cards were distributed to mourners with a quote from something Jose wrote for the Daily Lobo in 1990. I think it sums up his activist mindset nicely: I participated in the Chicano movement of the 60s and 70s. It was a conservative movement. The principal intent of our activism was to be allowed to be Chicano. Our movement was activist, even radical and militant, but founded on conservative thought. We wanted to hold on to our language, culture, traditions we even wanted to preserve our barrios. Bien hecho, Jose. SANTA FE 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 Legislatures budget and accountability office shows that the states 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. The losses are a tiny share of the funds $66.3 billion valuation that grew by 40% over the past five years a $19 billion surge. A statewide referendum in November will decide whether to increase annual distributions slightly from the states nearly $26 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund. That fund is sustained by investment returns along with oil extraction and other natural resource development on state trust lands. Currently 5% of the fund balance each year goes mainly toward public schools and universities. The referendum would increase the rate to 6.25% to provide roughly an additional $200 million to public education. The increased withdrawals would go toward public school funding for at-risk students and early childhood education programs. Advocates for the increase want to expand programs such as pre-K, child care assistance and voluntary home-visits to new parents. Critics worry the changes undermine the growth and sustainability of the trust. The referendum would amend the states constitution and also requires authorization from Congress. Doing Nothing: Poems before the Pandemic is a special book. Special because the poet, Ralph M. Flores, was a lesser-known writer from Tome, whose poetry deserves wider recognition. The book is also special because it reveals Flores in possession of expressive, earthy voices that imaginatively reinterpret themes in different poetic forms. He resets Greek myths, ancient archetypes, biblical stories, and personal experiences, etc., to address such themes as femininity, compassion, beauty, love, fleeting life, inevitable death. In the long poem Lucifer, Flores injects the demon into the relationship God has with Adam and Eve in the Old Testament tale. In the end, it is Eve who comes out the most resilient and dominant. The poem wont let the reader forget Eves significance as a symbol of the feminine. Flores observes her many roles: Mother of mystery/Loom of time/Portal of love/Bed of fruition/Womb of life/Giver and taker/Renewer and redeemer Flores stresses femininity in the poem Mary: The Birth, retelling a New Testament story. As the physical mother of a son, Mary proudly, startlingly asserts her relevance to anyone listening: He is mine alone. I knew him first No one else but I/Can know this childs worth./But why this chill of desperation/Arising from this birth? Several poems address compassion with a clear and present eye. One is Requiescat for Carl in which the poet massages dying Carls feet, cold, grey, blind blobs/and try to transfer life/from my hands to you. Another gem is the poem The Wetback. From the get-go, the narrator shows compassion for this servile visitor to his back door, seeking food and water in exchange for labor. The narrator sees himself as being almost as Mexican as the visitor, and later philosophizes, What is a man cut loose from land and language? Of a sudden to be colored in the land of white? The brown of the poets skin is affirmed and admired in the poem An Artist of the Particular. His skin darkens, leading him to believe that he is the dark-skinned Everyman!/But I am no mans man./In me difference is the norm. Some poems refer to experiences with women. In Bar Talk, that reference segues to thoughts of marching toward old age long before the poet achieves senior status: And so I nudge past middle thirty/to begin the swift and devastating slide/slipping down the nether side/with lonely men for guides. Flores lived well past 35. He died in 2017 at the age of 77. In The Evening News, popular legends are humanized. Among them are Cinderella, who is glum and lonely. Snow White sets up house with seven married men. Sleeping Beauty is still asleep while the Prince is tangled in castle vines. Flores exhibits great pleasure in writing in the form known as haiku. In Love: A Haiku for Geri (Valentines Day 2008), he waxes romantic: Dreaming bud closed tight./Sunlight wakens sleeping life:/Beauty bursts in bloom. Geri is Geri Rhodes, Flores widow and the editor of Doing Nothing. To me, his poems were what mattered most to him. So I saved them until I thought I could do justice to them. It was hard because they were all on loose paper in folders and not dated, Rhodes said. The books title, she said, is borrowed from former U.S. poet laureate Billy Collins, who said all a poet needs is time and the discipline to do nothing, in other words, to be mindful on ones own. Flores had also authored The Horse in the Kitchen: Stories of a Mexican-American Family, The Illustrated Fractured Fables and Tales from La Perla, A Misspent Hippie Youth. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal In 2019, there were 81 homicides in Albuquerque. At the time, it was the highest total in the citys history and shocked a community that had grown accustomed to high-profile murders and rampant property crime. Then 2021 came along and obliterated that watermark with 119 homicides, recording a 46% spike and hitting the highest homicide rate ever. And this year is on pace to match or surpass that record with 67 homicides so far. By this time in 2021 there were 65. But the Albuquerque Police Department is solving nearly twice as many cases. The department credits the success to more detectives and a victim-oriented approach based on teamwork, oversight and training. Despite the success, Deputy Cmdr. Kyle Hartsock hopes this isnt the new normal. I think its pretty astonishing that were on the same pace we were last year right now for murders and weve more than doubled the clearance rate, he said in an interview Thursday. We cant keep at this pace without lots of stress and strain on the unit. So were still hoping that number comes back down to closer to what it was over the past five, six years. Increasing trends As the cases, victims and suspects change, the trends remained largely the same. Hartsock said individual disrespect a dispute for one reason or another has continued to be one of the biggest motives, accounting for 50 of the years homicides. Hartsock said many of the disputes start over social media but end in the street. We see people go on Instagram Live and start talking trash and people theyre talking about get on the comments like lets meet up,' he said. Hartsock added, If there wasnt a gun with one of these two people, it just wouldnt have been a homicide, it would have been something else. A fistfight. As with previous years most cases at least 80% happened at a trigger pull. Other victims were stabbed, beaten or run over. Most homicides in Albuquerque happened in the Southeast, the Valley and Southwest with 24, 14 and 12, respectively. This year has seen more young victims and suspects. There have been 10 people killed and seven arrested who are 17 and under. Last year there were only four killed and three arrested, numbers similar to previous years. The youngest person killed in 2022 was 5-month-old Trinity Garcia and the oldest was 69-year-old Abelito Rivera Sr., allegedly beaten to death by his son. Some of who died did so without so much as an obituary in their wake, others were followed by an outpouring of grief from family, friends and community members. Pitak Hollmann was one of the latter. Since his death on June 11, dozens took to Facebook to mourn the loss of the 38-year-old father of two who was born in Bangkok before moving to New Mexico. They shared photos of Hollmann as a child or smiling broadly, holding his daughters. He always told me he loved me and I always said one of two things, either shut up or I hate you back, then wed laugh, one woman posted. I can only hope he knows that I truly did love him too. Ill miss him dearly. She continued, I hope that when our time here comes to an end, we find a true place of peace. My hope for him is that he has found that place. A few cases stand out against the rest. There were two fatal robberies of Asian massage spas, leaving two women dead and revealing an unreported trend of similar robberies. Outside West Mesa High School, a teen allegedly shot another with a ghost gun during a fight. It marked the second fatal shooting near or at an Albuquerque school during class hours in the past school year, something previously unheard of in the citys history. The year also saw an increase in double homicides with five. In 2021 there was one double homicide and a triple homicide. In one 2022 case, a man fatally shot his girlfriends daughter, who he had allegedly been raping for years, and her cousin near Cottonwood Mall before killing himself. APD Chief Harold Medina said, in 2022, they are seeing more mental health related homicides, something he believes is connected to a national trend of rising violence. There was a man in the grips of a mental health crisis who shot at passing cars from the window of his foothills home, killing a woman and injuring a teenage girl before being killed by police. Medina said they are also seeing suspects with zero criminal history. Its important to recognize that each year, a new generation grows into this group of individuals that are potentially violent, Medina said. And it seems that during the pandemic more and more individuals are entering that realm of becoming violent and possibly killing people. Albuquerque Police Crime Scene investigators process the scene of a homicide at 86th St. and Alexis SW on July 5. Officers responding to an overnight shooting found a female subject fatally wounded. (Adolphe Pierre-Louis/Albuquerque Journal) Police investigate after a man was shot and killed on Albuquerque's West Side. This year is on pace to match or possibly surpass last year's record high of 119 homicides across the city. The Albuquerque Police Department has been solving nearly twice as many cases as in 2021. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) APD investigators photograph and investigate a homicide scene near the intersection of Grove St. and Trumbull in Southeast Albuquerque Saturday evening. (Roberto E. Rosales/Albuquerque Journal) Prev 1 of 3 Next Better clearance rate Despite the seemingly relentless bloodshed May and June tallied 17 and 14 homicides the units success is apparent in clearance data provided by APD. The clearance rate this time last year was 47%. In 2022 it sits at 93%, according to Hartsock. The clearance rate includes cases solved in 2022 from this and previous years and is calculated by arrests made, charges filed or other means of solving a homicide. APD includes closed justified homicide cases toward the departments clearance rate. According to Journal records, APD has made an arrest, filed charges or otherwise cleared 34 of the 2022 homicide cases. According to APD, the unit has also cleared 19 cases from previous years in 2022. Some cases have multiple arrests, multiple victims or are cleared by the suspects death. To me, thats the biggest measurement we can give, everything else is kind of a feeling on how its working, Hartsock said. But at the end of the day, were solving more cases, when we apply this formula it just works. APD leaders said they have increased the number of detectives but are basically using the same resources, just in a different way, to get results. The unit currently has 16 detectives, some who are still in training. Its the highest number the department has ever had. Cmdr. George Vega, of the Criminal Investigations Division, said APD made a push to add several new detectives over the past year to match the pace of homicides. He said they are using teamwork and an emphasis on assistance from the Digital Intelligence Unit, District Attorneys Office and others to solve cases faster. APD said the collaborative relationship helped one detective solve two cases in a 24-hour period. Hartsock said a new review process has detectives meet with a supervisor at the two-day and 60-day mark following a homicide, to go over where the case stands and what it needs to be solved. A lot of these meetings have turned out arrest warrants within days, because when youre the detective, theres so much information its a lot to process and you kind of lose sight, he said. When we force the other experienced eyes to get on it. We come up with a clear plan almost every time. Medina said the detective academy is also making a difference, displayed in new detectives who have already solved major cases. Were finding that theyre hitting the ground running faster, and actually producing very good quality work and getting results quicker, he said. Medina said there has been pushback, and the oversight and extra cooks in the kitchen has been a culture change for the unit. Theres sometimes we find people who want to continue to do things in the past and this is about showing them how the new way works, he said. Medina said they want to instill a sense of urgency that wasnt there, something the district attorney criticized the unit for in past years. Vega said for those detectives who are resistant to change, the proof is in the pudding. Once we show them the success and the new resources that are in the building everybody likes to be a part of something thats successful, he said. Thats where were at now is were showing them were giving them a path to take and we feel like theyre starting to really grab onto it. Copyright 2022 Albuquerque Journal More than six months ago, the new Children, Youth and Families Department cabinet secretary ordered an outside review of the embattled agencys response to child fatalities and critical incidents. So far CYFD has refused to release the report, which was supposed to be completed by April 15. The agency over the past 10 days has given different responses to Journal inquiries seeking the document, first claiming attorney-client privilege and, on Friday, saying the report will be released after agency attorneys finish reviewing it. State Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, a retired lawyer and former deputy state attorney general, said she found CYFDs response puzzling. She questioned why the attorney-client privilege, which covers communications between a client and their attorney, would be cited since the outside review related to a factual investigation. Matthews has been working with a informal group of lawmakers on proposed legislation aimed at increasing transparency at CYFD. The independent review by Nashville, Tennessee-based Collaborative Safety LLC was to provide an in-depth systemic analysis of critical incidents experienced by the agency over the past year, and include recommendations to reduce or eliminate critical incidents in the future, according to a contract signed by CYFD on Jan. 19. In responding to a Journal records request, the agency on June 30 cited attorney-client privilege as grounds for withholding the report. On Friday, the Journal again asked for a copy of the report and a CYFD spokesman issued a different response. CYFD is in the final stages of reviewing Collaborative Safetys analysis of the departments work and to ensure its compliance with the confidentiality provisions of the New Mexico Childrens Code, said public information officer Rob Johnson in an email. CYFD anticipates completing that review in the coming days, and upon completion, the department will release the report. Exactly what information, if any, might be redacted from the report before release wasnt specified. We look forward to sharing how CYFD is improving the lives of the children and families it serves by incorporating the recommendations of the report and embracing the safety-science approach it advocates, he added. Matthews said she had welcomed the news an outside review was being conducted. I thought, Well this is good, but why are the results not being shared? It was a factual investigation, it did not appear to me to be asking for a legal opinion. Matthews said some lawmakers have been concerned that CYFD has in the past cited the confidentiality provisions of the Childrens Code to protect the agency instead of those the law intended to protect children and families. CYFD Secretary Barbara Vigil ordered the in-depth system analysis after the Nov. 15, 2021, child abuse death of a 1-month-old boy in Valencia County whose mother one week earlier had called authorities to say she feared for her childrens safety, that she may hurt them, according to Valencia County sheriffs officials. The mother, Kiria Lynn Milton, who also has a 4-year-old son, subsequently underwent a mental health evaluation at the Unversity of New Mexico Health Sciences Center and CYFD permitted the children to remain at home in the care of their father, who planned to go out of town for work. A week later, the infant was found dead in his bassinet. He died of blunt force trauma to his head and face. His mother is jailed awaiting trial on a charge of child abuse resulting in death. After the death and criticism of CYFDs handling of the case, Vigil said, I think the people of New Mexico deserve an independent outside entity, with expertise in this area, to come in and help us assess what were doing, and whether we can improve it. Vigil, a retired state Supreme Court justice who took over the agency last October, pledged to make the outside consultants report public during a meeting with the Journal editorial board and reporters on Jan. 19. The review, she said at the time, was an effort on my part to really self-examine and see what we can do better to minimize the risk of child fatalities in New Mexico. So that process is ongoing. And we will have a report on that. And Im happy to share it with you as well. Some of this is hard, because it reflects, you know, maybe things that I wish we could do better, we would have done better but its in the interest of transparency and accountability that I want to make change in this department. Under the $59,640 state contract, Collaborative Safety LLC was to review up to five child fatalities or high-profile incidents to develop learning points, conduct debriefings and a systemic analysis. The final written report, due by April 15, was to include an overview of findings and recommendations for improvement. In response to a Journal request June 27 under the state Inspection of Public Records Act seeking the report, CYFDs records custodian Kathleen Hardy responded that in accordance with a section of the records law, which exempts from public inspection records covered by attorney-client privilege, and direction of Chief General Counsel Jeff Young, there are no responsive records available for public inspection at this time. Hardy didnt respond to a Journal request for clarification as to whether the review would be available in the future. Matthews told the Journal the results of the outside review would be of interest to state legislators. I think some of the members would absolutely want to know (what is in the review). This is an agency that has more than its share of high-profile tragedies. I am working with other legislators who are very, very concerned that the agency improve its work and that our children are better protected. Matthews said CYFD is an agency that quite frankly needs to be more forthcoming, not in terms of a particular family or child, we understand that need to protect the privacy of people absent criminal charges being filed. But its a public agency and theres a certain amount of scrutiny needed, particularly when you are caring for children and the safety of children is involved. She said one idea under consideration by legislators is aimed at improving the CYFDs dissemination of data, such as the number of child maltreatment fatalities or near fatalities. Trying to find that information is really hard, Matthews said. Its a measure of accountability of how well they are doing. Matthews acknowledged, that theres no question that doing the kind of work CYFD does is very difficult and sometimes you cant fix all the things that are wrong with a family. But accurate reporting of the data is important for the credibility of an agency. When you dont share the information, she added, then theres a tendency for people to think it must be an awful report. Thats where the public trust piece comes in, by being forthcoming. ANADARKO, Okla. Native American tribal elders who were once students at government-backed Indian boarding schools testified Saturday about the hardships they endured, including beatings, whippings, sexual assaults, forced haircuts and painful nicknames. They came from different states and different tribes, but they shared the common experience of having attended the schools that were designed to strip Indigenous people of their cultural identities. I still feel that pain, said 84-year-old Donald Neconie, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Kiowa Tribe who once attended the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) southwest of Oklahoma City. I will never, ever forgive this school for what they did to me. It may be good now. But it wasnt back then. As the elders spoke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico and the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history, listened quietly. The event at the Riverside Indian School, which still operates today but with a vastly different mission, was the first stop on a yearlong nationwide tour to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to the government-backed boarding schools. Federal Indian boarding school policies have touched every Indigenous person I know, Haaland said at the start of the event, which attracted Native Americans from throughout the region. Some are survivors. Some are descendants. But we all carry the trauma in our hearts. My ancestors endured the horrors of the Indian boarding school assimilation policies carried out by the same department that I now lead. This is the first time in history that a cabinet secretary comes to the table with this shared trauma. Haalands agency recently released a report that identified more than 400 of the schools, which sought to assimilate Native children into white society during a period that stretched from the late 18th century until the late 1960s. Although most closed their doors long ago and none still exist to strip students of their identities, some still function as schools, albeit with drastically different missions that celebrate the cultural backgrounds of their Native students. Among them is Riverside, which is one of oldest. Riverside, which opened in 1871, serves students from grades four through 12 these days, offering them specialized academic programs as well as courses on cultural topics such as bead-working, shawl-making and an introduction to tribal art, foods and games. Currently operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, it has nearly 800 students from more than 75 tribes across the country, and the schools administration, staff and faculty are mostly Native American. It is one of 183 elementary and secondary schools across the country funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that seek to provide education aligned with a tribes needs for cultural and economic well-being, according to the bureaus website. But Riverside also has a dark history of mistreating the thousands of Native American students who were forced from their homes to attend it. Neconie, who still lives in Anadarko, recalled being beaten if he cried or spoke his native Kiowa language when he attended Riverside in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Every time I tried to talk Kiowa, they put lye in my mouth, he said. It was 12 years of hell. Brought Plenty, a Standing Rock Sioux who lives in Dallas, recalled the years she spent at Indian boarding schools in South Dakota, where she was forced to cut her hair and told not to speak her Native language. She recalled being forced to whip other girls with wet towels and being punished when she didnt. What they did to us makes you feel so inferior, she said. You never get past this. You never forget it. Until recently, the federal government hadnt been open to examining its role in the troubled history of Native American boarding schools. But this has changed because people who know about the trauma that was inflicted hold prominent positions in government. At least 500 children died at such schools, but that number is expected to reach into the thousands or tens of thousands as more research is done. The Interior Departments report includes a list of the boarding schools in what were states or territories that operated between 1819 and 1969 that had a housing component and received support from the federal government. Oklahoma had the most, 76, followed by Arizona, which had 47, and New Mexico, which had 43. All three states still have significant Native American populations. Former students might be hesitant to recount the painful past and trust a government whose policies were to eradicate tribes and, later, assimilate them under the veil of education. But some welcome the opportunity to share their stories for the first time. Not all the memories from those who attended the schools were painful ones. Dorothy WhiteHorse, 89, a Kiowa who attended Riverside in the 1940s, said she recalled learning to dance the jitterbug in the schools gymnasium and learning to speak English for the first time. She also recalled older Kiowa women who served as house mothers in the dormitories who let her speak her Native language and treated her with kindness. I was helped, WhiteHorse said. Im one of the happy ones. But WhiteHorse also had some troubling memories, including the time she said three young boys ran away from the home and got caught in a snowstorm. She said all three froze to death. I think we need a memorial for those boys, she said. ___ Felicia Fonseca contributed to this report from Flagstaff, Arizona. CHASIV YAR, Ukraine Dozens of Ukrainian emergency workers labored Sunday to pull people out of the rubble after a Russian rocket attack smashed into apartment buildings in eastern Ukraine, killing at least 15 people. More than 20 people were believed still trapped. The strike late Saturday destroyed three buildings in a residential quarter of the town of Chasiv Yar, inhabited mostly by people who work in nearby factories. On Sunday evening, rescuers were able to remove enough of the bricks and concrete to retrieve a man who had been trapped for almost 24 hours. Rescuers laid him on a stretcher and he was quickly taken to a hospital. Ukraines Emergency Services said the latest rescue brought to six the number of people dug out of the rubble. Earlier in the day, they made contact with three others still trapped alive beneath the ruins. Pavlo Kyrylenko, governor of the Donetsk region that includes Chasiv Yar, said an estimated 24 people were believed still trapped, including a 9-year-old child. Cranes and excavators worked alongside rescue teams to clear away the ruins of one building, its walls completely shorn off by the impact of the strike. The thud of artillery on the nearby front line resonated just a few miles away, making some workers flinch and others run for cover. Valerii, who gave only his first name, was desperately waiting to hear news of his sister and 9-year-old nephew, who lived in the collapsed building and had not answered his calls since Saturday night. Now Im waiting for a miracle he said, as he stood before the ruins and started to pray, hands clasped together tightly. We do not have good expectations, but I am avoiding such thoughts, he said. Kyrylenko said the town of about 12,000 was hit by Uragan rockets that are fired from truck-borne systems. Chasiv Yar is 20 kilometers (12 miles) southeast of Kramatorsk, a city that is a major target of Russian forces as they grind westward. However, later Sunday, Viacheslav Boitsov, deputy chief of emergency service in the Donetsk Region, told the Associated Press that four shells hit the neighborhood and they were likely Iskander missiles. Residents said they heard at least three explosions and that many people were badly wounded in the blasts. A group of neighbors sat Sunday in a courtyard quietly discussing who was wounded and who was still missing. There was an explosion, all the windows blew out and I was thrown to the ground, said 45-year-old Oksana, who gave only her first name. She was in her third-floor apartment when the missiles struck. My kitchen walls and balcony have completely vanished, she added, struggling to hold back tears. I called my children to tell them I was alive. Irina Shulimova, a 59-year-old retiree, recalled the terror. We didnt hear any incoming sound, we just felt the impact. I ran to hide in the corridor with my dogs. Everyone I knew started calling me to find out what had happened. I was shaking like a leaf, she said. Front doors and balconies were torn apart in the blast, and heaps of twisted metal and bricks lay on the ground. Crushed summer cherries were smeared on shattered window panes. A 30-year-old technology worker named Oleksandr said his mother was among those injured in the explosion. Thank God I wasnt injured, it was a miracle, he said, touching the crucifix around his neck. Although the home he shares with his mother is now shattered, he said he doesnt plan to leave the neighborhood. I only have enough money to support myself for another month. Lots of people are fed up already of refugees coming from the east no one will feed or support us there. Its better to stay, said Oleksandr, who declined to give his surname. Another resident who gave only his first name, Dima, had lived for more than 20 years on the ground floor of one of the buildings that was hollowed out in the attack. He walked back and forth across the rubble. As you can see, my home is lost, he said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the Russians of intentionally targeting civilians. Anyone who orders such strikes, everyone who carries them out in ordinary cities, in residential areas, kills absolutely consciously, he said in an address to Ukrainians on Sunday night. After such hits, they wont be able to say that they didnt know or didnt understand something. Saturdays attack was just the latest in a series of strikes against civilian areas in the east, even as Russia repeatedly claims it is only hitting targets of military value. Twenty-one people were killed earlier this month when an apartment building and recreation area came under rocket fire in the southern Odesa region. Another at least 19 people died when a Russian missile hit a shopping mall in the city of Kremenchuk in late June. There was no comment about the Chasiv Yar attack at a Russian Defense Ministry briefing on Sunday. The Donetsk region is one of two provinces along with Luhansk that make up the Donbas region, where separatist rebels have fought Ukrainian forces since 2014. Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk. Russian forces are raising true hell in the Donbas, despite assessments they were taking an operational pause, Luhansk governor Serhiy Haidai said Saturday. After the seizure of Lysychansk, some analysts predicted that Moscows troops likely would take some time to rearm and regroup. But so far there has been no operational pause announced by the enemy. He is still attacking and shelling our lands with the same intensity as before, Haidai said. He later said Ukrainian forces had destroyed some ammunition depots and barracks used by the Russians. ___ Follow all AP stories on the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. Last week at American Thinker, in discussing the Dobbs case, I prophesied, and if your media sources resemble those Ive seen, the moral angle will be played to the hilt with stories of exceptional cases being treated as the rule. How right I was, as the story of a 10-year-old who was raped and had to travel to Indiana from Ohio to get an abortion was highlighted in multiple media everywhere and used to discredit the Supreme Court justices who decided Dobbs and pro-life politicians. Megan Fox has done a fine bit of journalism exposing this propaganda coup and the Blaze details her work. Ms. Fox broke the story in a series of tweets. In order to make her work easier to follow Im reframing it in a more conventional, easier-to-understand way, but you are invited to the source to see how this unraveled. Each of her factual assertions is accompanied by links to them. The sole source of the story is an ardent abortionist. The story is unverifiable and peddled by those who share her views with no apparent independent efforts to confirm the tale. If nothing else, this shows you how easy the job of a news editor at the named publications is. You dont have to do anything -- just let your reporters rattle off the headline-framing tales of a figure who advances the desired narrative. Do not demand even the merest investigation of claims, particularly if they sound outrageous. (Like Trump hiring prostitutes to pee in a hotel bed in Moscow because Obama had slept there.) The Megan Fox account asserts that an unnamed child abuse doctor from Ohio called Dr. Caitlyn Bernard, an Indiana abortionist, for help. And she called the media with the account which published it without any questions asked. Dr. Bernard is the medias sole source for this story, so its important to check her background to see if she is likely to be giving an accurate, nonpartisan account. When you do, the answer is clear: Its exceedingly unlikely that she is without a partisan interest in the issue. In June she was interviewed by PBS, predicting doom if Roe was overturned. That same month she repeated her claim of doom on worth.com as she organized a rally for abortion access on the Indiana University campus where she teaches. On June 30 WTHR quotes her saying: Healthcare providers are sick of politicians getting in the way of their decision making. Politico likes her, too, quoting her as saying, For a lot of people in Indiana, if I tell them to go out of state, I might as well tell them to go to the moon. They have to pay for the care at the clinic, the time away from their children, the time away from their jobs. Gas prices are also increasing. Since Politico likes her as a source for advancing a narrative of which they approve, can the Republic be far behind? Also advancing her pro-abortion stance was the Herald Bulletin on July 5. Beginning on January 16, 2017, when the NYT covered her remarks on a Trump abortion ban through July 5 of this year, she is quoted twenty times in various publications. Clearly, shes on the woke publications go-to-persons-on-abortion Rolodex. Its not just that shes the media go-to person on the topic of abortions, she was as well the plaintiff in a pre-Dobbs case in Indiana to obtain an injunction against enforcement of the states second-trimester abortion (dismemberment abortion) restrictions. She won that case, but now that Roe is overturned, the state seeks to have the injunction lifted, and she is again fighting to keep second-trimester abortions legal. Once an advocate of self-abortions by abortifacient drugs, on July 1 she is quoted in a Fox 59 report as saying they are risky. If women are so desperate to send away to receive pills to have a self-managed abortion at home is what Right-To-Life doing really helping them? Obviously not... because then they wouldnt be doing something as drastic as that. Despite her obvious and easily documented partisanship, her account of the young rape victim was deemed credible -- apparently without any independent examination -- by these media (Courtesy of Megan Fox): Its not just the obvious bias of the source of the story, however. There is much more which should have alerted news editors that the story is suspect. Qui bono? That is, to whose benefit is this story? It was used to attack Republican Kristi Noem and will certainly be used to attack all pro-life politicians and contribute to the vitriolic attacks on Supreme Court justices who decided Dobbs. (Justice Brett Kavanaugh, already a target of a would-be-assassin, was just driven by protesters from a downtown D.C. steak house.) The Washington Posts Jennifer Rubin embraced the Bernard claim with an op-ed entitled Its the cruelty that will undo the forced birth crusade. She bought the tale of the 10-year-old and uses it for her ends -- bashing her former conservative colleagues. The story is unverifiable. Even Snopes concedes this. Dozens of Snopes readers searched out site or contacted us wondering whether that had actually happened. To find out we reached out to dr. Caitlin Bernard, an obstetrician-gynecologist in Indianapolis and who spoke to the Columbus Dispatch about the headline-generating story. As of this writing [July 5] Bernard has not returned our request for an interview, but we will update this story if that changes. Megan Fox reached out to the IndyStar, the first press outlet to carry the Bernard story, asking what kind of vetting had been done by the paper on the story. As of July 5, she had received no response. But its more than unverifiable, even though Dr. Bernard can hide behind doctor-patient confidentiality. It is on its face unlikely to be true. There is no proof that this 10-year-old exists. If she did exist and was abused, the law requires that law enforcement be called to investigate, but no such report exists. No mention in any of these oft-reported stories is there even the name of the town where this crime occurred. (Reminds me of those cheap tabloid stories of a baby with the wolfs head having been born in some remote, unnamed village in Bangladesh, accompanied by a blurry, impossible to identify, obviously fake photo.) Stripped down to essential facts, the story is really this: An ardent abortionist, fearing that her state will ban abortions after the Dobbs decision, said an unnamed physician in an unnamed Ohio town told her he had as a patient a 10-year-old pregnant rape victim who needed to travel to Indiana for an abortion. No record exists of a report to law enforcement of the rape, even though an attending physician would be required to make such a report. Its good to be a news editor -- you can retire at your desk and keep your salary and paycheck. During Prohibition, Al Capones Chicago gang made the Thompson submachine gun a symbol of gang violence. The Chicago Typewriter could empty a hundred-round drum magazine in under ten seconds, and make headlines, while occasionally perforating both targets and bystanders. Congress saw an opportunity to do something, and wasnt willing to let a crisis go to waste. The ultimate result is the National Firearms Act of 1934 (NFA), which was later amended by the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). The net result is that certain firearms and firearm-related items have seriously disfavored status, completely unrelated to anything having to do with crime or Constitution. The NFA states that for certain items such as machine guns and suppressors, the purchaser must pay a $200 tax and then wait for extended periods for the federal government to decide that its okay for him to have the item. But the Supreme Court said in Bruen that lengthy wait times in processing license applications or exorbitant fees deny ordinary citizens their right to public carry. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (BATFE) routinely violates this idea with wait times of a year or more before issuing permits. Granted, theyre purchase authorizations, not carry permits, but the same idea applies. When you have a constitutional right to a weapon or suppressor, all other considerations require extremely careful examination. When I go to a dealer to purchase a firearm, I must first fill out Form 4473 and pay a $5 fee to run a National Instant Check System (NICS) background check. If I fail the check, Im out the fin and must go through an appeal process. Only when that is finished can I buy the gun. But ordinarily, Im cleared out the door in minutes because I have a Florida license to carry. Without the license, its a three-day wait. Not exactly the same as waiting for a trial after January 6 but still.... But for my silencer, I had to send in my fingerprints, fill out a form, pay my $200, do not pass Go, and wait. And wait. And wait. When I look at the legal rules to own a suppressor ("silencer"), there are three basic criteria: Im legally eligible to purchase a firearm in a state that allows suppressors. I pass the BATFE background check. I pay the $200 tax. Thats it. In short, all this could be done in the five minutes it took to do the NICS check because its functionally the same background check. Add in the two C notes, and everything should be over in the time it takes to ring up the transaction. But so far, Im at eleven months and counting. That definitely qualifies as a lengthy wait time. Even if we throw in the fingerprints, that shouldnt take more than a day, since police can routinely get prints run in hours. Image: Official BAFTE seal. Public domain. Suppressors are legal. You heard me correctly. This is an essential key concept. Because I am a lawful gun owner, the only material difference is that I must pay the extra tax. Thus, the process does not describe a prohibition. Rather, the NFA is to provide for taxation. Unfortunately, its also a way some bureaucrat who decides to shut you down to deny you your lawful exercise of your Second Amendment rights. Bruen, however, declared that if you are not a legally prohibited person, your right is exactly that: a right. The NFA also covers short barreled rifles, short barreled shotguns, machine guns, any other weapon, and destructive devices. All of these, except for explosives, have the same conditions for possession. A brief overview will show how arbitrary these definitions are. A short-barreled rifle has a barrel under 16 inches or a length of less than 26 inches. But!!! If the buttstock of an SBR is exchanged for a brace that can be secured to the shooters forearm, its now a pistol and doesnt need to be taxed under the NFA. So, my AR pistol at 27 inches with a brace and a 10-inch barrel is legally a pistol and Im free of the BATFE. But if I add a vertical foregrip for about $25, it suddenly becomes any other weapon and I must pay the $200 and go to BATFE for a blessing that may come next year. Of course, its still longer than the Israeli TAVOR battle rifle (26 inches) which is legally an ordinary rifle outside BATFEs tax scheme regardless of any accessories I add. Shotguns get more insane rules. They must have 18-inch barrels. Why? Its just as arbitrary as 16-inch barrels for rifles. In United States v. Miller (1939), the Supreme Court ruled against weapons that did not have specific military applications. Sawed-off shotguns were not military weapons in 1939 but became key guns the tunnel rats carried in Vietnam. So, they are presumptively protected. But for the moment, BATFE gets its pound of flesh. Another shotgun rule is particularly silly. You can fire .410 shotgun shells in many 45-caliber revolvers. But if you put a smooth bore barrel on the revolver instead of the rifled one, you now have any other weapon, again subject to tax. But such a revolver might be particularly valuable for home defense, which is clearly a protected right under Heller and Bruen. We could go on, but its clear that BATFE has been acting in a way clearly hostile to Second Amendment rights by unreasonably delaying approval to purchase various firearms and accessories. Further, the law under which it operates is the very definition of arbitrary and capricious. Florida Statutes 120.57 2.d explains that A rule is arbitrary if it is not supported by logic or the necessary facts; a rule is capricious if it is adopted without thought or reason or is irrational. The Supreme Court has applied this definition in multiple cases. We might suggest that restricting private ownership of explosives could be legal. The imposition of these excise taxes might be a lawful act. But levying a tax on the exercise of a constitutional right is a clear infringement of that right. If I want to buy a fully automatic weapon and pay for the immense amount of ammunition it eats just because it has the giggle switch (full auto selector), that is my right. I become liable when I misuse it, just as I would become liable for misusing a single shot derringer or a delivery truck. Imposing extra taxes on a constitutionally protected activity is a prior restraint on that right. First Amendment cases have clearly held prior restraints to be unlawful. Lengthy wait times are similarly unconstitutional. And the provisions of the NFA are arbitrary and capricious. That must include the GCA prohibition on private ownership of automatic weapons manufactured after 1969. We must therefore conclude that the bulk of both the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act is unconstitutional in both its text and application. SCOTUS should strike them both down at the earliest opportunity. Ted Noel MD is a retired Anesthesiologist/Intensivist who podcasts and posts on social media as DoctorTed and @vidzette. His DoctorTed podcasts are available on many podcast channels. The headline at the New York Post told the story: Retired three-star general Gary Volesky suspended after tweet at Jill Biden. Unlike Hunter, Jills stepson, General Volesky did not call Jill a vindictive moron and an entitled c**t, with the latter being one of the most obscene, vicious insults that can be directed at a woman. Voleskys gentle gibe, though, was enough to get him suspended from his civilian contract job with the military and placed under investigation. The storys not complicated. From the Post: Retired lieutenant general Gary Volesky, a former spokesman for the Army, responded to a tweet from Biden about the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, in which the First Lady remarked that womens rights had been stolen. Biden tweeted that for nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen from us. Volesky responded, Glad to see you finally know what a woman is. If youre asking how the Pentagon could suspend a retired general, the answer is that Volesky is earning money on an hourly contractual basis doing work for the military. Since hes retired, thats a civilian job. Nevertheless, once in the military, always in the military. Technically, you can be called up for active duty at any time. Image: Gary Volesky. YouTube screen grab. Whats fascinating is the difference in how the Pentagon treats Volesky and what past retired Generals and Admirals have gotten away with when the president was Trump. In October 2019, retired admiral William McRaven, who respectfully buried bin Laden at sea with a full Muslim service, wrote a NY Times opinion piece lambasting then-President Trump. The Pentagon did nothing. It was silent, as well, ten days later when retired admiral James Winnefeld castigated Trump for failing to show mass-murderer Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi the same religious reverence the Obama administration (and McRaven) accorded bin Laden. Also in 2019, retired general Barry McCaffrey called Trump another Mussolini. Again, the Pentagon stayed silent. Heartened by the Pentagons passivity, by June 2020, before the election, retired generals were using Trump as a punching bag. Retired general Jim Mattis compared Trump to a Nazi. Both retired admiral Mike Mullen and retired general Martin Dempsey were also taking whacks at Trump. All of these slanders came from men who could be recalled to active duty in a time of need. However, by directly bad-mouthing the president, they showed themselves to be political hacks who could not be trusted to serve the duly elected president of the United States...and the Pentagon did nothing. But when a retired general makes a pretty damn gentle gibe at a first lady who waded into politics, suddenly the Pentagon is up in arms. I think that should concern us all. Not only is the Pentagon shamefully woke, as it smiles up Critical Race Theory and radical transgenderism in the military (no wonder recruitment numbers are down), its showing itself to be dangerously partisan. The strength of Americas military has been that it is non-partisan but thats one other American institution and tradition that the Democrats have broken. No Democrat has actually said all your child are belong to us, but every time I read a story about the Democrat push to sever the parent-child relationship, Im reminded of that long ago Japanese video game with the horrible translation: All your base are belong to us. Beginning with Lenin, all totalitarian takeovers have involved co-opting children and breaking them away from their families. Were seeing this with a vengeance in the medical field, where children as young as 12 can make unilateral medical decisionsincluding destroying their bodies with dangerous hormones and mutilating surgery. Vladimir Lenin, who formed the Soviet government in 1917, was quite explicit about the importance of children to the cause. Give me four years to teach the children and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted. The core of Hitlers growing cultural takeover during the 1930s was the Hitler Youth organization, which skillfully taught children to ally themselves with the state and against their parents. During the Iran-Iraq war, the mullahs outfitted children with cheap trinkets that they were promised were keys to heaven and then sent them out to do battle against hardened Iraqi troops. As Mussolini said, Everything in the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State, and totalitarians have applied that rule to children too. What does this have to do with children and healthcare? A little explanation may help. What one needs to understand in America in 2022 is that the Democrat party is no longer your fathers party. Those of us older than 50 or so, vividly remember when our parents and their friends would get together and talk politics. Regardless of party, they had the same social, economic, and political values. They just believed in different ways to achieve their political goals. Image: Family by senivpetro. However, there are no common goals today: Conservatives want a colorblind society; Democrats want a color-stratified society. Conservatives believe babies have the right to be born; Democrats, as embodied in Elizabeth Warren, are hysterically angry that babies will be born. Conservatives believe in the sexual binary of male and female; Democrats insist that there is no such thing as male and female anymore. In each of the above examples, Conservatives believe in something that is natural and ordinaryhumans having more in common than mere skin color, babies being born, and men and women as two separate and distinct halves of the human whole. And in each of the above examples, Democrats believe in something that goes against the natural order and that must be indoctrinated. And of course, being good totalitarians, they understand that these changes start with childrenand that, to reach children, you must remove the parents who protect them ferociously and want them to have normal, not abnormal lives. Thats how we get to an article from Libs of TikTok about the way in which several states have implemented laws that give children as young as 12 complete control over their medical choices. Parents arent just sidelined, they are blindsided. In Washington State, as one angry parent discovered, the school can put a child on antidepressants without informing the parent (never mind the increasing evidence that psychotropic drugs are almost invariably a factor when White kids engage in mass shootings). Dad claims a school in Washington State put his 15-year-old child on antidepressants without notifying him pic.twitter.com/ivxsUVWjH8 Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 6, 2022 The leftist states interference in the parent-child relationship doesnt stop with drugs. Several states, including Washington, Arizona, New York, Maine, and California, remove parents from all access to medical information. When I was raising my kids in California, I was fortunate in that my kids wanted me to be part of their medical decisions and that the doctors didnt protest. However, Libs of TikTok heard from one Maine parent whose 13-year-old boy was presented with a long questionnaire about his sex life and, when he sought help from his mother, the doctor barred her from the room. Asks Libs of TikTok: Why would a doctor need to secretly know the sexual preference and gender identity that a 13-year-old child claims without his mom present? Why would any child be required to share answers to all these invasive questions and bar any parental involvement? If the Democrats have their way, your 12-year-old, who is still very much a child, with a childs eye view of the world, must wade into leftist-run healthcare entirely without a loving parents guidance or oversight. If transgenderism is cool at school, your child may vanish into the bowels of a healthcare system thats happy to pump her full of testosterone and then cut off her breasts, or to give him unlimited prescriptions of psychotropic drugsand youd better shut up or youll lose all rights to your children, including the right ever to see him, her, or it again. Parents had better get agitated and push back hard against this political movement. Otherwise, theyll wake up one day to an empty house and find a notice from the local government affixed to their door saying, All your child are belong to us. UPDATE: A lawyer friend of mine sent the following email to me: As a young lieutenant in the U.S. Army, Douglas MacArthur served as an aide-de-camp to his father, General Arthur MacArthur, and visited Japan, China, Burma, India, Ceylon, Singapore, Java, and other Asian lands. In Reminiscences, his memoirs, MacArthur recalled: "We were nine months in travel, traversing countless miles of lands so rich in color, so fabled in legend, so vital to history that the experience was without doubt the most important factor of preparation in my entire life." MacArthur claimed to have foreseen his "destiny" in the "lands of the western Pacific and Indian Ocean." He wrote that "the future and, indeed, the very existence of America, were irrevocably entwined with Asia and its island outposts." It was a theme that he would return to again and again throughout his long, distinguished career. MacArthur was a prophet of the Asian Century. William Manchester, whose biography of MacArthur, titled American Caesar, is one of the great books of the 20th century, wrote that MacArthur hated the continent of Europe. But it is more accurate to say that MacArthur hated the Eurocentric worldview of America's ruling class in the mid-20th century. During the war, as he led U.S. forces in the southwest Pacific, MacArthur felt slighted by Washington's "Europe-first" war strategy. When President Roosevelt ordered him to leave the Philippines for Australia, MacArthur grudgingly followed orders based on a promise that there were forces waiting for him there to retake his beloved Philippines. But he soon discovered that no such forces existed. Washington had lied to him again. As the tide turned in the Pacific, MacArthur again battled with Washington (and the Navy brass) to allow him to retake the Philippines by shrewdly appealing to FDR's political instincts. It worked. But his distrust of Washington and its Eurocentric focus persisted. It would again manifest itself in the Korean War, which he believed was a crucial battle in the struggle between the West and international communism, but which Washington decided was "the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time." After MacArthur was relieved of command in Korea, he addressed a joint session of Congress and emphasized the geopolitical importance of America's position in Asia and the western Pacific. He noted that Asia contained more than half of the Earth's people and natural resources. There was an ongoing "shift in the world's economic frontiers" from Europe to Asia, and the United States needed to reorient its foreign policy accordingly. World War II, he said, shifted America's frontier to the entire Pacific Ocean, and the U.S. controlled the western Pacific "by a chain of islands extending in an arc from the Aleutians to the Marianas." As long as America holds that island chain, it "can dominate with sea and air power every Asiatic port from Vladivostok to Singapore and prevent any hostile movement into the Pacific." China under communist control, he warned, would one day become the dominant power in Asia, and its leaders possessed the "same lust for the expansion of power which has animated every would-be conqueror since the beginning of time." That day has arrived. In a subsequent speech to the Mississippi Legislature in March 1952, MacArthur said freedom's first line of defense was not in Europe, but in Asia. The loss of China was a huge setback for America and the West, and he called for shifting resources from Europe to Asia to meet the growing threat because, as he said in his address to Congress, Asia is the "gateway to Europe," and "the broad influence" of Asia "cannot fail to impact" Europe. (China recognizes this today with its Belt and Road Initiative). In his memoirs, MacArthur called the Truman administration's decision to withhold aid from the Nationalists in China during the Chinese Civil War "one of the greatest mistakes ever made in our history." The communist victory there, he warned, will have consequences that "will be felt for centuries, and its ultimate disastrous effects on the fortunes of the free world are still to be unfolded." MacArthur's prescience can be seen in the events of the past decade as China's geopolitical challenge to America's position in what is now commonly referred to as the Indo-Pacific region has grown. Taiwan is the central bastion of the island arc that MacArthur saw as our strategic frontier in the western Pacific. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has adopted its own version of the Monroe Doctrine for the South China Sea and beyond. As noted above, China views its Belt and Road Initiative as a strategic/economic gateway to Europe and Africa. And China's strategic partnership with Russia (which has "no limits" according to Chinese spokesmen) threatens to upset the geopolitical pluralism of Eurasia. War clouds gather in the western Pacific. Taiwan's independence remains precarious. Our geopolitical position in the Indo-Pacific and our pre-eminent position in the global order hang in the balance. More than 70 years ago, Douglas MacArthur foresaw all of this. And yet so many of our historians praise FDR and Truman whose administrations were riddled with communist sympathizers and whose policy errors set in motion events that led to China's rise and its current geopolitical challenge and dismiss MacArthur as a dangerous megalomaniac who wanted to start World War III. We should have listened to the farsighted "old soldier." Image via NARA. Over on LinkedIn, climate rationalist Bjorn Lomberg posted an interesting chart showing just how important global warming and climate change issues were to the world's public, citing a huge survey of 10 million conducted by the United Nations. The chart is here: The president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center was linking a peer-reviewed article he'd written , published at Science Direct , on the problems of climate change, in that the costs of its proposed solutions vastly outweigh the benefits of various state and corporate measures. That's a highly relevant topic in light of the collapse of the Sri Lankan government yesterday, which saw the presidential palace invaded by protestors and country's top leaders resigning, as well as the strife hitting the Netherlands, where proposed global warming legislation by the leftist Dutch government has threatened to destroy the country's highly productive agricultural sector and put an end private property, all to save the planet. Lomberg, who isn't a global warming skeptic as I am, is full of brilliant, listenable insights and practical workable solutions to the matter of climate change that don't destroy economies, leave nations smoking ruins, or force people to eat bugs. His work is often featured on the Wall Street Journal's op-ed pages. Writing about his chart, he notes in his Science Direct piece: In the run-up to deciding the global targets that ended up being called the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN undertook a global survey of priorities, eventually covering almost 10 million people, as seen in Fig. 29. While it is only semi-representative, it is the only broad, global survey of its kind that tries to directly capture the priorities of the world. It asked people to prioritize 16 important issues, and the top-ranked items were very clear: education, health, jobs, an end to corruption, and nutrition. Action taken on climate change came in 16th of 16. Lomberg's article focuses on the costs not matching the benefits of climate change action -- how the world can spend a trillion dollars a year on climate change measures and end up with a ... 1% ... drop in carbon compounds in the atmosphere. The problems there are obvious. His article, which is heavy academic lumber, is well worth pondering for that alone. What's obvious to me is something he doesn't touch on -- how well it matches with a recent Rasmussen survey I wrote about here about U.S. media priorities -- which stand in sharp contrast to public priorities, which is so bad it coincides with a decline in the media and its influence. The other thing that leaps out from that Lomberg chart is the question of exposure: How many years we've been steeped in global warming propaganda from not just the press but every corporation and public outlet (Try avoiding a global warming lecture on the explanatory plaques in front of the animal exhibits at the San Diego Zoo). Legislation is all about climate change, bullets are "green" and aircraft carriers have "gone green," nations have been pushed into recession and famine as a result of this global warming legislation, and America has lost its critical energy pipeline and energy independence itself, an event that has been indirectly tied to the attack on Ukraine. There's no getting away from global warming measures and global warming propaganda. A huge, corporate monster of money has been unleashed and a huge establishment full of rich old ladies and men controlling foundations and obsessed with global warming has gotten the hooks in throughout U.S. society. Yet still, the public isn't buying this crap, not just the U.S. public, but the world public. Lomberg notes that in Africa, global warming barely registers as a public concern (0.3% said it did). Europe has its boosters, but the issue ranks only around 9 as a priority. The U.S. has consistently considered it garbage, always putting that issue at rock bottom where it belongs. And we certainly know that the rich people among the global elites may mouth their concern about it and donate to foundations, but they don't give up their private jets, their heated and air-conditioned mansions, or seafront properties. Maybe that's because it makes sense to put junk science at the bottom of the heap and everyone knows it. It's easy to get by without global warming measures taking away your plastic bags. It's not so easy to get by when global warming measures take away your job, or deny you an education, or go to idiot projects while corruption and crime flourish. Those are bread and butter issues, non-negotiables, and those are the ones the public places at the top of its issues to be solves. The rest is la-la land stuff and people know it. Now we are seeing the disasters brought on, not by global warming and all its chicken little warnings, but by global warming measures -- in Sri Lanka, in the Netherlands and in many other places. Maybe, just maybe, it's time to listen to Lomberg or better still, scrap the nonsense altogether. Image: Bjorn Lomberg / Science Direct, shareable download Most individuals and organizations aspire for consistency, but inevitably suffer troughs of failure alongside peaks of success. The Biden administration, however, has achieved the seemingly impossible, by being consistent. Unfortunately for America, this is the ignominious consistency of incompetence and disappointment. The humiliation hasnt just been on a national stage but on a global stage. The Biden administration is however never content with the appalling standard to which they have plummeted. Hence they surprise you by sinking deeper into the unchartered territory of catastrophes and disasters, when you presume they have hit rock bottom. The flagbearer of these consistent calamities is Kamala Harris. Ever since her inauguration, she has been regularly serving everyone her notorious word salads. In the past, she achieved a record of three word salads in just one month. That record was shattered this week when Kamala delivered two ignominious prattle-fests in a span of three days. Kamala was interviewed on CBS News by correspondent Robert Costa where she was asked to explain the failure of Democrat presidents and Democrat-controlled Congresses to codify abortion rights during the nearly 50 years that Roe v. Wade stood. This was a tough question by any standards. Harris was being held accountable not only for her record but for the record of the Democrats for 50 years. To answer the question, Harris would have to know the history of Roe v. Wade and the record of laws passed by Democrats. She would then have to skillfully engage in excuse-making without being obvious. She had to end her answer by pivoting to campaigning for the mid-terms, promising people that the Democrats could pass laws to legalize abortion nationally if they win a massive majority following the midterms. An adept wordsmith such as Bill Clinton would have found it hard to slither out of this challenge unscathed. Kamala Harris is often found wanting in her attempts to answer the most elementary of questions. In this situation, it was therefore not a question of if she would struggle but how badly she would struggle. Harris responded as follows: I think that to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled. Certain issues are just settled did past Dems fail by not codifying Roe v. Wade over the past five decades? Harris: I think that, to be very honest with you, I do believe that we should have rightly believed, but we certainly believe that certain issues are just settled. pic.twitter.com/4eF9M2Jvw6 Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) July 8, 2022 Early this week Harris struggled to construct a few coherent sentences to pay tribute to the victims and commiserate with the survivors of the July 4 parade shooting in Highland Park, Illinois that left seven dead and injured more than two dozen. Her lack of preparedness was not only embarrassing and cringe-inducing but also deeply insensitive in considering the tragedy that had just occurred. Vice President Kamala Harris just spoke at the scene of the Highland Park mass shooting. We have to take this stuff seriously, as seriously as you are because you have been forced to take this seriously, she said. pic.twitter.com/vpLSydpJM0 Jake Sheridan (@JakeSheridan_) July 6, 2022 Weeks ago, Harris reinvented history while addressing schoolchildren on this years Juneteenth holiday. Harris claimed there had been 400 years of slavery when it has been 400 years since slavery. Back in May, during the ASEAN Summit, Harris blundered her way in explaining the importance of teamwork. Kamala: "We will work together, and continue to work together, to address these issuesand to work together as we continue to work, operating from the new norms, rules, and agreements, that we will convene to work together...We will work on this together"pic.twitter.com/wrklQopoMQ Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) May 15, 2022 She was particularly prolific in the month of March. Harris babbled during a meeting with the Jamaican Prime Minister. KAMALA HARRIS: "For Jamaica, one of the issues that has been presented as an issue that is economic in the way its impact has been the pandemic...we will assist Jamaica in Covid recovery by assisting in terms of the recovery efforts in Jamaica that have been essential." pic.twitter.com/fmPJFTbKQ6 RNC Research (@RNCResearch) March 31, 2022 At the Munich Security Conference, Harris made a monumental mess in her attempt to explain the crisis in Ukraine. US Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Munich that "we are talking about the real possibility of war in Europe" over the Ukraine crisis. More on the Russia-Ukraine crisis: https://t.co/4YkMjYDNJE pic.twitter.com/HxTh1QYl9X Sky News (@SkyNews) February 20, 2022 During a press conference alongside Polish President Andrzej Duda, in Warsaw, Harris burst into titters when asked about the U.S.s commitment toward Ukrainian refugees. In January during an interview on NBC News, Harris rambled away explaining Bidens failing strategy to combat COVID-19: .@craigmelvin asks if its time to change admins strategy on Covid, Harris says: It is time for us to do what we have been doing. And that time is every day. Every day it is time for us to agree that there are things and tools that are available to us to slow this thing down pic.twitter.com/8I52Q43050 Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) January 13, 2022 Last October, Harris suffered a verbal malfunction during a pre-recorded NASA video aimed at promoting science to young children. Shes not allowed to speak to adults anymore. pic.twitter.com/oURKkSjsnp Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) October 8, 2021 Last June, Harris had no coherent reply when asked by NBC News's Lester Holt regarding her hesitation to visit the U.S.-Mexico border despite being assigned the task of resolving the border crisis. THIS IS BAD: Holt: "WHY not visit the border?" Harris: "We are going to the border" *NERVOUS KACKLE* Holt: "DO YOU have any plans to go to the border?" Harris: "At some point..." *SHRUGS* Holt: "YOU haven't been to the border" Harris: "I haven't been to Europe!" *KACKLE* pic.twitter.com/VKz9zIaYj5 Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 8, 2021 Harriss various utterances were, as Professor Henry Higgins from My Fair Lady would call them, a "cold-blooded murder of the English tongue." How is Kamalas boss Joe Biden faring in the oratorical department? Not too well. He recently struggled to read off a teleprompter as Kamala stood behind him. Joe Biden accidentally reads the part on the teleprompter that says "repeat the line" when they wanted him to say the line again lmfao pic.twitter.com/pS3GdXPe5N Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 8, 2022 This is a parade of the untalented, the unprepared, the undemocratic, and the apathetic. Kamala performs the very function for Biden that Biden once did for Obama. Kamala makes Biden look like the smarter one, which is amazing considering his rapidly declining cognitive abilities. The fears that Kamala Harris could become president makes Joe Biden unimpeachable. Back to the babbling. There was a time when parents compelled their children to watch political leaders speak so that they could learn about their country and the art of wordsmithing and oratory. It is safe to assume that this is another fine tradition that Biden has brought to an end. Image: CBS Twitter video screen shot There's a quote in the Book of Isaiah, 5:20. Here is the first line: Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter. Sound familiar? Whether you're a person of faith, the prophet's message is a warning, now ignored by complacent Americans. For over thirty years, I've viewed human behavior and culture through the lens of people whom I've helped. As a licensed therapist, I've served clients, from twenty-year-old college students to seventy-plus adults with advanced degrees. Ninety-nine percent are high-functioning and seek therapy for crises or secrets, which they cannot discuss with anyone else. Many provide me with the temperature of current trends, and it's not a pretty picture. A couple from Generation X appear on Zoom with pronouns front and center. In the arena of pursuing love and monogamy, I sit with people who share their distaste for online dating or specific encounters due to negative experiences. A few women disclosed how some men send photos of their nether parts without invitation or permission. Another described an initial virtual encounter after texting and emailing with a young man. She said he was polite until every other word became an expletive. Although she admired his ability to overcome difficult circumstances, she couldn't get past his coarse language. In a recent article in the Spectator, Lara Prendergast described the rise of the Millennial sex party. She has noticed something that is really happening. I hear about polyamory among Millennials, who often engage in sex-oriented gatherings with like-minded individuals. I don't ask for details, but the once-upon-a-time taboo is now accepted with risky and frisky Millennials. Yet, these carefree individuals forget about one constant. Even in their so-called liberated circles, jealousy shows its fangs if one's paramour migrates to a new flavor of the moment. Ms. Prendergast is also right about the matter of secrecy. It isn't always maintained when several people are involved. During one narrative shared with me, I envisioned a spider weaving a web as I heard how one partner spent the weekend with another's spouse, with the silk unraveling as more partners emerged. You wonder how things became out of control at such a fast pace. There are many elements, but from everything I've witnessed, it involves specific developments. Social media and the quest for instant fame are one. Another is the increase of moral relativism in our society. If a brave soul calls out the unclothed emperor, he is accused of racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, body/fat-shaming. Often, he is destroyed by loss of job and friends. Some Boomer and Gen X parents have contributed to this decay by taking a lackadaisical approach to parenting. No limits are imposed on their precious cherubs, and if insults, including the F-word, are hurled at them, excuses abound without consequences. We know the universities allow their spoiled, entitled students to make demands without ramifications, and few schools, including law and medical, escape the indoctrination of radical leftism. How do I know? Because I've sat with some of these students. Adding to this is the vile and narcissistic exhibitionism of entertainers and politicians. Their vulgar behavior carries no shame, remorse, or penalty. A few years ago, the actor Robert De Niro appeared on stage at the Tony awards expressing the famous four-letter word towards a sitting president. Not only did he pump his bicepses as he expressed this profanity, but a fawning audience applauded. Decades ago, this display couldn't be imagined, never mind allowed. Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago used the same language toward a sitting Supreme Court justice during a recent Pride parade, as did Maura Hawke, a nobody if not for her famous parents. Ms. Hawke was a guest on Jimmy Fallon and uttered those boorish words toward the entire Supreme Court because of Roe. When Mr. Fallon chastised her, she restated the expletive. Not outdone, a Rhode Island state senator revealed her campaign message of twerking in a bikini while upside down at the beach. When critiqued, the woman doubled down. She claimed that the motivation of these attacks was race and sexual identification. The rapper 50 Cent mocked the defiant woman's unbecoming video. There are many examples of this vulgarity, including music with lyrics denigrating women. Ladies of the left, where's the outrage? How about art, with Jesus Christ in urine or Robert Mapplethorpe's self portrait of a bullwhip in his anus, one of his many celebrated masterpieces? Does free expression equal "let it all hang out"? For leftists, the answer? Yes! Recently, I took a walk with a close leftist friend. The long-term relationship has suffered since 20172018. My friend claims that politics aren't at play even though she couldn't contain her TDS for 45's entire presidential term. Last year, she wondered about her new neighbor's unfriendliness, not considering her brazen display of two BLM signs and the effect on those living around her. During our stroll, my friend told me about her involvement with someone developing a piece of artwork to honor the female body. She added that the new creation would reveal a woman menstruating. When I questioned her with a what?, her response didn't surprise me. In her usual manner, fluffing off the outrageous, she reminded me that it is part of the culture. These days, we disagree on most topics, but regarding this matter, I couldn't agree more. It's the culture, and what a shame! Image via Pxhere. In Russian historiography, probably since the time of the historian Nikolai Karamzin, there is the term "gathering of the Russian land" or "gathering of the Russian lands. In the 19th century, this term was used to describe the process of reintegration, including through conquest, of the fragmented Russian principalities around different political centers that began in the 14th century. On June 9, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin praised the policies of Russian Emperor Peter the Great, who was engaged in "the return of the Russian lands." After Putin came to power, the tendency has crystallized to consider the Russian Federation the heir to two states: the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. This perspective led to the legitimization of the "gathering of lands." The lands held by the two predecessors of the Russian Federation include Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Baltics, Finland, Poland, Alaska, Ukraine, and Belorussia. The Russian Empire in 1867 For domestic consumption, national appeasement, and ideological justification, two claims are popular in Russia: 1. Putin raised Russia from its knees, 2. Putin has brought order. Both of these statements are characteristic of imperial consciousness: 1. Russian Federation rose from its knees to make other countries fear themselves and bring them to their knees. 2. Putin is trying to create a new world order with Russia at its center. The task of the Russian Federation is "gathering of lands," that is, the return of territories that belonged to the USSR and the Russian Empire. Due to the huge size of these territories, such ideology is a claim to world domination. The applicant for world domination must present its intentions in the most favorable sounding form. Therefore, he presents himself as a country forced by other countries to defend itself, a country under siege and surrounded by numerous external and internal enemy aggressors. The pretender to world domination points to his rival and main adversary to the "gathering of Russian lands" - NATO. Since the pretender to world domination is the successor of the Soviet Union, his interests also include the spheres of influence of his predecessor, such as Syria. The aspirant for world domination stresses the "black ingratitude" and the deception of states that refuse his "help," that is, the "suzerain-vassal" relationship. The strategy of the pretender to world domination is to reclaim everything that once belonged to the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The tactic can lead to interruptions and halts caused by the resistance of the forces standing in the way of "gathering of Russian lands." Empires do not know how to go backwards; there is no reverse in their gearbox. An empire can stop temporarily, stall, but it does not know how to retreat. It is advantageous for the Russian Federation to present the war against Ukraine as a Russian Reconquista. In Spain there was a Reconquista, that is, the conquest of Christian lands formerly owned by the Spaniards from the Moorish emirates. In Spain, however, it was about lands formerly owned by the Spanish. The lands seized from Ukraine never belonged to the Russian Federation, but to the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The occupation of land in Ukraine is a statement that the Russian Federation is the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. Since this is so, all the territories that belonged to these two, no longer existing states, are the property of the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation "rose from its knees" to seize the territories of the two Russian empires: During the Reconquista, "homeland" becomes a sacred notion. War with the "collective West," that is, with the "forces of evil" represented by Ukraine, is elevated to the category of "sacred." Therefore, in the imperial consciousness of the Russian Federation, the distinction between the homeland and the government is erased. The government is relegated to the category of sacred values, and protests against its military actions are characterized as betrayal. During the Stalin era, the authorities fought against the "enemies of the people." During the "gathering of Russian lands" there is a struggle between the authorities of the Russian Federation and the opponents of the war. It took Christians seven centuries to re-conquer Spain from Muslims. How long it will the Russian Reconquista take and how much land and spheres of influence of the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire will be recaptured by the Russian Federation, the heir to the two Russian empires, is unknown. It is clear that the Russian Federation's "special military operation" cannot be limited to Ukraine. Image credit: Shadowxfox CC BY-SA 3.0 license Passengers are set to face some travel problems as they try to head off for their summer getaways despite further flight cancellations aimed at helping ease disruption, according to a former British Airways chief executive. Willie Walsh, who is now the director general of the International Air Transport Association, also believes surging oil prices will mean flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt. Earlier this week British Airways announced it is to cancel hundreds more summer flights as previous schedule cuts aimed at easing disruption proved insufficient. The airline said in a statement that it had regrettably become necessary to further reduce its operations. British Airways planes at Heathrow Airport (Steve Parsons/PA) Tens of thousands of passengers will be affected by the move to cancel flights at Heathrow and Gatwick. Mr Walsh told Sunday Morning With Sophie Raworth: I think that it is right that these cancellations are made early because that will allow airlines and their customers to adapt to the revised schedules. I actually expect people to be able to get away. I think there will be some disruption but I dont think it will be on the scale we have seen to date. I believe that there are solutions that have been put in place. The aviation industry is suffering major disruption as a surge in demand for travel coincides with staff shortages across roles such as airline crew, ground handlers, airport security staff and air traffic controllers. Thousands of flights have been cancelled and many passengers have been forced to wait for several hours in long queues at airports. In May, British Airways announced that it would cancel 10% of flights between April and October in an attempt to avoid having to axe flights on the day of departure. But the latest cancellations take this figure to around 11%. Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Transport Association (Lewis Whyld/PA) Mr Walsh told the programme he was surprised that passengers do not yet know which flights are being scrapped. He told the programme: Certainly, I believe they should have been announced as soon as they made clear they would be cancelled. He explained that a lot of these flights will currently have very low bookings, with possibly less that 20 per cent of the seats on some having been confirmed. He does not believe airlines will have difficulty in accommodating affected passengers. Efforts are being made so that passengers will not be hit financially because there are fewer flights but they will see higher ticket prices, according to Mr Walsh. He told the programme: Flights are getting more expensive because of the high price of oil and it has been clear to everybody that will be reflected in higher ticket prices. He added: Flying will be more expensive for consumers, without doubt. Oil is the single biggest element of an airlines cost base. It is inevitable that ultimately the high oil prices will be passed through to consumers. BAs summer flights announcement comes after the Government introduced a slot amnesty, which enables airlines temporarily to hand back without punishment any take-off and landing slots they do not have the resources to use. Under normal rules carriers lose slots if they do not use them. A 27-year-old woman has been stabbed in the back by a cyclist in east London. The attacker rode off after the stabbing in St Johns Road in Ilford on Friday evening. The suspect is shown in a helmet and black outfit in an image released by the Metropolitan Police who say the attack will be of great concern, especially to Ilford residents, after the murder of law graduate Zara Aleena just two weeks earlier. The 27-year-old woman was taken to hospital and her injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing. Chief Inspector Chris Byrne said: I know that this attack on a woman, coming so soon after the tragic murder of Zara Aleena, will be of great concern to Londoners and particularly to people in Ilford. Of course, my colleagues and I share those concerns and we are working hard to do everything possible to keep people safe. The woman was attacked by a male riding a bicycle, who rode away in the direction of Meads Lane, Ilford. Anyone who recognises the person in the images circulated is urged to call police immediately. The image shows the suspect in Meads Lane around the time of the attack. #APPEAL #SHARE | Detectives are searching for a suspect pictured here after a woman was stabbed in #Ilford #Redbridge on 8 Jul. Seen with white/black helmet & distinctive green bike. Do you know him? 101 ref CAD7258/8Jul.https://t.co/T8ORu4jHlo Redbridge MPS (@MPSRedbridge) July 10, 2022 He is wearing black clothes and a white and black bicycle helmet, carrying a black bag and riding a distinctive green bicycle. Local people will have seen more police officers in the Ilford area since Ms Aleenas murder. Mr Byrne said: We have deployed additional resources to the local area including officers who specialise in tackling violent crime. We will continue to adjust our plans to ensure that officers are visible and available to support the community this weekend and in subsequent days. If you have any concerns or information, please do speak with those officers. Ms Aleena, 35, died from head and neck injuries. She was attacked in the early hours of Sunday June 26 as she walked home from a night out along Cranbrook Road, an area she knew well and where family said she felt safe. Jordan McSweeney, 29, of Church Elm Lane, Dagenham, east London, has appeared at the Old Bailey accused of murder, attempted rape and robbery. He entered no pleas and was remanded in custody until September 30. Tory leadership candidate Nadhim Zahawi has hit out at smears over his tax affairs, saying he does not benefit from an offshore trust and has never held non-domicile status. The newly appointed Chancellor denounced inaccurate and unfair reports in the media, adding that he has answered the allegations in the interest of transparency. He pledged to publish his tax return annually if he is made prime minister. The Independent reported that the Chancellors finances were being investigated by HMRC after a secret inquiry was initially launched in 2020 by the National Crime Agency (NCA). The newspaper also said the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigated Mr Zahawis financial affairs. But in a statement released on Sunday, the senior Cabinet minister dismissed the allegations as smears. He said: There have been news stories over the last few days which are inaccurate, unfair and are clearly smears. Its very sad that such smears should be circulated and sadder still that they have been published. These smears have falsely claimed that the Serious Fraud Office, the National Crime Agency, and HMRC are looking into me. Let me be absolutely clear. I am not aware of this. I have not been told that this is the case. Ive always declared my financial interests and paid my taxes in the UK. If there are questions, of course, I will answer any questions HMRC has of me. Mr Zahawi said he will go further to reassure colleagues and the wider public, by making a commitment that if he is made prime minister he will publish his tax return annually. Addressing other smears, he said: There have been claims I benefit from an offshore trust. Again let me be clear, I do not benefit from an offshore trust. Nor does my wife. We dont benefit at all from that. The Chancellor said he had never held non-domiciled status, nor has his wife, and she has never used offshore status or a company to avoid tax. I have never used offshore companies or services firms based in tax havens for the purchase of property or properties in the UK, he added. I have only been resident of one country since arriving in the UK as an 11-year-old. I have never sought tax status in any country other than the UK, not America or anywhere else. Ive answered these supposed allegations because I think the right thing to do is to be transparent. I have corrected the record. I trust these smears will now be seen for exactly what they are. Mr Zahawi is believed to be one of the richest politicians in the House of Commons, and helped found polling company YouGov. He said: I do not apologise for being a successful businessman. I am the beneficiary of the British dream and I know that. I have done well by investing in the UK and I think thats something which should be celebrated. I want everybody to have the opportunity to be successful. As American vacationers face frustration at airports and at the gas pump, there's another issue that could disrupt summer fun: the lifeguard shortage. A third of the country's 300,000 public pools will have to cut back hours or close altogether this summer if they cant find staff, the American Lifeguard Association warned. "This is what we consider a critical lifeguard shortage in America," Wyatt Werneth, spokesperson for the American Lifeguard Association, told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "And where [at] this time every year we normally have a full complement of lifeguards, we're not seeing it due to the pandemic, the cancellation of the J-1 work visa, ... as well as the competitive pay rates." The impact is less severe at popular beaches in Florida and California where lifeguards tend to work year-round. Instead, the primary shortage has been seen at municipal pools, particularly in large U.S. cities. Boston announced last week that some public pools would not open at all this summer, and Chicago said it will operate less than half its 77 pools after pushing back its opening date to July 5th. Lifeguard Elizabeth Conley keeps an eye on the swimmers at the Douglass Park pool in Indianapolis, Friday, June 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The causes of the lifeguard shortage During the pandemic, lifeguard certification programs were canceled across the country. That resulted in no new guards coming on board while thousands of certificates expired. The second blow came in June 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic when then-President Trump banned foreign work visas due to public health concerns. Prior to the ban, many lifeguard positions were filled using the J-1 work visa, which brought in students from overseas. President Biden did reverse Trump's policy, but it may take years for the numbers to rebound. Werneth added that the war in Ukraine "is not helping" matters since many J-1 students that worked as lifeguards were Russian and Ukrainian. The third driver of the lifeguard shortage has been the competition among industries for young workers. That battle has driven up wages beyond what many cities and towns can pay. That's the number one reason because we're not paying as much as other jobs, retail, or even in the restaurant business nowadays, Werneth said. So it's tough to have to go through all the training [and] be a strong swimmer to do that. It's easier to just go and get another job at one of these other locations. A RNLI Lifeguard looks out from Bournemouth Pier as people enjoy the warm weather on Bournemouth beach in Dorset on Friday June 17, 2022. (Photo by Andrew Matthews/PA Images via Getty Images) The Bureau of Labor estimates that lifeguards made a mean hourly wage of $13.14 in 2021, well below other seasonal jobs. So now what we're trying to do is we're obviously looking at raising the cost or the pay rate so that we can compete with the other jobs out there," Werneth said. "We're doing sign-on bonuses. I've seen it as high as $1,400 to sign up. Many municipalities have already started increasing hourly pay in hopes of attracting lifeguards. On July 6, New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated that the city would be raising lifeguard wages 20% to $19.46 per hour to address the shortage, Bloomberg reported. The announcement came after New York City Hall said it certified more than 200 lifeguards over the last two weeks, bringing the total to 720 half the citys goal. Raleigh, North Carolina, also approved a raise for lifeguards, increasing wages from $9.25 an hour to $13 an hour, while Philadelphia boosted pay from $16 to $18 an hour. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: A sign that reads, "no lifeguard on duty" is placed in Rockaway Beach during Labor Day Weekend on September 05, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images) Werneth also suggested that pop culture could be another catalyst to attract potential guards. Theres going to be a whole lot of people joining the Navy after Top Gun. When I joined it was all because of [1990s lifeguard sitcom] Baywatch, and we were really excited about getting out there and having that lifestyle," he said. "We need something to re-spark that. But while cities look to fill out their ranks, Werneth cautioned that the consequences of too few lifeguards can be dire. Weve already had a couple of drownings in areas where lifeguards should be and would be, he said. The CDC estimates there are 3,960 fatal drownings and more than 8,000 non-fatal drownings in the U.S. each year. While addressing the lifeguard shortage is one way of preventing those numbers from increasing this summer, it also falls on the shoulders of swimmers as well as their parents, Werneth said. Our thing is: Learn to swim, America, Werneth said. If you can't swim in front of a lifeguard, learn to swim, and assign a water watcher someone who can watch your group. Make sure that people are in lifejackets who don't know how to swim. Dave Briggs is an anchor for Yahoo Finance Live. Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube The price of energy will increase further if oil fields like Cambo do not go ahead, a UK Government minister has warned. Energy minister Greg Hands said the UK will need to import more oil if the North Atlantic development does not come online, increasing emissions. Environmental groups have called for an end to new oil and gas fields, with Scotlands First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also opposed to the Cambo field. The Cambo development was paused in December and is awaiting final approval from regulators. UK energy minister Greg Hands said new fields like Cambo are necessary (Michal Wachucik/PA) Speaking to journalists last week, Mr Hands was asked what the impact on households would be if Cambo and projects like it do not go ahead. He said: It would almost certainly drive up the price of energy. And it would almost certainly be bad for energy security. And its likely to be bad for emissions. Imported gas has higher emissions associated with it than gas from the UK continental shelf, he said. The minister said the independent advisory group the Climate Change Committee has accepted there is a role for the oil and gas industry beyond 2050, even after the transition to renewable energy. The minister said there will be a role for the oil and gas industry after 2050 (Jane Barlow/PA) He said other European countries are envious of the UKs hydrocarbon production, adding: The UK having his own capability is something that our European partners and allies look on with the exception of Norway, which obviously is an even better position than we are but look on with envy. The fact that the UK is able to produce 50% of its own gas I would say we need to make sure that we take good care of the resource that weve got, to invest in the resource that weve got at the moment, while still making the transition. Mr Hands also stressed the importance of new nuclear power, another issue where there is disagreement between the UK and Scottish governments. I think we need to be working better together, he said. To deliver particularly on nuclear, to make sure that that baseload is there, what do we do when the wind isnt blowing and the sun isnt shining? Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station is currently being constructed in Bridgwater, Somerset (Finnbarr Webster/PA) However he said the UK Government will not propose the building of a new nuclear plant north of the border if the Scottish Government is opposed to it. He said the UK Government is not in the business of forcing the Scottish Government to accept or to take nuclear, but he wishes to persuade ministers in Edinburgh to take a different approach. Energy is a matter reserved to Westminster but Holyrood has control of planning powers. Mr Hands highlighted the German Green Party, which he said is rethinking its long-held opposition to nuclear power. He said: I would say to the Scottish Government to use the current energy crunch as a good reason to rethink its ideological opposition to nuclear. Taking a page from her book. As Duchess Kates kids continue to get older, the royals parenting has seemingly been influenced by the late Princess Diana, royal etiquette expert Myka Meier exclusively told Us Weekly. Read article I think what [Kate] probably has learned in a sense is how to keep her calm. For instance, Princess Diana, there [was] so much stress and so much pressure all the time. And I think were seeing the Duchess of Cambridge follow that same path of keeping her calm, even if maybe behind closed doors [she] doesnt feel like that, Meier shared with Us on Wednesday, July 6, while promoting her partnership with PayPal. But [Kate] does an excellent job of not ever letting onto anything but graciousness. I think thats something she took from Princess Dianas book, for sure. The late royal, who shared Prince William and Prince Harry with ex-husband Prince Charles, died at the age of 36 after sustaining injuries in a car crash in Paris. At the time of her passing in 1997, William was 15 and Harry was 12. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock; David Levenson/Shutterstock The Duke of Cambridge, 40, went on to marry Kate, 40, in 2011. They share Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 7, and Prince Louis, 4. The Duke of Sussex, 37, for his part, exchanged vows with Meghan Markle in 2018. The couple, who previously stepped down from their senior roles in the royal family, share son Archie, 3, and daughter Lilibet, 13 months. Read article While speaking with Us, Meier pointed out that Kates successful approach to parenting includes not taking her children to etiquette training. Its actually been said and known that the children are not undergoing actual etiquette training. The Duchess of Cambridge is actually teaching them herself, Meier told Us. So kind of how it works internally is as theyre preparing to go meet somebody or get off an airplane, then really the Duchess has been doing a wonderful job of teaching the children. The Beaumont Etiquette founder continued: [She is] saying, Now were going to meet this person. This is what you do. This is how you curtsy. And what I love is that it doesnt seem like theres any pressure to be something theyre not. These are just beautiful little children and theyre showing respect and doing it in the best way that the Duchess and the Duke [of Cambridge] have known to teach them really. According to Meier, the way Kate responded to her childrens behavior at the Platinum Jubilee is the best example to set forward. Last month, Louis made headlines for his reactions at various appearances while celebrating Queen Elizabeth IIs 70 years on the throne. Read article I thought she did so well. Any parent or person who has a little one in their lives knows how difficult it can be. She kept her cool and it made her even more relatable and lovable than ever, the author added. She handled him. She corrected him, but yet she didnt cover his mouth. She didnt do anything that wouldve been eyebrow-raising. She really handled it so graciously and just like a pro. Meier, who trained under the Royal Household of Her Majesty the Queen, is now using her royal etiquette experience to work with PayPal. The partnership provides tips on different financial scenarios that others may be dealing with following the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to partner with PayPal because we wanted to share tips on how to navigate some of these tricky situations. These new challenging money situations we are encountering from a birthday party to a barbecue, it could be all these different things, the Florida native explained. Theres just so many questions. So we said, Lets come together and lets answer these questions and make it easy for people. [Lets] take out the awkwardness of talking about money, sending and requesting money, which now PayPal makes it just so easy. With reporting by Christina Garibaldi A Florida woman allegedly kept her dead mothers body on ice for weeks so she could keep cashing the elderly womans disability checks. Michele Hoskins, 64, has been charged with failing to report the death of her mother and tampering with evidence, the Sebastian Police Department announced Saturday. Hoskins mother, 93-year-old Marie, was found dead inside a chest freezer during a welfare check in late April, according to police. Michele Hoskins Michele Hoskins Investigators also found a heavily soiled bed mattress in the backyard that had been hidden under thick brush and palm tree branches. Hoskins eventually confessed to police that her mother had died of natural causes and, two weeks later, she purchased the deep freezer to keep the body hidden over the concern she would not be able to receive her disability benefits. She is currently being held in the Indian River County Jail on a $10,000 bond. Get ready for a triple-digit heat wave during the coming week in Fresno and other parts of the San Joaquin Valley. The nice ocean flow that has kept temperatures mild for this time of summer is about to shift and usher in warmer temperatures from the desert and places like Nevada and Arizona, Jeffrey Barlow, a senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Hanford, said Saturday. Monday will be the first day of triple digits for Fresno. The forecast predicts a high of 105 that day. Temperatures will cool slightly through the week to 102 and 103. Widespread triple digit heat is expected in the San Joaquin Valley Monday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday afternoon. #cawx pic.twitter.com/30jnIa5Ami NWS Hanford (@NWSHanford) July 9, 2022 This weeks weather is a little hotter than the average of 97 for this time of year, Barlow said. I dont see this heat wave breaking down anytime soon, Barlow said. Is wildfire smoke from Yosemite a factor? Valley residents likely wont need to worry about smoke from the Washburn Fire in Yosemite National Park, Barlow said. So far, the fire remains relatively small and winds are pushing the smoke toward the coast and not the Valley floor. Coarsegold, Auberry and other foothill communities may experience smoky conditions overnight. Theres other good news. Nighttime lows are expected to dip into the upper 60s, Barlow said, providing a bit of a respite from the daytime heat. During the day, Barlow recommended residents stay hydrated, wear light-colored, breathable clothing and stay out of direct sunlight if you start to feel light-headed or dizzy. He also recommended checking on the elderly to make sure they can stay cool. And make sure to look before you lock your car doors, Barlow said. Temperatures inside cars could be fatal for children and pets. Cooling centers, pools available in Fresno The city of Fresnos cooling centers open when the forecast calls for a high of 105 or more. On those days, the centers are available from noon to 7 p.m. Cooling centers are at: Frank H. Ball Park, 760 Mayor St. Ted C. Wills Community Center, 770 N. San Pablo Ave. Mosqueda Community Center, 4670 E. Butler Ave. Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N. San Pablo Mary Ella Brown Community Center, 1350 E. Annadale Ave. Romain Playground, 745 N. First St. Holmes Playground, 212 S. First St. Inspiration Park, 5770 W. Gettysburg Ave. Einstein Park, 3566 E. Dakota Ave. Quigley Park, 808 W. Dakota Ave. Melody Park, 5935 E. Shields Ave. Layafette Park, 1516 E. Princeton Ave. Pools are open to the public 1-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday at: Mary Ella Brown Pool, 1350 E. Annadale, bus route 32 Mosqueda Pool, 4670 E. Butler, bus routes 26 & 28 Learner pool locations: Einstein Park, 3566 E. Dakota Ave. Fink-White Park, 535 S. Trinity St. Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N. San Pablo Ave. Quigley Neighborhood Park, 808 W. Dakota Ave. Romain Neighborhood Park, 745 N First St. City FAX buses provide free transportation along normal routes to and from cooling centers. Make sure to tell drivers youre going to a cooling center to ride for free. For those desiring to sell their home, whether due to downsizing, a job transfer, death of a loved one, illness, facing foreclosure, or they just dont want to go through a traditional selling process, there is a very easy way with Archway Homes. Archway Homes, owned by husband and wife team Jon and Stacy Bichelmeyer, buys houses As Is in any condition: pretty houses needing little to no repair or houses needing everything repaired from leaking roofs to bad foundations, cluttered houses, or houses in need of cosmetic updating. They do so by providing a no-obligation offer within 24 hours, can pay cash and close within three days or on a future date of the sellers choice, and there are no fees or commissions to pay. Selling As Is is one of the biggest advantages of working with us, Stacy said. It literally means you dont have to do any extensive or expensive renovations to make your home appeal to todays buyers or have it ready to show at a moments notice, wait for the right buyer, wait for it to close, and then pay a real estate agents commission or sellers closing costs. The ability to sell quickly, in lieu of the traditional, lengthy home selling process, to an established and reputable company has been the perfect solution for numerous homeowners all over the Kansas City area. Like many adult children, Kevin G. was tasked with helping his parents decide what to do with their South Kansas City home after the couple moved into an assisted living facility. One of the options was to spend what was calculated to be tens of thousands of dollars to fix up the home, and either sell it themselves or go through a realtor. We talked about various alternatives and found that selling As Is would be best, Kevin recalled. The Bichelmeyers close ties to the community were among the things that appealed to Kevin and his parents. It is clear that Jon has a strong relationship with his, what I call, sister suppliers, Kevin said. For example, when his title company got back to us, based upon the age of my elderly parents and the relationship Jon had with the company, they actually came to the assisted living facility where they were living to sign the paperwork. That was a nice benefit and from a convenience standpoint, was the icing on the cake. Homeowners Judy and David were selling a home that belonged to her in-laws. They had been there for 70 years, Judy said. One of them was in a nursing home, so that was very hard. And when we looked around at all that would need to be done to fix up the house to sell, it was just too much, and we were getting too old to do it. After seeing an article about Archway Homes in the newspaper, they decided to give them a call. This was so quick and easy, and we couldnt say enough good things about it, said Judy. I showed the article to my husband, we called on a Tuesday, Jon came out to meet with us and see the house on Wednesday, he wrote us a contract right then, and we had the money within a week. We thought [Jon] was very fair with his offer, and they did just what they said they would do. I love to do business with people who follow through with what they say. According to Jon, a third-generation real estate investor with roots in the Kansas City community for over 40 years, his extensive experience really makes a difference. Ive been buying houses, fixing them up, and selling to homeowners in the metro area for close to 20 years, he said. We started doing this long before HGTV inspired the new investors in town. We work hard to make sure its a win, win for both parties. To that Stacy added, Thats why we tell people, with us, selling your house As Is never felt this good! Anyone who wants to sell a home quickly for cash should call Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or email him at jon@archwayhomesinc.com. Or they can visit Archway Homes website at archwaypropertieskc.com to fill out an online form or to get a free copy of our book Home to Home Local Edition Kansas City Metro, Kansas and Missouri, call our office. Archway Homes Location: 15301 W. 87th St. Parkway, Suite B35 in the ANB Bank building Contact: Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or jon@archwayhomesinc.com Website: archwaypropertieskc.com Every now and then a book just grabs me and wont let go long after I read it. My brain is still processing a book by Bill McKibben, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing at Readers Corner for his latest, The Flag, the Cross and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. Bob Kustra McKibben is an author and activist known mainly for his environmental crusades, but his latest ranges beyond climate change and addresses the role of religion and country in shaping our current-day culture. His book The End of Nature is considered one of the very first clarion calls for action on climate change, and his environmental activism over the years helped bring climate change issues to the top of the list of public policy challenges facing the planet. Thanks to McKibben organizing the opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, the Obama administration shut down the effort. In his new book, McKibben relates how Americans have retreated to their suburban encampments where all neighbors look white, and restrictive covenants for many years keep out those who were not white. Property values climbed to historic levels, and before you know it, prospective homeowners of color found it impossible to participate in the American dream of owning their own home. Where I lived, it was not uncommon for the clergy parish priests in the case of my Catholic upbringing to sympathize with the narrow and prejudicial views of their parishioners who feared housing integration. McKibbens religious roots are in the mainline Protestant churches of his suburban boyhood. He credits those churches of the day with building a sense of community that we find missing in our culture today. No shock here, considering the decline in church membership, which McKibben calls the equivalent of a neutron bomb going off across American Christianity with buildings intact, but membership absent. In 1958, 52 out of 100 Americans belonged to a mainline Christian church. In 2016, only 13 out of 100 could be found affiliated with the mainline Protestants. Meanwhile, evangelical church membership soared as its leaders and members turned conservative in their politics. McKibben calls the houses of worship of his youth the Rotary Club in prayer. Today, in the place of a church membership and clergy that fostered community, he finds a hyper-individualism that has moved into the space once occupied by Protestant leaders whose successors today no longer play a leading role in our culture. Returning to the theme of climate change, McKibben tells a fascinating tale of President Jimmy Carter during the oil shock years of the 1970s. Carter called a press conference to show off the installation of solar panels in the White House and proposed massive government support of solar power. The support didnt come, but Carters successor, President Reagan, wasted no time taking down the solar panels and sending them into obscurity. McKibben wonders what our climate crisis might look like today if opinion makers and shapers of the day would have acted on Carters lesson on alternative energy sources. Was Carters a failed presidency in that regard or were those in government at the time those who failed to act on his foresight? Focusing on the family station wagon of his youth, McKibben addresses the role Americans have played in creating the climate change crisis. From his station wagon days, he tells us how we graduated to SUVs, and I would add that we have also increased the number of cars per family and also added Chevy Silverados and F-150s, among other gas guzzling pick-up trucks, to the list of vehicles that have thrown more American-generated carbon into the atmosphere than any other nation on earth. The effects of the carbon that Americans have foisted on the planet do not land only on those who contributed heavily to the problem. For example, according to McKibben, those climate refugees from Honduras standing in lines waiting for access to America come from a country that produced about a ton apiece of carbon dioxide a year, which is one-sixteenth of the current American total. Yet, many Americans balk at welcoming these refugees when, in fact, we have played a large role in the challenges these refugees now face as climate change wreaks havoc with their countries. Brace yourself for the ultimate solution McKibben suggests for our neighbors in the global south. Given the mathematical impossibility of reducing emissions to meet our actual obligation that has accrued over the years, McKibben shares some research on just what size check America would have to write to our neighbors to the south. Lets just say its way too many zeros to appear doable to the average American. Try to explain any of this to the America First crowd, and I can already hear the weeping and gnashing of teeth from the self-righteous who believe exceptional America can do no wrong. Instead of acknowledging our complicity, they deny climate change, wave the flag and beat their chests with patriotic fervor. If you are looking for patriotic fervor these days, honest-to-goodness love of country and a deep-seated desire to improve the lot of all Americans and fellow travelers around the globe, then pick up a copy of Bill McKibbens book. It will refresh your knowledge of the American Revolution, examine the loss of mainstream Christianitys power and authority over the years and identify missed opportunities to correct climate change. McKibben closes his take on his own upbringing and how it explains where we are today with a burst of hope for the role our young people can play in the future. He has spent his life mobilizing and working with young people to carry on the work of fighting climate change and rectifying inequality across the globe. He understands that his generation has failed to halt the assault on the climate, but he urges older Americans to support and encourage our nations youth who now pick up the baton to make a difference in the challenges facing America. Visit his 350.org to learn more about how average Americans can make a difference. Its a message that certainly jibes with this time of year when we celebrate Americas independence and love of country. Bob Kustra served as president of Boise State University from 2003 to 2018. He is host of Readers Corner on Boise State Public Radio and he writes a biweekly column for the Idaho Statesman. He served two terms as Illinois lieutenant governor and 10 years as a state legislator. (Jim Cooke / Los Angeles Times; photo: Ben Oreskes) Nearly two decades ago, California voters passed a landmark tax on millionaires envisioned as a game changer for mental health. Supporters promised the new money would drastically reduce homelessness and improve access to services for all Californians. No one who is mentally ill and now on the street will be on the street in five years, promised the late Rusty Selix, who was executive director of the Mental Health Assn. of California and a co-author of the ballot initiative, Proposition 63. That doesnt mean there wont be homeless. But you will see a measurable decline. Since voters approved the tax in 2004, it has generated an escalating gusher of money $29 billion in total, half of which has come in just the last five years. Juan Luna, who suffers from mental illness, sleeps along Los Angeles Street in downtown L.A. Supporters of Proposition 63, approved by voters in 2004, promised the money would reduce homelessness and improve access to services for all Californians. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Those funds have boosted early intervention programs in schools and communities, created wraparound services for severely mentally disabled homeless people and enhanced community outreach. Backers say the money has drastically improved life for hundreds of thousands of Californians. But amid a steadily worsening homeless crisis, it's clear the results have fallen far short of the initial promise. A Los Angeles Times review points to several major, overlapping reasons, including chronic and systemic underfunding of other social and mental health programs, unpredictable swings in revenue, bureaucratic infighting between state and county officials and, in the last few years, a severe shortage of mental health clinicians. With Proposition 63 expected to put an additional $3.8 billion into mental health services this fiscal year, some advocates say it's time that California takes another look at how the money is being spent. The recession effect Alex Briscoe's experience during the Great Recession illustrates part of what has gone wrong. As the health director for Alameda County, Briscoe stared in horror in 2009 as recession-driven cutbacks carved holes in his $600-million budget. He tried to figure out how he would pay for things such as partial hospitalization programs for people in a psychiatric crisis, homeless outreach and salaries for essential employees. There was only one solution he could see an answer he embraced even though it was not perfectly within the letter of the law. Housemates Carrie McGinniss, left, Michael Allen, who both struggle with mental disorders, received housing assistance from a nonprofit to live in their apartment. The Mental Health Services Act, or Proposition 63, has generated $29 billion in total through a tax of 1% on incomes above $1 million. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press) He would game the system by taking funds from the Mental Health Services Act, the money generated by Proposition 63. The act didnt allow using the money to fund existing programs; it was meant for new or enhanced services. But Briscoe saw a loophole the rules allowed counties to redesign programs. I was faced with harsh realities," Briscoe explained. "Do I cut? Or do I quote redesign and rebrand [existing programs] to fund them and avoid mass layoffs? Briscoe, who left Alameda County in 2016 and now works as principal of the California Childrens Trust, said he knew he could get in trouble for admitting this, but he felt there was little choice. Many mental health leaders in the state's 58 counties soon came to the same conclusion. The recession that began in 2008 decimated public coffers. Public employees were laid off and furloughed, public services of all kinds were cut or curtailed. Then, in 2011, the state shifted nearly $900 million of Proposition 63 money to temporarily cover mental health programs typically paid for by the general fund and eased state oversight of counties spending. Darrell Steinberg, the co-author of the proposition and a state senator at the time, voted to allow it. Using the money for existing programs wasnt the intent of the act, but what do you do when the underlying mental health budgets are being cut everywhere else?" said Steinberg, who is now the mayor of Sacramento. "The answer is, you help as many people as you can," he said. "Where it has patched holes, it has also saved lives. The economy eventually improved but not on the streets, where many mentally ill people wound up, caught in a housing affordability crisis that grew only more dire and an opioid crisis that exploded. That was followed by a meth crisis and a fentanyl crisis, which pushed more people onto the streets and stretched substance abuse and mental health programs to a breaking point. Meanwhile, many county officials complain that mental health budgets are habitually underfunded, forcing them to rely on Proposition 63 money to fill the gaps. The funding was never supposed to plug holes, said Michelle Doty Cabrera, executive director of the County Behavioral Health Directors Assn., but I dont know what we would do without it. Alfredo Ruiz, left, and his caseworker, Julio Alvarez discuss treatment issues as they stroll past the North Hollywood shelter where Ruiz lives. The recession that began in 2008 decimated public coffers, so in 2011, the state shifted nearly $900 million of Proposition 63 money to temporarily cover mental health programs. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times) Unspent funds? The diversion of funds provides one reason Proposition 63 hasn't fully lived up to its promise. Another is a bureaucratic morass that leaves the public, and even state and local officials, unsure how much money is available and how it's spent. The Mental Health Services Act levies a tax of 1% on incomes above $1 million. That money flows from the state to counties for use in five areas community support, prevention, innovation, facilities and workforce training. State officials have accused counties of hoarding vast piles of cash that could and they argue should be spent more quickly on services. Counties insist Californias system for tracking their spending relies on delayed data that creates an illusion of surplus where none exists. The Steinberg Institute, a public policy nonprofit that Steinberg founded, said state data show counties are currently stockpiling about $2 billion and that Los Angeles County alone had nearly $1 billion it had not spent as of this spring. Los Angeles County officials said their state counterparts are routinely mistaken and called their accounting a puzzle. Not only are they not sitting on money, they said, they are actually at risk of dipping into their reserves. State and local disputes over whether counties are stockpiling cash or spending every dollar have persisted for years often with little financial consequence. California officials have the power to revert county funds back to state coffers if they are not spent in a timely fashion, but they rarely claw back huge sums. In part, county officials said, that is because they often can convince state officials that the local government accounting is more accurate. This funding stream is so complex and so complicated, it just looks like counties are sitting on money, said Scott Kennelly, director of behavioral health for Butte County. Up and down the state, county officials defend their stewardship of the money, saying they have done the best they can with available resources. It is bringing amazing things to our communities, said Ryan Quist, Sacramento Countys director of behavioral health. If we had more funding, we would do more. Los Angeles County got approval for mobile health vans, modeled after a program in Sweden, that dispatch therapists and nurses instead of police to help people in the street. Orange County created centers that make it possible for people to access services from different agencies and networks all in one place. San Bernardino County launched a program to send therapists to treat people in the streets, rather than forcing homeless people to come into clinics. And from Humboldt to Solano to San Diego, the government has launched programs to reach the state's widely diverse populations tribal programs in the north, Hmong programs in the Central Valley, and Filipino- and Spanish-language programs statewide. As imperfect as the system is, Steinberg said, the situation would be far worse without it. We now have billions of dollars that have been put to use to help hundreds of thousands of people. Paul Stansbury, who lives in the South Bay, would concur in part. For decades, he has sought to care for his 43-year-old son, who suffers from schizoaffective disorder and drug and alcohol addiction. His son has benefited from programs created by Proposition 63, he said, including one in which a social worker, a psychiatrist and a medical doctor coordinated his care. But his son, whom he declined to name to protect his privacy, has also at times resisted treatment and for a period was homeless. Like many families of people living with mental disorders, Stansbury has experienced the frustrations of working through a system that is sometimes bafflingly complex. "The people have all been well intended and helpful, but trying to navigate the system and make it work feels like it creates these barriers," he said. Amidst a deepening crisis in which growing numbers of mentally ill and drug-addicted people in street encampments have become a fixture in almost every city in the state, some critics have called the entire approach a failure. Things have not gotten better since this ballot measure passed, they have gotten much worse, said former Assemblyman Mike Gatto, a Democrat from Los Angeles. Prop. 63 and the entire system has failed, he added, and it is time for a bold reimagining of how we spend money meant for mental health. Staffing shortages Staffing for mental health services in California, already strained by funding challenges and bureaucratic complications, was delivered a body blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. Anticipating steep cuts in revenue as the pandemic began, many counties froze hiring. By the time county officials realized state predictions were wrong Proposition 63 funds actually rose as many rich people saw their incomes go up in the last couple of years not only had they not hired to keep pace, but many staff had quit. They were fearful of exposure to the coronavirus, burned out or lured away by an expansion of telehealth. Our workforce was decimated, said Dr. Veronica Kelley, chief of mental health and recovery services for Orange County's Health Care Agency. Many of our colleagues are being whisked away to other providers where they can work from home in their pajamas and see the worried well on their computer screens. At one Los Angeles County mental health clinic, where staff members asked not to be named for fear of retaliation, a clinician said the wait time for therapy is now six months. The earliest appointment to meet with a psychiatrist for an initial medication evaluation is spring 2023. Another longtime clinician at the same clinic said her caseload is now more than 150. We are just told we have to continue to take the clients, even though we don't have the ability to provide them with consistent mental health treatment, she said. At a public mental health clinic in the San Fernando Valley, more than 20 staff members have left since the start of the pandemic, according to a clinician who has worked there for nearly a decade. Clients used to be able to meet with a psychiatrist for a medication evaluation within a week. Now, the earliest appointment for an evaluation is in the fall. Lisa Wong, acting director of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, said such extreme wait times were not the norm throughout the county but did exist in certain clinics. She said staffing shortages are to blame. At a hiring fair last year, Wong said she had 83 positions to fill. There were 13 candidates from across the county. "We were a system bursting at the seams before, and then you have added the pandemic to it," Wong said. "On one hand, we have an overburdened system, we have staffing shortages, increased demands, all those things. And on the other hand, we have a perception by many people that we have a lot of dollars to spend and a lot of dollars on the table." Gathering crisis State lawmakers and many local leaders have known about Proposition 63's shortcomings for years but have taken little action to solve them. But this time may be different. Homeless encampments and the dire and visible needs of the increasing numbers of people who live in them have become among the state's most potent social and political problems. They are a central issue in the Los Angeles mayors race and featured in elections from Shasta County to the recall of San Francisco Dist. Atty. Chesa Boudin. State leaders have vowed to act, with Gov. Gavin Newsom proposing a new program called CARE Court short for the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Court which would provide court-ordered treatment for homeless individuals with severe mental illness. Newsom's proposal has come under fire from disability advocates, who charge it would violate privacy rights by arbitrarily forcing people into treatment. And that is not the only reason CARE Court is controversial. Supporters have eyed paying for the new program partially with Proposition 63 funding, a suggestion stemming from the states insistence that counties have unspent money. Under the current system, Newsom said in his 2020 State of the State speech, resources too often dont reach the people who need it the most. County officials vehemently disagree and warn of dire cuts in services if they are forced to pay for CARE Court on top of other programs. Wong, of Los Angeles County, likened Newsons proposal and the idea that counties have extra money to implement it to the old folk tale about making soup from a stone. Were going to try our best to meet the obligations, but to be realistic, we need more resources to do it, she said. Proposition 63 may have fallen short of its promise to transform California's mental health system, but that doesn't make it a failure, said Briscoe, the former Alameda County health director. To tax millionaires to support the mental health system, what an extraordinary thing we did, he said. But you cant patch 40 years of bad policy with a single progressive action." This article is part of The Times' mental health initiative, For Your Mind, an effort to increase coverage of treatment, public policy, wellness and culture related to mental health in California's communities. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Darius Edwards watched his car sink into an East St. Louis street on the Fourth of July. Edwards, 46, is a lifelong resident of East St. Louis. He drove a short distance July 4 to visit with neighbors on North 32nd Street. He parked and walked over to chat with one of them on a porch when the street buckled. The car went down slowly at first, but within about 14 seconds, Edwards said it disappeared. Its just a blessing that I wasnt in the car, he said Saturday. Edwards recounted the moment at a news conference with residents from the neighborhood and activists from two local grassroots organizations, who are calling on leaders to monitor and fix the citys roads and other infrastructure in the wake of Edwards dramatic experience. Officials from the city and its water company say the North 32nd Street hole was a rare incident: Edwards had unknowingly parked on top of a leaking water main, which was repaired the same day. The water companys insurance is working on fixing or replacing the car. Terry Mackin, a spokesperson for the citys utility company Illinois American Water, said in a statement that the water main break could have been caused by that weekends extremely hot weather. (Mackin also writes a monthly column for the Belleville News-Democrat.) The residents and community organizers who gathered Saturday at the site of the hole expressed concern that decades of flooding issues and a lack of resources have resulted in eroded infrastructure. East St. Louis resident Darius Edwards talks at a news conference Saturday, July 9, 2022, about the moment his car sank into a hole in a city road while he watched outside the car. He and other residents and local activists stand in front of the hole, which was filled with gravel and blocked off to cars on Saturday. They also noted the damaged portion of the road was covered in gravel and blocked off to cars but not yet repaired five days after the incident. They said other holes in the citys roads have been around longer. Itll sit like this for months and then years unrepaired, said Larita Rice-Barnes, executive director of the Metro East Organizing Coalition. We are concerned about this. Resident Belinda Stidimire believes nearby Ohio Avenue, for instance, has been uneven from holes for a couple years. East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III said in response to Saturdays calls for action that city officials are working to come up with a comprehensive infrastructure plan and to secure funding for it. A lot of things that people dont see is happening behind the scenes, Eastern said in an interview. Just bear with us, and were going to do our part to make it better. JD Dixon, director of the grassroots organization Empire 13, said during the news conference that he would also like to see East St. Louis get rid of vacant properties in the city. One towering example is the Spivey building, a vacant 12-story skyscraper on Missouri Avenue that has at times dropped bricks, mortar and other debris onto the streets below from deterioration. Demolition has been discussed since at least 2018, according to Belleville News-Democrat reporting at the time. Eastern said Saturday that the planned demolition of the Spivey building has been delayed by liability concerns related to an adjacent building. In the next several months, well see some movement on that, Eastern said. The message from residents and activists at Saturdays news conference was that they want to see the city move faster to address its infrastructure. Dixon said he does not think residents in Belleville or Fairview Heights endure the same long-term hassles such as gravel-filled holes in their streets. We demand the same equity down here in East St. Louis and in predominantly Black communities all across Illinois, Dixon said. Canadian pop star Shawn Mendes has postponed three weeks of shows including two in North Carolina citing the need for a mental health break. Among the canceled shows, which have not yet been rescheduled, are stops in Charlotte and Raleigh. Mendes had been set to play Charlottes Spectrum Center and Raleighs PNC Arena on back-to-back nights, July 22 and 23, respectively. The star announced Saturday those shows and 10 others would be postponed indefinitely. This breaks my heart to have to say this, but unfortunately Im going to have to postpone the next three weeks of shows through Unacsville, CT until further notice, Mendes said in a message posted to Instagram. After speaking with my team and health professionals, I need to take some time to heal and take care of myself and my mental health, first and foremost. Both the Spectrum Center and PNC Arena had updated their websites Sunday announcing the postponed shows. Those with tickets were advised to keep their tickets for a future makeup date. Refunds were also offered. This event has been postponed, PNC Arena said on its website regarding the July 23 Shawn Mendes show. Hang onto your tickets as they are still valid; You will be notified when a new date is announced. If you prefer a refund, you may do so at your original point of purchase. In his Instagram post, the 23-year-old Mendes said he had been touring since he was 15 and that while his COVID-forced hiatus had offered a break, his return to touring was premature. Mendes expects to resume touring by the end of July with a show in Toronto. Its unclear when the star would be able to reschedule the North Carolina dates, as his North American tour is booked through October. An international tour then begins in May 2023. In this image provided by the National Park Service, a firefighter walks near the Mariposa Grove as the Washburn fire burns in Yosemite National Park. (National Park Service via Associated Press) The first that Michael Gilbert, a 67-year-old rock climber and bellman, heard of the fire in Yosemite National Park was from a mother and daughter who drove up breathless on Friday. They had been near the parks famed Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias. They saw a fire this big, the mother said, stretching her arms wide, indicating a few feet. They ran for a few seconds and looked back. Two trees were on fire. Twenty seconds later, she said, more trees than she could count. As she told the story, fire planes were already crossing overhead, Gilbert recalled Saturday from his post at Tenaya Lodge. By Saturday morning, the Washburn fire had ballooned to about 1,190 acres and was threatening some 500 giant sequoias, along with the community of Wawona. The blaze was the latest to menace the ancient giants, which are found in the wild only on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Although they are adapted to thrive in fire, the sequoias are increasingly no match for high-severity wildfires driven by climate change, drought and decades of aggressive fire suppression that has resulted in a buildup of dense vegetation in some forested areas. Because of that combination, we are having these fires that are large and intense and last longer than what anybodys seen in any part of their experience, said Nancy Phillipe, a Yosemite fire information spokesperson. Crews were spraying down trees in Mariposa Grove and scraping the ground to bare mineral soil to try to slow the fires spread, she said. They were also wrapping some of the sequoias in protective foil, prioritizing the oldest named trees like the Grizzly Giant. This 2,000- to 3,000-year-old tree has a rich, vast history that goes back to Abraham Lincoln, Phillipe said. The president signed legislation protecting the grove and Yosemite Valley in 1864, a precedent that paved the way for the creation of national parks and which some say marked the beginning of the modern conservation movement. Theres this amazing feeling that you get as youre with those giant trees it just kind of consumes you, Phillipe said. Its such a powerful connection to history and nature and the park. On Saturday, Gilbert appointed himself comforter-in-chief to the many tourists who had traveled from around the world to see Yosemites wonders and were blocked by the fire. He directed a family of five from Australia to the south to Sequoia National Park. You still have a chance to see the giants, he told them. DeAnne Smith, who was visiting from Texas, showed him a photo she took driving out of the park Friday evening. The fire was literally right in front of us, she said. Her family was among the last out before the road south from Wawona closed. About 1,600 residents and visitors were evacuated, according to Phillipe. I'm just sad for the sequoia, Smith said. I desperately want them to save the sequoia trees. The fire started about 2 p.m. Thursday in the grove off the Washburn trail, Phillipe said. The cause remains under investigation, but she noted the weather was clear and there were no obvious indications that the fire began naturally. No containment had been reported as of Saturday afternoon. Officials were concerned that lower humidity and higher temperatures forecast for the weekend could help drive the fires spread. Were just really hitting it hard with the aerial resources and the ground resources that we have, Phillipe said. The next 48 hours will be critical for us. About 95% of Yosemite National Park is wilderness and fire plays a natural role in its ecosystem, so officials often manage fires for resource benefits rather than immediately extinguishing them. This blaze is different because of the threat it poses to Wawona and the Mariposa Grove, so crews are taking an all-out suppression approach that includes using bulldozers to create a barrier around the community, Phillipe said. We normally dont have dozers coming in to dig line, she said. We dont normally have retardant being dropped in the park. But thats how important these resources are and why were using everything we can, from sunup to sundown. Authorities were hoping that a history of prescribed burns in Mariposa Grove would help mitigate the damage there. The forest is adapted to frequent, low-intensity fires sparked by lightning and intentionally set by Indigenous people. The Park Service has sought to mimic this regime by regularly setting fires that burn along the forest floor to clear out brush and so-called ladder fuels that could otherwise help carry flames up into the canopy and kill trees. Research has shown that landscapes that have been regularly treated with prescribed burns can help slow wildfires, giving firefighters a better chance to get the upper hand. What weve discovered is that as weve received unwanted fires, when they come into the prescribed burn areas, it does slow down that rate of spread and really helps us work toward containment, Phillipe said. At the same time, she said, parts of the grove still have dense concentrations of dead plant material due to bark beetle kills that have plagued the Sierra Nevada. These infestations can become more destructive during droughts because trees are unable to produce enough sap to fight them off. And last year, a Mono wind event that tore through the grove felled at least 15 sequoias, which remain on the forest floor and could help fuel the fire. The 78 giant sequoia groves scattered across the Sierra amount to just 25,000 acres, said Joanna Nelson, director of science and conservation planning at the nonprofit conservation group Save the Redwoods League. The species has lived alongside fire for millions of years, with thick bark and branches adapted to reach above flames. The trees rely on low- to moderate-intensity fire to reproduce, as bursts of heat prompt their cones to open and flames clear duff from the forest floor so the seeds can better germinate in the soil below, Nelson said. But wildfires have decimated sequoia populations in recent years due to a federal policy of fire exclusion and the outlawing of cultural burning combined with an era of warming and drying that together have made it easier for fires to ignite and burn while providing an abundance of fuel to stoke them, she said. The fires that we're getting now are incredibly intense and destructive and theyre killing large mature trees for the first time on record, she said. In any recorded history we have through tree rings, we dont see this kind of mortality until now. The pattern began to emerge in 2015, when the Rough fire that started in Sierra National Forest killed at least 100 large, mature sequoias as it burned into seven different groves. That was followed by 2017, when the Pier fire in Sequoia National Forest and the Railroad fire in Sierra National Forest together killed about 120. Three years later, the Castle fire in Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument killed an estimated 7,500 to 10,600 mature sequoias 10% to 14% of the worlds natural population. Then last year, up to 3,630 sequoias were killed by the KNP Complex fire in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the Windy fire in Sequoia National Forest, which together are estimated to have claimed another 5% of their numbers. If you lose an estimated 19% of giant sequoias in 14 months and youve definitely lost 20% of them in six years thats just by the numbers not sustainable, Nelson said. We cant just keep going like this. If the trend continues, she said, theres a chance that the trees will be found only in a greenhouse or seed bank rather than the Sierra Nevada. Whats required to save them is a combination of a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions to slow warming and an increase in on-the-ground stewardship such as thinning and prescribed fire to reduce fuel, she said. Having these large, incredibly grand trees out in the mountains where people can walk under them is important to me, she said. In the meantime, those in Yosemite were bracing for another summer of destructive fires. Visitors to Tenaya Lodge splashed in the hotel pool and looked unnaturally tan from the orange reflection of smoke. All around were dead and dying trees. The Railroad fire, the Junction fire, said Rebecca Casey, who runs recreational activities, counting off the reasons on her fingers. The drought. The bark beetles. She has been through four pre-evacuations and two lengthy evacuations. It always seems like it is going to be OK until they say its time to leave, she said. Wigglesworth reported from Los Angeles and Marcum from Fish Camp. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Demonstrators in Austin, Texas, gather at the state Capitol to speak against transgender-related legislation bills being considered in the Texas Senate and Texas House in May 2021. (Eric Gay / Associated Press) Gov. Gavin Newsom spent the week of July Fourth vacationing with his family in Montana, where his wifes parents own a ranch. This should be an entirely unremarkable fact. But it generated news last week because Montana is on the long list of states to which California has banned state government-funded travel in protest against anti-LGBTQ state laws. Of course, Newsom was on a personal vacation, not government business, so the trip was not paid for by the state. But that didnt stop critics from calling Newsom a hypocrite because he typically travels with a security detail whose expenses are paid with state funds. This is a silly attack, but Democrats have themselves to blame. The Democratic-controlled Legislature exposed California leaders to such needless gotchas by passing the well-intentioned but foolish law in 2016 that prohibits state-funded travel to states that have laws discriminating against people based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It was signed by then-Gov. Jerry Brown. Lawmakers argued at the time that the boycott would send a strong message that we do not tolerate discrimination in our state and beyond our borders. But it hasnt done that at all. Instead, its created a raft of bureaucratic work-arounds inside state government and thwarted some academic research without achieving demonstrable economic impact on the offending states. And its clearly not discouraging red states from passing discriminatory laws, since the list of prohibited states has grown from four when the boycott began to 22 today. One reason Californias ban is ineffective is that its riddled with loopholes . State-funded travel is allowed to banned states to protect health or safety, so theres no prohibition on Newsom traveling with his California Highway Patrol detail. Travel is allowed if state officials need to enforce a California law, perform an audit, engage in litigation or comply with requests from the federal government. Its allowed to complete job-required training and to participate in meetings necessary to obtain grant funding. In other words, its permitted in a lot of situations that state employees routinely encounter. The ban does not apply to how California politicians spend their campaign funds, another loophole that blunts its economic impact and makes Democrats look like hypocrites. Several Democratic lawmakers who voted for the bill in 2016 used campaign money in the following years to travel to conferences in states subject to the boycott , including Texas, Alabama and Tennessee. Another used campaign money to travel to Kentucky to learn about that states bail system, even though its also on the list of banned states. And though Newsom didnt travel to Florida another prohibited state he recently pumped $100,000 into its economy by airing ads there poking Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis . These examples dont violate the law, but they show how meaningless it is in achieving what boycotts are supposed to do make offensive entities feel a financial pinch. Nor has the travel ban stopped the economic activity generated by college sports. Athletes from Californias public universities still participate in games across the nation, they just use private dollars instead of taxpayer money to fund trips to prohibited states. Meanwhile, the ban has prevented many scholars at Californias public universities from participating in legitimate academic pursuits. Its been so problematic that the American Historians Assn. wrote a letter to California lawmakers last year asking for a change to the law. Ironically, the historians point out in their letter, the law thats meant to promote LGBTQ rights has actually limited the ability for scholars to conduct research, deliver presentations, or participate in conferences and workshops that would also support social change on LGBTQ or other equity issues in some of the very places where that work is most needed. In one instance, a history professor at San Francisco State was initially prevented from traveling to North Carolina to review archival records in libraries there, research he was pursing for a project on the historical context for that states anti-transgender bathroom law. Eventually he was able to get an exemption by showing the trip would be paid for by a private endowment, not with state funds. This solved the immediate problem for me, but not the larger problem for other scholars, professor Marc Stein wrote in a blog post last year . Almost everyone else in the University of California and California State University systems has effectively lost public funding for research in the states covered by the boycott. As the 50 states grow increasingly politically divided, California has an important role to play in demonstrating the benefits of inclusive, progressive policies. Californias commitment to equal rights for LGBTQ people and to providing access to abortion and contraception are especially vital now, as a right-wing Supreme Court dismantles Americans hard-fought freedom. Welcoming people from other states who seek healthcare thats banned where they live is a substantive and meaningful way for California to demonstrate its values. But the travel ban is a loopy, unworkable attempt to show the nation what we stand for without really showing much at all. It puts symbolism above pragmatism, weakening well-founded criticism of discriminatory laws. Advocates still believe it's an important tool in a suite of responses to unjust attacks on LGBTQ people in red states. So California Democrats will have a hard time admitting that this policy has been ineffective and would likely face resistance if they introduced legislation to repeal it. But thats what they should do. Not because the governor vacationed in Montana, but because principles not matched by substance arent really principles at all. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A month or so ago I spotted a bumper sticker and announced to my husband, Theres my next column. The sticker read, Let God Prevail. In the October 2020 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, President Russell M. Nelson urged members to let God prevail in their lives. He then explained his discovery, with the help of two Hebrew scholars, that one of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is let God prevail. The name Israel, President Nelson said, refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. President Nelson referenced the account in Genesis of Jacobs wrestle with a serious challenge. In doing so, Jacob demonstrated that he was willing to let God prevail in his life, and God then changed Jacobs name to Israel. What does it mean to let God prevail? President Nelson describes it through a series of questions. Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow his words, his commandments, and his covenants to influence what you do each day? ... Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in his? Are you willing to be an instrument in his hands? A decision to let God prevail in your life is not an easy one. It is a choice that must be made again and again, requiring faith and hard work. It requires developing new habits and new priorities. But having made that choice, Elder Ciro Schmeil believes it is easy to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. We just need to be willing to let the Spirit guide us and have the courage to follow his promptings. Elder Schmeil tells of a text message his wife received from a sister in her home ward in Brazil. The woman wrote: On one of the worst days of my life, I dont know how I got to church. When I did, you saw me. You held my arm and told me to sit by you. I talked to you. You listened and counseled me. A simple conversation, but an opportunity to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. Sister Schmeil felt prompted to listen and to offer comfort, and acted on that prompting, not knowing the effect on anothers life. One of my favorite Old Testament accounts is of Esther, who was chosen by King Ahasuerus to be his queen. The scriptures tell us the king loved Esther above all women. He did not, however, know that she was Jewish. Haman, one of the kings advisers, plotted to destroy all the Jews. Mordecai, Esthers cousin, learned of Hamans plan and urged Esther to speak to the king, though doing so would involve great personal risk to her. Mordecai encouraged her, saying, Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4:14 If I perish, I perish, she said, and went in to the king without being summoned an offense punishable by death. Her bravery allowed her to influence the king and led to a decree sparing the Jews. A life of obedience had prepared her to let God prevail. The Lord placed Esther where she needed to be for his purpose. So, too, the Lord puts us where we can help fulfill his purposes. We each have a role to play and each role is important. We need to be ready when an opportunity presents. Making the choice to let God prevail is the first step. To act as God would have us do, we need to learn more about him, study the scriptures and learn to hear his voice. When we make that choice, many decisions become easier as we work to become the person we want to be. We can seek his support, praying for strength to withstand temptation and to know his will for us. We can work to recognize spiritual promptings. Then, when opportunity presents itself, we are ready to act as an instrument in his hands. Glenna M. Christensen is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Idaho Statesmans weekly faith column features a rotation of writers from many different faiths and perspectives. THE LATEST: Fire consumes hundreds of acres overnight Carey Hayes arrived this week at Yosemite National Park with her college friends to enjoy the sights. And the group was still making the best of it, despite a wildfire that closed the parks south entrance and continued Sunday to threaten a grove of ancient giant sequoias while surging past 1,500 acres. (Friday) we saw this plume of smoke thats really close to our campsite, Hayes, of Culver City, told The Bee on Saturday. We decided to go hiking anyways and went into the park. (We) went and did the Nevada Falls hike. It was real beautiful. As they returned from their hike, they found the roads were closed. It meant a long detour, but they and other visitors despite some difficulties continued to be able to access many areas of the park away from the fire. The southern entrance on Highway 41 was closed Friday, but the park remains open during what authorities are calling the Washburn Fire. Visitors traveling to the south could detour to the Highway 140 entrance along the Merced River. Locations south of the Highway 41 entrance including Fish Camp, Tenaya Lodge and Oakhurst remained open. At Tenaya Lodge, guests took in the smoke plume as part of the scenery. Guests at the Tenaya Lodge watch the Washburn Fire from a balcony as it burns near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park Saturday, July 9, 2022 in Fish Camp. Guests at the Tenaya Lodge watch the Washburn Fire from a balcony as it burns near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park Saturday, July 9, 2022 in Fish Camp. Still, even as visitors remained hopeful their trips would not be interrupted, the threat to property and the famed trees of the Mariposa Grove remained. About 700 people have been forced to evacuate homes and campgrounds. Park spokesperson Scott Gediman said Friday that the firefighting effort has included dealing with long-range spotting, as embers are carried over and past fire lines toward Wawona. Areas evacuated included the Wawona Hotel, Wawona campground and Wawona itself, a private community with about 80 homes surrounded by the park. A fire shelter set up in Mariposa on Friday soon after the evacuations were announced was closed Saturday after serving about 10 people, the Red Cross said in a news release. The fire had grown to 1,384 acres as of a Saturday afternoon update, though that was scaled back to 1,190 about an hour later, presumably after more accurate mapping was completed. By Sunday morning, a report from the National Park Service and the National Interagency Fire Center shortly after 6 a.m. pegged the acres burnt at 1,591 and indicates that the fire is burning in challenging terrain in an area with an ample supply of heavy fuel. Saturday saw a significant increase in the resources being devoted to the firefight. About 360 firefighters are working to contain the fire, about 150 more than the previous day. Those include hand crews building containment lines around the fire, along with engine crews and 11 helicopters. The firefighting cost so far is estimated at about $1.5 million, the national fire center reported. Despite the additional resources, containment of the Washburn Fire remained at 0%. The fire was expected to grow at a moderate pace, increasing fire activity through at least the first half of the week. Rising temperatures are likely to create challenging conditions for firefighters. A helicopter drops water on the Washburn Fire as it burns just east of the south entrance to Yosemite National Park Saturday, July 9, 2022 near Oakhurst. Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon told The Bee on Saturday that concern about the wildfire remained that its adjacent to the area of Wawona and adjacent to the giant sequoias. Of course paramount is always first and last is firefighter safety and community safety and protection of life and property, she said. That is why its a full suppression fire. Its just too close to too many values at risk. Were doing everything we can to contain this fire as fast as we can and keep our community safe. But there were no reports that any of the oldest and biggest sequoias in the Mariposa Grove sustained serious damage. Fire is moving around, but this part of the grove I feel, is in pretty good shape, said Garrett Dickman, forest ecologist with Yosemite National Park. We got low flame lengths over here. Its just cleaning the things up. It looks like a nice clean burn. Theres other parts of the fire there of more concern, but I think the grove is actually going to be in good shape again. We have decades of prescribed fire in here and I think thats whats going to save these big trees. It is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite, home to about 500 mature giant sequoias, including the 200-foot plus tall Grizzly Giant. Park officials posted video on social media Saturday showing sprinkler systems installed to protect the 3,000-year-old sequoia described as the second largest in the grove and one of the most photographed. After detour, amid fire fears, a nice dinner Hayes and Co. were among those who persevered. Our campsite is right near the west entrance and that was closed, Hayes said of their post-hike experience. We had to go three hours around to our campsite and not know if were going to be evacuated or not. Theres a lot of uncertainty, but we ended up going out to a nice dinner. Hayes remains nervous that they might get stuck in traffic when its time to go. They planned on leaving Sunday. I was very paranoid that we would be stuck in a pickle trying to hurry out, she said. Like (will it be) a one-way road or having a bunch of people evacuate the park all at once and we would just be sitting in traffic and our Teslas would die (without a) battery charge. These are all the things to worry about. But when youre with the right people, we ended up having a good time anyways. A Kansas City man was sentenced to nearly 30 years for a 2019 shooting that killed a man outside a gas station in the Crossroads District, the Jackson County Prosecutors Office announced Sunday. A judge sentenced Timothy Fernandez, 45, to 27 years in prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in the shooting death of 40-year-old Michael E. Bryan on Feb. 5, 2019 outside the Windstar Sinclair gas station at 17th Street and Grand Boulevard. The sentences will run consecutively. Police found Bryan dead on the sidewalk after he was shot multiple times. According to court records, surveillance video showed Fernandez and Bryan outside the gas station when Bryan walked away and Fernandez drew a gun and shot at him. Police identified Fernandez through DNA on a tissue he used to blow his nose before the shooting and fingerprints on an item in a backpack near the scene, according to court records. They also found ammunition in the backpack that matched the caliber of the bullet found in Bryans jacket. A Lawrenceburg man running for a Kentucky state representative seat said he experienced a first Saturday when the police were called on him and others door knocking for political campaigns. Dustin Burley, a candidate for the 53rd District, was in Muhlenberg County, where he was campaigning on behalf of others as part of the Black Caucus for Kentucky Young Democrats. In all the years I have knocked on doors, I have never gotten the police called, Burley said. I have heard horror stories, though, from others that have. While knocking on doors, which he has done for over a decade, he went to a mobile home and walked into a fence gate to put a door hanger on the door when a woman stopped him and said he could not go through the gate. I said I was sorry, you know, there are different rules in different places, he said. I had no idea. I put the sign on the gate, and I didnt walk through the door. She told me she didnt want to talk, because she was mad her roof was leaking, which I get that. I walked away and saw she was aggravated, which is totally understandable. Another member of the group walked around the back of the home not knowing what just happened with Burley, he recalled. He said the woman saw them, said they needed to leave, and they left. We walked back across the street to where we were parked and then the police came in no time and were behind us, he said. The officer told Burley and the others the woman said they were soliciting. The cop was nice ..., Burley said. Campaigning and door knocking is not soliciting, and she knows that. Even when there are no soliciting signs, you can still leave a door hanger or knock, but out of respect, you dont. While this was the first time he personally had experienced this, Burley said its a reality he has to be prepared for while campaigning as a Black man in rural areas. We were aggravated, and when you are a Black candidate in white counties, sadly its the reality of it, he said. You know people will be petty, or they will feel threatened when they see a group of another race they wouldnt usually. They are raised to look at skin colors differently and that is just how people are raised to hate each other. Sometimes it may as well be the 1960s or even before Reconstruction the way some people look at others, Burley added. Not only were we amazed, that is one of the sad things, cops are probably going to be called on candidates like us. Burley shared a tweet on social media that showed him and others in the group standing with the police cruiser and has received hundreds of likes, comments, and retweets. It read: Knocking while black in Western Kentucky and got the police called because we was trying to talk to voters about local issues. Knocking while black in Western Kentucky and got the police called because we was trying to talk to voters about local issues. haha Vote for @DrBrittney15 #Democrats #LGBTQ #ruraldem #VoteBlueIn2022 #VoteBlue pic.twitter.com/h8uJ7xYAp0 Dustin Burley for State Rep (@dustin_burley) July 9, 2022 Despite this experience, Burley said it was still the best-case scenario of what could have happened and he will continue to stay positive. You have to have an upbeat attitude in this state, he said laughing. It is one of the joys of running for office. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters. Pennsylvania lawmakers have agreed to give counties $45 million in new election funding as part of the state budget, a move that if successful and it continues into future years could significantly change how elections are funded and run in the state. Jerry Feaser, elections director for Dauphin County, said any extra state funding generally is laudable and would be very helpful. But the strings attached to that new funding stream prompted mixed reactions from county election officials who would now have to decide whether to apply for the funding and accept those requirements. Its ill-conceived legislation that, really, its just awful. If they wanted to give us more money, they should have just given us more money, no strings, said Philadelphia elections chief Lisa Deeley. The legislation creating the new grants would also ban private election funding something Republicans have sought to do since some counties received grants in 2020. The bill passed the state Senate by a broad 46-4 vote Thursday but proved a tougher sell in the state House, where a combination of opposition from conservative Republicans and most Democratic lawmakers meant a slim 103-96 margin. For many county election officials, the major issue Friday as it has been since 2020 was the counting of mail ballots. Counties are currently allowed to begin counting ballots at 7 a.m. on Election Day, creating a massive amount of pressure as they scramble to get votes counted and reported as quickly as possible. Election administrators across the state have been pleading for the ability to begin the pre-canvassing process of opening and scanning mail ballots earlier, alleviating some of that pressure. The election funding legislation wouldnt allow that. But it would require counties that accept the funding to begin counting ballots at 7 a.m. and continue without interruption until the count is complete. Requiring election workers to work 72 or more hours straight is an unsustainable model and one that only invites errors to be made, said Lee Soltysiak, Montgomery Countys chief operating officer and chief clerk. Following the lead of other states that successfully pre-canvass ballots prior to Election Day is the reasonable and responsible way to go. State funding of elections would be new for Pennsylvania Counties run elections, and county governments fund their election offices. As election costs have grown especially since the law known as Act 77 allowed any voter to use mail ballots chronically underfunded election offices have pleaded for money. The state doesnt get involved much in the normal funding of elections, limiting itself normally to funding specific efforts, such as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolfs order that counties replace their voting machines prior to the 2020 election; reimbursing counties for special elections or recounts, as required by state law; or distributing federal grant money. An infusion of $45 million of state funding could be a major change. Securing election funding has been one of our top priorities, and $45 million is absolutely a significant and unheard-of-before investment from the state, said Lisa Schaefer, the executive director of the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania. County election officials generally echoed that, though some worried their counties might decrease the countys share of the funds, offsetting the money. Under the deal, the state would set aside $45 million each year to reimburse counties in a new election integrity grant program. Counties could apply for grants by Aug. 15, and each countys allotment would be based on their share of the states registered voters in the previous primary election. The $45 million total is about $5.15 per registered voter. The largest counties would be eligible for millions of dollars: Philadelphias 1.05 million voters in the May 2022 primary would give it about $5.4 million, Allegheny County would be eligible for $4.75 million, and Montgomery County could receive up to $3.08 million. At the other end, the smallest county, Cameron, would be eligible for $15,400 for its 2,990 registered voters, and Forest Countys 3,339 voters would make for a $17,200 allocation. What election officials dont like: Not only are their hands tied on the counting of mail ballots, the funding binds them further If theres one thing Pennsylvania election officials have wanted as much or even more than additional money, its the ability to count mail ballots before Election Day. Requiring counties to wait until Election Day increases costs by forcing them to hire and train more staff, and obtain the best equipment possible, to get votes counted quickly. And even then, as the world saw in November 2020, the count takes time. And that delays the election results. Counties that discover issues during the count also have less breathing room to respond to them, and even small errors can have a ripple effect. Election officials across the state, from both sides of the aisle, have begged lawmakers to allow for pre-canvassing but gotten nowhere. The funding bill doesnt include it. Were still avoiding the 800-pound gorilla in the room, and that is pre-canvassing, said Jim Allen, elections director for Delaware County. Were still ignoring how so many other states start this process before 7 a.m. on Election Day days in advance of Election Day. The funding bill wouldnt allow pre-canvassing ahead of Election Day. The requirement that the vote count continues without interruption, however, would create burdens instead of removing them, county officials said. The biggest fundamental issue I have with it is we should not be taking on an activity that could compromise the activity of Election Day by pulling staff and resources away, said Mercer County elections director Thad Hall. Some wondered how much additional cost it would create and how it would affect the actual amount of usable funding they would receive; some questioned whether without interruption means they couldnt, for example, give their workers a break for dinner. Many counties would likely have to hire more workers and rearrange schedules to accommodate around-the-clock vote counts. A handful of the states largest counties counted mail ballots around the clock in the 2020 election but havent done so since, saying its too expensive and difficult to be worth it. (Some are considering doing so in this Novembers midterm elections, given the large volume of ballots expected.) Uninterrupted counting, some county officials said, would also draw resources away from the reporting of in-person results from polling places. After polls close at 8 p.m., its a mad dash to get results collected and published as quickly as possible, and in many counties, the mail ballot counting stops so all attention can be trained on the in-person election night reporting. Mixing that all up, that is just a recipe for disaster. We have polling places closing, were getting election materials back, we have staff thats been working since 5:30 in the morning, said Deeley, the chair of Philadelphias election office, the city commissioners. But now we cant stop this other piece of work that has to happen? The whole thing is just ridiculous. Election proposals swirled during budget season As lawmakers and Wolfs office negotiated the state budget, election policy was a sticking point once again. Banning private funding has been a top priority for legislative Republicans since 2020, when counties received grants from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, fueled by major donations from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. An internal state House Republican write-up of the budget deal trumpeted the measure: No more private dollars to pay for elections (Goodbye Zuckerbucks). While much of the budget passed with near-unanimous Democratic backing, the election bill was a tougher sell for skeptical Democrats. They want to get rid of Zuckerbucks? Lets get rid of Yass dollars too, state Rep. Manny Guzman, D-Berks, said, referring to Jeffrey Yass, the richest person in Pennsylvania and a mega-donor to largely conservative causes. Wolf has yet to sign the bill creating the grant program, but Democratic Capitol sources indicated it was part of an agreed-to budget deal with Republican leaders. In an email Friday, Wolf spokesperson Elizabeth Rementer said that the governor will review the bill when it gets to his desk. Banning private donations was not the only election issue Republicans hoped to leverage during negotiations with Wolf on the must-pass budget. State Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill, the chair of the State Government Committee, said voter identification requirements a longtime Republican goal were a top priority. The issue of voter ID is still very much alive, he said Tuesday. I dont know if it made the final cut or not, but dont be surprised if you see something on that begin to move in the next few days. Separate from the budget, legislative Republicans last week advanced a constitutional amendment proposal that would require all voters to provide government-issued ID before every vote. Another election priority, Argall said, was a bill authored by state Sen. Doug Mastriano, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, that would give poll watchers more access to vote casting and counting and allow them to serve outside of their home county. Former President Donald Trump urged Republicans to make the bill part of the budget negotiations. Wolf vetoed Mastrianos bill Friday, saying it undermines the integrity of our election process and encourages voter intimidation. As for pre-canvassing, Argall said, theres not enough Republican support to bring it up for discussion. I have tried, but we have not yet been able to develop a consensus, Argall said. Theres no trust when it comes to election changes, he said, and its been hard to convince his colleagues to get on board: I will keep trying, but its proven to be much more difficult than I would have anticipated a year ago. WHILE YOURE HERE... If you learned something from this story, pay it forward and become a member of Spotlight PA so someone else can in the future at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results. WASHINGTON A retired three-star general was suspended from a $92-an-hour contract consulting the Army and is under investigation after posting a tweet mocking first lady Jill Biden on a hot-button social issue, according to the Army. Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, the Army's former top spokesman and recipient of the Silver Star for gallantry in Iraq, had been a "senior mentor," advising senior military officers, staff and students participating in war games and other military activities. Lt. Gen. Theodore Martin, commander of the Combined Arms Center, suspended Volesky, pending the outcome of the inquiry, Cynthia Smith, an Army spokeswoman, told USA TODAY. On June 24, the first lady posted a tweet condemning the Supreme Court's decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion, which read in part, "For nearly 50 years, women have had the right to make our own decisions about our bodies. Today, that right was stolen." Volesky replied with his own tweet: "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is." His response is a breach of decorum for a retired military officer and a foray into partisan politics by an official on the payroll of the Pentagon, which is supposed to steer clear of such matters, experts said. His tweet was deleted. Volesky's post echoed an exchange in March between Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson at Jackson's Supreme Court confirmation hearing, during which Blackburn pressed the judge to give a definition for the word "woman" in the context of transgender rights. Volesky did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Biden, Michael LaRosa, declined to comment. It's not the first time Volesky has posted a tweet with political overtones. In July 2021, he responded to a tweet from Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., in which she wrote, "I'm honored to be on Jan. 6th select committee. Our oath to the Constitution must be above partisan politics." Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky speaks at the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund dedication of the new Intrepid Spirit Center on Sept. 8, 2014, at Fort Campbell, Ky. Volesky responded: "This is all about partisan politics." The House committee is investigating the violent assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of Donald Trump tried to stop the congressional certification of Joe Biden's win in the 2020 presidential election. Volesky was hired under a Pentagon program as an expert with the experience and skills to bring "enlightened thinking" to the military, according to the Pentagon's description of the program. He was paid $50,046 for his work from November 2020 to August 2021, and $18,952 from September 2021 to June 2022, according to the Army. Senior uniformed officers take pains to avoid the appearance of participating in politics, and civilian control of the military is foundational to the American government. That tenet has been under increasing stress. After the insurrection attempt Jan. 6, Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent a memo to troops reminding them of their oath to the Constitution. In 2020, Milley apologized for appearing with Trump in a photo opportunity after protesters were forcibly cleared from Washington's Lafayette Square. Volesky's tweets represent a different breach in civilian-military relations that of retired senior officers taking political stands. In 2016, retired Marine Gen. John Allen endorsed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. Retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn led "lock-her-up" cheers about Clinton during that campaign; he was fired as Trump's national security adviser for lying to federal investigators in 2017 and has become an increasingly partisan figure. During the Trump administration, several retired top officers, including Adm. William McRaven, the Navy SEAL who led the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who led the war in Afghanistan, criticized Trump in blunt terms. McRaven accused Trump of "actively working to undermine every major institution in this country," in a Washington Post op-ed. Andrew Bacevich, emeritus professor of history at Boston University and a retired Army colonel, was baffled that Volesky would risk the military's reputation on Twitter. "What's difficult to understand is why he or any other retired senior officer would undermine the military's reputation for being above politics just to score some cheap partisan points on social media," Bacevich said. If McRaven and McChrystal's comments stepped across the line into political commentary, Volesky's "snark" went further, said Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University and an expert in civilian-military relations. Volesky's tweet in response to the first lady's message is not a close call, he said. Retired military have the right to express their opinions and tweet whatever they like, but that does not make it right," Feaver said. "And the more senior the retired military, the more detrimental to healthy civil-military relations an errant tweet can be." Retired senior officers can make "useful contributions" when they weigh in on policy matters in their area of professional expertise, he said. "But when they stray from areas of core competency to offer shrill partisan jibes, they violate the norms of their profession and make the jobs of current senior military leaders that much more difficult," Feaver said. A highly decorated infantry officer, Volesky was a star in Army, rising to near the pinnacle of the service. On a rescue mission in Iraq in 2004, he led an armored column under fire to retrieve soldiers and their disabled Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The Army named him its chief spokesman, leading its office of public affairs. He took command of the Army's legendary 101st Airborne Division, a portion of which he led to Africa in response to the outbreak of Ebola in 2014. More: Volesky ran the Army's response to Ebola This screenshot of a since-deleted tweet posted by Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky shows his response to a June 24 tweet by first lady Jill Biden on abortion. Volesky earned his third star and became commander of I Corps at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. That command had him overseeing more than 40,000 soldiers including bases in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. After he retired, Volesky signed on with the Army on a contract basis as a "senior mentor," advising active-duty officers. Thesenior mentor program flourished at the Pentagon under little scrutiny until a USA TODAY investigation in 2009 showed that the majority of the 158 retired generals and admirals under contract worked for defense contractors, even as they billed taxpayers more than $300 per hour while collecting government pensions. Congress mandated that the Pentagon establish rules for the mentor program, including capping pay and requiring retired officers to file financial disclosure forms. In 2010, the Pentagon listed 355 senior mentors on its roster. In 2011, the year after the pay cap and conflict-of-interest safeguards went into effect, that number dropped to three. The Pentagon has unique authority in the federal government to hire retired senior officers, such as Volesky, whom it refers to as "Highly Qualified Senior Mentors." They possess "uncommon, special knowledge, skills, and experience in an occupational field; and judgment that is accorded authority and status by peers or the public," according to the Pentagon's description of the program. They're hired "to bring enlightened thinking and innovation," the description reads. Senior mentors are held to a higher standard than other retired officers, Feaver said. They're needed to teach active-duty officers how to navigate serving during a politically polarized time. First lady Jill Biden speaks at the 125th Anniversary Convention of the National Parent Teacher Association in National Harbor, Md., June 17. "They're hired not just for their military expertise but for their character and for upholding professional standards," he said. The active-duty leaders Volesky counseled as a senior mentor may find it harder to do their jobs because of his tweet, said Kori Schake, an expert on civilian and military relations and director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Volesky has a right to free expression as a civilian, but his status as a retired senior officer binds him to the military in the eyes of the public, she said. "It does reduce the respect the public has for the military as an institution," she said. The tweet puts the Army in a bind, Schake said. "Its certainly unseemly to have someone so engaged in political commentary guiding active-duty leaders," she said. "On the other hand, it's a hard one for the Army dismissing him for exercising protected political speech. He's an American citizen expressing his constitutionally protected views." Volesky's tweeted response to Biden was an apparent reference to legal questions about transgender rights. Rep. Blackburn, R-Tenn., pressed Supreme Court nominee Jackson about it during her confirmation hearing. Can you provide a definition for the word woman? Blackburn asked. "I can't. Not in this context," Jackson responded. "I'm not a biologist." "The meaning of the word 'woman' is so unclear and controversial that you can't give me a definition?" Blackburn said. Feaver had some advice for military leaders, active-duty or retired, on making political commentary: "If it feels good, don't do it." Maj. Gen. Gary Volesky flies over Liberia. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Army suspends retired general from contract over tweet to Jill Biden In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning landmark abortion rights cases, triggering an Idaho ban on the procedure, abortion rights advocates like Planned Parenthood have vowed to help Idahoans travel to other states to have an abortion. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee even pointed to his state as an option for Idahoans while signing a law earlier this year that solidified abortion access. But some legal experts say without federal abortion protections, the U.S.s state-by-state patchwork of laws could leave some women at risk if they travel out of state for the procedure. Legal experts told the Idaho Statesman while its unlikely Idahos existing laws could be leveraged against residents who get abortions out of state, many of the legal details are still unclear. That could mean court cases to establish precedents or moves by state lawmakers to directly address out-of-state abortion procedures. What do Idaho laws say about prosecuting abortion? Abortion trigger law Idaho will soon have two major laws that restrict abortions though both are being challenged in the states Supreme Court by Planned Parenthood. The broadest is a trigger law on the books since 2020, which will take effect 30 days after the overturning of Roe v. Wade is final, likely next month. That legislation would make it a felony for health care providers to perform abortions, with a few exceptions: in documented cases of rape or incest, or if the life of the mother is in danger. Medical professionals could face two to five years in prison and a medical license suspension of six months for a first offense. A second offense would earn them a permanent medical license ban. The law specifically prevents criminal penalties against the person on whom the abortion is performed. Dave Adler, a constitutional scholar and president of the Idaho Falls-based nonprofit Alturas Institute, told the Idaho Statesman that statute is focused on health care professionals and is unlikely to affect out-of-state abortions. A health care provider in Washington, for example, could not get sued on the basis of Idaho laws. Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said her organization stands ready to help Idaho residents get abortions even after the procedure is banned here. There is nothing that makes it illegal to cross state lines to have an abortion, nor are there any penalties for helping someone to cross state lines to get an abortion, DelliCarpini-Tolman said in a news conference on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned. Civil penalty law Another Idaho law lets certain family members of the fetus sue abortion providers for a minimum of $20,000. The state Supreme Court put that law on hold pending a Planned Parenthood lawsuit. DelliCarpini-Tolman specifically pointed out that the Idaho legislation lacks an aid and abet piece thats in Texas legislation, which allows private citizens to file a lawsuit against people who help others procure abortions. Without the aid and abet part in the law, even if its implemented, no Idaho resident can get sued for helping someone travel out of state. The omission of the aid and abet language is key, Adler agreed. Adler said the penalties of the trigger law means no Idaho physician would risk performing an abortion. Homicide Idahos legal definition of murder specifies the unlawful killing of a human being including, but not limited to, a human embryo or fetus. Adler said the use of the phrase unlawful killing protects doctors who perform abortions. By virtue of the fact that Idaho law permits abortion in its (trigger) statute in cases of rape and incest, and when a womans life is in danger, those would not qualify as unlawful killings, Adler said. Adler said women should not be unduly worried about leaving the state to undergo an abortion. A Washington health care provider, for example, could not get sued on the basis of Idaho laws. Theres no law yet that prohibits women from traveling out of state, and if the Idaho Legislature were to look in that direction, it would open a great can of worms, Adler said, citing the federally established right to move freely between states. Jim Jones, a former Idaho Supreme Court justice and state attorney general, also told the Statesman it would be a stretch to charge people who terminate their pregnancies with murder. But in a paper published earlier this year, Drexel University law professor David Cohen and coauthors Greer Donley and Rachel Rebouche outlined scenarios in which the 22 states that appear ready to ban abortion could try to leverage their own laws against residents who undergo the procedure in other states. Cohens paper proposed one scenario in which pregnant people could be charged with murder in their home state for having abortions elsewhere. Cohen said he couldnt speak specifically to Idahos laws but noted that the Republican-dominated Idaho Legislature stands in sharp contrast with Washingtons promise to protect abortion access. I do think the Idaho-Washington border is one of the places where we might see (potential legal issues) only because we have a very conservative, very anti-abortion state near a very liberal state, Cohen said. Cohen said most topics in which state laws diverge like gambling, marijuana and fireworks dont inspire the kind of fervor abortion does. (In the past) people went to Las Vegas or Atlantic City to gamble and nobody thought, Oh my state prosecutor is going to charge me because Im going to gamble, Cohen said. Aggressive prosecutors could pursue charges Shaakirrah Sanders, a law professor at the University of Idaho, told the Statesman in a phone interview that the U.S. Supreme Courts decision will create a lot of uncertainty as states try to determine what their laws mean in relation to one another. There are lots and lots of concerns about the different impacts this will have on those that become pregnant, with regard to criminal law and cross-jurisdictional criminal law, Sanders said. These types of jurisdictional questions are largely unsettled in U.S. law in a lot of areas. Sanders said she expects to see many of these murky issues settled by state supreme courts. Currently, she said, there isnt a lot of precedence for prosecuting Idaho residents for taking part in activities in other states that are illegal in Idaho. In terms of punishing Idahoans for activities out of state, theres a growing list now of things Idahoans can do in other states that they cant do in their state, Sanders said. But even if Idaho doesnt explicitly allow for someone to be prosecuted in the event of an out-of-state abortion, Cohen said some prosecutors could forge ahead regardless. That doesnt mean there wont be an aggressive prosecutor trying that, he said. Aggressive prosecutors try things that arent supported by the law all the time. Its also possible that the Idaho Legislature could create laws specifically addressing out-of-state abortions. The Statesman reached out to several legislators including Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa; Rep. Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett; and Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian who have sponsored recent legislation restricting abortion access to see if they intend to pursue laws on out-of-state abortions. None of the legislators responded. Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, which helped craft Idahos most recent abortion law allowing family members to sue abortion providers, told the Statesman on June 24 that the organization will use every legal avenue available to us to ensure that pre-born children in the state of Idaho receive the same constitutional protection that every other person is accorded. Conzatti did not respond to an email asking if the Family Policy Center has specific plans to address out-of-state abortions. Cohen said he expects conservative states across the U.S. to try to enact even stronger punishments for abortion. I dont think the anti-abortion crowd will be satisfied knowing theyve displaced abortion from one place to another, Cohen said. Their goal is to end abortion. Donald Neconie, 84, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Kiowa tribe, recounts his experiences as a child at a Native American boarding school Saturday in Anadarko, Okla., during a meeting to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to government-backed boarding schools designed to strip them of their cultural identities. (Sue Ogrocki / Associated Press) Native American tribal elders who were once students at government-backed Indian boarding schools testified Saturday about the hardships they endured, including beatings, whippings, sexual assaults, forced haircuts and painful nicknames. They came from different states and different tribes, but they shared the common experience of having attended the schools that were designed to strip Indigenous people of their cultural identities. I still feel that pain," said 84-year-old Donald Neconie, a former U.S. Marine and member of the Kiowa tribe who once attended the Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, about 80 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. I will never, ever forgive this school for what they did to me. It may be good now. But it wasn't back then." As the elders spoke, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, herself a Laguna Pueblo from New Mexico and the first Native American Cabinet secretary in U.S. history, listened quietly. The event at the Riverside Indian School, which still operates today but with a vastly different mission, was the first stop on a yearlong nationwide tour to hear about the painful experiences of Native Americans who were sent to the government-backed boarding schools. Federal Indian boarding school policies have touched every Indigenous person I know," Haaland said at the start of the event, which attracted Native Americans from throughout the region. Some are survivors. Some are descendants. But we all carry the trauma in our hearts. My ancestors endured the horrors of the Indian boarding school assimilation policies carried out by the same department that I now lead. This is the first time in history that a Cabinet secretary comes to the table with this shared trauma." Haaland's agency recently released a report that identified more than 400 of the schools, which sought to assimilate Native children into white society during a period that stretched from the late 18th century until the late 1960s. Although most closed their doors long ago and none still exist to strip students of their identities, some still function as schools, albeit with drastically different missions that celebrate the cultural backgrounds of their Native students. Among them is Riverside, which is one of the oldest. Riverside, which opened in 1871, serves students from grades four through 12 these days, offering them specialized academic programs as well as courses on cultural topics such as bead-working, shawl-making and an introduction to tribal art, foods and games. Currently operated by the Bureau of Indian Education, it has nearly 800 students from more than 75 tribes across the country, and the school's administration, staff and faculty are mostly Native American. It is one of 183 elementary and secondary schools across the country funded by the Bureau of Indian Education that seek to provide education aligned with a tribe's needs for cultural and economic well-being, according to the bureau's website. But Riverside also has a dark history of mistreating the thousands of Native American students who were forced from their homes to attend it. Neconie, who still lives in Anadarko, recalled being beaten if he cried or spoke his native Kiowa language when he attended Riverside in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Every time I tried to talk Kiowa, they put lye in my mouth," he said. It was 12 years of hell." Brought Plenty, a Standing Rock Sioux who lives in Dallas, recalled the years she spent at Indian boarding schools in South Dakota, where she was forced to cut her hair and told not to speak her Native language. She recalled being forced to whip other girls with wet towels and being punished when she didn't. What they did to us makes you feel so inferior," she said. You never get past this. You never forget it." Until recently, the federal government hadnt been open to examining its role in the troubled history of Native American boarding schools. But this has changed because people who know about the trauma that was inflicted hold prominent positions in government. At least 500 children died at such schools, but that number is expected to reach into the thousands or tens of thousands as more research is done. The Interior Department's report includes a list of the boarding schools in what were states or territories that operated between 1819 and 1969 that had a housing component and received support from the federal government. Oklahoma had the most, 76, followed by Arizona, which had 47, and New Mexico, which had 43. All three states still have significant Native American populations. Former students might be hesitant to recount the painful past and trust a government with policies that were to eradicate tribes and, later, assimilate them under the veil of education. But some welcome the opportunity to share their stories for the first time. Not all the memories from those who attended the schools were painful ones. Dorothy WhiteHorse, 89, a Kiowa who attended Riverside in the 1940s, said she recalled learning to dance the jitterbug in the school's gymnasium and learning to speak English for the first time. She also recalled older Kiowa women who served as house mothers in the dormitories who let her speak her Native language and treated her with kindness. I was helped," WhiteHorse said. I'm one of the happy ones." But WhiteHorse also had some troubling memories, including the time she said three young boys ran away from the home and got caught in a snowstorm. She said all three froze to death. I think we need a memorial for those boys," she said. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Tory leadership race gained momentum over the weekend, with opening gambits coming thick and fast from candidates across almost every wing of the party. Rishi Sunak, who wasted no time on Friday in publicly stating an intention to stand, remains an early favourite. But a host of hopefuls, including Nadhim Zahawi, Grant Shapps and Suella Braverman have announced tax-slashing pledges in an apparent bid to contrast themselves with his record as Chancellor. And in a surprise statement on Saturday, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace widely tipped as the likely front-runner said he had decided not to stand after careful consideration. His absence has made way for fresh bids from elsewhere in the party over the weekend, with 11 Tories now in the running for the top job. Here are the contenders for the post: Rishi Sunak In a slick campaign video launched on Friday, Mr Sunak announced his leadership bid with the message: Lets restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country. One of the main front-runners, attracting odds of 4/1 with several bookmakers, 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. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced he will stand to be the next leader of the Conservative Party (PA) 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. However his stock has taken a tumble recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes and he held on to his US green card while serving in Government. Supporters will hope his latest 21 billion support package will finally put to bed criticism about the response to the cost of living crisis. Penny Mordaunt was Mr Wallaces predecessor as defence secretary before being sacked by Mr Johnson when he became PM (PA) Penny Mordaunt Ms Mordaunts campaign got off to an awkward start on Sunday with her launch video hastily edited to remove several identifiable figures including athlete Jonnie Peacock. The Paralympian requested footage of him featured in the clip be removed, with Ms Mordaunt, who remains among the early favourites, posting an amended version hours later. Announcing her bid, the international trade minister said the UKs leadership needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship. Ms Mordaunt was Mr Wallaces predecessor as defence secretary, and the first woman to hold the post before being sacked by Mr Johnson shortly after he became Prime Minister in 2019. The trade minister has many strings to her bow as a Royal Navy reservist and 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 enjoys the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom and Michael Fabricant. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pledged to reverse the national insurance hike (PA) Liz Truss The Foreign Secretary kept her powder dry as the Tory top brass turned on the mortally wounded Prime Minister, despite being a Johnson loyalist, though she did cut short a foreign trip to Indonesia to head back to Westminster as he announced his resignation. But she confirmed long-standing expectations that she would throw her hat into the already crowded ring on Sunday, pledging to reverse the national insurance hike. Writing in The Telegraph, Ms Truss, who has been cultivating support among Tory MPs and enjoys the backing of Julian Knight, Jackie-Doyle Price and Chloe Smith, said she could be trusted to deliver. Social media aficionado Ms Truss 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. She has the experience of working across many Whitehall departments, while 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. Sajid Javid has pledged to scrap the Governments controversial national insurance hike (BBC/PA) Sajid Javid Mr Javid formally declared his bid in The Sunday Telegraph after his and Mr Sunaks double-resignation effectively kickstarted the slew of departures from government, hastening Mr Johnsons demise. 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, who supported Remain in 2016, 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 has said he would not only scrap the former chancellors plans to raise corporation tax from 19% to 25% in April, but reduce the rate to 15%. The Bromsgrove MP also pledged to scrap the Governments controversial national insurance hike, bring forward the planned 1p income tax cut to next year, and introduce a further significant temporary reduction on fuel duty. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said tackling the cost-of-living crisis and strengthening the economy are top of his agenda (PA) Grant Shapps The Transport Secretary, a Johnson loyalist, set up his stall in The Sunday Times by vowing to end tactical government by an often-distracted centre. Without personally criticising the Prime Minister, he suggested his own leadership would bring a return to a more traditionally Conservative approach to state, pledging to curb taxes. With his local grammar school education and rock-star relative who played guitar for The Clash, Mr Shapps has a slightly different background to some of his Tory contemporaries. The 53-year-old, who has three children and is Welwyn Hatfield MP, said tackling the cost-of-living crisis and strengthening the economy to become the biggest in Europe are top of his agenda. Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi argued Britons must be trusted to do what is best for themselves (PA) Nadhim Zahawi Mr Zahawis bid, also announced in The Sunday Times, is rooted in lower taxes and a great education for all, promising to steady the ship and stabilise the economy. He also appeared to suggest a hard-line stance on so-called culture war issues, claiming he would protect children from what he claimed was damaging and inappropriate nonsense from radical activists. The newly appointed Chancellor argued Britons must be trusted to do what is best for themselves, as he warned the country had lost a sense of boundless optimism and opportunity that he traced back to Margaret Thatchers tenure. An outside bet among the bookies, the Iraqi-born former education secretary was a successful businessman and came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic. Tom Tugendhat has been a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson (PA) Tom Tugendhat Not a household name, but among the early contenders. The multi-lingual 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, a position he repeated in Fridays Daily Telegraph, saying he was putting together a broad coalition offering a clean start. His odds shortened almost immediately as a result. 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. A Remainer in 2016, he 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. Attorney General Suella Braverman was first elected as an MP in 2015 and is regarded as something of an outlier for the top job (PA) Suella Braverman The Attorney General launched an unlikely leadership bid as support for Mr Johnson crumbled around him on Wednesday night. But a surprise endorsement from prominent Brexiteer Steve Baker, who had earlier said he was considering running, has lent weight to her standing. Ms Braverman, who was first elected as an MP in 2015, is regarded as something of an outlier for the top job. A Suella Braverman for PM Twitter account has nonetheless sprung up, with Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne being the first to tweet his support for her bid. Jeremy Hunts strong support for lockdown measures will not have pleased all Tory MPs (PA) Jeremy Hunt Mr Hunt confirmed his widely anticipated leadership bid in The Sunday Telegraph, making similar tax-cutting pledges to fellow ex-health secretary Mr Javid. The foreign secretary, whose Remainer background may have been part of what ruled him out of the running in 2019, has been a persistent critic of Mr Johnson. Seen by some as a bit of a Thatcher reboot, Mr Hunt might appeal to those who want a sensible choice of leader after months of instability. 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. Kemi Badenoch has been endorsed by Michael Gove (PA) Kemi Badenoch Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch threw her hat into the ring with a plan for a smaller state and a government focused on the essentials. The MP for Saffron Walden said she supported lower taxes to boost growth and productivity, and accompanied by tight spending discipline. Writing in The Times, the 42-year-old former banker, who grew up in the UK, US and Nigeria, also hit out at identity politics and said Boris Johnson was a symptom of the problems we face, not the cause of them. Ms Badenoch may be considered an outsider for the leadership given the Tory grandees already in the running, but her profile was boosted by an endorsement from Michael Gove on Sunday. Rehman Chishti previously stood as a Labour candidate in the 2005 general election before defecting to the Conservatives in 2007 (PA) Rehman Chishti The newly appointed Foreign Office minister made an even unlikelier bid for the Tory leadership on Sunday evening in a video posted on Facebook. Mr Chishti said the right candidate would have a proven track record of coming to the table with ideas and creativity to help improve peoples lives. The MP for Gillingham and Rainham has an unusual political background, having previously stood as a Labour candidate in the 2005 general election before defecting to the Conservatives in 2007. In 2020 he resigned as Mr Johnsons special envoy for freedom of religion over the Governments stance on the Northern Ireland protocol. The former barrister said at the time clauses in the UK Internal Markets Bill unilaterally break (the) UKs legal commitments. Several Indian political parties urged the government to proactively help crisis-ridden Sri Lanka New Delhi: As Sri Lanka battles an unprecedented economic and political crisis, the Government of India declared on Sunday that it stands with the people of Sri Lanka and that it was closely monitoring the evolving situation in the island nation. While watching the Sri Lankans work their way to resolving the crisis, the external affairs ministry said India had already given $3.8 billion in support to Sri Lanka this year to help it to overcome the serious economic crisis. India is Sri Lankas closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilisational bonds. We are aware of the many challenges that Sri Lanka and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period We continue to follow closely recent developments in Sri Lanka. India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework, MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said. He said in pursuance of the central place Sri Lanka occupies in Indias Neighbourhood First policy, New Delhi had given unprecedented support of over $ 3.8 billion this year to ameliorate the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka. In the latest step, India has provided more than 44,000 MT of urea to Sri Lanka supplied under a credit line. Indian high commissioner in Colombo Gopal Baglay stressed this latest assistance by India symbolises continued commitment to support Sri Lankas people, including its farmers, and bolster the efforts for food security. Several Indian political parties urged the government to proactively help crisis-ridden Sri Lanka. Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Sunday urged the government and the international community to come forward and help Sri Lanka, where protesters took over the presidential palace on Saturday and set on fire the Prime Ministers house to pressure them to step down. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has fled the presidential palace and even announced he would quit on July 13, on Sunday ordered his officials to ensure the smooth distribution of cooking gas after the fuel-starved country received 3,700 metric tonnes of LP gas. The Indian National Congress has been following with concern the evolving political situation in Sri Lanka. The economic challenges, rising prices and shortage of food, fuel and essential commodities have caused enormous hardships and distress among the people there. The Congress expresses its solidarity with Sri Lanka and its people in this moment of grave crisis and hopes they will be able to overcome it. We hope that India will continue to assist the people and government of Sri Lanka as they deal with the difficulties of the current situation. The Congress also urges the international community to extend all assistance and support to Sri Lanka, Mrs Gandhi said in a statement. External affairs minister S. Jaishankar said India was trying to help but Sri Lankans too were working through their problem and that India was watching the situation closely. Mr Jaishankar said: We have been supportive of Sri Lanka, are trying to help and have always been helpful. They are working through their problem, and we will see what happens. He added that there was no refugee crisis as of now. While reacting to the turmoil in Lanka, the European Union called for a solution to the current crisis and return to normalcy, while the United States, in an official statement, said that the Sri Lankan people have the right to peacefully raise their voices. As the Sri Lankan protesters laid siege to major government landmarks of the nearly defunct administration, several countries have asked their citizens to avoid non-essential travel to the island nation. The Chinese embassy asked its citizens not to participate in or watch any protests. The Maharashtra chief minister and his deputy are on tour in New Delhi since Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during their meeting in New Delhi. (PTI) Mumbai/New Delhi: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday asserted that the "Shiv Sena-BJP alliance" government will complete its tenure and will win the next Assembly election as well. Mr Shinde, along with Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, met senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president J.P. Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. Earlier in the week, the NCP chief Sharad Pawar had predicted that the Shinde-led government may fall in the next six months. The Maharashtra chief minister and his deputy are on tour in New Delhi since Friday. Both of them also met the Prime Minister at the latter's residence in New Delhi. In their first meeting after the new government assumed office in the state, both leaders sought his "blessings and guidance" for the development of Maharashtra. "The chief minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde and the deputy chief minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the Prime Minister's Office said on Twitter. Earlier, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr Shinde said he would try and understand the Prime Minister's vision for the development of the state and strive to take Maharashtra to newer heights. Mr Shinde said several projects such as the Samruddhi Expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur, metro rail in cities, and digging farm ponds to boost irrigation, which were initiated by Mr Fadnavis but had run into delays under the Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, will be put on fast-track. On Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays demand for a mid-term poll in Maharashtra, Mr Shinde said that the question does not arise as in democracy, the number matters. "We have the support of 164 MLAs. We have formed a strong government in Maharashtra as per the constitution. It will complete the full term," he said. On the dispute over who gets to use the party symbol, Mr Shinde said, "We are Shiv Sena and haven't done anything illegal. We have been recognised as the Legislative party." Mr Thackeray on Friday said that nobody can take away the bow and arrow, the symbol of the Shiv Sena and it will remain with him. Mr Shinde reiterated that the rebel MLAs had made all the efforts to resolve the issues with Mr Thackeray. "The existence of our MLAs came under threat under the MVA government. Only the natural alliance of the BJP and Shiv Sena can take Maharashtra ahead. We tried to communicate this issue (with Uddhav Thackeray) but did not succeed. Therefore, we took this move (joining hands with the BJP)," he said. Asked whether he was disappointed at the "demotion" to the post of deputy chief minister, MR Fadnavis said he had merely followed the directives of his party. "My party made me big by appointing me as the chief minister. It is not a question of being large hearted. I have followed the directives of my party," Mr Fadnavis, who served as the Maharashtra chief minister from 2014 to 2019, said. "I am with Mr Shinde. I have been the chief minister and I know the chief minister is the leader. We will work under Mr Shinde's leadership. Our primary goal is to make this government successful," he added. Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis left for Pune on Saturday evening en route to Pandharpur, where the chief minister will worship Lord Vitthal on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi on Sunday. Meanwhile, the rebellion in Shiv Sena continued to grow. The Thackeray faction announced that they have removed former Navi Mumbai civic chief Vijay Nahata and former Opposition leader in the municipal corporation Vijay Chougule from the party after they joined the Shinde camp. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna on Saturday declared that the duo had indulged in anti-party activities and hence were removed from the party. The ongoing rebellion has already dented the Thackeray faction, as 66 out of 67 corporators from Thane have joined Mr Shinde while several MPs are also backing him. In a recent interview, Pope Francis expresed his hopes for the renewal of the accord due to expire in October. Since it came into force, six bishops ordained (two appointed previously) and six more have taken possession of their dioceses. But throughout China - despite the Agreement - at least 36 dioceses have no bishop. Milan (AsiaNews) - Earlier this week Pope Francis spoke about the Provisional Agreement between China and the Holy See on the appointment of bishops, perhpas with one eye on the two-year deadline which is now approaching. In an interview with Reuters news agency the pontiff said: "It is going slowly, but (bishops, ed.) have been appointed. It is going slowly, as I say, 'Chinese style', because the Chinese have that sense of time that no one rushes them." 'They also have problems,' Francis added, 'because it is not the same situation in every region of the country. Because it also depends on the rulers, there are different ones. But the agreement is good and I hope that it can be renewed in October'. This is not the first time Pope Francis has personally intervened in an interview on the Sino-Vatican Agreement. On 1 September 2021 in an interview with Spanish radio station COPE, answering another question on the subject he said: 'It is not easy to deal with China, but I am convinced that we must not give up on dialogue... One can be deceived in dialogue, one can make mistakes, but it is a way forward'. While on 11 April it was the Vatican Secretary of State, Card. Pietro Parolin, who declared in an interview with ACIstampa that he "hoped" that the renewal would present the possibility to "make clarifications or review some points" of the Agreement, the text of which remains secret. In light of these statements, it is worthwhile taking stock of the situation regarding bishop appointments in China since the entry into force of this understanding on 22 October 2018. According to the name, the Agreement deals with the appointment of bishops and is said to leave the Holy Father the final word of agreement on the only candidate submitted by the Chinese authorities (the 'appointment' is never mentioned by the Chinese side). Since the content of the Agreement is kept secret, both civil and ecclesiastical authorities continue to behave as before. Although the Agreement deals with episcopal appointments, in these almost four years there have only been six episcopal ordinations, despite the fact that there are about forty vacant sees, as we shall see below. However, of the six episcopal ordinations, the first two did not follow the Agreement procedure. Bishop Yao Shun of Jining, ordained on 16 August 2019 was approved by the Holy See in 2010. Bishop Xu Hongwei of Hanzhong, ordained the following 28 August, was approved by Rome in 2016. The first two ordinations of bishops appointed according to the Agreement procedure, again with only one candidate, were celebrated in the winter of 2020,in short only after the first renewal, which took place in October 2020. They were Bishop Chen Tianhao of Qingdao on 23 November 2020 and Bishop Liu Genzhu of Linfen/Hongdong on 22 December. Then followed the episcopal ordinations of Bishop Li Hui of Pingliang on 28 July 2021 and Bishop Cui Qingqi of Wuhan-Hankou on 8 September 2021. Thus, almost a year has passed since the last appointment. The new climate has also fostered other kinds of contacts and cooperation between the Vatican and China, including six official recognitions in as many diocese. There were the installations of three underground bishops who became official, namely Bishop Peter Jin Lugang of Nanyang (on 30 January 2019, who, however, had been negotiating for years on how to make himself official without adhering to the principles of the Patriotic Association), Bishop Peter Lin Jiashan of Fuzhou (on 9 June 2020) and Bishop Paul Ma Cunguo of Shuozhou (on 9 July 2020). The other three installations were of bishops already official and members of the Bishops' Conference and the Patriotic Association - the "official" bodies controlled by Beijing - who for various reasons had not yet officially taken possession of the diocese, as ordinary diocesan bishops: they were Msgr. Stephen Xu Hongwei bishop of Hanzhong on 18 January 2020 (after the retirement of the elderly Msgr. Louis Yu Runshen), Msgr. Peter Li Huiyuan bishop of Fenxiang on 22 June 2020 (the previous year he had been made official under a certain constraint) and Msgr. Jin Yangke bishop of Ningbo on 18 August 2020, who had been ordained bishop somewhat secretly not according to the official procedure in 2012 by the elderly bishop Hu Xiande. In four years, therefore, six bishops have been ordained and six diocese taken over by other bishops. But how many vacant dioceses are there in China? When defining the number, one must take into account that the jurisdictions of the Catholic hierarchy prior to the advent of Mao's China do not correspond with those imposed by the Beijing government on the 'official' Catholic community. According to the data of the Catholic Church in China, there are 147 ecclesiastical jurisdictions, that is 20 archdioceses, 96 dioceses (including Macao, Hong Kong, Baotou and Bameng), 29 apostolic prefectures and 2 ecclesiastical administrations (Harbin and Hulubei'er). Officially, according to the Chinese authorities - who have incorporated several dioceses together but intend to establish new ones - there are 104 dioceses in China (excluding Macao and Hong Kong), redesigned according to the boundaries of the civil administration. Seven of these dioceses (Hainan in the province of the same name, Shaoguan in Guangdong, Xinyang in Henan, Jincheng and Xinzhou in Shanxi, Lishui in Zhejiang and Kangding in Sichuan) have, however, already been placed under the administration of other dioceses by the Beijing authorities, so the total number would be reduced to 97. Even assuming to take this new ecclesial geography as a reference point for the Church in China today, the currently vacant sees are 36 (to which the 7 incorporated ones should be added). So overall, there are more than a third of Catholic communities without a bishop four years after the Agreement came into force. This is a detailed list of the 'official' vacant dioceses: Tianjin in Tianjin Municipality; Shijiazhuang, Xingtai and Zhangjakou in Hebei Province; Jilin in Jilin Province; Jinzhong-Yuci, Yuncheng and Datong in Shanxi Province; Baotou and Chifeng in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region; Tianshui in Gansu Province; Xining in Qinghai Province; Xinjiang in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region; Chongqing in the municipality of Chongqing; The diocese in the Tibet Autonomous Region; Dali and Zhaotong in Yunnan Province; Jiangxi in Jiangxi Province; Puqi, Yichang, Jingzhou and Xiangfan in Hebei Province; Kaifeng, Zhengzhou, Shangqiu, Luoyang, Zhumadian and Xinxiang in Henan Province; Shanghai in the municipality of Shanghai; Qingzhou, Yantai and Heze in Shandong Province; Hangzhou, Taizhou and Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province; Minbei in Fujian Province. The Angelus appeal after yesterday's assault on the presidential palace and the announcement of Rajapaksa's resignation. On the "Sea Sunday" a thought also "for the seafarers stranded in war zones, so that they may return home". Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The day after the storming of the presidential palace in Colombo, during one of the largest anti-government protests experienced by Sri Lanka since the beginning of the economic crisis, and the subsequent announcement by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa that he will resign on 13 July, Pope Francis today renewed his appeal for peace in the country. He did so at the end of today's Angelus, overlooking a St Peter's Square packed with pilgrims. "I join with the grief of the people of Sri Lanka, who continue to suffer the effects of political and economic instability," said the Holy Father. "Together with the country's bishops, I renew my appeal for peace. I implore those in authority not to ignore the cry of the poor and the needs of the people". The Pope continued "I wish to address a special thought to the people of Libya, in particular the young people and all those who suffer from the country's serious economic and social problems." "I urge everyone to once again seek convincing solutions with the help of the international community, through constructive dialogue and natural reconciliation." The Pontiff did not fail to renew his prayers and "his closeness to the Ukrainian people, who are daily tormented by the brutal attacks from which ordinary people suffer". "May God lay ways to put an end to this insane war," he added. Speaking on the theme of "Sea Sunday", which is celebrated today, Francis recalled all the workers in the maritime industry, but also the many chaplains and volunteers of Stella Maris: "I entrust to Our Lady the seafarers who are stranded in war zones, so that they may return home". Before the recital of the Angelus, Pope Francis had commented on the Gospel of the Sunday liturgy, which today proposes the parable of the Good Samaritan (cf. Lk 10:25-37). On a passing road, where a man lay beaten to a pulp and robbed, it was a Samaritan who saw him, had compassion on him and stopped to help him. "Do not forget this word 'compassion': it is what God feels when he sees us in a sin, in a misery," the pope said. The Evangelist, according to the pontiff, makes it clear that he was on a journey. So, that Samaritan, despite having his own agenda and being headed for a distant destination, makes no excuses and allows himself to be challenged by what happens along the way. "It is significant that the first Christians were called 'disciples of the Way' (cf. Acts 9:2)," he explained. "In fact, the believer is very much like the Samaritan: like him, he is on a journey, he is a wayfarer. He knows that he is not a person who has "arrived", but wants to learn every day, by following the Lord Jesus, who said: I am the way, the truth and the life". Walking in the footsteps of Christ, every man is therefore called to become a wayfarer, and to learn - like the Samaritan - to 'see' and 'have compassion'. The Pope emphasised the verb "to see": "The Gospel educates us to see: it guides each of us to understand reality correctly, overcoming preconceptions and dogmatism day after day". Secondly, following Jesus teaches us "to have compassion, to notice others and to intervene like the Samaritan". In order not to stop only at blaming others and oneself, the holy father invited us to ask the Lord to come out of selfish indifference: "Let us ask Him to see and have compassion on those we meet along the way, especially those who suffer and are in need". The Pontiff then recalled a recurring conversation with people who come to talk to him on the issue of almsgiving: "If you give alms without touching the reality, without looking into the eyes of the person in need, that alms is for you, not for him," he explained. "Think about this: do I touch the miseries, do I look into the eyes of the people who suffer, of the people I help? This is the prayer I suggest to you today: Lord may I see, may I have compassion, as you see me and have compassion on me'. The SuperCrew outsells the SuperCab by a tremendous margin, but on the other hand, many prospective customers are put off by the beds length. Not willing to lose any more customers to segment rivals, the suits in Dearborn have apparently decided to extend both the wheelbase and box of the SuperCrew for the 2024 model year. A prototype in this configuration has been recently spied by Automotive News testing in Dearborn, Michigan.A different affair from the global Ranger thats manufactured in South Africa and Thailand, the North American variant is twinned with the Bronco. Manufactured in Wayne at the Michigan Assembly Plant, the body-on-frame utility vehicle features an evolution of the T6 vehicle architecture, internally referred to as T6.2 by the Ford Motor Company. While on the subject of evolutionary developments, General Motors will do pretty much the same thing with the 2023 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Both of them will drop the 31XX vehicle architecture in favor of the 31XX-2.As part of the switch to the 31XX-2, the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit is expected to drop all three current engine options in favor of a four-cylinder turbo. The 2.7-liter mill from the Silverado 1500, to be more precise, is more than adequate thanks to 310 horsepower at 5,600 revolutions per minute as well as 430 pound-feet (583 Nm) at 3,000 rpm.The Ranger, on the other hand, is believed to carry over the 2.3-liter EcoBoost with minimal improvements over the 2023 model. Higher up the spectrum, the Raptor will be offered stateside with the Bronco Raptors 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6. The Aussie-spec Ranger Raptor makes 392 horsepower and 430 pound-feet (583 Nm), while the U.S.-spec Bronco Raptor is much obliged to squeeze out 418 horsepower and 440 pound-feet (597 Nm). Given its small form factor, the AirTag ended up being planted in places where it could hardly be observed, such as behind the license plate of a car.While Apple does offer an automated alert on the iPhone whenever a nearby AirTag is moving with the user, theres still a concern across the world that this small GPS tracker could be used for other nefarious purposes than the one it was built for.And now, the police in Japan seem to believe the same, as one investigation in the Aichi Prefecture police has recently discovered an AirTag planted in their car.However, the GPS tracker was hiding inside the cabin, but in the cars exhaust system, so the investigator spotted it quite easily given its shiny cover.As a result, the local police have reportedly started a massive investigation, claiming that even organized crime groups could be involved in what looks like an attempt to stalk the officers.But on the other hand, even the police themselves agrees that it could all be just a prank, especially because everybody has access to the park where the vehicle was sitting. In other words, someone may have planted the AirTag as a joke, which kind of makes sense given the location where it was installed.Putting a small piece of technology in a place where the heat feels at home doesnt make any sense as well, as the AirTag wouldnt need more than just a few minutes to start malfunctioning. It remains to be seen precisely who believed that putting an AirTag into the muffler of a police car, but for now, its pretty clear that these GPS trackers are way too often misused. Earlier this year at its annual developer event, Google announced a massive overhaul referred to as Coolwalk. Based on a modern approach thats more or less inspired by the Apple CarPlay dashboard, Coolwalk divides the user interface into several cards, essentially making it possible to run multiple apps side by side, even on smaller displays.Just like on the CarPlay dashboard, the focus is on the navigation experience, so apps like Google Maps and Waze will receive the largest card. The smaller ones will be used for additional controls, such as music apps, phone calls, and exclusive to Android Auto, weather information.As a result, Android Auto updates are received with much enthusiasm by users out there, and the recently released 7.9 beta makes no exception.Before anything, its essential to keep in mind this is just a beta for the time being. In other words, its supposed to be used exclusively for testing, as it gives users the opportunity of looking for bugs and reporting them to Google in a timely manner before the public version is finalized.Then, if youre specifically interested in trying out Coolwalk today, Android Auto 7.9 doesnt include it by default. Weve known for a while that the underlying code for this major overhaul is there, but Google doesnt seem to be ready to roll it out just yet.Given its available exclusively for testers, youll have to download and install Android Auto 7.9 manually on your device. In other words, you need to get the stand-alone APK installer and deploy it on the Android smartphone you connect to the head unit in your car.This sounds complicated, but it really isnt. At least, its not more difficult than installing a Windows application on your computer, as the APK packaging is pretty much the Android version of the MSI or EXE Windows installers.The latest Android Auto 7.9 beta build can be found here , so head over to this page and download the stand-alone APK installer. Make sure you allow the download, as some browsers could warn you that youre about to download an APK installer, and this could pose a threat to your device.Then, once the APK installer is already on your device, all you need to do is to launch it you should notice that your Android device once again warns of security risks, and more often than not, itll require special permissions to install an application with the APK file.As a result, youll have to grant these permissions on Samsung devices, the warning that shows up on the screen also includes a shortcut to the menu option that allows you to install apps from unknown sources. This step is necessary because by default your device is configured to only allow the download and installation of apps from the Google Play Store.The installation process itself shouldnt take more than a few seconds, after which Android Auto 7.9 beta should be ready to launch. You dont have to remove your previous Android Auto installation as long as you always install a newer release, itll overwrite the previous version.Android Auto 7.9 is believed to come with additional fixes and optimizations, but at the same time, theres a chance you could also encounter a series of new glitches . In theory, these are the risks of running a beta application in the first place, as they are considered unfinished releases that are only supposed to pave the way for a smoothest production rollout to non-testing devices. A camera attached to a small plane shows the dramatic moment the pilot makes an emergency landing on a North Carolina highway the weekend before Independence Day. The pilot narrowly avoided power lines and cars traveling on the highway and was not injured, authorities said.The pilot of the plane , Vincent Fraser, said he had to land on the highway because the only engine of the small plane had failed.There were so many things that could have been catastrophic but they didn't happen, wrote Sheriff Curtis Cochran on his Facebook page.In the end, no cars were hit and drivers remained calm and behaved normally, stopping, changing lanes, or continuing on their way. The video was also posted on the same social network, and many users had positive comments about the pilot's skills, but also praised the reactions of drivers who adapted to the situation calmly and quickly.We have to admit that what the pilot has done is admirable. He managed to get the plane safely back on the ground in a situation that could very easily have become dramatic. He was also quite lucky because at that time that stretch of highway was not heavily trafficked. On the other hand, the situation could have become very dangerous when the plane went the wrong way. However, the attention of the oncoming drivers helped avoid an accident.These situations are not unique. Problems usually occur in the air and the pilot was trying to reach a nearby airport. But if the plane can't get that far, a forced landing is needed. The purest expression of Rolls-Royce, the Ghost nameplate has carried on for more than a century, cementing the brands reputation for quality and timeless luxury. Past and present recently met at a private owners club, where the original was put next to its modern-day namesake, 114 years after its initial debut.The 2022 Rolls-Royce Owners Club Meet in San Diego was the perfect occasion for the brand, together with owners and enthusiasts, to celebrate more than a century of Ghost. They did that by bringing together old and new models of the Rolls-Royce Ghost. Two spectacular examples of the iconic Silver Ghost and two 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost commissions met to please the eyes of the attendants.Since the debut of Silver Ghost in 1907, the nameplate has set motoring and luxury standards in the automotive industry. They are a stamp of durability, too, as more than 70 percent of Rolls-Royce cars to have ever been commissioned continue to roam the roads today.Rolls-Royce Ghost remains one of the most popular members of our family, said Martin Fritches, President of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Americas. No name has been more successful for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars over the past century and especially over the past 20 years, marking the Goodwood era. Its fascinating to share how Rolls-Royce has evolved over the past century while at the same time, remaining true to its promise as the premier luxury brand in the world.A 1921 Silver Ghost was present at the special family gathering, and this is a well-preserved model that has been in the USA for nearly 100 years. It features 25 of its 28 original tools and still has the original handbooks from the factory. Its owners say they drive the vintage piece of art regularly and show it to the world every chance they get at shows and tours.An open-top Ghost model built in 1923 was also present at the event, and just like its slightly older sibling, this Rolls isnt a garage queen either. Its North Carolina-based owners say they drive their Silver Ghost regularly. They traveled more than 100,000 miles (161,000 km) in the Claret Red beauty and made trips to South Africa, Europe, and even Alaska. They say the cars engine is original but they added a tall overdrive gear for smoother rides on the open highway.These two Henry Royce and Charles Rolls masterpieces contributed to establishing the high standards of quality and durability that contemporary Goodwood Rolls-Royces must match.The vintage examples were joined by a neat 2022 Rolls-Royce Ghost, showcasing the British brands concept of post-opulence. Though free of unnecessary adornments, the modern Ghost still includes elements crafted from the highest quality materials and the latest technology, and every feature is available at the touch of a button.A Black Badge Ghost also joined the reunion, completing the picture with a darker, edgier version of the iconic car and proving that the brand can cater even to the more aggressive Rolls-Royce enthusiasts and collectors. It comes with a darkened chrome on the outside to achieve the more aggressive look and a tuned 6.75-liter twin-turbo V-12 for more torque and horsepower.When looking at old and new side by side, they couldnt be more different in terms of exterior design. Where the Silver Ghosts are upright and stately, the modern-day Ghosts are more restrained and refined, with notable design and engineering enhancements. Check out the gallery and feast your eyes on Rolls-Royces most successful name for the past century. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Clear. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low around 75F. SW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Clear. Gusty winds diminishing after midnight. Low around 75F. SW winds at 20 to 30 mph, decreasing to 10 to 15 mph. Robert Price is an Emmy award-winning reporter-commentator for KGET-TV. His column appears here Sundays; the views expressed are his own. Reach him at rprice661@gmail.com or via Twitter: @stubblebuzz. IF YOU GO Sequoia National Forest 1.1 million acres within Kern, Tulare and Fresno counties including: 2,000 plant species 194 bird species 85 mammal species 13 amphibian species 25 reptile species 9 native fish species 52 developed campgrounds 1,147 miles of trails 2,617 rivers & streams 222 miles of wild & scenic rivers 158 ponds & lakes SOURCE: Sequoia National Forest Recreation Sequoia National Forest outdoor recreation opportunities include: 47 miles of Pacific Crest Trail Alta Sierra ski area Camping Fishing Hiking Horseback riding Hunting Organized camps and cabins White-water fun SOURCE: Sequoia National Forest Watersheds Sequoia National Forest watersheds drain into the San Joaquin Valley: About 855,000 acre-feet of water per year Over 278 billions of gallons of water Wholesale market value of water over $80 million SOURCE: Sequoia National Forest Wilderness Six wilderness areas designated are in whole or in part within Sequoia National Forests administrative boundary, comprising 314,448 acres: Domeland Wilderness Golden Trout Wilderness Jennie Lakes Wilderness Kiavah Wilderness Monarch Wilderness South Sierra Wilderness SOURCE: Sequoia National Forest Thap Cham-Da Lat railway reopening under consideration The Ministry of Transport has agreed to conduct a feasibility study into the resumption of the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway route. The feasibility study will be carried out by Bach Dang Hotel Complex Trading-Service Joint Stock Company. The Ministry of Transport has agreed to conduct a feasibility study into the resumption of the Thap Cham-Da Lat railway route (illustrative photo) Click here to read the full article. L.Q. Jones, a veteran character actor whose career spanned seven decades, died Saturday of natural causes at his home in the Hollywood Hills. He was 94 years old. Jones death was confirmed by his grandson, Erte deGarces. DeGarces shared that Jones died surrounded by his family. Born Justice Ellis McQueen on Aug. 19, 1927 in Beaumont, Texas, Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin where he met Sue Lewis, his wife of 23 years. The two divorced in the 1970s. McQueen took on his stage name, L.Q. Jones, with his first film role in the 1955 Raoul Walsh film Battle Cry. Jones would wear the name through his entire screen acting career. His most recent turn came in 2006 with Robert Altmans final film A Prairie Home Companion. Jones collaborated with several of the most established directors of mid-20th century Hollywood, including Walsh, Don Siegel for An Annapolis Story and Mervyn LeRoy for Toward the Unknown. He was also a regular supporting player in Sam Peckinpahs action-heavy westerns, with roles in The Wild Bunch, Ride the High Country, Major Dundee, The Battle of Cable Hogue and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Near the end of the century, Jones also took roles in Martin Campbells The Mask of Zorro, Roland Emmerichs The Patriot and Martin Scorseses Casino. Along with accruing 60 screen acting credits in film over his career, Jones was a regular in the world of TV. He mostly appeared in western series including Gunsmoke, The Virginian, Wagon Train, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Have Gun Will Travel and The Big Valley. Jones career also extended beyond screen acting, producing four independent features over his life. He produced, directed and wrote the 1975 feature A Boy and His Dog, which is adapted from Harlan Ellisons novella of the same name. Jones began the project as an executive producer, but took over writing and directing responsibilities as other collaborators fell through. A post-apocalyptic black comedy, A Boy and His Dog follows a teenager and his telepathic dog as they fight for survival in the southwestern U.S. of 2024, a time when nuclear fallout grips the world. Starring a young Don Johnson and Jason Robards, Jones fellow Peckinpah alum, the film has garnered the reputation of a cult classic over the years, with Jones stating that director George Miller cited it as an influence for his Mad Max series. Jones is survived by his sons, Randy McQueen and Steve Marshall, and by his favorite daughter, Mindy McQueen. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ricky Martinez The Lake Country Chevrolet dealership in Jasper has expanded its services and is now offering Bobcat lawn maintenance equipment and service. The dealership, located at 2152 N. Wheeler Street, began offering the new services in May, and plan on becoming a full line Bobcat dealer. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) Santa Fe, not Roswell, is the place this weekend to possibly spot some aliensor at least their stuff. The Santa Fe New Mexican reports that props from the now-cancelled CW TV drama, Roswell, New Mexico, are being sold at an estate sale inside the site of an old Kmart in Santa Fe. 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. Don't miss a headline: Sign up for our daily newsletter "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. I was trying to think of a topic for this weeks column and thought itd be fun to do a quick, unscientific survey around the office and my neighborhood. I went around and asked some 30-something staffers and neighbors one recent day to share the top two concerns on their minds, whether its regarding family, work, life in general. I guess I werent surprised that crime topped their concerns, considering all the recent mass shootings in schools, shopping centers and churches. How can we not mention the tragic July 4 shootings at a Chicago-area parade that killed at least 6 and injured 30 people? In Maryland, police say they thwarted a July 4 mass shooting in Richmond after following up on a tip and discovered multiple assault rifles and over 220 rounds of ammunition at a local home. Two men have been arrested and are facing charges of firearm possession. Overall, gun violence spiked over the holiday weekend with hundreds of shootings reported in nearly every state, according to a CBS news report. Finances and gas prices came in a close second and third. Soaring gas price was on my list, too; how can it not? It hurts to pay over $75 to fill up my gas tank (used to be nearly half of that!). I hear it from my college son, too, after he filled up his Subaru this past month. It made us wish a number of times recently we had an electric car, like my husband, whos enjoying not having to deal with filling up and paying up! But lets return to the top two concerns in my informal survey -- crime and money, which are why one co-worker answered first and foremost when surveyed: Local elections. He says for him, Everything starts with elected officials. He has a point: Our government dictates many things that affect our daily lives: taxes, police and fire department funding, school curriculum and safety, health care regulations (such as birth control), even protocols on events such as the still-concerning COVID-19 restrictions. And dont forget gun control, since were talking crime! It's very apparent when election cycles are near if one attends business, social and government-related functions, where candidates make their rounds to shake as many hands as they can (or fist bumps for many since the pandemic) with the hope we recognize their names when casting those ballots at the polls. Politicians are known to make promises big and small, practical and impractical, doable and not-so-doable. Its up to each citizen to educate him or herself and to be as informed as possible when electing someone into public office. Check their background and philosophies, and if they have held or are holding office, check their voting records. While these measures may not accurately reflect their platforms and their promises, they at least give a good idea a candidates sincerity and character. Candidate forums are good opportunities to meet a candidate in person and judge for yourself whether he or she deserves your vote. Not every country has the privilege of a free political system where citizens can elect a president, mayor, city or county council member, school board member, or other national and local office. If you care to voice your concerns about your schools and community, get involved and get to know the candidates, and vote. Make it count! Our participation could affect positively or adversely our safety, our pocketbooks and many other life issues. Let your voice be heard! U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) talks with Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha at the Government House in Bangkok during his first official visit to Thailand, July 10, 2022. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday urged Thailand along with ASEAN members and China to push Myanmars junta to end violence against its people and move back toward democracy following a meeting in Bangkok with Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Blinken called on the regions government leaders to push the junta, which overthrew Myanmars democratic government in February 2021, to live up to a plan agreed upon two months later. Earlier, he signed a pair of cooperative agreements with Thailands foreign minister. The United States is working with Thailand and all of ASEAN to push Burmas regime to fulfill the Five-Point Consensus, end its brutal violence and put Burma back on the path to democracy, Blinken said, using the old name for Myanmar and the acronym for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It is incumbent on China and in Chinas interest to see Burma move back to the path it was on, he also said. While junta government leader Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing agreed to the consensus in April 2021, his government has not implemented it. The consensus included an immediate end to violence in the country, the distribution of humanitarian aid, dialogue among all parties and the appointment of an ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar who would be permitted to meet with all stakeholders. Unfortunately, it is safe to say that we have seen no positive movement. On the contrary, we continue to see the repression of the Burmese people, Blinken said, noting members of the opposition are in jail or in exile. The regime is not delivering what is necessary for the people. More than 2,065 civilians have been killed in Myanmar since the coup, according to Thailands Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. After traveling to Thailand from Bali, Indonesia, where he had attended the G20 foreign ministers meeting last week, Blinken also met with his Thai counterpart, Don Pramudwinai. They signed the U.S.-Thailand Communique on Strategic Alliance and Partnership. Our countries share the same goals the free, open, interconnected, prosperous, resilient and secure Indo-Pacific. In recent years, we worked together even more closely toward that vision, Blinken said. Im especially pleased to be in Thailand at a time when we have an ally and partner in the Pacific of such importance to us in the region that is shaping the trajectory of the 21st century and doing that every single day. The communique, which noted the nations will celebrate their 190th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2023, listed long-term goals of expanding and strengthening the strategic partnership to prevent conflict, preserving a peaceful security environment, promoting free expression and civil and political rights, and achieving inclusive, sustainable and balanced economic prosperity. We pursue these goals as equals, for the benefit of the Thai and American people, as well as for the rest of the Indo-Pacific populations and the wider world. We seek to work together to ensure the resilience of critical supply chains, so that both our nations have access to the goods and resources required to preserve our safety, security and prosperity, it said. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sign a memorandum of understanding at the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangkok, July 10, 2022. [Stefani Reynolds/Pool via AP] Blinken and Don also signed a memorandum of understanding regarding the supply chain between the two nations. This ensures, strong, resilient and diverse supply chain cooperation, particularly in the category of industrial, technological innovation, Don said. Bali meeting Blinkens trip followed a five-hour meeting on Saturday with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bali and as the two superpowers focus on maintaining their relationships with Thailand and other Southeast Asian nations. Wang visited Bangkok before traveling to Bali. Speaking to reporters in Bali, Blinken said, What were about is not asking countries to choose, but giving them a choice, when it comes to things like investment in infrastructure and development systems. What we want to make sure is that were engaged in a race to the top, that we do things to the highest standards, not a race to the bottom where we do things to the lowest standards. Wang traveled to Bangkok on July 5 where he held similar meetings with Prayuth and Don. We both agree on many issues. We agreed to jointly build joint societies for the future of Chinese and Thais, making it a guideline to future joint cooperation for both countries. The objective of the joint societies is to stress that Chinese and Thai are no strangers but kin. The relationship is robust, Wang told reporters in Bangkok after meeting with Don. Blinken is to travel to Tokyo where he will offer condolences on Monday to Japanese officials following the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Dandy Koswaraputra in Jakarta contributed to this report. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm this evening, then some lingering showers still possible overnight. Storms may contain strong gusty winds. Low 66F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%. 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 Account Director Remuneration: negotiable Location: Johannesburg Remote work: Not Applicable Job level: Mid/Senior Own transport required: Yes Travel requirement: Occasional Type: Permanent Company: Duck And Craig Job description Overall delivery of client briefs through active team management and distribution of workload Manage all day-to-day activities of client accounts Understand the role of communication within the broader business context and development of the agency's relationship with the client, from advertising supplier to marketing communication partner to Brand Leader Ensure a clear understanding of the client's business requirements and translate this into clear deliverables for your team Ensure understanding of the relevant client contract and delivery requirements, including relevant legal/regulatory guidelines Ensure delivery of exceptional creative client solutions. Provide regular input into the strategic direction of each client account and keep the relevant teams up to date with any directional changes to strategy Seek opportunities to develop more business opportunities for your client, utilising additional services whenever possible Assess and manage along with management, business potential and profitability of your accounts In conjunction with your clients, continuously provide input into the strategic direction of each account and ensure communication of any directional changes to your team and the creative teams Manage and ensure strategic focus for both agency and client, Participate and advise on final creative work. Work in partnership with the creative teams to provide excellent creative solutions for your client's needs at all time Work with all departments to improve efficiencies and delivery on all accounts. Ensure a balance between maximising profit on an account, presenting the agency in the best possible light and developing and executing the best possible work Ensure invoicing and financial administration of the highest standards to ensure timeous collection of income and collection of fees for the agency Provide weekly reports to relevant stakeholders, both internally and externally Manage and oversee Client and project profitability. Requirements Relevant qualification Five years experience within an advertising or digital agency non-negotiable Proficiency in Digital A collaborative, problem solving, team-player attitude Good understanding of total campaign development Comfortable working independently under pressure, adhering to deadlines Able to handle many projects at once and be able to switch between executing daily work and taking on larger, complex projects Eye for detail Proficient in Microsoft Office applications (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Chase. Good time management and organisational skills An established integrated through the line agency based in Johannesburg is looking for an energetic Account Director who is passionate about their profession, to join their exceptional team for this role. We are looking specifically for an Account Director who is skilled in Strategic brand Management and has Digital expertise. As a AD, you will be required to actively contribute to client strategies for both existing and new clients, developing and maintaining long-standing client relationships and ensuring timely and high-quality delivery against client objectives. A passion for and understanding of digital is a must!Day-to-DayClientTeamworkFinancialThe successful candidate must have/be:Posted on 03 Jun 08:32, Closing date 1 Aug In response to Hungary's obstruction of the European Union's adoption of a 15% global minimum tax on corporate income, the Biden administration on Friday announced it will terminate a 43-year-old tax treaty with the country. Hungary blocked the EU's finalization of the 15% minimum tax scheme in June. Over the past dozen years, Hungary has slashed its corporate tax rate from 19% to just 9%. In October 2020, 136 countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)together representing more than 90% of the world's GDPagreed to move forward with the tax plan. Making it an actual reality, however, requires countries and economic blocs to pass legislation. At the time of Hungary's veto, the country's finance minister, Mihaly Varga, hinted that Budapest could still be persuaded: "The work is not ready. I think we have to continue the effort to find a solution." That could be a veiled reference to something else entirely that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking: billions of dollars in loans and grants from the EU's Covid-19 recovery fund. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban Budapest had originally requested 7.2 billion Euros in grants; after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Hungary said it would seek low-interest loans, too. Approval stalled over EU concerns that Hungary lacks safeguards against corruption as the money is disbursed. Poland had likewise opposed the adoption of the 15% minimum taxthat is, until the EU agreed to shell out almost 38 billion Euros in pandemic recovery loans and grants that was similarly delayed. Barring a change of course, the U.S. exit from the tax treaty with Hungary will happen in six months. The move puts new pressure on the last EU holdout. Tax treaties smooth international business by easing tax administration across borders. Turning off a tax treaty is a big deal and would be damaging to business arrangements between the U.S. and Hungary, Tax Foundation executive vice president Daniel Bunn tells The Wall Street Journal. In 2010, the United States and Hungary agreed to update the treaty so it would be less ripe for so-called "treaty-shopping," by which corporations and other taxpayers can take advantage of varying details in treaties to lower their tax burden. Senator Rand Paul blocked the update over privacy concerns, saying it and similar agreements give foreign governments access to Americans' private financial information. Paul's objection aside, the United States position has evolved: Hungary's corporate tax cuts have made the 2010 agreement no longer acceptable. "Hungary made the U.S. governments longstanding concerns with the 1979 tax treaty worse by blocking the EU Directive to implement a global minimum tax," a Treasury spokesperson tells Reuters. "If Hungary implemented a global minimum tax, this treaty would be less one-sided. Refusing to do so could exacerbate Hungarys status as a treaty-shopping jurisdiction, further disadvantaging the United States." The 15% minimum corporate tax is the second of two major components, or "pillars" in the proposed multinational tax scheme. The other pillar"Pillar One"seeks to force the largest multinational corporations to declare profits in the various countries they do business in, and pay more taxes in each one than they do now. Both pillars were to be part of Biden's "Build Back Better" plan, which is stalled in Congress. As an alternative to the EU adopting the minimum tax as an economic bloc, the individual countries that comprise the EU can adopt it on their own. However, doing so without assured reciprocation would be fraught with risk that a country would put itself in a bad competitive position. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has decried a downtrend in corporate tax rates as a "30-year race to the bottom." Leave it to government to exempt itself from the general understanding that price competition is a good thing...to say nothing of the destructive effects of income taxation. Indeed, a study commissioned by the OECD itself determined that corporate taxes are found to be most harmful for growth, followed by personal income taxes, and then consumption taxes." Make no mistake: What Biden, Yellen and the EU are seeking to impose is nothing less than an enormous price-fixing scheme that buffers governments around the world from healthy competitive pressures, to the detriment of productive people everywhere. Protests by Dutch farmers against climate change emissions cuts continued over the weekend despite the police crackdown. They are protesting against the new government policy that will force farm-owners to drastically reduce emissions in compliance with the European Union regulations. As farmers protests hit cities cross Holland, police made several arrests and, in one instance, opened fire at a tractor convoy. The defiant Dutch farmers protested by building Canada-style Freedom Convoys on the highways. They blocked supermarket warehouses, leaving shelves stand empty across the country. The empty supermarket shelves were a reminder of what would happen if the globalist climate policies force Dutch farmers out of business. The farmers in the Netherlands, Europes biggest exporters of meat, are fighting for their survival. Under the new emission restrictions passed by the countrys parliament, they will to be forced to reduce their livestock by 30 percent to meet EU guidelines meant to protect the climate and biodiversity. Pro-EU Climate activists gleefully watched the police crackdown on the farmers movement. You rip a plaster off a wound in one go, chief of Greenpeace Netherlands, Andy Palmen, demanded. Painful choices are now necessary. Yeah, farmers are not backing down.pic.twitter.com/ESgIdPEm9i Keean Bexte (@TheRealKeean) July 10, 2022 The Associated Press, on Sunday, reported the ongoing protests: Bales of hay lie burning along Dutch highways. Supermarket shelves stand empty because distribution centers are blocked by farmers. Then, at dusk, a police officer pulls his pistol and shoots at a tractor. Dutch farmers are embroiled in a summer of discontent that shows no sign of abating. Their target? Government plans to rein in emissions of nitrogen oxide and ammonia that they say threatens to wreck their agricultural way of life and put them out of business. () The Netherlands, a nation of 17.5 million people inhabiting an area a little larger than Maryland, has 1.57 million registered dairy cattle and just over 1 million calves being raised for meat, statistics show. The countrys farms produced exports worth 94.5 billion euros in 2019. () Unveiling a map detailing nitrogen reduction targets last month, the Dutch government called it an unavoidable transition. It said the coming year would finally bring clarity for Dutch farmers, whether and how they can continue with their business. The minister sees three options for farmers: become (more) sustainable, relocate or stop. The Dutch government aims to slash nitrogen emissions by 50% by 2030 and has earmarked an extra 24.3 billion euros ($25.6 billion) to fund the changes. Provincial authorities have one year to draw up plans for achieving the reductions. The Netherlands The food supply shortage in supermarkets. The Netherlands is the second-largest exporter of agriculture in the world. The farmers protest and blockade has huge repercussions for the global food supply chain. No farmers, no food.pic.twitter.com/aB9HSGrpO6 James Melville (@JamesMelville) July 9, 2022 Dutch farmers raised slogans like no farmers, no food, protesting emission regulations that threaten to destroy the farming sector in the Netherlands, the worlds second largest agricultural exporter after the United States. The protesting farmers where joined by the countrys fishermen, who also fear disastrous fallout of the new Dutch emission rules. They joined forces to block roads in the eastern Netherlands. Amsterdams Schiphol airport and KLM, the Dutch arm of Air France, advised travellers to use public transport, rather than cars, to reach the airport, as farmers activist groups said on social media they planned to use tractors to block roads, the French TV channel Euro News reported this week. Several traffic jams were reported on highways in the east of the country and on ferry routes in the north, but none near Schiphol during the morning commute, the broadcaster added. Dutch farmers movement also received support from fellow German farmers. The German farmers on Wednesday blockaded the Autobahn A57 und A61 in Niederrhein, near the border. They showed solidarity with their Dutch colleagues, the German state broadcaster ARD reported. [The excerpt from the German news report translated by the author] Riding Mountain National Park is making waves on the internet as one of the best national parks in the entire country to go stargazing. Advertisement Advertise With Us PHOTO BY CRAIG TAYLOR An aurora over Grayling Lake in Riding Mountain National Park. Photographer Craig Taylor allowed the Sun to use this photo among others that he has taken for a piece called Through the Lens at Riding Mountain in 2019. You can see that piece here: https://bit.ly/3c4vKTa Riding Mountain National Park is making waves on the internet as one of the best national parks in the entire country to go stargazing. Next Vacay is a travel website developed in 2014 by husband and wife team Naveen and Shaylee Dittakavi. Users enter the name of the airport they wish to fly from and the site searches through a database to find the cheapest flights available. It also features travel advice and reviews. Next Vacay looked at all of Canadas national parks to find the best places to stargaze. They searched online via Instagram hashtags and considered air pollution levels, star visibility and other parameters when making their list. Along with Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP), other national parks included on their list are Glacier National Park in British Columbia, Jasper National Park in Alberta, Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, Elk Island National Park in Saskatchewan and Bruce Peninsula National Park in Ontario. Lauren Knowles, who works at the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC), said shes not surprised that one of Manitobas national parks made the list of the best spots to see the stars in the country. "If you just look at a map of Canada you can see how much of it is not heavily populated, which means that there are a lot of spots where the skies are absolutely spectacular, and that arent affected by light pollution, Manitoba included." The RASC has three dark-sky site designations that recognize sites that are contributing to the reduction of light pollution, educating the public about dark sites and working with municipalities to improve lighting legislation. To receive a designation, sites must fulfil certain requirements in regards to lighting, sky quality and outreach. The three designations include dark-sky preserves, nocturnal preserves and urban star parks. Dark-sky preserves are areas in which artificial lighting is very limited and strictly controlled, and where active measures have been put in place to educate and promote the reduction of light pollution to the public and nearby municipalities. The public is able to enjoy visiting dark-sky preserves at night. Nocturnal preserves are similar, with a primary focus on protecting the nocturnal environment. Nighttime access for astronomical viewing is not always possible on these preserves, which deliver public education programs about the night sky, nocturnal environment and light pollution abatement. Urban star parks are areas that are protected like the aforementioned preserves, but are nearby urban areas. Spruce Woods Provincial Park, 77 kilometres southeast of Brandon, received dark-sky preserve status in 2020. Knowles said she could definitely see sites at RMNP one day receiving the same designation. It all depends on the willingness of people to commit to responsible lighting. George Hartlen, chief administrative officer of Friends of Riding Mountain National Park, said the park has been working toward dark-sky preserve status for some time now. Its quite a long process that the park has already embarked on. Various studies have been done to identify how much light exists in the park and where the best dark-sky areas are. "Theyve identified a fair number of sites in the park that are very dark-sky compliant already." The park hopes to work with Manitoba Hydro and other organizations in the future to receive the dark-sky preserve designation status. Hartlen said RMNP is a perfect place for such a preserve due to a number of factors. "We are higher than the surrounding landscape, so that blocks out a lot of light from surrounding communities. A lot of our park area here has very limited lighting, and so at nighttime it doesnt take much to get a beautiful sky view." Hartlens favourite spots for stargazing in the park include the end of the pier at Clear Lake in Wasagaming, around 100 kilometres north of Brandon, and a lookout in the north of the park that offers a view above the treeline. Quinn Greavett, finance officer at the Municipality of Harrison Park, about 95 kilometres from Brandon, said she hasnt heard anything about getting dark-sky preserve status for sites in the park but thinks its a good idea. "Onanoles urban area isnt too widespread as far as streetlights go. It wouldnt be hard to go off the beaten path here in Onanole to get a good stargazing spot." mleybourne@brandonsun.com Twitter: @miraleybourne KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti Said Ismahilov one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine had already resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his country. Former Mufti Sheikh Said Ismahilov, leads Muslim soldiers during prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Medina Mosque, Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, July 9, 2022. Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha by sacrificing animals to commemorate the prophet Ibrahim's faith in being willing to sacrifice his son. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) KOSTIANTYNIVKA, Ukraine (AP) By the time the Russians invaded, 43-year-old Mufti Said Ismahilov one of the Muslim spiritual leaders of Ukraine had already resolved that he would step aside from his religious duties to fight for his country. At the end of last year, as warnings of an imminent attack grew louder, Ismahilov began training with a local territorial defense battalion. By then he had served as a mufti for thirteen years. Born and raised in Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, Ismahilov had already fled Russia once before, in 2014, when Moscow-backed separatists captured his city. He eventually moved to a quiet suburb outside Kyiv called Bucha only to find himself, eight years later, at the heart of Moscows assault on Kyiv, and the site of atrocities that shocked the world. It felt as if the threat of Russian occupation would never end. Former Muslim Mufti-turned-fighter Sheikh Said Ismahilov, left, speaks with Muslim paramedic Olga Bashei, and Imam Haji Murad, center, aft4re prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Medina Mosque, Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) This time I made the decision that I would not run away, I would not flee but I would fight he said in an interview with The Associated Press in Kostiantynivka, a town close to the front lines in eastern Ukraine where a battle for control of the region is intensifying. Ismahilov began working as a military driver for paramedics evacuating the wounded from front lines or besieged towns. Tasked with driving in highly dangerous conditions, but also emotionally supporting the critically injured, Ismahilov says he sees his new job as a continuation of my spiritual duty before God. If you are not scared and you can do this, then it is very important. The Prophet was himself a warrior, Ismahilov says. So I follow his example and I also will not run, or hide. I will not turn my back on others. Ismahilov was one of dozens of Ukrainian Muslims who gathered at the mosque in Kostiantynivka Saturday to mark Eid al-Adha an important religious holiday in Islam. The mosque is now the last remaining operational mosque in Ukrainian-controlled territory in Donbas. Ismahilov told the AP that there are around 30 mosques in the region in total but that most are now in the hands of the Russians. Former Mufti-turned-fighter Sheikh Said Ismahilov, removes his 'thobe,' after leading Muslim soldiers during prayers on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Medina Mosque, Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) Last week, Russia captured the city of Lysychansk, the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in the eastern province of Luhansk. The governor of the Luhansk region said on Saturday that Russian forces are now pressing toward the border with the neighbouring Donetsk region. Muslims make up almost 1 percent of the population in Ukraine, which is predominantly Orthodox Christian. There is a large Muslim population in Crimea home to the Crimean Tatars and illegally annexed by Russian in 2014. Numbers there jump to 12%. There is also a sizeable Muslim community in eastern Ukraine, the result of waves of economic migration as the region industrialised and many Muslims immigrated to the Donbas region to work in the mines and factories. The conflict in 2014 forced many Muslims from Crimea and Donbas to relocate to other parts of the country where they joined long-established Tatar communities or built new Islamic centers alongside Turks, Arabs and Ukrainian converts. But the invasion has forced many to flee once again. The mosque in Kostiantynivka used to cater for a local Muslim population of several hundred people. On Saturday, few local residents were present, having journeyed west with their families. Instead the congregation was made up of soldiers or combat medics from different units: Crimean Tatars and Ukrainian converts from Kharkiv, Kyiv and western Ukraine. Rockets are launched through the air, near Medina Mosque, on the first day of Eid al-Adha, in Konstantinovka, eastern Ukraine, Saturday, July 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) In his sermon following the traditional Eid prayers, Ismahilov told the congregation that this years Eid had a symbolic significance in the midst of the war, and asked them to remember Muslims living in occupied territories, where many have lost their homes and several mosques have been destroyed by shelling. Referencing a series of arrests of Crimean Tartars in the wake of the 2014 annexation, Ismahilov said Muslims in occupied territories do not feel safe. There is a lot of fear. The war continues and we have no idea what is happening in the occupied territories and what situation Muslims are in there he said. Ismahilov told the AP that he considers Russian Muslims invading Ukraine, including Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrovs infamous Chechen battalions, as criminals. They are committing sins and they have come as murderers and occupiers, on a territory that is the home of Ukrainians and Ukrainian Muslims, without any justification. Allah did not give them that right says Ismahilov. They will answer for all this before God. Olha Bashei, 45, a lawyer turned paramedic from Kyiv who converted to Islam in 2015, says Russia is trying erase Ukraine from the face of the earth. Bashei began working as a frontline paramedic in Donbas in 2014. She considers this war her jihad, a term to denote a holy war or personal struggle in Islam. This war is my war, and I defend my jihad because I have nephews, I have a mother and I defend my home. I do not want my nephews to ever see what I, unfortunately, saw in this war she said. Islam even helps me because in Islam, in prayer, you somehow distract yourself from the war because you read the prayer and you have a connection with the Almighty. For me, Islam is a force that supports me even in war. As the soldiers prepared the customary sacrificial sheep for the Eid feast, a residential area in Kostiantynivka several kilometers away came under violent shelling. The incoming artillery shook the ground. Some soldiers ran to the mosques bunker. Others shrugged it off and continued to drink their tea and eat dates. The shelling caused several fires, injuring several inhabitants and burning roofs to cinders. Ismahilov said they would pray for victory and the liberation of the occupied territories. We pray that our Muslim compatriots will be safe, that our families will be reunited, that the slain Muslims will go to heaven, and that all the Muslim soldiers who are defending their country will be accepted as shahids (martyrs) by Allah. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Just because the end of the year is a frenzy of big releases and gift-giving doesnt mean the first half of the year cant hold its own in the world of childrens publishing. Indeed, to assume that a child only wants to read a book on their birthday or over the summer holidays is to misunderstand entirely. Finding the right book to capture their attention can be all it takes, and while there is neither time nor space to tell you about all the amazing releases since January, here are a few of the highlights that really caught our attention. Junior fiction titles continue to be dominated by fun and silly nonsense. Gustav and Henri by Andy Matthews and illustrated by Peader Thomas (Hardie Grant) marks the beginning of a highly illustrated, incredibly droll series, filled with jokes that had me laughing through time and space. Wife and husband team Laura and Philip Bunting take their juggernaut brand up a notch as they step into chapter books featuring a quirky bunch of Australian animals in The Wild Life Book I: A Berry Long Walk (Scholastic). And Zombie Diaries: Apocalypse Cow by Guy Edmonds and Matt Zeremes (Hardie Grant) will have readers in hysterics from age seven. However, its not all jokes and silliness for the younger readers, theres plenty of heart. The brand new Our Stories series from Pan Macmillan Australia channels the first-chapter-book vibe of Aussie Nibbles, showcasing stories from diverse cultures and creators. Maku by Meyne Wyatt and When Granny Came to Stay by Alice Pung and illustrated by Sally Soweol Han are the first two. Meyne Wyatt has written a book in the new series of chapter books called Our Stories. Credit:Edwina Pickles PD McPems Agency for Mysterious Mysteries: The Recorder Racket by Anna Battese, illustrated by Ruth-Mary Smith (Yellow Brick) is as delightfully whimsical as it sounds. Penelope Delores McPem sees mysteries everywhere. Especially when her recorder goes missing and her grandparents the only witnesses are none the wiser. A new series of young graphic novels by Remy Lai, Surviving the Wild, focuses on true animal stories and environmental issues in Rainbow the Koala and Star the Elephant (Allen & Unwin). Parents and children alike will love the tenacious hope of Moth in a Fancy Cardigan by Charlotte Lance and illustrated by David Booth, AKA Ghostpatrol (Berbay). Thor: Love and Thunder might be one of the more silly and comedic offerings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, but its Russell Crowes Zeus that stands out as perhaps the most bewildering character the superhero franchise has thrown up. Dressed in form-fitting gold chest armour and a white pleated skirt, Crowe plays the god of gods as a preening narcissist. Russell Crowe as Zeus in Taika Waititis Thor: Love and Thunder. Credit:Marvel Giving Crowes Zeus affectations, such as his effeminate voice, that have historically been used to project a stereotype of male queerness was surely a risky choice in this era of instant internet outrage. If writer-director Taika Waititi gets away with it unscathed it will owe much to the fact his Marvel tragi-rom-com also has a queer superhero (Tessa Thompson as king Valkyrie) and a gay man of rock (Korg, voiced by Waititi), ensuring the representation of sexual diversity isnt just a punching bag. Crowes Grecian accent, though, is out there on its own. Not since the 1980s heyday of Mark Mitchells Con the Fruiterer has an Anglo-Aussie so boldly thrown caution to the wind by pretending to be Greek. Crowe doesnt hedge his bets either. It wouldnt come as a surprise to hear his Zeus promise to destroy the world in a cuppla days, because even though its bewdiful, humankind doesnt madda much. A record number of Australians moved to another state or territory through the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with tens of thousands fleeing lockdowns and high infection rates in a demographic earthquake that could reverberate for years. Almost 500,000 people moved interstate in 2021, a 20 per cent increase on the previous record set in 2002, with Victoria suffering its biggest net loss of residents to other parts of the country since the state was enduring 12 per cent unemployment during the early-1990s recession. Sarah and Gideon van Zyl enjoying the Wallaman Falls near Townsville after moving to Queensland from Mildura. Despite border restrictions, people moved en masse to Queensland and Western Australia while regional centres across the country also welcomed new residents from far-flung parts of the nation. NSW also suffered its biggest net loss of residents to other parts of the country in more than three decades. Sarah van Zyl and her husband Gideon moved to the north Queensland city of Townsville from Mildura in Victorias north in a three-day road trip over the new year. A 20-year-old man has been charged with the murder, following the death of a 24-year-old man at Fortitude Valley station early Monday morning. Police were called to the Brunswick Street station about 4am on Monday, declaring it a suspicious death and setting up a crime scene. The body was found inside the complex, which has a food court and retail shops around the entrance to the train station. However, the crime scene has not disrupted access to trains. Inspector Sean Cryer said police monitoring Brisbane City Council CCTV saw a disturbance between two groups of people. A 34-year-old Sydenham man died at the scene. A second skydiver who landed in the same area was not injured. Investigators believe a group of people jumped from a plane in Torquay, with two landing near Breamlea Road. Police at the Connewarre scene where a 34-year-old man died in a skydiving accident on Sunday. Credit:Elisabeth Moss/Nine News Emergency services arrived at the scene near Breamlea Road in Connewarre, about 20 kilometres south-east of Geelong, at 10.30am. A man has died after a skydiving accident on Victorias Surf Coast on Sunday morning. A spokeswoman for Victoria Police said the Australian Parachute Federation was at the scene and would investigate the circumstances. The federations CEO Richard McCooey said that while it was too early to know exactly what happened, it appeared the mans parachutes did not deploy. We understand that the man had successfully completed 300 jumps and was doing his first jump in a wing suit, under the supervision of an experienced tutor, he said. We know very little beyond that at this stage, although it appears the man failed to deploy either of his parachutes. This is an awful situation and our thoughts are with the mans family and friends. Geelong Grammar School keeps a record of the names and home locations of every Aboriginal student who has attended the school since 2007, the year that it began to accept students from remote and regional communities on Indigenous scholarships. Sandra Brogden, Indigenous consultant at Geelong Grammar School, in the NITV documentary Off Country. The schools initial success rate in supporting those students through to graduation was not good. In the first five years, more than half went back home within a year or two, as the cultural gulf between the students and one of Australias oldest and wealthiest private schools, with links to the Anglican church and the British royal family, proved too big. In those early years, they [Geelong Grammar] were going into it with all of the best intentions, but they just didnt have the support structures set up and the understanding that the initial students that they took were from fairly remote communities, says Sandra Brogden, whom the school hired as its Indigenous consultant several years ago in an attempt to improve its retention rate. They didnt have the understanding of the kids, their communities, their families, where they came from and the challenges that they faced. Australia will urge key allies to collaborate to supercharge a transition away from fossil fuels when it hosts Pacific regional powers in a Quad energy meeting this week, opening the door to international investment in Australian clean technology as the world grapples with an energy crisis. If you think about the great economic challenge under way, if you think about the national security challenges under way, they all come back to energy, Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age ahead of Tuesdays Sydney Energy Forum. Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Credit:James Brickwood Its not a security conference as such but as we keep saying these are security issues, so that will be embedded into discussions, Bowen said. China is currently responsible for about 90 per cent of global critical minerals, which are needed for renewables and clean energy technologies. Developed nations, including the US, are hunting for alternative supplies to reduce their dependence on China and Australias abundant deposits of these materials is a focus for development. The Greens will push the Albanese government to expand the scope of its proposed federal anti-corruption watchdog by lowering the bar for launching investigations and giving it the power to probe people and businesses outside of government. The minor party, which has 12 seats in the new Senate, will be critical to the governments ability to legislate its national anti-corruption commission, if the Coalition is unwilling to support it. Greens senator David Shoebridge says the party will push for the new federal anti-corruption agency to have broader powers. Credit:James Alcock It also wants the watchdogs funding to be made independent of government, and is seeking assurances that strong protections for whistleblowers will be built into the commissions processes. Greens justice spokesman David Shoebridge, who enters the Senate after an 11-year stint in the NSW parliaments upper house, said Labors proposed threshold of serious and systemic corruption as the basis for the commissions investigative powers was too high. Last Wednesday, standing next to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said something increasingly obvious to everyone. Were seeing these events which we call one-in-1000-year flood events or one-in-100-year flood events now becoming one-in-one-year flood events. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese gets a briefing from emergency personnel on the flooding situation in NSW with Premier Dominic Perrottet on Wednesday. Credit:James Brickwood This is no criticism: politicians regularly fail, even in the face of dogged questioning particularly in the face of dogged questioning to state the obvious. This is a fact often missed in the debate, last week, over whether Scott Morrisons secret, lied-about holiday to Hawaii could be compared to Albaneses trip to Ukraine. The whole debate was petty, in part because it mostly skipped the context of that debacle. There was a sense that Morrison had gone missing (Labors term), not only by virtue of his literal absence, but by his refusal to engage on honest terms with the role of climate in natural disasters. He was, in other words, missing from the only discussion that mattered because he took too long to describe an event in terms that had long been obvious to everyone else. Changes in language are often fraught; their effects are not straightforward. We lose something, too, when we move away from the now-inaccurate one-in-100-year description. We risk normalising disaster, in the way that we have normalised too many other worrying features of our world. But in part because those effects are hard to assess it is usually better to stick with the simple principle of attempting accuracy at every moment. In this case, one-in-one-year provides an honest answer to the question most Australians have begun asking themselves: is this the new normal? Yes, it is. In general, though, politicians language is to be distrusted. It is too carefully constructed: too obviously an attempt to make us think a particular thing, as when the Coalition suddenly began describing asylum seekers as illegal maritime arrivals. In the case of the one-in-one-year floods, there is no reason to be suspicious: the evidence is visible. Brisbanes Story Bridge and other city landmarks will be lit up in the red and white of Japan on Sunday in tribute to the nations assassinated former prime minister Shinzo Abe. After an initial lag, Queensland leaders have now committed Brisbane to joining a nationwide show of solidarity with the Japanese People as the world mourns one of the centurys most significant political figures. Brisbanes City Hall, Victoria Bridge, the Tropical Dome on Mt Coot-tha and Reddacliff Place in the CBD will also light up on Sunday evening. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to slain former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Paying his respects to Abe and the Japanese people on Saturday, Albanese said he had spoken to premiers and chief ministers about what tributes could be put in place. Property investors are being warned to have sufficient and correct records when declaring rental income and deductions as the tax office is keeping a close eye on real estate claims once again. More than 2.2 million Australians hold rental property investments, and they claim as much as $50 billion in deductions each year, which is more than the $48 billion reported in rental income, according to the latest 2018-19 taxation statistics from the Australian government. The ATO has put property investors on notice that they will scrutinise rental income and deductions in particular at tax time this year. Credit:Rhett Wyman The Australian Tax Office (ATO) says four key areas will come under particular scrutiny at tax time this year, including rental property income and deductions as well as record-keeping of all claims. Elinor Kasapidis, senior manager of tax policy at CPA Australia, the countrys professional accounting body, said while these two areas have been on the ATOs radar in the past, they have taken a renewed interest after they diverted their attention to other matters when the pandemic first hit two years ago. London: Beyond the chaos in Westminster, Britain is falling apart. Eventually, possibly sooner rather than later, order will be restored. But whoever takes over is going to have a big mess to clean up. Anyone who has been in Britain over the past few months can feel it: that sense of deadness, randomness, flyblown disrepair and a new mediocrity. We have a cost of living crisis, a fuel crisis, a materials and food supply crisis only some of which can be blamed on the aftershocks of COVID and the war in Ukraine. People and things arent working at home as well as abroad. People face travelling disruption and long queues at Heathrow Airport amid the industrys ongoing staffing crisis. Credit:AP Tube stations close at random due to staff shortages. Airports are in total chaos and flights are being cancelled by the thousands. There are few visible police on the streets. Crime is soaring. Those who can afford private health care have reluctantly given up on the torturous public health system. Unions are stronger than ever and threatening widespread and crippling strikes; there are fears of the first general strike since 1926. These were meant to be the Roaring Twenties. Instead, theyre shaping up to be the Rubbish Twenties. Amsterdam: Lauded by Mick Jagger and vilified by their own prime minister, Dutch farmers are giving Europe a taste of the backlash it faces in its drive towards net-zero emissions. Huge protests have swept the Netherlands triggered by the introduction of laws designed to cut nitrogen and ammonia emissions by up to 95 per cent in certain areas from the countrys agricultural sector. Protesting farmers talk at a blockade outside a distribution centre for supermarket chain Aldi in the town of Drachten, northern Netherlands, on July 4. Credit:AP Inspired by the freedom convoys that began in Canada, where truckers brought major roads to a standstill in protests at COVID vaccine mandates, tractors are blockading supermarkets and industrial complexes across the Netherlands, at a cost of tens of millions of euros to businesses and the economy. The demonstrations, some of which have turned violent, materialise at short notice and are organised via secretive channels on the Telegram app. 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 Its been a little over a year since Aussie and Lendi merged to form Lendi Group and brokers have been harnessing the collective benefits as the Group prepares for a new era of growth. The marrying of Aussies iconic brand and extensive broker network with Lendis market-leading, proprietary technology has allowed the group to create seamless systems and processes that liberate its brokers, customers and lenders from the all-consuming admin of the property purchasing journey. Lendi Group CEO of distribution Brad Cramb (pictured) said it was important to deliver great broker experiences before being able to offer a great customer experience. Lendi Group is laser focused on creating the network of the future by delivering an unmatched broker value proposition that is human-led and tech-driven, Cramb said. Read more: Finance leaders help raise over $9 million for charity Weve been working hard to simplify process in a bid to increase broker productivity, ultimately supercharging growth for our brokers businesses, he added. Read more: Finance leaders help raise over $9 million for charity The evolution of Aussie Mobile Two existing Lendi working models Associates and Client Solutions have now been launched in the Aussie mobile channel. Cramb said company-generated enquiries are now fielded by an in-house associates team. The key role of this team is to make first contact with the customer to qualify them before directing them into an appointment with a broker or into a nurture pipeline for specialised contact depending on their individual situation, he said. This bespoke contact results in real-time, tech-driven triggers that direct the customer back into a brokers calendar when they are ready to transact. Brokers also have access to the in-house Client Solutions team who assist with loan packaging. Cramb said the primary enabler for these enhancements was the industry-leading, proprietary technology of the Lendi platform. One of our core values is making home loans human and the centralising of key processes is reducing operational burdens for our brokers, freeing them to focus on developing stronger relationships with customers, he said. Read more: A retail mortgage broker with a vision Strong results in pilot tests and early rollout The Associates and Client Solutions models were extensively piloted in the Aussie mobile network, and Cramb noted that the new initiatives have allowed our brokers to deliver better, faster outcomes for our customers. Pilot results included fast-tracked times to lodgement, fewer missing information requests, and turbocharged timeframes to unconditional approval. Cramb said the results from brokers who opted in since the official launch in May had echoed those observed in the pilots. Senior Aussie broker Reema Katrib achieved a 64% increase in quarters one and two of FY22 while on the Client Solutions pilot when compared with the corresponding quarters in FY21. Meanwhile, since enrolling in the Associates model, Aussie broker Grant Schwulst had seen a 50% increase in lodgements. Aussie brokers lauding new changes Cramb said the response was strong from existing Aussie brokers who had opted into the staged rollout of initiatives from May 2022. We onboarded our first cohort of 115 Aussie brokers in May and a further 55 brokers in June to date, he said. Cramb said new brokers joining Aussies mobile channel would be automatically enrolled in the new fully supported model, which combined with an enhanced onboarding program would mean faster speed to earning. Lendi Group is pleased at the enthusiasm with which Aussie mobile brokers had embraced these enhancements, he said. Read more: A retail mortgage broker with a vision Senior Aussie broker Reema Katrib said she was compelled to participate in the pilots and ultimately opt-in, because the broking world is forever changing. These models provide me with support so I can deliver a high level of service in-line with changing customer expectations, Katrib said. On the Associates model, Senior Aussie broker Peter Corta said all key customer documents were collected prior to the first customer appointment. I found this very handy and overall, it was a great process, he said. Senior Aussie broker Melanie Smith said it was refreshing to see Aussie trying new things to keep the momentum going. The key benefit for brokers was the additional time and capacity added back into our businesses by letting the broker spend more time interacting with more customers, she said. How Lendi Group enables brokers to face a key challenge Banker turned broker celebrates award win Growing Up Getty: The Story of Americas Most Unconventional Dynasty Author: James Reginato Publisher: Gallery Books Price: $28 Pages: 314 How cheap was the oil tycoon J Paul Getty, once known as the richest man in the world? So cheap that his mistress had to eat canned sardines for dinner while she was living in during the Depression waiting to become his fourth wife even while receiving invitations to Conde Nasts penthouse parties. So cheap that in the early 1960s, Getty installed a pay phone in the cloakroom of his newly acquired mansion outside London for the convenience of his guests. So cheap that, most notoriously, he refused to pay ransom when his oldest grandson, John Paul Getty III, was abducted by members of an Italian crime syndicate in 1973, saying in a statement: I have 14 other grandchildren, and if I pay a penny of ransom, Ill have 14 kidnapped grandchildren. Well, yep, nope and not exactly, writes James Reginato, in Growing Up Getty, a brisk and sympathetic chronicle of the man and his many descendants. That phone booth, ripped out after 18 months, was actually the idea of Gettys lawyer Robina Lund, Lund told Reginato, after news-wire correspondents racked up long-distance bills to Los Angeles of $40,000 in todays money while covering his housewarming party, which was attended by 1,000 people. An antique sugar sifter worth $11,200 (in yesterdays money) was also nicked from the bash, The Times reported then soon found, in of all places, a nearby public telephone booth. Way to reward hospitality. A distant father but a doting grandfather, according to Mr Reginato, Paul I was deeply distressed about Paul IIIs kidnapping and, in cahoots with journalists, projected a public image of disinterest for leverage over the perpetrators. I shudder at the boys peril, Getty wrote in his diary after the abductors mailed the victims severed ear to a newspaper in Rome. For context, weeks before this ordeal began, Gettys son George the first of five sons over as many marriages had died after taking a combination of alcohol, uppers and downers and stabbing himself in the abdomen with a barbecue knife. Tragic! Shattered, the patriarch recorded in the diary. And two years before that, Talitha Pol, the beautiful Dutch actress and muse of fashion designers who was married to John Paul Jr., had perished of a heroin overdose at 30. (Shocked and sad.) Though a series of dramatic calamities has befallen the perhaps overextended Getty clan (Paul Is fourth son, Gordon, a composer who recently wrote an opera based on Goodbye, Mr. Chips, concealed an entire second family for years), Mr Reginato dismisses the idea that they are, as has been suggested of the Kennedys, cursed, or even particularly dysfunctional among their kind. The author, a writer-at-large for Vanity Fair and contributor to Sothebys magazine, has logged significant hours in the drawing rooms of the American aristocracy and some of his pages do have the gently draped feeling of an auction catalogue. But he wants to shake the dust from the name of Getty: To show that the majority are not drug-addled wastrels but productive citizens. One innovated a screw-top Cabernet that got a rare score of 100 from the wine eminence Robert Parker. One is a DJ; at least two design clothes (one brand is named Strike Oil); they all tend to throw a hell of a wedding. Others have been contributing quietly or splashily to important philanthropic causes like feminist art, rights and saving the whales. Gordons primary wife, Ann, a onetime California farm girl and general dynamo, not only started a decorating business (her own bathroom had a Degas) but for a time owned Grove Press, publishing Arthur Millers memoir and Harold Pinters only novel. Her father-in-law, the towering oil baron who mined the Neutral Zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, is captured here in innocent Richie Rich-like moments: Whooping as he invited Lund to jump up and down with him on an antique settee; kneeling down late at night with visitors to show off his Oriental carpets; fearful of flying to the end of his days. Almost a bit of a hippie, offers one grandson. But also deeply media-conscious, noting an episode of I Love Lucy, for example, when the show invoked his name. And, per his fifth wife, Teddy, who published a memoir three years before she died at 103, great in the sack. These days, the association of the family name with oil has faded; many know only the monumental art museum Getty built in Los Angeles (where he is interred along with George and his fifth son, Timmy, who died at 12 after cosmetic surgery to heal scars following the removal of a brain tumor). It might not have completely clicked that the gargantuan stock-photography service Getty Images, which supplies The Times and others with pictures, was founded by Paul IIIs brother, Mark. At various points, readers might yearn for a grid with colour-coded pegs to keep track of all the names and relationships. Certainly some Gettys are square pegs. But there they are bobbing up and down with the rest of us on Twitter and Instagram, where one mariculturist posted of loving seaweed so much that hell sometimes chew on a nice-looking frond while waiting for the next set of waves. The rich may be different, in Mr Reginatos telling, but they are not indifferent. Or as Paul I once declared: The meek shall inherit the earth but not its mineral rights. 2022 The Times News Service Texas-based IT firm Accolite Digital plans to raise headcount by over three-fold in India to around 8,500 in the next three years, a top company official said. Accolite Digital founder and CEO Leela Kaza told PTI that the company is aiming to grow revenue by five-fold to USD 500 million and increase global headcount by around 4-fold to 10,000 people by 2025. "The vision is to scale our business to half a billion by 2025 and double down in our three core verticals BFSI (Banking and Financial Services, Insurance): TMT (Technology, Media and Telecom) and healthcare. We are deeply entrenched in digital product engineering, cloud and DevOps, data and AI, customer experience, cyber security, and design services," Kaza said. He said that the company is consistently growing the business at industry leading growth rates anywhere between 35 to 50 per cent and the revenue is in triple digit towards north of USD 100 million. The company at present has 2,600 professionals globally out of which 2,400 are based out of India where it has 6 digital labs located in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Gurugram, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune. "We aspire to have a workforce of 10,000 by 2025. Looking to add another 2,500 laterals by the end of calendar year 2022. India headcount will account for 85 per cent of projected 10,000 headcount in 2025. Other than existing geographies we are present in, we are looking to scale operations in Latam (Latin America), Eastern Europe and Sri Lanka," Kaza said. He said that private equity capital firm New Mountain Capital has picked up a majority stake in the company and the company is on an acquisition spree in the vertical where it operates. "We recently acquired Xerris -- a Canada-based cloud and software development services provider -- our first acquisition for the company. It gives us a good footprint in Canada and also the cloud space. We will look at similar such acquisitions to drive revenue growth and we are actively looking at Eastern Europe for acquisition. Region wise, we are looking to grow in the US, Canada, and UK. We are also setting up operations in Mexico," Kaza 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.) HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday instructed the state administration to be on its toes in the wake of the incessant rains across the state. He instructed Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to hold a video conference with collectors of all districts over the rain situation and take steps to ensure that all officials in identified flood-prone areas are on the alert, and rescue teams are positioned in such areas. Chandrashekar Rao said that with a red alert in Maharashtra and Telangana state over the rains, he will be monitoring the situation regularly, and that he would also be holding a video conference with officials on the situation, according to a news release from the Chief Ministers Office. Rains in Maharashtra typically result in large inflows into the rivers in Telangana as these flow from the upper riparian state of Maharashtra into Telangana. He also directed all the ministers, MLAs, MLCs, MPs to monitor the situation in their respective districts and constituencies and be available for people to provide any rescue and relief assistance. Chandrashekar Rao appealed to the people not to take unnecessary risks because of the flood situation in some areas and the potential for flooding, and that unless required, they should avoid travelling and take necessary precautions. Irrigation department officials should be alert, the Chief Minister said, particularly in view of heavy inflows into Godavari and Pranahita rivers, and take steps as required to ease the situation. Some aircraft technicians at are on sick leave since Friday demanding a revision in salaries. The protest comes days after the airline partially restored salaries of its pilots and cabin crew and made changes to its human resource (HR) policies. Some technicians in Hyderabad reported sick on Friday night while those from other bases skipped work on Sunday demanding a revision in salary, an industry source said. did not comment on the protest. An executive said there was no impact on its flights. Technicians work under the supervision of aircraft engineers and carry out routine maintenance. Across the sector, technician salaries are low and Covid-19 pandemic worsened the problem as some airlines resorted to pay cuts. is not the only airline facing labour troubles. Last November, the engineering staff at SpiceJet held a protest demanding restoration of salaries and leaves. In March, technicians employed by AI Engineering Services went on a flash strike seeking salary revision, renewal of employment contract, and payment of dearness allowance among other things. The salaries were restored after more than half the flights operated by IndiGo faced delays last week as a large number of cabin crew members reported sick just hours before departure. The changes to IndiGos HR policies come after more than half of its flights faced delays on July 2 as a large number of cabin crew members reported sick just hours before departure. With the Tata-led Air India hiring aggressively and two new airlines and looking to start operations this year, IndiGo expects higher attrition levels among its crew. A sizeable number of IndiGo's aircraft maintenance technicians went on sick leave during the last two days in Hyderabad and Delhi to protest against their low salaries, sources said on Sunday. On July 2, around 55 per cent of IndiGo's domestic flights were delayed as a significant number of its cabin crew members took sick leave, with sources in the industry saying they ostensibly went for Air India's recruitment drive. had cut salaries of a large section of its employees when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak. New airline Akasa Air, revamped Jet Airways and Tata group-owned Air India have started hiring processes and this has created a churn in the aviation industry, with many employees looking at greener pastures. Sources said during the last two days, a sizeable number of IndiGo's technicians went on sick leave so as to not invite any disciplinary action while protesting against low salaries. did not respond to PTI's request for a statement on this matter. (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 JSW group has initiated talks with several (PE) funds, including American investment management firm Apollo Global Management, to acquire its renewable power producer, (India) Pvt Ltd (MEIPL). The firms acquisition amount will be announced next month, banking sources said. The current enterprise valuation is $2 billion. JSW groups has a target to add 15 gigawatt (Gw) of renewables in its portfolio with an investment of $10 billion by 2030. Mytrah has a portfolio of wind and solar power projects with a capacity of 1.8 Gw. MEIPL is a subsidiary of Bindu Vayu (Mauritius), which is fully owned by (MEL). MEL was earlier listed on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM), a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange. Its main promoter, Ravi Kailas, chairman of Mytrah Group, holds 93 per cent of shares in MEL. A JSW group spokesperson declined to comment on the issue. Lenders are currently looking at various parameters to finance the transaction, including the power purchase agreement (PPA) and its clauses. If the (MEL) projects have additional payment security mechanisms, compensation for grid unavailability, and financial protection in case of an offtaker default, then the investors would look at financing the acquisition, said a banker working close with the developments. MELs operational assets as separate special purpose vehicles are currently spread across 17 wind farms and 21 ground-monitored solar power farms in Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, according to the company's website. MEL sells power mostly to state grids through 13-25-year PPAs. has a market valuation of Rs 35,000 crore as of Friday with a share price of Rs 212. Most of the top Indian conglomerates, including Tata, Adani, JSW and Reliance Industries are investing billions of dollars in the renewable power sector. The share of renewable energy in total electricity generation capacity has touched 37 per cent in 2021 from 31 per cent in 2012. Of this, solar power has expanded the fastest, touching 60 Gw in 2021 from less than 1Gw in 2011. The growth in renewables can be attributed to a combination of improving economics and supporting policies by the Centre. India aims to generate 500 Gw of electricity through renewable energy sources by 2030 as compared to 158 Gw at the end of 2021. To meet this goal, the renewables sector needs $241 billion of investments by 2029. Kochi-based mid-sized player Muthoottu Mini Financiers is looking to grow its loan sales by over 60 per cent in this fiscal to around Rs 4,000 crore as it embarks on a faster expansion. The company, hailing from the same Muthoot family, closed FY22 with over 25 per cent growth and an AUM of Rs 2,500 crore which grew from Rs 1,994 crore in the previous fiscal. The larger family entity Muthoot Finance is a listed company with over Rs 60,000 crore of AUM while the other one Muthoot Fincorp is the third-largest player with around Rs 10,000 crore of live loans. The average loan growth rate in the previous three years was 22 per cent, and improved to 25 per cent in FY22 and hopes to clip at over 45 per cent this fiscal. The managing director Mathew Muthoottu told PTI on Friday that he expects to clip around 45 per cent this fiscal and take the assets under custody past Rs 4,000 crore aided by the ongoing massive expansion under which it will open 170 branches this year, taking the footprint to close to 1,000 by the end of next March. He said most of the new branches will come up in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi-NCR and Andhra-Telangana. The chief executive PE Mathai said with the rating upgrade to A-, which is three notches up in the past three years, the company hopes to tap more growth capital from banks. Currently, they borrow heavily from the market and its debt funding, through NCDs, stood at Rs 1,600 crore in FY22 and bank loans at Rs 1,005 crore. "We want to make the funding source equal from this year and hopefully, the rating upgrade should help," Mathai said, adding funding from just seven banks till a few years ago, currently they have relationships with more than 20 banks now. The company serves over 4 lakh customers and has 10 tonnes of gold under custody now. Last year, it added 1.7 lakh new customers and the same stood at 55,000 this year so far. The company has over 830 branches spanning the home state of Kerala, where it has 170 branches, Karnataka, Andhra, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Maharashtra, Goa, Delhi, Gujarat and Haryana and are manned by around 4,000 employees. (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.) Banks and shareholders have given their approval to hive off cargo and logistics company SpiceXpress from airline and the bifurcation will be done by the first week of August, the carrier's CMD has said. had on August 17 last year announced it was transferring its cargo and logistics services on a slump sale basis to its subsidiary SpiceXpress as it will allow the company to raise funds independent of the budget carrier and rapidly grow. is under the regulatory scanner right now. Just five days back, the airline was issued a show-cause notice by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) after its aircraft were hit by at least eight incidents of technical malfunction since June 19. The DGCA -- while stating that the budget carrier has "failed" to establish safe, efficient and reliable air services -- gave it three weeks' time to respond to the notice. The airline has been making losses for the last four years. It incurred net losses of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively. In April-December period of 2021, the airline posted a net loss of Rs 1,248 crore. However, the revenue from SpiceXpress has been increasing. In October to December period of 2021, SpiceXpress saw its revenue jump 17 per cent on a quarter-on-quarter basis to Rs 584 crore. While talking to PTI last week, Singh said: "We have got the shareholders' approval for that (hiving off SpiceXpress from SpiceJet). We have got the approval from our banks to do that. I think in the last phase...we should be done by the first week of next month." "It will be a separate company called SpiceXpress. It will be owned by SpiceJet but it will be a separate company," he added. While announcing the plan to hive off SpiceXpress on August 17 last year, the airline had said the logistics business has been valued at Rs 2,555.77 crore based on an independent valuation exercise carried out by the company and "the purchase consideration for the same shall be discharged by SpiceXpress by issuance of shares of SpiceXpress to SpiceJet, subject to all approvals as may be required". SpiceXpress has a network which spans over 68 domestic and over 110 international cities, including those in the US, Europe and Africa. Singh had on August 17, 2021 said the proposed transfer of business to SpiceXpress will allow the new company to rapidly grow its innovative logistics platform and its unique fulfilment-as-a-service business model. "SpiceXpress will also be able to raise capital independent of SpiceJet to fund this growth. We are confident that the performance of SpiceXpress as an independent entity will leverage and unlock significant value for SpiceJet and all its shareholders," he had 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.) The Saturday said it has filed a money-laundering chargesheet against and a few other entities, a day after the agency imposed a penalty of over Rs 61 crore against the global NGO and its former head Aakar Patel for alleged violation of the Indian foreign exchange law. A day after the ED issued a showcause notice of Rs 61.72 crore against and its former head Aakar Patel, the agency on Saturday said it has filed a money-laundering chargesheet against the organisation and a few other entities. issued a series of Tweets and said the charge of money laundering against it was "patently untrue" and "trumped-up." The ED said a prosecution complaint has been filed before the court of Principal City Civil and Sessions Judge, Bengaluru city against Amnesty International India Private Limited (AIIPL), Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) and others. The court has taken congnisance of the chargesheet filed under the criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and issued summonses to the accused, the (ED) said in a statement. The money-laundering case was filed by the ED after taking cognisance of a CBI FIR against the accused, whom the CBI had booked for alleged violations of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 and under section 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The ED said that during "2011-12, Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under the FCRA, 2010 for receiving foreign contribution from Amnesty International, UK". "The permission/registration has been subsequently revoked to this entity on the basis of adverse inputs received," it added. Subsequently, two new entities -- AIIPL and IAIT -- were formed in 2013-14 and 2012-13 respectively to escape the FCRA route and these entities received foreign exchange "in the guise of" service export and FDI, the federal agency said. It said as the FCRA licence of AIIFT was "revoked" by the Centre, a "new method" was adopted by Amnesty entities to receive money from abroad as Amnesty International, UK sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of export of services and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). There was no documentary proof for export proceeds or advances received for export of services to Amnesty International, UK such as invoices and copies of the agreement between AIIPL and Amnesty International, UK and the same has not been furnished by AIIPL to the authorised dealer (AD) banks, the ED alleged. "Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd and others have committed scheduled offence by claiming to be carrying out 'civil society work', however receiving forex in a profit-making company, thereby mis-utilising the FDI, proved by absence of any details/documents relating to exports made and layering of remittances received by AIIPL, a company into IAIT, a charitable trust. "In this case, both the entities have acquired proceeds of crime and layered the same in the form of various movable properties," the agency said. Amnesty defended itself saying, "We reiterate that the allegations of @dir_ed, a financial investigation agency under @FinMinIndia, that Amnesty International India was involved in 'money laundering', are patently untrue." "The malicious intent of the is evident from the fact that they have yet again issued multiple press releases even before legal notices have reached @AIIndia (Amnesty India) and @Aakar__Patel. This is a violation of the principles of natural justice," it said. The international human rights organisation said "since September 2020, the bank accounts of Amnesty International India remain frozen with no means to pay full dues to ex-employees or for the services of lawyers engaged to fight the multiple court cases initiated by the Government of India." "As a member of the @UN_HRC, (UN Human Rights Council) India is required to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights." "On the contrary, putting a squeeze on its critics through trumped-up charges under repressive laws has become routine for this Indian Government," it tweeted. The show-cause notice issued on Friday under the civil law of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) penalised AIIPL for Rs 51.72 crore and Patel for Rs 10 crore. Patel had said they will challenge the ED action undertaken under in court. (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.) Veteran counsel Ashoke Kumar Chakraborty has been appointed as the Additional for the Calcutta High Court, it was announced on Saturday. The appointment was announced by Department of Legal Affairs under the Union Law and Justice Ministry. The post was lying vacant for three months following the sudden resignation of senior counsel Y.J. Dastoor in April. For the last three months, the responsibility was handled jointly by senior counsel Billwadal Bhattacharya and Dhiraj Trivedi. However, finally, Chakraborty has been appointed to expedite the pending cases relating to the Union government in the . Chakraborty's appointment is also expected to give a fillip to central agencies like the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in cases before the high court which the two are probing A letter from Additional Secretary, Legal Affairs, Anju Rathi Rana, reached Chakraborty's office on Friday, offering him the post for a term of three years. He accepted the offer and said that his main target will be to expedite the pending cases of the Union government in the . --IANS src/vd (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 leaders on Saturday attacked the BJP, accusing it of maintaining close links' with individuals caught in terror activities. Citing several instances that allegedly revealed the saffron party's connection with terrorists, leaders in at least three cities in eastern India wondered how the saffron camp preach nationalism to citizens. The does not believe in playing politics over serious issues like terrorism, party MP Ranjeet Ranjan said, addressing a press conference in Guwahati. In Patna, senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam claimed that Riaz Attari, the prime accused in killing the Udaipur tailor, was also a member. The case is being investigated by the Investigation Agency (NIA). Congress leader Wing Commander Anuma Acharya (retd) alleged in Bhubaneswar that Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Talib Hussain Shah who had been captured by people and was later arrested was a office-bearer in Jammu and Kashmir. The Congress held press conferences in 23 cities across the country alleging that the BJP's nationalism claims are fake. Hitting back at the Congress, the in New Delhi cited various past incidents to allege that the grand old party can join hands with even terrorists to be in power. Multiple revelations of close links between the BJP and individuals caught in terror activities force us to ask some straight questions to a ruling party that loses no opportunity to preach to Indians about nationalism, Ranjan, a Rajya Sabha member, said. She claimed that militant-turned-politician Niranjan Hojai is currently a BJP leader in Assam, even though he was convicted by an NIA court in 2017 in a case relating to diverting government money to fund terror activities. In the same year, the Madhya Pradesh Anti- Squad arrested a BJP IT Cell member along with 10 accomplices for spying for ISI, the intelligence agency of Pakistan, Acharya claimed in Bhubaneswar. Former BJP leader and ex-sarpanch Tariq Ahmad Mir of Jammu and Kashmir was arrested two years ago on the charge of terror funding, Nirupam said in Patna. The three leaders also pointed out during press conferences that dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar was released by the BJP-led government in 1999 during the Kandahar hijacking. Azhar went on to found the Jaish-e-Muhammad terror group that was responsible for the 2001 Parliament attack and the 2008 Mumbai attacks. The outfit also masterminded the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed, they 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.) on Sunday reported 2,591 new positive cases, but did not record any death linked to the infection, the state health department said. With the addition in cases, the overall tally rose to 80,04,024, while the death toll stood at 1,47,976. A total of 2,894 patients recuperated during the day, raising the recovery count to 78,37,679. There are 18,369 active cases at present in the state, where the recovery rate is 97.92 per cent and the fatality rate is 1.84 per cent, he said. With 37,113 tests conducted during the day, the overall test count rose to 8,23,82,440. Mumbai reported 399 fresh cases. With this, its overall tally rose to 11,17,873, while the death toll is 19,624. Mumbai division, which comprises the city and its satellite townships, reported 864 new cases, which took its tally to 3,26,743, while the death toll stood at 39,922. Division-wise, Nashik reported 177 new cases, Pune 958 cases, Kolhapur 76 cases, Aurangabad 174 cases, Latur 46 cases, Akola 128 cases and Nagpur 168 cases. Maharashtra's figures are as follows: Positive cases: 80,04,024, death toll 1,47,976, recoveries 78,37,679, active cases 18,369, tests so far 8,23,82,440. (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.) motorists struggle to negotiate their vehicles at the Santhoshnagar main road in Hyderabad on Sunday evening after rains led to waterlogging. (P. Surendra/DC) Hyderabad: With heavy to very heavy rainfall expected in Telangana state, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an imminent flash flood warning in the eight districts of North Telangana, including Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Peddapalli, Asifabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, and Adilabad. For the next two days, the IMD has also issued red and orange alerts in several districts. According to an IMD flash flood bulletin for the state, the land surface model shows 100 per cent saturation of all watersheds in the Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Peddapalli, Jagityal, and Nirmal districts, 100 per cent saturation of a few watersheds in Rajanna Sircilla, Mancherial, and Nizamabad districts, and 95 per cent saturation of a few watersheds in Karimnagar and Asifabad districts. Amid recent torrential rains that have soaked the state, causing waterlogging and a flood-like situation, the IMD has also issued red alerts for the districts of Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal, Nizamabad, and Jayashankar Bhupalpally for Monday and Tuesday, with heavy to very heavy rain expected in isolated areas in these districts. The districts of Peddapalli, Mulugu, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, and Kamareddy have received a red alert warning for Tuesday. Several other districts have been issued orange alerts for both the days. Heavy rains continued in Telangana's northern districts on Sunday. According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society (TSDPS), the districts of Mancherial, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Peddapalli, and Jagityal until 7 pm on Sunday had received heavy rainfall. So far, the highest rainfall in the state has been recorded at Kollur in Mancherial district, which received 180.8 mm. Meanwhile, parts of Hyderabad experienced light to moderate rain with heavy downpours on Sunday. Sivarampally received the highest rainfall (50 mm) until 7 pm, followed by Rajendranagar (32.8 mm) and Shastripuram (31.3 mm). The IMD forecast "generally cloudy sky" for the city for the next two days. Light to moderate rain or thundershowers, with the possibility of intense spells, are very likely in the city," the IMD noted. Stressing that organised and coordinated have profound security implications, Union Home Minister Saturday directed the formation of a committee headed by home secretary to evolve a strategy to tackle the menace, officials said. Shah issued the direction during the meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Jaipur where attendees -- including chief ministers and lieutenant governors -- expressed concern over cyber crime and emphasised the need to make an effective strategy to deal with it. The council comprises Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territory of Chandigarh. The regional councils provide a forum for discussion in a structured manner on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and the states. The home minister said zonal councils are important forum for achieving amicable settlement of interstate issues and enhancing regional cooperation between states. Shah said organised and coordinated have a profound impact on security, public system and economic activities, and there was a need for all to work together to ensure security of national cyberspace and overall civil security. He called for a strict action against cyber criminals in various hotspots of through better coordination among central and state security agencies. "The Northern Zonal Council discussed the growing threat of cybercrime and held a discussion on strategies for its prevention. The Home Minister stressed upon the states and Union Territories to conduct awareness campaigns on cyber-vigilance through various mediums," an official release said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot raised the issue of granting national project status to the state's ambitious East Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP). Shah advised the central and state government agencies to use common software developed by the union ministry of home affairs, work together to identify the issues of concern and trace the offenders and take strict action against them. "In this context, it was decided that a committee under the chairmanship of the Union Home Secretary with all the concerned departments and state governments would prepare a strategy to tackle the growing menace of cyber crime," the release said. Shah also stressed on the need to train police officers, public prosecutors, telcom companies and their PoS agents with new technology and advanced skills. He called for the maximum use of IT tools to detect cyber crimes and take systematic measures to prevent their recurrence. The sharing of river water among member states was also discussed in the meeting with Punjab and Haryana raising the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal issue. Shah asked the states concerned to take an amicable approach and find a time-bound solution. There are five zonal councils in the country which were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. "All the stakeholders should come together to establish a strong cooperative mechanism for development. The regional councils were created for this purpose," Shah said. He said that more than 75 percent of the issues in the council have been resolved through consensus in three years of his experience. "A very good process has started and we all should continue with it, we are moving towards achieving 100 per cent results on issues of national consensus," he said. A total of 47 issues were discussed in the 30th meeting of the council out of these four were identified as important topics of national level. "Out of these 47 issues, 35 issues were resolved. This shows the resolve of the Government led by Narendra Modi and its commitment towards all-round development of the country with the spirit of federalism," the release said. "It has been the emphasis of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the meetings of the zonal councils should be regular, result-oriented and successful in finding solutions to the pending issues" the release added. Other issues discussed in the meeting included improving banking services in rural areas, monitoring cases of rape and sexual offenses against women and children, setting up fast-track courts for such cases and implementing the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The meeting was attended by the chief ministers of Rajasthan (Ashok Gehlot), Haryana (Manohar Lal Khattar), and Himachal Pradesh (Jai Ram Thakur); the Lt Governors of Delhi (Vinai Kumar Saxena), and Ladakh (Radha Krishna Mathur); and Administrator of Chandigarh Banwarilal Purohit. Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and senior ministers of the member states also attended the meeting. (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 on Saturday proposed to construct a new drain similar to the Najafgarh drain for the treatment of polluted water from neighboring states, according to a statement. Union Home Minister has issued directions to set up a committee under the chairmanship of Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla to check the feasibility of the proposal, it said. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena put up the proposal at the 30th Northern Region Council meeting in Jaipur after Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia raised the matter of Haryana discharging industrial and chemical effluent into the Najafgarh drain, the largest drain in Delhi which accounts for around 60 per cent of the wastewater discharged from the capital into the Yamuna. The deputy CM supported the proposal. He said Haryana discharges 5,000 cusecs of industrial and chemical effluent into the Najafgarh drain. Delhi and Uttar Pradesh will have to bear the consequences if the issue is not resolved. Mass deaths of fish were reported recently in the Najafgarh drain. Experts said high pollution load from Haryana could have led to the incident. Sisodia also demanded that the construction of Renukaji Dam be expedited and the central government decide the quantum of water to be given to Delhi. Renukaji Dam is being constructed on the river Giri in Sirmour District of Himachal Pradesh. We understand the requirement of water in Delhi, but it is not possible to decide the same at this time, the statement quoted Shah as saying. The Union home minister said that a committee will be constituted to decide the amount of water to be given to Delhi. Delhi has given Rs 214.84 crore to Himachal Pradesh for Renukaji Dam and has agreed to bear 90 per cent of the cost of power component in this project. The interstate agreement on the Renukaji Dam prioritizes allocation for drinking water needs of Delhi. The city government is also pursuing early and time-bound implementation of Lakhwar Dam and Kishau Dam in Dehradun. Kishau Dam is coming up on the River Tons and Lakhwar Dam is being constructed on the Yamuna. Sisodia said the construction work is either very slow or has not started yet and needs continuous monitoring. Sisodia also said the city government is working to convert public transport into CNG and electric-transport. It has also set a target of 25 per cent electric vehicles among total vehicle registrations in Delhi by 2025. He said Haryana and Uttar Pradesh also need to make similar efforts to reduce pollution in Delhi. The neighboring states need to convert their inter-state buses into CNG or e-vehicles or should use buses of BS-6 standard. The inter-state council should also include this issue in their agenda and discuss it in the upcoming meetings, he 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.) Union Education Minister on Saturday underlined the need to develop world class higher educational institutions to prepare 21st century-ready students. "We need to develop forward looking, responsive, world class higher educational institutions to prepare 21st century-ready students. We have to work to ensure access, inclusivity, equitability, affordability and quality in higher education," he said while addressing the valedictory session of 3-day Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) at Varanasi. The ABSS concluded on Saturday with education leaders resolving to work collectively for transforming India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society. The Minister said "we must bring in a transformative education system rooted in Indian values, thoughts and sense of service". He said that this Shiksha Samagam is a step towards establishing India as a knowledge-based superpower. "National Education Policy 2020 gives us the direction and path for decolonizing our education and achieving aspirations, creating pride in our languages, culture and knowledge. The components of NEP such as Multi-modal education, Academic Bank of Credits, Multiple Entry-Exit, Skill Development will prove to be milestones in the direction of student first -teacher led learning," said Pradhan. Pradhan said that seeing the enthusiasm of all the scholars, policy-makers and educationists in this three-day program, a new energy and new confidence has been awakened. He expressed hope that Universities will play an important role in preparing entrepreneurial society and creating job-creators. They are the breeding ground of research for the welfare of society and mankind and for furthering ease of living, he added. The Minister also said that by providing opportunities for education in Indian languages, we will be able to connect a large section of the education system and promote research and innovation. Anandiben Patel, Uttar Pradesh Governor, present on the occasion, said that for the first time after independence such a large and intensive summit has taken place on . Many institutions are adopting new and good practices. The issue of recruitment, construction, grading and assessment must be dealt with effectively and we should provide facilities to students in their proximity, she added. --IANS avr/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.) Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated here on Sunday with traditional fervour and gaiety with people offering namaz in large numbers and greeting one other with message of peace and love. At Aishbagh Eidgah, people speaking during khutbe' -- a speech before namaz -- raised concerns about the global warming, and later offered a special prayer for rains. Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, the Head of Islamic Centre of India and Shahar Qazi, told PTI that people prayed for peace and harmony in the country across several mosques of the Aishbagh Idgah. Maulana Rashid said that Prophet Mohammad had called planting of saplings a noble work, and in line with his message people were asked to plant saplings around mosques and other places to reduce the impact of global warming. The festival is known for its custom of sacrificing an animal to the Allah. Maulana Rashid said the Centre had in advance issued an advisory asking people to not share any pictures or videos of the sacrifice on social media, considering people's sentiments at large. He said the instructions, which included some other advice too, were widely heeded to. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, minority welfare minister Danish Azad Ansari, and former Deputy CM Dinesh Sharma visited the Aishbagh Idgah and greeted people. "The festival is an occasion to share and care and show compassion towards the needy and the poor," Sharma said, adding Eid-ul-Adha epitomises the spirit of sacrifice and devotion to God. Pathak said the festival strengthens the spirit of unity and brotherhood in society. Namaz were also held at 'Tile wali masjid' and Asifi mosque in the old city area, where people descended in large number to greet one another. Considering the tense environment in the state of late, the authorities had made elaborate security arrangements. Police Commissioner, Lucknow, D K Thakur said that the namaz was held in a peaceful environment and no trouble was reported from anywhere. Several districts of the state had erupted with violent protests on June 3 and June 10 - both Fridays - when people came out on the streets denouncing a comment made against the Prophet by former BJP spokesperson 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.) People came out of homes in large numbers, offered namaz at mosques, greeted each other with hugs and exchanged food and gifts across the length and breadth of India to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on Sunday, undeterred by the recent surge in coronavirus cases. President Ram Nath Kovind greeted people through a tweet in Urdu, asking them to dedicate themselves to the service of humanity. "The festival of Eid-ul-Adha teaches sacrifice and service to humanity. On this auspicious occasion, let us dedicate ourselves to the service of humanity and pledge to work for the prosperity and comprehensive development of the country," the President tweeted. He also posted a similar greeting in Hindi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his greetings, wished that the festival inspired everyone to work towards furthering the spirit of collective well-being and prosperity for the good of humankind. Modi tweeted, " Mubarak! Greetings on Eid-ul-Adha. May this festival inspire us to work towards furthering the spirit of collective well-being and prosperity for the good of humankind." The Border Security Force Gujarat Frontier exchanged sweets and greetings with Pakistan Rangers at the international border (IB) along Gujarat and Rajasthan. An official release said the BSF exchanged sweets with its Pakistan counterpart at the international border in Kutch and Banaskantha districts in Gujarat as well as Munabao, Gadra, Somrar, Kelnore and Varnahar in Rajasthan's Barmer district. The two forces share sweets as a goodwill gesture on festivals of both nations, most notably Diwali and Eid, officials said. Eid-ul-Adha, the celebration of Prophet Ibrahim's sacrifice, was celebrated peacefully across Kashmir with people gathering at in large numbers to offer prayers. The biggest such assembly was at the Hazratbal Shrine, where more than 45,000 people gathered for prayers. Smaller gatherings were reported at all Muslim places of worship across the valley, except for the historic Jamia Masjid in old city. The authorities refused permission to the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid to hold prayers at 9 am. Thousands of sheep, goats and other animals were sacrificed across the valley in line with the tradition, officials said. "Greetings on the auspicious occasion of Eid-ul-Zuha. The festival is an occasion to reaffirm our faith in unity of humanity & to be charitable towards poor & disadvantaged. May this festival strengthens the bonds of brotherhood & bring peace, happiness & joy for everyone. Mubarak," Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha tweeted. Eid-ul-Adha or Bakrid is known for its custom of sacrificing an animal to the Allah. At Aishbagh Eidgah in Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow, people speaking during 'khutbe' -- a speech before namaz -- raised concerns about global warming and later offered a special prayer for rains. Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, the Head of Islamic Centre of India and Shahar Qazi, told PTI that people prayed for peace and harmony in the country across several of the Aishbagh Idgah. Maulana Rashid said the Centre's advisory asking people to not share any pictures or videos of the sacrifice on social media was widely heeded to. Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, Minority Welfare Minister Danish Azad Ansari and former deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma visited the Aishbagh Idgah and greeted people. Considering the tense environment in the state of late, the authorities had made elaborate security arrangements. Lucknow Police Commissioner D K Thakur said the namaz was held in a peaceful environment and no trouble was reported from anywhere. Several districts of the state had erupted with violent protests on June 3 and June 10 - both Fridays - when people came out on the streets denouncing a comment made against the Prophet by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma. Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi greeted the people of the state, saying the festival epitomises love, sacrifice and service to humanity. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, too, extended his wishes to the people. In neighbouring Nagaland, Muslims celebrated Eid-ul-Adha with religious fervour and gaiety at various locations. The people of the community, mainly in state capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur, thronged Eidgahs and hugged each other and wished Eid Mubarak. They were also seen extending alms to the needy outside the . Down south, hundreds of Muslims in Karnataka's coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi participated in namaz held at various mosques. Continuing rains in the coastal areas over the last one week did not dampen the celebrations. The celebrations come even as the country has been reporting more than 10,000 coronavirus cases for the past several days. According to the Union Health Ministry, the number of active cases went up by 3,662 in a 24-hour span to reach 1,28,690 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.) A series of seismic activities in parts of are not major ones, hence there was no need to worry because the Deccan Plateau is a safe zone, geologists have said. The tremors in Kodagu district and adjoining districts of Hassan, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada besides Vijayapura and neighbouring regions in north have been felt since June 26. On Saturday, the quake measured 4.4 on the Richter scale in Vijayapura bordering Maharashtra, and there was another tremor of 1.8 this morning in south . Kodagu reported several incidents of landslide and in one incident three days ago, three labourers were killed. Incidentally, the seismic activities became more visible soon after a major earthquake in Afghanistan, which killed several people and left many injured. But, the geologists in Karnataka were unanimous in saying there was no need to panic as the Deccan Plateau is a safe zone seismically. They were also of the opinion that these tremors were essential as the pressure caused by the disturbance is coming out in the form of mild tremor. Earthquake is not a regional phenomenon. The Indian subcontinent is always moving. Each year, the subcontinent is moving 0.5 centimetre. So, there would always be some internal disturbance, Dr Lakshmamma, Joint Director in the Department of Mines and Geology, told PTI. What we had studied in school that the Deccan Plateau is safe is true even now, but there are some internal disturbance at the crust. So the pressure caused due to disturbance should come out, otherwise, if the pressure remains forever, it can cause major disturbance, she said. These disturbances coming out through small tremors is good. We are still in the safe zone. We will be safe even if there is an earthquake of 5 on the Richter scale, the geologist said. According to her, the river valleys themselves are the fault zones. The valley region of major rivers are the lineaments, which are fault zones where weak areas and fissures are formed in hard rock terrain, Lakshmamma said. Whenever there are rains, water percolates into the fault zones and gets filled up in empty places, the geologist added. Another geologist Professor Renuka Prasad also said these are too minor a phenomenon to worry. Earthquakes have been happening across the world and at many places, but we are coming to know about the tremors because we are in an information era. Further, more devices have been installed at various places to study the seismic activities, due to which we get information in real time and we panic, he said. Hydro-geologist Dr Kumar C, who is a professor at the Nrupathunga University, pointed out that the intensity of seismic activities was increasing from two on Richter scale to 4.4 on Saturday in Vijayapura in north Karnataka. But, there is no need to panic as of now but these seismic activities give us some indications that we should be on the alert and avoid using substandard materials for constructing buildings, he said. Meanwhile, sources in the Mines and Geology Department said a team of geologists from the State government, Geological Survey of India, and Suratkal- based National Institute of Technology (NIT), visited Kodagu to study the phenomenon. Since June 26, there were seven to eight incidents of tremors in and around Madikeri in Kodagu district due to which the team was dispatched there, they said adding that the study revealed that Kodagu falls under zone-3 of seismograph. We got to know that some oscillation happened. Kodagu is a hard rock terrain made up of charnockite, a source said. To study why there was tremor despite being sitting on a hard rock, the team went into the history of the earthquake. The team found out that the Geology Department of the Mysuru University and the GSI had also studied the type of earth found in Kodagu. We came across that there is a shear zone or the weak zone. One side there is Kodagu block, and on the other is the Western Ghat block. Both the blocks are becoming divergent. They are moving into each other. That's why we see some disturbance, some discontinuity happening, he said. According to him, the shear zone is 100-km long with 30-50 km width, which runs from Kasargod in Kerala to Palakkad. Further, the Cauvery river valley itself is a fault zone making it prone to earthquakes but they are not the major disturbance area, he added. Regarding tremors in north Karnataka, he said the Bhima river and Krishna river are the major fault zones due to which the tremors occur. (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 its first reaction to the massive political turmoil in Colombo, India on Sunday said it stands with the Sri Lankan people in their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means, established institutions and constitutional framework. The comments by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) came a day after thousands of angry protesters stormed embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's official residence and set Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private house on fire, in the culmination of months of agitation over the ongoing economic crisis. MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said India continues to closely follow the developments in and that it is aware of the many challenges that the country and its people have been facing. Gotabaya on Saturday announced that he will resign. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also said that he will step down after a new government is formed. "India is Sri Lanka's closest neighbour and our two countries share deep civilizational bonds. We are aware of the many challenges that and its people have been facing, and we have stood with the Sri Lankan people as they have tried to overcome this difficult period," Bagchi said. The MEA spokesperson noted that India stands with the people of . "India stands with the people of Sri Lanka as they seek to realise their aspirations for prosperity and progress through democratic means and values, established institutions and constitutional framework," he said. In responding to media queries on the situation in Sri Lanka, Bagchi also referred to India's financial assistance to the island nation this year. "In pursuance of the central place that Sri Lanka occupies in our Neighbourhood First policy, India has extended this year itself an unprecedented support of over USD 3.8 billion for ameliorating the serious economic situation in Sri Lanka," he said. The island nation is reeling under severe shortages of food, fuel and medicines in the last few months as the economic crisis deteriorated. As the economic crisis worsened, Sri Lanka witnessed massive street protests in the last months and the public anger led almost all the cabinet ministers to quit the government. President appointed Wickremesinghe as Prime Minister in May to deal with the situation. There were growing calls for resignation by Gotabaya . However, he had rejected the demand earlier. (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.) Union External Affairs Minister on Sunday said the Indian government has always been supportive of and it was "trying to help" the neighbouring country through its present economic crisis and made it clear that there was "no refugee crisis right now". Speaking to reporters outside the Thiruvananthapuram airport after arriving in the state capital on a three-day visit, Jaishankar said, "We have been very supportive of . We are trying to help and we are always very helpful where they are concerned. "They are right now working through their problems, so we have to wait and see what they do." He was responding to a query on India's stand on the economic crisis in . On being asked whether there was any refugee crisis, the Union Minister said, "There is no refugee crisis right now." Jaishankar was also asked by reporters the reason for his visit to which he replied that there were several. He said he wanted to spend time with his party colleagues here and understand how they are doing and what is happening here. Asked how he sees BJP prospects in the southern state, the Union Minister responded that prospects of the party were "very good" all over the country. "There is no exception to it anywhere. But we will always try and keep working to improve the prospects," 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.) A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has disrupted ritual slaughter of animals to mark Eid al-Adha as millions of across were celebrating one of the biggest holidays in the Islamic calendar Sunday. Eid al-Adha, known as the Feast of Sacrifice, is a revered observance that coincides with the final rites of the annual hajj in Saudi Arabia. It's a joyous occasion for which food is a hallmark where devout buy and slaughter animals and share two-thirds of the meat with the poor. Much of Asia, including Indonesia, India and Pakistan, observed Eid al-Adha on Sunday, while in other parts of the globe, including in countries like Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Kenya and Yemen celebrated the holiday on Saturday. But this year, an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease an acute, highly contagious viral disease of cloven-footed animals that is sometimes transmitted to humans has significantly dampened the typically booming holiday trade in goats, cows and sheep in Indonesia, the world's largest populous Muslim country. FMD is again spreading rapidly across Indonesia, which had been outbreak-free for 32 years. The government, struggling to cope with the ever-rising numbers, is setting up a task force and ordering the culling of nearly 3,000 infected livestock. As of Sunday, more than 336,000 animals have been infected in 21 provinces, largely on the most populated islands of Java and Sumatra. At least 2,000 animals died from the disease, according to official data from the National FMD Task Force. Although FMD is not generally considered a threat to human health, it can be lethal for animals and the outbreak has diminished people's enthusiasm for sacrifice. The country's religious affairs ministry has told Muslims they should not force themselves to sacrifice cattle during the outbreak. I've cancelled plans to buy a goat for the Day of Sacrifice, because I'm afraid of the impacts of the FMD to us as humans, said Tatu Allya, a resident in the capital, Jakarta. She said that before the outbreak reemerged, her family buys either a goat or cow every Eid al-Adha. The government has warned all cattle breeders and traders to ensure that the cattle they sell are free from the disease, ordering slaughterhouses to kill and bury all animals that are showing FMD symptoms and roll out vaccination of susceptible animals. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the government had prepared around 3 million doses of FMD vaccines, mostly from France. Over 400,000 animals have been vaccinated as of Sunday and the agriculture ministry said they have distributed medicines, antibiotics, vitamins, immune boosters and disinfecting agents to farmers and breeders. Syauki Maulana, one of the sellers whose animals have been vaccinated, said his business has suffered this year as he lost many customers. Before the FMD outbreak, he could sell more than 60 goats, sheep and cows two weeks ahead of Eid al-Adha, even during the coronavirus pandemic. But on the eve of Eid al-Adha, only 28 of his animals were sold despite a big banner advertising that his animals are FMD-free at his makeshift stall housing cows, sheep and goats in Tangerang, on the outskirts of Jakarta. I've made every effort to keep my cattle healthy, but buyers are still fearing about infections and rising prices, Maulana said, adding that animal feed, vitamins and transportation are getting more expensive. Indonesia, like the rest of the world, is struggling to come out of the economic recession of the pandemic. The Ukraine war and soaring energy and food prices are creating complications in this recovery. The government has relaxed restrictions and the return of the Eid tradition of homecoming has caused great excitement for people in Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation that's home to more than 270 million people, as family gatherings and meet-ups with friends were now on people's lists. Worshippers, many still wearing masks, joined communal prayers shoulder-to-shoulder without physical distancing in the streets of Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and in mosques across the city. Eid al-Adha commemorates the Quranic tale of Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice Ismail as an act of obedience to God. Before he could carry out the sacrifice, God provided a ram as an offering. In the Christian and Jewish telling, Abraham is ordered to kill another son, Isaac. (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.) on Sunday reported 942 fresh COVID-19 cases, taking the total infections to 39,79,021, the State Health Department said. The department in its daily COVID-19 bulletin said 737 people were discharged, taking the total number of recoveries to 39,32,000 till date. Active cases stood at 6,898. Of the total infections, Bengaluru urban district contributed 831 while there were 30 cases in Mysuru, 13 in Dakshina Kannada, 11 each in Belagavi and Kolar and 10 in Udupi. There were zero infections and fatalities in 11 districts of the State. The positivity rate for the day was 4.20 per cent, the department said. As many as 22,403 tests were conducted, those included 17,210 RT-PCR tests. The total tests done is 6.72 crore till date. There were 3,329 people who were inoculated, taking the total vaccinated to 11.27 crore so far, the department 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 drainage and rain water is gushing out from the narrow drainage and storm water drain pipes and flooding the streets in Singareni colony, in Saroornagar causing a lot of trouble to motorists and pedestrians on Saturday. (Photo: DC/ P.Surendra) Hyderabad: For the second day in a row, Hyderabad witnessed cloudy skies and drizzles throughout the day, followed by spells of moderate to heavy rains later in the night. Very heavy rains, however, were confined to other districts in the state. According to data from the Telangana State Development Planning Society, until 8 pm, Mudhole in Nirmal district received the highest rainfall in the state at 203.5 mm. About seven places in Nizamabad district got over 150 mm of rain. Mancherial and Kamareddy districts also received heavy rainfall. In Hyderabad, Borabanda got the maximum rainfall of 31 mm until 8 pm, followed by Hafeezpet (26.8 mm) and Madhapur (21.8 mm), with more rainfall expected later in the night. After issuing a red alert for a few districts for the two last days, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) did not issue any warning for Sunday. However, an orange alert, indicating heavy rain, has been issued for isolated places in Adilabad, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Nirmal and Nizamabad districts. A yellow alert has been issued for multiple districts. For Hyderabad, IMD forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers. At times intense spells are very likely to occur in the city, it said. IMD has issued an advisory for farmers and livestock rearers to protect their crops and livestock in view of the heavy rainfall in the state. As per the advisory, farmers have been advised to drain out excess water from the fields of rain-fed crops like cotton, red gram and maize by making water channels. For vegetables, they can apply carbofuran 3G granules and spray profenophos. Taking up sowing of cotton up to July 20 is recommended and 20-24 kg of phosphorus per acre can be applied at the time of sowing, it said. During thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, IMD said livestock rearers must keep animals away from open water, ponds, rivers, tractors and other metal equipment at farms. Avoid tying cattle to electrical poles and tree trunks, states the advisory from IMD. Apart from this, prevailing conditions are favourable for cattle and buffaloes contracting foot and mouth diseases, against which they should be vaccinated. Congress MLA Kuldeep Bishnoi, who had cross-voted in last month's Rajya Sabha polls, on Sunday met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah and president J P Nadda, triggering speculation that he may join the ruling party. The 53-year-old legislator from Adampur met with the leaders in New Delhi and later, heaped praises on them. He was expelled by the Congress from all party positions last month. Since then, he has been warming up to the . Bishnoi also removed his pictures with Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from his Twitter profile, replacing them with photos with his father, former chief minister late Bhajan Lal. Bishnoi, a four-time MLA and two-time MP, has been sulking ever since the Congress ignored him for the post of its unit chief during a revamp earlier this year. The party appointed Udai Bhan, a loyalist of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, as its Haryana unit chief. In a tweet in Hindi, Bishnoi said it was a "real honor and pleasure to meet Amit Shah". "A true statesman, I felt his aura and charisma in my interactions with him. His vision for India is awe-inspiring," he wrote. Bishnoi added that he felt "very proud" to meet Nadda. "His easy-going and humble nature sets him apart," he said. Bishnoi said the BJP has seen unprecedented heights under Nadda, who has ably led the party. "I wish him good health and a long life." A week after cross-voting, Bishnoi posted a cryptic tweet saying, "I know how to crush a snake's hood. I do not leave the jungle in fear of snakes." Reacting to being expelled by the Congress from all party positions on June 11, Bishnoi tweeted, "Congress also has rules for some leaders and exceptions for others. Rules are applied selectively. Indiscipline has been repeatedly ignored in the past. In my case, I listened to my soul and acted on my morals." Last month, Bishnoi said he was consulting with his supporters to decide on his next course of action. Asked if he was in touch with BJP leaders, Bishnoi had said his next step would be in the interests of the people of Haryana and his constituency. The Congress, which is the main opposition party in Haryana, was assured of one Rajya Sabha seat by virtue of the number of MLAs it has in the 90-member assembly. However, Congress candidate Ajay Maken failed to secure the berth after Bishnoi cross-voted, while the vote of an MLA was declared invalid. BJP's Krishan Lal Panwar and the saffron party-backed Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma were elected to the two Rajya Sabha seats from Haryana. Bishnoi and his father Bhajan Lal had floated the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) in 2007 after the Congress handpicked Bhupinder Singh Hooda for the chief minister's post following the party's thumping victory in the 2005 assembly polls. The HJC later entered into a tie-up with the BJP and two other parties, who jointly contested the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in Haryana. They were supposed to contest the assembly polls together as well, but the alliance crumbled. Three years ago, the HJC returned to the fold of the grand old party. However, despite his return to the Congress, Bishnoi and Hooda never had warm relations. Bishnoi had last month said that under Hooda's leadership, the Congress' ship has been sinking. To this, the former chief minister replied, "I do not need anyone's certificate. It is the people who gave me a certificate and they elected me with a big margin even when the Congress was in opposition in the 2019 polls. (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 Eknath Shinde along with his wife performed a 'maha pooja' of Lord Vitthal and Goddess Rukmini at a famous temple in Pandharpur town on Sunday on the occasion of 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' and sought God's blessings for the prosperity of every section of society. As a long-standing tradition, the sitting chief minister every year offers prayers at the temple dedicated to Lord Vitthal at Pandharpur in Solapur district, located over 200 km from Pune and around 400 km from here, on the 'Ashadhi Ekadashi' which being being celebrated on Sunday. Eknath Shinde, who was sworn in as the CM of on June 30 this year, along with his wife Lata Shinde prayed to God that each and every section of society, including farmers, labourers, warkaris (devotees of Lord Vitthal) and business community, be happy and prosperous. The chief minister's son MP Shrikant Shinde and the latter's family also accompanied them on the occasion. A 52-year-old farmer, Murli Navle, and his wife Jijabai Navale, from Beed district, performed the traditional pooja along with the CM and his family. The farmer's family has been participating in the Pandharpur wari pilgrimage since 1987. After offering prayers, the CM addressed a gathering in the temple premises and said the government is committed to stop farmer suicides, for which all possible efforts will be made. "With the blessings of Lord Vitthal, all the sorrows and hardships of people will go away as this government belongs to the common man. Be it, farmers, workers, people from all sections of the society should feel that this government belongs to them. We will try to create such a sentiment through our work," he said. The CM said he was fortunate that he got the opportunity to perform the pooja this year. "For the last two years, the wari pilgrimage could not take place on foot due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this time, over 10 lakh warkaris came to seek the blessings of Lord Vitthal," he said. He expressed hope that the COVID-19 crisis will go away and the problems being faced by the state will get resolved. It will be the state government's endeavour to take the state on the path of progress, all-round development and to bring "acche din" (good days) for the people, he said. The state is experiencing good rains, though a little late, he noted. "Wherever heavy rains are being witnessed, the state machinery is active to ensure there is no loss of life or property. If good rains take place this year, farmers will have a good harvest," he said. The Jalyukt Shivar scheme (for water conservation), which had been discontinued, has been resumed now, he said. "The state government is exploring how rainwater from rivers in western part of the state, which goes waste into the sea, can be diverted to drought-affected regions of Marathwada. I am sure that with the blessings of Lord Vitthal, we will be successful in this endeavour," he said. The CM said he and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met Prime Minister Narendra Modi (on Saturday). "He (PM Modi) told us that the Centre would extend all help for the development of the state and asked to implement good schemes to bring 'acche din' for people," Eknath Shinde said. The CM said he got the opportunity to perform the pooja of Lord Vitthal because of the blessings of people of the state. "With the thoughts of (late Sena founder) Balasaheb Thackeray, the teachings of Anand Dighe, the blessings of all the people and the support of 50 MLAs (who along with him had rebelled against the Sena leadership last month), I got to see this day," he said. Talking about PM Modi's visit to Dehu in Pune last month and the 'Palkhi Marg' (wari pilgrimage route) project, the chief minister said the state government will provide all facilities to the warkaris, who carry out the pilgrimage to the Pandharpur temple town every year. "With the Centre and the state coming together, a big strength has been generated and we should take advantage of it," he said. The CM said instructions have been issued for preparing a DPR (detailed project report) at the earliest to provide all modern facilities to Lord Vitthal's devotees in the Pandhapur temple premises and the town. "The state government will approve it (DPR)," he 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.) (SP) founder Mulayam Singh Yadav's wife Sadhna Gupta passed away at a private hospital in Gurugram on Saturday after a prolonged illness. She was suffering from a lung infection and other ailments for the past three months. She was undergoing treatment at Medanta Hospital, where she breathed her last this morning, SP sources here said. Gupta was the second wife of . His first wife and the mother of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, Malti Devi, died in 2003. In a tweet in Hindi, the SP paid a "heartfelt tribute" to Gupta. was in Delhi at the time of his wife's death, the party sources said, adding that the body is being brought to Lucknow. Akhilesh Yadav is overseeing the arrangements and the details of the last rites will be finalised soon, they said. Senior party leaders and workers started arriving at the SP patron's house soon after the news of Gupta's death broke. In a tweet, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya extended his condolences to and his family. (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 Sunday said the mass movement for natural farming will be widely successful in the coming years, and the sooner farmers join this change, the more they will reap its benefits. Addressing a conclave on natural farming organised in Gujarat's Surat city via video conference, Modi also mentioned about the "extraordinary success" of the Digital India Mission, and said it is the country's answer to those who used to say that bringing about a change in villages is not easy. He said adopting natural farming is akin to serving Mother Earth, by protecting the quality of soil and its productivity, and is also the "basis for economic success.'' Lauding the efforts made in this direction in Surat, he said the natural farming model emerging from Surat can become a model for the entire country. "This mass movement regarding natural farming will also be widely successful in the coming years. The sooner farmers join the change, the more successful they will be in reaping its benefits," he said. The PM said if people of the country get determined to achieve a target, then no hurdle will come in the way. People's participation ensures the success of even a big task, he said. "The extraordinary success of the Digital India Mission is the country's answer to those who used to say that bringing a change in villages is not easy. Our villages have shown that they can not only bring about a change, but can also lead the change," he said. Modi said natural farming gives India an opportunity to lead the world in the direction of sustainable development and pure food, by sharing its benefits through thousands of years and knowledge and experience which the country has. "This is one area where India has led the world for centuries. Therefore, now is the time when we move forward on the path of natural farming and take full advantage of the emerging global opportunities," he said. Natural farming is also the basis for economic success, Modi said. "As our farmers progress and prosper, as our progresses, so will our country progress...When you adopt natural farming, you serve Mother Earth, protect the quality of soil, and its productivity. When you do natural farming, you are serving the nature and environment. When you join natural farming, you also get the privilege of serving Gaumata (holy cow)," he said. In the wake of 75 years of India's independence, the country has started working on many such goals, which will become the basis of major changes in the times to come, he said. "In 'Amrit kaal', the basis of progress of the country is the spirit of everyone's effort, which is leading our development journey," he added. The PM said countrymen and village panchayats have been asked to lead the works being done for the uplift of villages, the poor and farmers. Further enumerating the benefits of natural farming, he said it also saves a person from deadly diseases caused by the use of chemicals. The PM also spoke about measures taken by the government for promoting natural farming through schemes like the 'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Scheme'. He said 30,000 clusters have been created across the country under the scheme for the benefit of lakhs of farmers. Natural farming has also been linked with the Namami Gange project, and a separate campaign has been undertaken to create a natural farming corridor along the Ganga river, he said, adding that similar experiments can be conducted on the banks of the Tapi and Narmada rivers. Modi said the government has also developed a quality assurance system to certify the natural farming produce. "Our farmers are exporting such produce at a good rate in the world market," he said. "We must bring the benefits to the maximum number of farmers. Along with the government's efforts, we would also look at our ancient knowledge in this direction," he said, mentioning about various old texts that carry such knowledge. He appealed to NGOs and experts to focus on natural farming, conduct new experiments to find out how to make farmers strong, improving farming and save Mother Earth. Modi also hailed the efforts made by people in Surat to promote natural farming. In Surat, committees and teams have been formed at the village levels, and nodal officers have been given the responsibility at the taluka level, he said, adding that training programmes and workshops are being organised. "Today, in such a short time, over 40,000 farmers from across 550 village panchayats have joined natural farming. The natural farming model emerging from Surat can become a model for the entire country," he 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 Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has set up a control room to monitor the implementation of the ban on 19 identified single-use plastic items and will start shutting units violating it from Monday, officials said. The control room will receive all complaints related to the violation of the SUP ban and direct enforcement teams to take action on them, an official said on Sunday. "Though the DPCC's mandate is to keep a check on the manufacturing of SUP items, complaints related to the violation of the ban in markets and other public places can also be sent to our control room. We will transfer it to the municipal bodies concerned," he said. Grievances regarding the infractions can also be lodged through the Green application of the government or the "SUP-CPCB" application of the Central Pollution Control Board. "We will start closing down units violating the ban from Monday under relevant provisions of the law. No more warning will be given," the official said. On July 1, when the ban on the SUP items came into effect, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said the Delhi government would be lenient towards those violating the ban for the initial 10 days and focus on creating awareness against the use of such commodities and promote their alternatives. He had said that the authorities would issue warning notices to units found violating the ban on the 19 SUP items till July 10 and punitive action would be taken thereafter against repeat offenders. The action will include a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh or a jail term of up to five years or both under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. The revenue department and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee have constituted 33 and 15 teams, respectively, to ensure the enforcement of the ban. The DPCC has to ensure compliance with the ban in conforming areas, while the MCD and other local bodies are responsible for its implementation in the informal sector. The MCD and other urban local bodies will act against the defaulting units according to their bylaws, while the revenue department will take action under the Environment Protection Act. The SUP items seized during the enforcement drive will be incinerated in waste-to-energy plants to ensure they do not end up in landfills or clog water bodies. In the initial 10 days, officials held meetings with industrial associations to educate and guide them about the ban. A three-day fair was also organised at the Thyagraj Stadium here to promote alternatives to SUP items. To spread awareness about the ban on SUP items, the Delhi government will impart training to the members of eco-clubs in the capital. The training programme will be conducted on July 19 in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme. There are around 2,000 eco-clubs in Delhi. The banned items are earbuds, plastic sticks for balloons, flags, candy sticks, ice-cream sticks, polystyrene (thermocol), plates, cups, glasses, forks, spoons, knives, straws, trays, wrapping or packaging films around sweets boxes, invitation cards, cigarette packets, plastic or PVC banners of less than 100 microns and stirrers. Plastic carry bags of thickness less than 75 microns are also prohibited under the Plastic Waste Management Rules. Their thickness will have to be increased to 120 microns from December 31. Plastic wrapping material less than 50 microns in thickness and plastic sachets used for selling and storing tobacco, pan masala and gutkha are also not allowed. Delhi generates 1,060 tonnes of plastic waste per day. SUP is estimated to be 5.6 per cent (or 56 kg per metric tonnes) of the total solid waste in the capital. (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 US government on Sunday delivered 33,600 doses of Pfizer's pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to Bhutan. The US embassy in India said the vaccine doses were supplied as part of President Joe Biden's commitment to helping countries around the world to deal with the pandemic. It said these "safe and effective" pediatric vaccine doses will protect the lives of children in Bhutan and help stop the spread of COVID-19. "As part of President Biden's commitment to donate COVID-19 vaccine doses to countries around the world, the US government has delivered 33,600 doses of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine to Bhutan, in partnership with COVAX and the Bhutan Foundation," it said in a statement. USAID's Mission Director to India and Bhutan Veena Reddy said, "The US is committed to a global COVID-19 response because it makes us all stronger and safer -- Americans and Bhutanese alike." "The USAID is proud to work with the Royal Government of Bhutan and our partner, the Bhutan Foundation, to deliver the pediatric vaccine doses today and values our ongoing partnership to defeat and recover from COVID-19," she said. The US embassy said Sunday's announcement builds on the 5,95,940 doses of COVID-19 vaccines the US has donated to Bhutan last year. Since the outset of the pandemic, the US government, through the Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has partnered with Bhutan to build the nation's resilience, strengthen its healthcare capacity, train healthcare workers, and promote pandemic prevention. The embassy said the USAID's COVID-19-related "risk communication messaging" has reached approximately 90 per cent of Bhutan's population, contributing to Bhutan maintaining one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the world. Worldwide, the has pledged to donate more than 1.1 billion vaccine doses to 115 countries and has already delivered over half a billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines. "With its contribution of USD 4 billion US dollars, the is the largest bilateral donor to the global vaccine initiative, COVAX," the embassy said. The US embassy in India also handles Washington's various initiatives in Bhutan. (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 ongoing financial and political turmoil and the resultant fuel shortage in is turning out to be advantageous to aviation turbine fuel (ATF) sales in South Indian airports like Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin and Chennai. Several flights of Sri Lankan Airlines, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways, Gulf Air and Air AirAsia Malaysia are depending on Indian airports starting from May onwards, giving additional revenue to oil marketing companies, airport operators and respective state governments. With the crisis intensifying in the island nation, more players have informed the (OMCs) that they will start landing at Indian airports. Etihad Airways has informed that they will start landing in Cochin from July 15 onwards. According to a source from Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Sri Lankan Airlines itself operated 110 additional flights and uplifted 9,300 kilo litres (kl) of additional jet fuel from Indian airports. The number of flights diverting to India for refuelling has increased from June 29 with the Sri Lankan authorities informing airlines that no aviation turbine fuel will be available for supply to airlines. In addition to this, flights from other countries are also opting for technical landing for refuelling in South Indian airports. Sources indicated that Air Arabia and Gulf Air have started technical landing at Thiruvananthapuram and are operating one flight each a day lifting up to 30-40 kl a day. According to the media reports, the technical landing for refuelling is expected to bring additional revenue of around Rs 1 lakh per flight for the airport operators and the state governments to get revenue from taxes on . Mainly aircraft from the Middle East and that en route to Europe and the Middle East are depending on the Indian airports for refuelling. The Adani-group-run Thiruvananthapuram airport is serving as a refuelling halt for Sri Lankan and West Asian airlines since May-end due to the fuel crisis in the island nation. Until now, the airport handled 90 flights which included 55 flights of Sri Lankan airlines bound for Sydney, Melbourne and Paris. In Sri Lanka, was available only for air ambulances and flights making emergency diversions. This restriction would be in place till July 13. Kochi airport handled 28 flights since June 29 which include those operated by Sri Lankan Airlines, Air Arabia, Jazeera Airways and Air AirAsia Malaysia. Kochi airport is offering a 25 per cent discount on landing charges it levies on airlines to attract more such technical flights. It was only in July that the Cochin airport started availing of technical landing facilities. The escalation of political turmoil in Lanka has not resulted in large-scale cancellation of flights to the country. As of now, only flydubai has decided to cancel its Colombo flight. A Sri Lankan Airlines spokesperson said on Saturday there is no change in its schedule. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesperson P S Jayan said Etihad Airways has approached the airport for a refuelling halt for its Colombo-Abu Dhabi flight from July 15. In a statement, CIAL managing director S Suhas said that the managements prompt response and adaptability to changing situations have helped it connect with foreign carriers and make available its fuel hydrant system. Indias sales during the first three months of the current financial year increased by 86 per cent to 1.742 million tonnes, as compared to 0.937 MT during the April to June period of 2021-22. Indias first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-1), INS Vikrant, successfully completed the fourth and final phase of sea trials, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Sunday. During this outing, the carried out integrated trials of most of the equipment and systems onboard the 44,000-tonne carrier, including critical Aviation Facilities Complex equipment, which controls the operations of aircraft from the aircraft carrier. The ships delivery is being targeted in end-July 22, followed by commissioning of [INS Vikrant] in August 22 to commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, the MoD stated. will complement the INS Vikramaditya, currently the navys lone carrier, which was acquired from Russia in 2013. The indigenous carrier will be the navys flagship. According to the MoD, The indigenous design and construction of the [IAC-1] by the and Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) is a shining example in the nations quest for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India Initiative, with more than 76 per cent indigenous content. This has grown the countrys indigenous shipbuilding capabilities, and developed a large number of ancillary industries. [It has] provided employment opportunities for over 2,000 CSL workers and 12,000 employees in ancillary industries, said the MoD. The IAC-1, which is being delivered vastly late and over-budget, embarked on its maiden sea trials last August. This was followed by the second and third phases of sea trials in October 21 and January 22 respectively. During these multiple trials, CSL and the carried out endurance testing of propulsion machinery, electrical and electronic suites, deck machinery, life-saving appliances and the ships navigation and communication systems. However, the full integration and trials of the Aviation Facilities Complex, which controls the operations of the carriers MiG-29K/KUB fighter aircraft, will be carried out by the navy only after the warships commissioning. With INS Vikramaditya and in service, the MoD will have to make a critical decision about whether to go ahead with constructing a second indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC-2). Former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Bipin Rawat, before his death in a helicopter crash last December, had openly questioned the enormous expense estimated at about Rs 50,000 crore on a third carrier. The Indian Air Force (IAF) too has opposed IAC-2, arguing that it can provide air support more effectively from IAF bases ashore. However, former navy chief, Admiral Karambir Singh, has not minced his words in defending the need for IAC-2. As a navy, we are absolutely clear about the need for a third carrier. Air operations are absolutely integral to naval operations, so air power at sea is absolutely required, Singh said on the eve of Navy Day last December. Navies are all about reach and sustenance. For an aspirational country like India, which wants to become a $5-trillion economy, you have to be able to (project power) outwards. We cannot be a navy that is tethered to the shore, Karambir Singh said. He also revealed that the MiG-29K/KUB fighters, 45 of which were acquired to operate from and INS Vikramaditya, would be replaced by the new Multi-Role Carrier Based Fighter (MRCBF) that is currently being tendered. The navys requirement of 57 MRCBFs could be acquired alongside the IAFs separate procurement of 114 medium fighters, for which a tender is expected soon. With the Defence R&D Organisations (DRDOs) confidence high after its success with the Tejas fighter, it intends to offer an indigenous rival to the MRCBF. Singh revealed last December: A new development has been the Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF), which the DRDO has offered us. If that happens, we will have an indigenous deck-based fighter for the navy. INS Vikrant is 262 metres long, 62 metres wide and 59 metres high including the superstructure. It has 14 deck levels, including five in the superstructure, says the navy. For normal operations, the Vikrant cruises at 18 knots (33 kmph), a speed at which it has an endurance of about 7,500 nautical miles (13,800 kilometres). Italian shipbuilder, Fincantieri, provided consultancy for the propulsion system. The ship, which is designed for a crew of 1,700, has over 2,300 compartments. These include specialised cabins to accommodate women officers. There is a high degree of automation for machinery operation, ship navigation and survivability. Originally planned to be built with imported steel, the DRDO and Steel Authority of India (SAIL) developed and manufactured indigenous warship-grade steel. As a result, the Vikrant is built from SAILs DMR 249A and B grade steel. Raw materials that have gone into INS Vikrant include 23,000 tonnes of steel, 2,500 km of electrical cable, 150 kilometres of pipes, 2,000 valves, as well as finished products such as anchor capstans, rigid hull boats, galley equipment, air conditioning and refrigeration plants, steering gear, over 150 pumps and motors, communication equipment and the ships combat network systems. Over 50 large Indian manufacturers have been directly involved in this project. Sri Lankan police on Sunday arrested three people for setting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence on fire a day earlier, amidst massive anti-government protests, media reports said. A group of irate protesters on Saturday entered Wickremesinghe's private residence at Cambridge Place here and set it on fire amid a massive public protest in the country over the unprecedented economic crisis. Among those arrested include a 19-year-old Mount Lavinia resident and two residents of Galle, aged 24 and 28 respectively, web portal Colombo Page reported, quoting the Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Talduwa. More arrests are on the anvil, as the police have widened their scope of investigations, he said. Talduwa said the suspects are currently in the custody of Colpetty Police, and will be produced in court later on Sunday, web portal Lanka First reported. The residence was replete with a rare collection of books and old Buddha statues, most of which Wickremesinghe had inherited, the report said, quoting a spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office. The extent of the damage to the building is not yet known. Wickremesinghe and his spouse Professor Maithrie Wickremesinghe stayed in this residence, the report said. The incident came hours after Wickremesinghe offered to resign to make way for an all-party government. Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has also offered to resign on July 13. Hours before his decision, a huge mob broke the police cordon and entered the Presidential House. (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 Chief Minister also said that a preparatory meeting for the sadassus with ministers, MLAs, and all district Collectors that was scheduled at Pragati Bhavan for July 11, has also been postponed in view of the rains. (Photo: Twitter/ file) HYDERABAD: The Revenue sadassus (to resolve the pending land issues) that were planned from July 15 across the state have been indefinitely postponed and a new date will be announced shortly, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao said on Saturday. According to a news release from the Chief Ministers Office, the decision was taken in view of the extensive rains Telangana state is currently experiencing. The Chief Minister also said that a preparatory meeting for the sadassus with ministers, MLAs, and all district Collectors that was scheduled at Pragati Bhavan for July 11, has also been postponed in view of the rains. New dates will be announced once the rain situation stabilizes in the state, the press release said. President Joe Biden, preparing for a trip to amid criticism of its poor record, defended his decision in a newspaper opinion piece, insisting that he had long supported reforms and sought to reorient but not rupture relations with a longstanding strategic partner. In the article posted online Saturday night by The Washington Post, Biden pointed to developments in the Middle East that he contended had made the region more stable and secure than when the Trump administration ended, among them intense diplomacy as well as military action against state-sponsored attacks. But his framing of the Saudi relationship in particular appeared defensive, especially with some in the U.S. demanding that he not lend legitimacy to the government with a visit. Biden linked U.S. strength and security to countering Russian aggression and competition from China, then argued that engaging directly with countries like could help promote those efforts. The president said he aimed to strengthen a U.S.-Saudi partnership going forward that's based on mutual interests and responsibilities, while also holding true to fundamental American values. I know that there are many who disagree with my decision to travel to Saudi Arabia, Biden wrote. My views on are clear and long-standing, and fundamental freedoms are always on the agenda when I travel abroad, as they will be during this trip, just as they will be in Israel and the West Bank. It was notable that Biden's op-ed appeared in the Sunday opinion section of the Post, whose writer Jamal Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents in 2018. On that issue, Biden contended he had responded with sanctions against the Saudi forces involved in the killing and issued scores of visa bans for anyone found harassing dissidents abroad. The president also noted that he released a U.S. intelligence report that asserted Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved of the operation that led to Khashoggi's murder. Biden is expected to meet with the crown prince during his trip. (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.) US President signed off on an executive order to protect rights throughout the United States to safeguard access to reproductive healthcare services, which targets states that have banned or severely restricted in the wake of the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned the landmark Roe vs Wade verdict. According to the White House, Biden's executive order aims to safeguard access to reproductive healthcare services nationwide, including access to surgical and medication and contraception; protecting patient privacy and access to accurate information; promoting the safety of patients, providers and facilities, and coordinating federal efforts to protect reproductive rights and access to healthcare. The executive order (EO) also states that the Biden administration will convene private pro bono attorneys, bar associations and public interest organisations to help provide legal representation to patients, providers and third parties "lawfully seeking or offering reproductive health care services throughout the country", according to a statement issued by the White House. The EO, however, dismissed a proposal by leading Democrats in the Senate and House who urged Biden to permit abortion services on federal land in states where the procedure is banned. The federal government controls about 63 per cent of the land in the state of Utah, which is a well-established Republican stronghold. Utah's 'trigger law', which bans most abortions, is temporarily on hold after 3rd District Court Judge Andrew Stone issued a temporary restraining order to prevent the Utah law from going into effect for two weeks, according to Desert News from Utah. A hearing on a request for a preliminary injunction is scheduled on Monday. The state's memorandum opposes the Planned Parenthood Association of Utah's motion for preliminary injunction released on Friday, teeing up some of the state's arguments against the civil rights complaint, primarily that the Utah Constitution does not expressly protect a right to abortion, nor does it protect an implied right to abortion. Moreover, the state's response cites criminal statutes outlawing abortion that date back to the 1890s, which were in effect until the Supreme Court's landmark ruling in 1973 that recognized women's constitutional right to abortion, the memo states. The Utah Legislature's passed SB174 in 2020, which once again made abortion a crime in Utah after the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe in a 5-4 decision and uphold Mississippi's restrictive abortion law in a 6-3 decision. SB174 bans abortion on demand but permits these exceptions: "If the mother's life is at risk; if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest; or if two maternal-fetal medicine physicians both determine that a fetus "has a defect that is uniformly diagnosable and uniformly lethal or ... has a severe brain abnormality that is uniformly diagnosable." Meanwhile. CNN TV Network reported that using federal lands for abortion services would have "dangerous ramifications", quoting White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The White House fact-sheet reaffirms the President's earlier statements that "Americans must remain free to travel safely to another state to seek the care they need" and "his commitment to fighting any attack by a state or local official who attempts to interfere with women exercising this right". Abortion providers in states in which access to abortion services is ensured under their state laws have reported they have been planning for increased numbers of patients from states that have imposed bans, but the waiting period for availing such services is a cause for major concern. According to The Denver Post, abortion providers in Colorado say they've been inundated with requests for abortion appointments and are also seeing an increase in appointments for birth control strategies such as vasectomies or intrauterine devices. According to the White House, the Department of Health and Human Services will consider additional federal medical privacy laws "to better protect sensitive information related to reproductive healthcare". Measures are in place to issue a how-to guide for consumers to protect their personal data on mobile apps. Jacqueline Ayers, the senior vice-president of policy, organising and campaigns at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, responded to the executive order in a statement thus: "We're in a national health care crisis and need officials at every level of government to do everything within their authority to fight for access to abortion. Amid the Supreme Court stripping Americans of their constitutional right to abortion after nearly 50 years, we need an urgent and robust response to ensure people get the essential health care they need." Biden is currently speaking on the rollback of federal abortion protections, two weeks after the Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark case that protected abortion rights nationwide as pronounced in 1973 but Supreme Court overturned it in July 2022. "This was not a decision driven by the constitution. This was not a decision driven by history," said Biden of the Supreme Court overturning the Roe vs Wade verdict. Discussing the conservative majority in the court, Biden said: "Today's supreme court majority is playing fast and loose with the facts." Later on in his remarks, Biden called on Americans to use their electoral power to elect senators who would help codify Roe vs Wade, saying that it was the "fastest route" to solidifying federal abortion rights. "Your votes can make that a reality." Biden's statement reflects his increasing frustration that his administration faces amid urging people to vote. "You, the women of America, can determine the outcome of this issue," he said, emphasizing that the courts did not have a "clue about the power of American women." "For God's sake, there's an election in November. Vote, vote, vote," said Biden. His remarks come on the back of his signing off on an executive order protecting access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare nationwide. Several Democrats have responded positively to Biden's executive order, calling it a good first step but urging him to do more to protect abortion rights federally, reports Politico. Bidens EO found its echo in the UK, a predominantly protestant country. Leading British newspaper The Guardian reported that the day Biden signed an executive order safeguarding access to abortions, ironically, Louisiana was able to enforce a near-total ban of abortions in the state under a judge's order issued on Friday. With abortion access threatened across the country, those seeking out abortion services and other reproductive healthcare options will be forced to travel if their states do not provide it. The Guardian's staffers Alvin Chang, Andrew Witherspoon and Jessica Glenza explored how the creation of abortion "deserts" throughout the country will change who can access care -- and how far they will be forced to travel. During the briefing, White house press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre got into a back-and-forth discussion with a reporter on whether or not people can peacefully protest against Supreme court justices, even in settings like restaurants. The question was prompted after Justice Brett Kavanaugh reportedly had to leave a steakhouse when protesters confronted him for voting to overturn the Roe vs wade verdict. Jean-Pierre replied to a question on if protesters could confront justices at a restaurant they're eating at, saying that the Biden administration is against the intimidation of Supreme Court justices and using violence against them. Jean-Pierre also cited recent legislation passed to protect the safety of justices. Later on in her response, Jean-Pierre clarified, saying the Biden administration supports the right to peaceful protest, even outside of a restaurant. --IANS arm/ (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 Canadian government says it will allow the delivery to of equipment from a key Russia-Europe natural gas pipeline that has undergone maintenance equipment the absence of which Russia's Gazprom cited last month as a reason for more than halving the flow of gas. The return of turbines from the Nord Stream 1 pipeline sent to Montreal for a scheduled overhaul has been complicated by sanctions imposed on over the war in Ukraine. Canada's minister of natural resources, Jonathan Wilkinson, said in a statement late Saturday that " will grant a time-limited and revocable permit for Siemens to allow the return of repaired Nord Stream 1 turbines to . That, Wilkinson said in the statement posted on Twitter, will support Europe's ability to access reliable and affordable energy as they continue to transition away from Russian oil and gas. He said that absent a necessary supply of natural gas, the German economy will suffer very significant hardship. Siemens Energy said after Gazprom started reducing gas flows in mid-June that it had been unable to return a gas turbine that powers a compressor station on the pipeline, which had been overhauled after more than 10 years in service, to the customer, Gazprom. German politicians have dismissed the Russian explanation for the 60% reduction in gas flows through Nord Stream 1, saying that equipment shouldn't have been a significant issue until the fall and the Russian decision was a political gambit to sow uncertainty and push up prices. The Canadian move comes before Nord Stream 1 is due to shut down for annual maintenance on Monday. In previous summers, the work led to a roughly 10-day shutdown, but German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck has said he suspects that may cite some little technical detail as a reason not to resume gas deliveries. The reduction in gas flows comes as and the rest of Europe try to reduce their dependence on Russian energy imports. Germany, which has Europe's biggest economy, gets about 35% of its gas to power industry and generate electricity from . Last month, Habeck activated the second phase of Germany's three-stage emergency plan for natural gas supplies, warning that Europe's biggest economy faced a crisis and storage targets for the winter were at risk. On Friday, energy company Uniper Germany's biggest importer of Russian gas asked the government for a bailout to cope with surging gas prices. (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.) At least 15 people were killed and two dozen more are feared trapped after Russian Uragan rockets hit a five-storey apartment block in Ukraine's Donetsk region, local officials said on Sunday as rescuers picked their way through rubble. Ukraine also reported clashes with Russian troops on fronts in the east and south, while Moscow said its forces struck Ukrainian army hangars storing U.S.-produced M777 howitzers, a type of artillery, near Kostyantynivka in Donetsk region. Donetsk Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said the strike on the apartment building took place on Saturday evening in the town of Chasiv Yar. The regional emergency service gave the death toll at 15 on Sunday afternoon, adding that 24 more people could still be under the rubble. "We ran to the basement, there were three hits, the first somewhere in the kitchen," said a local resident who gave her name as Ludmila, speaking as rescuers removed a body in a white sheet and cleared rubble using a crane as well as their hands. "The second (strike), I do not even remember, there was lightning, we ran towards the second entrance and then straight into the basement. We sat there all night until this morning." Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a Telegram post that the strike was "another terrorist attack," and that Russia should be designated as a state sponsor of terrorism as a result. Russia, which says it is conducting a "special military operation" to demilitarise Ukraine, denies deliberately attacking civilians. Luhansk and Donetsk provinces comprise the Donbas, Ukraine's eastern industrial region that has become Europe's biggest battlefield for generations. Russia wants to wrest control of the Donbas on behalf of the separatists that it supports. Moscow says ejecting the Ukrainian military out of the region is central to what it calls its "special military operation" to ensure its own security, an offensive that has lasted for more than four months and which the West calls an unprovoked war. American Howitzers Russian forces attacked Ukrainian positions near the town of Sloviansk in Donetsk but were forced to withdraw, Ukraine's military said, adding that Russian forces had launched a cruise missile attack on the northeastern city of Kharkiv from their side of the border. It gave no details of damage or casualties. Luhansk region Governor Serhiy Gaidai said Russian forces were gathering in the area of the village of Bilohorivka, about 50 km (30 miles) east of Sloviansk. "The enemy is ... shelling the surrounding settlements, carrying out air strikes, but it is still unable to quickly occupy the entire Luhansk region," he said on Telegram. Russia claimed control over all of Luhansk province last weekend. Russia's defence ministry said its forces had destroyed two hangars near the Donetsk town of Kostyantynivka holding the U.S.-made M777 howitzers, which it said had been used to shell residential areas of Donetsk. Reuters could not independently verify battlefield accounts. Ukrainian military spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. Ukrainian forces have mounted stiff resistance and the West has imposed sweeping sanctions on Russia in an effort to force it to withdraw. In the south, Ukrainian forces fired missiles and artillery at Russian positions including ammunition depots in the Chornobaivka area, Ukraine's military command said. Lavrov Walks Out U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a trip to Asia, urged the community to join forces to condemn Russian aggression. He said he had raised concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, over Beijing's alignment with Moscow. The two met for more than five hours on the sidelines of a gathering of G20 foreign ministers on the Indonesian island of Bali. Russia's Sergei Lavrov walked out of a meeting there on Friday, denouncing the West for "frenzied criticism". Shortly before the Russian invasion, Beijing and Moscow announced a "no limits" partnership, although U.S. officials have said they have not seen China evade U.S.-led sanctions on Russia or provide it with military equipment. Zelensky dismissed several of Ukraine's senior envoys abroad on Saturday, saying it was part of "normal diplomatic practice". He said he would appoint new ambassadors to Germany, India, the Czech Republic, Norway and Hungary. Zelensky has urged his diplomats to drum up support and high-end weapons to slow Russia's advance. Ukraine suffered a diplomatic setback on Saturday, when Canada said it would return a repaired turbine that Russia's state-controlled Gazprom used to supply natural gas to Germany. Ukraine had argued that a return would violate sanctions on Russia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elon Musks effort to dump his agreement to buy Inc. leaves the social media service worse off, no matter the outcome. If the Tesla Inc. chief executive officer succeeds in ending the deal, stock will likely free-fall, and a staff already dejected by Musks months-long public criticism of the site will suffer another emotional blow. If prevails in court, the company will be run by an unpredictable and reluctant owner, while still struggling to meet ambitious growth targets. Musks regulatory filing Friday announcing plans to walk away from his $44 billion purchase touched off a nightmare scenario for Twitter, where only bad options remain. Chairman Bret Taylor responded by vowing to enforce the deal in court, but the companys leadership is already losing the trust of staff after months of uncertainty and stress. Many of Twitters employees were already worried about the impact of Musks arrival. During a Q&A he held with Twitter employees in June, some workers mocked Musk over internal slack channels as he told employees that only those who were exceptional would be allowed to continue working from home. In weeks before the Q&A, still others fretted that Musk had no idea how to run a social network, and some posted their frustration about claims alleging Musk had sexually harassed former employees at his rocket company SpaceX. After Twitter leadership failed to acknowledge the allegations, one employee wrote that as a woman working at Twitter, I find this radio silence extremely disheartening. Those feelings were directed toward Musk when employees thought he still wanted to buy the company. His change of heart has only intensified frustration with Musk and with Twitters management and board, which some employees are publicly mocking on Twitter -- though there is an internal directive not to speak publicly about the deal, according to people familiar with the matter. Staff were also on edge due to recent executive departures and restructuring of product leadership, making product development more difficult, the person said. Twitter cut roughly 100 employees this week, with staff expecting more to come. If Musk is able to terminate the deal, Twitter will still be left with the same problems it had before he came on the scene, wrote Debra Aho Williamson, a principal analyst at Insider Intelligence. Its user growth is slowing. And while ad revenue is still growing marginally, Twitter is now dealing with a slowing economy that could squeeze ad spending on all social platforms. If Twitter goes to court and fails to force Musk to buy the San Francisco-based company, hell likely sell his 9% stake and walk away. Twitters stock price -- which already hadnt reached the $54.20 per share that Musk had agreed to pay -- will undoubtedly slide far below Fridays $36.81 close. After months of anticipating a deal, Twitter will suddenly be back where it started April when Musk showed up on its doorstep. That might not be a great place to be. Twitters business was looking questionable when Musk made his offer. The company had set lofty user growth and revenue targets for 2023, and the user target was looking more and more ambitious with every new quarter. Since Musk made his offer, Twitter has also implemented a hiring freeze, fired two top executives and cut some jobs. The Twitter-Musk saga isnt over. Musk will try to prove Twitter violated their merger agreement, and Twitter will fight to show it fulfilled its obligations. Its possible Musk and Twitter renegotiate the price, or maybe Musk walks away, but pays Twitter a hefty settlement. Despite Musks claims, the deal is not dead. But as far as Twitters options go, it may as well be. and US leaders are urging North Macedonia's parliament to accept a French proposal that will move the tiny Balkan country closer toward EU membership and overcome objections by Bulgaria. At this critical moment in European history, marked by the unjustifiable aggression carried out by Russia against Ukraine, advancing Albania and North Macedonia's EU path is key to strengthening the cohesion and resilience of the entire European continent, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a joint statement Saturday. We welcome a compromise proposal which takes into account the interests and concerns of both North Macedonia and Bulgaria based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding. The sovereign decision of the Parliament of North Macedonia will be important to move forward, they said. The and the are committed to closer cooperation in the Western Balkans. Ensuring stability and prosperity and making their European and Euro-Atlantic future a reality remains our common goal, they added. North Macedonia has been a candidate for EU membership for 17 years. The country received the green light to begin accession talks in 2020, but no date for the start of the negotiations has been set. Bulgaria has used its power as an EU member to block North Macedonia's membership. Political tensions in North Macedonia have been on the rise with violent nightly protests since French President Emmanuel Macron announced at the NATO summit in Madrid that he believed a compromise solution had been achieved. Macron's proposal envisages concessions from both sides. The government in Skopje would commit to changing its constitution to recognise a Bulgarian minority, protect minority rights and banish hate speech, as Bulgaria, an EU member since 2007, has demanded. The French leader stressed the proposal doesn't question the official existence of a Macedonian language, but he noted that, like all deals, it rests on compromises and on a balance. In North Macedonia, both President Stevo Pendarovski and the government of Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski 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. In Bulgaria, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's centrist government was toppled in a no-confidence vote on June 22. A junior governing partner quit the fragile four-party coalition, describing Petkov's willingness to lift the veto of North Macedonia as a national betrayal. Bulgaria has accepted the French proposal, which now requires the backing of North Macedonia's parliament. A plenary session has not been scheduled yet. (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.) Alphabets has offered concessions in an attempt to head off a possible US antitrust lawsuit aimed at its massive ad-tech business, according to people familiar with the matter, a sign that legal and regulatory pressures on the tech giant are coming to a head. As part of one offer, has proposed splitting parts of its business that auctions and places ads on websites and apps into a separate company under the umbrella, some of the people said. That entity could potentially be valued at tens of billions of dollars, depending on what assets it contained. It couldnt be determined whether any offer short of asset sales would satisfy the US Department of Justice, where antitrust officials have signaled a preference for deep structural changes to Googles ad-tech business, rather than promises to change business practices, the people said. The Justice Department has been conducting a long-running investigation into allegations that abuses its role as both a broker and auctioneer of digital advertisements to steer itself business at the expense of rivals. The department is preparing a lawsuit alleging Googles ad-tech practices are anticompetitive, an action that could be filed as soon as this summer, the people said. We have been engaging constructively with regulators to address their concerns, a Google spokesman said in a statement. As weve said before, we have no plans to sell or exit this business. He added: Rigorous competition in ad technology has made online ads more relevant, reduced fees, and expanded options for publishers and advertisers. A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. In the European Union, where Google faces another ad-tech investigation, Google has made an offer to settle a different allegation of anti-competitive conduct related to YouTube, some of the people familiar with the matter said. As part of that offer, Google would allow competitors to broker the sale of ads directly on the video service, those people added. Currently, the only way to buy ads on YouTube, the worlds biggest video-sharing platform, is to use Googles ad-buying tools. A spokeswoman for the European Commission, the EUs top antitrust enforcer, declined to comment on its investigation into Googles ad tech business, which she said was ongoing. As always, in our investigations, we cooperate with other authorities including the Justice Department, she said. Reuters earlier reported Googles offer related to YouTube in Europe. Antitrust watchers have long awaited a second US case against Google following the Justice Departments lawsuit almost two years ago alleging the company used anti-competitive tactics to maintain its dominant position in online search. Google has denied the allegations, and the case is ongoing. Googles willingness to offer concessions to avoid a US lawsuit is an evolution of the companys strategy for handling growing legal and regulatory pressure. In addition to probes by the Justice Department, the EU and UK, Google is preparing for a trial in a lawsuit from US states led by Texas that argues the company is running a monopoly that harmed ad-industry competitors and publishers. Google is awaiting a judges decision on a motion to dismiss the case and has said the suit is full of inaccuracies and lacks legal merit. Meanwhile, U. S. senators have proposed a new antitrust bill that could force Google to divest parts of its ad-tech business. And the EU agreed this spring on two new major tech regulations, including one called the Digital Markets Act, that puts new fairness obligations on like Google. Any moves by Google to restructure parts of its ad-tech business could shake the digital advertising industry. Advertisers are slated to spend more than $600 billion on digital ads world-wide this year, according to eMarketer, and Google plays a major role as an intermediary in such sales. Last year, Googles business of brokering the sale of ads on other websites and apps accounted for $31.7 billion of revenues, roughly 12% of Alphabets total. Publishing executives have long complained that Googles market power has allowed the company to charge higher commissions, cutting into their revenue from digital ads. Rival ad tech firms have likewise complained that Google uses its market power to steer business away from them. Many detractors say that antitrust enforcers should have attempted to block Googles 2007 deal to purchase DoubleClick, at the time a prominent ad-serving company to publishers across the web which also operated an exchange where those ads were auctioned to advertisers. Some rivals say that dealthen worth only $3.1 billionplus several others in subsequent years helped Google build up significant power as an ad broker responsible for a sizable chunk of Alphabets nearly $1.6 trillion market capitalization. Today, Google tools can handle each step of the buying and selling of digital ads, effectively representing both advertisers and publishers as the former bid on ads for the latter, using an online auction exchange Google itself also operates. Regulators have been investigating whether Google is abusing its role along those steps of each transaction. Google has denied taking any unfair advantage. We are concerned that Google has made it harder for rival online advertising services to compete in the so-called ad tech stack, said Margrethe Vestager, the EUs competition chief, when announcing the blocs investigation last year. Another point of contention from rivals and regulators has been Googles move over half a decade ago to require advertisers to buy ads on YouTube using Google ad tools rather than third-party tools. Google ad-tech rivals from the time say that decision kneecapped competition because YouTube is by far the biggest online-video site, pushing advertisers to work more with Google than with rivals when buying ads. Google has navigated a number of antitrust probes over the past decade. In early 2013, the company resolved a U. S. Federal Trade Commission investigation by agreeing to some voluntary changes to its practices, despite recommendations from some of the agencys staff to bring a lawsuit, The Wall Street Journal reported. Google attempted to settle a similar dispute in the EU, but EU officials eventually rejected three separate offers from Google to settle before filing the first of three sets of antitrust charges in 2015. EU officials eventually found Google had violated the blocs antitrust laws in each of its separate cases, fining the company roughly $8.4 billion and ordering changes to its business practices. Google has fought all three of those decisions in EU courts, but in the meantime has had to comply with them. Google search results in Europe show product ads from Google competitors, and Android phones activated in Europe prompt users to select their default search engine from a list of options that includes Google competitors. China, which has invested billions of dollars in Sri Lanka, has warned hundreds of its nationals in the country not to participate in any protests there, as it watched warily the fast unfolding crisis in the island nation where large masses of people raided the President's palace and burnt the Prime Minister's residence. The Chinese Embassy in Colombo issued a notice on Saturday, reminding Chinese nationals in to pay close attention to the local security situation and abide by local laws and regulations after the protests spread, state-run Global Times here reported. It asked Chinese nationals not to participate in any protests, the report said. The embassy reminded Chinese nationals not to participate in or watch any protests after hundreds of thousands of protesters stormed and occupied the presidential palace and set the Sri Lankan prime minister's private residence on fire in Colombo to demand the government take responsibility for mismanaging the nation's finances and for the crippling food and fuel shortages faced by the country, the report added. The embassy also suggested that Chinese nationals be vigilant, stay safe, avoid going out, keep communication open and keep updated with the embassy's notices and reminders, it said. Hundreds of Chinese nationals reportedly work in various Chinese projects being built with billions of dollars of investments. These projects included Hambantota port, which China has acquired for a 99-year lease as a debt swap and the Colombo port city project which is being built on reclaimed land from the sea. Both the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya and the Sri Lankan Prime Minister offered to quit on Saturday after protesters stormed the government district in Colombo over the worst economic crisis that hit . For its part, China has provided a few million dollars of aid and recently sent a large shipment of rice but for inexplicable reasons did not provide the large-scale monetary assistance sought by President or his brother former Prime Minister, Mahinda and their pleas to defer repayment of Chinese loans. Following the economic crisis, also defaulted on USD 51 billion in foreign debt which included Chinese loans. Also in a rare gesture China last month commended India's efforts to assist Sri Lanka to deal with the worst financial crisis by providing over USD 3.5 billion in fuel and food assistance. We have taken note that the Indian government has also done a lot in this regard. We commend those efforts, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on June 8. The Global Times report said on Saturday the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong attended a ceremony to hand over the donation of 7,060 food packs worth USD 150,000 by the Red Cross Society of China to Nuwara Eliya city in Sri Laka's Central Province. During the ceremony, Qi stated that China sympathizes with Sri Lanka, which is facing multiple difficulties and challenges at the present time. (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.) Sri Lankan police on Sunday arrested three people for setting Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's private residence here on fire a day earlier, which caused extensive destruction of the property, media reports said. A group of irate protesters on Saturday night entered Wickremesinghe's private residence at Cambridge Place and set it on fire, inflicting extensive damage to the property and damaging a luxury sedan, amid massive anti-government protests. A video released by Daily Mirror newspaper on Twitter, which showed grim visuals of Wickremesinghe's charred residence and a damaged sedan. Paintings and other artworks were strewn across the house and the compound. Among those arrested include a 19-year-old Mount Lavinia resident and two residents of Galle, aged 24 and 28 respectively, web portal Colombo Page reported, quoting the Police Spokesman SSP Nihal Talduwa. More arrests are on the anvil, as the police have widened their scope of investigations, he said. Talduwa said the suspects are currently in the custody of Colpetty Police, and will be produced in court later on Sunday, web portal Lanka First reported. The residence was replete with a rare collection of books and old Buddha statues, most of which Wickremesinghe had inherited, the Colombo Page report said, quoting a spokesperson of the Prime Minister's Office. Wickremesinghe and his spouse Professor Maithrie Wickremesinghe stayed in this residence, the report said. The incident came hours after Wickremesinghe offered to resign to make way for an all-party government. Embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has also offered to resign on July 13. Hours before his decision, a huge mob broke the police cordon and entered the Presidential House. (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.) Sri Lankan Army chief General Shavendra Silva on Sunday said that an opportunity to resolve the current political crisis in a peaceful manner is now available and sought the people's support to maintain peace in the island nation, hours after embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa agreed to step down on July 13. Thousands of irate anti-government protesters in on Saturday stormed into embattled President Rajapaksa's official residence in central Colombo's high-security Fort area after breaking the barricades, as they demanded his resignation over the island nation's worst in recent memory. The protesters also torched the private residence of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe even after he offered to resign. In a brief statement, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Silva said that an opportunity has arisen to resolve the current crisis in a peaceful manner. He requested all Sri Lankans to support the Armed Forces and the Police to ensure that peace is maintained in the country, Colombo Gazette news portal reported. The statement was issued following the violence seen at Galle Face and Fort on Saturday and near the private residence of Prime Minister Wickremesinghe. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have offered to resign following the incidents. Gotabaya Rajapaksa's offer to resign comes after thousands stormed the President's House in Fort. Thousands arrived from around the country and stormed the President's House following a battle with the Police and Security Forces. Tear gas and water cannons were used while shots were also fired by the military to try and disperse the crowd. However, people both young and old continued to push their way past the barricades and reached the President's House. The public went inside the house and used the facilities, including the swimming pool. President Rajapaksa was evacuated much earlier from his official residence. The Rajapaksa brothers, Mahinda and Gotabaya, were hailed by many in as heroes for winning the civil war against the LTTE but they are now blamed for the country's worst . Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion. (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 Narendra Modi with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis during their meeting in New Delhi. (PTI) Mumbai/New Delhi: Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday asserted that the "Shiv Sena-BJP alliance" government will complete its tenure and will win the next Assembly election as well. Mr Shinde, along with Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, met senior BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president J.P. Nadda, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh in New Delhi. Earlier in the week, the NCP chief Sharad Pawar had predicted that the Shinde-led government may fall in the next six months. The Maharashtra chief minister and his deputy are on tour in New Delhi since Friday. Both of them also met the Prime Minister at the latter's residence in New Delhi. In their first meeting after the new government assumed office in the state, both leaders sought his "blessings and guidance" for the development of Maharashtra. "The chief minister of Maharashtra Shri Eknath Shinde and the deputy chief minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi," the Prime Minister's Office said on Twitter. Earlier, addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Mr Shinde said he would try and understand the Prime Minister's vision for the development of the state and strive to take Maharashtra to newer heights. Mr Shinde said several projects such as the Samruddhi Expressway connecting Mumbai and Nagpur, metro rail in cities, and digging farm ponds to boost irrigation, which were initiated by Mr Fadnavis but had run into delays under the Thackeray-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government, will be put on fast-track. On Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackerays demand for a mid-term poll in Maharashtra, Mr Shinde said that the question does not arise as in democracy, the number matters. "We have the support of 164 MLAs. We have formed a strong government in Maharashtra as per the constitution. It will complete the full term," he said. On the dispute over who gets to use the party symbol, Mr Shinde said, "We are Shiv Sena and haven't done anything illegal. We have been recognised as the Legislative party." Mr Thackeray on Friday said that nobody can take away the bow and arrow, the symbol of the Shiv Sena and it will remain with him. Mr Shinde reiterated that the rebel MLAs had made all the efforts to resolve the issues with Mr Thackeray. "The existence of our MLAs came under threat under the MVA government. Only the natural alliance of the BJP and Shiv Sena can take Maharashtra ahead. We tried to communicate this issue (with Uddhav Thackeray) but did not succeed. Therefore, we took this move (joining hands with the BJP)," he said. Asked whether he was disappointed at the "demotion" to the post of deputy chief minister, MR Fadnavis said he had merely followed the directives of his party. "My party made me big by appointing me as the chief minister. It is not a question of being large hearted. I have followed the directives of my party," Mr Fadnavis, who served as the Maharashtra chief minister from 2014 to 2019, said. "I am with Mr Shinde. I have been the chief minister and I know the chief minister is the leader. We will work under Mr Shinde's leadership. Our primary goal is to make this government successful," he added. Mr Shinde and Mr Fadnavis left for Pune on Saturday evening en route to Pandharpur, where the chief minister will worship Lord Vitthal on the occasion of Ashadhi Ekadashi on Sunday. Meanwhile, the rebellion in Shiv Sena continued to grow. The Thackeray faction announced that they have removed former Navi Mumbai civic chief Vijay Nahata and former Opposition leader in the municipal corporation Vijay Chougule from the party after they joined the Shinde camp. Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna on Saturday declared that the duo had indulged in anti-party activities and hence were removed from the party. The ongoing rebellion has already dented the Thackeray faction, as 66 out of 67 corporators from Thane have joined Mr Shinde while several MPs are also backing him. The race to replace as prime minister is getting more crowded, and the big beasts are muscling in. Sajid Javid, the former Health Minister whose resignation last week helped spark Johnsons abrupt downfall, and former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who lost to Johnson in the 2019 leadership runoff, used interviews in the Telegraph late Saturday to announce their campaigns. Both put cutting taxes, a red-meat topic for the Conservative Party core, at the heart of the respective agendas. In separate interviews with the newspaper, they said theyd cancel a planned rise in corporation tax and reduce it to 15% from 25%. Javid went a step further, pledging to reverse a payroll tax that was introduced by his successor as Chancellor of the Exchequer . Hunt, who turned down Johnsons offer of a cabinet position in 2019, plans to emphasize his standing as a parliamentary backbencher outside what he called the Boris bubble. They join seven other candidates including Sunaks successor Nadhim Zahawi, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in vying for the top role with Sunak. The most significant absentee from the starting list so far is Penny Mordaunt, the trade minister who has been touted as one of the favorites for the job. Conservatives organizing the contest are keen to whittle down the race to a final two before Parliament goes on its summer recess on July 21. Over the next few days, barbs both political and personal will fly, and alliances will develop as candidates seek to short up support from their fellow Members of Parliament, who decide who goes through to the runoff. In announcing his run in the Times newspaper, Johnson loyalist Shapps took a swipe at Sunak, who resigned about the same time as Javid on Tuesday. I have not spent the last few turbulent years plotting or briefing against the prime minister, Shapps told the paper. I have not been mobilising a leadership campaign behind his back. Sunak declared his candidacy Friday in a slick video that raised eyebrows among Tory MPs who suggested plans had been in the works for longer than a few days. And in what the Sun newspaper called the kind of dirty trick likely to sully the contest, a clip from 2007 resurfaced online showing Sunak making a dismissive comment about the working class. Truss will launch her bid by pledging that shell advocate classic Conservative principles, the Mail on Sunday reported. Zahawi began his campaign with his own low-tax pledge and seemed to garner endorsements even before he announced, including from former Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis. Truss ranked just behind Sunak in an Opinium poll for Channel 4 News. He was backed by 25% and Truss by 21% in the survey of Conservative Party members, who will pick from the final two candidates. In one of the more unexpected developments late Saturday, a Times journalist tweeted that Tom Tugendhat, the centrist chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee who was often critical of Johnson, won the endorsement of Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the trade secretary and a key member of the right-wing European Research Group. The other two declared candidates from outside Johnsons cabinet are pro-Brexit Attorney General Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch, minister of state for equalities. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, initially seen as a favorite to succeed Johnson, said Saturday that he decided not to run. Meanwhile, Johnson will stay on until his successor is announced, which the party said will be in September. Hes appointed a caretaker government which he insists will not make major changes of direction. The 1922 Committee of rank-and-file Tory MPs is drawing up plans for an accelerated leadership contest. The two finalists will then embark on a six-week tour of the UK, and more than 100,000 Conservative party members will decide who moves into 10 Downing Street. The anti-government protesters in on Sunday continued to occupy the residences of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, a day after they stormed into the premises and set on fire one of the buildings protesting over the nation's severe even as the island nation is still in the dark about the embattled President's whereabouts. Rajapaksa's only communication outside since the protesters stormed into the city has been with the Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who announced late Saturday night that the President would resign on Wednesday. President Rajapaksa informed the Speaker about this decision to quit after Abeywardena wrote to him seeking his resignation following the all-party meeting of leaders held Saturday evening. The Speaker would become the acting President in the absence of both the President and the Prime Minister. Later, an election among MPs must happen to elect a new President. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has also offered to resign. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe whose private house suffered an extensive arson attack last night remains in position despite calls to quit. In a statement Saturday night, Wickremesinghe, who has expressed his willingness to resign, said this country is gripped with fuel and food shortages. There will be an important visit scheduled by the WFP next week while crucial talks have to be continued with the IMF. So if the current government is to quit it must be replaced by the next ." Speaker Abeywardena had asked President Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe to resign immediately to make way for an all-party government after the country witnessed its biggest protest yet amid an unprecedented . The IMF on Sunday said that it was closely monitoring the ongoing developments in and hoped that the political crisis will be resolved soon to allow for the resumption of dialogue on an IMF-supported programme in the cash-starved country. The chief of defence staff General Shavendra Silva appealed for calm. He said that an opportunity to resolve the current political crisis in a peaceful manner is now available and said the public must assist the security forces to maintain peace and stability. Meanwhile, the Colombo national hospital said 102 people had been admitted with injuries. Among them are 11 media personnel. The police's special task force was accused of brutally assaulting two television journalists at the prime minister's private residence protest. The attack triggered the backlash which resulted in the house being set on fire by the protesters. The main Opposition SJB said their constituent parties are to meet this morning to take stock of the political situation. At least four Cabinet ministers offered their resignations. Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera said he would be quitting the moment he ceremonially received the stock of fertiliser which is due on Sunday from India. I will resign today after receiving the 40,000 MT of urea which we have received under the Indian credit line yesterday," Amaraweera told reporters. In May, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had to quit in the face of massive anti-government protests. The Rajapaksa brothers, Mahinda and Gotabaya, were hailed by many in as heroes for winning the civil war against the LTTE but they are now blamed for the country's worst . The expected exit of President Rajapaksa on Wednesday and the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister in May is a dramatic fall from grace for a powerful family that has dominated Sri Lankan politics for more than a decade. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. The country, with an acute foreign currency crisis that resulted in foreign debt default, had announced in April that it is suspending nearly USD 7 billion foreign debt repayment due for this year out of about USD 25 billion due through 2026. Sri Lanka's total foreign debt stands at USD 51 billion. (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 British Cabinet minister tipped to be a frontrunner in the Conservative Party's leadership race ruled himself out of the contest Saturday. Defence Minister Ben Wallace said after careful consideration and discussion with colleagues and family, he will not be running to replace as Conservative leader and the country's next prime minister. Wallace was seen by some as the favourite choice among Conservative party members in what's shaping up to be a wide open leadership race following Johnson's resignation announcement on Thursday. Johnson quit as party leader after months of insisting he would stay in the job despite mounting ethics scandals. He said he would stay on as prime minister until the party chooses his successor. Newly-appointed Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi launched his campaign to become Tory leader Saturday, pledging to lower taxes and boost defense spending. Zahawi's announcement came a day after former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the best-known of the leadership contenders and regarded as the bookmakers' favourite to win, launched his bid. Sunak resigned on Tuesday, kicking off a mass exodus of government officials that toppled Johnson. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Attorney General Suella Braverman, lawmaker Tom Tugendhat and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch have also thrown their hat into the ring, and more announcements are expected over the coming days. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and trade minister Penny Mordaunt are widely expected to run, as are former health secretaries Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt. Wallace said his decision wasn't an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe. (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 on Sunday urged Sri Lanka's political fraternity to come forward and work quickly to achieve long-term economic and political solutions to address the people's discontent, after thousands of irate protesters stormed the official residence of embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and forced him to offer his resignation on Wednesday. Rajapaksa would resign on July 13, Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said on Saturday night, while Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has already expressed his willingness to resign amidst the worst economic and political crisis in the country. The calls on the Sri Lankan parliament to approach this juncture with a commitment to the betterment of the nation not any one political party, a US State Department spokesperson said on Sunday. We urge this government or any new, constitutionally selected government to work quickly to identify and implement solutions that will achieve long-term economic stability and address the Sri Lankan people's discontent over the worsening economic conditions, including power, food and fuel shortages, the spokesperson said. The warned against attacks on protesters or journalists, but also criticised Saturday's violence. President Rajapaksa's whereabouts were unknown and it is believed the 73-year-old leader left the house before the massive mob arrived. The anti-government protesters also did not spare Wickremasinghe. A group of protesters entered his private residence and set it on fire. The Sri Lankan people have the right to peacefully raise their voices, and we call for the full investigation, arrest and prosecution of anyone involved in any protest-related violent incidents, the spokesperson added. Rajapaksa has historically endured a thorny relationship with the United States over the dismissal of allegations of war crimes during Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war. Nevertheless, Washington has over the past two months offered USD 120 million in new financing for Sri Lankan small and medium-sized businesses, a USD 27 million contribution to Sri Lanka's dairy industry and USD 5.75 million in humanitarian assistance to help those hit hardest by the . The United States has also committed USD 6 million in new grants to provide livelihood assistance to vulnerable populations, and technical assistance on financial reform that will help stabilise the economy. Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, is under the grip of an unprecedented economic turmoil, the worst in seven decades, crippled by an acute shortage of foreign exchange that has left it struggling to pay for essential imports of fuel, and other essentials. (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.) PRI ESPL INT .CANBERRA FES10 AUS-CLIMATE POLICY Will Australia's new climate policy be enough to reset relations with Pacific nations? By Wesley Morgan,Research Fellow, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University Canberra, Jul 10 (The Conversation) Australia Prime minister Anthony Albanese is hoping his government's more ambitious climate policy will help reset Pacific relations when he meets with island leaders next week. Hosted by Fiji, this year's Pacific Islands Forum will be the first in-person leaders summit since the 2019 Pacific Islands Forum in Tuvalu, which saw his predecessor Scott Morrison trying to water down a Pacific regional climate declaration. In the aftermath of that bruising summit, Fijian prime minister Frank Bainimarama told waiting media partnering with China was preferable to working with Morrison. Since then, geostrategic competition between China and the United States has intensified. This contest looms over this year's Pacific Islands Forum. China is seeking new security arrangements with island countries, while the US and its allies are stepping up their engagement with Pacific nations. But while Australia worries about China, most Pacific nations are more worried about on their doorstep. A new Climate Council report endorsed by a group of prominent Pacific leaders says committing to more ambitious climate action is key to Australia's claim to be the Pacific's security partner of choice. Security will be high on the agenda Why is security suddenly important? Because the Pacific has become a region of geostrategic competition for the first time in decades. China has become more powerful. That's seen it invest in an ocean-going navy and seek new security arrangements with Pacific countries. Australian security officials have been particularly worried Beijing could use infrastructure loans to secure a Chinese naval base in the Pacific. In April, Solomon Islands signed a security deal with China which if it is anything like the draft leaked online contains provisions that allow for Chinese military presence and ship resupply. The deal has changed the dynamic of a region long aligned with the West (notwithstanding Pacific concerns about decolonisation and the impact of nuclear testing). While Solomon Islands leaders say they have no intention of allowing a Chinese base or an ongoing security presence in the country, concerns remain. Foreign Minister Penny Wong who meets with Pacific foreign ministers today to iron out the final agenda for the Forum meeting wants leaders to discuss the controversial security deal. She says Pacific security should be a matter for the Pacific family. In May, China's foreign minister Wang Yi toured the Pacific hoping to secure a regional security deal with island countries. The proposal was politely declined by island leaders, who explained there was no regional consensus on the deal. Undeterred, Wang Yi proposed a meeting with Pacific foreign ministers next week, on exactly the same day Albanese meets island leaders at the Pacific Islands Forum. Tackling the region's key threat: Pacific island leaders argue growing tension between the US and China does little to address climate change, which they are adamant is the region's single greatest threat. For decades, Pacific leaders have called for recognition that is a threat to their nations akin to war. During the first UN Security Council debate on climate change in 2007, Pacific Islands Forum countries argued the impacts of a warming planet for island nations were no less serious than those faced by nations and peoples threatened by guns and bombs. In June this year, Fiji's defence minister Inia Seruiratu told a regional security dialogue that "machine guns, fighter jets, grey ships and green battalions are not our primary security concern. Waves are crashing at our doorsteps, winds are battering our homes, we are being assaulted by this enemy from many angles." Today's report from the Climate Council backs what island leaders are saying: climate change is the single greatest threat to the region. If the world is to have a reasonable chance of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, and ensuring the survival of all Pacific island countries, global emissions must be halved by 2030. A wealthy country like Australia, with high emissions and vast untapped renewable resources should be aiming to reduce emissions to 75% below 2005 levels by 2030, according to the report. Optimism and wariness Australia's new climate policies have been met by Pacific island countries with a mixture of optimism and wariness. Albanese has pledged to cut emissions by 43% by 2030. While this brings Australia closer to the rest of the developed world, this target by no means leads the pack. Most other developed countries have promised to cut emissions by at least 50% this decade. Labor's 43% cut should be the floor for Australia's ambition, not a ceiling. The new Australian government wants to co-host the annual UN climate summit with Pacific island countries, potentially as soon as 2024. While this is a positive sign, Australia cannot assume Pacific leaders will automatically support it. Pacific island countries want to see Australia doing more to move beyond coal and gas and committing new finance to help island countries to deal with the growing impacts of climate change (including unavoidable loss and damage). Albanese will have the chance to hear Pacific concerns in Suva next week. It will be the start of an ongoing conversation. If the Australian government listens carefully, and takes meaningful action on climate, it will strengthen its claim to be the Pacific's security partner of choice. (The Conversation) VM 07100934 NNNN (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.) Information technology stocks are likely to remain under pressure in the near-term amid headwinds emanating from the worsening economic situation in key global and financial market volatility, according to analysts. While the country's largest software exporter TCS reported a 5.2 per cent rise in June quarter net profit on Friday, kicking off the latest earnings cycle, IT shares have been sliding, with the BSE Information Technology index tumbling nearly 24 per cent so far this year. Cross-currency headwinds and large scale talent churn resulting in higher wage hikes could also add to the challenges, especially in terms of the impact on operating margins, analysts opined. Though it is early to draw conclusions, the ongoing political developments in the United Kingdom where Indian-origin Rishi Sunak has thrown his hat in the ring to be the prime minister, are also being closely watched. Sunak is the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy. "In US and Europe, the macro environment shows signs of worsening... There will be an impact on the IT sector... are likely to remain under pressure," Aditi Patil, Research Associate at brokerage firm Prabhudas Lilladher told PTI. Reflecting the negativity, the five IT constituents of the 30-share benchmark Sensex have slumped up to 43 per cent this year. So far in 2022, Tech Mahindra has plunged 42.68 per cent while Wipro has plummeted 41.38 per cent and HCL Technologies has dropped 25.38 per cent. In the case of TCS and Infosys, the IT bellwethers, the decline has been 12.63 per cent and 19.87 per cent, respectively. In 2022 so far, the BSE Information Technology index has tumbled 9,046.44 points or 23.90 per cent. It had hit its 52-week low of 26,827.24 on June 17 this year. On January 17, it reached its all-time high of 38,713.3 points. The Sensex has declined 3,771.98 points or 6.47 per cent so far this year. It hit its 52-week low of 50,921.22 on June 17. Tanusree Banerjee, Co- Head of Research of Equitymaster, said while IT companies are likely to face some margin pressures due to cross-currency headwinds in the near term, vendor consolidation and captive monetisation efforts will help gain market share. "The outlook for the long term remains good with deal pipelines remaining strong," Banerjee added. Last week, rating agency Crisil in a report said the information technology services sector will see a sharp fall in revenue growth to 12-13 per cent in FY23 from 19 per cent in FY22. Apurva Prasad, VP for Institutional Research - IT, HDFC Securities, said there is high probability of double-digit growth outcome for the IT sector in the medium-term and the structural drivers more than offset any macro variability. "Risk-reward is favourable for tier-1 IT as current valuations imply a modest growth ask-rate; at the same time, mid-tier IT will sustain its growth premium. We have a constructive stance on the IT sector," Prasad said. V K Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services, said IT stocks, after the recent sharp correction, are now fairly valued. "However, there are concerns arising out of the fallout from a possible recession in the US and sharp slowdown in other key markets," he said, adding that the TCS first quarter results indicate good revenue situation but there is pressure on margins due to salary hikes for employees. While noting that are likely to remain under pressure, Aditi Patil said, "I believe for the coming results (of other IT companies), there won't be positive surprises... Stock prices will remain under pressure. may fall further from this level." TCS Managing Director and CEO Rajesh Gopinathan, on Friday while announcing the quarterly results, hinted that this was the bottom for the margins, attributing the fall to annual wage hikes and promotions. At a time when worries are being expressed about recessionary pressures in countries like the US, which is the biggest market for TCS, Gopinathan had said it has been doing client surveys to look for any early signs of softening in demand for its services. "We are seeing steady demand from our immediate conversations with customers for the short term to medium term. So, all projects that are currently going on, pipeline conversions... all of that indicates a steady demand environment," he had said. "In senior-level discussions, there is increasing discussion about the recession, no different from what you and I are reading in newspapers. We don't see an immediate footprint of it on our demand side. From a pipeline perspective also, the pipeline build is quite strong and the nature of deals is also remaining strong," he had said. According to the Crisil report, the current depreciation in the rupee, and strong demand for new age technologies like artificial intelligence, cloud computing and Internet of Things will help the over USD 220-billion sector maintain double-digit growth. (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 engineers' body has asked the government to not introduce the electricity (amendment) bill in the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament "in haste" and to hold discussions with all the stakeholders on the proposed law. All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) in a letter to Union Power Minister R K Singh has demanded that the recently-released Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, should not be introduced in the Monsoon session in haste and should be discussed in detail with power consumers, electricity sector workers and other stakeholders, a statement said. The federation has also sent a letter to chief ministers of all the states and Union territories, urging them to take effective intervention to stop the amendment bill, the statement said. A meeting of the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers has been called in Delhi on July 20, in which a decision on a nationwide movement against this bill will be taken, it stated. The Union power minister last month said that everybody (all ministries, and stakeholders) was on board with the amendments to the Electricity Act and the ministry should be able to take it forward to Parliament in the monsoon session. The Monsoon session of Parliament is likely to begin on July 18. The bill provides for de-licensing of the distribution business to promote competition, the appointment of a member from a law background in every commission, strengthening of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), and prescribes rights and duties of consumers. In the letter sent to the Union power minister, AIPEF Chairman Shailendra Dubey has stated that the draft Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022, issued a few days ago, is incomplete and insufficient to amend the Electricity Act, 2003. He wrote that this Amendment Bill has not yet been placed on the website of the Ministry of Power, this does not contain the Statement of Objects & reasons to amend the Electricity Act, 2003 and neither comments have been sought nor any time has been given for comments from the stakeholders. He stated that when the Electricity Act, 2003, was enacted, the Electricity Bill, 2001, was sent to the Standing Committee on Power Affairs of Parliament and long talks were held for two years with all the stakeholders. Now if any amendment is required in the Electricity Act, 2003, then the same method should be adopted, he suggested. There should be complete transparency, comments should be sought from all, discussions should be held with all and it should not be passed in haste by placing in Parliament on just a few days of notice as this amendment has far-reaching effects on electricity consumers and electricity workers, he submitted. He further said that as far as giving a choice of power supply to the consumer is concerned, this is a complete hoax. In fact, this bill will give a choice not to consumers but to the private electricity supplying companies, he claimed. There is a provision in the bill that only a government company will have a universal power supply obligation which means only state-run discoms will provide electricity to all categories of consumers, he stated. Naturally, private companies will supply electricity only to profitable industrial and commercial consumers, and government distribution companies will go into further losses due to providing electricity to farmers and common consumers at below cost and thus government discoms by default will become loss-making companies, he said. According to this bill, private companies will use the network of government discoms, and the expenditure of operation and maintenance and capacity addition will also be borne by state-run discoms, he pointed out. He said government discoms have already spent billions or trillions of rupees in making this network and thousands of crores of rupees are being spent by them on the maintenance. Allowing private companies to use this network by charging only wheeling charges is totally unjust and it is a draft of privatization of entire power distribution which will be strongly opposed by the power workers, he stated. He said that this experiment is already underway in Mumbai where Adani Power and Tata Power supply electricity in the same area. Tata Power uses Adani Power's network. This has led to various legal disputes and the consumers have not got any relief from this, he claimed. Domestic consumers in Mumbai pay electricity tariff in the range of Rs 12 per unit to Rs 14 per unit which is the highest in the country, he submitted. Now imposing this experiment on the whole country is a fraud with the common consumers, he opined. He further said that when private companies supply electricity using the network of government discoms, then billions of rupees ae spent on the accounting software to be made for this. This was used in the UK, where such software cost GBP 850 billion 10 years ago, and this cost was collected from consumers, he stated. The central government should clarify that if this experiment will be done in India, and the expenditure of billions of rupees would be passed on to the common consumers while private companies earn huge profits, then what will be the benefit of the common consumers, he asked. This has also become important because the burden of imported coal has now been passed on to the discoms which will ultimately be recovered from the common consumers, 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.) An imposing fort-like facade with huge-sized images of a smiling Edappadi K Palaniswami, the super-influential leader of the main Opposition AIADMK, is striking for its symbolism at the venue of the big ticket party event here. The event, expected to be held is the party's 'historic' general council and executive committee meeting on July 11 to elect as the single, supreme party leader, with O Panneerselvam now clearly relegated to the background. While the Madras High Court is set to pronounce its verdict on Monday morning on a plea against conducting the meeting, all arrangements are in place to hold the meet on the premises of a marriage hall on the city's outskirts. A large open area on the premises has been tin-roofed to host the event and accommodate about 3,000 functionaries. A grand dais, about 80 ft in length and 40 ft in breadth, is set to accommodate senior leaders. With the OPS camp stoutly opposing the meeting to pick as the top leader, the party has installed entry control equipment like flap barriers and turnstile to allow only authorised functionaries with access cards, seen as a first in by any political party. The entire premises is decked up with portraits of party icons, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa while Palaniswami's picture is carefully interspersed. The entire locality wore a festive look and is set to be given a grand reception on his arrival for the meeting. Both the Palaniswami and Panneerselvam's camps continued their discussions separately over their future course of action. EPS supporters and party leaders, including P Thangamani and R B Udhayakumar, on Sunday reviewed the arrangements being made to host the event. While Palaniswami's side said the support from GC members has increased to 2,455, Panneerselvam faction said that OPS had the support of 1.5 crore party members. The party has about 2,650 GC members Party functionaries vied with one another in placing advertisements in party organ 'Namadhu Amma' to support EPS and the party's Tamil daily was full of promotion material hailing Palaniswami as the party's dawn and future. sources indicated that Panneerselvam, the party treasurer, has the option of only boycotting the meeting. On June 23, when the GC met, chaotic scenes were witnessed and a sidelined OPS was prompted to walk away with his supporters after making known his opposition to Palaniswami camp. Since last month, the has been witnessing serious intra-party wrangling over the issue of single-leadership and Palaniswami has the support of an overwhelming majority and Panneerselvam has been sidelined in the party. It is expected that the may soon act against Panneerselvam. The Madras High Court said on Friday that it would pass order on July 11, by 9 AM, on a plea against holding the General Council meeting. The meet was originally scheduled to be held on July 11 and it was slated to commence in the morning, that day. Now the fate of the meeting hinges on the court verdict. Panneerselvam is against the meeting and Palaniswami, who is expected to be elected the supreme leader in the GC meeting, is for it. (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.)